Hot Tips for a Summer Job Search and How to Find a Job in 2011

HOT TIPS FOR A SUMMER JOB SEARCH
By: Elite Resumes

Heating up your job search this summer should be top priority! Of course the cottage is very inviting during the summer season and many will be suspending their job searches to take vacations. The result is a dramatic decline in the number of individuals seeking employment and should you choose to stay in the running, you will have a significant advantage. It is estimated that as many as 70% of job seekers will abandon their job search in the summer months increasing your odds substantially!

Check out these hot tips for a summer job search:

•Update your online profiles regularly to ensure decision makers are aware of your presence and availability.
•Outdoor events are abundant during the summer months and excellent opportunities to NETWORK!
•A professional resume, business cards and your one page marketing document; be prepared to hand them out.
•No signal for your cell in cottage country? Forward your calls to a land line. Recruiters and HR professionals are rarely limited for potential candidates and a missed call could be a missed opportunity.
•Continue your follow-up calls to decision makers regardless of who is on vacation. Becoming familiar with administrative staff and maintaining your visibility will highlight your eagerness and competitive spirit.
•It’s hot out there but your job interview is almost guaranteed to be in an air conditioned office so don’t lose the tie or jacket. A professional attire does not become an option during the summer months.
•Catch up with more receptive colleagues during the summer months to obtain testimonials. It is very likely they have reduced their workload increasing their availability and willingness during the summer months more so than any other time of year.
•Follow current affairs related to business news closely. You could be the first to introduce yourself to a corporation announcing an expansion within your city.
•Subscribe to online job sites and submit your professional resume whenever and wherever possible. Many potential job candidates could be discovered online but the number available to attend a job interview could be drastically reduced providing a greater probability of being selected despite not being within the top qualifiers.
•Take advantage of the hot summer months, follow hot leads and succeed in a job search with limited competition!

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HOW TO FIND A JOB IN 2011
By: Jessica Dickler


NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Good news: The job market is improving and employers are starting to hire again. But the rules of landing a job have changed.

There's still a lot of competition out there. If you want to get a foot in the door, you'll need to use every tool available to you.

If there's one thing that's different in the post-recession job market it's this: "Submitting your resume and cover letter is not going to get you a job."

That's according to Jennifer Becker, managing director of Ajilon Professional Staffing, a division of Adecco Group, the world's largest staffing firm.

So what works? Experts say making connections, adapting to each potential employer and promising results are the only ways to get hired.

Making Connections

"Networking is the only game in town right now," said Ford Myers, executive career coach and author of the book "Get the Job You Want, Even When No One's Hiring." "Everything is built on personal connections, nothing else works."

With nearly 14 million people currently looking for work and job openings still relatively scarce, Gerry Crispin, co-owner of Careerxroads, a New Jersey-based consulting firm, said an employee referral is the best way to increase your chances of getting a job.

Crispin advises job seekers to connect with people within a company and ask them for a referral. "It may be as much as 10 times more effective" than simply applying, he said.

To that end, social networking has carved out a crucial spot in today's job market. Seekers must be on board with LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, as well as smaller industry-specific sites in order to connect with more people, and employers, in their industry.

"There's no way you can be effective in your job search without embracing social media," Becker said.

Still, most career counselors, coaches and recruiters say it's the face-to-face connections that really boost a job seeker's chance of getting hired.

"There's still no replacement for getting out in your community and shaking hands," noted Becker.

Social media tools should be used to make real connections, Myers cautions, not just virtual ones.

"Tons of people use social media all day long and they are communicating with tons of people but they're not connecting with anybody. Build the relationship from there so it becomes a real world relationship," he said.

Stretch To Fit

Once job seekers connect with a company, then the real work of getting hired begins. Gone are the days of impressing a hiring manager with experience and education. These days it's identifying what results you can deliver that will ultimately get you an offer.

"In the current world, the employer cares about one thing: 'What can you do for me today, how are you going to solve my most pressing problems, how are you going to take away my pain?'" Myers said.

Crispin recommended using the tools that are available to find out more about the company and what the company's needs are.

"Read blogs by recruiters explaining how you can compete, download a job description and watch videos on YouTube of employees in the company," he suggested.

Promise Results

Once you are well versed in the company's particular constraints within the current economic climate, identify what you can bring to the table.

To do that, Myers urges job seeks to provide measurable results. Focus on the results you produced in your career so far: "here's how, here's when, here are the percentages," Myers said.

"If you can't add value, they're not going to hire you," he added.

The experts also recommend being open to the pay, position, location and schedule of any position that is offered. Consulting, or even volunteering for an organization, although it may be several steps below a job seeker's previous position, is a great way to ultimately get hired.

"Think more broadly, look at all the possibilities," Myers said. "Otherwise, you'll be looking for a long, long time."

Copyright CNN 2011