These days, candidate recruiting has taken a different course and traditional venues used in previous years are no longer effective. Frequently used job search engines such as Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com are losing ground with companies who are becoming more creative in using alternative recruiting sources that are less expensive or free.

Interestingly enough, specific marketing industry jargon has filtered into defining those alternative recruiting strategies and our job search efforts. Does “targeted” recruiting/job search or personal “branding” sound familiar? (See: Branding –New Buzzword in the Job Search Arena?)

To be successful in our job search today, we need to put ourselves in the mindset of a market researcher. We have to research where the demand is and design our product based on the buyers needs. It is vital to understand what companies are looking for, what venues companies are using to target their candidates and how we can make ourselves visible within those venues. Here starts your targeted job search!

Below, is a checklist that outlines important steps you should be taking in your job search process that will help you stand out and be a step ahead of the crowd:

Targeted Job Search Checklist

Targeted Resume

Align content with industry field/job description: use key words

Align your skills and experience with stated Objective

CareerBuzz

Create account and upload resume

Navigate Job posting/internships only for GT students

Participate in On-Campus Interviews

Attend company information sessions

Join Industry Related Professional Organization

Research Website: Job Boards, Discussion Boards, On-line Communities

Read Publications/Newsletters

Participate in National and Regional Conferences

Attend/Volunteer/Network with local chapters

LinkedIn.com

Create and maximize your Profile/On-line resume

Join Professional Groups and participate in discussion topics

Establish Connections and build networking relationships

Search for Jobs

Create Professional Blog

Write about school projects

Write industry related articles

Participate in Career Services Special Events: Resume Blitz & Mock Interview Week

Have your resume critiqued by company representatives

Practice your interview skills and network with employers

Join the LinkedIn GT Career Services: Job Search Coaching Group

LinkedIn Profile Review and Critique

Coaching advice on additional targeted resources related to career interest

Opportunity to share job search successes among the group members and to learn from each other

Special invitation to workshop and events offered by GT Career Services in partnership with company representatives on job search related strategies

It is a question I addressed to Georgia Tech students at one of the job search seminars I presented.  The responses varied in time frames, but I was not surprised to see that every single student in the audience raised their hand and acknowledged that they are very active on social networking sites.  We all love to keep in touch with friends and share stories about our personal lives, and on line tools such as Facebook and MySpace enable us to do so.

How about when it comes to sharing a story about our abilities, achievements, career-goals and networking professionally with people in the same career field as ours? 

Most of the students in the audience admitted that although they are in their job search process, professional networking does not come as easy as social networking, and they are not as familiar with the on-line tools that will help them develop professional relationships. LinkedIn, the most familiar and popular on-line professional networking tool does not have the same visibility for graduating students as Facebook.

I believe that professional networking is an underlying requirement of the job search process and the ability to do it relies on the same formula as our social networking skills used to communicate with friends on Facebook. However, in this case the story we want to share is about who we are professionally and not personally.

According to my estimates, the average time spent on Facebook by students is 4 hours per day, what if some of that time is traded for building a presence on LinkedIn and establishing professional connections to aid in the job search process?

LinkedIn is a powerful professional networking tool with over 30M professionals in the community. It allows users to create an on-line profile, similar to a web resume, search for jobs, network with people in similar industries, establish connections, join professional groups and participate in various discussion topics.

On-line tools and user skills developed on Facebook provide an easy head start in establishing a LinkedIn account and navigating the on-line community resources.

Do not underestimate the power of professional networking in LinkedIn and the benefits it provides in the job search process. Now, it is a vital time to establish your presence on LinkedIn!

Below are some additional useful resources to help you in your LinkedIn adventure:

YES…You Should Have A LinkedIn Account!
Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn

Facebook vs. Linkedin – Network, Socialize, Be Professional?

Etiquette for LinkedIn and the Professional Networking World

History repeats itself and we are in a downturn economic cycle again, so I wanted to share from my own experience, how I managed to increase my chances of finding a job that started my professional career when the job market was not favorable.

Having difficulty in finding a job encouraged me to start thinking of new venues that would offer the same opportunities as a job but without the monetary rewards. Who says NO to free workers when budgets are cut and hiring freezes are happening? Besides, I wanted to enhance my professional experience, find a venue to establish new contacts, increase my network, and feel some kind of accomplishment at the end of the day in exchange for the alternative–hours of isolation at home. I switched gears and started inquiring about volunteer opportunities at non-profit organizations while continuing my search for a full-time position.

It was not long before I was offered a volunteer position at Habitat for Humanity in the HR Department working with the Staff and Development Training Manager. Not only I was doing work that was related to my field, but I continued to gain valuable experience and had the opportunity to increase my network with people who could see the direct results of my volunteer work. At the same time, I was giving back to the community and feeling encouraged. Three months later I landed my first real job as a result of volunteering with Habitat for Humanity and a strong referral from people I had worked with.

I strongly encourage you to volunteer while navigating the challenging job market. There are many volunteer opportunities out there, not only with non-profit organizations but also with industry related professional organizations that look for people to take on committee responsibilities or help out with event planning. Your give back to others may end giving back to you in the form of a job!

Have you ever had this mindset? It might work when the job market is in high demand and there are more jobs out there than qualified candidates, but what happens when the tables turn and the job demand is higher than the supply on the job market? Suddenly, “differentiating yourself” becomes more meaningful and we are forced to put more effort into actually finding those unique skills and experience that would set us apart from the crowd.

But what if “differentiating yourself” was to be presented in a more trendy way? A trend, by its definition, makes you think of something new, improved and in vogue, right? So, would it make a difference if we replace the above phrase with something that is more identifying and easier to relate to? How about branding?

What comes to mind when you hear the word branding? I did a test, and asked several people to tell me what comes to mind; logos, products, company names, services, etc., all right answers. How about people? People could definitely fall into the brand categories, but they typically aren’t thought of first. Well, how about if you think harder? Can you name people who stand out because of something they have done or are known for? I have a whole list, how about you?

Ok, so what makes those people on your list stand out? It might be their skills, determination, hard work, experience and the list can go on, but there are specific traits they are known for. They have managed to brand themselves to stand out from the crowd.

What makes you stand out? What is your personal brand? As difficult as it might sound at first to come up with an answer, we all have special traits that make us marketable in today’s job market. The challenge is to reveal those skills and make sure they are aligned with what employers are looking for.

Think of your job search as of a shopping spree. We all shop based on branding preferences; type of product, price, material, etc. You do not buy a product if it does not meet your personal brand preference, whatever that might be? Same thing goes for companies looking for candidates to fill their positions or for candidates trying to find the right job fit.

Branding is a marketing concept that has been around for years and years, although it takes on a new meaning when it comes to our job search and the new developing trends in the job market. It is called Personal Branding. Some of you might have heard of it, some of you have used it in the “differentiating yourself” concept, but personal branding has been buzzing around more frequently these days than ever before. A tighter job market forces us to put more effort into defining our personal brand.

So, do you think you are ready to find the traits that would make up your personal brand?

Note: Search for “Personal Branding” articles to get an understanding on how to better market yourself in today’s job market.