Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Unemployed? How to Use Your Time Well to Succeed in Your Job Hunt

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If you’ve been keeping up this week, you know how important it is to look in the mirror when you search for a job – to take a good, hard look and see if there is something about your attitude or approach that you can change. Staying positive and upbeat is important to your ultimate success.

Another important tip? Use your time well if you are not currently working. It’s easy to let hours, days and weeks pass by before setting up a strategy that will help you succeed in your  hunt. (Hiring a coach can give your search a turbo boost!)

I’ve already shared great reasons to volunteer if you have some free time. Here are a few additional tips to consider if you’re not quite sure what to do with your time.

If you haven’t started, dive into social media and Web 2.0 applications! Yes, this can take some time if you are going to do it full force. But, you have time, so go for it! Start searching for blogs in your niche. Guy Kawasaki’s Alltop list is a perfect place to find blogs in an array of topics, but you can certainly use Google to find current information in your field of interest. Spend some time researching and exploring. See if you can identify the stars in your field. Use online mechanisms to connect to them!

How? Post smart comments on their blogs. See if they use Twitter and follow them. (Read more of my suggestions about using Twitter for the job hunt HERE.) Make sure that you are using linkedin effectively. You may be amazed at  how quickly you can connect and “befriend” people online.

Consider authoring a blog. If you are a strong writer, there isn’t a better way to influence your Google rankings and demonstrate authority in your subject matter. If you have the time, why not try? You have nothing to lose.

Stop and think about what you really want to do. Use your time to assess yourself, your goals and plans for the future. How often are we forced to take a moment to really think about the future. This is your chance. Do you like the way your life is going? Are you happy with your path? If not, consider a coach to help you figure out a new direction.

Learn a new skill. Have you been thinking about taking a class in something that will help you with your job? Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn how to knit? This is a good time. Doing something new and learning a new skill is good for your attitude and will help you in multiple ways.

There is so much information and opportunities to learn new things online for free. High-profile and talented people are offering free teleclasses, webinars and seminars all of the time. If you plug in, you’ll learn about these opportunities and benefit from them. Take advantage of your public library as a resource for information. Check in with the librarian for information you might be missing!

Don’t wait until you have an interview scheduled to prepare for the interview! Do you know what you’ll wear to an interview? Does it fit? Is it clean and pressed? How about your shoes? Do they pass muster? Dont’ wait until you’ve been searching for two months and get a call for an interview tomorrow to look in your closet!

Once you have an outfit ready, start planning and practicing what you will say in an interview, in a networking situation…Use your time to get ready. Consider hiring Keppie Careers to do a mock interview so you will really know what skills you can improve. If you are prepared, when you start pulling in opportunities, you won’t panic!

Of course, much of your “free” time will be taken up with job hunting. Don’t forget that many of the activities listed above are part of your job hunt. I would be remiss if I didn’t specifically mention that networking (in person and online) is key – spend more time doing this than searching for online postings. Make sure your resume and materials are top-notch and use your time to prep for everything you will need.

What ideas do you have?

Stay tuned for more about how to plan a successful transition!

Ease your job hunt pains. Keppie Careers is here to help!

photo by unhindered by talent

Tips if Your Job Hunt Goes On and On

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Is your job search getting too lengthy for your taste?  A Wall Street Journal online article, How to Hunt for Jobs as Time Out of Work Drags On and On, by Joann Lublin reports:

18.3% of jobless Americans in January had been out of work for at least 27 weeks. The figure far exceeds the 11.1% of those who had gone as long without work when a recession began in March 2001.

Lublin suggests several strategies for you if you are in the same boat.  (I love to quote experts who agree with the advice I give clients!)  Some ideas she suggests (in bold):

Reassess your strengths and weaknesses.  If you were a brand, why wouldn’t you be selling?  Seek advice and figure out what makes you special so you know how to sell yourself.

One reason may be a flawed résumé.  Lublin notes, “A professionally written résumé counts more than an attractive typeface.”   Ensure that your resume conveys exactly what you have to offer.  Don’t make the potential employer figure out how you fit in.  Connect the dots for your reader.

Don’t waste a lot of time sending online applications. This article notes:

“Posting résumés on job sites should be the smallest part of your search,” because you rarely land positions that way, says Annie Stevens, a managing partner at ClearRock, a Boston outplacement and executive-coaching firm. Nearly two-thirds of applicants find work through networking, ExecuNet surveys show.

Network, network, network, network.  Even if you are shy, be sure to take advantage of the #1 job search strategy!  (Follow the 5 links in this paragraph to get you started on the right foot!)

Consider re-meeting with your references to ensure that they are highlighting your best skills.  Keeping in touch with referees is an important job search strategy from day one, but if you have gotten to the reference-checking stage without landing a job, this could be an important evaluation point.

Do what you can to keep up your spirits.  Frequent exercise, support or networking groups and chocolate can be good stress relievers!  Don’t spend every minute on your job hunt.  You still need to have a life!  Plus, you never know – it could be someone you meet on a trip to the grocery store or a seatmate on an airplane while on vacation who winds up linking you to your next job!

Job search dragging on?  Get some professional help!  Keppie Careers is here for you.  We’ll make sure that your resume is top notch and coach you every step of the way.  Save time and money – hire Keppie Careers!  www.keppiecareers.com