Tag: #networking

Do you have access to your resume… Right now!

cloud storageNetworking should be an ongoing process.  Because of that you should keep your resume handy.  We are lucky.  Not that many years ago that would mean carrying around a hard copy with you.  Today you just need access to your Google Drive, One Drive, Dropbox, etc…  That is IF your resume is there AND it is up to date.

Keep it up to date.  Recently I have interviewed several candidates with outdated resumes.  I usually start off the phone interview going over their resume with them.  I even tell candidates my first two questions ahead of time!  It is not uncommon for the most recent part of their resume to be a little out of date.  I hear “Oh, I am no longer there” a lot.  I can handle that, although for many employers that is a BIG RED FLAG.  But, like I have said before, I am flexible.

What is less excusable is two weeks and two interviews later when we have our final interview, the exact same resume is provided with the same incorrect information.  I tell candidates to bring an updated version of their resume with them to the interview.  About 60% of the people who come to the final interview bring their resume with them.  Of those, about 50% of them have changed their resume.

Your resume should be a living thing.  You should update it regularly just as you do your LinkedIn profile.  You should also be able to access it and send it to someone when you need to.  Come to think of it, mine needs a little more work, if I can find it. 🙂

Al

I do not want to foresee the future. I am concerned with taking care of the present. God has given me no control over the moment following.  
Mohandas Gandhi

Networking in your job search

Networking sounds salesy to a lot of people.  Many people think of some dude name Biff going around handing out business cards for some multi-level marketing deal.  But it should not and does not have to be like that.  BusinessDictionary.com defines networking this way:

Creating a group of acquaintances and associates and keeping it active through regular communication for mutual benefit. Networking is based on the question “How can I help?” and not with “What can I get?”

Help other people… what a novel idea.  For many people this is not a very easy thing to do.  You may be panicking a little right now, thinking that you don’t know that many people very well.  That is OK.  On the podcast Question of the Day they mention a study that showed loose acquaintances are actually better at helping you find a job than close friends!  So let’s start there.

What is a great place to have lots of friends that you don’t know very well?  Social Media!  You can use Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to build and maintain a network.  If you do not already do this, you need to start and once you start, don’t stop.  Ideally you will keep your network and expand it as your career grows.  If you already have a social network and it is not geared towards professional development then you might need to start fresh or at the very least start heading in a different direction.

Keep in mind that networking is a marathon, not a sprint race.

Al

You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.
Dale Carnegie