What are the three legs of a successful job search? Based on the feedback from job search experts, many of the mistakes job seekers make happen as a result of lack of focus, structure, and discipline. These are ways you can build a stronger, more effective job search.

1. FOCUS

There are two ways your job search needs focus: certainty about what you want to do next and clear goals and actions for how you are going to achieve your targeted job.

Before you begin your job search or even after you’ve started, be sure to answer these important questions:

• What do you want to do next?
• What is important to you in your next job?
• What companies hire for those positions you are seeking?

Once you know the answers, begin communicating this to people, clearly, and in terms they can understand and relate to.

Without a clear and specific direction of where you want to go, how will you get there? How can others help you get there?

Have you ever heard someone say this: “I am a scientist (or insert any job title here) and I am looking for a job just like the one I used to have.” The vast majority of people hearing this will not know how to help you. They are not a walking job board and most likely, do not know of companies hiring scientists (that is, unless they are a scientist too!). It would be more clear if the scientist were to say “I help pharmaceutical labs test drugs in order to get them to market as quickly as possible. I would love to learn what XYZ and ABC are doing to improve their testing processes.”

Establishing focus doesn’t end once you’ve answered these questions about what you want to do and where you want to work. You should also establish clear goals on how you will get there. These can be daily, weekly or even 3-year goals. Goals might include things like:

• Arrange meeting with [insert name of person] at ABC company to learn about the requirements of a [specific job].
• Establish the “right” online reputation by monitoring and creating on-brand, positive content.
• Meet five new people in my industry who can help me stay up to date with trends.
• Investigate additional education opportunities to keep my skill set marketable.
• Become active in the local professional association.

2. STRUCTURE

Many of the job seekers I’ve met miss the routine of their past working lives. For many, this is their first exposure to the unstructured world of being their own boss or a solo-preneur. Sometimes they feel a bit lost or uncertain about what they should be doing.

Creating a to-do list generally isn’t enough structure. Try blocking off time in one-hour increments and assigning tasks to fit into those timeslots can assist in establishing structure.

3.  DISCIPLINE

Having focus and structure is nothing without discipline. You will need to hold yourself accountable for continuing to stick with the plan.

For example, following through on promises made (to yourself or others) can be challenging when you are juggling multiple balls. It is easy to let the items on your to-do list slip when you are preparing for an interview or creating a resume and cover letter for a job you are very interested in. The demands of your personal life also have a way of side-tracking your structured job search activities. Having discipline means that you can find a way to manage the distractions and emergencies and still follow through on the other things you’ve committed to.

Another scenario: Let’s say you’ve interviewed with multiple companies for many jobs you felt you were qualified for, only to be rejected. It takes discipline to keep on trying. In fact, some job seekers may begin to second-guess their job goals and as a result, instead of a specific job, they say they are “keeping their options open.” This lack of clarity is often perceived as desperation or lack of confidence.

While it may be relatively easy to begin establishing focus and structure, it can sometimes be discouraging, especially if you are not seeing immediate, tangible results. Here are some pointers to avoid becoming overwhelmed or stressed.

• Don’t give up too soon. It takes about 30 days to start a new habit or break an old one.
• Find an accountability partner or partners. These are people who will help hold you to task and even celebrate in your successes!
• Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Be realistic about what you can achieve and by when.
• Use positive self-talk. We are often our own worst enemies. Don’t beat yourself up. Focus your thoughts on the things you do well and don’t obsess over what you are not good at doing.

The Bottom Line:

Staying on task is definitely not easy to do. If you build a three-legged stool for your job search, you will be much more likely to endure and succeed in today’s longer job search! Finding focus, creating structure and implementing discipline will not only help you in job search; developing these skills will also serve you well in your new job!

About the author…

Hannah Morgan, Job-Hunt’s Social Media Job Search Expert, maximizes her own personal branding and online visibility using social media platforms. She is a job search strategist and founder of CareerSherpa.net. Selected by LinkedIn as a “Top Voice for Job Search and Careers,” follow Hannah on LinkedIn. Also, follow and connect with Hannah on Twitter (@careersherpa) and Facebook (Career Sherpa). To read more articles on how to use social media for job search, visit her site: Careersherpa.net.
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A modern day job search requires you to develop a familiarity with modern job search procedures. You will also need to hone your skills in research, marketing, writing and interpersonal communication to stand out in your quest for new employment. Learn and master these new job search procedures and decrease your time looking for your next new role.

Build a Positive Online Identity

Having an online identity is your responsibility. Don’t leave it to chance.

It’s more than likely that someone is going to search for your name online before you get a phone call, interview or job offer.

Start by searching for your name online and see what appears on the first page of search results.

Your LinkedIn profile will usually be listed here so make sure it is complete.

LinkedIn isn’t the only place a potential employer will look. If you have other active social networking accounts such as Facebook or Twitter, those often appear on the first page of Google search results too which makes them fair game for an employer to check out.

The key to a positive online identity is to know what someone will find when searching for your name online and making sure that these results positively reflect who you are professionally. As some people say, the internet is your resume.

When you take steps to monitor and improve your online presence, you help a potential employer discover the best information available.

For more information, read Job-Hunt’s free Guide to Personal Online Reputation Management.

Get The Inside Scoop

Reach out and talk with people who work inside the companies you want to work for. Don’t wait to see a job posting before taking this important step. It isn’t unusual for organizations to start searching for the right candidate before advertising a job.

Even when a job posting is available, it may not fully convey the needs and wants of a company. Research the company thoroughly and talk to current and past employees before you submit your resume. Here’s why. The information you gain from your research and conversations will provide you with more insight which will result in revisions and updates to your resume. You might choose to include more relevant examples of success stories in your documentation.

For more information, read Job-Hunt’s free Guide to Company Research.

Generic Is Out, Customization Is In

Every resume you send and every cover letter you write must specifically address the requirements of the job you are applying to. Human Resources and recruiters use applicant tracking systems to search for critical skills and technology. If your resume doesn’t contain the key words a recruiter is looking for, your application won’t show up, and you’ll be overlooked.

Read Resume Keyword Success Secrets for more information on how to customize your resume with the right keywords.

Always Get Referred

Referred candidates are the top source of external hires. Therefore, one of the most important steps you can take before you apply to any job is to talk with someone who works for the company.

When speaking with the company insider, you can inquire about the style of leadership, company culture, and specific requirements for the job. Even more importantly, your purpose in making contact with an employee is to secure a referral.

Ask if you can use their name when applying or if they would be willing to forward your resume to the hiring manager. Many companies offer their employees referral bonuses, which means referring you could potentially result in extra money for them.

You can learn more about how to be a referred candidate — Shortcut to a New Job: Tap an Insider and Get “Sourced” to Get Hired.

Master LinkedIn

In order to get the most from LinkedIn, you will want to do more than upload your resume and wait. Your connections should match your real-life network.

Grow your network and always customize your invitation to connect. This is most easily done from the desktop version by clicking on the connect button only on the person’s profile.

Update your status daily by sharing articles and information related to your career in order to stay fresh and in front of your network. And don’t forget to fill in every relevant section of your LinkedIn profile. But don’t stop there.

To really stand out and differentiate yourself from the other average job seekers, treat your LinkedIn profile like an online portfolio. Embed files, images and links to samples of your work within your profile. This embedded information provides proof you can do the work and makes your profile more interesting to read. You can even use LinkedIn to write a blog post about your experience in the industry or occupation to accentuate your knowledge and experience.

Improve the power of your resume using LinkedIn, read 10 Elements of an Effective LinkedIn Profile and Social Proof: LinkedIn to Your Resume.

Persistence Pays

With so much to do and minimal resources, recruiters and hiring managers need a little nudging. Never assume your application was received. If you haven’t heard from the employer after applying, contact the appropriate person to find out the timeline for filling the role and the status of your application.

It’s important to read communication from employers carefully, and follow instructions. If you had an interview, be sure to ask about the timeframe and next steps in the interview process to help you gauge the timing of your follow-up. When you persistently follow-up, you let the company know you are interested in the opportunity. You also demonstrate your professionalism and tenacity, qualities that employers also value.

About the author…

Hannah Morgan, Job-Hunt’s Social Media Job Search Expert, maximizes her own personal branding and online visibility using social media platforms. She is a job search strategist and founder of CareerSherpa.net. Selected by LinkedIn as a “Top Voice for Job Search and Careers,” follow Hannah on LinkedIn. Also, follow and connect with Hannah on Twitter (@careersherpa) and Facebook (Career Sherpa). To read more articles on how to use social media for job search, visit her site: Careersherpa.net.
More about this author…

The post Master These 6 Essential New Job Search Procedures appeared first on Job-Hunt.

You can use it to gather business intelligence, improve your productivity, and remind recipients of your expertise.

Learn how to work smarter, not harder, during your job search.

1.  Researching with Email

Have you ever discovered you weren’t connected with someone on LinkedIn that you regularly communicate with? Or perhaps you received an email from someone and wondered where they work, what they look like, or what city they live in. Acquiring this type of business intelligence is available, and often without exiting your email program.

You can gather this information for each person you send emails to by searching the web and checking out their social network profiles. There are also free tools you can use to simplify the research. Rapportive is a Gmail plug-in that shows a photo, job title, city and social networks of the person you are emailing or have received an email from.

These types of tools pull publicly available information associated with an email account. Often, with one click, you can see if you are connected on LinkedIn, friends on Facebook, or following on Twitter. Connecting is as simple as clicking on the social network icon. (Remember to always personalize your invitation to connect message on LinkedIn.)

How to Use This Business Intelligence

A quick review of the information the “emailee” or “emailer” shares across social networks enables you to convert that data to forge closer relationships. Here are some ideas for the types of updates to keep a look out for:

• Birthdays/Celebrations
• Vacations
• Company news/announcements/job posting
• Events/conferences
• Shared articles
• Supported causes or organizations

You can use any of this information to help you personalize your messages. For example, if you notice they are attending a conference, you could wish them safe travels in your email. You can also expect that the person you are emailing will not be able to return your message as quickly as you had hoped and re-gauge your follow up timing. Perhaps they shared a helpful article on LinkedIn recently, you could tell them why you liked the article they shared in your email. Or you may notice they have personal issues to take care of or traveling which would help you understand why they haven’t responded to your last email.

2.  Improving Productivity and Follow Up

We’ve all had emails slip through the cracks. During your job hunt, managing the myriad of follow up tasks can sometimes be overwhelming. Establish a process or system for scheduling follow up emails for job applications, networking meetings, and interviews. This could be your calendaring system, a spread sheet or perhaps a free tool that resides inside your email such as Boomerang for Gmail. With Boomerang, you can write an email now and schedule it to send automatically in the future. It can even remind you if you don’t hear back!

3.  Leveraging Your Personal Email Signature

Many employers require you to use their company approved signature line in your emails. There’s good reason for this. Your email signature clearly conveys your role in the company and how to contact you. This helps with company branding and customer relations. During job search, you undoubtedly use your personal email to communicate with people. Create an email signature which clearly communicates your talent and reminds people what you are looking for. You should also include links to LinkedIn and other sites where someone can go to learn more about you.

Consider including these key elements:

• Your name
• Your profession or desired job title
• Your phone number
• Your LinkedIn profile URL (and other sites you are professionally active on)
• If you have a meaningful tagline or branding statement, include that too.

When you consider how many friends, family members and other acquaintances read your emails, it just makes sense to include this valuable information in every email you send out. You never know who may see it. For additional tips on creating a well-branded personal email signature, you should read Meg Guiseppi’s post “Personal Branding with Your Email Signature.”

Do you ever feel stuck when trying to end an email? Use these example closing lines and sign-offs for your next professional email.

The Bottom Line

Communication through email is a major component of job search. Technology and social networks can improve your efficiency if you choose to tap into them. Learn how to navigate the new resources available and improve how you manage your job search.

About the author…

Hannah Morgan, Job-Hunt’s Social Media Job Search Expert, maximizes her own personal branding and online visibility using social media platforms. She is a job search strategist and founder of CareerSherpa.net. Selected by LinkedIn as a “Top Voice for Job Search and Careers,” follow Hannah on LinkedIn. Also, follow and connect with Hannah on Twitter (@careersherpa) and Facebook (Career Sherpa). To read more articles on how to use social media for job search, visit her site: Careersherpa.net.
More about this author…

The post How to Improve Your Job Search with 3 Email Techniques appeared first on Job-Hunt.

Companies agree, employee referrals are the go-to source for hiring.

This is not a new fad.

Companies have always used employee referrals, formally or informally, to fill positions.

The logic is simple, if you are a good employee, chances are good that you have friends who would make good employees.

In this NY Times article, Mr. Nash of Ernst & Young reports “Our analysis shows referred hires perform better, stay longer and are quicker to integrate into our teams.” And it is also important to note that referrals cost less to find because there are no expensive ads or recruiters required.

#1 Source of External Hires

CareerXroads Sources of Hire study reports that the greatest number of external hires (vs. promotions and transfers of existing employees, also known as “internal hires”) came from employee referrals. Twenty-four and a half percent of external hires (people who were not already employees) were the result of employee referrals.

In a study by iCIMS, more than 75% of employers have an employee referral programs because those employees are the most successful:

• 60% of employers surveyed described referred candidates as better fits for the company

Ernst & Young, Deloitte, and other companies, currently report close to 50 percent of their external hiring comes from employee referrals.

While employers favor this method of hiring, less than half of job candidates look for referrals although a referral clearly and dramatically increases the probability of being hired.

How to Improve Your Odds

Your chances of fast-tracking through the company’s recruitment system may be greater if you get a company insider to refer you.

One company cited in the NY Times article said that referred employees are 10 times more likely to be hired than other applicants.

Plus, employees may be eligible for rewards such as money or an iPad or a $1,000 (or more) bonus for referring you. This provides employees with a greater incentive to refer candidates. But, research has shown that most people make the referral to help the person and their employer.

According to the CareerXroads study, it takes 10 referrals to get one hire versus 72 applicants from other sources to get one hire. So, if you were an employer, where would you invest your time and effort?

Build Your List

If you are thinking you do not know anyone inside companies you want to work for, think again.

  Leave No Stone Unturned  

You likely have connections that you are unaware of:

1. Start by creating a list of all your closest friends and family members.
2. Next, list the companies each contact works for. Are any of those employers on your target employer list? If not, should they be?
3. Do you know where their family members work? (These are sources of referrals too.)

Need more options? Add more names to your list of people: not-so-close friends and acquaintances, like current and former neighbors, people you have worked with in the past, people you attended school with, parents of your kids’ friends, etc. If you don’t know where they work now, look for their LinkedIn profile.

  Leverage Social Media to Find the Connections  

If you are using LinkedIn, it is easier to collect this information, assuming you are connected to all your friends on LinkedIn.

• Search your connections, using the “Current company” filter to find any of your connections who currently work for your target employers. The “Past company” filter can be a useful search, too, if no one currently works for a target company
• Check out LinkedIn Company pages to learn more about your target employers, including information about employees like their fields and their education.
• In Facebook, you can search the “People” section of Facebook to find people who work for your target employers (use “Friends of Friends” for the widest search), as long as they have included this information in their profile.

If you are not using social networks or your networks do not include all your friends, map this out on paper. And don’t forget to use other tools and apps to find connections when you apply for jobs.

  Ask Good Questions  

When you have found a friend who works for a target employer, reach out to learn as much as you can:

• Do they like their job and the employer? What is best? What is worst? Any worries about the future?
• Do they think the employer would be a good fit for you?
• Is there a part of the company that should be avoided? And a part that they highly recommend?
• Do they think you would be successful working for this employer?
• Which jobs do they think would be the best fits for you?
• Does the employer have an employee referral program? How does it work?
• Are any jobs open that would be appropriate for you?
• Would they feel comfortable referring you?

Use this personal connection to confirm that you would likely be happy working for this employer, and to learn how to successfully leverage the employer’s employee referral program.

For more ideas about how to invite someone to talk with you (including sample messages), read Email Requests for Informational Interviews. For questions to ask in these discussions, read 70+ Questions to Ask in Informational Interviews.

The Bottom Line

Strengthen your network, and stay in touch with friends, family, and past colleagues. Due to advancements in technology and the growing use of social networks, this has become easier to do, and more employers are finding their great hires through referrals.

More About Employee Referrals

• How Employee Referral Programs Work (with sample messages)
• Get Sourced to Get Hired
• Sample Thank You Note for a Referral
• Email Requests for Informational Interviews
• 70+ Questions to Ask in Informational Interviews

About the author…

Hannah Morgan, Job-Hunt’s Social Media Job Search Expert, maximizes her own personal branding and online visibility using social media platforms. She is a job search strategist and founder of CareerSherpa.net. Selected by LinkedIn as a “Top Voice for Job Search and Careers,” follow Hannah on LinkedIn. Also, follow and connect with Hannah on Twitter (@careersherpa) and Facebook (Career Sherpa). To read more articles on how to use social media for job search, visit her site: Careersherpa.net.
More about this author…

The post Shortcut to a New Job: Tap an Insider appeared first on Job-Hunt.

The number one source of external hiring is referrals.

However, there was a significant increase in the percent of new hires categorized as direct source- almost as many as job board hires. So what can you do to improve your odds of being sourced?

Best Option: Be a Referred Candidate

If you want to increase your odds of landing an interview, find a company insider to refer you. Referred candidates account for almost 20 percent of external hires according to CareerXroads.

Before you submit your online application, do everything humanly possible to find someone who works inside the company.

• Have you reached out to everyone you know?
• Have you searched LinkedIn for 2nd level connections?
• Have you used Twitter’s advanced search or searched Facebook?

You can learn more about how to be a referred candidate in this article, Shortcut to a New Job: Tap an Insider.

Next Best Option: When You Can’t Be Referred, Be Sourced

Over 12 percent of external hires were identified as directly sourced, up from 6.8 percent last year.

New hires who were categorized as direct sourced didn’t come from job boards, the company career site, recruiters or any other category. They were discovered.

Sourcers are similar to recruiters. However, they typically don’t take candidates through the interview process. The main function of a sourcer is to identify potential candidates. Sourcers use industry connections, on-line search, or both to identify the desired talent for a specific job opening.

Sixty percent of companies surveyed by CareerXroads said they had dedicated sourcers on staff. And signs point to an increase in internal sourcing based on comments at the end of the survey.

Companies stated they plan to increase sourcing staff or move the function in-house. Direct sourcing doesn’t seem to be a trend that is going to end soon.

Increase Your Possibilities

Here are 5 things you can do to increase your chances of being sourced for the right job:

1. Spiff Up Your LinkedIn Profile

Almost 95 percent of companies participating in the CareerXroads survey said LinkedIn is a significant or critical component for their recruiters and sourcers. Make sure you have maximized your presence on LinkedIn.

Every applicable section of your LinkedIn profile should be completed. Be sure to include keywords, industry terminology and relevant technology.

Use the keywords in your summary, within the appropriate job experience and within the skills and expertise section. Your headlines should state more about you than just your current job title. Be sure you include keywords or skills sourcers would be searching for and describe what you want to do next.

For more help in understanding how recruiters “source” using LinkedIn and what to do, read LinkedIn SEO: How to Be Found More Easily on LinkedIn and Choosing the Best Keywords for Your LinkedIn Profile.

2. Gain Industry Recognition

You already understand how important it is to be viewed as a credible professional. But it isn’t enough for your boss and your company to know what you’ve done. You’re reputation needs greater exposure and reach.

When you write or speak on a specific topic, it helps you establish credibility.

Participating in discussions within LinkedIn groups or other online forums is another way to build awareness of your knowledge, skills and expertise.

The promotion for your presentation and the articles you write for industry blogs or newsletters generates search engine results for your name.

Also consider writing on LinkedIn Publisher on topics you are knowledgeable on. Not only are you demonstrating what you know, you’re also improving your online reputation and personal brand. And most importantly, you are making it easier for sourcers to discover you.

3. Be More Social

Social networks were not considered a source of hire by CareerXroads. However, they do serve as a feeder or distribution method for opportunities.

If you have been putting it off, now is the time to become more active in professional associations or volunteering, and branch out onto social networks.

These activities will put you in contact with new connections, increasing your network beyond your current employer.

Think beyond job postings, because companies are creating talent communities. By creating groups and forums on social networks, recruiters and sourcers can more easily identify candidates who are already interested in their company.

4. Establish Relationships with Recruiters

Some third-party recruiters are generalists and others are specialists. Begin searching for recruiters who specialize in your area of expertise.

Reach out to recruiters and get on their radar for future opportunities. You can use LinkedIn’s advanced search function or search online. Review the types of jobs they have available to make sure they are actively recruiting in your specialty.

Once you have contacted a recruiter, stay in touch, and be sure you connect with them on LinkedIn in order to increase the chances of showing up in their search results.

5. Build a Personal Website

Treat your personal website like an online portfolio and include samples of work, photos of events you’ve participated in, and other visuals to help convey your talent.

Include your resume too. What good is your resume if it resides on your desktop? (Add your resume to your LinkedIn Profile, too!)

Building a website isn’t as hard as you may think. The technology has become quite user-friendly over the past few years and doesn’t require previous experience. You can set up a free blog on Blogger.com (BlogSpot.com), WordPress.com, Tumblr, Weebly, or other platform. This is a more passive approach. However, if you include keywords and industry terms on your website, it is just one more opportunity for a sourcer to find you.

If setting up your own blog is too challenging, write and publish articles relevant to your profession on LinkedIn Pulse. LinkedIn will automatically connect your articles to your LinkedIn Profile so that any recruiter who finds your articles will find your LinkedIn Profile. Of course, anyone finding your profile, will find links to your LinkedIn Pulse posts.

Read Publishing on LinkedIn: Gain Both Visibility and Credibility for more details.

The Bottom Line

Getting found by inside or third-party recruiters isn’t the only job search tactic, but with direct sourcing on the rise, you don’t want to miss out on opportunities because you can’t be found.

More About Keywords and Being Found:

• The Top 25 Keywords for Your Job Search
• Double (or Triple) Your LinkedIn Visitor Traffic with Keywords
• Linkedin SEO: How to Be Found by Recruiters on LinkedIn
• Choosing the Best Keywords for Your LinkedIn Profile
• Publishing on LinkedIn: Gain Both Visibility and Credibility

About the author…

Hannah Morgan, Job-Hunt’s Social Media Job Search Expert, maximizes her own personal branding and online visibility using social media platforms. She is a job search strategist and founder of CareerSherpa.net. Selected by LinkedIn as a “Top Voice for Job Search and Careers,” follow Hannah on LinkedIn. Also, follow and connect with Hannah on Twitter (@careersherpa) and Facebook (Career Sherpa). To read more articles on how to use social media for job search, visit her site: Careersherpa.net.
More about this author…

The post Get “Sourced” to Get Hired appeared first on Job-Hunt.

Often a new calendar year brings a new budget, and proactive hiring managers start scoping out candidates during the holiday season.

Here is advice to help plan this month.

1. Step Away From The Job Boards

If you have been glued to the job boards, searching and sifting through hundreds of postings and submitting application after application, it’s time to do something different.

You may notice a declining number of job postings over the holidays. Save yourself the disappointment and begin to diversify the range of job search activities, and de-emphasize time spent on the job boards now.

2. Mark Your Calendar

Your personal calendar may have already begun filling with activities and events. Concerts, fundraisers, and a slew of other announcements and invitations will begin hitting your inbox. In case you aren’t on the distribution list, pick up the local newspaper and evaluate the upcoming events in your community.

Put as many of them as you can on your calendar. Better yet, contact the host and ask if they need volunteers.

Also note who sponsors the event. Take some time to research what the companies do and check out their company career page on the website. Investigate whether they have any opportunities that look like a fit.

3. Use The Buddy System

If you despise attending events, never fear. One tip many introverts recommend is rallying a friend to attend events with you. Encourage them to count on you to be their primary contact for attending events with them as well.

When you have someone to attend these things with you are less likely to back out, and, you’ll have someone to talk with. Just be sure you both agree to mingle and meet new people.

Having an accountability partner in search is one of the greatest investments you’ll make in your search.

4. Create Dossiers

Invest time researching and collecting information about hiring managers or even people you would like to meet at key companies for whom you would like to work.

A dossier is a collection of documents about a particular person, and LinkedIn is one of the best tools to acquire the information for dossiers on these people you want to meet.

The vital stats can include:

• Resume or work history
• Schools attended
• Social media accounts to follow
• Affiliations with professional associations
• Volunteer organizations they support
• Personal interests or hobbies
• Photos
• Articles written or mentioned in
• Contact information
• Children or family information

Armed with this information, you can then find common interests or data; perhaps you attended the same college, belong to the same professional organization, or know someone they used to work with.

Your next step is to reach out to ask this person for an informational meeting. Leverage your common connections, both people and interests, to help grease the wheels and obtain the meeting.

5. Invest in Professional Development

One more way to maximize your time before your next job is to invest in learning something new. Maybe you’ve found you aren’t up to date on software or you need to amp up your level of proficiency in a certain area.

Check your community college calendar for courses. You may be eligible for financial assistance, so be sure to ask the institution about training grants or assistance for the unemployed.

MOOCs, massive open online courses, may provide another opportunity for low- to no-cost training and education. Some of the top universities have banded together to offer their courses online on these MOOC sites:

• Coursera.org
• Udacity
• EdX

Job Search Is a Learned Skill!

Read Job-Hunt’s free Guides to… nearly 100 job search topics, from Guide to Successful Interviews, Guide to Effective Resumes, and Guide to Working with Recruiters to Guide to Job Search Networking and Guide to LinkedIn for Job Search. Find links to all of Job-Hunt’s Guides in the Guide to Online Job Search

The Bottom Line

Reassign the time you invest in job search activities by giving higher priority to networking, research and professional development. Weaning yourself off the boards and replacing that habit with different job search activities is likely to change your perspective, attitude, and results.

More Articles About Holiday Job Search:

• Holiday Hope: How to Leverage the Holidays for Your Job Search
• 5 Ways to Advance Your Job Search During the Holidays
• Holiday Party Your Way to a New Job
• Are Recruiters on YOUR Holiday Card List?
• Surviving Holiday Parties: Networking for Introverts
• Building Your Personal Brand During the Holidays
• Holiday Networking Like a Pro
• New Job for the New Year
• How to Find a Seasonal Job

More Holiday Job Search Tips

Check out our $0.99 Kindle book, New Year, New Job! Or grab the FREE PDF version. This ebook contains 100+ tips from Job-Hunt’s Experts, networking and job search tips that will help you all year around, and you don’t need a Kindle to read it.

About the author…

Hannah Morgan, Job-Hunt’s Social Media Job Search Expert, maximizes her own personal branding and online visibility using social media platforms. She is a job search strategist and founder of CareerSherpa.net. Selected by LinkedIn as a “Top Voice for Job Search and Careers,” follow Hannah on LinkedIn. Also, follow and connect with Hannah on Twitter (@careersherpa) and Facebook (Career Sherpa). To read more articles on how to use social media for job search, visit her site: Careersherpa.net.
More about this author…

The post 5 Ways to Advance Your Job Search During the Holidays appeared first on Job-Hunt.

Through her articles (listed in the column on the right), Hannah Morgan, Job-Hunt’s Job Search Navigation Expert, will help you navigate the tricky waters of job search in the 21st century.

If you think starting your search is as easy as updating your resume, think again!

The world of hiring has become fiercely competitive in the last few years as the economy has struggled and technology improved and evolved. In order to be prepared, you need to do more – you need to develop a personal action plan to provide direction and forward movement.

Whether you are a new graduate, been happily employed the last few years (or decades), or just new to job search, you will want to gather your job search equipment together using some guidance and direction.

Learn about Career Sherpa Hannah Morgan, the remarkable woman who wrote the articles above.

When you have read these articles, come back.  There will be more.

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With so many competing priorities, spending extra time looking for the specific resume you sent or trying to recall which day you emailed a specific recruiter can be defeating.

Instead, set up a system to track these from the very beginning of your search. Doing so will help you stay focused and develop organizational and time management habits along the way.

Simple Steps to Organize and Track Your Job Search

Getting organized might be the key to a quick and successful job search. But even if you’re already deep in your job search, it’s never too late to lower your anxiety and embrace a streamlined routine.

Use the following strategies to create a better job search journey.

1. Organize Your Files

If you haven’t already, create a system of folders to keep track of the resumes you send out. One way to do this is to start with main folders, each labeled with the company name and subfolders for each job you apply to within that company.

In each job folder, include your resume, cover letter and copy and paste the job posting into a Word document for future reference. The online link might expire, so having a copy to reference is essential for follow up and interview prep.

2. Create a File Naming Standard

Each time you submit a resume for a job posting, you will have to make modifications based on the requirements of the job.

So, when you save a new version of your resume, name it using this naming convention [first name last name job title.doc]. Then, you make it as easy as possible for the person who receives your emailed resume to save it to their computer without having to rename it.

This name, which includes the job title, also makes it easier for you to keep track of the different versions of your resume on your computer.

On the other hand, if you name your emailed resume using this format [resume.doc], you create more work for the recipient, making it incredibly difficult for the recipient to search for your resume by name in their inbox.

3. Track Referrals

Hopefully you have embraced networking as a major job search strategy. You’ll want to keep track of who referred you to whom so you can send a thank you note for the introduction and a status update after you and the referral meet.

It’s an excellent way to say “thank you.” It demonstrates your extraordinary professionalism, and builds the foundation for a strong network beyond your job search.

4. Follow Up and Follow Through

You’ve undoubtedly been applying for jobs. Remember, it is your responsibility to follow up to see where the company is in the applicant review process.

Whether you use a calendaring system or spreadsheet, set reminders for 1 week and every 30 days. You may need to modify these timeframes based on the feedback you get when you speak to the company hiring authority. Continue to follow-up until there is closure.

Your follow through after receiving a referral or contact name is also important. If you are told to contact someone, put it on your calendar, and it is more likely to get done.

5. Reach Out Every Week

Anyone with a background in sales knows it can take longer than you want to set up a meeting with someone. You won’t always be able to schedule a meeting the same week you contact someone.

It is important that you build a pipeline of meetings lined-up each week. This can only happen if you set time aside every week to reach out to people whom you want to meet. Use the referral names you acquire and your list of target companies to create your weekly plan for proactively contacting people you should know.

LinkedIn is also an excellent way to stay connected and gain momentum in your job search. Add 30 minutes of LinkedIn activity to your calendar every week. Check it daily, and scour the updates from your network.

Leave a comment when someone shares a great article, congratulate someone when they announce a new job title, or use the new endorsements feature to give a colleague a pat on the back!

Getting Your Job Search Organized

When you have a system to organize all the elements of your job search, important action items are less likely to fall through the cracks. You also feel like you are driving your search and maximizing your time effectively.

About the author…

Hannah Morgan, Job-Hunt’s Social Media Job Search Expert, maximizes her own personal branding and online visibility using social media platforms. She is a job search strategist and founder of CareerSherpa.net. Selected by LinkedIn as a “Top Voice for Job Search and Careers,” follow Hannah on LinkedIn. Also, follow and connect with Hannah on Twitter (@careersherpa) and Facebook (Career Sherpa). To read more articles on how to use social media for job search, visit her site: Careersherpa.net.
More about this author…

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What if there was a way to avoid it?

There is!

And it is not as difficult as you may think.

Social networks let you connect and communicate beyond the immediate sphere of people you know. The next time you find a job posting, use this two step approach.

Use the Two-Step Approach When Applying For Jobs

Most job applicants won’t take the time to do these two steps, and that’s the very reason for this recommendation.

The first step: This is easy. You find a job online. But, before you begin modifying your resume and crafting a customized cover letter, move to the next step.

The second step: This is a little harder (but definitely NOT impossible!). Find someone who works inside the company you are interested in.

When you find an ally, supporter, cheerleader, or advocate inside the company, the odds of your resume getting reviewed increase significantly. It is called an employee referral.

According to the CareerXroads source of hiring study, 24.5 percent of external hires (not internal transfers) were from employee referrals. This was the number one source of external hiring! Job boards only accounted for 18.1 percent. When you leverage the power of an inside contact to refer you, your odds of getting hired increase.

Once you make contact with someone inside the company, either someone you know directly or a friend of a friend, you are now ready to apply online. And be sure you mention the name of your inside contact on the application. Your new inside contact may even be willing to walk your resume into the hiring manager’s office, if you ask.

Expanding Your “Social” Network

You may be thinking that your network isn’t very big or you don’t know enough people. Don’t give up hope. These are some ways to find someone to connect with inside a company.

LinkedIn Connections

LinkedIn makes it very easy to search your network for people you know inside a company.

Your best bet is to contact people you know well inside the company.

If you don’t have those connections, then find a second degree connection inside the company. Armed with that name, send a regular email to your first degree connection and explain you would like an introduction.

Let them know you are interested in learning more about the company and their hiring practices. Also express there is a sense of urgency for meeting this person.

Facebook Friends

You never know who knows who, and it is possible you don’t know where your Facebook friends work. Don’t overlook searching your friends’ work experience.

You can search beyond your immediate network. Use Facebook’s “Search for Friends” page, and enter the company name to see who you may know or be able to get an introduction to.

Twitter Is An “Open” Network

If you can’t find a connection within your network on LinkedIn or Facebook, you can turn to the open network, Twitter.

You don’t need connections or friends to communicate with people on Twitter, which makes it a great platform for reaching out to people you do not know. Use the Twitter “search people” option (at the top of most pages on Twitter) to search for people who work for the company you are interested in.

Another option is FollowerWonk.com. This service allows you to search Twitter by location and bio information. In your first tweet to them, mention their Twitter name and reference something from one of their tweets. In your next tweet, you can get a bit more bold, and send them a link to your LinkedIn profile with why you would like to work for their company.

The Bottom Line:

Social networks provide business intelligence and insights. They were designed to help connect people and make it easier to have conversations and share information. Don’t overlook the opportunity to use them to expand your network and get noticed.

About the author…

Hannah Morgan, Job-Hunt’s Social Media Job Search Expert, maximizes her own personal branding and online visibility using social media platforms. She is a job search strategist and founder of CareerSherpa.net. Selected by LinkedIn as a “Top Voice for Job Search and Careers,” follow Hannah on LinkedIn. Also, follow and connect with Hannah on Twitter (@careersherpa) and Facebook (Career Sherpa). To read more articles on how to use social media for job search, visit her site: Careersherpa.net.
More about this author…

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The competitive marketplace requires you to kick your search up a notch.

These are four tactics to help make you a stronger competitor.

1.  Know What You Bring to the Table

When you exude confidence and clarity, you immediately differentiate yourself from the hordes of job seekers in the marketplace.

Just being good at your job won’t help you outside of your company if no one knows you or your work. You must be able to articulate in writing and in person what makes you good at the work you do.

To do this, think about the specific problems you have solved in the past and the value they had to the organization, either in saved time, money or resources. To further demonstrate your expertise, build a portfolio of accomplishment stories to showcase your skills and value.

You will not be a “fit” in every company, so don’t try to be all things to all people. Stay focused on what your key strengths are.

2.  Be a Consultant

Assess each job opportunity as a consultant would. Companies are skittish about hiring. The decision to add someone to their team is risky and expensive.

Therefore, consider yourself a consultant who is being invited into an organization to help them fix a problem or implement a new system. What questions would you ask?

Here are five questions to add to your interviewing agenda:

• What are your biggest challenges? And/or what keeps you up at night?
• What are your biggest opportunities?
• Where is your business headed in the next year?
• Why did you decide to hire someone for this position?

By asking a manager (not Human Resources, unless you are interviewing for a HR position) these questions, you should begin to understand the motivation, needs, and wants of the person doing the hiring. You also demonstrate your commitment to problem-solving and teaming up with the company, not someone just looking for a paycheck.

3.  Have An Online Presence

A LinkedIn profile is a must, but don’t just build it and abandon it. Take advantage of the new LinkedIn profile options to stand out. Share a link to a Slideshare presentation (either about you or showcasing your subject matter expertise) or link to a video you’ve created.

Join LinkedIn groups and become active. Lurking, or just being in a group and looking for posted jobs isn’t the point. You want to build relationships and demonstrate your expertise. Add comments to discussions or create your own discussion.

Once you’ve gained momentum on LinkedIn, expand your presence online by experimenting with Twitter and Facebook. Both of these social networks influence where you appear in search engine results, and you have heard that future employers are Googling you!

You can learn more about how to use these social networks for your job search by reading posts here: Social Media & Job Search.

4.  Create Proposals

No two job postings are exactly the same, therefore, you must modify your cover letter and resume based on the unique qualifications stated in the posting.

Consider the job posting to be like an RFP (request for proposal) where the employer is requesting proof you can deliver what they are looking for and meet their stated terms. Your resume is your proposal. It must demonstrate you have the skills and expertise to fit their exact requirements.

You can take this one step further by submitting a proposal to a company you would love to work for but does not have advertised openings. In order for this to work, you need to research and fully understand how your experience and skills will benefit the company. Create your proposal specifically for them and include these three elements:

• A brief, one paragraph, summary of your relevant qualifications
• What solution you are proposing
• How the company will benefit from using your services

Not every company will bite at your proposal, but it may be one way to get on their radar.

Bottom Line

As the saying goes, “desperate times call for desperate measures.” Though desperate seems like the wrong word, this proverb does imply that we need to look at the problems we face differently and give consideration to ideas we may have previously rejected.

About the author…

Hannah Morgan, Job-Hunt’s Social Media Job Search Expert, maximizes her own personal branding and online visibility using social media platforms. She is a job search strategist and founder of CareerSherpa.net. Selected by LinkedIn as a “Top Voice for Job Search and Careers,” follow Hannah on LinkedIn. Also, follow and connect with Hannah on Twitter (@careersherpa) and Facebook (Career Sherpa). To read more articles on how to use social media for job search, visit her site: Careersherpa.net.
More about this author…

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