LinkedIN and other job fishing holes

[cookderosa]

This is part share, part question.


I have worked as a consultant outside of my primary career, and I've had at least one major career change. Now that I've completed my coursework, it's time to look again. Here are some of the things I do to look for work. Probably basic to all of you, but another thread inspired me to create this; maybe some of you could chime in with some tips / fishing holes?


- I pay attention and drive around. When I get home, I'll look the names I saw on the company signs up, and see if there is anything on their careers / jobs / employment page.

If there's not, but the jobs all sound decent and pay well, I'll set up a job alert that will ping me when they list new jobs. If they don't, I drag the padlock off of my firefox into a folder that peeks out above my browser. Once a week or so, I'll get in the browser and start popping shortcuts to see if there's anything I missed.

- I pay attention on local boards. Some places just don't advertise, but you'll catch people grousing about their job. Which makes me search the company out. Refer back to block one for further, lol

I use indeed.com a lot. But I also use the state job site (Which stinks), and clearancejobs, as well as usajobs.gov. I also look for state employment openings, county and city ones.

I have resumes that are tuned to the things I do. I have never had a general, boring resume. I make resumes and cover letters for others. 

I tell others this: A business card or a email to a manager is only enough to pique their interest and want to call you. A resume is enough to sort of flesh out your details, but leave them wanting more, and they can only get more from talking... to you!

If you give them everything they need up front, what reason do they have to call?

Before you start searching, MAKE CERTAIN you know where your birth certificate is. Where is your social security card? Do you have a driver's license? Is it expired? Men, do you have a draft card?

You may think this is pedantic, but I'm mentoring a buddy re-entering the wild after 30 years in the military. These are things that have popped up.


Question -

I've never had a linkedin account. Ever. But, I just built one because a couple places say that's where grownups do facebook-like stuff.  Now I have people telling me it's a waste of time and the jobs / job hunters on there are lame. What say you?

Great suggestions!! I have a linkedin profile too - but also because I think I look too "slow" if I don't. Afterall, I only just recently changed my aol email to gmail (my kids told he it dated me significantly). I still put 2 spaces after a period, but I'm working on it.

Regarding keeping up to date: I interviewed with a big company for a job that was a perfect match for my skillset. This specific division operated in its own small facility, a staff of maybe 10, my role would be regional and I would have been a rockstar in this role. I had about a week before the interview, and scoured the internet to find out what I could about the company as well as the person I would be interviewing with - he would be my direct supervisor if I were hired. I found ZERO on this guy. Literally zero. And I looked HARD. In fact, I *thought* I found him in a high school alumni newsletter from the early 80's, but I couldn't be sure- but as for his professional existence - nothing. Nothing from college, nothing after college, nothing in the public records like marriages or even listed as a survivor in an obituary. His kids? None that I could find. (Wives and children are excellent doors into someone's social profile) In 2017 (when I interviewed) I found this to be a red flag and troubling. It's kinda the opposite problem we see with teens where they put EVERYTHING out there- I mean how can you be a Regional Vice President and not have a social presence?
Fast forward, the interview with this guy was a disaster- he and I would not have been a good work-match (sadly), but to bring this back on point- he was a tech dinosaur. Not that he was old (just a few years older than me), but he was probably the definition of "laggard" in the adopter bell curve. I think there is a skill to using the tools that the working /networking world are using -like LinkedIn, that are worth learning.