Ideas to Fast Track Your Job Search

“New ideas pass through three periods: 1) It can’t be done. 2) It probably can be done, but it’s not worth doing. 3) I knew it was a good idea all along!” – Arthur C. Clarke

If it helps you get a job, it must be a good idea. Now I won’t go as far as to say there are no bad ideas in job search (there are plenty – see below), but the good ideas are all time tested. Some are basic, like “Prepare for your search” while others are more complex like “create an elevator speech”, but all of these are essential to finding a new job. Even if you’ve been on the job hunt for awhile, some of these basics may help jump start your search. As an example, have you leveraged your college career center (it doesn’t matter how long ago you graduated)? What about professional associations? Broaden your approach and follow these tips.

• LOOKING FOR A CAREER, NOT JUST A JOB – This article, from The University of Akron, provides all of the basics for your job search. From “what do I want to be when I grow up” to the basic steps (resume, cover letter, references and interviews). The article includes job search etiquette, how to use phone and voicemail as well as pointers on what to do (an not to do).

• Fast Track Your Job Search – Ten Steps to Find a Job Fast – About.com’s Alison Doyle provides this article which provides the basics for fast tracking our job search – job search plan, resume, cover letters, websites and more. There are embedded links throughout the article for each of the main categories as well helpful links at the bottom of the page.

• Fast Track Your Job Search Through a Professional Association – Professional associations can be a great resource in your job search. This article, from search firm Spherion, reviews what you should do to connect and leverage professional associations.

• Job Hunting Tips: Strategies for Finding a Job Online – This article provides some job hunting tips along with embedded links. The best websites, networking, how to prepare your searches and more.

• Job Search Strategies – A great list of resources, this site leads with a list of quick guides (each of which leads to a detailed page) like “ask the employer”, “interview effectively” and more. Below this are links for FAQs such as – “How do I use Site Search?”, “How do I find jobs to apply for on the internet?” and so much more. In addition to this there are numerous links to additional resources on the left hand side of the screen.

Okay, what about those bad ideas? There are plenty, read below.

• True Job Search Blunders – This article, posted on Careerbuilder.com has some pretty funny (and sad) blunders. Now many of these are hard to believe, but all are true. Hopefully you won’t need this advice, but it is certainly worth a read. Once you are done, check out some of the great links on the left hand side of the page.

• 3 Phone Blunders that Can Hang Up Your Job Search – A few more for your review. This one is provided by pongoresume.com and, while not as funny as the prior link, this is worth a read as well. So often we don’t have job search in mind when it comes to our personal lives, but you never know what others will find annoying.

Good luck in your search.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.