Previously I wrote a post that covered some very basic interviewing tips. But before you can even get that far in the process you need to find a way to secure that important meeting, right? I mean, what good is having table manners if no one invites you over for dinner, right?
So I thought I should help out with some tips on how to get your foot in the door. And since people still seem to enjoy the posts where I talk about sex and/or dating, I will continue that theme here. You’re welcome.
Job Search Engines
This is an easy comparison to make: Job search engines are exactly like dating websites. You are all after the same goal. Some people are not in a relationship right now and would like to be in one. Some people would like not just a relationship, but any relationship. And then some people are already in a relationship and are looking for something new, perhaps permanent or just a little somethin’ on the side. Replace “relationship” with “job” and you see how it is the same idea, people who want/need something go to websites, share necessary details of their personal life and wait for someone to respond.
Which dating site is the right one for you? Well, let’s compare a few of the more popular ones, shall we?
Monster
Monster has been around for a long time. I myself have been on Monster for about fifteen years, or roughly right after they went online. I was in graduate school at the time and the idea that I could look for a job anywhere in the USA right from the computer lab was a novelty. What that means is Monster is old and bloated with millions of resumes. How do you make yourself stand out? Tough to say, really, but if you update your resume frequently you will find yourself being contacted by recruiters in the area in which you live.
In many ways Monster is like eHarmony. You fill out some personal information, you are lumped in with millions of other people, and you hope that the right person will find you in a sea of mediocrity. Good luck with all that. You would be better off calling recruitment firms directly and sending them your resume.
CareerBuilder
CareerBuilder is just as old as Monster and currently has a very good commercial being shown. Not that having a good commercial should mean anything, I just wanted to link to it because it was something I liked. CareerBuilder does have corporate partners, which means a lot of companies will post jobs internally to their employees through CareerBuilder, which means they are posted externally as well. So, browsing jobs on CareerBuilder can be similar to being inside the HR department at a company and asking them about current openings.
CareerBuilder does not rely on matching your resume to a job in the same fashion as Monster would. So that makes it more like a Match.com, where members fill out information about themselves and then go and look for that special someone manually.
Dice
Dice is a very focused job search site, with the focus being on technology jobs. In theory, the people using Dice already know what they want and where to go find it. Seems to be very similar to SexSearch.com, where people just seem to skip the dating part and go right to the sheets. So, if you are just looking for a paycheck, then Dice might be the place to stop by and perhaps you will be lucky enough to find the right stop on your career path.
LinkedIn is a business oriented social networking site, focusing on making connections with others members in the hope that your network may eventually lead you to some job opportunity. I have been using LinkedIn for a while now. So long in fact that I can remember a time when I was not being reached out and touched by a headhunter every other day because that is what it seems like now, just a place for headhunters to gather and ask if anyone is interested in some particular job. I am not saying that is a bad thing, just saying that I remember a time when you were building a network of professionals with similar interests and now your network has a lot of recruiters who are using the site to generate business. Think of Twitter and Life Coaches and you get the idea.
The dating site that most closely matches LinkedIn is named OkCupid. You register and join to network with other people that are looking to find that someone special.
Craigslist
If you are using Craigslist to look for a job then you are probably also looking for love in the Yahoo Personals. Most of the postings on Craigslist are spam, something they have been fighting for years. So, you are taking chances by even answering any posting, let alone for a job. I wish you the best of luck.
Networking
No doubt if you are looking for that right match you need to do more than just go to a few websites and enter in your personal information and hope for that special someone to find you. Your friends and family have to step up as well, help spread the word that you are lonely and could use some companionship (and a job). But what are the chances that you are going to be able to find happiness just from those people that know you best?
That is where networks come into play. Networking is a wonderful way for you to be quickly introduced to a lot of people and with a little luck some of them will like to get to know you a little better. You should look for some professional associations, such as PASS, to help increase your network. Or, you could go for more of a social networking angle and get on Facebook and/or Twitter.
In a lot of ways you could compare the idea of social networks to speed dating. You get to introduce yourself to a lot of people at the same time, talk briefly with them, and if someone happens to share similar interests you may find yourself meeting that person outside of the speed date, or the social network. For example, Denny Cherry used Twitter and his blog to set up some speed dates in Southern California last week.
For most people networking is not an easy thing to do. I would include myself in that group, as I am a naturally shy person. I do not know how to work a room. I do not know how to introduce myself to new people. I am not comfortable speaking to a group of people. I am working to improve on those items, and I feel I am making some progress. One of the best books I have read in the past year has been The Jelly Effect: How to Make Your Communication Stick
Blogging
Not everyone wants to be a Rockstar, but when it comes time to look for someone special it can make it a little easier for them to not only find you first, but to understand more about you. No one is saying you have to blog full time, or present at conferences, but you had better get out of your cube and get to know the people around you.
Blogging is a great way to get out of your cube. My company is spread throughout the globe but my blog allows for people I do not have a chance to interact with daily to feel as if we are still connected. Believe me it helps when I travel to other sites and someone says “Hey, that thing you just wrote, yeah, that was nice, I read it the other day”. A quick smile, a shared laugh, and the ice is broken and we move on to talk business.
Blogging is simply a way to enhance everything else you are already doing to find that special someone. Instead of thinking of it as work, or something akin to becoming a “Rock Star”, think of it this way: you are creating and polishing your brand. The idea that you have to sell yourself to get a job is not new, having a blog is another way for you to get yourself sold.
Still not sold? Well, blogging can lead to other writing opportunities, which can lead to additional contacts, increase your network, and open up the door to more opportunities than what you might have had if you chose to remain silent.
The most difficult aspect of all of this? Time. Yep, time. It takes time to find a job. Sometimes you do not have a lot of time to find work and you may find yourself on SexSearch Dice looking for anything that seems enticing. Hopefully that is not the case, but be prepared that it can, and often does, take months for a proper job search. Having a good network in place at the start is crucial and what I would consider to be the top priority for anyone, even those not currently looking for work.
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