It seems like just about every time you turn around, some
blog, newspaper, radio station, or television show is offering
job-seekers "insider" tips for finding a job. But job-hunting is
simply not that complicated. In fact, you should be able to
easily obtain at least one job offer simply by following the
six job-hunting tips in this article. No secrets or insider
information -- just straightforward expert advice designed to
help you find new employment and land your next job.
Six Expert Tips for How to Find a New Job
1. It's all about your network. Whether you feel you have an
extremely small network or are blessed with a large and
connected network, the way to your next job is through the
people you know. The vast majority of jobs are filled
through referrals -- through people recommending someone
they know for a position. The vast majority of jobs are not
found through responding to job listings or posting your
resume on job boards, but through networking. So, the first
step when you are looking for a new job is to tell everyone
in your network about the job you are seeking.
Even when not job-hunting, your goal should be to stay in
touch with your network while also expanding it by joining
professional and community organizations. Another great
tool for expanding your network -- especially for new college
grads and graduate students -- is targeting key
professionals within your career field and requesting
informational interviews.
Networking is best when done in person, but as you'll see in
the third tip, you can also build and maintain relationships
with people online.
Learn more about networking here .
2. Knowledge is power, thus researching prospective
employers is essential. Make no mistake; the job-seekers
with the best success in job-hunting are those who have
thoroughly researched prospective employers -- both from a
standpoint of whether the organization's mission, focus, and
culture are a fit, as well as understanding the company -- its
strengths and weaknesses, key needs, and competitive
information. Job-seekers can use research throughout the
job-search, from an initial search for developing a list of
prospective employers to target, to uncovering people in
those companies to network with, to succeeding in the job
interview.
The job-seeker who can persuasively respond to the why do
you want to work here and what do you know about our
company questions and who can propose solutions to an
underlying problem, demonstrate strategies for increasing
revenues, or present ideas for saving the company money is
the one who will get the job offer.
Find tips -- and even a step-by-step guide -- for researching
companies .
3. Use the Web to build your reputation and your network.
There's no question that the Internet has to play a key role
in your next job-search, but perhaps not the way you
thought. The Web's power in assisting your successful job-
search is not through your spending countless hours on
Monster or other unfocused job boards, but through you
using the Web to build your reputation and expand your
network. All professionals should have a LinkedIn
membership, which allows you to develop a page that can
function as your online resume and recommendation page,
while also providing you with the venue for finding and
networking with others in your field (or from your previous
jobs and educational institutions). You might also stay
active in a social networking site, such as Facebook,but keep your profile clean.
The best strategy for those with even just a bit of Web
savvy is to buy your name (or some variation of it) as a
domain name and develop a small Website that showcases
your talents, skills, education, and accomplishments. You
could publish anything from your resume to a full online
portfolio of your work.
Learn more by reading our annual report on the state of
Internet job-hunting , as well as our key branding and self-
marketing tools and resources for job-seekers .
4. Customize cover letters and resumes to each
opportunity. In applying for a position with an organization,
submit a customized resume and cover letter that each are
tailored to the specific job requirements, utilizing the same
keywords the employer uses to describe the opening. Even
better, use some of the same words to describe yourself as
the employer uses to describe the organization.
If you've never written a resume -- or haven't in a long time
-- read up on the current trends and styles for developing
your resume, while remembering that your resume is a
marketing document designed to help you get that job
interview. My partner, Katharine Hansen, suggests there are
only two real unbreakable rules of resumes: do not lie and
have no typos or misspellings.
For other suggestions, tips, tools, and free samples, see our
cover letter resources and resume resources.
5. Prepare thoroughly for job interviews. Determine the type
of interview and interview questions, develop thorough
responses to the questions, and run through a few practice
interviews. The best way to uncover the type of interview(s)
to expect is simply to ask your contact at the organization.
Then find sample interview questions and compose short,
but focused responses that include an element of
storytelling to help you remember (but not memorize) the
responses. Finally, practice interviews give you a chance to
receive critical feedback on your performance and make
adjustments before the actual interview.
Remember that everything counts in the interview -- from
the impressions you make with the receptionist and support
staff to your nonverbal behaviors during the interview to the
depth and quality of your interview questions responses.
Find all the tips, tools, sample questions, and more free
tools to wow them in your next interview, by using our
interviewing resources.
6. Stay proactive and follow up all job leads and after every
interview. If any of these tips has the potential to be an
insider secret, perhaps its following up, since so few job-
seekers seem to understand the concept. The idea behind
follow-up is keeping your name in front of the hiring
manager -- by ensuring she has all the information about
you she needs, composing thank-you letters to each person
who interviews you, and updating the hiring manager with
any new information about your qualifications for the
position.
In terms of thank-you notes, the best method is sending an
email thank-you shortly after your interviews, followed by a
more traditional thank-you (typed or hand-written) sent by
postal mail.
Still not sure about how to follow-up? Read our articles...
Follow Up All Job Leads: Don't Wait by the Phone (or
Computer) and The Art of the Follow-Up After Job
Interviews .
Final Thoughts on Finding a New Job
Finding a good job with an employer that's a good match
for you usually takes a lot of time and effort on your part. If
you take job-hunting as seriously as you take your job or
schooling -- putting in the long hours of research and
dedication -- the efforts should result in multiple job leads
and at least one new job offer. Using the tips in this article --
along with the more detailed information you can find within
Quintessential Careers -- should lay the foundation for the
work you need to complete to succeed in your job
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