Don’t rely on job boards – Some of the recruiters I heard last week said that they are starting to move away from job boards. Their complaints: too crowded and too difficult to differentiate themselves. Job boards like Monster still contain a lot of great jobs, and you should include them in your search. Just don’t believe that Monster is a one-stop shop.

Set up your LinkedIn profile – LinkedIn is being used by all types of recruiters, even those looking for hourly and non-exempt workers. It really is worth your time to join. Read this article to refresh your memory about how best to start your LinkedIn process.

Join LinkedIn groups – Many recruiters mentioned how valuable they are finding LinkedIn groups as a recruiting tool. LinkedIn Groups are free to start, and provide a great way to connect recruiters and job seekers. You should search LinkedIn for areas of interest (companies, industries, cities, skills) and then join groups in those areas.

Don’t rant in public – One recruiter for a fast food company admitted that she looks at Facebook groups like “I Hate Working for Fast Food.” She admitted that when people start talking smack about a competitor it concerns her. “What if they come work in my company and do the same thing?” Instead, go to great sites like Glassdoor and Facebook and give direct feedback on your work experience. It’s important to know the difference between honest feedback and a public rant – the latter can hurt your chances at getting a job.

Fan on Facebook – I was surprised how many recruiters are starting community pages and groups on Facebook. Fans of these sites get inside information on jobs and future opportunities. Search Facebook for companies, industries and affiliations that you are interested in, and then become a fan or join the group.

Follow jobs on Twitter - Another big surprise: how many companies are putting jobs out on Twitter before they go up on career sites or job boards. Join Twitter and then search for companies, industries or affiliation groups. Follow them and get the jump on new jobs.

Social media is slowly but surely replacing career sites and job boards as the way to find qualified candidates. Make sure that you are a part of this next wave of job searching.

Tips For Finding Your Next Job Through Social Media is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

Related posts:

1. Seeking Out A New Job Using Social Media
2. Why Social Media Is A Must For ALL Job Seekers
3. What You Really Need To Know About Social Media Profiles And Job Searching

The truth is, I thought the conference may be a waste of my time. I have spent most of the last 10 years around recruiting departments who have been searching for high-tech, highly-paid talent. When it is tough to find someone with a particular skill set (say “advanced audio codec engineering”) you are willing to invest a lot of money to connect and form relationships with people who may lead you to great hires. Using social media and social networking to help in my recruiting efforts was sort of a no-brainer: if that is where the talent is, that is where you go.

But the room in Phoenix wasn’t filled with high-tech recruiters. It was filled with people who hire for highly concentrated industries like: hospitality, construction, banking, call centers, health care and food services. These were a group of recruiting professionals focused on hiring fast food cooks, store managers, bank tellers, site foremen, hotel clerks, nurses and phone operators. Given that unemployment is so high, I figured that anyone who recruited for these industries must simply be posting jobs and sitting back to review resumes. Boy, was I wrong.

It turns out companies are finally starting to get the message: even in the midst of economic calamity great people matter, no matter the job. I heard the head of recruiting for KFC talk about how they use social media to attract great restaurant and shift managers. Another recruitment leader from Sport Chalet spoke about using social media to connect floor associates with potential buyers and future associates. And a local Phoenix hospital showed how they used social media to attract not just nurses and doctors, but also orderlies and shift janitorial.

A lot of my snooty “high tech” myths about the value of talent were destroyed in one short afternoon. But more importantly, I learned that regardless of how much I agree with fellow Clearview Contributor John Sumser and other experts,  the reality is that all sorts of recruiters are now hanging out in places like Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn. Sure, they are still posting jobs on the big job boards and on their websites. But recruiters of all types are starting to really pay attention to who catches their eye on social networking sites. They are really worth your investment of time and attention.

Next week I will outline some of the social media tips I heard from recruiters to help you in your job search.

Why Social Media Is A Must For ALL Job Seekers is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

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1. Tips For Finding Your Next Job Through Social Media
2. What You Really Need To Know About Social Media Profiles And Job Searching
3. Seeking Out A New Job Using Social Media

In my humble opinion, the problem starts with the basic approach recruiters and hiring managers take to evaluating talent. Every recruiter I know starts with two basic filters: education and experience. First they look at where you went to school and what degree you received, then they look at the companies you have worked for in the past. In fact some companies have turned this into religious doctrine: if you didn’t get the right grades at the right college and have the right previous work experience you might as well be a felon on the run.

Maybe it’s because I barely graduated from a small liberal arts school, or maybe it’s because I have jumped around a lot in my career, but I think these filters are crap. Worse, I think they are doing real damage to our institutions and our country.

We have met people who almost flunked out of high school and went on to make significant contributions to their businesses and communities. And we have most likely all met (or seen on TV) blithering idiots with a complete lack of morals who graduated with honors from an Ivy League university. Best of all, I have had the real joy of working with people who failed miserably at all their previous jobs, only to watch them turn into complete rock stars in their new role in a new company. What could be better than that?

The great thing about America is that the past is prologue. That means we give people a chance when they make mistakes and that someone who gets knocked to the ground a hundred times gets the chance to brush themselves off and get back in the arena to compete (my favorite quote by Theodore Roosevelt who speaks directly to this sentiment). But that should also mean that we don’t give people a medal because of past accomplishments that could have been nothing more than dumb luck. Interviews should focus on the value a person can add in the future, not their past.

I have been singing from this hymnal for a long time. And many are eager to point out that this is easier said than done. People will agree with me in principle but then ask how they can convince hiring managers to take a look at the resume that everyone else is discarding, or how to get a recruiter to stand up and fight for a candidate that everyone else dismisses. I don’t have snappy answers to those questions, but I do know this: there is no greater reward in life than taking a chance on someone and having it pay off. There is no greater opportunity for our companies than figuring out a way to unleash employee potential. There is no greater need than to shift our focus from keeping the wrong people out to ensuring that we are all the right people.

I hope that recruiters and hiring managers will give themselves the opportunity to fight the good fight and earn that feeling. And I hope that candidates will keep their chins up and their hopes alive, realizing that there are people out here who are trying to find a way to take a chance on you.

The Problem With Job Interviews is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

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1. Goldilocks And The Three Interviews
2. Turned Down For A Job? Decide If It’s Time For ‘Fight or Flight’
3. Not All Interviews Are The Same…Be Aware

What would you do if you won the lottery and had economic security for the rest of your life?

Most of us live this illusion that if we could just have enough money all our problems would be solved. Asking people to think about their lives without that money filter helps them get to what they feel is missing in their lives.

Over time a pattern has emerged. The responses to the lottery question seem to fall into one of four categories:

Home – People often express their regrets about the amount of time they spend chasing the next rung on the career ladder. They wish they spent more time with their families and friends.

Me - Others want more “me” time. Economic security would allow them to finally realize their fantasies of trips to Vegas, weeks at the spa or riding a motorcycle cross country.

Busy – A surprising number of people tell me that they wouldn’t change much. This answer usually sounds like “I don’t like just sitting around, so I would go back to work to occupy myself.”

Purpose - Occasionally someone leans forward and tells me about the business they would start. These people usually have a clear picture about why they are here on earth and how their work helps them accomplish that purpose.

When I am interviewing people I just note the reaction and move on to the next question. But when I am coaching people I take the time to explore their answer and ask them to think about what their reaction means. For instance, those who want to spend more time focused on:

Home - Is your career worth the regret of losing time with people you love? Think about the end of your life – will you regret not having a better title or not having seen your daughter’s first step?

Me - Do you really want a career? Or do you want a way to earn just enough money to go have fun? There is nothing wrong with that. But do you really want to spend your life grinding away at a job you hate so that you can catch fleeting moments of freedom?

Busy - Explore what you really love to do. Jobs increasingly require an ability to add unique value. If you just see work as a way to keep busy you may be putting yourself at a disadvantage to people who really love to do what you do.

Purpose - How can you use your present position to start that company: make the right connections and bring your passion to your position?

So what would you do if you didn’t have to worry about money any more? And what does that tell you about your career and your job search?

Why Are You Working? Ask Yourself the Lottery Question is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

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2. The Scariest Job interview Question Of All…
3. Handling The ‘What Do You Do?’ Question When Unemployed

Here is a look into the interviews of three unique job candidates in this present-day allegory:

This Interview is TOO HOT

“I am big-time, all the time, when it’s fine I’m online. I am a go-getter, a self-starter, a do-gooder and a no liar. I act nice, feel good, stand tall and talk fast. I have a can-do, will-do, never won’t-do, gonna make do attitude. My friends call me ‘Slick Nick’ with the tricks that can’t be licked. Hire me if you want to accelerate, depreciate, congregate and replicate your corporate success. I am all about synergy, with maximum energy, and never making enemies. The bottom line is this is the time to get in line with my business-kind and see how fine your future with be WITH ME!”

This Interview is TOO COLD

“I don’t know if I am I right for this job. Do you think I am right for this job? I think I am under-dressed for this interview. I know I should have dressed for success. That’s what mother told me to do, but she just drives me nuts. Doesn’t your mother bother you? How much is the pay for this job anyway? Accomplishments? Well, it is a little hard to tell what I did versus what my team did. I am more a “cog in the wheel” type of person, if you know what I mean. What’s that? Why do I want the job? I don’t know. I guess I NEED the job more than I WANT it. Are we almost done? I have an appointment to look at my bunion at 3 p.m. and I don’t want to miss it.”

This Interview is JUST RIGHT

“Thanks for taking the time to talk with me. I appreciate the opportunity to answer your questions. Will there be a chance to ask you some questions at the end of the interview? No? No problem. Would you mind if I followed up the interview via email with some questions? It’s just that I have done quite a bit of research on your company, your products, you, and I would appreciate the chance to learn more. I would especially like to know more about your new product launch, and the time you spent at ACME Co. My accomplishments? I like to describe my previous work experience in terms of the unique value I believe I created for the companies I worked for. I also learned a lot through those experiences. I’ll give you some specific examples. When can I start? When do you need me?”

The lesson? The “Just Right” interview has three qualities:

• Show interest in the position and willingness to invest in the interview process.
• See the interview as a give-AND-take, not a give (too hot) OR take (too cold).
• Talk about your accomplishments in terms of unique value added. Don’t use buzzwords or generalities that make people think you are all talk and no action. But don’t shy away from talking about what you have accomplished either. Your future employer needs to know that you can add value to their business.

Goldilocks And The Three Interviews is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

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1. Not All Interviews Are The Same…Be Aware
2. The Problem With Job Interviews
3. Dream Your Job: Don’t Look For A Goldilocks Solution (Part 7)

The first step in career surfing is to understand some simple rules for picking waves:

Be Mellow – Everyone does an impression of the mellow surfer, just hanging out and saying things like “Dude” and “Gnarly.” Those impressions usually aren’t far off from reality. But being mellow serves a bigger purpose than just having fun. Picking the right wave involves concentration. If you are stressed out or being “Type A” you will likely grab the first wave you can. Unfortunately, that probably won’t be the right wave for you. Patience is a virtue in career surfing, and being mellow makes being patient a whole lot easier.

Hang Out with Your Buddies – Waiting for the next wave can be boring. That’s why you always see surfers gathered together and talking between sets. Again, the talking serves a bigger purpose than just chit-chat. They are sharing information and telling stories. People who surf that spot regularly know the local conditions and will freely offer great inside information about how the waves break, what today’s conditions mean and where to catch the best ride.

Don’t Pick the First Wave - “Newbies” (as they are sometimes called in surfing lingo) always hop on the first wave of a set. They just don’t understand that “Surfing” isn’t about riding waves. It is about the whole experience of waiting with friends, picking the right wave, riding it to the end and then paddling out for the next one. If you approach career surfing with this big picture in mind you understand that you don’t want to hop on the first wave that comes along. Experienced surfers know the first wave is usually the worst. Waves come in sets, and you want to take a look at the whole set, not just the individual waves. Pick a set that is building to something bigger and better and then select waves based on the traffic on each wave. Where are you in the line-up? It might be better to pick an earlier or later wave in the set if there aren’t a lot of people riding it.

It’s Not About the Wave, It’s About How You Ride It - It is not always possible to predict which wave will be perfect for you. If you really want to career surf, eventually you are going to have to take your chances and pick a wave. Surfers know that despite their best efforts they often miss the best wave. So they focus on how long and how well they surf the wave they are on rather than regretting all the waves they didn’t catch.

Dump Out if it is a Bad Ride – Every surfer knows the feeling of catching a bad wave. You watch the horizon, evaluate the set, pick your target and paddle hard, only to realize that the wave just isn’t building the way you thought it would. A good surfer knows that sometimes it is better to dump out of a bad wave and get back in the line-up. You don’t get any parades for getting to the top in surfing, so best to only stick with the waves you enjoy.

There is a lot of surfing lingo here. In the next weeks we will dig a little deeper into each of these areas and apply it to real career situations.

How To Pick The Right Career Wave: Tips For Surfers is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

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1. Are You Climbing The Career Mountain Or Surfing The Career Wave?
2. Whose Career Plan Are You On?
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Abby is a go-getter, so she had her response ready: she wanted to manage the next big systems project. Her logic was iron-clad. It was what people in her role did to get ahead.   She had some serious doubts about the project, but she put those aside to ensure she would hit the next point on the way to her career summit.

Unfortunately, Abby’s next project was canceled and her climb was put on hold. All her careful planning and preparation went to waste because she was so focused on the next step that she didn’t realize that she wasn’t climbing a career mountain. Abby, like many of us, was surfing a career wave.

What’s the difference between a career mountain climber and a career surfer?

The Career Mountain Climber: Mountain climbers examine the terrain, pick the right path, stock up with supplies and start working their way up. The bigger the mountain the harder the climb, the more planning and preparation is required. The summit is the goal, and it never moves. This stability and predictability means it is worthwhile to do a lot of planning and preparation and view the climb as an attack: the climber against the mountain.

The Career Surfer: In contrast, every good surfer knows you can’t predict the perfect wave. You need to be able to scan the horizon, look at the conditions and pick the right moment. Doing a lot of planning and preparation isn’t as important as being ready when the wave shows up, and nothing matters as much as being able to pick the right wave and ride it to the shore.

What’s better surfing or climbing?

We have all been told for years that people climb the career ladder, attack the summit and plan their approach. We have been told careers are about climbing. But with all the changes that are going on today it seems as if career management and job seeking is more like surfing: you have to be in the water when the waves show up and be willing to take the risk of grabbing the one that feels right. Or perhaps do you wait for the the next wave which could be even better? But if you spend all your time thinking the next wave will be better, you will never catch any wave.

The changing economy and world of work means that the mountain metaphor is starting to cloud over. The summit is hard to see, and stocking up for a sustained attack feels like a waste of time. Picking the wave, paddling hard and riding it as long as it is fun seem like a better way to approach a career (and a life).

Yesterday Abby understood her career and her path. But today that summit is being moved offshore and the path to the top has changed. Abby thought she was doing the right thing preparing herself for her climb, but when the conditions changed and the summit moved she wasn’t well prepared and she got stuck on the side of the mountain.

Surfing, not climbing. Next week we’ll talk about how to pick a wave.

Are You Climbing The Career Mountain Or Surfing The Career Wave? is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

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1. How To Pick The Right Career Wave: Tips For Surfers
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3. The Resume/Profile/CV Tsunami – Hit by the Talent Wave

Over the past 20 years we have grown our economy by buying stuff we don’t need with money we don’t have from companies we don’t like. We bought cheap clothes at warehouse stores while bemoaning the loss of textile jobs in the south and Wal-Mart’s labor practices. We grabbed the latest deal on electronics at the local Best Buy while feeling robbed of solid high-tech jobs that were being shipped overseas. And many of us (me included) have participated in cost-cutting exercises at work only to feel a nervous shiver through our spine when we think about our children’s future.

As consumers we have demanded that things be cheaper, faster, better and more accessible. But as employees we are experiencing first-hand the consequences of those demands. It is what might be called a “total bummer”: Can’t I buy what is cheap, available and makes me feel good and forget all the other stuff?

Yes, we can do that. And then we can watch our jobs go overseas. When that happens the key question we have to ask ourselves is “What jobs will stay here?” Fortunately there is plenty of opportunity for hope. We are still the most creative and innovative country on earth. The world still looks to us to define cultural and technical trends. Our iPods may be made in China, but they are designed in the U.S.

But being a part of the team that designs the next iPod, or comes up with a new internet solution, or thinks of a better way to create clean energy requires something different of us as job seekers and talent – We have to be willing to change the way we think about work.

Finding work with meaning, doing what you love, bringing fun to work and being comfortable, or even taking advantage of ambiguity and unexpected change are all critical parts of being successful in this century. They are not HR flights of fancy. In fact, I feel confident in guaranteeing that if you can’t answer what your dream job is, if you don’t know what gets you up in the morning, and if you don’t know what makes your work fun and enjoyable that your career is at risk.

Have We Been Putting Our Careers At Risk Since The Recession Hit? is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

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Your Career Bank is like any other bank: you put stuff into it during the good times so that you can take stuff out during the rough times. When you are looking for a job you are going to make a lot of withdrawals from your Career Bank. For instance:

• Connections – We have all heard it a thousand times: the best way to get a job is through your network.
• Advice – Looking for a job is tough. Having a mentor or trusted guide can be invaluable.
• Access - You know that you could get the job if you could just get to the right person.
• Information – You are about to walk into an interview and need some quick information about the company. Your friends are often the best source.

When you go to make a withdrawal you usually can’t provide something in return. That’s why you have a “Career Bank” and not a “Career Pawnshop” or a “Career Loan.” When you are really in need you usually don’t have something that other people want bad enough to exchange.

And you are always withdrawing against what you have already deposited. You don’t get too many career credit lines. You have a Career Bank, not a “Career Credit Card.”

What happens when your Career Bank balance is low? Your withdrawal requests get denied. Your career checks bounce. You reach out to a friend for advice and they say they are too busy. Your old mentor can’t afford to have lunch with you. When you reach out to your network to find a way into a job all you hear are crickets.

You can never be overdrawn on your Career Bank. When you requests are denied you have that “taker brand” (LINK) we talked about last week. You are always filling out withdrawal slips and writing checks without thinking about the deposits needed to cover those checks.

So regardless of whether you are in the middle of a job search or comfortably employed, making career bank deposits is one the wisest things you can do. Here are some pointers on how to make easy deposits:

• Help – I got the greatest email yesterday. A person was applying for a job that I have open. They admitted they weren’t a fit, even though they want the job badly. So did they just beg and hope for the best? No! They recommended three of their friends who they thought would be a good fit. Talk about a great deposit (with both me and their friends).
• Teach – Do you know something that would help others? Take some time to teach them. Offer to spend some time on the phone giving them advice or information. Someday you may be asking for the same favor in return.
• Connect – Think of all the people you know. Anybody you should be introducing to each other? Have a friend who you know hates their job and may be looking for one soon? Then connect them with someone who can help them.
• Gratitude – The simplest thing to do is to thank people for the withdrawals you have made in the past! Expressing gratitude makes huge deposits in your Career Bank.

Looking for a new job is hard. But if aren’t making regular deposits into your career bank you will definitely be bouncing checks at the worst possible time. Take the time to make some deposits today.

Career Banks: Are You Invested Or Overdrawn? is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

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If you can answer “yes” to any of those questions then you are a rare person indeed. You hear stories all the time about people who don’t buy a product or service because of how they were treated. But buying or investing because you are treated well? Not so much.

Here is the harsh reality of the present recruiting landscape:

• Jobseekers know it’s broken. Badly. Liz Ryan has done a pretty good job of making this clear, and I agree with most of what she says.
• Recruiters and recruiting management often know it’s broken. I speak at a lot of conferences that are filled or overflowing with recruiting executives desperately looking for a new innovation that can help them make a bad situation better.
• The recruiting process isn’t likely to get better any time soon. Even with billions of dollars invested in new technologies, processes, recruiters, sourcers and every other solution under the sun.

There isn’t a premium on the stocks of companies that treat their talent or prospective talent well. I have read the studies that attempt to disprove this fact, but they are almost universally proving something called “negative correlation” (i.e. companies that have bad employment practices have lower stock prices, but you can’t prove one causes the other). What is needed is proof of “positive causation” (i.e. companies with good hiring practices have higher stock prices because of those practices).

Without proof of the positive relationship between how a company treats their prospective talent recruiting ends up being treated like administrative overhead.  But you, the job seeker, employee or consumer, have the power to help change that. Here is how you can help make recruiting better and smarter:

Take To The Sites - Use Glassdoor.com to share information. If there aren’t enough positive motivators for change (i.e. increased stock price) then fear of being called out publicly for bad behavior will have to do.

Give Direct Feedback – If you believe a company is treating you like crap then let them know it. Most companies would really prefer to know about a problem and get a chance to fix it rather than lose a customer or damage their brand (notice I said “most companies.”) As Liz points out, if you are professional in how you deliver the feedback it can often been seen as a sign that you are a problem solver. And be open to the feedback in return. After all, it sometimes takes two to tango.

Tell Your Friends – If you have a great recruiting experience then buy that company’s product or service, or invest in their stock. Even if you can’t afford that approach (perhaps you have a great recruiting experience with a Ferrari dealer) then at least go public with your love. Tell people that you would (or did) buy or invest in a company that treats people with courtesy and respect.

If you do these things you will give recruiting departments the ammo they need to fight this battle. It won’t always work, but I’ll bet you that it will make things better.

3 Ways To Help Companies Hire Smarter Sooner; Hint – Go Public is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

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