Job Hunting And 2.0

"Recruiting is hard. It’s just finding the needles in the haystack. You can’t know enough in a one-hour interview."
- Steve Jobs

Image by paramendra via Flickr

Web 2.0 is very real to me. It is my primary reality. America is Europe. The Internet is my America.

The economy went ahead and did a bungee jump. Many people lost jobs. I was not, am not into jobs. I did not lose a job. But I did lose some investors. I will find new ones, not to worry.

My primary tech startup might have taken a momentary backseat, but my secondary tech startup - to do with online tutoring - is also thick in 2.0. 2.0 is reality. And it is exciting. And it could pick up fast. It also helps me network in Mumbai, India's NYC, a sister city. That networking is crucial for my primary startup.



Personally I think a downturn like this one is high time for ambitious entrepreneurship, but most people prefer to do the job thing. And that's fine. Dropouts who create trailblazing companies depend on big name colleges to populate those companies. Entrepreneurs need jobholders, many, many of them.

For now I wanted to share this wonderful article about job hunting and 2.0. It is comprehensive and helpful. I personally know too many people who are between jobs. It is not a happy sight. I hope this helps a little.

Computer World: Job Hunting? Use Social Networks To Make Crucial Connections social networking Web sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter ...... a highly organized, scientific approach to his job search ...... a spreadsheet ..... made concentrated use of social networking sites to present himself online and to research targeted companies. ......... LinkedIn was one of the most useful tools ....... the de-facto must-use tool in today's career environment. ...... If you're not on Twitter, get there. Start Tweeting ...... sending out about 60 to 70 resume/cover letter blasts to job sites, companies, etc ....... sent out 103 blasts -- but this time he used LinkedIn ....... trying to find people who worked at the company who had a role in the product area he was interested in ......... follow-up messages. "And the response rate from those follow-ups was much higher than the original sendouts," he said, at 40% compared to the first response rate of only 5%. ........ maintaining his online profile, doing status updates on sites such as Facebook and Twitter ....... four weeks and one day after the targeted resume/cover letter blast.

• Get to know the hiring manager LinkedIn was vital to her success. ..... garnered 35 recommendations from former co-workers and posted them on LinkedIn .... used LinkedIn contacts ..... you must be willing to take action outside your comfort zone ....... Don't spend too much time in front of the screen. Phone calls and face-to-face meetings are vital ...... get connected to someone working at the company you're targeting ....... Don't be afraid to reach out to anyone on the Web in your targeted area .... stay engaged in your field, keep up on the latest news, products and services -- and check out start-ups, which can be a great place to find a job
  
• Why in-house contacts matter His data confirms that an in-company referral is priceless..... how crucial it is to use social networking sites for one specific purpose and one purpose only. ..... 50 to 70 times more likelihood of being interviewed ....... she used LinkedIn to actually find four people she knew well who in turn knew current associates in her targeted company ...... I also used LinkedIn to research the three individuals I interviewed with
• Fewer resumes, but more focused "In 2001, I probably put out, over five months, 10 resumes a day" ........ only 20 to 30 resumes in total ........ very much more laser-focused" approach that includes asking a social contact to put him in touch ...... used Twitter mainly as a "listening post," keeping himself up to date on current events in his areas of interest.
• The power of going local face-to-face networking with short and quick "elevator pitches." ....... it's often a case of contacting someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows a person at a company looking to fill a position. ...... "a lot of touch points" ...... a large number of recommendations on his LinkedIn profile
• Don't spend all your time online Contacting people, staying on the phone [is important] ........ spend no more than 10% to 20% of their time with online tools ...... Find a way to get their phone number. Find a way to get a meeting with them. ....... information interview ......... And too many simply post their resume to job sites and hope that that will get them a job. And that is one of the least effective methods that's out there. ........ nothing more than a printed-out profile from LinkedIn .... all relationship based ...... Tyler Cooper received his first job offer from a blog.
• Don't be afraid to reach out Use the Web to keep track of trends and new start-ups and reach out to companies, Web sites, bloggers and other resources. By "reaching out" he means taking the initiative to contact people you may come across on the Web. "Never be afraid to reach out. If someone leaves their e-mail address, send them a message, ask questions, send suggestions. You never know what will come of it" ......... TwitterJobSearch Twellow.com "Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it."
• 10 don'ts for job hunters
• Can your online past come back to haunt you?

Losing Job May Be Hazardous to Health New York Times
What to Do When You Lose Your Job - Room for Debate Blog
For Job Losses, No Sign That Worst Is Over
Bright Spot in Downturn: New Hiring Is Robust while 4.8 million workers were laid off or chose to leave their jobs in February, employers across the country hired 4.3 million workers that month ...... In February — before the economy started to show the first faint signs of a possible recovery — there were three million job openings nationwide. And despite large new job losses likely to be announced Friday, there are still millions of job openings. ...... “You’re facing more competition for every job you apply for, but the reality is there is a lot of hiring going on” .... “You’re never going to find anything unless you apply.”

Related articles by Zemanta

• How to Turn Social Networking Into a Job Offer (usnews.com)
• Online social networking and your business (jonggunlee.tistory.com)
• Three times you should lie at work (penelopetrunk.com)
• Some of the things you don't want on your CV (inquisitr.com)
• Nextgov - Study urges agencies to choose wisely from social ... (jonggunlee.tistory.com)
• Over 50 and Jobless? Join Social Networking Sites (blogworldexpo.com)
• Vote Ki Vaat Mat Lagne Do (ushahidi.com)
• Notes from the Breadline: You've Got a Friend (abovethelaw.com)
• A Medley Of Jews In India (themoderatevoice.com)
• The Cellphone has been crucial in binding India together (textually.org)
• TG Daily - Social networks a security threat to businesses (jonggunlee.tistory.com)
• Social Networks: Facebook Takes Over Top Spot, Twitter Climbs (jonggunlee.tistory.com)
• Walking on Clouds: Managing your digitial identity (slideshare.net)
• A job finding people jobs (money.cnn.com)
• For Sale By Tweet: Social Networking To Sell Homes - Money News ... (jonggunlee.tistory.com)
• Jobs in a Recession Survey Results 1: Recent Hires Got Jobs Via Referral from Friends, Colleagues, Alumni, or Family (web-strategist.com)
• Unemployed in a Tough Economy Part I (halliecrawford.typepad.com)
• Job Hunting And 2.0 (technbiz.blogspot.com)