Job Search News

Looking into my foggy crystal ball, these are the trends I see for  2011, or “to infinity and beyond!” as our friend Buzz Lightyear would have described it.  I have 3 predictions to make and 2 fervent wishes.

First, the 3 predictions:

1.  Increasing use of mobile apps – iPad, iPhone, Droid, BlackBerry, etc.

If you have an iPhone, iPad, Droid, BlackBerry, etc., you can job search on the bus, in the dentist’s waiting room, in a restaurant while you wait for a friend or the check, etc.  You can also edit and send your resume, write a LinkedIn Recommendation for your colleague, check for local MeetUps, and on and on and on.

LinkedIn and Twitter have free mobile apps for iPad, iPhone, etc.  Two of my favorite job posting sources, Indeed and LinkUp for example, now have free mobile apps, so you can still job search even when you’re not at your computer.

And, the mapping app will help you find the location of that interview, while the traffic app helps you avoid the traffic jams and construction and the weather app keeps you informed of the latest blizzard or drenching rain storms. Plus, of course, the email and browser apps will keep you up to date on what’s going on in your digital world.

2.  Increasing dominance of LinkedIn for job search.

Reflecting its growth in popularity with recruiters, LinkedIn will become an even greater force in online job search in 2011. Be on LinkedIn or be invisible.  And, make no mistake, in the future, being invisible is deadly for your job search and your career (see # 3 below for more).

In 2011, you’ll have many options available for transforming your LinkedIn Profile into a resume when you need one to hand out at an interview or to impress your friends.  At a minimum, these will help your LinkedIn Profile stay in synch with your resume and vice versa. Check out these two I found:

• LinkedIn Labs own resume builder application – http://resume.linkedinlabs.com/
• And SnapPages.com’s Resume builder – http://www.snappages.com/resume

[Soon there will probably be LinkedIn Profile resume builder apps for your iPhone/iPad/etc., combining predictions # 1 and #2!]

3.  Increasing importance of reputation management.

If you don’t have a Google Alert established for your name, you are taking a big chance unless you have a one-in-a-million name like Barack Obama.  So, set one up.  NOW!  [Here's how.]

According to a late 2009 study by Microsoft, 79% of employers Google a job applicant “always or most of the time.”  You need to know what they will find when they Google your name.

In 2011, you must be aware of what is ”out there” attached to your name  because:

• Someone with the same name may have done something bad, and an employer won’t know it isn’t you.  Better to know about it so you can figure out how to avoid it or how to handle it.
• A search on your name which has no relevant results makes you look out-of-date and out-of touch with current technology and how we communicate in the 2nd decade of the 21st century.
• You may have created some of your own “digital dirt” through Facebook, Twitter, etc. – the usual ways people create CLM’s (Career-Limiting Moves) with the Internet and social media.

Reputation management is certainly possible, and so is damage control, if necessary, but you must know in advance that you need it.  So start paying attention by simply setting up that Google Alert.

For more help with reputation management, check out Jacob Share’s amazing JobMob post – 200+ Resources & Tips to Help Manage Your Reputation Online – he’s going to continue to add to it.  Great job, Jacob! wish I’d done that!

Now, those 2 wishes:

1.  Job seekers & bloggers: less blind trust; more verification!

Job seekers, “expert” (?) bloggers, and amateur ”journalists” – stop being so darned trusting!  Take a better look at what you are recommending.  I’ve just read a blog post in a fairly reputable blog about top new job boards, and one of the sites that were recommended is completely anonymous, including a private domain registration. YIKES!

Please, peek under the hood just a little bit more before you recommend that kind of site, and then DON’T recommend it if you don’t find good, solid information.  A Contact Us  or About Us webpage should have a physical address and a phone number.  Read 15 Criteria for Choosing a Job Site for more detailed information.

When I find one of these completely anonymous sites, I wonder:  Why don’t they want us to know who they are?  What are they hiding?

Job seekers – poke around a little on a new site before you post your resume or give out your email address. Don’t trust a site because it looks pretty and professional.

2.  Employers: enough with the passive job seeker nonsense!

I’ve always thought the recruiting theory lauding the “passive” (employed) candidate as the most desirable hire was largely hogwash.  Yes, sometimes unemployed job seekers will take the first job they are offered, but good recruiters should be able to tell the difference between a candidate who is a good fit versus one who is a bad fit.

Fit for the job and the organization are what should matter – not, for Heaven’s sake, employment status.

Now, I see this recruiting theory is very damaging to our economy and to all of us. Refusing to even consider unemployed job seekers is stupid and cruel.

If those so-wonderful employed job seekers are really “passive,” even the best recruiters won’t lure them away.  So stop trying!

Recruiters & Employers: There are plenty of excellent people
who are unemployed right now through no fault of their own.

Hire them!

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About the author…

Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce, USMC veteran, has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. Susan is a two-time layoff “graduate” who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. In 1998, her company, NETability, Inc. purchased Job-Hunt.org, and Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt since then. Follow Susan on Twitter at @JobHuntOrg.

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The Career Collective Posts

More predictions and trends from the other members of the CareerCollective:

Social Media Recruiting to Grow Further in 2011, @debrawheatman

Another Year, Another Job Search Begins, @GayleHoward

In 2011, Increase Your Prospects With Better Differentiation, @WalterAkana

4 Lessons Learned From Job Search in 2010, @Careersherpa

Your Career Action Plan for the New Year, @KatCareerGal

Trends Job Seekers Should Look For in 2011, @erinkennedycprw

Things Every Job Seeker Should be Thinking About in 2011, @expatcoachmegan

Let your presence be known or send out a red flag, @MartinBuckland @EliteResumes

How to find a job in 2011: Pay attention to emotional intelligence, @Keppie_Careers

2011 Employment Trends Supercharged with Twitter, @KCCareerCoach

3 Traits for Facing Weather, Employment and Chronic Illness, @WorkWithIllness

Everything old is new again@DawnBugni

Career Trend 2011: Accountability + Possibility = Sustainability, @ValueIntoWords

Career Tools to Check Out in 2011, @barbarasafani

What Was in 2010, What To Expect in 2011, @chandlee

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Posted Monday, January 3rd, 2011 at 1:14 am in Career Collective.