• Always State an Objective on Your Resume
  Telling a prospective employer what you want is a waste of words and not important to them. Rather, use a concise, specific, well crafted (no boilerplate language or clumsy clichés) profile or summary statement to communicate your personal brand and tie together your career experience. An employer will be compelled by your unique value proposition.

• Job Boards are the Best Leads
  It’s fine to check online and search postings, but relying solely on Monster, Career Builder and Hot Jobs is like playing a slot machine and hoping for a big payoff. Consider the odds and spend your time where your efforts have the highest probability for success.

• There is no Hidden Job Market
  Many jobs are never posted. Your network is the best source of leads. Make sure people know about your search. They can’t help you if they don’t know you’re looking. Work diligently to constantly expand your network. Consider who might be able to help you – even if it’s someone you don’t know yet – and figure out how you can go about meeting that person.

• Recruiters will find you a job
  You are ultimately responsible for finding a job. A recruiter is only interested in filling an open position with the best candidate – as specified by their client, the hiring company. If you’re the right match, then the recruiter will try to close the deal and get you placed. Remember, the client company is paying the recruiter’s fee, you’re not.

• Social Networking is a Fad
  Social Networking is here to stay and must be a key part of a job search strategy. By connecting with people and sharing something of value (an article, blog post, or other contacts), you will see doors begin to open. The more quality connections you make, the more opportunities will surface. The most important factor in social networking is trying to help others first. What can you bring to a networking relationship? Find people that you can help and start by giving. The principle of it’s better to give than to receive is especially pertinent in social networking. What you can give to others will come back to you.

http://tinyurl.com/n63vjs
Posted: Monday, June 29, 2009 - 8:00:56 AM by Chris Bilotta

• Increases self-awareness. You develop a deeper self-understanding about what constitutes your unique value, which helps optimize your strengths.

• Clarifies your goals. You become focused on what to achieve and what goals you must set to get there.

• Creates visibility and presence. Once you know what is unique and compelling about you, you can use that information to communicate to your target audience.

• Differentiation. You gain the ability to differentiate yourself from everyone else who has your job title or who says they are in the same business as you.

• More control. Your personal brand puts you in control of your career, the projects you work on, and how you want to deliver services.

• Creates wealth. Strong brands charge a premium for their products and services, and differentiated job seekers who know their value can command higher salaries.

• Staying power. Strong brands are successful despite challenges and downturns in the economy because they stand for something unique and are differentiated.

She offers these DOs and DONTs for consideration.

• DON'T just walk around handing out your business cards by the dozens.
• DO exchange business cards with anyone you meet with whom you have a genuine interest in staying in touch.

• DON'T expect all of the "networking" to happen during the networking event.
• DO follow-up with people you met after the event and discuss how you might be able to help each other pay it forward. The more you can give others, the more others will naturally want to help you. Networking is a two-way street.

• DON'T expect networking to work for you if all you do is call your old friends, managers and colleagues only when you need something from them.
• DO call the people you have lost touch with and reconnect with them for the purposes of re-establishing a strong relationship. Sites like LinkedIn and Facebook make it really easy to keep in touch with friends, even if all you do is drop them a fast hello every so often. There is no longer any excuse not to stay connected.

Visit http://absolutelyabby.com for more career advice.
Posted: Thursday, June 25, 2009 - 8:37:52 AM by Chris Bilotta

This is particularly true in the area of how to conduct a job search as old paradigms are hard to break. But, just as the fax machine gave way to e-mail, and Twitter is now the latest rage, the days of the paper resume are fading into the sunset. Personal websites, online resumes, and web portfolios, while in their infancy and perhaps thought to be just a fad or more applicable for one generation are here. These tools are waiting for people to utilize, and in my opinion will become the most effective means to apply for a job, manage your career and communicate your personal brand to the world.

In today’s hyper competitive job market, where everyone is vying for attention and trying to stand out, the question is how to best accomplish the task. It is only a matter of time before the shift takes place. Are you ready to get in front of the crowd and catch the wave or will you wait for others to test the water before you dive in?

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