Q: I have been trying to get a job for the last 19 months. And, yes I have really tried: I mean, really, really tried. I have fine tuned my CV. I have gone to networking meetings. I have told friends and all sorts of random acquaintances that I am looking for work, and the type of work I’m looking for – but still all to no avail. But I am going to give up. Are there any websites you can recommend that might add a little bit more to my job search? (TC, email ).
A: The science of job-searching is particularly well developed in the USA and that is where I have turned to find some sites useful to you. Some of the information is localised, but the theories and approaches their spouse or, in most cases, global, writes Liam Horan, Career Coach.
This is the list of useful job searching sites recommended by Career Directors International, which I am a member:
Career Secrets Revealed – www.headhuntersrevealed.com Career Planning & Adult Development Network – http://www.careernetwork.org/career_newsletter.html
JibberJobber Blog – http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/
Career Goddess Blog – http://blog.careergoddess.com/blog/ Job-Hunt.org – http://www.job-hunt.org/
Fast Company Cutting Edge Career Topics – www.fastcompany.com Career Planning A-Z articles, and free and pay resources – www.careerplanning.about.com Ask the Headhunter – www.asktheheadhunter.com Tech Interviews – http://techinterviews.com
You are correct to keep looking at what you are doing, and I say that without in any way diminishing what you have already done. I encounter very few people who can truthfully say what you have just said above – i.e. that you have exhausted a huge variety of job searching methods.
Go through the sites. You will find webinars, audios, videos and other resources that, apart fro, anything else, will give you a lift during what must be a very difficult time for you. Without becoming overloaded by the information available to you there, you should take the best of what you find and put it into practice.
All the indications are that job searching is going to continue to undergo dramatic changes in the years ahead. In fact, I believe we are living through a revolution in the way companies advertise jobs and source people, and candidates will need to react to the changing circumstances. Technology will be at the heart of the new way and the intelligence and insights that employers and recruiters will be able to tap into, drawing on sources such as blogging, social media and other elements of an individual’s digital presence.
In short, the employer or recruiter will know a great deal more about you than what’s on your CV. This is unavoidable in an era of share, tweet, retweet, post, endorse and recommend.
To meet this new reality, a job seeker will have to be sharper than ever before. Taking the “two heads is better than one” maxim to the nth degree, I like the suggestion on the Career Goddess blog that job seekers should surround themselves with a network of trusted advisers (in fact, she calls it a Board of Directors ).
“As you conduct research on companies and individuals, and network online and offline, you will undoubtedly come across established professionals and executives in your industry, as well as up-and-coming colleagues,” she writes.
“Also look for individuals from other industries and professions to cross-seed ideas. Reach out to these people for their suggestions and advice, and form an inner circle of trusted advisors (your board of directors ). Then ask good questions, and listen!”
Sli Nua Careers (www.SliNuaCareers.com ) have offices in Galway (Patricia Maloney, 091 528883 ), Mayo (Ballinrobe, Claremorris ), Dublin, Sligo, Limerick and Athlone. Their services include CV preparation, interview training, job-searching strategies and career direction. For more details, visit www.slinuacareers.com/galway
