In 2008 America shed a record numbers of jobs (over 2.5 million) The largest decrease since the end of WWII. With more losses looming on the horizon, and no slowdown in site, many people are wondering when will it end. This is an unprecedented time for workers in the US, with many people losing their jobs through no fault of their own. This will cause a ripple effect globally. No one is really safe. JobShouts.com wants to offer some ideas to help you in  your search.

2009 marked the beginning of a new era in America.  A new president is in the oval office. Social media is taking center stage in the web 2.0 movement. Job boards are getting a lot of attention from job seekers.  This article is designed to assist the job-seeker. It includes ideas and information gathered from a variety of resources. It details the specifics of using LinkedIn to build your career network, and ideas on how to grow and develop your social networks.

It’s not the be all, end all guide that will guarantee your immediate success. It takes time to build and develop a network. There is no 30 second microwave networking class that actually works. JobShouts.com wants to help by providing ideas and solid advice. Please share this by passing this information along to your peers, friends, family members, or anyone affected by the current employment crisis.

Using LinkedIn effectively in your search

1. After you have your account at linkedin.com you will need to get everyone you know on your network. Search for people you have worked with in the past, as well as companies you have worked for. Try to get as many recommendations as possible. This will take time, but will be worth it in the long run.
2. Create a list of companies you would like to work for. This can be done by searching google for jobs available, the skill sets you have, or industry news.
3. Use aggregate job boards like Indeed and Simply Hired to see what jobs are available, and what companies are hiring. Create a short list of ten that you are interested in to start with.
4. Using the list in Step 2 search your network on linkedin for contacts in those companies that might be able to help you. The higher up the better. Make sure they are open to talking about job openings by looking at their preferences. Make sure you follow linkedin’s rules and etiquette or you might end up blocked. Create a second list from the companies you found from your search on the job boards. Search for contacts in these companies too.
5. By now you should have a list of contacts in the companies you are interested in working for. Some have posted jobs and some have not. How you approach them will be different. For companies not advertising the job you want. Send the contact a message or request an introduction through mutual contacts stating in one sentence what you are looking for and if they know who would be best to talk to in the company. For companies with job postings, you will include the title in the message but still keep it to one or two lines.
   Either way, your message should be brief, and to the point. Include your name, phone number and email in the message.
6. You will find some people will not respond, some will point you to HR. Many will respond to you with a person or offer to send your resume in if you send it to them. Even if they respond telling you they do not know it is okay. I will tell you why next.
7. As with any job search it truly is a numbers game. So you need to be doing a lot of these messages, introductions, etc. Which means you will probably need to up your membership to  premium. Especially if you do not personally know many people in the target companies.
8. This process is a lot of work and we have not included all the details to using LinkedIn effectively. Try this search on Google as there are a lot of blogs, ebooks, and guides to effectively using Linkedin.
   

Use Twitter for Your Job Search

Twitter is probably the most talked about social tool on the web today, news media is displaying tweets in scroll bars on live feeds. People are using it to connect with peers and industry leaders. Some have even tweeted themselves into new jobs, 140 characters at a time. Twitter has been labeled as competition for whats happening right now in the search markets.

What Can Twitter Do For You?

1. Provide access to other professionals in your field. When you follow key industry leaders, you’ll know who spends time with them, what conferences they attend, what they’re reading and what is on their minds. This is great information to leverage for your search.
2. Provide exposure and credibility as well as personal and professional relationships when you connect to others in your industry.
3. Offer you a venue to demonstrate your expertise and share information in quick, pithy bursts of wisdom. This is perfect if you don’t have the time or energy to create a blog.

Unique Aspects of Twitter

1. It is casual and immediate and a great place to “meet” informally.
2. You’ll find an array of people on Twitter, including CEO’s, top-level executives, hiring managers, recruiters and everyone in-between! It’s one-stop shopping for your networking needs. You’ll be surprised to find that stars in your field (mentors) may follow you if you reach out to them!
3. Unlike Facebook, where it is kind of creepy if you start trying to “friend” people who are connected to your contacts, it is acceptable (and expected) to follow people on Twitter because another friend or colleague does.
4. It forces you to be brief. Coming up with your “Twit-Pitch” – what you have to offer in 140 characters or less – will help you clarify your value proposition. Remember: less is more!

Convinced? What To Do First?

1. Brand yourself professionally. If you are planning to use Twitter for a job search, set up a designated profile and account. Choose a professional Twitter handle using your name or some combination of your name and profession that sounds good and is easy to remember. For example, JaneSmith or MarketingExpertJane.
2. Take time to create a professional profile that will attract your target market. If you don’t have a website, link to your LinkedIn profile.
3. Before you follow anyone, start posting some tweets! Don’t succumb to the temptation to share your lunch menu…Tweet about an article, an idea or share a link of professional interest to your targeted followers. Do this for a few days. It may seem strange to be tweeting when no one is following, but you may be surprised to gain an audience before you even try. Once you have a great profile and a set of interesting tweets, start following people in your industry. Aim high! Follow stars – some will follow you back.
4. Continue to build your network by using Twitter Search and Twitter’s Find People tool. Manually review profiles and use Twubble to help you find new people to follow. Use directories such as Twellow and TwitDir. Grow your network slowly – you don’t want to follow 1000 people and have only 30 following you. That makes you look spammy, not professional.
5. Give, give, give! Think about what you can do for others. Don’t blatantly self-promote. Instead, help promote others. “Retweet” (pass along information someone else shared, giving them credit) – you will earn followers and friends this way. Those who know (and like) you will become part of your network and will be willing to help you.

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Tags: Help, Job Searching in 2009, Social Media