ShareThisA couple of weeks ago we talked about controlling what photos of you appear on Facebook, particularly if you are job searching and care about any "accidental" negative first impressions that might pop up on Facebook.
The face alerts face recognition service that we talked about can be found on face.com, not facebook. Just log on to face.com and you will be introduced to the service. Remember, prospective employers will check you out, so be cautious when posting for fun on social network sites. Have fun, communicate, but maintain your respectability.
Last week I mentioned Tom Dezell's new book, "Networking for the Novice, Nervous, or Naive Job Seeker (Universe, Inc.)." I want to repeat something that Dezell says in his introduction.
"The statistics are encouraging -- nearly 80 percent of job openings are never advertised and more than two thirds of candidates get a job through networking. The bottom line is discouraging -- the majority of job seekers spend most of their job search time sitting at their computer navigating through various employment sites and responding to advertised openings. Why? Fear...fear of rejection, fear of the unknown, and fear of trying things out of their normal comfort zone."
My mantra through the years has been: Do what others fail to do.
You must step out of that comfort zone box and learn how to do what others fail to do. If you stay in your comfort box, you miss out on the majority of opportunities and purposely throw yourself into global competition.
Try Dezell's book. It's not a thick, hard-to-read tome. It's easy to follow and gets you to the point quickly. Networking for the Novice, Nervous, or Naive Job Seeker, published by Universe, Inc.
Now, if you really want to try something new, something that others fail to do, something completely out of your comfort zone, take a look at a new free service to create a u-tube type of talking resume. It's a tool that allows users to add their own voice to Power Point slides and other documents, including resumes. It's very interesting and free. For more information, log onto http://my.brainshark.com/myBrainshark-Overview-652604658.
In the meantime, celebrate the holidays and use it for opportunities to network with everyone. If you're looking for employment and not letting everyone know, you're not networking.
(Marvin Walberg is a job search coach. Contact him at mwalberg(at)bellsouth.net, marvinwalberg.blogspot.com, or PO Box 43056, Birmingham, AL 35243.)
GETTING HIRED
Very True...
We should all definitely use the Holiday season to our advantage. The job search may be slow, but we should use the networking to our advantage.
Along with networking you should also use every tool to your advantage.
We have created a website to make your job search easier.
http://www.resumebucket.com is a completely free site. You just upload your own personal resume and are given your own unique URL (http://www.resumebucket.com/joshstomel)With this you can send your resume out to potential employers and they can also search your resume.
ResumeBucket is the simple way to get your resume online!
* Upload your resume instantly for free.
* Share your resume with a unique URL.
* Get connected with experts in your industry.
* Control who sees your resume with password protection.
Check it out... http://www.resumebucket.com
Do What Others Fail to Do
Marvin:
Thanks so much for the comments on my book. Following up on your theme of doing what others fail to do, on my blog this week I encourage thise that have never attended a networking event to do so in the holiday season. The relaxed atmosphere will make it easier to navigate. My Blog is http://networkingforthenovicenervousornaivejobseeker.wordpress.com/
Another site I recommend for folks looking to expand their comfort zone is Guerilla marketing for Job Hunters at http://www.gm4jh.com/ Even if you feel many of the recommended strategies are too aggressive, a job seeker will find some that will put them ahead of the competition.
Tom Dezell
A sample talking resume
Thank you Marvin for highlighting myBrainshark as a valuable tool to enhance one's resume. Especially in this competitive job market, delivering more of a comprehensive multimedia portfolio makes one stand out and get ahead of the pack.
Here's a great example of such a resume:
http://my.brainshark.com/Introducing-Deb-Matteson-203805150
This myBrainshark community member not only verbalizes the story of her career and job skills, but also attaches additional resources:
Take advantage of the new media tools out there. There's a lot to be said in this case about harnessing your network by virally developing (or re-developing) your own personal brand.
David Klein
Product Director, myBrainshark