The HR Technologist

The economy sucks! I’ve blogged about it before and will continue to do so until things get better. And while there are some random signs of life in the market, we’re still on life support. Unemployment in the US is hovering around 10%, foreclosures are at record highs, and the trend is for this to continue for a little bit longer until the second half of the year when the turnaround is expected to finally take hold. In short, its tough out there.

If you have a job, congratulations. Is it your dream job or simply the job you’re hanging on to until things turn around in the job market? Whether you’re looking while already employed or looking because you’re out of work, the following tips and tricks should help to better position you for success in your job hunt.

1.  Just F@#king Google It – Many articles and blog posts tell job seekers to review and clean up their act on social networks like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc.  You have cleaned these up, haven’t you?  Guess what – the bad stuff may still be there.  Google and other sites often cache historical copies of web pages for search and view.  Take a second look and be sure that all traces of your online misdeeds have been properly accounted for and disposed.  Make sure no other people have posted things about you which may be concerning.   It’s also a good time to see if there’s a risk of mistaken online identify – people with common names need to be aware.

2. Check your credit – As more and more employers run credit checks as part of a selection process be aware of the skeletons in your closet, work to clean them up and be prepared to explain any derogatory items.  There are three different credit reporting bureaus, all of which may contain different information regarding your credit and payment usage.  Just checking one without only provides a partial view of what employers may see if they run a background check on you.  You’re entitled to a copy of your credit report and you can request copies from each of the three major bureaus here: https://www.annualcreditreport.com.  If you find a discrepancy in your credit report, be sure to contact the agency from which the report was received and notify them of the error.  They have an obligation to validate the information being provided and if it is indeed inaccurate, they will correct it right away.  One tip – if you have old, outstanding debts that have been sent to collection be sure to demand proof of the obligation before paying it off.  Many times collection agencies are pursuing debts which cannot be substantiated with written proof.

3.  Be Secure – We’ve all heard stories of people who have lost their dream job due to having inappropriate content available on their Facebook, or other social media sites.  More than half of all employers will at least attempt to research you on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.  Will they find your pictures from that drunken keg party in college?  How about the trip to Cabo last spring break with your sorority sisters?  While those pictures are always amusing to see, potential employers shy away from candidates who demonstrate this type of behavior online.  The concern is that if you cannot demonstrate self-control in your personal life, the same may hold true in your professional life.  To protect yourself, validate your Facebook security settings, make your Twitter account private (if needed), etc.  Be sure to make your Facebook profile secure so that only your friends can see it, update settings of pictures in which you are tagged, remove the tag on that picture of you doing a keg stand at the homecoming game, and be sure to use the security groups option in Facebook to share limited information rather than everything with people who you don’t know all that well (check http://www.facebook.com/help/?page=768 for more info)

4.  You are the company you keep (online too) – look at the info of people you are linked with on LinkedIn, examine who your Twitter conversations are with, review the comments on your Facebook status, and the like.  Who you are connected with is just as important if not more important than how many connections you have.  For example, which candidate is likely to get strong consideration for a senior-level role, the one with 500 LinkedIn connections of which are all at the analyst or specialist level or the one with 75 LinkedIn connections who consist of Directors, VP’s, and C-level execs?  Not that this alone will seal the deal, it is one of many elements to consider in evaluating candidates.  Having connections with leaders in your industry helps to validate some of your credibility as well as opens doors for you in your job search.

5.  Be different, but not too different – Job seekers need to be creative to stand out from the crowd, but there comes a point where too much creativity will hinder your chances.  I’ve heard plenty of ways in which candidates get the attention of hiring managers or recruiters – sending one shoe to them “Now that I have my foot in the door…” or one candidate who sent a hiring manager the remote control to a toy car, and then suggested that he can have the car too when he comes in for an interview.  While I applaud these somewhat creative attempts to get attention, if I were a hiring manager I would likely pass over these candidates.  More constructively, if you’re a SEO specialist – your resume might say “for examples of my work, google me” – demonstrating your mastery of your craft.  If you’re in finance, in addition to including your accomplishments in previous roles, also include the ROI or EPS impact of your work.  Be sure to stand out by giving the hiring manager or recruiter the exact information they need to make right the decision about your qualifications.

Like the list so far?  This post is a 2-part blog post so to read the rest of the post today, please visit Jessica Miller-Merrell’s (@Blogging4Jobs) blog at http://Blogging4Jobs.com.  Jessica and I will be cross posting all comments to help keep the conversation going.  If you have some other tips & tricks, please share in the comments below.