> Looking for a Job While You Have a Job

Are you feeling restless in your current job? Underpaid? Or maybe just plain bored? If so, it might be time for a new job. (Check out our blog post on signs that you should look for a new job before you make any rash decisions, though).

It is wise to look for a job while you are still employed – but move forward with caution! Here are some tips on how to approach your job hunt:

Keep your search private

Your employer might not appreciate your decision to explore other opportunities, and if they find out you could face some serious backlash. This really depends on your supervisor/employer, but it doesn’t hurt to keep your job search private. No one is entitled to know what you are doing and why you are doing it. If you are pursuing a job with a competitor, the situation becomes even more precarious. You will likely be viewed as a threat to your own company if your supervisor (or anyone else) becomes privy to your job search.

Don’t let your job search affect your work

Nothing good will result from your job hunt negatively impacting your work. You are being paid by your current employer, and you should respect that fact. Additionally, if you find that the job market isn’t all that you thought it would be, you don’t want to have to embrace the reality that you will have to stay in a position that you essentially checked out of a few weeks ago. Looking for a job is certainly time-consuming, but make sure that you do all of your job hunting off the clock. You don’t want to have to explain to your supervisor why you were on Monster.com yesterday. Talk about awkward.

Use your employment as leverage

There are a couple decided advantages to looking for a job while you are employed. First, employers like to see that you have a job. You will have the leg up on someone who is unemployed, fairly or unfairly. They either lost their job or quit (unless they recently graduated from college), both of which reflect poorly on them as a candidate. Second, if you eventually get to the stage of negotiating salary, don’t be afraid to play a little hardball. After all, you have a safety net if the offer falls apart. Let them know! They will up the offer if they truly want you on board. Obviously, everything should be treated on a case-by-case basis. If someone offers you your dream job then it would be foolish to push the envelope too much. Use good judgment.

Job hunting is difficult. Ultimately, if you already have a job, you are in a better position than 7.6% of the US population. You have every right to look for a new opportunity – just don’t jeopardize your current position.

–Cobey Culton

> Using LinkedIn to Find a Job

Last month we put up a blog post that discussed the ever-evolving role of social media within the job search. We concluded that social media can go a long way towards helping your job search or hurting it, depending on how you decide to use these relatively new platforms.

Each social media platform probably warrants its own blog post, and even then we would just be scratching the surface of how to use social media to land a job. In light of this, we decided that it would be helpful to focus on LinkedIn in today’s post. Of all social media sites, LinkedIn is the most professional-oriented, which makes it particularly valuable when looking for a job.

Here are some tips to help you get the most out of LinkedIn:

Step 1: Perfect Your Profile

On LinkedIn everything begins and ends with your profile. From your profile picture to your experience, your profile on LinkedIn is essentially an online copy of your resume.

With that in mind, choose a profile picture that gives off an aura of professionalism. This is typically the first thing that people will look at when viewing your profile, and as you hopefully already know, first impressions are vitally important. A head shot is often best because people will be able to see and recognize your face. Also make sure that the picture is reasonably current so that hiring managers and/or recruiters aren’t in for a surprise.

While having a good profile picture is important, the real meat of your LinkedIn profile lies in the “experience” section. In fact, it probably isn’t a bad idea to lift this section right off your resume. Use the “professional summary” section to provide a summation of your experience, highlighting experiences that are particularly important or notable. Remember to list your skills in the “skills and expertise” section. People who can vouch for these skills are able to “endorse” them if they feel so compelled.

Step 2: Connect

Once your profile is satisfactory, start connecting with people you know in an effort to grow your network. The more people you know, the more opportunities you will have to potentially advance your career. If possible, try to get at least one recommendation from someone you have worked with. These recommendations appear on your profile and will only increase your chances of landing a job.

Make sure that you don’t go overboard, though – only connect with people that you know and trust. There is no need to connect with random people just so you can look popular or important, and these people will likely decline your invitation anyway.

Step 3: Search and Stay Active

While it’s not unusual for people to be contacted by recruiters or hiring managers, don’t sit back and assume that employers will find you. Go to the job search section and see if there are any that look appealing. If there you find a position that seems to be a good fit, don’t hesitate to hit the “apply now” button. Also, be sure to take note of what keywords appear in postings that interest you. Ensure that these keywords also appear in your profile so that you are more visible to employers and/or recruiters.

In the end, LinkedIn is just one of many tools that you, the job seeker, have at your disposal. Hopefully the tips above will get you headed in the right direction, at the very least. Good luck!

– Cobey Culton

> How to Impress Your Recruiter

Chances are, if you are or have ever been a job seeker, you have come into contact with one or more recruiters. If this relationship did not work out, it may have been because you weren’t a good fit for the position, or it may be because you made some mistakes that recruiters see every day. In order to avoid these mistakes and impress a recruiter, follow the below steps:

Remember the details.This sounds like a very obvious point, but you’d be surprised how many candidates try to discuss a job opening and don’t know the correct job title or haven’t read the job description. Nothing dampens a recruiter’s interest in a candidate like the inability to remember the position. Take notes if you have to, just do what it takes to cement this information in your head. Any recruiter will respond more positively if you make it clear that you’re on the same page.

Follow up in a professional manner.It’s understandable to be excited about a position and eager for updates. One “thank you” email or phone call is appropriate after an interview. A weekly check-in phone call is okay. Anything more than that may be too much. Your recruiter will let you know when there is an update on any position for which you’ve been submitted. Recruiters are just as eager for updates as you are.

Dress professionally.You can read further on this topichere, but this is still a point to be made. Even if you’re just meeting with a recruiter for a preliminary interview, dressing professionally shows that you respect the recruiter and are serious about the position.

Be open and honest about your expectations.There are a lot of details that go into searching for, applying for and accepting a job. If you are looking for a certain salary amount, tell your recruiter. Waiting until you have the position to try to negotiate a higher rate will just put a bad taste in everyone’s mouth and you may end up losing the position and the trust of your recruiter. If you have expectations about location, training,anything, let your recruiter know up front. If everyone is on the same page from the beginning, there is a higher likelihood of each person getting what they want from the process.

Tailor your resume to the job opening. This is just one of those things that shows your interest in whatever job that you’re working with your recruiter on. Make your skills stand out in a way that’s meaningful for the hiring manager. You are proving that you know how to make yourself stand out on paper.

While job searching can be frustrating and time consuming, working with a recruiter can help you get a job much quicker than searching on your own in some circumstances. Impressing your recruiter can not only make them more comfortable in submitting you to the client, but it will make them work harder to impress you in return. Following the above steps will help you to develop a strong and lasting professional relationship for someone who can be a great resource in that job search.

-Katie Berryann