Job Searching using a social network

Personally, I count myself one of those folks who are still reluctant to use some (if not all) social media as part of a job search strategy. Well, to be totally truthful, I do use LinkedIn (especially “groups”) and am on our church’s social network, but that’s about as much of that kind of activity as my dance card can handle. However, for people like me, it would behoove us to reconsider embracing that technology. The latest reason to do so is that, as a recent Digital Trends article states, “64 percent of recently employed people were hired through contact on a social network.” Now, that’s a significant number.

This same article goes on to report that the US Department of Labor is partnering with Facebook in an effort to target “areas of high unemployment through geographic data and posting public service announcements.”

The lesson here is that if you do not currently have a social media strategy, you need to carefully reconsider that choice. Although LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter might not be for everyone, if you are looking for a job in today’s market, you should be including those media in your overall job search plan.

Jobs in Northern Colorado

If you are looking for work in Northern Colorado (which includes Boulder, Greeley, Fort Collins, Longmont, and Loveland), I’ve got three great resources for you.  

First, NoCoNet (Northern Colorado Networking Group) has been around since 2009. They have hosted presentations and provided job search networking opportunities for literally hundreds of people. The group hosts weekly meetings in Fort Collins. See details here.

Second, the NoCo Jobs List provides an active job board to which you can subscribe for free! When you visit the group’s website you can view open jobs or you can sign up to receive their weekly newsletter, which arrives in your inbox on Mondays.

Third, BoulderNet offers several nice resources on their website including links to resources such as job search sites, local news, and unemployment information.

Got a favorite resource that someone could use to look for jobs in northern Colorado but it wasn’t listed here? Great! Please post information about it in the comments.

Keeping up with news in your job sector

One way to keep up with the news from your employment sector is to scour the Internet for the non-profit associations that are attached to your future employer’s sector. There are countless associations out there that promote various businesses; you just need to find the one that’s right for your situation. 

For example, the Colorado Association for Manufacturing & Technology promotes various businesses and industries in the manufacturing sector. I went to their Web page and clicked the NEWS & RESOURCES tab to view the most current happenings in this business sector. These types of articles are a gold mine of future employment information because where there are contracts being awarded there will be future jobs. Obviously, this information won’t help you to apply for a job tomorrow, but it may help you shortly!

 One article I found really interesting to which I was directed from the CAMT site was in the Boulder Daily Camera (Top 10 Business Stories of 2010 in Boulder, Broomfield Counties). Several major things are scheduled to happen in these counties in the near future including a new ConocoPhillips campus and a new technology park that will be built in conjunction with NASA (“Space Act agreement touches down”).

Taking advantage of college career sites

I was taking a bit of my own job search advice recently by perusing the University of Denver’s (my alma mater) career services website. That’s where I came across a reference to what turned out to be a fascinating and very useful website.

If you are not sure of the industry or exact job you should be pursuing then I highly recommend that you go to http://online.onetcenter.org/. This website was created by the Department of Labor and it is free to use. On this site you can search for jobs by job family, by identifying your skills set, or by identifying your interests. You can also find various occupations by other broad categories, such as green occupations.

Grab a cup of your favorite morning beverage and check this out!

Applying for USA Federal Jobs

A couple of weeks ago I attended a terrific informational session hosted by the Regis University Career Services office. The topic was “Navigating the Federal Government Employment Process.” There were two speakers from career services plus a panel comprised of four current federal employees who shared their real-life experiences of being hired by the govenment.

(NOTE: Want free and very useful information that you can use for yoru job search? If you graduated from an institution of higher learning, contact that school’s career services office or alumni association. Most schools offer services to graduates that may include these kinds of seminars or online resources free of charge or at a nominal fee!)

How do you go about applying for Federal jobs? The Partnership for Public Service has a terrific Web site that highlights the following tips about the application process:

• Plan ahead – The application process takes time; make sure you leave enough time to complete the application.
• Select carefully – Make sure the job fits you and your skills to a “t.”
• Prepare to wait – We’re talking months here.
• Follow up with the agency – I was surprised to hear that agencies expect to hear from applicants who are excited about the job and think the job is a good fit for them.

You can find most, but not all, federal jobs at the USAJobs.gov Web site. The caveat “not all” is included because some agencies (e.g. the FBI) post some jobs exclusively on the agency’s Web site. Want to see a list of agencies? See this A-Z index.

One of the keys to a successful application is the application’s KSAs (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities). These KSAs are essay questions that you respond to in writing. For tips on how to write effective KSAs, go to the Partnership for Public Service’s KSA Factors page. For general tips on applying for govemnment jobs, see the Partnerhip’s Where the Jobs Are tips page.

The following resources will give you lots of additional information about applying for Federal jobs.

• http://data.wherethejobsare.org/  = Hiring trends
• http://www.fedscopr.opm.gov  = Federal human resources data (e.g., which agencies are located in CO)
• http://www.makingthedifference.org/  = Resources and tools
• http://bestplacestowork.org  = Lists job satisfaction ratings by government agency
• http://www.usajobs.gov/  = The official job portal
• http://www.usajobs.gov/studentjobs/  = List of jobs for students and helps you identify jobs by college major
• http://www.resume-place.com/  = Kathryn Troutman’s Web site (she’s an expert in writing federal resumes)
• http://www.resume-place.com/training/free-federal-job-webinar/  = Notices of free online training