Job Seekers - Seven Things You Can Do to Give Yourself the Edge

It's a tough time for job seekers. Here are seven things you can do to give yourself an edge:

Volunteer.
Participate in the management of your professional organization.
Buy a new outfit for interviews.
Get in touch with your network.
Get up to speed on social networking.
Get that certification you haven't had time to get.
Publish, publish, publish.
Volunteer
Those skills you kept thinking you might be able to learn on past jobs are out there waiting for you in the world of volunteering. One person volunteered to build a data base for a group and learned to use a tool that they couldn't get training for on their jobs. That tool was the deal maker in their resume for a step up in their career. Another person volunteered as an actor in a community fundraiser. Where interviews had been disappointing and matched his fading level of energy before the fundraiser, interviews after were energetic. Shake yourself up a little.
 
Participate in the management of your professional organization
APICS is the Organization for Operations Management. Board members in one chapter reaped rewards over several years. A student in an Operations Management program landed a job paying more than $20,000 over their target pay for their first job after graduation with the help of the network they built in their APICS chapter. Instructors for workshops and certification classes added bullet points to their resumes that expanded their skills. Many members who became known for their good work on projects for the chapter met and were hired by their next boss. Your professional organization offers the same opportunities. Get involved.
 

Buy a new outfit for interviews
Maybe clothes don't really make the man or woman but the impression you make can make a huge difference. During a previous downturn, a fellow in his fifties was getting the old "over-qualified" line in the interviews he could get. His wife said, over breakfast one morning, "We're going out to buy you a new suit." He protested about spending for any item that was not absolutely necessary. She stood her ground and said it was absolutely necessary. They picked out the most expensive suit he had ever owned the night before the interview that got him the best job he'd ever had. His attitude was different. Perk yourself up.
 
Get in touch with your network
If you made the dreadful mistake of getting so busy that you've lost touch with old friends and coworkers, get busy rebuilding those bridges. Don't feel self-conscious about getting back in touch when you need them. Don't ask for a job. Let them know what you're doing and find out what they're doing. The young person you mentored on a job a while back could be the VP of Engineering for a software developer now. A network is a two way street. You could be the one your contacts need the next time around. Keep it healthy and energetic. Don't put it on a back burner again.
 
Get up to speed on social networking
Communities like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and others offer an assortment of opportunities for getting involved and meeting new people. While you're getting up to speed on them, don't shoot yourself in the foot by contributing anything you would not want n employer to see. HR departments include social networks in their research. That wet t-shirt contest might not fit the preferences of a conservative employer with just the job you've always wanted. Do check out discussion groups in your field. Don't connect with people who have brown paper bags for heads or weird bios. Make your connections with people in your field who can carry on a lively conversation about your area of expertise. Let people know you're looking in your status blurbs.
 
Get that certification you haven't had time to get
How many times have you wished that you had time to go for certification in your specialty? Professional associations and colleges have an assortment of certifications to offer. When his last assignment for the Navy was a base closure, a Naval Officer received the equivalent of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for an extremely successful base closure using the techniques he learned in APICS certification classes that he took the time to take. That training and the award led directly to his first civilian job after retirement. Get ready to take a step forward in your career while you do have the time.
 
Publish, publish, publish
The obvious place for you to publish is right here on Ezine. You have knowledge to share. Do it here and let people know about your value. Blog! One woman is building a huge following in her industry with a Blog that she updates often and Twitter "tweets" that lead people to her Blog. If you check out Help a Reporter Out (HARO), you can find writers and reporters who are looking for experts to quote in their articles. You won't find your next job by hiding and the world, now, is swimming in opportunities to become known and recognized for your expertise. If you've got it, flaunt it.
Joy Montgomery develops business systems for small companies and early stage or stealth mode startups. She builds your business system so you can build your business, keeps things from falling through the cracks, and does it fast. More than 80% of new companies fail in the first five years. The lack of structural integrity in their systems is often the cause of failure. Put yourself in that 20% that succeed with a solid system and continuous improvement
It's a tough time for job seekers. Here are seven things you can do to give yourself an edge:

Volunteer.
Participate in the management of your professional organization.
Buy a new outfit for interviews.
Get in touch with your network.
Get up to speed on social networking.
Get that certification you haven't had time to get.
Publish, publish, publish.
Volunteer
Those skills you kept thinking you might be able to learn on past jobs are out there waiting for you in the world of volunteering. One person volunteered to build a data base for a group and learned to use a tool that they couldn't get training for on their jobs. That tool was the deal maker in their resume for a step up in their career. Another person volunteered as an actor in a community fundraiser. Where interviews had been disappointing and matched his fading level of energy before the fundraiser, interviews after were energetic. Shake yourself up a little.
 
Participate in the management of your professional organization
APICS is the Organization for Operations Management. Board members in one chapter reaped rewards over several years. A student in an Operations Management program landed a job paying more than $20,000 over their target pay for their first job after graduation with the help of the network they built in their APICS chapter. Instructors for workshops and certification classes added bullet points to their resumes that expanded their skills. Many members who became known for their good work on projects for the chapter met and were hired by their next boss. Your professional organization offers the same opportunities. Get involved.
 
Buy a new outfit for interviews
Maybe clothes don't really make the man or woman but the impression you make can make a huge difference. During a previous downturn, a fellow in his fifties was getting the old "over-qualified" line in the interviews he could get. His wife said, over breakfast one morning, "We're going out to buy you a new suit." He protested about spending for any item that was not absolutely necessary. She stood her ground and said it was absolutely necessary. They picked out the most expensive suit he had ever owned the night before the interview that got him the best job he'd ever had. His attitude was different. Perk yourself up.
 
Get in touch with your network
If you made the dreadful mistake of getting so busy that you've lost touch with old friends and coworkers, get busy rebuilding those bridges. Don't feel self-conscious about getting back in touch when you need them. Don't ask for a job. Let them know what you're doing and find out what they're doing. The young person you mentored on a job a while back could be the VP of Engineering for a software developer now. A network is a two way street. You could be the one your contacts need the next time around. Keep it healthy and energetic. Don't put it on a back burner again.
 
Get up to speed on social networking
Communities like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and others offer an assortment of opportunities for getting involved and meeting new people. While you're getting up to speed on them, don't shoot yourself in the foot by contributing anything you would not want n employer to see. HR departments include social networks in their research. That wet t-shirt contest might not fit the preferences of a conservative employer with just the job you've always wanted. Do check out discussion groups in your field. Don't connect with people who have brown paper bags for heads or weird bios. Make your connections with people in your field who can carry on a lively conversation about your area of expertise. Let people know you're looking in your status blurbs.
 
Get that certification you haven't had time to get
How many times have you wished that you had time to go for certification in your specialty? Professional associations and colleges have an assortment of certifications to offer. When his last assignment for the Navy was a base closure, a Naval Officer received the equivalent of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for an extremely successful base closure using the techniques he learned in APICS certification classes that he took the time to take. That training and the award led directly to his first civilian job after retirement. Get ready to take a step forward in your career while you do have the time.
 
Publish, publish, publish
The obvious place for you to publish is right here on Ezine. You have knowledge to share. Do it here and let people know about your value. Blog! One woman is building a huge following in her industry with a Blog that she updates often and Twitter "tweets" that lead people to her Blog. If you check out Help a Reporter Out (HARO), you can find writers and reporters who are looking for experts to quote in their articles. You won't find your next job by hiding and the world, now, is swimming in opportunities to become known and recognized for your expertise. If you've got it, flaunt it.
Joy Montgomery develops business systems for small companies and early stage or stealth mode startups. She builds your business system so you can build your business, keeps things from falling through the cracks, and does it fast. More than 80% of new companies fail in the first five years. T