Job hunting requires hard work and a smart strategy, internet or no internet. However, we all know (perhaps no one better than our blog readers) that technology can enhance your job search process. Here are four quick reminders about how to optimize your cyber hunt for the best job or position:
1. Put first things first. As with traditional job hunting, update and polish your resume. Revise your resume weekly so that it appears higher in an employer's search results. You can create "confidential" resumes, which allow employers to see your experience but not your name. Label your resume appropriately - how you name your resume can impact how often it is viewed. An employer is much more likely to click on a resume title "Senior Financial Consultant" than on one titled "Sam's Resume." Most resume postings must be made in ASCII (plain text). Online sites can help with this.
2. Use proper ‘netiquette.' Think before you send a message, and realize the impression you are making. Electronic correspondence requires the same level of professionalism as traditional methods. Avoid being too casual when online. Keep the length of your message reasonable, and use correct grammar and spelling. The way you communicate using email is just as important as the way you communicate face-to-face. You must have an acceptable email address (i.e. your name/initials@xxxx.com). Do not use email addresses that are unprofessional, too casual or just have no relevance (like BigMomma@yahoo.com).
3. Mega sites. Start browsing mega career sites that offer multiple resources and services for free. Network through bulletin boards , newsgroups and user groups . Set up job search agents on all the sites you visit to receive the latest openings as soon as they are listed. Job search engines alow you to search many of the major job databases at once. Though helpful, don't limit yourself to posting your resume or applying only to jobs you find on these major job sites.
4. Niche sites. Search the niche job sites in your respective profession. Search local job sites and Chamber of Commerce sites. Check the newspaper Help Wanted ads, both online and off. Some employers still only use the classifieds offline to advertise job openings so be sure to use every available resource.
Using technology when job hunting helps, but is should be used as a set of tools. The most effective strategy is to use a variety of job seeking methods. Make finding you as easy as possible for the employer whether that is through technology based or traditional methods.
Silicon Valley is humming again and starry-eyed entrepreneurs pre-occupied with finding a Homecoming date during the last dot-com boom are fielding multi-million dollar offers for their Widget 2.0. To those younger workers waxing nostalgic for 1999, hoping to eschew suits for sneakers by finding a job at the next MySpace or YouTube (and there are MANY to choose from), remember this: a perk is not a benefit.
Hip Internet companies of all sizes are known for perks like foosball conference tables, nap rooms and even on-site wet bars, but all the perks in the world won't help you pay for health insurance or build a retirement savings.
While more small businesses are offering some kind of healthcare plan to employees (71% up from 54% last year according to a recent American Express survey), a 2005 Union Bank of California study found that 75% of small businesses offered no retirement benefits at all, because they tend to be rather costly.
Perks are great, there's no doubt about it , but having worked for a company that had a vintage Pac-Man machine in the "brainstorm nook" won't be quite as cool when you're 70. So go for the fun companies, just make sure you're being taken care of in ways that matter in the long-term.
I ran across a post on Employment Digest that mentions a surge in IT manager positions. Although I have seen an increase in IT management positions from my own clients, I wasn’t aware of just how many IT managers are making it onto the scene. For example, the post references that IT managers employed in the US have jumped 44 percent since the dot.com collapse of 2001, compared to a 19 percent decline in the number of programming and support jobs. Also, the BLS states that managers now represent 11.2 percent of IT employment, the fourth largest technical job category.
The blogger mentions that this growth reflects the importance of IT implementation in our current business landscape. But he also points out that organizations today are looking for “soft” skills such as leadership, management of people and budgeting as much as they are technical knowledge.
I would add that a very important change in the makeup of IT workers today is also driving the growth of IT management positions. A technology renaissance has intersected with a time in which aging boomers are exiting the workforce and moving into retirement. I believe many of the “soft skills” companies’ value and need from their IT folks were often found in baby boomer workers where the mix of soft and hard, technical skills is generally more balanced. Many of today’s younger IT workers have tremendous technical know-how, but can lack the ability to connect their IT work to larger company objectives, leadership or project management skills.
If you’re in the IT field and looking for ways to manage your career, this is an important trend to understand. Many of my clients are seeking IT workers who have the strong technical expertise, but who also understand how technology helps improve a company’s business. In other words, the ability to roll up your sleeves and get the work done, but also the ability to see the business impact, lead and direct others. Focusing on your management skills as much as you focus on your technical toolbox will help pave the way for a very successful career.
More research has recently surfaced that confirms what I've been seeing for many months in the Texas market -- the IT job market is hotter than the weather in Dallas! According to a recent report by the National Association of Computer Consultant Businesses (NACCB), the unemployment rate for IT professionals is less than half of the overall workforce, and the demand for IT services and talent remains very strong. This is due, I believe, to a number of factors. First, as a recent post on blog Job Pundit points out, an increase in security regulations is fueling the growth. A large number of our clients are seeking talent to help fulfill IT audit and compliance requirements driven by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. A second driver of growth in the IT sector is the need for skills to lead corporate IT projects, specifically project manager talent that can oversee the entire lifecycle of such initiatives. Lastly, an up-tick in ERP implementation, specifically SAP, and an increased focus on SQM initiatives are both impacting the IT sector. Spherion has also seen continued evidence that we are no doubt in an employees' market for IT workers and they are very confident in their personal situations. Despite this confidence, our latest research shows that more IT workers are planning to stay in their jobs instead of venturing out into the hot job market. Our IT Employment Report found the likelihood that U.S. IT workers will look for a new job dropped nine percentage points to 39% in the second quarter of 2006. Don't get me wrong, that's still a really high number, but the drop was quite interesting to me. Also, these findings can be somewhat countered by the fact that most IT consultants want to stay consultants, even when offered a hefty full-time offer. Facing a unique combination of a tight job market, slowing efficiency gains, labor shortages at certain skill levels and an increase in labor compensation maybe more employers are placing increased emphasis on retaining skilled workers. It may be paying off...for now.
