5 Job Search Habits To Break!

If you’re feeling frustrated in your job search, it’s easy to blame it on the poor job market or the fact that employers are inundated with resumes. But if you really take a look at how you’re job searching, you might realize you can make certain changes to yield better results.

Do any of the following sound familiar?

1. You’re job searching not company searching

Do you find yourself typing in your ideal position into job boards and aggregators, only to discover you’re not really finding the listings you’d like? Searching for a position, such as Sales Manager, instead of targeting specific companies, can make for an unfocused job search—and you’ll waste a lot of time looking at jobs you’re not interested in.

What to do instead: Do your research to discover the places you’d really like to work. Then, target five to ten ideal companies and focus your job search efforts on those organizations.

[See How to Pitch Your Dream Company.]

2. Neglecting your online presence

Maybe you have a Facebook profile that’s public, which lets employers see your unprofessional Wall posts and photo albums. It could be that your Google presence is nonexistent, making employers wonder why they can’t find information about you online. Whatever the case, you need to be aware that employers are looking at your online presence—and you need to take charge of it yourself.

What to do instead: Set up a professional portfolio, website, Twitter, or Google profile, anything you’ll use for promoting yourself professionally. Then look at what might negatively affect your job search and try to remove it.

[See 10 Smart Ways to Use Social Media in Your Job Search.]

3. Applying for jobs you’re not qualified for

While you should work toward attaining your dream job, that dream also needs to be realistic in terms of skills, qualifications, and experience. You’re wasting your time if you don’t meet the minimum qualifications for the job opening.

What to do instead: Look for jobs where you meet the minimum qualifications. Or, if you’re set on a specific type of position that you’re unqualified for, consider additional education or skills training to meet those requirements.

4. Acting beaten down or depressed

No one will argue with you that a job search is tough stuff. It’s stressful, time-consuming and energy draining. But it’s a Catch-22: If you start acting negative or beaten down, you’ll probably start to see less results, and you might not land a job for several more months. A positive attitude can be the key to standing out in the screening and hiring process.

What to do instead: Find a source of support to vent your job-search frustrations and get advice. Talk with a friend or family member, join an online group, chat or community, or enlist a career coach. You might also consider taking up a hobby you enjoy or exercising to keep your motivation up.

[See Don't Let Fear Control Your Career.]

5. You’re prepared to take any job at this point

No one likes desperation—especially hiring managers. Failing to have a focused, specific job-search strategy can actually hurt your chances of landing a new job. It also confuses your personal and professional network, and those folks are often the key to learning about unadvertised job openings and receiving referrals.

What to do instead: Be specific in your job hunt. Take some time to research positions you’d enjoy working in and organizations that fit with your values and interests. By being specific, you can more easily build your personal brand and leverage your existing network.

What other areas do today’s job seekers need to re-evaluate and change if they aren’t seeing results?

Heather R. Huhman is a career expert, experienced hiring manager, and founder & president of Come Recommended, a content marketing consultancy for organizations with products that target job seekers and employers. She is also the author of Lies, Damned Lies & Internships (2011) and #ENTRYLEVELtweet: Taking Your Career from Classroom to Cubicle(2010) and writes career and recruiting advice for numerous outlets.

Tips to Ace Your Next Interview

I used to be pretty sure that the only way to get a raise working in media was to switch jobs. This led to several job changes throughout my career, which, of course, included the requisite interviews to get those jobs.

I’ve picked up a few pointers that have helped me become a relatively confident interviewer over the years.

A quick caveat though:

Last time I tried to give something resembling advice on this site, I made the mistake of presenting my methodology as something that could be universally applied. That said, these are interview methods that have helped me land jobs at a couple of large media companies (and some smaller ones, too).

So, here are six things that have helped me walk out of interviews with a healthy amount of confidence:

1. If you think you’re rambling, you are. I tend to over-answer questions, and I’ve tried to be conscious of this in interview situations. Be concise with your answers, and know where you’re going with them. (No. 3 will help you with this.) If you think you’re rambling, wrap it up. If you leave something out, No. 5 has you covered.

2. Don’t say, “That’s a good question.” OK, you can say it once if it’s actually good question. Otherwise, you run the risk of sounding like an ass-kisser—especially if it’s one of those rote what’s-your-biggest-strength questions. If you say it once, try not to say it again, or you’ll sound like you’re stalling at the beginning of your answers.

3. Over-prepare. I can’t tell you how to do this. I only know that you should learn everything you can about the job, the company, their competition, and the industry.

4. Stop thinking of it as a Q&A, and start thinking of it as a conversation. Some of my colleagues over the years have gotten very worked up about going into job interviews. I think it’s something to do with the unnatural format of the interview. When else in life are we peppered with rapid-fire questions and forced to answer them on the spot or face unsavory consequences? In my interview experience, I’ve tried to think of them as conversations about whether I’m the right person for a particular job. I should be just as curious as the interviewer about whether I’m right for the job.

5. If you don’t like how you answered something in an interview, write a thought-out answer and email it when you get home. I know that I’m a better writer than I am an interviewer. Plus, they’re hiring me for my writing/editing skills much more than they’re hiring me for my ability to answer a few questions. There have been a few times when I’ve left an interview happy overall, but thinking, “If only I’d nailed that one question.” In those instances, I’ve gone home and written exactly what I had wished I said and sent it along with my follow-up.

6. Work in something personal about yourself that shows why you’d be good at a certain job. I studied and performed improvisation in college and in Chicago for a number of years, and that has consistently helped me be a good team member in my work life. I’ve brought this up whenever I’ve been asked whether I’m a team player.

Kevin Allen has worked or written for a variety of media outlets, including the Chicago Sun-Times, ESPN, The Huffington Post, and Fox Sports.

Job Searching On Facebook: There Are Many Apps For That

Job searching on Facebook is a relatively new phenomenon, but there's no scarcity of apps to help. And with Facebook confirming 750 million members and announcing Skype video chat integration today, the platform is ripe for further advances in the job search space.

Many, many media outlets covered the launch of Monster.com's BeKnown in June, but I decided to wait -- and then write a single piece that covered all the major apps. After all, I've been advising job seekers for years to use all resources and tools available to them in their searches, so they should really know there's more than one app out there.

BeKnown

Best Features: The ability to "follow" companies. Also, in addition to regular endorsements (think LinkedIn), BeKnown offers "skills endorsements." Basically, it pulls your skills from your profile, and people are able to vouch for certain areas of your expertise.

Biggest Hangup: BeKnown only pulls job opportunities from Monster.com. Although they complained about LinkedIn pulling their API access last week, Monster is essentially committing the same "offense" -- not playing with others in the sandbox. One way to fix this problem would be to highlight or feature Monster jobs, but still pull in from other sources. We'll see how the app develops in the coming weeks and months.

BranchOut

Best Features: I love that BranchOut offers users the ability to track their applications, send messages to other users, and pulls job opportunities from multiple online sources using Indeed.

Biggest Hangup: Spam. Once you install the BranchOut app, it's like a weed that cannot be killed, taking over your Facebook status updates and sending messages to your friends. I guess at least your network connections have no question about your job status though, right?

Bright

Best Features: Like BranchOut, Bright offers the ability to send messages to other users. Also, Bright features employer reviews, which is definitely a standout feature.

Biggest Hangup: Like BeKnown, jobs are only pulled from one source, in this case CareerBuilder. Additionally, users do not receive suggested jobs and are not able to post their own jobs.

Cachinko

Best Features: Cachinko pulls jobs from multiple sources, but what I really love is the suggested jobs. When you initially install the app, it asks you for your ideal job title. Using that information, plus your profile, Cachinko assembles a list of "jobs you'll love." The more feedback you give the app ("less jobs like this" or "more jobs like this"), the more it learns about you and gives you jobs better suited to you.

Biggest Hangup: There's really no incentive right now for employers to jump on the app and get involved. Also, I'd like to see them offer access to career coaches and other experts.

InTheDoor

Best Features: Like BranchOut, InTheDoor pulls in jobs from multiple online sources using Indeed. I wish I could say something nicer here, but this app is about as simple as it gets.

Biggest Hangup: The app is basically Indeed on Facebook and nothing more. If it wants to continue to compete in this space, it's really going to have to step up its game.

JobsForMe

Best Features: This app is meant for college students. Even though it doesn't have the robust features of many of the apps listed here, I love that it helps career centers get on Facebook.

Biggest Hangup: As you might have guessed, JobsForMe only pulls in career center job listings...and only if your career center has an account. But I think this app has potential in the space if it gets more traction from career centers.

StartWire

Best Features: Unlike all the other apps mentioned in this article, StartWire allows users to receive free guidance and expert advice from a cadre of job search experts. Also, the app tracks your applications.

Biggest Hangup: I like where this app is headed, but it's very limited right now in terms of the source of job listings.

I'm sure more Facebook apps for job seekers will pop up in the near future (JobsForMe actually sent me their launch release while I was writing this article!), and the ones mentioned above will continue to improve. I'll be interested to see how long each one takes to gain traction with job seekers, as many are still cautious about mixing personal and professional on Facebook.

Are there any apps missing from this list? What has your experience been with these apps?

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Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/job-searching-on-facebook-there-are-many-apps-for-that-2011-7#ixzz1RQbSIz9F