Five Steps to Getting Your Next Job

Share on Facebook

If career strategist Cynthia Shapiro predicts correctly, this holiday season will be the peak hiring period of the entire year.

The holiday job-search angle is “a little-known secret,” she says. “Most people stop job searching around the holidays.” And since hiring was at a near-halt over the summer, all the better to jump start your job hunt while everyone else is downing eggnog.

Now that you know when to look, consider the trickier question of how. Given the unemployment rate, it’s all the more important to position yourself in the best light possible — online, in writing and in person.

As your search goes into full swing, take into account this expert advice:

1. Work the Holiday Party Circuit

Another benefit to the holiday season — a host of opportunities to rub elbows with people at desirable companies.

But getting invited is just the first step. Be sure you’ve perfected your 30-second elevator pitch. Most people are so engrossed in their cover letters that they forget how to sell themselves in person.

Once you’re there, “The key is to compliment, introduce yourself, mention that you would love to work for such a great company, hand out your card and move on,” says Shapiro. “You don’t want to hang out all night next to the CEO.” Afterward, if you met them, send a thank-you note to the head of the human resources department as well as the department you’re targeting.

2. Take Advantage of Libraries

Most libraries are chock-full of job-related resources, from career guides to resume workshops. At the San Jose Public Library, for example, Kaye Moore is one of several librarians leading one-on-one sessions to help folks work on resumes and do online job searches.

Her advice: “Don’t have too big of an idea built up in your head about what that job environment will look like.” Instead, think about the skills you’d like to acquire.

When circumstances once led Moore to take a job in a lumberyard, she used the position to improve her phone skills and got the company to pay for accounting classes.

While you’re there, check out books like What Does Somebody Have to Do to Get a Job Around Here? 44 Insider Secrets that Will Get You Hired, which will help navigate your search from the screening process to the thank-you note.

Trade publications are also handy for discovering the latest industry trends. “It gives you a lot more credibility in the interview,” says Moore.

3. Boost Your Online Presence … Wisely

Inundated with resumes, companies are quietly putting out feelers instead of posting jobs. Therefore, Shapiro recommends beefing up your presence on LinkedIn and omitting anything unprofessional from other sites. Joining LinkedIn associations in your industry allows you to friend people in those industries and build up contacts that could lead to jobs.

But with ever-expanding options, it’s easy to get lost slogging through job postings. Instead, let one or two algorithmic job sites like Indeed.com and Simplyhired.com do the work for you. When you create an account, RSS feeds e-mail you regular postings in your areas of interest.

If you’ve targeted certain companies, Shapiro suggests checking those companies’ Web sites for jobs every two weeks. Also see if you can link up with people who work there through your network contacts, she says.

4. Volunteer

If no one’s hired you to do your dream job, why not do it for free?

“Volunteerism is really hot right now,” says Moore. Increasingly people are seeking volunteer positions with power, status and skills attached. Consider joining the board of an industry association or doing free Webcasts for a company where you’d love to work. You never know who you’ll meet.

5. Review Social Media Etiquette

Many people are active in social media these days, but poking people on Facebook doesn’t mean you’re networking.

“So many people do this the wrong way and turn people off,” notes Shapiro. One common mistake: Contacting online “friends” out of the blue and asking for job leads.

Instead, she suggests sending people a polite message asking how they’re doing. Only mention your job search after they have asked how you are doing, and don't ask for help, leads or informational interviews--let them offer.

In contrast, if you’re e-mailing companies cold, think of it as a brief advertisement of your experience and confidence. Unless you have a name for a contact, don’t include a salutation. “The idea is to get them to pick up the phone and call you,” she says.

And always be careful what you post; one unsavory Tweet could cost you a job.