10 Secret Tips to Land a Job

Every Monday, we will publish a tip on Twitter to help you in your job search. You can follow the Think Human on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/think-human . We will feature additional information on each tip at our website.

Week 1 Secret Tip to Land a Job:

Job Search Tip: “Searching online can be a component, but overall, get away from the computer.” — Meredith Haberfeld

All the time, we hear people call us telling us about the hundreds of job postings they replied to in their efforts to find a job — and then they lament the lack of response.

In days gone by, people got jobs by replying to job posts with their resume and cover letter. We still think replying to X number of job posts each day is a great part of any job search, but it must only be a part.

In the past decade or so, finding jobs has become far more reliant on word of mouth/referral. That means you need to spend much more time networking and less time sending blind resumes. Hone your 30 second pitch and get out there and share. You never know who will have the connection for you. You may have an aunt who has never worked a day in her life, but she may know a perfect person to introduce you to. Don’t think you know, just start sharing. Find and create opportunities to meet people and network. Call old colleagues, set up coffees, lunches, etc. And don’t be afraid to ask people if they know anybody good for you to talk to.

Week 2 Secret Tip to Land a Job:

Job Search Tip: Get a life coach.

Dr. Miriam Reiss, MCC, says that talking about your career ideas with a coach will allow a “deeper level of skill sets and values” to emerge. She said that many of her clients have careers they “never would have thought of” on their own, without talking to a career coach.

Week 3 Secret Tip to Land a Job:

Job Search Tip: Don’t settle for a job you’re not truly interested in.

Dr. Reiss says you won’t be happy if you just muddle through a job that you “really don’t want.” Instead, you should try to figure out what would be the best fit for you as a career, and act accordingly.

Week 4 Secret Tip to Land a Job:

Job Search Tip: Make your resume a standout for you.

Make sure your resume is both “professional and unique,” advises Dr. Reiss. It needs to reflect your skill sets as both a professional and a human being. The career and life coach compares a great resume to “a piece of art,” making the person reading it not just want to hire you, but to be your best friend.

And forget about a cookie-cutter style. Dr. Reiss says. It’s best to have a resume that is “very customized” for both the person you are, and the industry you’re in.

Week 4 Secret Tip to Land a Job:

Job Search Tip: Don’t rely on the same books everybody else does.

Getting all your career advice answers out of books isn’t the answer, says Dr. Reiss, because “everybody reads the same books.”

Besides, the advice in the books may be either too generic, or inappropriate for the industry you’re in.

Check back each week to read our latest job search tips, and follow us on Twitter or Facebook.