AIU Career Services: Modern Job Searching and How to Reinvent the Wheel
November 2, 2011
•Career Services
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It’s a funny concept trying to reinvent something that has worked for thousands of years, but sometimes the game changes and you have to reevaluate what works and what doesn’t. The same can be said for your job search. For decades we have approached job searching much like we do the sport of fishing. We cast our fantastic resumes out into the wide open ocean of employers and wait to hear back…and wait…and wait.
Sadly the fish are not biting the way they used to and the masses of job searchers out there are left without any idea on how to get a job interview when they can’t even get a response from an employer. The answer might not just be in the bait you’re using but in the method itself.
Modern job searching is a proactive sport. The odds are in your favor only as long as you are on the offensive. Don’t mistake this for aggressiveness, but rather think of it as awareness. Employers today want to see the one person who sticks out of the crowd and there are a few ways to go about this.
1. Call - Oddly enough it is just that simple. About a week after you apply, call the company and follow up. Utilize your interviewing skills here and talk the recruiter up about your skills and qualifications. While you might just get a one size fits all answer you have a better shot than all the other people who just chose to wait. You never know when that second glance at your resume or the sound of the confidence in your voice may change their minds.
2. Present a Good Product - The popularity of social media is not something to take for granted if you are not familiar with it. The first thing an employer will do in today’s market is search your name on any variety of social sites to screen you. Keep your profiles professional and you should be in the clear. The same should be said if you do not have any hits when the recruiter searches you on Google. It may be in your best interest to start an account with a professional networking service like LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com). This way you can start marketing yourself on the internet. With this approach a recruiter or hiring manager will be drawn to your profile right away and will see aspects of your background and even your resume.
3. E-mails, Voicemails and Ring-back tones – When searching for a new position you always want to have a professional sounding voicemail. “You have reached John Smith. Please leave a message and I will be sure to return your call as quickly as possible.” You will also want to remove any sort of ring-back tone that you might have used in the past. This can be distracting and be seen as inappropriate to a recruiter. Also, keep in mind the name your e-mail address is registered under. While the address itself might be fine your registered name will always show up when sent through an e-mail client like Outlook. If a recruiter receives an e-mail from “Road Dog” instead of “John Smith” they might think twice about returning your message.
These are just a few ideas to help bring your job searching strategies into the 21st century. If you are in need of any additional ideas and thoughts on job searching tactics please feel free to contact the Career Services Department at 877-221-5800 ext. 15060 or careerservices@aiuonline.edu.