Uncovering the Hidden Job Market

Even in today's job market, millions of companies are still hiring and your job is to seek out those opportunities. The key to uncovering the hidden job market is to first of all, put yourself out there. Polish up your resume and post it in key places where employers will see it. Just because they don't have a job posted doesn't mean they don't have a position to fill. Chances are they are online right now and if you don't put yourself out there, how are they ever going to find you?

Secondly, you will want to take advantage of your resources. Contact your college professors to let them know you're looking. I'll let you in on a little secret here... Your teachers aren't in it for the money. They donate their time and energy because they love what they do and they will most likely jump at the chance to help you. All you need to do is ask. Your classmates, Career Services department (if your school has one), friends and family are all valuable resources so let them know that you need their help.

Lastly, get out there and start networking! Seek out the sites that will put you in touch with employers. Attend networking events. Go to happy hours near the businesses that you want to work for. Talk to the man/woman next to you in line at the bank or the grocery store. You never know where that conversation might lead.

I lined up my first internship after chatting up a table I was waiting on in college. Who knew my job waiting tables would launch my entire career. Years later I was on a flight home from San Diego and learned the gentleman sitting across from me was the brother of the CEO of my Fortune 500 company! Small world, right? Thanks to my newfound acquaintance, within five minutes of landing, I was on the phone with him setting up a meeting.

So, get out there! Take advantage of your resources! Utilize the sites that will help you market yourself. Talk to anyone and everyone that crosses your path. Check out local networking groups, conferences, seminars, anywhere that professionals in your field are likely to be and then sit back and watch the job offers come to you!

The Best Cities for Young Profressionals

This headline sure caught my attention! Where does your city rank? To see the full story, visit Forbes.com. The shortened version is below!

A year-long shakeout on Wall Street has put once-proud companies in the red and trimmed thousands of high-salaried jobs from payrolls.

That's made the Big Apple less juicy for the upwardly mobile.

After a first-place ranking last year, New York City fell to fourth, replaced by San Francisco as the best city for young professionals.

In Depth: Best Cities For Young Professionals

The City by the Bay, which ranked second in 2007, secured the top spot by attracting the nation's highest share of graduates from elite schools, and by offering an abundance of high-salaried positions in some of the finest big and small business in the country.

Minneapolis, Houston, and Boston round out the top five.

A Creative Approach

The biggest obstacle for job seekers today is getting their foot in the door. With thousands of applicants going after one position, how do you make yourself stand out in the crowd? That's exactly what you do. You stand out in the crowd. Differentiate yourself. Use a creative approach. Show them something they have never seen before; something that they will be telling their friends and colleagues about for weeks.

I can tell you from experience, there's nothing more painful than reading through a stack of paper resumes, especially those that are printed off of your commonly used sites (we won't name names). If you've never seen how your beautifully crafted resume prints out on the employers' side, you would be shocked. Don't bother aligning anything because it prints out in one big, jumbled mess, mixed with so much coding and other garbage that it's hard to find your name, let alone your experience or education.

If I had an applicant send me a package, a handwritten letter, a video resume, even a singing telegram, at least it would break up the monotony and show me a glimpse of their personality. I mean, how much can you really tell about someone from their Times New Roman 12 point font? The fact is that there are SO many opportunities to stand out amongst a sea of job seekers. Be creative! Think outside the box! What box, you ask? Good answer. Now you're getting it.

Maybe you're not good in front of the camera. No problem. Have your instructor or your colleague film a letter of recommendation and post that. Put up a demo reel showcasing your artwork. Post a slideshow of your sales numbers, images of sketches you've done, pics of an event that you helped plan or a top achiever's award you received. The key here is to sell yourself and in today's market, you've got more ways to do that than ever before.

Video Resumes Get the Job

If there's one thing I've noticed working in Career Services, it's that attention spans are shrinking by the minute and no one wants to read through a lengthy, boring, old paper resume anymore. I bet you even get bored reading your own resume, right?!? And why wouldn't you? Paper resumes are BORING and they are quickly becoming a thing of the past.

With a paper resume, employers can easily skim right past your years of education and hard work only to toss it in a yes or no pile. With a video resume, on the other hand, you have the platform to grab their attention and show them exactly what it is that makes you the perfect fit for the position.

The dreaded, "So, tell me about yourself" question...

Who are you? That’s really the intent behind the question, "So, tell me about yourself," that is often asked during interviews. Interviewers want to know what you’ll be like to work with during the good and the bad. They want to be able to depend on you, and, through your answer, attempt to predict how you’ll respond to situations.

So why is it that during an interview we are most likely to NOT be ourselves? I guess it is a little like dating. Everyone on their best behavior for the first few months. Then whammo, the real you just MUST get out. Somehow, the match made in heaven oftentimes goes South.

Chris Fogerty has a client who came to FiredUp Careers for interview coaching. Her last two ‘jobs’ had been disasters- lasting less than six months and 9 months, respectively. It turns out that her interview style was extremely serious, professional, measured, and very low key. She came across as EXTREMELY competent, and was hired by her last two organizations for her competency and her personality fit with the organization.

The problem was that serious, low key, and measured was very different from her normal operating style and personality! She was extremely competent. But she also had a great sense of humor, loved to joke around, and was light-hearted in her dealings with employees. Imagine the shock the organizations felt after feeling that they were hiring a low-key,introverted professional.

This client made the mistake of being what she thought the hiring manager wanted to see, rather than being who she was, and seeing if there was a great match.

Moral of this story is... Make sure you know who you are, show it to the world, and be true to yourself. Although you may get a job by putting on a front, it won't last and won't be enjoyable for you if it doesn't compliment your personality.