Job Search: A Few of My Favorite Things

Many times in my job search classes, people ask me what, other than a good resume can help them with their job search. That’s a good question, especially since many times there are more than 100 applications for each open position.  There are some things that you can do and while some require an investment, others are free but worth their weight in gold.   What can you think of?  Here are a few that I can immediately think of:

1.       A profession photograph.  Have a family member or friend take a picture of you against a background with some color.  Don’t have a busy or white background and try to make sure it is a headshot. Unless you have a tripod, don’t try to take it yourself because your arm holding the camera always shows and that looks funny.  I suggest you look around for a reasonable priced professional.  In the NJ and PA areas, I found Da Visons Photography.  They are highly professional, affordable and a joy to work with. They have a Facebook Business Page you can visit and “Like”.  Try to use your most professional headshot for LinkedIn and save the soft and fuzzy stuff for Facebook.

2.       A business card. Either go to a printing company or create a template yourself with VistaPrint.  The quality of the stock and typeset of VistaPrint  is great and you can’t beat the price. 

3.       A professional email and voice mail. Don’t let either take away from your professionalism.

4.       A grammatically correct and well-written LinkedIn profile. Take a look at some of the other profiles from positions that are similar to yours.  Join the LinkedIn group, Linked Strategies to learn some of the expert tips to make your profile searchable and professional.  I also like the blog, "The Essay Expert"  for many reasons including the grammar assistance.

5.       A professional website or blog. If you want to create either of these but have little or no expertise, sometimes you need a little help.  You can hire a professional to design or guide you in this activity or you can do it yourself.  A wonderful resource is Christine Biz.  I like Christine's advice and her easy to understand instructions.  She also has some great website templates. Christine has a Facebook Business Page full of great tips that you can "Like".

6.       Hope. One of my favorite blogs is The Golden Rule Guy, written by John Fox. John writes from the heart and provides encouragement to any job seeker.  His writing style is soothing and comforting.

Can you think of anything else?  Any suggestions?