The 13 Dos And Don'ts Of Job Searching While You're Still Employed

Jacquelyn Smith

Ready for a new job? Most career experts would tell you to start looking while you’re still employed. But when you do—you must tread carefully.

“When you’re working, your professional network is working for you because you’re constantly interacting with your industry contacts,” says Andy Teach, a corporate veteran and author of From Graduation to Corporation: The Practical Guide to Climbing the Corporate Ladder One Rung at a Time. “They can inform you about jobs you may not be aware of. If you’re not working, you’re out of sight and out of mind.”

Sara Menke, the founder and chief executive of Premier, a boutique staffing firm in San Francisco, says having a job while looking for a job makes you that much more attractive to a potential employer. “Companies want to hire the best of the best and [those people] are usually employed,” she says. “Plus, quitting your job before having a job is a big risk that you should avoid. Most people do not have endless streams of income, so you should stay in your position until you get that firm offer for new employment.”

Teach agrees. He says most potential employers prefer candidates who currently have a job because it gives them more confidence that you’ll be a good hire. “If you don’t currently have a job, it raises a lot of questions and puts you in a defensive position, and you won’t be coming at them from a position of strength,” he says.

Furthermore, when you look for a job while you still have a job, there tends to be less pressure on you, he adds. “If you don’t get the new job, you have your current job to fall back on and you can just try again. Having a job gives you confidence because you’re not in a desperate situation. You may need a new job, you may want a new job, but you don’t have to have a new job, unlike someone who is out of work.”

Another reason to start looking while you’re still employed: Having a job while searching for new employment gives you leverage when it comes to negotiating terms for the new gig, Teach says. “You’re in a greater position to make demands and get what you want. Without a job, this leverage goes out the window.”

While the experts highly advise against quitting or waiting until you’re fired to start your job search—there are risks associated with job hunting while you’re still employed.

Perhaps the biggest danger of looking for a new job while you have one is that someone at your company will find out and tell others, Teach says. If your boss finds out, he or she may take it personally and see it as a lack of loyalty to them and the company. “They will assume that you’re unhappy and worst case scenario, may start taking steps to terminate you. Supervisors want employees who are committed to the job, not to a job search.”

Michael Kerr, an international business speaker, author and president of Humor at Work, agrees. He says the biggest danger is the optics and the fear of a backlash from your employer, who may view your job search as being “almost treasonous.” Depending on the maturity level of your immediate supervisor, “they may seek ways to punish your efforts, such as freezing you out of discussions and opportunities. And obviously, if the new job you are seeking is with a major competitor, then certainly ethical issues will arise and even legal issues around conflict of interest.  Depending on the job and environment, you may even be perceived as a security threat,” he says.

Another danger is that if you start to focus too much on getting a new job, you may not be giving your full attention to your current employer, says Teri Hockett, the chief executive of What’s For Work?, a career site for women. “You’ll not only be impacting your company, but your own professional credibility. You may no longer be considered for prime assignments and projects, and this can hurt you in a multitude of ways from your confidence level to your networking capabilities when you need them at an all-time high.”

So, to avoid these potential consequences and to ensure a successful job search while you’re still employed, here’s what you should and shouldn’t do:

Don’t tell anyone at work. 
“Do not share your search and impending departure information with the rumor mill,” Hockett says. Depending on your relationship with your boss, you may want to share information about your job search, but letting co-workers know can make it difficult for you to leave on a good note, especially if they are vying for your job.

Teach adds: “There’s an old World War II saying, ‘Loose lips sink ships.’ In your case, loose lips can jeopardize your current and prospective job.” If you tell one person at work that you’re looking for a new job, you might as well tell everyone. The exception to this would be if your boss has told you about upcoming layoffs and has offered to help you in your job search, he says.

Make sure your LinkedIn profile is 100% complete. 
With so many people on LinkedIn, having a complete profile these days won’t raise any suspicions, Teach says. “Perhaps the first place a hiring manager will look when they have a job candidate is at the job candidate’s LinkedIn profile. It’s best to keep it updated all the time so that you don’t have to rush to complete it when you start looking for a new job.” However, don’t indicate that you’re looking for new job opportunities on your profile, in case your current employer monitors your page.

Never bad-mouth your current employer.  
“Even if you are in a bad situation with a tyrannical Vader-like boss, it’s prudent to take the high road, demonstrate some class and ensure that you don’t burn any bridges,” Kerr says. Keep your conversations and your psyche focused on the positive benefits of moving forward, rather than the negative aspect of what you are trying to escape.

Let your prospective employer know that your job search should be kept confidential. Teach suggests that you inform them that you don’t want your current employer to know that you’re looking for a new job and would appreciate it if they told as few people as possible that you are interviewing.

Dos and Don'ts 5-13 and the complete Forbes article

35 Surefire Ways to Stand Out During Your Job Search

When you’re applying for a job, you don’t just want to get noticed: You want to stand out as the best applicant the hiring committee has ever seen. You know you’re the perfect person for the job—and you want them to know that, too.

But how, exactly, do you do that? We pulled together a roundup of our all-time best job search advice, from getting noticed before you apply to acing the interview, plus tips from our favorite career experts—to bring you 35 ways to put yourself ahead of the pack.

Get Noticed (Before You Even Apply!)

1. “The fastest way to an interview is when someone I know makes a referral or recommendation,” says Raj Aggarwal, founder and CEO of Localytics. So, if you have contacts who can refer you to a job or introduce you to a hiring manager, by all means, spend your time and energy there—it will have the greatest payoff! Marie Burns, @marieburns 


2. Recruiters spend countless hours scouring LinkedIn in search of the high performers. Knowing this, you’ll serve yourself well to market yourself as a high performer, through your verbiage (think action words, accomplishments) and by having multiple endorsements. Want some? Start endorsing others—they’re bound to return the favor. Jenny Foss, @jobjenny 

Craft a Winning Resume and Cover Letter

7. Use as many facts, figures, and numbers as you can in your resume bullet points. How many people were impacted by your work? By what percentage did you exceed your goals? By quantifying your accomplishments, you really allow the hiring manager to picture the level of work or responsibility you needed to achieve this accomplishment. Amy Michalenko



8. When you’re writing your cover letter, remember that the hiring manager is likely going to be reading a lot of them (and she probably doesn’t really enjoy reading them much more than you like writing them). So, while you want to make the letter professional, you also want to put some of your own personality in it. Crafting an engaging letter with some color will catch people’s eyes and make them think, “Wow, this would be a fun person to work with.” Erin Greenawald, @erinaceously

Make a Killer First Impression

16. The person at the front desk may not be the hiring manager—but that doesn’t mean his or her impression of you doesn’t matter. In fact, some companies specifically ask their front desk attendants to report back on the demeanor of interviewees who come through the door. Katie Douthwaite, @kdouth


17. A Fortune 500 CEO once said that when he had to choose between two candidates with similar qualifications, he gave the position to the candidate with the better handshake. Extreme? Perhaps, but he’s actually not alone in his judgment. Check out these video instructions for the perfect handshake. Olivia Fox Cabone

Ace the Interview

22. Overall, the most impressive candidates are those who genuinely care about the company and job they are interviewing for, have done their research, and are able to sell themselves based on that information. For someone interviewing for my team personally, one particular candidate read all my blogs, followed me on Twitter, and came in fully prepared based on my online advice and killed the interview. Marie Burns, @marieburns



23. Take your portfolio to a job interview, and refer to the items inside while discussing your work experience. Saying “I planned a fundraising event from beginning to end” is one thing—showing the event invitation, program, budget, and volunteer guidelines you put together is completely another. Chrissy Scivicque, @EatYourCareer

See all 35 ways and the complete TheDailyMuse article



he Daily Muse is the daily publication of The Muse, your ultimate career destination that offers exciting job opportunities, expert advice, and a peek behind the scenes into fantastic companies and career paths. Learn more, contact us, and find us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

You Have to Be “Recruitable”

Posted by The H.O.P.E. Scholarship

I was working a job fair where I met a recent college graduate. I was recruiting for an auto body company and she sheepishly approached our tabled and said, “I guess I don’t have the skills to work for you.”

Whoa. What?

After I let her know that we weren’t only looking for people to knock dents out, I replied, “Now, let’s talk about your approach.  Don’t you eeeeeeever do that again.”

As a job recruitment consultant, I want to satisfy two parties—the employer and the job seeker. In order to do that, I need “recruitable” candidates—people who make me want to advocate their employment.

As a college student, there are five areas where you can make yourself recruitable:

The Résumé

In most cases, a résumé is the first contact an employer has with a candidate. That’s why it is so important to make sure certain elements stand out. For you, the college student, those elements include:  the GPA, student organizational involvement, work study or off-campus job(s), and references.

Let’s dig in a little more. Let’s say you don’t have a GPA over 2.7. You can make up for that by showing great student organizational involvement and/or great performance on the job, whether it is work study or an off-campus job. Understand that the résumés of students with high GPAs automatically go to the top of the pile. Still, great leadership skills through work outside of the classroom is valued.

In the case of student organizational involvement, you should be able to demonstrate bottom line success. You can show such success through membership increases, fundraising results, volunteer hours, awards, etc. These kinds of quantifiable results, in the workforce, are called productivity. FYI, you don’t need a title to show great leadership skills; but be prepared to prove how you contributed to your group’s success.

Presence

Notice that I described the graduate who approached me at the job fair as “sheepish.” Making a great impression is important. I would have reacted differently had the first words out of her mouth been, “My name is (blank) and I have a degree in (blank). Working at a car repair shop has never crossed my mind but I was wondering if you had anything available in my field.”

It goes without saying that confidence establishes a great presence. Make sure you look clean. Employers always remember students whose clothes are pressed as well as those who smile, speak clearly and loudly, use correct grammar, and show great posture.

Speech

Great speakers are almost always highly recruitable. I encourage you to take public speaking classes at your college or university, because it is a great way to strengthen your interpersonal communication skills. This is especially important for the job fair environment where projection and articulation are sorely needed. As a public speaking coach, I focus heavily on these two specific elements, because it is difficult to make an impression when people can’t hear or understand what you say in a crowded room.

More tips and the complete article

Live H.O.P.E. Give H.O.P.E.
Eddie Francis
Guest Contributor
About Eddie Francis

Eddie Francis is a job recruitment consultant and the author/presenter of “The Black Greek Success Program.” He has also worked in mass media and higher education. Eddie’s past blogs on the H.O.P.E. Scholarship Blog include “The 10 Freshman Commandments” and “The Secret of Gumbo”. You can learn more about him at EddieFrancis.com.

8 Tips for Writing a Resume

Posted by Doug White

Attention creative professionals: The traditional resume is alive and well. A new TCG survey finds employers still favor a Word document or PDF version over infographic, social and video resumes.

More and more job seekers are getting creative and playing around with novel resume formats. But before you start filming a string of wacky Vine videos or designing an intricate infographic to highlight your experience, be aware that most employers still expect (and want) a plain old resume. A majority of advertising and marketing executives said they prefer a traditional resume, like a Word document or PDF, from candidates applying for creative roles, according to a recent TCG survey.

Even in today's highly digital world, there isn't great demand for infographic, video or social resumes. Here are eight tips for writing a resume that's clear, concise and compelling:

Create customized content. Some people view job hunting strictly as a numbers game. They blast the same cookie-cutter resume to every employer with an open creative position. Bad move. Targeting your pitch to individual employers is a much better strategy. Thoroughly research the company or agency online, follow them on social media and tap members of your network for additional insights. Once you have a sense of the role and organization, play up your professional skills, experience and achievements most relevant to that particular opportunity. While you don't need to start from scratch every time, a little resume tailoring can make a big impact.

Key in on keywords. Who'll see your resume first? Well, it might not even be a human. Employers often use computer programs to scan resumes for keywords. How can you boost your odds of making the initial cut? Use the job ad as your guide, weaving in keywords wherever possible (as long as the terms accurately describe your abilities, of course).

Proofread, proofread, proofread. A designer friend of mine asked me to proofread his resume last year. When he saw I flagged a few typos, he laughed and said, "See, I'm not a word person." OK, dude, but your job does require attention to detail, right? Time-strapped hiring managers are far less likely to interview careless candidates. In fact, 76 percent of executives polled by our firm said it takes only one or two typos on a resume to eliminate an applicant from contention. Guard against goofs by running spell-check, but also slowly proofread your resume both on screen and on paper. Asking a copywriter pal for editing assistance won't hurt either.

Keep it simple. Steer clear of convoluted jargon, flowery prose and distracting graphics, fonts or colors that can make your resume difficult to read. Instead, let your portfolio showcase your creativity. When crafting your resume, use clear section headings and bullet points for easy navigation. In addition, don't muddle your message by cluttering your resume with hobbies and other extraneous personal information that has no connection to your career. It's great that you love mountain biking and going to hipster bars, but referencing those pastimes won't get you a job.

Tips 5-8 and the complete article

How to Job Hunt While Still Employed

By Jennifer Parris

It obviously makes more sense to look for a job while you still have one. After all, you won’t feel the pressure to pick any old job that you’re offered because you have to pay your mortgage, car loan, credit card bills or because the gap between jobs on your resume is growing wider and wider. That said, job hunting while you’re still working can present its own set of prickly problems. Here’s how to safely look for a new job — without risking the one you currently have.

Don’t be obvious. The last thing you want to do is alert your current boss that you are job hunting. Even if you already have one foot out the door, don’t be too obvious about your job searching efforts. Schedule your interviews before or after work, or if you have to, take a day off and try to bundle them together. After all, if you show up to work in a three-piece suit (and your normal attire is jeans and a tee shirt), you’re going to attract some very unnecessary attention at the office.

Don’t tell your coworkers. You might be tempted to tell your colleagues and work bestie about your job search. But sharing the news, even with a couple of close office friends, could potentially result in your boss finding out about your plans a lot sooner than you’d like. Some companies can even let you go if they find out that you’re seeking employment elsewhere. And at the very least, your boss can make your life miserable while you’re still there, forcing you to quit before you’re ready.

Don’t use office equipment. After a brutal meeting with your boss, you might be tempted to storm back to your cubicle and openly — and passive aggressively — troll job boards. Not a good idea. Your company most likely has tracking programs built into your computer or can search your history to see the sites you’ve been on. So save your job searching — and applying — for after work.

More tips and the complete Mashable article

7 Words I Never Want to See on Your Resume

• Posted by Mark Babbitt

Recently, I came across a post I highly recommend: “7 Words I Never Want to See in Your Blog Posts”.

That inspired me to think about the words that – for recruiters and team builders – can create a terrible first impression. Not words like “dependable” and “detail oriented” – those have been blogged about ad nauseam (and I don’t blame people for using words that old-school experts have espoused for decades). I also don’t mean the clichés that rear their ugly heads far too often during an interview or follow-up like “It is what it is…”

I’m referring to the words that show me a lack of effort, leadership or confidence – and make me want to disqualify the applicant from consideration whenever I see them.

Without further delay, here are the seven words I never want to see on a resume:

1. Approximately

You have to approximate? You don’t know what you did? Or you do know, but creating a good first impression wasn’t a big priority for you when the resume was sent to me. If you don’t know – find out. If you do know – show some confidence, and tell me down to the tenth percentile what you accomplished. That is impressive!

2. Assisted

Unless you work in a dental office or are a point guard, I don’t want to hear about your “assists”. We hire leaders here, so I want to know that you were the one being assisted. In a humble way, tell me what you did, how you did it, and how many you lead in the process.

3. Attempted

Never, ever tell me what you wanted to do. Tell me what you did in an emphatic tone, including a quantitative statement, Good examples: “Increased customer satisfaction by 115%” and “Exceeded quota by an average of 31.2% every quarter”

Words 4-7 and the complete article

Get Social: 5 Simple Social Media Tactics That Lead to a Job

By Arnie Fertig

Do you stay up till all hours of the night, posting your résumé and responding to ads on job boards like Monster or CareerBuilder? Is this the essence of your job hunt? If so, you are far from alone.

If you haven't been successful using this tactic, there is a good reason: Companies report that while 42 percent of their applicants come via job boards, only 14 percent of the people they hire come from this source. These numbers, and others in this article, were first revealed in Jobvite's 2013 Social Recruiting Survey of more than 1,600 recruiters and human resources professionals.

Across all industries, there is a whopping 94 percent adoption of social recruiting. These days, recruiting and hiring are all about networking, both in-person and online. It is hard to overstate the importance of your online presence as key to a successful job search.


As you might expect, 94 percent of recruiters use LinkedIn and 65 percent use Facebook. Lest you focus your energies only on the big two, bear in mind that more than half of recruiters and HR staffing specialists are using Twitter. And Jobvite identifies other "specialized, localized and up-and-coming social networks" that recruiters utilize to source talent: Instagram, Vimeo, GitHub, Stack Overflow, XING, Yammer and Pinterest

Understand what sites are used for what purposes. Companies use different websites differently. For example, Twitter is great for a company showcasing itself. It is easy and free to send out tweets announcing open positions in an effort to gain corporate visibility and draw you to a company's website.

Facebook's company pages are used to create a following, to put out much more information about the values, products and services of a company. This way, it builds its own employer brand and reputation. More than half of all companies utilize Facebook as a means of bolstering their own employee referral programs where they reward current employees for bringing to their attention others who are successfully recruited to come on board.

Tip: Look at what companies are saying about themselves on Twitter and Facebook. Follow them, and begin to interact with them to gain your own credibility. Build relationships, followers and friends as a means of networking yourself inside a company.

Tip: Ignore LinkedIn at your own peril. This website does it all. Recruiters use it to search for candidates, contact them, keep tabs on people and vet them as well as posting jobs. Make certain that your profile is complete and up-to-date, join and become seen in LinkedIn's groups, and look for posted opportunities both in the main "Jobs" tab as well as those different jobs posted within the myriad of LinkedIn's groups accessible only to group members.


Understand what recruiters look for on social networks.

More Tips, Tactics, and the complete article


Arnie Fertig is the head coach of JOBHUNTERCOACH.COM, where he utilizes his extensive background in HR Staffing and as owner of a recruiting company to help mid-career job-hunters land their next job. Arnie provides one-to-one coaching services to individuals throughout the U.S. in all aspects of the job hunt, including: resume writing, personal branding, utilizing social media, enhancing networking skills, preparing for interviews, and negotiating compensation.

Back to Basics: 11 Tips to Help You Ace the Interview

by Campus to Career

Your resume impressed, and you did well in your phone screen. You’ve made it to the face-to-face interview. You’ve set yourself apart from other candidates and showed you have the potential a recruiter looks for in a future employee.

The next step (notice I didn’t say “last step” – there’s a little more after this) is to pass the in-person interview. To do just that, follow these 11 time-tested tips…

Preparation

Research | Know the company inside and out. Study up on their corporate culture, your fit within, and focus on what you can bring to them to make the company better.

Respect | Treat the receptionists, assistants, custodians, EVERYBODY with respect. You never know who your interviewers will ask about your behavior after you leave. Simply be courteous.

During the Interview

Answer the Questions | Know some of the basic interview questions that will be asked. Be truthful. Provide concise, real-world examples with quantifiable results. The more you display your analytical skills, the better. Show the impact of your leadership.

After the Interview

Know the Timeline | As the interview ends, it is appropriate to ask what the hiring timeline looks like for that specific position. Ask them when you can follow up.

All 11 Tips and the complete article

20 Proven Ways to Beat Your Job Search Competition

by Brazen Careerist

Looking to stand out from the pack during your job search?

As an executive search consultant and civic-connector, I’ve conducted hundreds of interviews and networking meetings. Here are some of my observations from years on the job… insights you can use to beat out your job search competition:

2. Without exception, people help people they like. Be likable. Help others without asking for anything in return. Say thank you. Follow up. Actively listen. Be present.

4. We now live in a 2-degrees-of-separation world. Don’t burn bridges.

5. Take the high road. If you can’t say something nice about a former employer or co-worker, well, you know what to do.

8. Your email says something about you. Retire the Hotmail / CompuServe account.

9. When interviewing, think of it as a conversation, not an interrogation. When appropriate, pause, think and reflect before responding.

10. Body language is 80 percent of how we’re heard and perceived, especially in an interview. Be cognizant of your facial expressions and what you’re doing with your arms and hands.

14. Most unsolicited networking requests come in some form of “please help me.” How can you network differently?

15. The questions posed by candidates are a crucial insight into how they think. Prepare and ask smart questions during your interviews!


Yes, your resume matters. So does your LinkedIn profile, of course. But if you really want to stand out above your competition, follow this advice. A recruiter will thank you. And you’ll get the job.

See all 20 ways and the complete article

5 Ways to Lose a Recruiter's Interest

By Vicki Salemi

Remember that Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey movie, "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," in which Hudson purposely did wacky things to ditch McConaughey in the spirit of article research? You might be similarly self-sabotaging your chances at a job. If you follow these quick and easy steps, you too may put the kibosh on your candidacy before you even had a shot:

1. Leave a voicemail without saying your last name. Bonus points if you also don't leave your phone number. In-house corporate recruiters are extremely busy managing relationships with countless hiring managers, not to mention internal employees as candidates, systems concerns for compliance purposes and meeting their numbers. Yes, they work closely with candidates, but the number of them could hike into several dozen.

When you leave a voicemail with a recruiter, speak slowly, say your entire name, and while you're at it, leave your phone number. Even if you've been speaking frequently with the recruiter and think he or she recognizes your voice and has your number on speed dial, provide it anyway.
Or you can do the alternative: Mumble, omit pertinent information and wonder why you never got a call back.

2. Every day, follow up via email regarding your status. You should indeed follow up if you haven't heard back, but every day? Too much. You start crossing the line to stalker when it's on a daily basis (add some phone calls without leaving a message, a tweet here and there and LinkedIn profile view, and you've reached scary status.)


Instead, be assertive and professional. Follow up a week later, and if you don't hear back, ping them again a few days later. It's actually a good gesture, because it's like saying, "Hey, remember me? Eyes over here." Especially when a recruiter's eyes are here, there and everywhere else.

Ways 3-5 and the complete article



Vicki Salemi is the author of Big Career in the Big City and creator, producer and host of Score That Job. This New York City-based career expert and public speaker possesses more than 15 years of corporate experience in recruiting and human resources. She coaches college grads individually with an intense Job Search Boot Camp, writes and edits the MediaJobsDaily blog on Mediabistro, and conducts interviews as a freelance journalist with celebrities and notable names. BlogHer named her one of the country's top 25 career and business women bloggers worth reading.

43 Resume Tips That Will Help Get You Hired

When you haven’t updated your resume in a while, it can be hard to know where to start. What experiences and accomplishments should you include for the jobs you’ve got your eye on? What new resume rules and trends should you be following? And seriously, one page or two?

Well, search no more: We’ve compiled the best resume advice out there into one place. Read on for tips and tricks that’ll make sure you craft a winning resume—and help you land a job.

Telling Your Story

1. Think of your resume not as a comprehensive list of your career history, but as a marketing document selling you as the perfect person for a the job. For each resume you send out, you’ll want to highlight only the accomplishments and skills that are most relevant to the job at hand (even if that means you don’t include all of your experience).


2. Keep a resume master list on your computer where you keep any information you’ve ever included on a resume: old positions, bullet points tailored for different applications, special projects that only sometimes make sense to include. Then, when you’re crafting each resume, it’s just a matter of cutting and pasting relevant information.

Formatting

7. Use a basic but modern font, like Helvetica, Arial, or Century Gothic. And make your resume easy on hiring managers’ eyes by using a font size between 10 and 12.

Work Experience

12. As a rule, you should only show the most recent 10-15 years of your career history and only include the experience relevant to the positions to which you are applying.


13. No matter how long you’ve been in a job, or how much you’ve accomplished there, you shouldn’t have more than 6-7 bullets in a given section. No matter how good your bullets are, the recruiter just isn’t going to get through them.

Education

24. Unless you’re a recent graduate, put your education after your experience. Chances are, your last 1-2 jobs are more important and relevant to you getting the job than where you went to college is.

Finishing Touches

38. Ditch the phrase “References available upon request.” If a company wants to hire you, it will ask you for references—and it will assume that you have them. There’s no need to address the obvious (and doing so might even make you look a little presumptuous!).


39. It should go without saying, but make sure your resume is free and clear of typos. But don’t rely on spell check and grammar check alone—ask family or friends to take a look at it for you (or get some tips on how to edit your own work).

See all 43 tips and the complete article

How To Get A Job When You're Over 50 - 10 Tips

1) Pull yourself through the transition period.

Many older workers feel it's their turn to take it easy if they've been laid off after a long time at one job. This can lead to depression. Let yourself go through that stage, but do make sure to move forward.

2) Overcome the notion that you are out of the loop.

Just because you worked in the same job for many years doesn't mean the world has left you behind.

3) Use the "seven stories" approach.

Make a list of seven achievements you're proud of. This will help you build self-esteem and clarify your skills and values.        

4) Let people know you're looking.

One of the first steps of a job search if you're over 50 and have been unemployed for a while is telling people you are seriously looking for work.   


See all 10 tips and the complete Forbes article  

        

10 Job Search Mistakes That Will Keep You Unemployed

by Glassdoor

Like work itself, the job search can be stressful and riddled with anxiety. In turn, we tend to make mistakes that extend our hunt for that next gig… and keep us unemployed much long than necessary.
Avoid these 10 common job search mistakes, and keep your job search, and career, on track:

1. Lying on Your Resume

While a resume is a marketing piece and you do not have to disclose every detail of your career history, you still must not lie. For example, do not fudge dates or titles and do not exaggerate your quantified statements.

4. Not Sending a Proper Follow-up Thank You

After an informational interview, one-on-one meeting or mentor meeting, sending a thank you note shows you respect and appreciate the fact that the person you met with took time out of his or her busy schedule to speak with you. See #3.

5. Showing Up Late for a Job Interview

This can only get worse if you then make up a lame excuse as to why you were delayed.

8. Complaining on Social Media
Stop posting that you are frustrated with your job search, are mad at the world and that you were treated unfairly, once again.

All 10 job search mistakes and the full article

Accelerate Your Job Search with Twitter (The Other Professional Network)

by The Resume Resource

Many job seekers are aware by now that LinkedIn is highly beneficial to your job search. However, they often overlook the “other professional network”…
Twitter.

With the ability to connect you with people across the country or around the world, Twitter enables you to expand your network well outside of your immediate circles. Twitter can be used to follow current trends in your industry as well as identify companies in growth mode (which means they will probably be hiring).

As most hiring managers and recruiters have a Twitter account, Twitter opens the doors to communication with experts in your field. Finally, the platform allows you to brand yourself professionally; to show potential employers why they need you on their team. When they see you confidently sharing your expertise, you have an advantage over your competition!

To get your Twitter job search going, here are some best practices that will help you take full advantage of the other professional network:

Account Set-up (Done Right)

Set up a designated job search account with a user name that contains your full name. Use the bio section of your profile to brand yourself for the workplace, and include a professional-looking headshot (no one takes “Twitter eggs” seriously).

Stay Under 140 Characters

I find it easiest to compose my tweets in Microsoft Word, where I can take advantage of the character count feature. You can use a site such as bitly.com to shorten your links. You might also use a Twitter management tool such as TweetDeck.

Tweet Relevant Content Only

All your tweets should include helpful information or links to articles of professional interest, with a brief comment or intriguing lead-in. Search Twitter for relevant hashtags (#) and then include them, sparingly, in your tweets (don’t use more than three hashtags per tweet; more than that looks like you’re trying too hard).

Build Your Network (Carefully)

Use Twitter’s search option to find others who share your interests. Be careful to grow your network at a moderate pace to avoid looking like a fake spam account. A Twitter best practice is to balance the number of people you follow with your followers. Far more followers and you appear to be a “broadcaster” (someone who only wants to talk). A far higher number of people you’re following and it appears no one wants to follow you.

More tips and the complete article

10 Tips to Use Google Plus for Your Job Search

The social web is evolving with each passing day. Right from the day Google Plus (a social network introduced by Google) was announced, people have been flocking to join in. Google Plus social network offers some really cool features, apart from bolstering user security. Not only businesses, even jobseekers can use this social network for job search.

If you are ready to use Google Plus for job searching, given below are some of the most real tips you can use.

#1. If you don’t have a profile on Google Plus, go create one.

If you are there already, you need to optimize your profile. Optimizing your profile means filling out the details in a way that increases your visibility to employers. Include industry related keyword so you appear in relevant searches.

#2. Use the Circles feature to connect with influential people.

More importantly, add those people who are already employed in your target companies. Participate in their conversations to attract attention.

#3. Use the Hangouts feature to take your efforts to the next level.

You can use this feature to create job search clubs. Learn the basic rules and regulations of participating in hangouts.

#4. Find opportunities to highlight your talents and skills.

If you are really smart, you can easily grab the attention of companies or employers. It is also a good idea to ask questions related to the kind of job you are looking for.

See tips 5-10 and the complete article

Seven Ways To Perfect Your Resume

Susan Adams

1. If you get professional help, use a coach who has experience in your field

Every profession has its own customs. For instance, Wall Street résumés should be tailored to readers with short attention spans.

2. Do not let a coach write the résumé for you.

Take a coach's advice, but write it yourself. "An HR person or a recruiter will immediately pick it up if a résumé has been written for a person," says Borland. "They can tell the words on the page are not words the candidate would use."

3. Treat your résumé as a marketing document.

This is the toughest challenge of résumé-writing: figuring out what's special about yourself. What's your personal brand?

Ways 4-7 and the complete Forbes article        

5 Best Things to Say in an Interview

By Catherine Conlan
Monster Contributing Writer

The best things you can say in an interview won’t necessarily get you the job on their own, but they can certainly pave the way. Keep these five things in mind as you go through the interviewing process to give yourself the best chance at landing the job.

Ask Good Questions

According to Howard Pines, founder and CEO of BeamPines, “the best thing a candidate can do at an interview is ask good questions.”

Doing so shows that you are thoughtful and interested in understanding the company. There’s usually a chance to ask questions at the end of your interview, so be ready with questions that show you’re engaged in the process.

Pines suggests several questions, including:

• What are the biggest short- and long-term issues I would need to focus on in this position?
• What would I need to focus on differently than the previous person in this position?
• What organizational issues should I be aware of?

“I’m flexible.”

Whether it’s about possible job duties, a potential start date or simply timing for the second interview, stressing your flexibility makes you easy to get along with.

Hiring managers don’t like complications, and having to coordinate complicated schedules or haggle over a job description eventually just makes you look difficult. While you certainly don’t want to be a pushover -- and “flexible” shouldn’t define your salary negotiation -- show your potential employer that you’re interested in results that work for everyone.

The Company’s Own Words

Before your interview, become familiar with the company’s website and literature. Pay attention to the words used -- what’s important to the organization?

“In your interview, hit key words that appeared on the company website or brochure,” says Olivia Ford of Adeptio. “These key words might include team, leadership, simplistic, culture or growth.”

Mixing these keywords into your answers can provide a subtle hint that you are plugged in to what the organization is looking for.

Things 4,5, and the complete Monster article

7 Key Ways To Promote Your Personal Brand For Your Job Search

by Sean Harry

By now you understand finding the perfect job requires more than simply writing a resume and posting it online. In fact, if you are going to take the “apply-on-line” approach you should spend no more than two hours per week at it. Less than 5% of jobs are ever posted online, so if you are going to find your next job fast you need to spend your time elsewhere.

How To Promote Your Personal Brand

The successful and savvy job seeker will develop a compelling personal brand and spend 75% of their time (or more) promoting it. Here are seven key ways to promote your personal brand.

1. Buy Printed Business Cards

I am consistently shocked by the number of job seekers who have absolutely NO way of letting other people know how to contact them other than by shoving a resume in their face. And no, the one’s you print at home on your own computer are NOT good enough! Business cards are inexpensive. Sometimes you can even get free business cards from places like Prints Made Easy or free shipping from stores like Office Max.

As for what to put on your card? I recommend the minimalist approach. Put your name, e-mail address, phone, and LinkedIn profile address. You don’t need a title or a cute picture. Get a non-glossy finish and leave the back empty so people can jot down notes about you.

When you’re done reading this article, learn the three rules to smart business card etiquette.

2. Develop A Concise Elevator Pitch

Give just enough information to make people want to ask you to tell them more. Don’t focus on your past, instead focus on your future. Nobody cares you have 15 years experience in micro-processors. They want to know what you can do for THEM now! Be memorable, but not flippant or “cutesy.”

Lastly, rehearse it at least 100 times out loud BEFORE you use it in a group. You want it to be polished, but not too formulaic.

4. Listen And Build Trust

Networking is NOT about you. It’s about building a relationship. It’s about helping people in your network of friends and colleagues connect for mutual benefit. It’s about finding out what someone else needs and helping them.

Ways 3,5-7, and the complete Careerealism article

8 Resume Terms You Should Retire

by Brandon Lawson

If you want to land a job, you may want to think about rewriting your resume. Chances are you have cliché phrases, buzzwords, or annoying jargon that drive the Human Resources folks nuts. To help you appease the HR gods, we will give you a quick list of some of the most common resume words they want retired:

1.“Salary Negotiable”: Don’t you think it would be odd if your salary were NOT negotiable? You may want to think twice before wasting space on your resume to state the obvious. An HR professional may think you are just adding this to pad space on your resume.


2.“Career Objective”: Back in the day, it was popular to have the top section of your resume stamped with an objective, like “To obtain a position as a [insert job title here] that leverages my skills and experience as well as promoting growth.” HR professionals have seen this one too many times, and it drives them crazy. You should replace your “Career Objective” with a “Mission Statement” that summarizes your background, core competencies and accomplishments to show what you have to offer to employers.


3.“Team Player”: When you consider that there are few jobs where you don’t work with others, “team player” becomes an overrated term. Regardless of how talented you are, most companies will not hire someone that does not work well with others, so consider team player as a given.


4.“Experienced”:  This is a vague term especially if you’re not putting a specific length of time behind it. Saying “Created Excel spreadsheets for marketing strategy meetings” is a lot more specific than “experienced at creating Excel spreadsheets.”

Terms 5-8 and the complete article