Begin a Job Search - Smart Job Hunting

Beginning a Job Search – Smart Job Hunting – John R. Fugazzie founder of NhN

• Prepare a Resume                                                                                                                                                   ( Use resources from NhN or hire a professional if you can afford to )

• Use the assessment form to determine your career direction

(A clear understanding of your skills and those companies)

• Order personal business cards  

               (Suggested resources:  Vistaprint.com - office supply stores or local printers)

• Prepare a Marketing Plan.  This can be used when you are speaking with colleagues and contacts, who can help you make connections in your industry and/or in companies you want to target.  Plan should include:

- Professional Objective

- Preferred Functions

- Positioning Statement

- Areas of Expertise

- Representative Accomplishments

- Target Characteristics (to include Geographic Locations; Industry or Type of     

   Organization; Organizational Culture)

-Candidate Networking Profile

• Prepare a Target List of companies – establish distances from home, industries, company names, do research on them, bring list to weekly meetings so you can talk from it.

• Prepare both a 30 second and a 2-minute written "Elevator Pitch" to share and practice with your friends/family/colleagues/and NhN weekly meeting members.                                                                   (Use NhN template to create yours )

• Prepare a written list of 6-10 "SOAR" Stories  (Accomplishments you can talk about during an interview - Situation/Obstacle/Action/Results) and memorize them for use during interviews

• Create a LinkedIn profile and connect with your professional colleagues and other NhN members to build your network. Note: your local library should have written or electronic tutorials on how to set up and use LinkedIn.                                                                                                                                                 ( Once you do, join the Neighbors-helping-Neighbors USA LinkedIn Group )

                 http://www.linkedin.com/groups/NeighborshelpingNeighbors-USA-3892534

• Create a profile on LinkedIn.com, Monster.com, Careerbuilders.com etc... 

• Consider setting up a Job Alert with Indeed.com, , which culls jobs you specify from all sorts of  job boards, including Monster and Careerbuilder  set up on your specific industry boards.

• Create list of companies and save their web address so you can check their career/job listings daily.

• Attend other networking events and learning events and industry specific job fairs.                                                                 

(Search Google to find them where you live for this type of listing on internet. )

• Join Industry specific groups/associations to continue to build your network and to stay abreast with what is going on in your industry. Join all trade magazine sites for your field.

• Go to your local DOL and Unemployment/One Stop office and speak to a counselor about what they can offer you to assist with job search (ex: resume writing session, technology classes, etc...) and sign up for all available offerings

• Go to your local library and speak to the Library Director about available hard copy and electronic tools available for your job search

• Create a professional email address for yourself and use it exclusively for your job search  (ex: JaneDoe@gmail.com or JohnDoe@yahoo.com )

• Make your resume file title your name as it is easier for people to find you in their computer files (Jane_Doe Resume.doc or just Jane Doe.doc)

• Consider changing your home and cell phone voicemail messages to be more professional (like it was as if someone was calling your office)

• Consider working with a Career Coach (fee based) if you can afford it. Make sure that coach has proper credentials, and seek out references from people who have used them.   

This is not a complete list, but certainly a start that can be built upon. 

There are many tools and resources listed on the site on the NhN site :  www.nhnusa.org

Many under Library of Documents  

http://www.neighbors-helping-neighbors.com/library-of-documents.html

Use the job search tab on site:

http://www.neighbors-helping-neighbors.com/jobsearch.html

Book project is underway Smart Job Hunting  www.smartjobhunting.net