Social networking websites are being used more often to make connections that can lead to job interviews and jobs, according to OI Partners-Venturion (San Antonio), a leading global talent management firm.

“Social networking websites are an increasingly valuable way to keep networking contacts up to date about your career status, to make new connections, reconnect with old ones, and increase your visibility,” said Don Huse, managing partner of OI Partners-Venturion (San Antonio).

“However, social networking is not a replacement for regular networking. It should be considered a supplement to and a means for making face-to-face contact, and should not be where you spend most of your time,” added Huse.

A June 2009 survey by CareerBuilder.com reported that 45% of employers are using social networking websites to screen potential employees – more than twice as many as the 22% that did so in their survey the year before.

29% of the more than 2,600 hiring managers responding to the CareerBuilder survey said they use Facebook, 26% use LinkedIn, 21% use MySpace, 11% search blogs, and 7% follow candidates on Twitter.

18% of the managers said they were encouraged to hire candidates due to social networking content. Half of them were able to determine that a person would fit in well with the organization’s culture, while about 4 out of 10 said online profiles helped to support candidates’ professional qualifications, showcase their creativity, and highlight their communications skills.

Also, be cautious of what your online presence comprises. 35% of hiring managers in the CareerBuilder survey said they found content on social networking sites that caused them not to hire candidates, including provocative or inappropriate photographs, bad-mouthing a previous employer, and bad spelling and grammar.

Consultants from OI Partners-Venturion offer these tips for getting the most from using social media in a job search:

– Compile a complete profile with searchable key words that detail the full range of your experience. “Use a descriptive headline that catches attention. List your accomplishments so potential employers can get a better sense of your career. Include a good-quality photo to personalize your online presence,” said Huse.

– Spread the word about your career status, especially if recently unemployed or in transition.”Update your social networking websites at least weekly. Include any freelance, contract, and part-time work you are doing, along with appropriate examples or links. Specify what types of career opportunities you are open to,” said Huse.

– Find out more information about a potential employer, the types of people they hire, and the secret requirements for a job. “Job postings rarely spell out entirely or exactly what a hiring manager is seeking. Locate a connection at the company who can get information about what really matters for the job. If you don’t have an inside connection, look at profiles of the people who work at the company to determine their backgrounds and which companies they came from to help you discern what the company is looking for in new hires,” said Huse.

– Post recommendations from current and former employers, clients, bosses, and colleagues.”Managers and executives should also get recommendations from people they have managed to highlight their leadership qualities,” added Huse.

– Create a personalized website addresson social networking sites that includes your name, and put this on your cover letter, resume, and business cards.

– Use social networking to uncover start-ups to work for. “Great start-ups are difficult to get a handle on, and social media websites will enable you to narrow these down by industry and other categories,” said Huse.
– Practice good netiquette. “Be courteous and respectful of others’ time. As in traditional networking, when someone you know or want to know connects with you online, you should always reciprocate and see how you can help that person, too,” said Huse.

– Join online groups that are active, have a lot of members, and will enable you to validate your expertise. “Be diligent in providing good answers to questions that are asked in the group and solutions to problems, and start discussions of your own,” said Huse.

– Pay close attention to proper grammar and spelling in order to put your best foot forward.

While many job-seekers complain of age bias, older job-seekers today can learn some new tactics in order to overcome reluctance to hire them. These strategies include communicating about and packaging themselves in different ways, brushing up on their interviewing techniques, and networking and mentoring in reverse, according to OI Partners-Venturion (San Antonio), a leading global talent management firm.

More than one-quarter (26%) of unemployed people are age 45 and older, and the unemployment rate for this age group is double what it was at the start of the recession two years ago, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

– The unemployment rate for those ages 45-54 was 7.4% in February – which was down slightly from 7.6% in January, but still more than twice as high as the 3.5% unemployment rate for this age group in December 2007.

– The unemployment rate for those ages 55 and over was 7.1% in February- up from 6.8% in January and still more than double the 3.2% unemployment rate for this age group two years ago.

“Not only are there more people over 40 out of work, but their job searches are taking longer. These are the peak earning years of a person’s career, and there are fewer job opportunities for more experienced people with higher salaries,” said Don Huse, managing partner of OI Partners-Venturion (San Antonio) (www.oipartners.net).

Consultants from OI Partners-Venturion recommend that people over age 40 follow these guidelines:

– Use more up-to-date terms when referring to yourself: “When presenting yourself, use positive terms that are generally associated with today’s job savvy workers, such as high-energy, able to learn new systems and methods, good technology skills, flexibility, and willingness to learn new things,” said Huse.

– Accentuate the advantages of experience: “However, still emphasize the benefits that older, more skilled employees can bring to a job. These qualities include experience, maturity, work ethic, productivity, and ability to understand the ‘big picture.’ Translate your experience into skills and accomplishments that are relevant to the particular targeted opportunity and which will contribute to your success in the job,” said Huse.

– Learn new interviewing techniques: “Interview procedures and questions are much different today than when some older employees may have last interviewed for a job. The questions are more demanding and probing. Behavioral interviews ask for examples from your career that apply to specific situations to uncover whether you have the skills an employer has identified as being critical to succeeding in the job, such as decision-making, problem-solving, leadership, and motivating others. Be prepared to have these examples ready when needed,” said Huse.

– Use the right key words on your resume and in online job postings: “Your resume should contain job-specific key words that highlight your skills which will be picked up when your resume is scanned electronically. Detail each particular area in which you are proficient, such as marketing, accounting, public relations, budgeting forecasting, and inventory management. Also, name each software product in which you are proficient. Use industry terms and buzzwords that are relevant to the opportunity so your resume will score well,” said Huse.

– Network in reverse: “With reverse networking, job-seekers begin with jobs that are posted on the websites of companies, and then they use their networks to get closer to decision-makers at these employers,” said Huse. Applying for jobs directly on company websites was the second biggest source of external hires in 2009, accounting for 22% of people hired from outside the company, next only to referrals from employees (which comprised 49%), according to survey by CareerXroads, a staffing strategy consulting firm.

– Use reverse mentoring: “Older job-seekers can mentor younger job-seekers, exchanging guidance in developing their careers and rounding out their resumes for advice in how to build their online presences and use social networking to play a more active role in their job searches,” said Huse.

– Explore flexible work arrangements: “Be open to alternative employment arrangements such as interim, freelance, contract, and consulting work, which may lead to a full-time job. The temporary help market is very busy right now, which means many employers are adding temporary or project workers before deciding to hire full-time staff. If a potential employer says they don’t have a position at present, find out what they do need to get done – and negotiate to do that for them,” said Huse.

Complaints about the job market abound as more people are becoming part of the long-term unemployed each month. While the national unemployment rate declined to 9.7% in January, 40% have now been out of work for more than 27 weeks. That is more than twice as many as when the recession officially began in December 2007 (17.5%). The average unemployed person has been jobless for more than 30 weeks.

Long-term unemployed people need to focus on making a breakthrough and revitalizing their searches, according to OI Partners-Venturion (San Antonio), a leading global career transition and executive coaching firm.

“Unemployed people are facing some historic numbers and formidable competition. However, they need to pinpoint those areas they may be able to change, make a difference, and increase their chances for success. Despite the odds, people are still landing jobs every day. Job-seekers need to continually make adjustments and never give up,” said Don Huse, Managing Partner of OI Partners-Venturion (San Antonio) (www.oipartners.net).

The ways that long-term unemployed and under-employed people could make an impact on their job searches, according to OI Partners-Venturion consultants, are:

– Double-check your references: “Make sure that your references are telling potential employers what you think they are, and they are up to date on your skills and accomplishments. Determine in advance exactly what your references will say about you, and use only those that will ‘sell’ you the best to potential employers,” said Huse.

– Be sure you are targeting the right industries. The healthcare industry has added more than 640,000 jobs since the recession began. Also, the financial services, manufacturing, and services industries are the most likely to re-hire people they have previously laid off, according to an OI Partners survey, indicating they may have cut back too deeply.

– Increase your face-to-face contact: “Some long-term unemployed may be spending too much time looking for jobs and posting resumes online, and have not had enough face-to-face contact. Networking accounts for 7 to 8 of every 10 jobs that people land. Join networking groups, and increase your networking contacts by volunteering your services with civic, charitable, and religious groups. Continue attending professional association meetings. It’s also important to work the phones,” said Huse.

– Check out the competitors of all of the companies for which you have worked. Companies that have gaps in their management teams are more than twice as likely to hire people who have worked for their competitors as those that currently have sufficient bench strength, according to an OI Partners survey.

– Use social networking websites to identify contacts within targeted companies and possible jobs that have not been posted or advertised. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter are particularly helpful for finding inside contacts. “Utilize different methods to identify internal contacts who can be helpful in getting your resume reviewed,” said Huse.

– Focus on the immediate value you can bring to an employer: “You may not have clearly communicated to potential employers what you can do for them right now and within your first three months on the job. Write a proposal including a performance pledge and a timetable for achieving results,” said Huse.

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Note to Job Seekers: Current economic conditions have lead to a proliferation of job search scams. Venturion encourages those in career transition to read the following:

• Six signs it’s a job scam – CNN.com can be found here.

• Avoiding Online Job Scams | Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, found here.

With unemployment and under-employment still high and expected to remain that way for much of 2010, more people are focusing on ways to reduce their career anxiety this year, according to OI Partners-Venturion (San Antonio), a leading global career transition and executive coaching firm.

“There is higher career anxiety than there has been in decades,” said Don Huse, Managing Partner of OI Partners-Venturion (San Antonio). “The employment picture worsened considerably in 2009, leaving many people without jobs, working part-time, or for less pay than the year before. For those who held on to their jobs, there were fewer raises, bonuses, and promotions. More people are intending to have a better career year ahead.”

Following are ways you can reduce your career anxiety this year from consultants at OI Partners-Venturion:

– Put your career at the top of the to-do list each day. “Too many people make check lists for the new year, and then quickly forget them. Your career is a major part of building a fulfilling life. The best way to take advantage of opportunity is to create it,” said Huse.

– Compile your short-term, intermediate, and long-term career goals, and focus first on those that are most achievable. “Evaluate where you are, visualize where you want to be, and take steps each day to realize your ideal career,” said Huse.

– Be prepared for more alternative employment opportunities in a slightly rebounded economy. “When hiring improves, there will be increased demand for contract, freelance, and part-time work before full-time jobs are created. Position yourself to take advantage of these employment options,” said Huse.

– Improve your career resiliency. “Have contingency plans ready so that you can bounce back quickly if needed. Even if you are not laid off, you may want to redirect your career future when there are more positions available,” said Huse.

– Upgrade your professional skills and capabilities. “Invest in your career development by keeping your professional knowledge and skills up to date. Learn new technology, take courses, read books, and be committed to staying relevant in your professional area. Continually improve your employability by increasing the value you can bring to employers and their customers,” said Huse.

– Find a mentor or job-search board of advisors. “Enlist a mentor with whom you can strategize career options and ideas, and whose experience can serve as a guide and resource of support. If unemployed, assemble a personal board of advisors who are equal to or above your organizational level, and may be connected to others who can open some doors for you,” said Huse.

– Enhance your communications skills. “The ability to communicate effectively consistently places at the top of the list of necessary skill improvements for all management levels. Those who can get their messages across to bosses, subordinates, colleagues, and prospective employers are ahead of the pack in getting jobs and being promoted,” said Huse.

– Update your resume, professional network, and your online presence. “In addition to regularly refreshing your resume, continually add new networking contacts, and update your online presence on job-search and social networking websites,” said Huse.

– Try to work out negative issues with your current employer before deciding to move on. “Talk over issues you may have such as a negative performance appraisal, missed bonus or promotion with your immediate supervisor. Consult with the company’s human resources department, or seek counsel from a mentor, but never make a career decision in haste,” said Huse.

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Note to Job Seekers: Current economic conditions have lead to a proliferation of job search scams. Venturion encourages those in career transition to read the following:

• Six signs it’s a job scam – CNN.com can be found here.

• Avoiding Online Job Scams | Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, found here.