My preference has always been to find existing solutions rather than coming up with new ones. I have found this saves me time in the long run. It is just the way I think. Some of you live to re-invent wheels and as you’ve heard, innovation is a good thing! But some wheels are fine just the way they are. Really.
There are lots of wheels in job search, or perhaps it is just one big wheel. Rather than creating them from scratch, perhaps all you’ll need to do is slightly adjust the air level for your particular journey.
Here are some of my favorite wheels. I hope they take you where you want to go:
- Harvard Business School Pitch Builder Harvard knows how to do things well, therefore, I can’t think of many other resources I would recommend over this to help you construct a brief statement to describe your talents! Alas, this tool is no longer available.
- LinkedIn Yes, many of you are already on this social network. But are you really using it? Is your profile the best reflection of what you have to offer? Have you incorporated Slideshare presentations or Box.net files? Are you engaging in group discussions relevant to your profession? Are you using status updates? Are you responding to status updates? Oh, I could go on and on. If you’ve created your profile and are waiting for something to happen, well…you need to start the engine on the car before it will go where you want it to go.
- Interviewing Advice: Nick Corcodilos: Ask the Headhunter® covers a broad set of issues related to interviewing.
- Your one-stop resource for every topic related to the job hunt? Job-Hunt.org
- Google. If you aren’t using Google’s many tools to help improve your efficiency, what are you waiting for? Google profile, Google talk, Google Alerts, Google Blog Search…endless!
- JibberJobber. Having trouble keeping track of all the people, jobs and companies you’re interacting with? This free tool is worth your effort to learn. Really, how are you keeping track of everything and everyone you need to follow up on?
- Indeed.com If you only have time to scour one job board (not that I recommend this practice) You’ll find this wheel gets a lot of traction.
- Tim Tyrell-Smith has a host of wheels on his site, Tim’s Strategy. Go get them!
- Social Networking for Career Success is the one book that provides tips/tricks/advice and instruction on some of the most popular social networking tools and techniques!
These are just some of my personal favorites to help you get your job search wheels moving. Adjust and adapt as necessary.
What wheels are you using? Please, share!
Hannah Morgan speaks and writes about job search and career strategies. She founded CareerSherpa.net to educate professionals on how to maneuver through today’s job search process. Hannah was nominated as a LinkedIn Top Voice in Job Search and Careers and is a regular contributor to US News & World Report. She has been quoted by media outlets, including Forbes, USA Today, Money Magazine, Huffington Post, as well as many other publications. She is also author of The Infographic Resume and co-author of Social Networking for Business Success.
