10 Tips for Getting Hired

It's a jungle out there with high unemployment and now recent college graduates applying for the same positions!  Getting hired takes some skills and strategy. Here are Blog Sisters' 10 Tips for Getting Hired:

1- SHOWCASE YOUR EXPERTISE
While job searching, take some time (if possible) to donate your expertise to a local charity or organization related to your industry. For example, while Christine was working for a developer, she donated her time and expertise to revive the defunct American Marketing Association Miami Chapter. The initial meeting including guest speaker was a sensational hit. Her rainbow of organizational skills, marketing expertise, presentation and public speaking abilities and genuine passion for the field, caught the eye of the Director of Marketing for another organization. He soon contacted Christine for a job interview. 

2- USE LINKEDIN to TARGET COMPANIES
Before sending your resume, check out LinkedIn’s Companies feature. Look at New Hires to see who just landed a job, and ask those employees how to target your approach.  Now here's a golden nugget: You may also learn about job opportunities that aren’t yet advertised by talking with former employees listed in Departures. LinkedIn is a valuable resource. If you're not familiar with it, visit the site and explore and start connecting/networking with other professionals.

3- DO YOUR HOMEWORK
To attract the attention of a hiring manager, you’ll want to tailor your resume for each specific company. To do this well, you have to know the company well. So do your homework: review their website, read company reviews on Glassdoor.com, and follow the company on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.


4- CREATE A DIGITAL FRIENDLY RESUME
With technology employed by more hiring managers, this means hundreds if not thousands of applicants are emailing and uploading their resume. Here's an important tip: have an extra version that is digital friendly. In other words, leave out the bullets, indentations and special fonts and characters.  Many times a WORD format resume will be scanned and jumbled into one massive paragraph. When uploading to a website, use your digital version.

5- USE KEY WORDS IN THE RESUME
This is one of those tips that seems obvious yet only the regularly unemployed have learned this valuable lesson the hard way.  Tweak your resume and use the same key words from the job posting.  Again, hiring managers use technology to scan resumes. If your key words add up, you're one step closer to landing that interview.

6- NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK
This goes to the saying "It's not always what you know, but who you know".  Check online and your local paper for various free networking events.  In this social type atmosphere, it's easy to approach other professionals since you're all there for the same reason. Be prepared and have business cards with your name and contact phone and email! You can easily make them at home with templates from Office Depot (must have printer at home) or use a resource such as http://www.vista.com/.

7- PUT ON HAT OF HIRING MANAGER
Instead of focusing entirely on advice for job seekers, check out books and blogs for managers about how to hire. You’ll get a much deeper understanding of what hiring managers are looking for, which will help you improve your interviewing skills and market yourself better as a potential employee.

8- TAKE STEP BACK TO MOVE FORWARD
 I actually took a job temping as a coordinator while my resume clearly showed I have management experience to a director's level. But when the well starts to run dry, you do what you have to do.  The company that you are temping for will usually regard that as a plus. You have the experience and knowledge and need minimal training.  This job soon led to a permanent one of a higher position matching my skills.

9 - BECOME A MENTOR
Similar to tip number one, this not only demonstrates your skills but follows a philosophy we learned from "Rich Dad Poor Dad"  and that is--give what you need. If you need a job, give your talents to someone who will benefit and appreciate it. Mentoring a young student or professional has potential rewards. You may find new opportunities, new contacts, and if anything else, the act of mentoring is fulfilling. An absolute reward.

10 - ALWAYS FOLLOW UP
Another golden rule we live by, and not just after interviews, is to follow up. A phone call is acceptable but a better approach we recommend is a handwritten note on a professional notecard! It's a direct message, without coming across as aggressive, shows professionalism and your gratitude.

If you have followed any of these tips and if any have worked for you--share your story below by clicking on "comment".

Now go get hired!
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