Job Searching in 2013

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If you’re a job seeker in 2013 here’s what we think is in store for you this year.

Expect More Emphasis on the Social Job Search

2013 will be the year of the social job search. This phenomenon expanded exponentially during 2012 — and as job seekers get more comfortable with the concept the less helpful tools will be weeded out. The 2013 job search will be more targeted and people will truly begin to recognise the importance of referrals, in addition to finding innovative ways to receive them.

Job Seekers Will Get More Creative With Their Application Methods

Competition for great jobs is fierce out there right now, with no signs of this getting any easier. To set themselves apart, job seekers are going to start getting more creative in their application methods. This will range from attractive infographics, to career-related blogs, to a more wholesale embrace of online video in the hiring process. Applicants will be looking for ways to set themselves apart from the pack to land their dream job.

The Future Job Search: Video, Crowdsourcing and Transparency

The future job search landscape will shift from a static, boring job description to job opportunities as living, breathing things. Job seekers will have more opportunities to watch video about job openings, directly contact hiring managers, and know when jobs are closing. The job search won’t be as black and white on our computer screens — and this will make it easier for candidates to know what they are applying for.

The Niche Set Will Rule

Niche job boards have continued popping up recently, and remain one of the best ways for candidates to differentiate themselves and find jobs that fit their skill set. With niche job boards, candidates can put the appropriate amount of time and energy into each position, including researching companies, personalising cover letters and resumes, and building relationships with hiring managers. They will serve as some candidates’ best resources in the coming year, as they continue to crop up for every corner of every industry.

It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who Knows You

While everything seems to be rushing towards online, especially in regards to job searching, the same rule of “it’s not who you know, it’s who knows you” still applies.  Social media tools such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are key to not only reach out to those in your network, but to expose yourself to networks for opportunities.

Two Powerful Words – Social Networking

Simply put, social networks provide a way for job seekers to tap into a large pool of job opportunities easily. Job seekers have become increasingly frustrated at searching for jobs online and getting no response, and they intuitively know that the best opportunities are found through people not search engines. As social networking has become a core part of our cultural dynamic, we are continuing to see more and more job hunters taking advantage of a vertical they are comfortable with in order to find work.

Keep Up With the Times, Including Managing and Maintaining Online Social Media Profiles

If job seekers have LinkedIn and Facebook accounts, their profiles will be vetted along with their references. If they don’t have any profiles, then unfortunately they’re simply not going to get hired. As the world becomes interconnected via social media, it’s more important for job seekers to do what they can to build up as much relevant information on their online profiles as possible.

Personalised Search

Job seekers can find jobs easily based on their own personalised criteria. Often these searches can be automated through overnight email alerts. It’s not just about finding jobs and recruiters finding candidates anymore. That’s the easy part; especially with technologies like LinkedIn. We will start to see an increased emphasis on personalising the approach and connecting with candidates for an enhanced application experience. It’s no longer about identification — now it’s about connecting and relationship building.

Good luck!

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Job Searching During the Holiday Season

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Are you about to start a job search or are you in the midst of looking for a new job? Are you thinking about waiting to start or putting your job search on hold? If so, think again. Contrary to popular opinion, this is a good time of year to find a job. Employers don’t stop hiring just because it’s the holidays. In addition, the holiday season is a perfect time of year to network your way to a new job.

Hiring continues

Hiring continues regardless of the time of year. For many, the holiday season is a time to sit back and relax, to take a break from business, to focus attention on friends and family. For businesses, the needs that drive hiring throughout the year don’t change just because the paid holidays are bunched up on the last pages of the calendar.

Job searching at this time of year

The fact is employers continue to focus on hiring even though there is a temptation to do otherwise. The same should hold true for job seekers. It can be easier to say “I’m not going to bother, it’s a bad time of year for job hunting.” than it is to move forward with a job search. However, for those who do keep plugging away, the additional opportunities are worth the effort, especially as there may be less competition from other job seekers at this time of year. In addition, companies that budget on an annual basis may have jobs that they need to hire for right now.

Use down time

If you’re working at company where the holiday season is a slow one, take advantage. If you have vacation time you need to use up, schedule some networking meetings. It’s an ideal time of year to connect with acquaintances you haven’t been in touch with in a while. Both to celebrate the holiday season and to let them know you’re in the market for a job.

Use personal and professional events

If you’re attending a holiday social event, it’s definitely appropriate to mention that you’re job searching. Accept all the invitations you receive, both personal and professional. You never know who may be able to help. Friends and family, as well as business acquaintances are typically more than happy to assist.

Send holiday / festive cards

Sending a “Happy Holidays” or a “Happy New Year” greeting card to networking contacts, recruiters, and to employers you have interviewed with is another good way to connect with those who can help with your job search.

Connect online

Send email or use a professional or social networking site (like LinkedIn or Facebook) to get in touch. The holiday season is a good excuse to touch base and a good time to reinforce or expand your network.

Relax and enjoy

During this time of year, it’s also important to take some time for yourself and your family. Do relax a little and don’t forget to enjoy the holiday season – it’s important for all of us, whether you’re job seeking, or not.

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Using Google Search Techniques to Uncover Niche Job Boards

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If you’re a jobseeker, you may like us not be much of a fan of large, be-all-end-all job boards, especially as they are getting more and more spammy – as anyone who has tried to post a CV on Monster recently will tell you.

More and more, hiring managers are turning to industry-and location-specific job boards to hire candidates from. However, for many jobseekers finding these often obscure (and not well ranked on Google) websites can be time-consuming and difficult, resulting in missed opportunities to connect with employers looking to hire your skill set.

In our latest blog post we look at some of the search techniques that you can use on Google to find hidden niche job boards – whatever industry your expertise lies in.

Right, let’s get started. In a fresh Google search enter the following:

“your-industry+Careers” intitle:”job board”

or

“your-industry+Careers” intitle:”job listing”

Here’s an example: ”Healthcare Careers” intitle:”job board”

We found:
http://www.jobjobhealth.com
http://www.jobmonkey.com/healthcarejobs/

And then: ”healthcare careers” intitle:”job listings”

Which returned:
http://www.healthcarejobsite.com
http://www.health-care-jobs.advanceweb.com
http://www.hospitaldreamjobs.com

So in just two searches, we found 5 niche job boards.

Here is another example:
“marketing careers” intitle:”job listings”

and Google returned:
http://www.marketingjobforce.com
http://www.salescareersonline.com/local-job-listing.html

Then:
“marketing careers” intitle:”job board”

Got back:
http://www.marketinghire.com
http://www.marketingjobforce.com
http://www.sectorpages.com/marketing-job-board.html

Again, with just two Google searches we found five niche job boards. But it doesn’t stop with industry niches. You don’t have to enter your industry, instead you can enter your state, county or city. Change over the word “careers” with “jobs” to widen your net.

By playing around with this type of search query you will be able to build a list of niche sites that can complement your efforts on the larger catch-all job boards.

Good luck!

Understanding Your Character Traits When Job Searching

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Once done with degrees, masters, professional qualifications, training etc, everyone faces the challenging task of deciding on the right career path to follow. As the world becomes a smaller place to live and work with most countries a few hours flight away, the opportunities really are endless but the key contributor to your professional happiness and satisfaction is really understanding yourself. This means understanding your character traits, your likes, your dislikes to name but a few.

The fact is that we are all living longer and therefore will all be working longer, unless you win the lottery, but assuming you don’t, wouldn’t you rather spend as much of your working life as possible doing something that is best suited to your character? If your answer is yes then this blog article should give you some food for thought and if your answer is no, read on anyway, you might just learn a thing or two about yourself.

Most character traits fall into one of the following:

The Analytical Character

The analytical character is diligent and likes to take the necessary time to complete any task, completing the task as instructed and to the very best of their ability. Being focused and organised, they check and recheck information, ensuring potential errors are kept to an absolute minimum. The analytical character finds great value in factual and detailed ways of doing things and are great at following set instructions and processes while also being brilliant when tasked to come up with new ways of doing things. They enjoy working with detail and work best in jobs that have clearly defined procedures and systems to adhere to. They don’t need too much direction once a task has been set within primary boundaries and are very capable of devising their own action plan. They are most likely to make logical and rational (not emotional) decisions about most things but like to take their time before making a decision. The analytical character may feel slightly uncomfortable in the company of emotionally charged people or situations and would much rather be around people who are open yet balanced about their feelings.

The Driven Character

The driven character is very confident and goes all out to get the job done. They are very focused, know what they want and hunt it down, doing their best to overcome any potential and actual barriers. They are risk takers who thrive on the challenge and are very skilled at making quick but necessary decisions. The driven character thrives on finding solutions. achieving results and are brilliant at directing and guiding others around them to deliver results based on a set objective. They tend to be very demanding characters. They demand a lot from people around them but are most demanding from themselves based on the high standards they have set themselves. They work best with people who are driven to be successful and have set goals that they strive to achieve. The driven character is a brilliant yet tough negotiator and will work tirelessly to get the best deal possible. They tend to be outspoken but with a clear vision and may struggle to work with individuals who may not have the same voice or clarity in vision.

The Amiable Character

The amiable character is always looking for ways to help and would never knowingly be a burden to anyone. They constantly look to put others first. They tend to be loyal and very friendly. They enjoy listening to others and appreciate being listened to. The amiable character goes out off their way to maintain good relationships both personally and professionally and really flourish in environments where shared values and respect are a core focus. They tend to be emotional decision makers and tend to enjoy being around people who are assertive, strong, clear in vision and direction because they like to be part of a winning team even though they may not have a lot of the necessary drive or assertiveness to lead. As friendly as the amiable character is, they may struggle to get on with people who are detached from emotions.

The Expressive Character

The expressive character is full of life and energy as the seek out the good and positives in every situation they find themselves in. They enjoy expressing new ideas and are easily engaged when it comes to activities that are fun, exciting, new and informal. They thrive on possibilities, get excited about “what may happen” and are most productive in environments that encourage self expression, fun and importantly, a strong sense of team spirit. They love working with people and are brilliant at expressing ideas and persuading others to see their vision. They love to be around people who are energetic and enthusiastic like them but the expressive character can quickly lose interest just as easy as they gained the initial interest once that activity seems to be less interesting. The expressive character may find it difficult to adjust to or enjoy working in a structured organisation.

Next Steps

The challenge for every job seeker is to identify and understand which character trait best describes them and then use this to help shape their job search strategy.

Good luck!

Working Abroad – Real Option or Unrealistic Dream?

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‘The world is your oyster’ – how many times have you heard that expression, and what exactly does it mean?

You have the ability to achieve anything you want in life, the world, like a pearl is very valuable – finding work abroad and living within other cultures is the best way of exploring it.

Living and working abroad will broaden your horizons, give you confidence, and possibly allow you to develop knowledge of another language – it will undoubtedly be an adventure – whatever stage of your career you are at.

A wide variety of international work opportunities exist around the world. So, if you are interested in finding overseas employment, where do you begin?

Things to consider when making up your mind to relocate abroad: 

  • How would a move abroad affect your long-term career aspirations? Is now a good time to relocate or should you wait?
  • Have you considered the views of others close to you? You will be away from your family and friends for a prolonged period. It is possible your partner will also have to relocate, perhaps you have children – you will have to find new schools etc.
  • If you currently rent your home you will have to see your lease through to its end, if you own a house will you sell it or rent it?
  • Language – It is possible that English will not be the primary language of the country you are moving to. Do you know enough to get by?
  • Will your wage be paid into an account in the UK or will you have to open an account in your country of temporary residence?
  • Will you enjoy living within the culture of the country you are moving to? Such things as dietary habits, climate, housing, media, and local customs will all be different from what you are used to.

How to find a job abroad

There are several ways to get work abroad, some more difficult to achieve than others. The ease at which you will find work is dependent upon which country you hope to move to, the type of work you are looking for, and what skills you can offer.

Get a transfer abroad with a company/organisation in your home country

Many companies now have offices around the world and one of the easiest ways for employers to work abroad is to get a transfer with one of these companies. Make enquiries with your firm to find out where they have other offices, or if you are currently job seeking target your applications to multinational firms.

Find work with a foreign company

Start with a search on the Internet and within social media channels especially if you have a network that in part works abroad. If you have skills that are in demand in the countries you seek to relocate to then you have an advantage.

You will be looked upon particularly favourably if you have Engineering or IT skills. If you speak the language of the country you are looking to relocate to you can visit job sites within that countries domain as well.

Visit your local library, there are many books on how to go about finding work abroad. Read English language newspapers from the country you are looking to locate to, they are also likely to have appointments advertised.

If you can afford to and have the time it is recommended that you visit the country you are interested in working in. This may be the first time that you have been to the country and there is a chance that it is not as you imagined. It is advisable that you see what life is like in the country before you move there as you may not actually like it.

Make contacts while you are there, speak to expatriates of your own country as they may be able to give you some tips on finding work. Contact your national embassy and explain what you are trying to do, try to establish contact with local trade organisations. Take a copy of the local business telephone directory so you can continue your cold calling when you are back home.

Work for an expatriate owned foreign company

In this case language barriers will not be such a problem. It is possible that you may, within your networks have contacts within these types of firms who can help set you up.

Work in an industry that offers lots of scope for travel

One of the safest options is to find work in your home country within an industry that offers lots of opportunities to travel. The Armed forces, Diplomatic corp., Leisure and Tourism will all potentially lead to placements abroad. If you have language skills and show a particular desire to work overseas then you will be given preference.

Visas and immigration laws

To work for an extended period in a country of which you are a non resident you usually require a work visa. This can prove to be difficult in some countries and you may only be granted access if you already have a job waiting for you, or if you have specific skills that that country is looking for. To get a visa contact the embassy of the country you want to move to within your own country. If there is not an embassy write to your foreign office for advice.

Check the employment figures of the country you hope to move to as they can provide an indication as to how easy it will be to get a work permit. The USA, New Zealand, Australia and Canada all have fairly elaborate immigration rules.

Tailoring your CV to different countries

Employers in different countries essentially all look for the same qualities in their applicants, however a country may have their own unique conventions when it comes to CV writing. Generally though make sure your CV and covering letter are clear enough for a national in your targeted country to understand who you are and what you want. Your must show that you have an understanding of the country and industry sector within that country so that people feel that you can contribute immediately.

Working in Europe

Since 1992 nationals of one EU Market State have had the right to live, work and study in any other Member State. This right has now been extended to include the EEA (European Economic Area) countries.

Freedom of movement inside the EU means that you have exactly the same rights as a national of the State in which you have chosen to work. You are entitled to the same rates of pay, the same health and social services and the same rights to benefit when you are ill and unemployed. However some of these benefits are only available after tax and Social security contributions have been made in the relevant country.

Residence regulations

If you hold a valid passport/identity card from any EU or EEA member state you can enter another member state for a period of up to three months (six months in the case of the uk), then you need to obtain a Residence permit. In order to do this you must be able to prove that you will not have ‘recourse to the funds’ of the Host State. In practice this means that you will be able to prove that you will not claim state benefit and are able to support yourself either by having a student grant, employment, or access to funds.

If you cannot prove that you will not be dependent upon state funds then you will definitely have trouble getting a residence permit.

Volunteer work

There are many voluntary organisations such as VSO, the Red Cross and Oxfam that would love to hear from you if you want to work as an aid worker in a disadvantaged country which may be poverty stricken, or ravaged by war. The chances are your work will not be paid and in fact you will probably have to pay your flight and cost of living out of your own pocket. The work will be physically and mentally draining, but you will be doing something thoroughly worthwhile. Your eyes will be opened to the reality that much of the world is not fortunate enough to be able to feed itself daily, let alone know what the ‘internet’ is!

Other volunteer opportunities are available with organisations such as Raleigh International who carry out worthwhile community infrastructure building projects in the third world and conservation organisations such as Operation Wallacea who operate in the pacific conserving reefs and endangered species. These expeditions usually last a couple of months, to take part there are selection procedures and you are required to raise sponsorship.

Organised work schemes abroad

Other organisations can do the leg work for you to locate work within a country. BUNAC (the British Universities North America Club) is a non-profit, non-political, student organisation with its own travel company. They can book and arrange all your flights, accommodation and work within the US and Canada, they offer support services and one of the best things is that there are lots of other like-minded people doing the same thing who you will be thrown together with.

If you are using an organisation of this type make sure you research their them thoroughly before you hand over any money. 

Teaching English as a foreign language is possible in many countries and you do not need formal teaching qualifications. Often you do require A-level English language or an official TEFL qualification.

Holiday work

There is lots of scope for finding seasonal work in foreign countries, you could be picking grapes in the south of France, shearing sheep on a ranch in Australia or instructing skiing in north America. This work is only for a short period, and you have to work hard for very little money, but if you are with a couple of friends and are not stuck out in the wilderness it can be lots of fun.

Studying abroad

It is possible to go to another country on a student exchange programme for a year of your degree, or to undertake your entire degree abroad. The Internet provides one of the best resources to find out about placements, so do your research.

In conclusion

Is working abroad a real option or unrealistic dream? The answer is an unequivocal yes, however relocating abroad can be very expensive depending on where you move to. People who move abroad do not generally come out financially better off than before they left their home country.

Finding work abroad can be a long process but one that is definitely worth pursuing, do not give up, when you have your job your experiences abroad will stay with you for the rest of your life.

Good luck!

CVs Aren’t Dead…Yet!

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Even though we are seeing a move towards CV-less recruiting in high-tech companies, companies in general are still not recruiting without CVs.

However, the idea that companies are just recruiting based on the contents of a 2 sided A4 piece of paper is no longer true. Most recruiters will also be reviewing the Linked-In profile, Facebook profile, Twitter account, Blog commentary (for certain roles), and mentions in the media before making a recruitment decision.

A CV is no longer the universal passport to an interview.

The traditional CV is not dead but is losing its sovereign status as the universal passport into interviews and employment.

While most employers still ask for a CV, (and applicants should still adhere to these requests) it has become one important document amongst many, and a reference point or hub linking to a candidate’s wider social media profile.

Are social media profiles more reliable than CVs?

Since LinkedIn profiles, (in particular), Twitter and Facebook are subject to much more public scrutiny, it makes it harder to embellish information on social media profiles than in a CV, thus giving weight to the argument that social media profiles are gaining in credibility as a tool to understand more about what a candidate is really like.

Social media profiles provide a (potentially) richer information source.

Potentially a social media profile is a far richer information source than a CV. which are very one dimensional. Recruiters in some industry sectors can already get much broader and deeper information about a candidates skills and behaviour by reviewing their social media profile.  This more ‘real-time’ review of a candidate is for some already informing hiring decisions, and while there is still real power in a well worded, employer specific covering letter (or video!) to show commitment to a job being applied for, the traditional CV as a standalone hiring tool is definitely on borrowed time!

Using Pinterest to Find a Job

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You might think of Pinterest as another way to kill time online when you should be doing something more important. Millions of early adopters put the 2-year-old social network on the map doing just that – sharing pictures of outfits, cool home interiors and exotic travel destinations.

Now that  11+ million people and companies are using it, though, Pinterest is emerging as an online tool that job seekers can use to market themselves and explore potential careers, industries and employers.

Pinterest lets you save photos or images from news stories, blog posts or other online content in the form of pins that are organized into folders called boards. You can follow other people and re-pin, comment or “Like” their pins. You also can link your Pinterest boards to your accounts on Facebook or Twitter.

Here’s how to use Pinterest for a job search:

1. Optimise your Pinterest profile.

Adjust account settings to allow your profile to appear in results of searches on Google and other search engines. Load your profile description with keywords that match the job you want. Include a recent photograph and links to your website or LinkedIn profile so potential employers can learn more about you.

2. Set up an online CV and portfolio.

Gather samples of your work onto one or more boards to use as an online CV. Don’t get cute with labels; call your CV board “CV Resume” or something similar so it’s easy to find. Pinterest is especially useful if you work in photography, architecture, interior design or other creative fields.

3. Dedicate a board to careers you’re interested in.

Use Pinterest to find information on jobs or careers. Use the search box – located in the upper left-hand corner of the site’s front page – to enter related words or phrases. Pin anything that comes up that you want to save for future reference.

4. Create boards for companies you’d like to know more about.

Pinterest can give you a glimpse into a company’s culture that you can’t get from reading their “About Us” page.

5. Follow experts.

Keep up with employment trends by following the university career centres, jobs websites, outplacement specialists and career coaches that have set up shop on Pinterest.

6. Leave comments.

Strike up a conversation with a career expert or someone who works in a field you’re interested in by commenting on one of their pins. As with any other type of online or real-world networking, you never know where it could lead.

7. Take a look around.

Do some browsing to see what’s out there. If you’re constantly coming back to the same area, or something keeps popping out at you, if might be worth exploring.

8. Protect your work.

If you’re sharing photography or other original work on your boards, use watermarks to protect individual images just as you would when displaying them on other websites.

9. Be professional.

If all you do on Pinterest is share pictures of puppies, think twice about sharing your Pinterest profile with potential employers. If you are using it for a job search, it is an impression of who you are, so when you’re creating your boards, make sure they line up with your professional appearance / values.

10. Watch out for spammers.

The bigger Pinterest grows, the more spammers it’s attracting. To prevent unwittingly passing along spam disguised as a normal pin, be sure to click through on images to see where they lead before re-pinning them. Don’t click on pins that look like ads or giveaways, which Pinterest doesn’t offer.

Good Luck!

50 Twitter #Tags for Jobseeker Success

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Given the state of the job market throughout the world it was only going to be a matter of time before Twitter would be flooded with both job seekers and employers. The way they find each other is through certain key hashtags, the best of which are laid out for you in our latest feature to help you in your quest for employment. Some of these will give you broad search results and take a while to sift through, but if you’re currently not in work — you probably have a little time on your hands.

To Find an Employer

These are the tags to plug into Twitter’s search engine to connect you with companies with openings.

1. #hiring: Here it is, your No. 1 word to find a hiring company is … hiring.
2. #tweetmyjobs: It’s a pretty clunky phrase, but #tweetmyjobs has been tagged nearly a million times, so include it in your search.
3. #HR: The folks handling the headhunting for the company will be from human resources, so go straight to the source.
4. #jobopening: Now we’re talking. This tag is almost exclusively used by people offering people work. Easy.
5. #jobposting: “Jobposting” is another efficient tag to search, only it’s used a bit less than #jobopening.
6. #employment: Often listed along with #jobs at the end of a tweet, #employment is a major keyword used by businesses in the market for talent.
7. #opportunity: There will be some quotes and other tweets that don’t help you, but there will be plenty of hookups to employment opportunities.
8. #recruiting: Search this hashtag to find not only employers that are hiring, but inside info on the recruiting techniques they’ll be using.
9. #rtjobs: Many Twitter users are there helping you out by retweeting job openings they come across.
10. #jobangels: The JobAngels are a volunteer group working to help unemployed people find jobs, and they have a strong presence on Twitter.
11. #jobsearch: Sometimes this will be the only hashtag a hiring company will use, so be sure to make it one of your search terms.
12. #joblisting: Attention! I’m a hiring employer and this is my way of telling you that I’ve got a job right here just waiting to be filled.

To Attract an Employer

Strut your stuff and get yourself out there with these hashtags to help employers find you.

13. #hireme: Don’t beat around the bush. #Hireme is short, sweet, and to the point.
14. #MBA: Have an MBA? Shout it out in a hashtag to direct employers to your top-shelf business acumen.
15. #linkedin: If you’re unemployed, you’re no doubt already networking away on LinkedIn, so let them know you have a viewable profile.
16. #profile: While you’re at it, go ahead and tag “profile” too, and couple it with #facebook, #linkedin, #monster, or any other place your details are posted on the internet.
17. #unemployed: It’s what you are, so own it and let employers know you are totally available for engagement.
18. #resume: If you’re tweeting about your resume posted online, be sure to hashtag it.
19. #CV: Curriculum vitae is basically a more fleshed-out résumé, but #resume is nearly twice as popular. Use both to be safe.
20. #needajob: Thousands of the unemployed have tacked this phrase onto the end of their tweets in the hopes an employer will stumble across it in a search.

To Educate Yourself

These tags may not directly land you a job, but they will enlighten you on the latest trends in finding, keeping, and enjoying a job.

21. #jobtips: By far the best search phrase in this category, it will load you up with more good job advice than you could ever read.
22. #career: At half a million tags, searching #career will score you some job listings and tons of helpful guidance for your professional life.
23. #interview: Hiring companies don’t use this word as much, but “interview” and “interviews” are still helpful because they turn up a wealth of advice from fellow tweeters on making your best possible first impression.
24. #benefits: Knowing what to expect in the way of benefits is a good weapon to have heading into an interview.
25. #personalbranding: Do a search for this hashtag to find ideas and tips on selling yourself in the job market.
26. #compensation: If you know the going rate for whatever you do, you are much less likely to be taken advantage of.
27. #training: Searching for “training” is a good way to find great, free job training resources.
28. #jobhunt: A search for this tag brings up mainly advice on job searching, but there will be a healthy smattering of job postings, too.
29. #unemployment: This tag has been used more than 100,000 times by users tweeting about unemployment news, ways to combat unemployment, and jobs to pull you out of unemployment.
30. #employers: They may not be tweeting about themselves, but plenty of employees and commentators are tweeting news and reviews of employers and their practices.
31. #jobless: Curious about what’s going on with others in your predicament? Search for this commonly-used tag and find out.
32. #laidoff: It’s the same idea as #jobless, except it has more of a sad connotation. If you want to commiserate with some other people about searching for that elusive job, this is the tag to search.
To Find a Certain Type of Job
If you don’t want just any old job, try searching these hashtags for that special placement you have in mind.
33. #freelance: This is a hugely popular tag used by job hunters who want to leave the option of part-time, freelance work open.
34. #homebusiness: If you’re eyeing a job being self-employed, try searching this term for entrepreneurship ideas and tips.
35. #greenjobs: Here’s one for the truly unselfish people who put the environment before employment.
36. #dreamjob: If you aren’t sure what you want to do with your life, search this tag and get some ideas of what other people would do if they had their druthers.
37. #hotjobs: Hot jobs call for a hot hashtag.
38. #consulting: Another in the potentially temporary job category, #consulting is a nice tag to widen your net and earn some income.
39. #consultant: It might seem silly to use two tags that say virtually the same thing, but those three letters might make the difference in connecting you with your new employer.
Hottest Tags by Field
If you work in one of these industries, you are in a trending field, which could be good (lots of job listings) or bad (lots of competition).
40. #SEO: “SEO” is another one that has been tagged millions of times by job seekers and tweeters discussing search engine optimization.
41. #webdesign: Clocking in at nearly a million uses all-time, #webdesign is another hot topic on Twitter.
42. #accounting: If you’re an accountant, you are in luck, as job listings in your field pop up regularly on Twitter.
43. #telecom: Telecommunications is another field with a strong showing on Twitter; it’s been used in hashtags more than 81,000 times.
44. #legal: We live in a litigious society, and the need for paralegals and other non-lawyers is increasing. It’s a great career to consider because paralegal certification can be obtained relatively quickly.
45. #lawyer: The number of lawyers in America has surged in the last 10 years, which explains why this tag is such a popular one in the Twitterverse.
46. #industry: Pair this with another tag like #music or #hotel and you’ll find listings and info on your area of expertise.
47. #salesjobs: You don’t have to pound the pavement looking for a sales job; just do a search for this popular tag on Twitter.

To Search When You Have a Couple Hours

You’ll need to free up your morning to adequately search through these tags.

48. #jobs: You’ve probably been wondering when this word would come up. The tag’s been used all of 14 million times all-time, for everything from political discussion to job listings. Your best bet is to search it with another tag from this list.
49. #job: Although it has registered only half the uses as #jobs (7 million), the singular version calls up more listings and won’t take you as long to sort through.
50. #design: Because it’s a generic word, #design has been hashtagged a healthy 2 million times, so if you work in design be sure to supplement tweets with at least one other tag.

Good luck!

Create Your Own Job to Get Hired!

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Some people have had success by creating an idea for a new job at a company where they want to work and then pitching the company on why they need to hire them for the position.  Think about it from the perspective of a Sales Person.  A Sales Person has to pitch a product that a company may not know they need.  If you have a unique skillset or talent that the company doesn’t have (or have enough of) and could benefit from, create a sales pitch on why they need to hire you.  It’s a proactive way to find a job.  Here are some of the things that we would do if creating a job at a company that didn’t know they needed to hire!

Describe their need for the job with a short 3 to 5 sentence statement.

One of the hardest things to do is get your foot in the door.  By creating a way to explain the need and gain the person’s interest, you’ll be one step closer. Think of yourself as an outside vendor offering a service.  Create a short sentence that summarises what you do and the benefits of hiring you.  You need to be able to say this as well within a one- or two-minute quick pitch.  Make sure to throw in a couple of metrics about the benefits of working with you and why they need you.  Then convince them to set up an appointment to meet with you.  (This doesn’t have to go through HR.  If you are pitching for a position in Marketing, pitch the head of Marketing; if they want you, they will do the internal leg work needed to see you).

Find some metrics to measure your performance and create a timeline with goals and milestones.

One thing that will help make the case that the company needs to hire you is showing how long it will take for you to make an impact within their company and how they can measure your performance.  You’ll want to have these items in mind and use numbers and deadlines that are achievable and understandable to everyone who you will be pitching.  By giving them an outline of how you can help, you may not get hired as a full time employee, but you might end up getting a contract to start. You can pitch coming on board full time as an employee later on when you have proven yourself.

Identify the person you need to pitch your services to.

You have to remember that the company may not have realised that they need someone like you.  Because of this, the head of the department may not be the right person to pitch.  It could be a director or a manager.  Identify the decision maker in the department and find their contact information.  You can do that by looking on LinkedIn, the company website, searching through other social media channels like Twitter or even just calling the receptionist and asking for the person who is in charge of the department or project you would be working on.

The job market can be rough and sometimes you need to take your job search to the next level.  Creating your own job at a company where you want to work and pitching yourself as a contractor for that role could become a temp-to-hire contract when you prove yourself.  Just remember to get through your pitch quickly and succinctly to get in the door.  Find the metrics that can measure your performance and value to the company.  Locate the person you are going to pitch and contact them to set up the appointment, then practice your pitch so you can go in and land the job.   Sometimes creating your own interview is the best way to get a job at a specific company you really want to work for.

Good luck

Taking the Leap into Full-Time Freelancing

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Are you a freelancer “stuck” in a full-time day job? Or an out of work professional considering a move into freelancing? If so, you’re not alone.

Thousands of aspiring freelancers are in the same spot and with the Internet such a huge marketplace for everyone these days, there is, in particular, an ever-increasing army of people across the professions of IT, SEO, Marketing and Writing who want to make the leap to freelancing full-time.

For many though, becoming a freelancer is a double-edged sword as on the one hand they need time to promote their services and to work on client projects, but on the other they need an income to support themselves and their families. Which means they need that day job.

So how are you supposed to break this cycle and enter in to the world of freelancing, fulltime? Here are some of the core basics that everyone considering freelancing should think about.

Become a venture capitalist!

The biggest challenge most of us face when trying to make this type of transition, is how to combat the loss of income. If you currently have a job, quitting it to start a freelance business would mean going several months without a paycheck. And even if some freelance work came in, it is unlikely in the early days that it would be enough to cover the living expenses for most of us.

So we need a way to replace that income safely. And until your freelance business can do that on its own, you need some sort of funding. You need start-up capital that can help you cover your living expenses during the leaner months and allow you to sleep well at night.

Essentially, you need venture capital. Don’t worry, though – you’re not going to approach venture capitalists about investing in your business. Instead, you’re going to raise that capital yourself. And you’re going to do that by working your freelance business part-time – in addition to a current job or a stop-over job if you’re currently out work, and saving all your net profits.

Once you have enough capital stashed away to comfortably “fund” your business for a defined period of time, you’ll be in a position to begin freelancing full-time.

This is the best, safest and most reliable way to make the transition. It’s not theory or wishful thinking! Now on to the specifics of the plan…

Set and track key milestones

In order for a transition plan to work, you’re going to need to set some key goals and milestones. These are critical, as they’ll guide your day-to-day decisions and help you determine how you’re tracking and what adjustments you may need to make as you move forward.

Start Date – The first thing you need to do is spend some time thinking about when you want to be fully self-employed – the actual date you want to go solo. This is important, because most of your other milestones and day-to-day activities will flow from this one milestone.

You want this date to be somewhat aggressive, but not so much so that it’s completely unrealistic and will set you up for failure. At the same time, it should get you excited and motivated. So choose a date that’s somewhere between thrilling and realistic.

Savings Reserve – Next, you have to determine how much start-up capital you’re going to need to make up for any income shortfalls during your first year. This is your safety net, and it will become the reserve account you draw from when you hit those lean months or when you have unexpected expenses.

How much you put away is obviously up to you. It should be based on your current resources, other sources of income (e.g., your spouse’s job), your financial obligations and how much makes you feel comfortable. The greater your financial obligations, the higher the number. The more your family depends on your income, the more you’ll need.

Many financial experts recommend that families keep savings of at least six months’ living expenses. If you’re the sole breadwinner and this is going to be your full-time business, then eight to 12 months’ worth of living expenses may not be a bad idea.

That may sound like an impossible goal for you right now. But don’t get discouraged. Find a level you’re comfortable with. And remember: most of this amount will be funded by your part-time freelance earnings.

Your first project. This is the date by which you want to land your first paid project (if you haven’t landed one already). This is important because that first paid project is the best thing you can get for your self-confidence.

What’s a realistic time frame for landing a first project? That obviously depends on the intensity of your promotional efforts, your ability to leverage current contacts into clients, your profession, your chosen market niche (if any) and other important factors.

Here again (and with all these milestones), pick targets that will stretch you a bit and get you excited. Don’t be too conservative, but don’t be completely unrealistic, either.

Initial monthly income. This is the monthly income you want to start consistently earning as you work your business part-time (assuming that’s what you do during transition). You want to set a date by which that part-time income will be somewhat steady and predictable. When you reach this milestone, you’ll know that you probably have a viable business.

Trigger monthly income. This is the income that, when you start consistently earning it, it will “tell” you that you’re ready to make the leap. This is probably one of the most important and helpful milestones to set.

Before going solo, if you were earning say $7,000 a month in a day job, but had little spare time to work on your freelance business (like most of us in this situation), your part-time income potential would be capped.

But then the question becomes, “OK, if all I can manage to earn is, say, $2,000 a month from my part-time freelance business…how will I know that this would turn into a much bigger number if I were freelancing full-time?”

In other words, if your goal is to earn $7,000 a month as a full-time freelancer, what part-time income figure would turn into that number if I could work my freelance business full-time?

There’s no straightforward answer. It really depends on your profession and how much time you can afford to put into your part-time business. Try and set a “trigger” point – in other words, when you consistently start bringing in X amount everyone month, you can be confident that the equivalent full-time effort would give you you’re target monthly income, in the above case, $7,000 or more a month.

Number of clients. Specifically, you should determine the number of clients you want to have and the dates by which you want to have them. This is not as important as the income milestones discussed, but it’s still a good indicator of readiness.

For example, you may set an early stage goal such as winning two clients who you work with regularly and a longer-term goal of four to five clients before transitioning over to full-time freelancing.

What if you don’t reach every milestone?

Use your savings goal as your guide. If you’ve met or surpassed your savings goal but your trigger monthly income is not as steady as you’d like it to be, that may be OK. Ask yourself: “If I could do this on a full-time basis and therefore have more time to take on more projects and promote my business, how much more could I earn? Would that be a good starting point, even if it’s not my long-term income goal?”

Tracking it all

Now that you’ve set your goals and identified all your key milestones, it’s time to map it all out. That means putting it in writing and in a visual format you can easily track.

Putting your milestones in an easily to read chart or table will help you see where you are now and what your journey will look like. It’s a good thing to print out and review every couple of weeks to make sure you’re on track. Plus, when you first run through this exercise, seeing your targets visually may also help you determine whether your goals are realistic or too conservative.

Safest and smartest

Freelancing full-time is not an easy path to tread, but is one that can lead to much greater levels of success than working a ‘day job!’.  There are lots of pitfalls and risks though, so taking a similar approach as outlined above will give you a safer and smarter path to turning your dream in to reality.

Good luck

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