This is a guest post from Ross Simmonds, Digital Marketer and Speaker.After developing a name for himself online, Ross was able to land his current job using nothing but social media and a dash of ambition & hustle.

Allow me to state the obvious. Getting a job in today’s market isn’t easy. It’s even more difficult for young graduates and people looking to join the corporate world without any prior experience. Everyday people all over the country are submitting their resumes into job banks hoping and praying that they will get a response. It’s tough out there. That is, it’s tough if you’re not using social media. It’s tough if you’re not willing to put in the hours required to land the job of your dreams.

You see, the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again and expect different results. Many people are using the same resume, submitting it to the same job bank and expecting different results. Simply put, it’s insanity! I recently met with a guy who had submitted more than 200 resumes in the past six months and informed me that he only had four interviews. Well I’m here to tell you, there is a better way.

There are many jobseekers out there using the traditional job search methods and as a result they are finding little to no success. Yet, social media is making it easier to find the right jobs, and the right people who can help you get them. More and more companies are going to websites like LinkedIn, Google, and Facebook (Use Timeline to your advantage) to find their next wave of corporate talent. If you are on the job hunt these are some of the places you need to be.

Here are a few tips that can give you a social media advantage:

First, figure out what industry you’re looking to break into and how you can do it. Are you looking to get into Politics? If so, you’re going to be interested in finding any politicians on social media and follow them on Twitter or connect with them on LinkedIn. If you’re looking to break into the corporate world of management and business, LinkedIn is a great way to search various organizations to identify key decision-makers who can help open the door to your new career.

From there track down these key people on Twitter or LinkedIn and offer an innocent and polite introduction to yourself – While your at it, ask them something that will allow them to share their knowledge upon you. The fact that you’re engaging with them on a deeper level than simply asking for a job will help you develop an authentic relationship. By doing this, you may have started what could be a long-term professional relationship. This is a great approach for any young person looking to find a mentor in a specific industry.

This advice has helped get many of my friends and colleagues where they are today – believe it or not. Social media gives us an opportunity to connect and most importantly increase our visibility to a group we would only meet at a white-tie event. That said, once you have identified people who are doing what you want to do or are in the businesses you want to work for don’t harass them. Keep an eye on what they are doing and focus on developing an authentic relationship with them one day (or tweet) at a time.

When someone Googles your name what is the first thing to show up? Is it a random person in a random country? Is it a humiliating image of you on Facebook? Or is it simply a list of random links with no personal relevance? None of these are the best answers. The best answer is one that ensures that when someone searches you on Google, they find exactly what you want them to find. More and more are recruiters doing background checks by searching our names online (usually on Facebook). If you’re able to control your image effectively online you will find it easier to control your fate in the job hunt.

That final piece about taking charge and managing your professional image is an important one. If you’re looking to break into a professional field, you’re going to want to present yourself on social media in a professional manner. That’s right, you need to recognize that school is over and it’s time to start building and developing a personal brand that you can be proud of. Yes, that means having a head shot on LinkedIn and not a picture of you and your friends’ on a beach or doing shots before a big night on the town!

Remember, setting up a LinkedIn account and connecting with key individuals will not guarantee you a job. To do that, you are going to have to put in the time and understand the art of the hustle. Although digital channels have changed everything, the power of meeting someone face to face is still a necessity. Thus, I encourage you to take your professional conversations from being behind the screen of a laptop to being face to face in a coffee shop or even their office. Trust me, there’s nothing better than being able to put a face to the pixels.

Have you landed your current job using nothing but social media? What did you do to stand out from the crowd? I’d love to hear some of your stories or tips in the comments!

Jessica Lee is director of digital talent strategy at Marriott International where she leads their talent related digital and social media efforts… which means she blogs, tweets and plays on Facebook all day. Kind of. In what she’ll quickly tell you is her dream job, she’s working to differentiate and position Marriott to most effectively optimize innovative technologies to address the brand’s business needs in the talent space. Pretty cool what they’ve done already… and she’ll work to take it even further to the next level. Don’t be fooled by that fancy pants digital stuff though, she’s still an everyday HR gal in the trenches at the core. SPHR certified, a decade or so into trench HR life… she’s interviewed tens of thousands of job seekers over the years.

During the course of my time in HR, I have had the opportunity to interview tens of thousands of people. Actually – if I stop to do some casual math… it’s more like 90,000 people. Crazy, right? And it might be more. I’ve interviewed people for everything from internships to executive level roles. Then you add in all the informational meetings, conversations at job fairs and the inevitable oh-you’re-a-recruiter-can-you-talk-to-my-son chats I’ve had at picnics, BBQ’s, birthday parties, you name it. I’ve shaken many, many hands and looked at many, many more resumes.

So you’d think that nothing would faze me given all those interviews… but believe me – I’m always, ALWAYS surprised when people are ill-prepared for interviews. And it happens more frequently than you might believe. Let me tell you:

• No questions at all? I typically allot 10 to 15 minutes at the tail end of an interview just for you to ask me anything and everything. It’s important for me to leave you time to interview me. I also want to get a feel for your curiosity and thoughtfulness though. When you have no questions, it makes me wonder… did you do homework about the role or our company? Will you be able to ask questions and actively learn on the job? Always – always – have questions.
• Is this just a job to you? I’ve gotta confess… I already drink the Marriott Kool-Aid. And with past positions, it’s always been important for me to find a culture that I will love. I want that out of future colleagues too. So when a candidate can’t articulate why they want the position we’re specifically discussing or how it might fit into their long term goals… it raises a red flag for me. You want a job, we know that – but why this specific position? And why our company?
• Is that how you’ll present yourself to… guests? Beyond those interview faux pas – there still, STILL (!) is the all too common problem of candidates showing up to interviews projecting an image that isn’t helping their candidacy. At all. Skirts that are too short. T-shirts. Way too casual attire… including sneakers. Sneakers! Really. It’s not just what you say… but it’s your entire presentation that matters.

Everything counts in an interview. Everything. It’s not only the words that come out of your mouth – it’s your body language. Your appearance. It’s all a part of the packaging of… you. And what you uniquely offer to me. The words that come out of your mouth and your answers should really do all the talking for you in an interview – but sometimes, poor packaging will cause an interviewer to get distracted or wonder about your professional judgment so just don’t let that happen to you. Make sure the packaging says – I’m professional, I’m put-together, I’m reliable, I’m going to represent your brand, your company, your team really well if you hire me. And then let the words that come out of your mouth really nail those messages.

So put your best foot – and let us help you do that. Hop over to our Facebook page for jobs and careers at Marriott to learn how we’re literally helping job seekers to put their best foot forward. (Hint, hint… Zappos.com is part of the equation. Really!)

Guest Post from Mark Watson.  Mark Watson offers career advice at Jobs Today, the leading recruitment brand in many of the towns and cities across the UK, covering over 300 locations from as far north as the Western Isles of Scotland right down to the south coast of England. They are one of the leading and most trusted brands in online recruitment, offering advice and support on how you can enhance your career prospects. You can visit them now at www.jobstoday.co.uk

Call centre jobs can be ideal for anyone who needs flexibility in their working hours, or for people who may need to come and go from time to time, if they have other commitments. They can also be a starting point for people to try and move into superior or management roles.

The great thing about call centre jobs is that you don’t necessarily need to have any specific experience or qualifications in order apply for them.  Above all else, employers will be looking for someone with a positive attitude, a bright bubbly personality and the ability to talk to people on the phone. So if you’re thinking about applying for a job in a call centre, don’t worry if you’ve never done this type of work before.

Most call centre jobs will involve shift work, as these days many call centres open for business at around 7am and some stay open as late as 11pm. So, if you have other things going on in your life it might be possible to combine the two. For example, lots of actors work in call centres in the evening so that they’re free for auditions or rehearsals during the day. This type of work also suits students who have classes and seminars during the day and need to fit work around their studies.

Apart from an ability to chat to people on the phone and stay upbeat, call centre workers need to have a lot of patience. Dealing with the general public can be tough, and it can be even tougher dealing with them over the phone when you don’t have the luxury of being able to sort things out face to face. If you work in a call centre that deals with a lot of complaints, then you may have to deal with people who are frustrated and fed up from time to time. However, it’s important to remember not to take things personally. Whatever the customer is complaining about has nothing to do with you and it’s all just part of the job. Lots of training will be provided to help you deal with the occasional tricky situation, and you’ll find that most of the time, as long as people know the issue is being dealt with they will be more than reasonable.

All in all, there are lots of benefits to working in a call centre, so if you enjoy talking to people and need flexibility in your work then this could be the ideal job for you.

Tony Morrison is the Vice President of Business Development at Cachinko, a unique professional community where social networking and job opportunities come together. His roles include sales, marketing, and business development. He brings passion to Cachinko where he focuses on helping job seekers to find their ideal job and employers to find, attract, and engage their next rock star candidates. Find him on Twitter and Talent Connection. And, connect with Cachinko on Facebook or Twitter.

With so many different tools and strategies to utilize, the job search can become a blur. Because of this, you may be neglecting the most tried and true method of advancing your search: networking.

​Networking is a beautiful thing – it introduces you to new connections, helps to maintain current ones, and reveals opportunities to start, develop, and advance your career. It doesn’t even require a whole lot of effort once you’ve become good at it. One of the best things for your job hunt that can come from networking, however, is a referral.

Are you talking to people in your profession and asking about opportunities with employers that interest you? ​

Referral vs. Reference

Let’s clear this one up before we go any further. While a reference is contacted by the hiring manager and testifies on your past performance as requested, a referral is more of a current endorsement by an insider for the position you want. Referrals may even be more essential than stellar reference for landing a job – over half of all job seekers have been hired through a friend’s referral at some point in their career.

Keep On Networking

Employees will give referrals to individuals that they know personally. You’re best bet is to keep networking through the people you know and trust to establish mutually beneficial connections. When you can, pay it forward by providing advice, sharing knowledge, and even offering a referral for a fellow job seeker – that way, when a position relevant to your career progression comes their way, they will think of you first.

How To Ask

Let’s say you find a position at a company and see that you have a​ strong networking contact there – how do you ask for their referral? No matter how well you may know the contact, it’s best to ask in a way where they could opt out if they’re not comfortable passing your name along. Say something to the effect of “Do you feel you know my work well enough to refer me for a job at your company?”

Referrals are the highest rated source of candidate quality – hiring managers are more likely to take them into serious consideration and possibly make you a top candidate for the job.

What do you think? Have you ever received a referral for a position or given one for a candidate? Do you agree that they are important in the job search? Share your thoughts below!

Mike Ryan is a Search Marketing Specialist at iProspect and a Managing Partner/Resume Consultant at the resume writing service, DreamResume.  Mike has a great depth of experience, starting as an hourly employee at a startup and aggressively working his way up in the ranks, where he now drives digital success for the world’s best brands.  Connect with him on Twitter at @mikeryan2

As a resume consultant, I see a lot of resumes.  It never ceases to amaze me what people don’t put on their resume.  It’s important to make your resume stand out, but it’s equally important to make sure you don’t forget anything!

Here are the top 6 things you might be forgetting to put on your resume:

Keywords Tailored to the Position and Industry

Most companies use applicant tracking software, which scans resumes for keywords relating to skills, experience, education, job-specific phrases and certifications. Make sure your resume gets through the electronic gatekeeper by using keywords and phrases that are related to the position’s desired qualifications.   Make sure to not only use keywords from the job description, but also look up keywords specific to your industry.

Contact Information

This may sound like a no-brainer, but I’m shocked at how many resumes I see with very little or no contact information.  Make sure to include your name, mailing address, cell phone number, and email address.  Forgetting these could cost you the job only because the recruiter can’t contact you.

Extra-Curricular Activities

This is a great opportunity to build your character on paper, especially if you lack industry experience.   Brainstorm activities that relate to the position or just reflect on your positive traits.  These activities could include sports, clubs, volunteering, community service etc…  Show the employer that you are proactive and motivated.  Additionally, you never know what might catch an employer’s eye.

Action Verbs

Action verbs should be used abundantly throughout your resume and cover letters to promote your achievements. They help make a strong impression and give your resume power and direction. Here’s a list of action verbs from DreamResume that you can use to make your resume more powerful.

For Marketing Industry: Social Media Profiles

Are you applying for a marketing position?  If so, you might consider adding your social media profiles to your resume.  Always check to make sure the content on your social media profiles is appropriate and consistent with your resume.

For Entry-Level Job Seekers: Relevant Coursework

Are you looking for an entry-level position and struggling to come up with things to put on your resume?  Add relevant courses that would be applicable to the position.  If this is a marketing position, add your most advanced marketing classes in a relevant coursework section.  This will increase your chances of landing the job, especially if have no other related experience.

These are the most common elements that I see missing in resumes.  Give your resume a close look to see if you have these items, it may be the difference in landing your dream job.

This is a guest post from Malika Sharma.

With government plans recently announced that they are going to try and make Britain one of the top technology centres in Europe, there really hasn’t been a better time to get into the technology industry. But with fierce competition from all sides and a new wave of students about to graduate this summer, what is the best way to impress prospective bosses? Jobs from TomTom could be one of those not to be missed opportunities for all the technical job seekers. TomTom is one of the major companies in the technology industry that offers various kinds of technical job roles. Apart from having well-written curriculum vitae, some of the following methods can impress employers like TomTom in the technology industry.

Creative use of LinkedIn

Using a LinkedIn profile is a brilliant way to show you’re dedicated to any employer. Not only does it have up to 150million active users but the site is getting so big that it shall soon be considered a vital part of your digital portfolio whilst searching for work. Not only is LinkedIn a brilliant form of networking but it is free to use and a powerful way of advertising yourself. Once you’ve signed up and you’re ready, check the Jobs section of LinkedIn by using a keyword or location search, you may just find the job that you’ve been looking for. Getting recommendations from your former employers or university faculty should be equally important. Joining groups and interacting with key people would also help in networking and creating an impression in the industry.

Network in Business Conferences

Not only are conferences an excellent place for businesses to show off their brand new technology, but they are also an extremely sociable and open place where people are able to network freely amongst businesses. These are great places to introduce yourself to prospective bosses as well as keying yourself up on their new technology and products. Some conferences even host classes and workshops where you can learn new skills using state of the art technology; these are excellent things to have on your curriculum vitae. By using LinkedIn you can also find out when conferences in your field take place and how you can get to them.

Having your own blog

Although some may scoff at personal blogs, they are actually a brilliant way of showing off just what you know. Considering you blog about your given field or sector, being able to produce a blog during an interview or having one written on a curriculum vitae could quite possibly turn things in your favour. A well written blog will not only show off your writing skills but it also shows that you are knowledgeable, keen and are quite skilful when it comes to research. The biggest bonus of it is that if you write about news or opinions in your field, you are more than likely to attract experts in the same field of study, which in turn broadens your online network.

Knowing the lingo

Having a secure knowledge of technical language is vitally important during an interview as you never know when your prospective employer is going to ‘pop’ that question about Cascading Style Sheets or denotational semantics. Although it is hard to say just what will come up, having knowledge of current events, recent announcements made by companies and having decent knowledge about various important softwares and tools used in the industry is a sure way to show that you are interested in your work and are keeping up to date with the industry. Be sure to take a browse over technology websites before your interview; if only to get yourself in the right frame of mind.

Life at Bad Rhino has been insane the last couple weeks and we have a pretty big week with a client grand opening and our day on IWearYourShirt.com this Thursday.  However, I wanted to pop in with a quick tip for your Tuesday!

Oh, and if you’re looking for a Resume Review, I have a pretty sweet group deal over on the Facebook page.  Get your resume critiqued by yours corny for just $25 (normally $50).  Click here for details!

Still looking for a job?  Change your routine!

If you’ve been job searching for more than you’d like, you’ve probably settled into a bit of a routine and I imagine you’ve become bored.  There are a number of ways to spice up your life and your job search to help meet more people.  Sure, I could start comparing this to dating, but it’s been done…thousands of times.

Here are 10 quick ways for you to change up your routines and meet new people that may offer connections for your job search:

• Freeze your current gym membership and sign up for a month or two at another gym.
• Try a different coffee shop.
• Go to happy hour 3 times per week, each time at a different place.
• Join a bowling league.  Not only do you meet tons of people, it’s actually fun.
• Join a softball league… okay…any league will do.  Maybe you like darts?
• Like art?  Take a class.
• Wake up at a different time  each day, which changes when you run your errands.
• Ride the bus.
• Go to a dog park.  People with dogs have jobs too.
• Walk everywhere.  Everyone knows the local neighborhood walker.

Kyle Henderick is a digital marketing specialist at Yesmail and a Managing Partner/Resume Consultant at Dream Resume LLC. Before diving into a career of digital marketing and professional resume writing, Kyle tested the waters for his career by having 3 internships ranging from healthcare to media sales to marketing technology. Gaining valuable insight from the experience he was finally able to find and pursue his true passion. He loves all things Chicago and is a diehard Bears, Bulls, White Sox & U of Illinois fan. Connect with him on Twitter at @khenderick

Ok, let’s be honest, no matter what anyone says and how important resumes are, it does NOT make them any bit of fun to put them together. The worst part is while you put a lot of time and effort into creating a resume that truly represents you on paper, unfortunately you do not have a lot of time to make an impression on recruiters reading your resume. That is why you need to hone in on what you want out of your career and focus your resume around your personal strengths and goals. After you have locked down and nailed the job search tips and resume writing basics, here are 4 easy ways to enhance your resume and make it stand out in a crowd.

1.     Understand the job role first, then tailor your resume to it

When writing a resume typically people try to create a one size fits all version to send to any and every company they are applying to. Now imagine you are the recruiter sifting through a stack of resumes on your desk, do you think you’d pick the non tailored/generic resume? Before you begin writing your resume read the description of the role to figure out what personality traits are essential and what the company is looking for in a candidate.  After you find this, you can tailor your resume around these strengths and back it up with some of your real world experience. This will automatically put you a step ahead of other applicants who still stick to the one size fits all strategy.

2.     Forget about length, focus on clarity and a clean layout

People consistently ask me whether or not their resume should be narrowed down and limited to one page. I tend to agree with a previous post written on Corn on the Job, ‘If you’ve got it, flaunt it.’ In my experience, recruiters tend to focus on readability and clarity more than they do overall length, so as long as every point you are making on your resume has a direct strength and goal attached to it, it needs to be included. What is more important than length when writing your resume is ensuring that you have a clean, clear and easy to read layout. Recruiters have a tough task of getting through more resumes than you can imagine every day, the easier you make their life and the better they can identify your strengths, the more likely you will be receiving that interview call.

3.     Reinforce your experience with specific and meaningful numbers

Whenever possible include specific numbers and results that reinforce your experience and highlight strengths.  This can range from results from a project to the number of people on the team (more people means it was typically a tougher project to manage). These specific numbers help to quantify your previous experience in ways that become a more telling story of you as a person. The more specific you make the description in the resume the better. For example, if you are referencing a website implementation you might say “Facilitated X team members over a  Y month period  to lead a website redesign and content production process, final result led to increased website traffic of Z%.’ When you backup your experience with specific numbers, it will show your benefit to the company you are applying to and will help ensure your resume won’t be tossed aside.

 4.     Use activities outside of work to fill gaps in your experience

No matter your experience level, there is always potential to run into a role that exposes a few gaps on your resume that your professional experience just doesn’t cover. This is a perfect time to use activities outside of work to fill these gaps while highlighting dedication to your personal development outside of work.  It is easy to work and be dedicated when you are getting paid, it is completely different take the lead and show passion during your free time.  These out of work activities allow you to showcase soft skills and qualities that you may not have been given the opportunity to show off in your professional experience. This is often common with young professionals early in their career when trying to define leadership. It is a hard quality to prove if you aren’t directing a team, and in your outside activities you can showcase how you led a club, group or organization to achieve their goal.

While everyone’s resume will have a different story to tell, using these 4 strategies will help make your resume stand out from the crowd.  These are just a few easy ways to help have your resume stand out, what are you doing now to differentiate your resume from the pack?

Sometime around a year and a half ago, I was minding my own business when my sister popped me with a gchat message. . . .

Have you heard of Pinterest?  I just invited you to check it out!

She went on to tell me that it was growing quickly in the fashion world, and being that she is in fashion, you can understand how she came to learn about Pinterest.  While I visited the site often after my sister pointed it out, I never gained a ton of interest in using it for myself, and up until these last few months, Pinterest hadn’t caught on with the normal, every-day  social media user.

Things have changed.  Here are some facts from an infographic about Pinterest on Mashable:

• Users spend on average 15.8 minutes pinning at one time.  This compares to about 12 minutes on Facebook
• 68.2% of users are Women
• 1.36 million visitors per day

Should you be using Pinterest for your job search?

Pinterest is absolutely a monster in the PR industry.  Honestly, it’s hard to find a PR girl/guy in college that isn’t constantly blogging about it.    Do you know who also loves Pinterest?  Foodies, fashionistas, social media nerds like myself, big brands, mothers, professional sports teams, and the list just keeps going…

A picture/video driven social tool is powerful.  People love visuals.  People also love cool/techie/nerdy terminology, so using the word “Pin” gets people goofy.

So I get it, there’s a great deal of love surrounding Pinterest.  But does this mean it’s a tool that you should add to your job search?

The short answer:  It depends

The Long Answer:  Take a long hard look at yourself before you begin using Pinterest as a job search tool.  Here are some questions to ask before you jump in:

• Do leaders in your industry use  Pinterest or other social technologies to promote themselves?
• Would your industry ever accept a blog, video resume/cv, or portfolio as part of an application?
• Is your industry picture driven or visual?

Do you remember stretch armstrong?   No?  Yes?  Mr. Armstrong was a popular toy for the kiddies in the 80′s and 90′s that would allow the youngster to actually stretch his arms and legs.  When they were done torturing poor Stretch, his limbs would just about return to their original location.

What you want to avoid is becoming exactly like Stretch Armstrong in your job search.  There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of new online/social tools that can be turned into a job search tool.   Your goal is to spend the most time where you’ll receive the most benefit.

Don’t spend a great deal of time on each and every new tool or trend.  There’s no need to spread yourself too thin and stretch out like Mr. Armstrong.

Seriously, it can be very painful.

I want to tell you about a conversation that I once overheard.  The day was March 15, 2005, my college graduation day.  A roommate’s dad was talking to my mother and father when I heard him say…

I wanted to bring a 2X4 (lumber), write “LIFE” on it, and use it to smack Billy right across his forehead the moment he received his diploma

I was certainly too confused and overwhelmed with my current newfound life situation to understand how true that joke actually was.  For many, graduation signals a new life.  For some it’s a tougher life.  For most (if not all) it’s the official birth of a professional — but only after they do land that first job.

When I graduated, the job market was much easier to break into than it is now.  The “life” 2X4 induces much more pain for graduates these days, so here are 25 Job Search Tips for the current or soon to be 2012 Graduates:

1.  Use Linkedin:  Spend serious time on Linkedin.  Build connections, join groups related to your industry, and apply for jobs through Linkedin.  If you spend 10 hours on Facebook per week, try popping onto Linkedin for 5 hours.

2.  Visit Your School Career Center:  Your career center is not only free, but people there are very helpful.  Take advantage of their tips, advice, and employer connections.

3.  Focus Your Job Search:  Don’t apply to everything you see.  Focus your search on one or two specific areas.  Applying to too many jobs is sloppy and employers will take notice.

4.  Practice Interviewing With Friends:  Get a group of 2-3 friends together and meet once a week to practice interview questions.  Critique each other and offer feedback.

5.  Buy Your Interview Clothes Before Graduating:  You might already have nice clothes for an interview, but it’s always a nice feeling to buy a new suit and feel mentally prepared for something great to happen.  Don’t want to get a call on a Tuesday for an interview on Thursday and feel unprepared to look the part.

6.  Have a Plan:  Write out a little job search plan.  List the companies you really want to work for, the geographic locations you like, and pick specific times of the week to designate for the job search.

7.  Don’t Have a Plan:  Hey, some people just can’t plan, and that’s OK.  Just make sure to not lose focus of the one or two areas that you’re SURE you want to work in.

8.  Set a Professional Voicemail on Your Phone:  A standard voicemail will work just fine.

9.  Check Your Facebook Privacy Settings:  Turn your wall comments off, disable photo tagging, and set everything to a minimum of “Friends of Friends”.

10.  Connect With a Mentor:  Mentors come in all stages of life.  Utilize social media to network with someone who is a few years older than you and established in the industry you’re pursuing.  They’ll be impressed and excited you have the courage to ask them to be your mentor.

11.  Don’t Panic:  It’s not the end of the world if you don’t have a job lined up 2,3, or even 6 months after graduating.  Just try to fill the time up with volunteer work or a part-time gig.

12.  Join a Young Professionals Group:  Fine a local networking group for young professionals.  Your local chamber of commerce should be able to provide information for you.

13.  Work With a Career Coach:  It’s never a bad idea to work with a professional.  A career coach will help you focus and refine your skills.  They can also help you with your job search communications.  You can work with me or comment below if you’d like me to refer you to someone.

14.  Connect With Recruiters BEFORE a Career Fair:  Career fairs are a waste of time if you aren’t already connected with the attending employers.  Connect on the phone, email, or social media before attending.

15.  Don’t Get Too High or Too Low:  The hiring process is a roller coaster.  Don’t let your emotions get too high or low.  Just ride it out until you receive an offer.

16.  Seriously, Use Linkedin:  The power of Linkedin is unreal.  Here’s a beginner’s guide I created.

17.  Stay Connected With Teachers:  Check in with your favorite teachers after graduating.  They may know of hiring companies.

18.  Avoid Using an Objective Statement:  Save your objective for the cover letter.  If you’re applying, then it’s clear your objective is working for that company.

19.  Don’t Get Jealous:  Friends who you thought would NEVER get a job will be handed an awesome position at a great company.  Don’t take this to heart, just focus on yourself.

20.  Evolve:  The job search is continuously changing.  What tools and processes work now, might not work in 6 months.  Research continuously, utilize different job search tools, and improve yourself after interviews.

Are you feeling ready for the “LIFE” 2X4 to smack you in the head?  Hope the above job search tips help prepare you for your new professional life.

Oh, and congrats to recent graduates and those who will do so in May and June!