Job Search Networking 101

Job Search Networking 101Job Search Networking 101Youve probably heard that job search networking is responsible for over 80% of all hires in the United States.That means, even with a perfect resume, applying for jobs online is elend likely to do the trick.Job search networking is a highly effective solution. While this is rarely disputed, many job seekers still fail to take this approach seriously.Reasons people fail to networkThere are a variety of reasons why people fail to network for a job. For the sake of this article, we will focus on the three most common reasonsYou dont know where to startYou feel embarrassed/pridefulYou dont have an extensive networkHow to begin networking for a jobIf you have bought into the idea that networking is the most effective way to secure a new job, you are on the right track. The attitude you have while networking for a job is also very important. Networking to find a job can be done in a variety of ways.Get in touch with old colleagues or manage rsUtilize the worlds largest networking site (LinkedIn)Attend local networking eventsReach out to family or friendsAll of the above options are proven networking strategies that have provided significant results for millions of job seekers. Utilizing your network for a job will prove to be quicker, less expensive, and more efficient than anything else. Now, there is no guarantee that your network will be able to help. But, with the odds in your favor (80% of jobs are filled through networking) it makes sense to start with the above strategies, before spending any time on job boards.Dont feel embarrassed and pridefulJust the other day, I had a call with a potential client of mine. Lets call him, Bill. Bill mentioned that he was looking for a job and that his ideal company would be in the automotive space.He then went on to mention that his former manager had moved on to run a very successful automotive company. This manager had seen Bills work ethic and had always appreciated him as an employee. I wish I could tell you that Bill utilized job search networking by contacting his former manager and receiving an offer. But, he didnt. Bill was too embarrassed and his pride got in the way.Bill continued to search for a job for almost nine months before receiving another offer. To think, Bill could have saved nine months of tiresome, stressful, and time-intensive work if he would have used networking to find a job.Top places to network for jobsSo, maybe you just dont have a large enough network to find a job. No worries While its always ideal to have an existing network, there are a plethora of networking tools at your fingertips if you dont.LinkedInLinkedIn has grown to become the worlds largest professional networking site with over 500,000,000 members across the globe. Job search networking on LinkedIn has become so easy, you dont even need to leave the comfort of your home.Local networking eventsIf you prefer to get out of the house and meet people, then ask aroun d or check online for local networking events. If you live in an even slightly populated city, chances are there are a variety of networking groups that you can join. Best of all, the majority of these networking groups are free or cost very little to join.Job fairsJob fairs are an excellent way to network with potential future employers. Instead of submitting your resume to a black hole online, attend job fairs to receive quality face time. Meeting someone in person is much more likely to leave a lasting impression than meeting virtually. Make sure to bring a few copies of your resume, dress to impress, and figure out how to stand out from the competition.10 Tips to Utilize Your Job Search NetworkCheck out these top 10 tips to utilize your job search network and get hiredDont be embarrassed.Dont be shy.Dont be prideful.Dont limit yourself to just close friends.Understand its ok to ask occasional favors.Put in the work. Nobody is dying to help you if you dont ask.Use LinkedIn to con tact former colleagues or managers.Stay positive/optimistic.Dont burn bridges you never know who can help someday.Remain active. Dont send two messages and quit.Its not a lack of networking options that keeps someone from utilizing their network. Sometimes, the biggest hindrance to your job search is getting out of your head. The longer you wait to utilize your network when applying to jobs, the more time you are wasting on statistically ineffective strategies. Work smarter, not harder. Always remember to utilize your network for a job before anything else.

Most Common Jobs Posted Online

Most Common Jobs Posted OnlineMost Common Jobs Posted OnlineMost Common Jobs Posted Onlineur Intelligence team analyzed data from the CEB TalentNeuron tool to identify the 50 most common jobs that have been recruited across the US in 2016. The list includes jobs from all fields in all locations and includes the top 10 most common jobs among the following job fieldsEngineering, Finance, Healthcare, Hospitality, Technology, and Transportation50 Most Common Jobs in the USHeavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck DriversRegistered NursesFirst-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales WorkersRetail SalespersonsSoftware Developers, ApplicationsCustomer Service RepresentativesMarketing ManagersFirst-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving WorkersFirst-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative untersttzung WorkersComputer User Support SpecialistsComputer Systems AnalystsNetwork and Computer Systems AdministratorsWeb DevelopersManagement AnalystsMedical and Health Services ManagersAccountantsInform ation Technology Project ManagersSales ManagersIndustrial EngineersExecutive Secretaries and Executive Administrative AssistantsSales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific ProductsMaintenance and Repair Workers, GeneralSocial and Human Service AssistantsEntrepreneurs Wanted Business OpportunitiesFirst-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating WorkersNursing AssistantsCombined Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Including Fast FoodLicensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesGeneral and Operations ManagersBookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing ClerksManagers, All OtherFinancial Managers, Branch or DepartmentInsurance Sales AgentsSales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific ProductsSales Representatives, Services, All OtherSales Agents, Financial ServicesCritical Care NursesCashiersComputer Systems Engineers/ArchitectsMarket Research Analysts and Marketing SpecialistsPhysical TherapistsMedical AssistantsF irst-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales WorkersSoftware Quality Assurance Engineers and TestersFirst-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and RepairersInformation Security AnalystsMedical SecretariesLaborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, flosseSecurity GuardsFamily and General PractitionersBelow, we also listed the 10 most common jobs in these fields Engineering, Finance, Healthcare, Hospitality, Technology, and TransportationTop 10 Most Common JobsEngineeringIndustrial EngineersMechanical EngineersElectrical EngineersCivil EngineersArchitectural and Engineering ManagersElectronics Engineers, Except ComputerElectronics Engineering TechniciansIndustrial Engineering TechniciansIndustrial Safety and Health EngineersAerospace EngineersFinanceManagement AnalystsAccountantsFinancial Managers, Branch or DepartmentSales Agents, Financial ServicesLoan OfficersAuditorsFinancial AnalystsTreasurers and ControllersInsurance Adjusters, Examiners, and InvestigatorsPersonal Finan cial AdvisorsHealthcareRegistered NursesMedical and Health Services ManagersNursing AssistantsLicensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesCritical Care NursesPhysical TherapistsMedical AssistantsMedical SecretariesFamily and General PractitionersMedical Scientists, Except EpidemiologistsHospitalityFirst-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving WorkersCombined Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Including Fast FoodFood Service ManagersMaids and Housekeeping CleanersJanitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping CleanersCooks, RestaurantWaiters and WaitressesHotel, Motel, and Resort Desk ClerksFood Preparation WorkersDishwashersTechnologySoftware Developers, ApplicationsComputer User Support SpecialistsComputer Systems AnalystsNetwork and Computer Systems AdministratorsWeb DevelopersInformation Technology Project ManagersComputer Systems Engineers/ArchitectsSoftware Quality Assurance Engineers and TestersInformation Security AnalystsComputer ProgrammersTransportat ionHeavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck DriversLaborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, HandFirst-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle OperatorsLight Truck or Delivery Services DriversDriver/Sales WorkersPurchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm ProductsOperations Research AnalystsPurchasing ManagersIndustrial Truck and Tractor OperatorsLogisticiansFindings are based on analysis of more than 52 mio available online jobs reported by the TalentNeuron tool from January through July 2016.Interested in learning more from Intelligence? Check out our lateststudies here.

No, you dont need a personal brand

No, you dont need a partal brandNo, you dont need a personal brandWhen it comes to career lingo, no phrase has gotten mora buzz over the past several years than personal branding, an all-encompassing self-empowerment term thats increasingly harder to define. And while it may seem vague, the topic of personal branding has launched what feels like a billion articles, workshops, keynotes and more as professionals try to figure out what it means to them.Your personal branding is your identity, says Erica Breuer, a personal branding and marketing strategist behind Cake Resumes. Its who you are, why you do what you do. But its a matter of communicating who you are in a way that stands out and delivers value. Until you go about this in a strategic way, its just this casserole of stuff orbiting you. Most importantly, branding, Breuer argues, is about making yourself appealing to a specific subset of people, not necessarily everyone.Why is personal branding important, especially in the 21st c entury? As any person today knows, theres a smorgasbord of different ways to reach others. Weve got all of these ways of communicating, and unless youve got a solid message, theres no way to make sure youre communicating yourself effectively across these different platforms, Breuer explains.Alyssa Gelbard, founder and president of Resume Strategists, also says that this doesnt just go for social media posting or your personal website. Its includes, for instance, your business cards, your email signature, your headshot, your wardrobe and how to interact with people. Effective branding, Gelbard explains, can lead to more opportunities both in terms of finding employment and moving up on the job.The downside of personal brandingHowever, not everyone feels so rosy about what personal branding is doing for people or the job market. Ilana Gershon, a professor of anthropology at the University of Indiana, Bloomington wrote a book called Down and Out in the New Economy How People Find (Or D ont Find) Work Today that asserts that personal branding doesnt actually increase a job seekers chances of landing a position. Instead, its a trend within a larger problem where people in the workforce are products and branding is a tool that marketers use to make people believe they can control their fates in an uncertain job market. People, she says, have turned themselves into mini-businesses, dehumanizing the market.But unlike Gershons assertion that personal branding and advertising oneself like a business is a radical transformation as to how people look at their employment, both Breuer and Gelbard argue that personal branding isnt a new-fangled idea only its name and connotations have changed over time.To them, branding in decades past was called marketing yourself, and it typically included attending classes or lectures on dress, etiquette, public speaking and other in-person interactions many professionals dealt with. The big shift, they both say, is that people now have to consider their real-life and digital personas and think about how to make those selves give off the same impression.Is there any validity to Gershons more cynical look at the world of personal branding? And does it even matter whether or not personal branding is good or bad?Not right for everyoneBreuer says that Gershons assessment makes a great point Personal branding can go too far to where it stops being about putting ones best foot forward and instead trying to be something inauthentic or overdone. There are some branding services or levels of branding that might not be appropriate for where everyone is in their career, Breuer notes.For instance, theres a big difference between a young person starting a career in digital media and someone older working in local government for 30 years theyre trying to reach different markets, and digital branding wont do anything for the latter when most of those interactions are in-person.Gelbard also says its not about promoting yourself eve rywhere or in every instance but instead thinking about how people perceive you over several months and years. Having a good reputation is important, she explains.Whats the biggest takeaway from the personal branding debate? It cant hurt to think about the impression you give off professionally, but its a long-term commitment. Like anything else in the workforce, your professional persona is built over time, not by a short deadline.You shouldnt be thinking about your personal brand only when youre looking for a job, Gelbard concludes. You should optimally be thinking about it when youre not.