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Job Searching 2.0: Looking for Work “New School”

I’ll be speaking at UBC tomorrow about “uncovering the hidden job market online”. And since I wanted to put my thoughts together in a coherent manner and writing always helps me to do that, I figured I’d put together a post.

So, here are some tips I intend to suggest to the students:

Use Blogs

Is there a “perfect company” for you? One you would love to work at? Subscribe to company blogs or to the twitter feed of the company (e.g. Zappos) and possibly the (business blogs) of bloggers at that company. Social Media-friendly companies will often post about or tweet about Job postings (see “Twitter” section below).
Subscribe to Job Search blogs – or ones that have job listings. Dan Schawbel writes “In the past few years, the larger blogs have started to integrate job banks into their own websites, using software/hosting from companies such as Job-a-matic.”

Joining the company’s Facebook Group might also be helpful. They might send out group emails about job openings and, as I wrote in my “Recruitment/HR 2.0” post (read: it’s good), some companies even have Facebook Career groups specifically for that purpose. “Ernst and Young Careers has a Facebook group which allows the company to dialogue with people they may eventually hire. Such conversation is critical in the Web 2.0 world and employers can actively participate by answering queries posted on social networks.”

Obviously Linkedin (which is devoted to making business connections) can be very helpful for job seekers:

Linkedin allows you to build an online resume which includes links to your company, blogs etc.
From there you can connect to people you know (e.g. friends, present collegues and employers and old collegues and employers).
You can ask your contacts to make an introduction to someone in their connections with whom you’d like to connect.
You can ask for advice from the Linkedin populace as a whole, or from your friends. (Just remember: If it’s public it’s trackable, so questions like “John at Company X seems like a total douche. Is he?” might not work so well.)
Plus, when you upload your email contact list, you may find there are more people you know that you can link up with than you originally thought.

(For more tips, see the “Resource” list at the bottom of this post).

Better Job Search Sites

Sign up for Jiibe. (Full Disclosure: I’m working on some promotion for Jiibe though Capulet Communications, but I would write this even if I wasn’t). I’m all about their theory of finding a job based on your ideal work culture (Mashable called them “eHarmony for Jobs“.) I’ve worked at my share of companies and it’s astounding how much of an impact the people you work with, the work climate and the company policies can have on how much you enjoy what you do.
Want to see what’s “out there” in a big way? Check out job listings on a site like Simply Hired which aggregates the jobs posted on other sites.
Search job-specific sites.

with People

You can use the internet to find ways of getting together with people in the “real-world” (hey, what’s that? 😉 – and Meetup.com offers plenty of opportunities to do just that (yes, I am aware of the irony of looking online to find people to meet in person, but how many were doing so hot before – especially in Vancouver?).

There are many types of Meetup Groups and at any function you have the opportunity to make friends, learn, meet people who can help or advise you and more.

For instance, Meetups can exist to:

Share and trade information
Learn about a more about a topic or field
Mingle, make new friends and network
Meet people with similar interests

Showcase Yourself 2.0

Use your existing blog – or create a new one – as your portfolio (or add a page that is simply devoted to your portfolio). Keep in mind that having a personal blog where you are upfront about who you are is a double-edge sword. It could have the disadvantage of alienating those who might not agree with your thoughts or degree of openness. On the other hand, if you don’t have any extreme beliefs (e.g. “The KKK rocks!”) there’s the chance that a blog will help can come across as a more 3 Dimensional to prospective employers. Plus, there are often aspects of your personality that don’t come across very clearly in one-page resume (humor, for instance isn’t always easy to convey.)
Use Slideshare (or Sprout ) to put together a smokin’ online portfolio/resume that can be viral.

Be aware of what you put online. Make sure you consider your preferred workplaces’ attitudes and how someone at that company might respond to what you post. And make sure not to post anything that you would embarrassed about a prospective employer coming across in a search. Think twice before you upload your crazy-drunk party pics on Facebook or Flickr (or get that drunk at a party with cameras around), make a harsh Twitter remark, or mention of how much you wish your previous boss would get that “die slow” in a comment on someone’s blog post. Remember that Googling your name could bring up many things.

Tweet Your Way to a Cool Job with

Twitter is a great resource for information and job openings are no exception.

As JmakTech advises “Use the search at search.twitter.com to find specific tweets about companies and recruiters hiring. Search for specific titles you are interested in like ‘community manager‘ or more generic terms like ‘now hiring‘. Also, check out TwitHire which is a free service that has begun aggregating all job related tweets.”
Occasionally, (and when you have built up a good database of followers/connections) mention (tweet) that you are looking for work (be specific about what you want – even writing a Twitpitch for yourself (elevator pitch of <140 characters). If you can add a link to your portfolio, so much the better. (You might also adding your resume/portfolio/linkedin profile as a “posted item” on your Facebook.)

Make sure your profile and picture looks like you’re professional – or at the very least, not nuts (I question the motivations of Twitterers with shirtless pics…). For the “Web” section, use your blog, website or Linkedin profile – which ever you think would present you best/most-interesting. If you have any mad design/photography skills you could upload your own background design. Or bereft of any such talent (as I am) you can look to a “Pimp my Twitter Background” type site, or even get one customized, to make your profile stand out and mesh with your brand.

Create real relationships. Schawbel notes: “Most people get jobs on Twitter by already having hundreds or thousands of followers. For example, I’ve heard of at least ten people getting a job by tweeting “just got laid off, looking for a job in finance” and then receiving a few direct messages with people who want to help them. Of course, these individuals had built trust, credibility and relationships with their followers over time, so they were more inclined to come to their rescue. You can do the same, just start right now!

Follow the companies you want to work at (or Twitters who work at that company). But don’t harass or pester – just be friendly, lay low and see if they tweet about a job opening. They just might.

Networking Ideas and Tactics

First of all, be clear about what it is you do, so you can explain it clearly in a few brief and interesting sentences. As Liz Strauss puts it, “When you can answer the question, it won’t feel like self-promotion. It will be you talking about what you do every day.”

Don’t focus on making everything transactional. It’s not about going home from a gathering with a job offer, or even a lead. And it’s both unfortunate and a missed opportunity to look at meeting people that way, even at a networking gathering. In fact, I’ve been to a few networking meetings where the other person asks what I do and then appears to run through the following questions in their head: “Will you prove immediately useful in getting me [insert need here: – investors – clients – a guy willing to film my every waking minute]?” If not his next words are: “Well, I’m going to get another drink. It was nice meeting you“.

What people tend to forget is how much you can derive from someone that has nothing to do with them being able to hire you or directly give you want you need. For instance, you might meet someone who knows their friend is looking for a new hire at their company. And while meeting someone who is in the “job you want” (i.e. you want a Graphic Design position at a large firm and that’s what the guy you meet has) might seem like a dead-end – it doesn’t have to be. You could ask the person how they found their job, or if they had any advice for you. Who knows, he might even tell you that he’ll soon be leaving his present job. Any of these conversations can be beneficial, but only if you make an effort beyond the obvious.
And don’t be tacky or opportunistic. If someone mentions (in a random conversation) that they have a friend at Company X don’t zero in and pressure them until they give you their friends email. Or consider this conversation my friend (“Susan”) and I had while at dinner with a friend (“Marcus”) and a friend of his (“Jenny”). (This was 15 years ago and I still remember it vividly, which gives you some idea of how bizarre it was. Don’t be this girl.) Jenny spent the whole evening speaking directly to Marcus, barely acknowledging our presence the entire dinner. As the evening drew to a close, Marcus asked Susan about how her latest project was going with a well-known director. At which point, Jenny finally looked at Susan and exclaimed: “Oh, you’re working with [well-know director]! We should totally go shopping!” Wow. Subtely FAIL.

Do Some Research – Online

You can use the web to research a particular company/position – but it goes way beyond that. Guy Kawasaki remarks: “Companies will typically check your references before hiring you, but have you ever thought of checking your prospective manager’s references ? Most interviewees don’t have the audacity to ask a potential boss for references, but with LinkedIn you have a way to scope her out. You can also check up on the company itself by finding the person who used to have the job that you’re interviewing for. Do this by searching for job title and company, but be sure to uncheck ‘Current titles only’. By contacting people who used to hold the position, you can get the inside scoop on the job, manager and growth potential.”

Ask for advice. When I was switching careers and considering going into technology, I looked up local technology bloggers and wrote them a polite email explaining who I was, my interests etc., asking them to let me know if they had any suggestions for companies that they thought would be a good fit. Many responded with suggestions and some even passed my email on to their contacts or met up with me for a coffee to talk about possibilities. I established relationships with some of these bloggers and kept in touch with several. It was also easier when I ran into them in person (at tech/social media meetups etc.) to introduce myself, since I didn’t feel like a complete stranger.

As you can see, job searching isn’t limited your local paper, your favorite company’s website or Monster.com. Just try using some social media tools to network and learn and you might soon have your dream job. And perhaps a few new friends.

Required Reading: