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I love Twitter! I truly wish I had more time to “tweet” but it’s difficult. Yes, there are tools that allow you to schedule tweets but I’m kind of old school and like to “tweet by the seat of my pants”. Twitter is a fabulous web tool for networking and expanding your contacts base.

Job searchers can use Twitter to learn about new opportunities and get the word out about their interest in a new opportunity and their background. Here are a few Twitter tips that I’ve compiled, some may work for you some may not but there’s tons of opportunities to use Twitter to your advantage.

We’ve all heard about “branding”. Companies have a team of marketing folks that focus their energy on the brand and how that brand represents their company. Do the same for yourself.

Make sure your online brand is focused, clean and effective.

• Use your real name.  No need to use your full name but your real name.  And don’t create a Twitter identity that leaves folks questioning whether or not you are a real person.
• Create an easy to remember Twitter name.  Just like a bad email address if it’s too silly or offensive employers will not take you seriously.
• Add a link to your website or blog to your Twitter profile. This could feature some of your past work, creative efforts and a portfolio.
• Do not post inappropriately.
• Avoid spamming your followers.  It’s all about content, tweeting every 5 minutes just to tweet will make others want to “un-follow” you.
• I love this one and read it somewhere but can’t for the life of me find the source.  “Tween, then follow.”  Don’t just follow people just because. Have something to say before you start following.  I really try to reciprocate “following” but if a follower doesn’t have much to say than it’s not worth my time.
• Twitter allows you to network with so much more than those in your circle of friends.  Facebook is the place for that. Search for people with similar interests and people in your industry or locale.
• Remember to stay involved so that your Followers don’t forget about you.
• Follow people back; you don’t have to follow everyone who follows you but you should try to follow those that are interesting and who offer information that could help in your job search.
• Pay it forward!  Tweet about other people’s blog posts and links.  This will help catch the attention of new readers that you might not have considered before.
• Promote your site or blog. Don’t be afraid to promote yourself but remember that it’s about quality not quantity.
• Include those you truly follow in a conversation by using @ and then their Twitter name.
• This one is very new to me but I’ve seen lots of folks talk about these.  Suggest a Twitter happy hour or meet up (Tweetup) to meet your local Twitter friends and extend your networking opportunities.
• Use Twitter appropriately to find jobs and contacts.
• Try your hardest to use correct grammar and spelling.
• You only have 140 characters make sure you use the right ones.
• Sense of urgency is important when it comes to replies.  Reply to friends who message you directly or retweet something you have posted. It’s all about courtesy in the Twitter arena.
• Don’t get too casual: Twitter is meant to be an informal way to spread information, but like e-mail it’s becoming a popular way to connect.
• Avoid profanity!  This may offend others and makes you look UNPROFESSIONAL.

Finding the best job that suits your personality and your lifestyle is never easy.  To better understand your needs and increase your chance of finding the best job for you, you need to conduct a personal evaluation.

Is this the career you want?   Is there room for growth?  Are the salary and benefits good?

You can’t really evaluate a position unless you do the research.  From a recent survey in the U.S., graduate degree holders earn an average of 35 to 50 percent more than just bachelor’s degree holders. This is a reason why more and more are going on to complete  their Masters degree.

Know what you want

Knowing what kind of personality you have and your interests gives you a better idea of how you would like to spend your day on a job.  The activities you’d like to get involved in plays a major factor in keeping you motivated.  You could make a list of the kinds of people you would like to be working with. Say, people who like being told what to do or authoritative types; how about loud people or quiet types; and would you like a place where people love socializing or not? There are different sizes of companies as well, there are small, medium, large, overseas, local, and regional.

The Internet is a valuable tool that assists online job seekers in looking for a job they could fit in. Trim down the choices depending on your needs and wants to gain more choices companies and opportunities.

Your major strengths and weaknesses will help indicate how well you will perform in the work you have chosen. Your progress dictates your maturity and enthusiasm at work. Finding the best job for you should be very important. It requires time and passion to get positive results. No matter what you choose, it should always be a place where you can identify yourself and remain happy.

Remember you have to get up every day and go to work, you might as well enjoy the work, company and the culture of the company.  It’s sometimes hard to identify and find all three that may work for you but in order to create a long term and beneficial relationship figure out what you are looking for by asking yourself the right questions as mentioned earlier in this post.

I understand the current economic situation in the world is tough.  It’s getting more and more difficult to find a job.  Many of the candidates I talk to lately are frustrated beyond belief and I feel bad that I can’t help them.  Even my significant other who has been unemployed for quite a while and it seems the longer he’s out of work the more stressed he has become.  It makes for a tense home life.

It’s extremely impossible to predict if there will be an end insight with more and more people losing their jobs and joining the unemployment line.  Finances are tight for those that are expected to take furloughs as well.

So, what do we do if the loss of the job happens to us? Some are taking action and asking for help from friends, relatives, acquaintances, etc.  Some are getting up off the ground, dusting themselves off and learning that there are opportunities in a situation like this.   Here’s a few ideas that could lead to wealth and freedom.

1. Direct Selling- Start your own business selling products made by other companies. Some examples: Tupperware, AVON, Scentsy Candles, Partylite.  These types have companies have allowed many folks to start their own businesses with very little investment.  They allow flexibility, freedom and the power to build their business however they want.
2. Blogging- This is very new to me but this little blog has already made me a little bit of money.  How?  Affiliate marketing and Google ad-sense.  It hasn’t allowed me to quit my day job yet but it’s paid for itself (hosting, domain, etc.)
3. Social Networking- Yes you can earn money by networking online by using Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn.  There are many companies out there paying people like me to “tweet” or “post” about their products and services.  Again I’ve only made a little bit here but it’s still something.  I truly think that if someone can devote more time they could make a pretty good living.
4. Start a business- quite a few folks effected by lay offs have made a living out of doing things they love.  Some examples, dog walking, day care, running errands for others, virtual assistants, free lance writers, jewelry making, and lots of other great businesses.  These cost very little to start and you have control over how things get done.

Remember even if you have lost your job do not let it get you down, try to think of some things that you can do to stay busy and possibly earn you some cash.   Pleasant events are usually followed by something positive, and it may be just the stimulus to change your life for the better.

With the number of job boards available to job seekers why would you pay for a site that claims to offer “exclusivity”?

I was conducting a little bit of research on some sites that offer resume reviews; The Ladders popped up several times.  So I decided to research their site.  The Ladders site claims that you will secure a $100k job by utilizing their site.  I’m telling you now, you should beware of The Ladders.   The site states that they will screen every job and every Recruiter to make sure it’s a legit posting.  (Really?  I haven’t received a call from them yet and  I have hired a few folks making over that.)  So the site says in order to enjoy their benefits you must sign up and select a membership package.  Here they are:

BASIC MEMBERSHIP (Free)
Search for $100K+ jobs to see what’s available in your field.

So for the “free” membership you get to see what’s available.  Really you just get to see it?  Do you get to apply to these positions?  Looks like that is a no unless you are a paying member.

PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP ($35 for 1 month, $75 for 3 months)
Apply to over 58,307 hand-screened $100K+ jobs and receive a complimentary resume critique.

The “premium” membership states that you get to apply to 58,307 hand-screened $100K + jobs and you get a resume critique.  This is what I found when I did a search on The Ladders Scam regarding their resume critique:

This is from a post from JibberJobber- “Here’s the situation: You send a resume to The Ladders for their free critique.  Then you get back a letter telling you what all the problems with your resume is, and for a fee they will get you a new one.  Last I remember the fee is around $700.  Remember, we are usually talking about resumes for executives.

The biggest red flag I’ve read is that the critiques are form letters.  They will even critique their own, The Ladders generated, resumes!  It’s a simple process that a salesperson goes through to make a sale, not a real resume critique that a professional resume writer would give.

In other words, it seems they hardly even look at the resume… they just get you back a scary letter saying how bad your resume sucks, and that they can make it shine like new.  Scare tactics.  I’m sure it’s done well for them.”

JibberJobber even shares a copy of the form letters that were received for the resume review and honestly it’s sounds a little scary and intimidating.  If I were a job seeker, possibly unemployed or have been searching for quite a while possibly feeling a bit overwhelmed and stressed this would just make me feel worse.

Nick Corcodilos (love his name) from Ask The Headhunter has written several posts on The Ladders scam, he truly believes the whole system is a scam; I agree.

It seems that The Ladders hasn’t been honest about their actual postings too.  This article again by Ask the Headhunter discusses how they “qualify” positions and candidates.

I believe that if you are seeking a new position whether it’s $100K or not, it’s wise to steer clear from The Ladders.  Keep your money and utilize traditional job boards even if they are not my favorite or best return when it comes to posting positions.  As far as resume review go, there are very many credible sites out there to assist with resume review or resume writing for fractions of the cost of the Ladders membership. And really you should go with a certified resume writing professional if you are going to invest any money on a professional resume.

The whole site seems like a fraud, and honestly sites like this should be shut down.

Although this article is a few years old is a great addition to your job search tool box.  Digeratilife lists all the things you need to do to get your job search rolling.

Got laid off?  What to do when you lose your job?

No one wants to end up the victim of a lay off but being prepared will allow you to search for a new position with less stress and have a game plan that will work for you.

Remember it’s important to stay positive and not play the victim.  Maintain your power to succeed by choosing not to believe you are a victim! Things will work out, they always do.  In times like this it’s easy to get down.  Don’t!  You will have a better experience in your job search if you have a positive attitude and it will show in your communications whether it be by email, phone or in person.

Good luck and keep the positivity flowing!

Think of job searching like dating.  Just like when a person is dating  they can look desperate so can an applicant.  Desperation isn’t an attractive trait in anyone.   If you’ve ever witnessed desperation in a relationship, you know how unappealing it can be to see someone willing to settle for something. Anything. It makes you wonder just how much that person values himself or herself.

A job search isn’t as critical but it can result in someone being desperate especially with the unemployment rate the way that it is right now.  If you don’t have a job, you don’t have money to pay the bills. I remember my younger Brother telling me about his past relationships and saying  “I had to end it she was just too needy and seemed desperate.”   Even in the state of economy we are currently in you may be feeling as though you’ll take any job that comes your way, don’t let employers know that. You might be desperate for a job, but you don’t have to act like you are.

I understand when someone has been searching for a very long time and they have been out of work for a while and need to pay bills.   But to take any job is detrimental to your career.  Telling an employer or recruiter that you are willing to do anything to get your foot in the door is career suicide.  This is often a turn off, don’t do it.

Don’t make it seem like money doesn’t matter. It’s one thing to say your salary is negotiable, but saying you just want to get your foot in the door is an act of desperation, don’t do it.

Bugging the Recruiter or Hiring Manager.

I hate to admit this but I dated a guy who I ended up blowing off, because he was completely and utterly desperate.  When we ran into each other a few months later he asked “Why haven’t you called me back?” To me this was just another reason I was glad that we were no longer dating.  It’s the same thing if an applicant calls me constantly.  Remember that the hiring process is in most cases not speedy.  It’s not that we have forgotten about you or don’t care, it’s that our process sometimes takes a while.  Calling several times doesn’t show you are taking initiative or determined.  It makes you look annoying .

Even if you are desperate for a job, remember these tips because they’re important to every job search.

Quite a few of my friends often say that I am one of the lucky ones.  Why?  Because I have a job that I get to go to every morning.  It seems that at least one or two of my peers or colleagues has been laid off or let go for one reason or another.

Let’s say you are one of the lucky ones but you are needing a change.  Is it time to start shopping for a job?  Should you job for a job at work?

Not a smart move

Looking for a job while at your current gig is a bad move. But it happens a lot, and employers know it.

Always keep in mind that your work computer is 100% the property of the company you work for.  If your company provides a laptop or computer for you to work at home, remember that your company is probably already spying on you and will find out if you are shopping online much less looking for a job.  You’re supposed to be getting paid to work for them, not look for a new job.

Even if you hear a rumor in the break room about a possible lay off, don’t get caught shopping for a job.  It will send the message that you wish to leave your current employer and if there is a lay off planned guess you might end up on that list.

It’s one thing if you have already received notice that you are being laid off and your employer is going to assist with outplacement but in most cases even on a notification like this it’s still your job to produce until the end.

Think of the situation like this.  You own a company and have several employees you find out that one is shopping online when really they should have been working producing sales or a product to meet your customers needs.  In essence, they are stealing from the company.  They are stealing time.

What if you are utterly and completely miserable in your current position?  You can think of it two ways.  It’s almost like a relationship.  You can stick with it and hope it’s going to change or you can move on.  Thinking back several years I was miserable, the position I held was not challenging, motivating or exciting.  It was time for me to get out.  But I remained professional, I did my searching on my time and ended up finding a great job.  It’s safe to say that there are folks that haven’t been so smart but have gotten away with it anyway.

My advice?  Don’t do it.

You are obligated to fulfill the responsibilities assigned to you until you’re fired, decide to quit or are laid off.  Whether you’re spending time job searching, shopping or updating your Facebook profile, you’re using company time and property on personal stuff — that’s unethical and the risk is not worth the reward.

When beginning a job search it’s easy to forget that you have a plethora of skills.  I’m not talking about the skills you put on paper.  I’m talking about the skills that will get you noticed.

You might list on your resume that you are an expert in database management, successful relationship and partnership builder, etc.  But what about those things that are hard to detail on paper?

I’m talking about soft skills.  Soft skills are really about your personality and how you communicate.  If you are applying for a sales position it’s important to be able to “engage” the customer and build rapport.  If you are interested in Recruiting it would be helpful to showcase your friendly personality along with focusing attention on your networking skills.  Just being able to use a networking tool like Twitter or Facebook does not mean you are a networking expert. I don’t think you’re a social media or recruiting expert just because you have over 1,000 followers on Twitter or have Friended hundreds on Facebook. It’s what you do with those networks and relationships and how you foster strong relationships to get what you need.

Read a little more from a few other online authors on marketing your soft skills here:
Reciprocity

Catherine Twiss- wrote an excellent article about soft skills and the job search on linkme.

In July, Miranda Marquit wrote about “Increasing the Chances of Finding a Job in this Recession by Focusing on Soft Skills”

I love to blog. Seriously. I used to think things like blogging meant you were a geek. Not anymore. There are so many great bloggers out there. I’m talking people who have made it big by blogging. I’m not looking to quit my day job and get into blogging full time but to me, blogging is a way to share my voice, my thoughts, my words. I am definitely not a grammar maven but I feel like my posts are me.

Darren Rowse, the Problogger has been advertising blogging jobs on his blog. He even tweets them. Keep in mind that applying for a position like blogging is the same as applying for any job. Your job is to sell yourself.

Drive more traffic to your online store using performance based marketing.

I know that it can be frustrating searching for a job and it’s hard to understand why you have done everything you are supposed to.  You updated your resume, you have applied for many jobs and continue to do so every day, you have gotten hip to social networking, and you network as often as you can.  So why are you still unemployed?  It’s easy to think it’s the employers and it possibly could be, but what if it’s you?

I review resumes and conduct interviews every day and most often I rarely meet the perfect candidates.  I wish that I could explain to candidates why they aren’t getting hired but I can’t.  I can share with you what I see every day and maybe it can help you.

Here are a few reasons that I myself have passed on applicants; think about your job search and if you are guilty of any of these.

1. I’ve said this before- DO NOT LIE!
Any lies no matter how big or small that you tell on your résumé or in an interview, will come back to haunt you.  Everything you tell an employer can be discovered , so be smart and be honest from the beginning.  If you’re concerned about something in your past, lying about it is not going to help you.

2. You have a potty mouth
It’s certainly tempting to tell anyone who will listen how big of a (insert expletive here) your current or previous boss is, but a hiring manager is not that person. Talking negatively about current or previous employers is one of the biggest mistakes a candidate can make. Instead find a way to turn those negative things job into positives. If you can’t get along with your co-workers, for example, tell the prospective employer that you’re looking for a work environment where you feel like you’re part of a team and your current position doesn’t allow for that kind of atmosphere. Keep in mind that if like to work independently and you are interested in a position that requires team participation and collaboration, consider that this position might not be right for you.

3. You are not in for the long haul
Employers want people in their organization to be dedicated, commited and there for the long run.  It’s best to show that you want to and can grow with the company. I had an applicant answer this question like this.  “Where do you see yourself in five years?  I hope to get my foot in the door and then hopefully move into a marketing or creative position.”  She was interviewing for an Accounts Receivable position.  The Hiring Manager and team were completely turned off and as you guessed it, the candidate was declined.  I cringe when I hear the words “I just want to get my foot in the door.”  Instead turn it around and ask the employer “what do you envision my career path would be?”

4. You have serious digital dirt
Social networking sites and online searches are the newest way that many employers are checking up on prospective hires. Remember to keep your online presence clean and professional.

5. You haven’t done your homework
I find it very irritating when a candidate comes to the interivew with no knowledge of the company or the position he/she is applying for.   Another pet peeve,  not asking questions.  It makes a candidate sound uninterested.  Do your homework before an interview. Explore the company online, prepare answers to questions and have someone give you a mock interview.  Prepare questions for your interviewer as well.  The more prepared you are, the more employers will take you seriously.

6. You were a little too personal
Hiring Managers don’t need to know about your activities out of work or the church you attend, and definitely don’t share your medical history or financial problems.  Not only does personal information offend some people, but anytime you talk about topics such as your hobbies, race, age or religion, you’re setting yourself up for bias. Though it’s illegal for employers to discriminate against applicants because of any of these factors, some will do so, regardless.

8. You were more interested in the $$$
As a general rule of thumb, you should never bring up salary before the employer does. Doing so is tacky and makes the employer think that you care about the money involved, not about helping the employer succeed. If the topic does arise, however, be honest about your salary history. Employers can verify your salary in a matter of minutes these days, so lying only makes you look bad.

9. You didn’t give examples
Hiring managers want people who can prove that they will increase the organization’s revenues, decrease its costs or help it succeed in some way. It’s important to demonstrate to an employer that you are going to help the company. Always have examples and share the specific results of that situation to allow an employer to see that you truly have abilities and skills that will be a benefit to them.

10. You don’t have enough experience
I seriously wonder if candidates read job postings and descriptions fully.  As a Recruiter I realize that our managers don’t have as much time as they used to to train and mentor new employees. So, the more experience you have, the more likely you are to hit the ground running without a lot of hand-holding.  The best way to show that you know what you’re doing is to give the employer concrete examples of your experience and how it relates to the position.

I do understand how hard it is to find a job these days but remember that it’s up to you to present the best of your skills and abilities so that you can show that employer you are the right person for the job.