Looking for a New Job? Get in Touch with These People

You’ve decided to take the plunge and seek out a new job.  How do you start and where should you begin your search?

It can be somewhat scary or anxiety-provoking to look for new work and your search should start with those closest to you.

Here are the people you’ll want to get in touch with as you move forward with your job search.

Your contacts on social media. If you’re on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter feel free to post something about your job search, though be as specific as possible about what you’re looking for. Otherwise, you might just get bombarded with tips that have nothing to do with your field of interest.

Mentors. Seek out those who have been your mentors through the years, formally or informally as previous supervisors or confidantes. They likely have a good sense of your interests and strengths and might know of opportunities coming available.

Recruiters on LinkedIn. Be sure to update your profile on LinkedIn and change your settings to indicate you are open to being contacted by recruiters. You never know when you’ll be the perfect candidate for a job out there.

Your book club. That book club you’ve been meeting with monthly? They know and work with people who are looking to hire someone. That someone could be you! Not in a book club? What about the people in your church group, bowling league or softball team? If you’re involved in a social group check in with the members you’re closest to and trust and let them know what you’re looking for.

Your family and friends. Of course, this is the group of people you want to start with. Your family and friends care about you and know what your skills are and will be invested in helping you find the right opportunity for you and your future. Spend some time reaching out to your family and friends to discuss your career plans and ambitions with them.

By seeking out the right people early in your job search you can get off to a quick and helpful start.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 6 Reasons You Need a Personal Website

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• 6 Reasons You Need a Personal Website: "Sixty-eight percent of the surveyed HR professionals want to learn more about you and are looking for personal qualities that aren't easily evident on a résumé. Furthermore, half the survey respondents believe a personal website helps to humanize a candidate."


• 10 Things Every Entrepreneur Should Stick To: "In the initial days of business, hard work will pay more than the smart work."


• 11 Truths About Being an Entrepreneur: "People want to work with people they like. The only way you’ll be able to move mountains is if you believe you can."


• How to Give Tough Feedback That Helps People Grow: "Giving developmental feedback that sparks growth is a critical challenge to master, because it can make the difference between an employee who contributes powerfully and positively to the organization and one who feels diminished by the organization and contributes far less."


• 3 Words That Make You Sound Rude in Email: "Because 'sorry' is so overused, it tends to feel flippant and non-genuine. “I apologize,” on the other hand, is said rarely enough that it still carries a lot of weight."

Updated Job Search Strategy - Directly from Recruiters and Sourcers

Last week, I spent three days in San Diego at the Career Director's International annual conference. I learned so much about the resume writing, career coaching and career development industry. However, there was one session I thought you might be particularly interested to hear recapped. For an hour, we were able to ask four recruiters and human resources professionals questions about their thoughts, preferences, and recommendations for job seekers. Here are some highlights.

• Although all the recruiters said their company uses some kind of electronic database, also known as an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), they also cautioned that the systems are not the same. Therefore, they recommend to keep your resume uncomplicated without lots of text boxes and columns so it can be seen properly in any system. 
• The recruiters cautioned job seekers about losing the "human element" of the resume by focusing too hard on making the ATS happy.
• All the hiring professionals said they still do a 15-second scan of the resume. The first impression is still very important when capturing their attention.
• Following up is highly recommended. One recruiter went so far as to suggest connecting with them on LinkedIn and sending a personalized message as a follow-up after submitting your resume online. One of the recruiters cautioned that there is a big difference between follow-up and stalking!
• Every recruiter agreed that the resume is not dead, dying, or even in critical condition. None of them foresee an immediate future with no resumes. 
• Each of these HR professionals mentioned their use of LinkedIn. They are using it to find and connect with potential candidates and research candidates before an interview. They strongly suggested having a PROFESSIONAL photo on LinkedIn to go with your profile.

There you have it, important information straight from the professionals that are screening resumes, interviewing candidates and making hiring decisions. All these are solid pieces of advice that can jump-start your job search.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!


1. A Must-Listen Interview for Job Hunters


2. New Ways to Make the Most out of a Career Fair


3. How Blogging Can Help Your Career


4. 22 Game-Changing Job-Search Tips from a Recruiter


5. How Twitter Hashtags Can Help You Find a Position

Importance of Asking Interview Questions

As a job seeker, you'll prepare to answer interview questions in advance. However, are you overlooking the importance of preparing your own questions to ask of those interviewing you?

Studies reveal that hiring managers and recruiters believe the quality of the questions that job candidates ask can be even more revealing than how they answer posed questions. Many express the following complaints about job candidates:

• Not asking any questions. Interviewers may conclude that you lack genuine interest in the company and the position or that you have poor interpersonal skills.
• Asking questions that lack relevance. It can serve as a red flag to interviewers that you don’t have an understanding of the position’s role and responsibilities.

Be prepared to ask a mix of strategic-level questions about the organization, its mission, and culture, operation-level questions about management, departments, and satellite offices, and functional questions about the job opening. It significantly increases the likelihood of the following:

• A recruiter or hiring manager will realize that you grasp the overall scope of the position and have taken the time and effort to construct well-thought questions. 
• You'll demonstrate your knowledge of the organization, expertise in your given field, and build rapport with those interviewing you.
• You'll positively differentiate yourself from other job candidates—giving you a competitive edge.
• It will help you assess whether the job and organization are a good fit with your skill set, goals, and values.

Bottom line: Asking several pertinent questions during the interview process will often determine if the hiring manager extends you a job offer.