Revving Up Your Job Search for 2014 - Susan P Joyce

Susan P. Joyce (President of NETability Inc., Publisher/Editor of Job-Hunt.org & WorkCoachCafe.com), presented a very useful, informative workshop on 'How To Rev Up Your Job Search For Success In The New Year.'

She quoted Dick Bolles' statement - "Google is the new resume." The job search truth of the 21st century is - "What happens in Vegas, stays in Google, Bing etc." Employers are overwhelmed with resumes for most postings. Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are used for resume storage, screening and retrieval. And, candidate qualifications are verified via the internet - on social media (primarily LinkedIn). The main challenge for the job seeker is how to stand out from the crowd. In order to do that, one has to be appropriately and positively visible:

• Find-able in the ATS system.

• Find-able in Google and Bing.

• Attract the right employers and jobs to you with your personal SEO (search engine optimization).

• Create/protect a professional persona (social proof of who you are and what you did)

The 3 key elements for your online reputation:

1. Your 'screen name'- Job search and career name that uniquely identifies you.

2. Personal Social Proof - Online results confirm resume content.

3. Personal SEO - Positive content is found on the right searches for you.

In job search today, recruiters/employers assume that your internet visibility - your public profiles, activities, and connections - reflect who you truly are.

Customizing your resume, being fully prepared for an interview and having a complete LinkedIn profile are important factors for job seekers. Susan stressed that social proof is not optional. For creating social proof, LinkedIn is the most valuable resource. Other useful resources that she mentioned are:

SusanIreland.com for excellent resume advice, and

TagCrowd.com and Wordle.net for analyzing the keywords used for your target jobs and LinkedIn profile.