Spring clean your job-seekers arsenal

Image by Olivier Charavel via Flickr

While economies around the globe lumber painfully out of recession, and there are signs of improvement on the jobs front, finding and getting the right job for you in today’s market is still incredibly challenging. With spring around the corner now is the perfect time to break out the metaphorical duster and give your job-seekers tool kit a much needed spring clean. It may be just the edge you need to land your perfect job.

Polish that CV

When was the last time you took a good long look at your CV to make sure it’s both up-to-date and up-to-scratch? Fish it out now, and go through every little detail to make sure it’s accurate and current. Don’t forget that both the information and the way its presented needs to be tailored to the sort of jobs you’re looking for. If you’re looking for more than one type of job, you probably need more than one type of CV — so create templates for each based on your generic master copy to suit the jobs you want to apply for.

Contact your referees

If you’ve listed references on your applications or have mentioned that they’re “available on request” on your CV, take a few moments to actually make contact with your nominated referees and let them know that you’re looking for a job. That way any request for a reference won’t come “out-of-the-blue”, and they’ll be more prepared to deliver that glowing reference that will set you apart from other candidates. Are the references you have listed the best ones… are are their contact details up-to-date, or would you be better off replacing some of them entirely?

Hone your online profile

When you’re looking for a job it’s no good hiding yourself away… the more places people can see you, yours skills, experience and expertise the better. The Internet is a massive boon to job seekers in that respect, and making sure your online profile on professional networking sites like Linkedin (www.linkedin.com) adds very significant visibility to your skillset.

Don’t just throw up a Linkedin profile and forget about it… actively connect with existing contacts and seek out new ones in your field. Ask people who’ve worked with you to write recommendations, join and participate in groups and discussions relevant to your industry and expertise: showcase your knowledge.

Most of all, tell people you’re actively seeking work, and in what particular field (just remember, if you’re already in a job, your current employer may well be looking at LinkedIn too) — spread the word, and ask others to do the same… the results might be surprising.

Network, network, network

The importance of effective networking, be it online or off-line, really can’t be overstated when it comes to job-hunting. Your personal network, and the extended network beyond them, offer an enormous pool of potential advice, job leads, introductions and more to help you find the perfect role. But you have to work at it! Use e-mail, phone calls, online messaging tools, coffee, lunch, appointments and meetings to reinforce and extend your professional network at every opportunity. The effort you put in is never wasted… and who knows, the next contact you make could really help you with your job search.

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