Searching for a job in Corporate America can be a painful and time consuming process. Here are helpful hints to make the journey easier and more successful.

No one likes to be in a position where they need to look for a job. Whether you are freshly out of college, in need of a job change, or were recently lost a job, it is not fun and can be a pain staking process. I assure you, you are not alone. The current unemployment rate is almost five percent, and there are millions of people out there who are not satisfied with their current career.

Although there are no guarantees, I can confidently say, based on personal experience, being on both sides of the fence, there are many things you can do to improve your chances of landing a quality position.

Resume

This is where it all starts. A resume is usually the first thing a hiring manager reviews when deciding if you qualify for a position. You need to be impressive and you need to sell yourself. You do not get a second chance to make a first impression, so make sure you represent yourself in a manner that makes your potential boss take notice. There are lots of free web sites out there that give examples of quality resumes and formats. I suggest looking up a few.

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Here are some basic guidelines:

  1. Touch upon the most important skills, tasks and responsibilities
  2. Do not make the resume too long. An accepted length is three pages or less.
  3. Be clear and concise; do not be too wordy
  4. Try to keep the responsibility descriptions short enough to fit on one line
  5. List major accomplishments. Every hiring manager wants to know what you can bring to the table.
  6. List skills that can possibly set you apart from your competition. Example: speaking a different language;

References

Have a list of personal and professional references ready to go. Recruiters and companies usually won’t ask for these right away, but you want to be ready. Make sure the list is professionally written and in the same format as your resume. Include such critical data as:

  1. Title
  2. Company
  3. One or more phone numbers
  4. Type of relationship (co worker, boss, friend)
  5. Length of relationship

Contact everyone you are going to use as a reference before you send it out. You of course want their permission, and you want to give them the professional courtesy that a phone call may be coming. This will also give you the opportunity to discuss the call before hand.

Use a variety of contacts as references. It is impressive to have VP’s, and CEO’s as references, but sometimes including someone that worked under you gives a much-needed different perspective.

Network

It’s all about who you know. There is no shame in making phone calls and sending emails to all of the people you built relationships with over the years. If you were good at your job and met quality people, I am sure they will be willing to help you in any way they can. Most successful professionals love the opportunity to give back.

If you are seeking your first job, reach out to professionals that your parents or friends know. Did you perform an internship or work a part time job while in school? I’m sure you came in contact with folks that would be willing to help you. You’ll be surprised how many professionals you know. You never know unless you ask. So do not be too proud to ask for help.

Career Websites

There are tons of reputable web sites, like monster and career builder, that allow you to fill out a profile, post your resume and search for jobs. These are good starting points for your journey. There are four basic reasons for using these sites.

  1. Job search
  2. Apply for jobs
  3. Potential Employers can find you
  4. Recruiters can find you

To be quite honest the most valuable uses are the first and the fourth. I tell you why further down in this piece. However, I do highly recommend posting on as many sites like these you can find. Look for career sites specifically geared toward your industry of expertise. For instance, if you have a logistics background, there are several logistics career web sites. The same thing goes for trucking, railroading, food etc.

Recruiters and Headhunters

I strongly suggest working with several recruiters. The main reasons are:

  1. Their services a free
  2. They can help market you
  3. They usually have established relationships with companies as well as a direct line to hiring managers
  4. They can do the work for you
  5. They will push for the highest salary possible. The higher your pay the more they make on commission.

If you are posted on career web sites, headhunters and recruiters will likely find you. If they do, do not reject their help. The more people you have working for you, the better chance you have of landing a quality job. If recruiters are not calling you, then find some yourself. Just do a google search.

If you deal with multiple recruiting companies, work with some that specialize in your industry. For example if you have a background in food there are recruiters that specialize in the food industry. If you have a logistics background, find one that specializes in logistics. At the same time, use a few general or regional headhunters.

Recruiters are ways of advertising. The more advertising you do, the more people will see you, which drastically improves your chances of getting hired.

Applying for jobs

My suggestion is if you are going to apply for a job, do not do it through the career web sites. The two best ways to apply for positions are:

  1. Directly with the company
  2. Through your recruiter

There is a lot of red tape in the application process. If you apply through a web site, there is no telling how long the application and resume will sit in cyber space. From there it usually goes to some general contact in Human Resources. That person then has to cipher through the resumes, sort them and then forward them to the appropriate hiring manager. Some times they will perform a basic background check even before they send it to the hiring manager, which delays the process even more. By the time the hiring manager gets it, actually reads it and then decides whether or not to make the call it could be weeks later.

By applying directly to the company you are cutting out one middleman in the career web site. You are also decreasing the chances the application will get caught in cyber space.

By talking to your recruiter you are covering your bases because they may already have a relationship with the company. Even if they don’t they can make the initial call for you and try to market you. If the company does not deal with recruiters, then your personal recruiter should tell you, so you can apply directly on your own. They may even be able to get you a contact name.

Follow-up

You need to check your web sites almost every day. The market changes constantly. It only takes a few minutes to do a search or look at the jobs that are recommended for you.

Stay in touch with your recruiters by being patient but persistent. If you do not express some sort of urgency they may not push for you. However, you must be courteous and professional at all times. Discuss why opportunities are not coming your way. Ask specifically what companies they have contacted and what went wrong. Find ways to broaden your marketability. Make sure you do not price yourself out of the market.

Send follow-up notes to every company that you apply for. Make sure they received your application and resume. Try to find out who the hiring manager is. If you do, then try to send a resume directly to them.

Conclusions

  • Solid professional resume and list of references
  • Network; it’s all in who you know
  • Use the career web sites wisely, but definitely utilize them
  • Get several recruiters to go to work for you
  • Apply for jobs either directly with the company or through the recruiter
  • Follow-up