How to Avoid the Summer Job Search Meltdown

It's very easy to get distracted by the sun, hot weather and seemly endless summer events. Smart job seekers know that finding employment is a full-time job, and while you can give yourself a "mini-vacation" for a day or two, you need to remain dedicated. Here are a few tips to keep your search strong in the summer months:


Network, network, network: You don't have to be at an organized networking event to meet new people. Take advantage of the different festivals and events around town to expand your contacts and volunteer to beef up your resume. You never know who you could meet that can help your job hunt in the future.

Use job board alerts: Most online jobs boards allow you to use an RSS feed or another method of notifying you when new positions are posted. Take advantage of this tool to give you a leg up on other job seekers who might not be searching daily.

Practice makes perfect: You can never have too much practice when it comes to interviews. Have a friend prepare a few questions and do a mock interview. Don't review the questions ahead of time and answer as if you were in an actual interview. This will help ease your nerves the next time you interview with a hiring manager.

Keep a job hunt journal: Keep a written list of positions you've applied for that you can monitor, following up on open positions and updating your list when positions have been filled. You can also use this list to target companies that are in similar industries and would have similar positions.

Be proactive: If you find a company that you admire but they are not hiring, send them your resume and a cover letter detailing what attracted you to the company. Ask that they keep your information on file for the next open position they have. Connect with the hiring manager on LinkedIn and keep tabs on any company news.

Spring Cleaning for Your Job Hunt

The grass is green, the birds are chirping and your new job is just around the corner. Now is the time to give your job hunt the same treatment that you give your home.

Reorganize Your Priorities
Just as you might reorganize your closet, do the same with your priorities. Evaluate how much time you are spending on your job hunt. Establish a daily routine to have a sense of normalcy. Remember that looking for a new career is a full-time job. You should be spending at least 40 hours a week contributing to your search.


Update Your Resume
Have you been using your time off to volunteer or take classes? Make sure to keep your resume up-to-date by adding new experiences. Hiring managers will appreciate seeing what you've been up to since your last position ended.

Dust off Your Address Book
Contact old managers, co-workers, friends and family. Let them know about your job hunt and ask if they know of any open positions. Remember, many available jobs are not open to the public; it's all about who you and your connections know.


Clean up Your Attitude
Often times job seekers experience bouts of sadness and frustration. Remind yourself that you are a good worker and you will find a job. Maintaining a positive attitude will keep you going during your search.


Try New Things
Invest time into social media. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are a few user-friendly sites that can be used to research companies and network with other job seekers.

Job hunting tips I wish I knew when I was in college

Recent college graduates are coming into one of the worst job markets in history. I graduated college in May of 2006 and thought I was well prepared for my job search. I started looking in February, submitting one or two resumes a week. “Piece of cake,” I thought. “I’ll have a job by May.”

I soon found out that job hunting was, in fact, a job in itself. And that was in a much better economy. I’d like to share some tips that I’ve learned over the past 4 years since graduating. I hope they can help you avoid some of the mistakes that I made in my post-college job hunt.


Do your research. At the very least, you should visit potential employers’ Web sites and learn what they do. Check out the company’s history and learn as much as you can so you can be prepared to explain why you want to work there.

Tailor each cover letter and resume to each individual job you apply for. Be specific—let the hiring manager know exactly what you bring to the table for the open position. Include information that you’ve learned in your research as to why you would be a solid fit.

Never use this objective statement: “To obtain a position that utilizes my skills and ability.” Looking back, I cringe at what I thought would land me a job. Don’t tell the hiring manager how you would benefit from the position; tell them how the company would benefit from you!

Take an internship if you can. One of my biggest regrets from college is that I wasn’t able to take an internship because I worked during the school year and the summer. If your financial situation allows it, sign up for an internship. Even if it is unpaid, the experience you will get will set you apart from those who have none.

Join a student organization. Take advantage of student organizations that bring in real world speakers. Listen and apply their advice in any way you can.

Get your foot in the door. If you find a great company that you would love to work for, see what open positions they have. Many companies promote from within; there is nothing shameful about working your way up.

Practice networking. Think networking is scary when everyone is the same age? Wait to you attend your first business event and realize that you are the youngest person in the room. Practice your networking skills; you never know who will help you earn a job.

As for me, I found my first full-time job in September. A girl I worked with during summers, when I mowed grass for the City, had an internship at QPS and told me they needed another marketing assistant. I applied, interviewed and am still here, three and a half years later.

Let my story be an example for you. Learn from my mistakes and be well on your way to securing a post-college position!

Looking for work in tough times

I received an email today from a job seeker who read my article for MilwaukeeJobs. She was hoping that I could give her some advice in her job search. I got the sense from reading her email that many of my readers might be suffering from the same problem. I'd like to share a story that you might be finding all too familiar.

This job seeker has been out of work for a little over 6 months and is getting discouraged. From the sounds of her letter, she is doing everything right, but getting no positive results. After sending out hundreds of resumes, she came away with a dozen or so interviews and no job. She widened her job search and her salary requirements, but nothing seems to be helping.

I could tell from her email that she is an intelligent person who has good written communication skills. I'd bet that in a normal economy, she would have no trouble finding a position, but sadly, these are not normal times.

My best advice to her? Network as much as possible, both in person and online. These days, the phrase "it's who you know" rings truer than ever. Since there are roughly 6 people for every open position and hundreds of applications, many jobs are being filled through referrals.

Make sure your business network as well as family and friends know that you are on the job hunt and what kinds of positions that you are qualified and looking for. The more people who can share your story, the better chances you have of finding the missing link between you and your next position.

Good luck and never give up! Your next job is out there, you just have to find it!

Looking for work close to home?

A new survey by Challenger, Gray & Christmas of Chicago showed that only 7 percent of job seekers surveyed (which was 3,000 nationwide) are willing to accept job positions in different towns from where they currently live.

These results are not that surprising to me. Job seekers have to consider how the move would affect their family, as well as taking the housing market into consideration.

Are you surprised that so few people are willing to move when unemployment is so high?

Success story: holiday job turns full-time

Steve Brannigan, a former auto worker from Detroit, moved to Portland to try and find better job prospects. He ended up taking 2 part-time jobs, one at a bakery and another at an ice skating rink.

His job at the bakery, while part-time, was recently extended and he is now able to get medical and dental benefits, as well as vacation time.

This story, found here, is a great example of how part-time employment is a great way to get your foot in the door. You never know what it may lead to next!!

Facebook: Can't live with it, can't live without it

As you may already know, Facebook recently updated its privacy settings. Gone are the days when you could only be searchable to your friends and seemingly here to stay is the new era of “information sharing.”

For smart job seekers, a click of a mouse was all they had to do to protect their information from being seen by potential employers. Now, with the new public profile, employers can see comments that you’ve left on friends with public profile’s walls, see your profile pictures and see the pages that you are “fans” of.

Now more than ever, job seekers need to be careful of what they are posting on social networks. Be aware of what could come back to haunt you in an interview or hiring process, and remember: “when it doubt, leave it out!”