Put some sizzle in your job hunt - how to find a job now -

Put some sizzle in your job hunt - how to find a job now - Todays post is one of many from members of the Career Collective community I co-coordinate with my colleague Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter. This months question? How to heat up your job hunt? I encourage you to visit other members responses, which are linked at the end of my post. Please follow our hashtag on Twitter: #careercollective. Talk to people you do NOT think can help you. Just because someone isnt in your field doesnt mean they dont have useful information for you. (Or you for them.) Our lives intersect in so many points. Think of someone you consider least likely to be able to share good information with you for your search. Meet for coffee. You may be surprised! Network generously. Think how you can help others instead of what they may offer you. Optimize your online presence, but dont waste time zapping a lot of resumes to ads on large job boards. The possibilities to connect are endless: Blogs, networking sites such as linkedin.com, large and small social networks provide opportunities to meet professionals from every industry. Evaluate your resume. Is it top notch?   A professionally written resume will shorten your search and may qualify you for a higher-paying position. Customize your resume for EVERY job. It is worth your time. If you want to get your foot in the door, your resume must clearly outline how your skills and accomplishments solve a problem for the employer. It is your job to offer clear reasons to interview you. Evaluate your interviewing skills. Are you selling yourself? Your resume got you in the door; the interview is your chance to show the employer that you really have what it takes to join their team. Vet your references. They have the potential to seal the deal for you. Do you know what they might say? Appearance matters. Cut your hair. Shine your shoes. Invest in a nice suit. Dont let your job hunt consume you. Frequent exercise, support or networking groups and chocolate can be good stress relievers! Dont spend every minute on your job hunt. You still need to have a life! Plus, you never know it could be someone you meet on a trip to the grocery store or a seatmate on an airplane while on vacation who winds up linking you to your next job. Consider hiring a job search coach. Would you set your own broken bone? Wire your own home for electricity? Do you cut your own hair? Most would say no. The same standard should apply when job seeking. If you arent an expert on the job hunt, getting some advice will help you advance your search. It may also save you time, money and sanity in the long run! Be sure to visit my colleagues responses to this months question! Turn Off The Computer, Tune Into Whats Happening, Heat Up the Job Search, @chandlee Heating up the Job Search-How to Stay Motivated During the Summer, @erinkennedycprw Light the Fire Under Your Feet, @careersherpa Cool Job Seekers Heat Up Their Search in the Summer, @barbarasafani Some assembly required, @DawnBugni Summertime, Sluggish Economy Provide Strong Motivation for an Updated Resume, @KatCareerGal 9 Ways to Heat Up Your Job Search This Summer, @heatherhuhman Getting Out From Under Chronic, @WorkWithIllness Upping Your Job Search Flame; Be Needed, Not Needy, @ValueIntoWords Is Your Career Trapped in the Matrix? @WalterAkana Put some sizzle in your job hunt how to find a job now, @keppie_careers Summertime and the Job Search Aint Easy, @KCCareerCoach Heating up your job search. 5 ways to dismiss those winter blues, @GayleHoward Hot Tips for a Summer Job Search, @MartinBuckland @EliteResumes Heat Up Your Job Search: Avoid Job Boards, @JobHuntOrg Heating Up Your Job Searching Skills: Networking 101 and 102, @GLHoffman Treasure HuntYo-ho-ho! Heat Up Your Job Search, @resumeservice photo by jalalspages