Technology can help a job search

While the basics of job search remain the same, new technology has improved the effectiveness of those basics and has greatly improved the ease of which they are executed.

The basics, of course, include finding employers that hire your skills and getting those employers to know you; or at least to know of you. Networking has always been the most effective way to accomplish job search and will likely remain so into the foreseeable future.

Here are three things you can do to utilize new technology to get a job:

? Expand your relationships on as many social networking websites as you can effectively manage. Start with Facebook and LinkedIn and add others as you can. Create complete personal profiles on each of these sites. Get as many ?connections? or ?friends? as you can. If you have the know-how, create a professional website of your own, highlighting your skills.

? If you have a smartphone, download apps that are specifically designed for job search and connecting with employers. These include apps such as CareerBliss, BusyBee and Real-Time Jobs, all offered free of charge. You can search for other apps that may be useful.

? Avoid spending too much time searching for advertised jobs. Many jobs are filled before they are advertised, and the general rule is that the better the job, the less likely it will be advertised. Instead, use social media to focus on finding and developing relationships with companies that hire your skills.

Again, these techniques are not new, but new technology is changing how you go about executing them. Simply put, technology is creating innovative and more effective options to accomplish the same methods as has always worked: find employers that hire your skills and get those employers to know you, or at least to know of you.

Imagine, for a moment, what employers face when making a hiring decision. Especially in today?s struggling job market for job seekers, employers are inundated with scores or even hundreds of applications, r?sum?s and cover letters.

Most employers would welcome a strong recommendation from someone they know and trust rather than to make hiring decisions solely on their own.

By using social media websites, you can expand your network and improve your connections to employers that hire your skills.

Remember that potential employers will likely review at least your Facebook and your LinkedIn profiles. If you use Twitter, they will also likely review what you have tweeted in the past few months or even years.

Our social media presence has become more of a representation of our image than ever before, either good or bad. If you want a professional image, your Facebook posts and your Twitter tweets need to be professional. If you want to look professional, be professional in all you do. For each and every item you post or tweet, ask yourself how potential employers would view it.

Technology is advancing at a rapid pace. Learning to use it in your job search will greatly improve your chance of finding that right employer that is willing to offer you that right job, which, in today?s job market, is critically important.

Ron Campbell has worked extensively in the job preparation and job search industry. He can be reached at campbellrv@gmail.com or

801-386-1111.

Source: http://www.standard.net/stories/2012/11/23/technology-can-help-job-search

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