Remember when the experts told us to send out a pile of generic cover letters and resumes, then wait for the phone to ring? Those days are gone. We must replace this passive activity with a more action-oriented effort to establish relationships and find the hidden job opportunities. The best way to access these hidden jobs is through friends, colleagues, acquaintances, and contacts in your industry. We must identify and reach out in an organized manner to people who can help you, and let them know what kind of work you’re looking for. If they can’t help you, they most likely know of someone who can. We need to make sure every contact we make, references something we’ve learned about the contact or organization, and reveals something memorable about ourselves. We must do our homework to be fully informed and find those bits of information that will instantly connect us and begin genuine relationships. Ones that are reciprocal, allowing us to give and help others as well.

The ‘Tell Me About Yourself’ Question:

Use this question as an opportunity to position yourself for success. Why is this question asked?

• to see how candidates handle themselves in an unstructured situation.
• to see how articulate they are
• how confident they are
• generally what type of impression they would make on the people with whom they came into contact on the job
• to get a sense of what they think is important

You’ve sent in your resume. You already know that a follow-up message is a critical step in your job search. What is the appropriate amount of time to wait to follow up on a job application? What type of follow up is preferred? How often? Email or snail?

You want to get your name across to the decision maker again, so they’ll be looking specifically at, or for, your resume/application

You want gather information for yourself about the status of your application.

In today’s job search, one thing is certain: you must use many strategies to be successful. I just attended a workshop for professional job seekers. The meeting theme was centered around how to leverage your job search with recruiters and/or staffing agencies. With 9 of 10 companies using their services, some interesting items were addressed and worthy of sharing.

Pass the word – Do not underestimate the value of your references and the power they hold.

References can be among your most valuable assets. Have you ever heard the quote “Good luck happens when preparedness meets opportunity”? Your references can help a pending job opportunity or unknowingly be your worst enemy and nix the opportunity. Providing references and recommendations to a potential employer can offer insight into how others have perceived working with you and may actually help to ‘tip the scales’ in your favor.

Here are five simple tips to develop your references:

One of the hardest challenges of the job hunt is being able to create and communicate an effective elevator pitch when the time arises. The elevator pitch often feels awkward and unnatural, yet it is such an important part of the job search. We must have one, whether we are in the job search, are selling a product or selling an idea to our colleagues.

Your elevator pitch has one purpose: to get your prospect to request a more detailed conversation. The goal of an elevator pitch for networking is to ensure that the other person leaves with your key message so that when that person finds himself in another conversation with a potential lead who could benefit from your solution, he remembers to refer them to you.

Chances are good that if you’re being invited back for a second round of interviews, then you’ve made a good initial impression and have something that they want. How do you show your initiative in a way that you can be the candidate to make a lasting impression that the company will not soon forget?

I was recently at the MBACSWP Conference , where we discussed a subject that is near to all of our hearts, as it relates to the job search. This burning question is how can we make ourselves stand out in the interview process. Is it the exceptional resume, the right clothes, the eye contact, the firm handshake, asking the right questions or the glowing references that make the difference? There is no doubt that all of these add to the reasons we get the interview in the first place.

The difference, according to our keynote speaker, Nick Corcodilos, of AskTheHeadhunter.com, is boiled down to the very simple notion:

With most of the jobs landed coming through the hidden job market it is imperative that you get going on a targeted job hunt. A good first step in identifying this market is to develop your own unique selling points. Going through the exercise of finding yours is worth the time put in, as they are used in your resumes, cover letters, networking events, communications and in your efforts to contact employers.

Once these have been created, you will be way ahead of most job seekers, who do not take the time to do this. When you have figured out who the employers are that may have ‘hidden needs’, you will have clear examples of your fit in the organization and have the successful components to your communications with them.

In today’s employment environment, temporary work continues to stand out as a bright spot. According to leading temporary financial staffing firms, companies are beginning to turn these positions into full-time roles more frequently. Just as employers use interns and temporary assignments to test out workers before making a commitment, workers are able to try out employers. This is an opportunity to test out an array of job fields to find the one that you believe you will excel in. Another great benefit is gaining real world experience and building your resume. Temporary positions offer an alternative outlet for the internship seeker, as well, increasing the chances of getting paid for this experience.