Career Guide Tips

Networking

As anyone who has spent a good deal of time looking for work can tell you, networking is one of the most important aspects of job hunting. Many job opportunities come about not because of a candidate having more relevant skills, a better education, or more experience, but simply from knowing and communicating with the right people. Any candidate seeking suitable employment will not succeed if that fact that he or she is looking is not made known, especially if this information is not propagated through suitable sources. Whether you are aiming to switch jobs or get back into the working world after a long sabbatical, marketing yourself to your friends, family, acquaintances or colleagues is an important way to learn about suitable vacancies.

Social Networking Sites

A large percentage of people spend several hours every week uploading pictures and keeping up with their friends’ daily lives on social networking sites like Facebook and Orkut. These websites can be fun and helpful tools for keeping in touch with friends, but they can also be powerful job-searching tools. Use social networking sites to broadcast your availability for employment. Through these sites, you can make your profile public and showcase your experience, skills, and education.

There is an excellent chance that a friend, family member, or former colleague may know of a job opening suitable for you, and may even want to hire you themselves. Other websites, such as LinkedIn, have been created for the sole purpose of professional networking. Join these sites and use them as a platform to discuss business and ideas, and to build contacts.

Online Head Hunters

The internet is a vast resource that you can use to aid in your quest to find a job. Head hunting websites such as Monster.com are easy to join and greatly bolster your job prospects. Most are free: simply visit the site, sign up, and fill in your relevant details. Employers have accounts with these sites and, utilizing certain keywords, are able to find suitable candidates for job openings within their companies.

When joining sites such as these, be sure to fill in all information as accurately and completely as possible, including as much information about your experience and education as you can. In addition, many head hunting websites offer professional résumé services, so you can receive help sprucing up or streamlining your résumé if you feel like the document’s lack of quality may be hindering your chances of employment.

By Sherry Han