#1 Critical Job Search Tip

Avoid negative people at all costs.

Support groups seem great in theory, but are often ineffective in practice. Be selective to which events you attend and be mindful of the company you keep. If you aren’t leaving the events feeling happy and energized, then you shouldn’t go anymore. When looking for work, mindset is everything. It can be hard to stay positive. There’s no need to make it harder on yourself by spending time with people that make your feel worse.

The same applies for friends and family who put you down or make you feel bad about your employment situation. Stay clear of anyone who can’t help you remain positive!


Read more at http://www.careerealism.com/unemployment-job-search/#7SH5tKiSTq9bbsdf.99

One Way You Can SuperCharge Your Job Search on Linkedin

Targeted Outreach To Companies

Many job seekers don’t realize that targeting specific employers is a powerful way to gain entry to new career opportunities. By making the fatal mistake of assuming a job opportunity has to already exist, they miss out on the incredible benefit of accessing the Hidden Job Market – job openings that will soon be available but have not yet been publicly advertised. With LinkedIn’s business intelligence you gain take your targeted outreach to the next level.

Network with connections you already have in the company: I presume you already know that when you visit a company profile on LinkedIn you will be presented with a list of connections you have with the employer. If you filter that list, then leverage the intelligence you can garner from each connection’s profile, you will boost your networking requests of them to the next level.
Seed your profile with documents: By studying the target company’s LinkedIn profile, you can gather quite a bit of data about their corporate direction, job openings, divisions, and key people and products. Use this information to decide what kinds of supplemental documents or media you can add to your profile to tighten the alignment between your brand and their needs.
Comment on company shares: Sure you can follow a company’s shares on LinkedIn, but why not go a step further and look for ways to comment on those shares? By infusing your comments with your experience, insights, and authenticity you gently bring yourself to the awareness of the share’s source.

Read more at http://www.careerealism.com/linkedin-job-search-results-supercharge/#rf3p5D4TM2oqX02O.99

What is Your Greatness Weakness?

What is your greatest weakness? It is probably thee toughest question to answer in an interview. I am always tempted to say "Cookies!". That is a true statement, trust me, but that is not what an interviewer is looking for. They are looking for your aptitude to evaluate yourself.

In a nutshell:
Always be honest, even if you think it might hurt your chance for an offer, although it probably won’t. To summarize, here’s what to do when you’re asked the question.

State your weakness.
Let the interviewer know you’re aware of it.
Show them you’ve figured out how to deal with it.
Show them that solution worked.

Read more at http://www.careerealism.com/interview-question-ruins/#6tWcEZrcJ1sQFM3R.99

Don't Waste Your Job Search Energy on These

1. Applying For Jobs You Aren’t Qualified For

If you are in desperate need of a job, you may be tempted to apply for all of the latest job openings posted online. The problem with this strategy is that every employer has its own set of criteria for each job posting. If you don’t meet this criteria, applying for the job will only waste your time (and the time of the employer).

Recruiters and hiring managers are not likely to consider you for the position if you don’t meet their minimum requirements. Instead of wasting your time applying for every job listing you can find, focus on applying for jobs that you actually qualify for.

2. Not Expanding Your Search Methods

Many job seekers focus all of their energy searching online for job opportunities. Online job boards should be an integral part of your search, but it should not the only avenue you focus on. Try setting up email alerts for new job postings that meet your criteria and trying new job search outlets. Aside from online job boards and social media, you can also attend networking events and job fairs to get in touch with recruiters. Diversifying your search will increase your chances of landing the job you want.

3. Applying For Jobs You Don’t Want

Why apply for a job you don’t want? You may be surprised by how many people actually do this. If you have no interest in the employer or the position, don’t waste your time submitting an application or attending an interview. This only wastes your time and the recruiter’s time as well. Even if you are in urgent need of a job, you should only focus your time and energy on applying for jobs that appeal to you.


Read more at http://www.careerealism.com/job-search-time-wasters-avoid/#yv2EzuJk8JZgbTr1.99

3 TWEAKS for Your LinkedIn Profile that are Sure to Please

1. Create A Winning Headline

Your headline, the first thing people see, is your most current job title by default. What a terrible use of prime property!

Instead, include a benefit statement of what you want to be found for. It can work wonders for recruiters and potential employers searching for you.

For example, rather than “CEO & Managing Director,” you could use “CEO & Managing Director – Building High Performing Sales Teams that Align With Corporate Values.”

Including keywords you want to be found for will help recruiters find you, and a meaningful headline like this will get you noticed. What a small, yet powerful change that is, isn’t it?

2. Prove Your Value With Recommendations

It’s great to say you have the skills and experience to get the job done. Support from other credible people backing that up is better.

Many people don’t take advantage of LinkedIn’s recommendations feature, yet this is one of the most important things you can do.

So, reach out to a few people in your network that you would love to get a recommendation from. Highlight a few key points you’d like them to touch on, and offer to write one for them as well.

It’s a win-win situation, and you’ll have solid proof that you’re as valuable as you say you are.

3. Use Keywords You Want To Be Found For

There are two reasons why this is super important:

First, recruiters search for employees by keyword. So, if you want to get found for new opportunities, then include the specific words you want to be found for throughout your profile.

Second, if you’ve applied for a job and the hiring team looks through your LinkedIn profile, they’ll see the keywords they’re looking for, which will significantly increase your chances of getting an interview.


Read more at http://www.careerealism.com/linkedin-tweaks-recruiters-begging/#CtYsLb40Qkv7XQ0m.99

How To Respond to "Do You Have any Questions for Me?"

1. Never say “no”!

You should always ask questions. Saying “No” or “You’ve already answered them” makes you look like you’re just going through the motions, unprepared, or uninterested. Show your potential employer some enthusiasm and ask at least two or three questions.

2. Make a list.

Come up with at least a dozen questions to ask. Some will undoubtedly be covered during the interview, so make sure you’ve got a few up your sleeve so you’re not caught off guard.

3. Think before you ask.

Don’t ask questions that are easily found on the company’s website. It tells an employer straight away that you didn’t do your research. You need to develop a list of questions that shows you’ve prepared, and really thought about the role.

You shouldn’t ask questions about salary, benefits, parking, social clubs, or sick leave. Your job is to impress the employer, not lead them to believe you are only concerned about the money or company’s social activities.

Never simply ask, “So, did I get the job?” It sounds arrogant and puts the interviewer on the spot. Use the opportunity to better sell yourself as the right candidate by asking thought-provoking, intelligent questions.

4. Ask probing questions.

Try to ask open-ended questions rather than those that require a “yes” or “no” response. “Can you tell me about…?” “How would you describe…?” You’ll learn more that way, you can probe further, and it makes the interview more conversational.

5. Job interviews are a two-way street.

Yes, the employer is trying to determine whether you’d be a good “fit” for their team, but at the same time you need to learn whether or not this company would be a good “fit” for you. Don’t be afraid to ask questions that will help you determine this. Employers are impressed by aspiring employees who take the time to probe the employer.

6. Timing is essential.

The best interviews are conversational so you may be able to ask some of the questions on your list during the interview itself. Just be sure you don’t interrupt the interviewer in your haste to ask. If you are nearing the end of the interview, you may not have time to ask all of your questions. Don’t worry; just select a couple and see where it takes you.


Read more at http://www.careerealism.com/responding-do-you-have-any-questions-for-me/#a6eEWgGzmGlaiIiF.99

How to Set Up Google Alerts for Your Job Search

First, to set up your alerts, go to http://www.google.com/alerts

Enter the person, company, or job title you want to keep tabs on as the search query. Here are a few basic tips for getting the best results:

Use Quotations

Quotations (“) around words will help you to receive information that is more relevant. If you want multiple words as a search phrase, place quotes around the group. For example, to monitor my name, I entered “Kristin Johnson.” That way, I don’t get notified every time a “Kristin” or “Johnson” appears on the Internet.

Use The Minus Sign

To eliminate certain results in your search, use the minus sign. For example, searching for “hospital jobs” might also bring up animal hospitals or veterinary clinics. You may want to use “hospital jobs” –veterinary –animal.

ŸTo eliminate certain websites from the results, use the minus sign, followed by the website, like this: “Kristin Johnson” -site:twitter. This will remove Twitter results.

Use The “job search” site:careerealism.com Format

To limit your search only to certain sites, put the word you are searching for, followed by the website, like this: “program management” site:indeed.com. This will only produce results for Indeed.

Use An Asterisk

ŸIf you aren’t sure which word you want to put into a search, try using an asterisk with a space on each side by the word(s) you do want, like here: “Chief * Officer” jobs Milwaukee. This will bring up all CEO, CIO, CMO possibilities in Milwaukee.

Use “OR”

ŸTo have more than one possibility, use “OR” in capital letters. “Chief Nursing Officer” jobs (Phoenix OR Tucson) will bring up CNO jobs in both cities. The parentheses around the cities helps Google to understand what two words the OR should be applied to.

Use The TildeŸ

Search for similar words using the tilde. “~green jobs” might also bring up environmental positions.

With -, ~, and site:, don’t have a space between the symbol and the letter, or the search will not work.

Combine multiple methods of refinement to strengthen your search. “Kristin Johnson” –Kristen –Johnsen (Madison OR Wisconsin) might be my next alert.

After you decide on your query, you’ll need to determine what sorts of information should be searched (Everything, News, Blogs, Video, Discussions, Book), how often you want to receive alerts, how broad you want the results to be (Everything, Only the Best Results), and where you want alerts sent.

The tips above contained examples of how to keep watch over your personal brand, by setting up alerts for your name, but you might also want to set them up for your company name, associates, or additional brand identifiers.

With the positions you set up alerts for, try different combinations of words and letters, especially with acronyms. For example, search for “IBM” OR “I B M” “CEO” OR “C E O” OR “Chief Executive Officer.” Don’t be afraid to mix things up a bit.

Want to make a good impression at an interview? Set up alerts like these for your target companies:

“Company Name” “quarterly financial”
“Company Name” competition
“Company Name” CEO
“Company Name” “marketing campaign”
“Company Name” (merger OR acquisition)

Read more at http://www.careerealism.com/job-search-google-alerts/#mkcV7kJtymjwLTw2.99

Great Interview Thank You Note Template

Subject

Thank You



Body

Hi [interviewer name],

Thank you so much for meeting with me today. It was such a pleasure to learn more about the team and position, and I’m very excited about the opportunity to join [company name] and help [bring in new clients / develop world-class content / anything else awesome you would be doing] with your team.

I look forward to hearing from you about the next steps in the hiring process, and please do not hesitate to contact me if I can provide additional information.

Best regards,

[Your name]

Pro Tips

If you really want to blow a hiring manager out of the water, add in another few lines before “I look forward to...” with some ideas you have on how you could add value. Think: a quick mock-up of something you discussed in the interview if you’re in a creative role, taglines if you’re in branding, or some slides or possible partners if you’re in business development or sales. Try Alexandra Franzen’s tips for giving the hiring manager something he or she can’t resist.
If your interviewer is more traditional or you have a feeling he or she is the type who’d appreciate a handwritten note, feel free to drop a card in snail mail, as well.

Get more templates here: https://www.themuse.com/advice/we-wrote-9-awesome-email-templates-so-you-dont-have-to