5 Steps to Finding Success on Your Job Hunt

5 Steps to Finding Success on Your Job Hunt Struggling to find a job? Starting to despair? Feel like you’re doing all of the right things, but still not getting results? It’s possible that you are doing all the right things. But there are a few extra tricks you could still try to give yourself a little edge and improve your prospects on the job hunt. 1. Restrain yourselfIf you’re obviously overqualified for a position, resist the temptation to send your resume in anyway. You’ll look desperate. You’ll feel desperate. And the employer will toss your resume at first glance. If it’s obvious to you; it’s obvious to them. They’ll be worried that you’ll leave for a better opportunity at the drop of a hat- and, let’s face it, they’re probably right.2. Future-fit your resumeDon’t make your resume a simple list of where you’ve been and what you’ve done. Target it for the job you’re looking for, not the ones you’ve had. And cra ft it individually for each position you apply for. Reframe your skills and experience to be a perfect fit. Describe your background and interests in terms this company will jump about. (When in doubt, study the job description and the company’s mission statement for clues.)3. Never assumeYou know what they say: to assume is to make an â€Å"a**† out of â€Å"u† and â€Å"me.† So don’t expect a recruiter or hiring manager to read between the lines of your resume. If you haven’t spelled it out as clearly and concisely as possible- enough to be noticed in a quick skim- then you’re assuming they’ll put more work into reviewing your application than they ever will.4. Branch outDon’t ignore a potential connection because you don’t think they’re directly in a position to help you. You never know who will be your next link to your big fish. Don’t underestimate or overlook anyone. The world is wide and the b roader your network, the better your odds.5. Don’t advertiseIt’s one thing to tell close circles of contacts and friends that you’re looking for a job. It’s another to broadcast it and have to conduct the rest of your search under the scrutiny of your entire social network. Instead, be savvy with your social media. Publicize any transition skill/new qualifications or certifications on LinkedIn. And start being a resource for current trends and information in your other feeds. If people start to see you as an asset, they might think of you spontaneously and come to you first with new opportunities.

Now is no time for silence - Emphasis

Now is no time for silence Now is no time for silence Managers are failing to update their staff just when they need to most, it seems. The training manager of a blue-chip multinational was telling us recently how many managers had gone curiously quiet. It seems that their tongues (or their keyboards) have gone west along with the firms profits, just as their teams were looking to them for information and leadership. Lets face it, anyone can lead in the easy times, she said. Its at times like these that managers prove their worth. The problem is, of course, that the managers are just as worried and uncertain as everyone else. But harsh though it may seem, its no good drawing a managers salary if all you can do when times get tough is clam up and hide under the same black cloud as everyone else. If a team cant turn to management for leadership, then they quickly begin to wonder if anyones at the helm at all. These sentiments were echoed recently by the Association of Communicators in Business (CiB), which represents internal communications managers. They warned that organisations should redouble their internal-communication efforts during uncertain economic times rather than putting them on the back burner. They have a point. Internal communication may seem the least of a companys worries when sales are in free fall. But failing to keep your people in the loop can seriously demotivate them. And this effect can last long past the end of the recession, creating a corporate hangover that slows recovery. Worse still, although job security fears could keep them around for now, they may quickly jump ship as soon as the outlook improves. You have to ratchet up your commitment to engage with staff, says CiB chairman Paul Brasington. People are usually mature enough to understand bad news. The worst mistake is to say nothing. Among the steps you can take to improve internal communication in a recession are: explaining the direct impact of the recession on your industry and organisation, and saying what the firm will need to do to weather the storm telling people about job or budget cuts as soon as possible, along with the reasons and timescales keeping up the information flow, and making sure its two way: silence breeds rumours moving quickly to correct inaccurate information making sure employees hear news first, before you communicate it externally. Related links: High-impact writing Effective email writing