jsync | Java Staffing Specialist

Tips for the Active Job Seeker - Getting Started

02/11/2005

by Dave Fecak

When you’ve realized it’s time to move on and you start the process of finding a new job, there are several things to consider before and during the search. Here is a short list of tips with some things you may not have considered.

1. Write down your target job – It’s important to know what kind of job you are seeking before you start the proces – seems like common sense. One of the first questions jsync asks of active job seekers is, “What is your dream job?”, and many candidates take a while to answer this. It is important to know what you are seeking before you start the search to save yourself time and effort, and also to market yourself properly to that type of opportunity. Chances are your dream job is not exactly what you will find, but knowing what your priorities are is a big help.

2. Put together your resume – Many candidates make the mistake of putting together the resume before thinking about what type of job they are seeking. The resume should not only reflect what you have done, it should also focus on the aspects of your work that are pertinent to your target job. Details of your most recent work are much more important than any work you did ten years ago, so keep old job descriptions to a minimum or you may be getting a call for your COBOL skills. If you decide to include an objective, keep in mind that if you are overly specific you may not get the desired amount of response. If you can’t find a copy of your resume and don’t want to start from scratch, ask a recruiter who may have an old copy that you can update. For other resume tips, check out your old jsync mailers!

3. Should I post my resume? – We are often asked by candidates if they should post their resume to a career website. If you decide to do this, it is important to keep several things in mind. To minimize the onslaught of spam and pointless phone calls and also to keep your search a secret, it is recommended that you post your resume confidentially. Most career sites offer this feature, and if they don’t you can simply create an e-mail account to use only for your job search and have all correspondence directed to it. This keeps you in control of who you speak with and who you ignore, and lets you focus on the solid leads most closely resembling your target job. Posting confidentially also prevents unethical recruiters from cutting and pasting your resume into a document and submitting it to a hiring company without your consent (yes, some recruiters still do this), which will often hurt your chances of being hired by the company.

4. Keep track of where your resume is going – Whenever you send your resume to anyone, keep a log of where and when you sent it (including both recruiters and hiring companies). When sending your resume to a recruiter, tell the recruiter to ask you before sending your resume to any clients. This way you can avoid being submitted by two recruiters for the same position or being submitted by a recruiter for a position to which you have already applied.

5. Who will be my references? – At some point before starting interviews, you want to make sure you have a list of people that you can use as references so you aren’t stuck scrambling last minute. Make sure you speak with them before sharing their names with companies/recruiters and let them know when they should expect to be called. Showing this courtesy to your references will surely result in them providing a more positive assessment of your skills. Putting references on your resume is not recommended.

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