Tips for job hunting in an unsteady economy

Although there continues to be some pretty dismal and negative news within our industry and others as well with continual news of lay offs, pending closings, etc., there are still many jobs out there that are open and waiting to be filled! As I always remind you all...if a recruiter in this industry remains to be be busy...things truly are not that bad. I remain to be busy - which is a great sign and underlying strength in our industry regardless of the downturn and recent chaos in the housing market!

Nonetheless, these are indeed different times and many of you have expressed concern and also frustration to me in your job search efforts. Here are some tips from an article I read recently on how to best go about your job search in an uncertain economy. Hope it helps some of you...enjoy and hope you all have a great day!

Experts recommend the following actions to increase your job-search success in an uncertain economic climate.

Tailor your presentations; don't be generic. "In developing a resume and other promotions materials, think about how your current skills and talents apply directly to the responsibilities you'll hold in the new job.

Create a target list of companies," says career coach Julie Jansen, author of "You Want Me to Work with Who?" She suggests sending the list to 25 people, asking them if they can put you in touch with an employee at one of the listed companies.

Make yourself and your skills more visible. Post and refreshing your resume in more places, such as online job boards, and going to job fairs.

"Create an advisory board of smart and empathetic people and confer with them regularly about your job search," says Jansen.

Hone and utilize your 'elevator pitch' as often as possible, referring to a 30-second summary of your professional assets.

Keep your spirits high. Don't let the process overwhelm you or weigh you down. Jansen advises, "Make a list of your five favorite things to do, and do them!"

Make an effort daily. "Do one thing each day -- like emailing a new contact or attending a networking event -- that moves your job search forward. Your worst enemy is inertia.

Interview Follow Up Do's & Dont's

Having seen my fair share of interview follow up blunders throughout my recruiting career and have also made some myself over the years when I have been in job search and interviewing mode. This article below provided some good tips and reminders on what to do and most importantly not to do when you follow up after an interview. Enjoy!

Do ask at the end of the interview when the employer expects to make the hiring decision.

Do be proactive and consider follow-up a strategic part of your job search process. Follow-up can give you just the edge you need to get the job offer over others who interviewed for the position.

Do use these follow-up techniques to continue to show your enthusiasm and desire for the position, but don’t make it seem as though you are desperate.

Do obtain the correct titles and names of all the people who interviewed you. Get business cards of everyone you met with!

Do write individual thank you notes or letters to each person who interviewed you -- within two business days. Each letter can be essentially the same, but try to vary each a bit in case recipients compare notes.

Don't ever have any errors (misspellings or typos) in your thank you letters.

Don't worry so much about hand-written versus typed thank you letters, but don’t make a mistake by sending it through the wrong medium; make sure you know the best method of reaching the employer, whether by regular mail, email, or fax.

In your thank you letter, do show appreciation for the employer’s interest in you and do remind the employer about why you are the perfect person for the position.

Do alert your references -- if you have not done so already -- that they may be getting a phone call from the employer.

Don't stop job-hunting, even if you feel confident that you will get a job offer. Do continue to interview and attempt to find other opportunities.

Do follow-up with a telephone call to the employer within a week to ten days (or sooner, if the employer had a shorter timetable) to ask about the position. And do continue to build rapport and sell your strengths during the phone call.

Do be patient. The hiring process often takes longer than the employer expects.

Do continue following-up, especially if the employer asks you to. Just don’t go overboard and annoy or bother the employer.

Don't burn any bridges if you do not get a job offer. And do try and turn the situation into a positive by bringing the interviewer(s) into your network, possibly even asking them for referrals to other contacts.

Job Hopping Pros and Cons

Many people that I speak with often express concern over how having changed jobs so frequently may affect the way they may be viewed as a job hopper by a new potential employer. Quite honestly, most people I speak with these days have resumes that include changing jobs every few years or so and do so for a wide variety of reasons. It is a rarity to see someone that stays with a company 5-10+ years. As such, here is a portion from an article I saw on yahoo this morning that I thought may interest some of you...enjoy!

Job-Hopping Pros & Cons

Ultimately, it's important to plan carefully when evaluating a job change and not switch too often, experts say, citing the following pros and cons

*Pro: Pay increases. "The way you make a large jump in your pay scale is when you leave a company and go to another one. It's proven time and time again.

*Pro: Networking. Different gigs expose you to new networks of people, which can be a real asset.

*Pro: Learning new skills. New environments sometimes teach workers new skills and how to function more quickly, says Kathy Jeffery, vice president of human resources at WhittmanHart Consulting in Chicago.

*Con: Landing in a worse situation. "You might jump into a new job that's worse than your old job," Gee explains.

*Con: Moving too soon. "If you're really leaving places rather quickly you may not be extracting the full value from what that particular workplace has to offer you,

Leave this info out of your interview!

I recently read a great article on things to leave out of an interview. I would even take it a step further and suggest that much of the below items be left out of most workplace conversations. I think we have al had "that co worker" who shared a bit too much, a bit too freely! Going in line with my last post about bad interviews and ways to improve your interviews, I thought some of these rules of thumb on what not to discuss may help some of you ace those interviews! This article was courtesy of msn careers written by Rachel Zupak. Enjoy!

Everyone knows someone privy to sharing too much information – the TMI, if you will. TMIs have no boundaries and no shame. They will tell you any and every piece of personal information, whether it's filling you in on her latest try at the fertility doctor or the dream he had about your boss last night.

Sharing too much information with your co-workers is an office no-no; sharing too much personal information during the interview is an entirely different ballgame.

Need help deciding what information crosses the line and what doesn't? Here's a list of what personal information Lopeke says is safe, borderline and absolutely forbidden in your interview.

Green light: Go ahead with the following personal info.

Goals. It's OK to talk about what you want in your next assignment and what inspired you to apply for the position. "This is the 'what you want, why now, why them' conversation," Lopeke says.

Growth. You can and should talk about the things you've done up to this point to invest in yourself and your professional development.

Highlights. "Relate the highlights of your greatest professional achievements to date without exaggerating or pontificating," she says.

Motivations. Talk about what motivates you, excites you, what brought you to that particular industry and what attracted you to that specific employment opportunity.

Yellow light: Discuss with caution.

Vacations. If you can chat about a past vacation in relation to the company, it might be OK for your interview.

"For example, if you know the prospective employer is a big supporter of Habitat for Humanity and you vacationed in the same spot where a new housing initiative was just built, it could work for you," Lopeke says. But, if you're bragging about the six month trip around the world you took during your unemployment, you should probably refrain.

Allergies. "If the interviewer is suffering from allergies and you do too, it could be a bonding moment," Lopeke says. But, "if you use the moment to declare you're allergic to stupid people, you'll get tagged as arrogant."

Pets. Talking about your furry friends at home can work for or against you. Dogs and cats shouldn't get you into too much trouble, but exotic or high-maintenance companions can be perceived as an issue.

All skills. It's not necessary to possess every quality the employer has put on its wish list. If you mention only a couple of skills, it shows you have both initiative and growth potential.

Red light: Do not delve into these personal topics during your interview.

Lifestyle choices, politics, religion or family plans. "Controversial topics may make for stimulating conversation but an attractive employee does not stimulate water-cooler frenzy among the masses," Lopeke advises.

Endless name dropping. You can establish that you know some of the same people as the interviewer to build rapport, but don't think you're upping the ante by upping the volume. "While you may know certain people who work for the company already, you don't always know how they are perceived by their employer," Lopeke says. "If they're on the hit list for any reason, you could be painted with that 'birds of a feather' brush instead of being evaluated on your own merit."

Health history. Stay away from your health history – mental and otherwise. "You're supposed to be positioning yourself as dependable and reliable; not as a candidate likely to spike the bell curve on benefit-related expenses," Lopeke says.

House problems, nanny drama or rehab trips. Employers don't want to know much about your life except as it relates to what you've done professionally and what you're likely able to do for them.

Bosses from hell. Simply put, no prospective boss wants to hear a litany of "boss from hell" stories. They'll hate you for it.