Job Hunting- Where do I Look??

As a college graduate and now a recent MBA graduate, there is one thing that I can agree with the government about- WE NEED MORE JOBS! Are there right ways to go about your job search? Of course. Are there wrong ways to go about your job search? Plenty!!!

Here are a few items to keep in mind when you are perfecting yourself for the next big thing.

Resume

First of all, take your resume. When was the last time you updated it? Is it full of bullet points and is it pages long? Do you talk more about what the role you played was, or do you show what you have accomplished as a professional/student?

Take out the bullet points. Take out the fluffy wording. Show your accomplishments. These are three important pieces of feedback that I have gotten in the past about my resume. You resume is a snapshot of you, so do you want to be perceived as someone who says yet mean nothing? Of course not. You want someone to look at your resume and see who you are, what you have done and what you will do for them. Updating your resume regularly will make sure that you continue to de-fluff and perfect. Having peers give hard critiques of your resume will also ensure it is balanced and clear. Reusing your old college resume may stand in the way of a recruiter being attracted to what you have to offer as a professional.

Networking

Are you involved in any professional organizations and are you networking within these organizations? Do you have business cards and are they on you at all times? Do you know where everyone you know works and what their roles are? Are you in contact with past professors?

These are all ways that you can put yourself in the business world to increase your visibility in the target area of your job search. Something as simple as not having your business cards on you may ruin a potential networking opportunity. Every time you meet someone new, that is a potential for a lead in a job. Although you may hear many "no's" before you hear the wonderful "you're hired", networking is something you can do to supplement your job search. Who knows when the next person you may meet is the CEO of a company in which you are interested. I was taking a shuttle at an expo a few years back, sat next to a company owner and got a great interview then job offer. Although it was not the opportunity for me, maybe next time it will be the one!

Look the Part

The best advice that I received about how to dress the part was from a consultant friend of mine. Whenever you are meeting a client, you always want to be dressed one notch up from where they are so that they see you dressed to impress. Same concept goes for an interview. A few key things to keep in mind:

• Your personal style is for the weekends unless you are applying for a position in fashion.
• Less is more with jewelry.
• Too tight and too short= boss' playmate not boss' competition- make sure that your suit is also not too baggy- get a new one so that you look as pulled together as you are.
• A black suit is always classic.
• Well groomed is a must.

For the Interview

Keep in mind you are selling yourself. Research the company ahead of time, get there a little early, smile, do not wear too much or any perfume/cologne, iron your clothes, use a lint brush, bring multiple copies of your resume and bring on the confidence. One of the biggest parts of a face to face interview is selling your personality as a fit for the company you are being interviewed by. Do research and have notes if needed to bring up talking points if the interview is going stale- sometimes getting them to tell you more about an accolade will spark up new conversation. Most importantly- ask questions, but they need to be well thought out. They will want to hear your interest and knowledge about them and know that you have done research about them. If you take the time to get to know them as a company, they will be more interested to find out more about you.

Suggested sites to be involved with: www.linkedin.com, JobFox, Monster, Simply Hired, PMI.org, etc.