Easy Job Search Tips

I had a job search coaching session with a delightful, intelligent, thoughtful young woman this morning. She just got out of graduate school and wanted to know how to find a job in her field when the unemployment rate for young adults is so high.  She also would like to take a position out of state.  We discussed the following:

1. Go to a job search engine and open a position that interests you. Look at the job responsibilities and ask yourself  if your skills match. How? Where? Add some of this specific job focused wording to your resume if it matches your skill set.

2. Have a specific resume for each opening.  Don't rely on a cover letter for specificity because half the time those aren't read.

3. If you know someone in the town that you would like to move to, ask for their permission to change your current address to their address.  You can just use the town and state. Make sure that this new information is also on LinkedIn.

4. Make sure to add some some soft skills to your resume. 

5. If you speak another language add it to your resume with the word Bilingual. It looks good up on the top in your Summary Statement.  Add the type of  language (example Spanish, French) in the Skill Set section of your resume.

6. Use your LinkedIn group connections to ask for introductions into various companies and advice.

7.  Change your LinkedIn privacy settings to Anonymous and look for contacts.  You can send your resume to these contacts or send them a private message. Don’t forget to change your LinkedIn profile back to normal when you have finished looking for contacts.

There are other things that a job seeker can do.  Do you have any suggestions?