@SeekingSFJob

Month

May 2012

5 posts

YONOJ: You Only Need One Job

That’s what I keep telling myself. I’ve been submitting plenty of résumés, but nothing has come up… yet. You only need one job—YONOJ. I’ll make time for YOLO once this job search is over. The hunt continues!

Right now, I’m using Path.To, SF Craigslist, and LinkedIn to look for jobs. I’m tracking all of it in Huntsy.

I use LinkedIn to network with recruiters and connect with professional colleagues (who may have connections when they move on to new opportunities). I’ve become a fan of the recommendations feature lately. It feels great to give them and when you get an awesome one, it can really set you apart from other job candidates.

Path.To matches you to jobs based on your social network information (including LinkedIn), skills, and work environment preferences. It’s incredibly simple to use and it’s provided me leads that I haven’t found anywhere else! The only thing I’d change is allowing attachments when applying to jobs. I’ve spent a lot of time formatting my résumé and I’m unable to share it with the employer unless I click the “Apply via Company Website” button.

Craigslist is still a favorite. Easy to navigate, the search works perfectly (I use boolean operators to refine my search), and it’s an easy transaction… I find a job that interests me, I click the email link (usually, not always available), attach my cover letter (or compose it in email) and résumé and I’m done! No registration, no login, no job cart! Definitely not as customized to my preferences as Path.To, but enjoyable nonetheless.

And of course, my Huntsy account is ON FIRE tracking all of these jobs. It’s been a lifesaver. I can’t think of a time where I’ve had time to apply for a job the same time that I’ve seen it, so I’ve been using the +Huntsy bookmarklet incessantly. I enjoy the positive encouragement as I complete my daily to-dos. I can watch my progress move from red, to yellow, to green.

Apr 30, 2012
#advice #résumé #career #job search #job #craigslist #path.to #huntsy #tips #linkedin #yolo #yonoj

April 2012

9 posts

Dropbox keeps my résumés and cover letters in sync

For the last few months, I’ve needed constant access to my résumé and cover letters. Friends have offered to take a look and provide feedback, recruiters ask for the latest copy, and for a while I was making small tweaks every day (even if it was just formatting).

Dropbox has been a serious lifesaver and syncs my documents between my Mac, PC, and iPhone flawlessly.

I maintain a Career folder, which contains company subfolders, each containing a custom résumé and cover letter. It’s been great when I absolutely need to get my hands on the latest version of a document. Nothing worse than potentially missing an opportunity because you waited until you got back to the house. Never again!

image

Apr 23, 2012
Google Voice Makes Job Hunting Easier

If you don’t have a Google Voice number and you’re job hunting (or buying a car, or giving your number out, or if you even have a phone at all) you really should sign up. Google Voice has been around since 2009, but I’m still surprised how many of my friends don’t know anything about it! Google Voice is the one number to rule them all. You can set up Google Voice to ring your work, cell, and home numbers simultaneously! And did I mention that it’s free?

Recently, I changed my Google Voice number to a San Francisco/415 area code. I use Google Voice as my contact number on résumés and I share it with others. I forward my Google Voice number to my cell phone and if I’m unable to answer, the missed call is logged and the voicemail is saved online. Voicemails that require follow-up can even be starred.

My favorite Google Voice feature is voicemail transcription (you can even forward your cellphone’s voicemail to Google Voice). I receive texts (you can also select email) for every voicemail received - it’s a great time saver! I also enjoy zapping spam callers. I can’t do that with my cellphone!

Apr 23, 2012
Kareer.me is a web app for sharing custom, targeted résumés

I discovered Kareer.me on Twitter recently and I’m using it to share my résumé online (I’m also on LinkedIn, but that uses my real name). It’s the perfect tool to create custom résumés (shamless plug here). The UI is striking and it’s dead-simple to use! Whoever is running their Twitter account is pretty funny, too.

Some of my favorite features:

  • Create multiple custom, targeted résumés
  • Super fast and easy to update
  • Optionally imports data from LinkedIn
  • View counts for your résumés (I love this)
  • Attach files and include your own pitch videos
Apr 23, 2012
#career #web app #networking #résumé #job
@SeekingSFJob: nom de plume

So why am I not using my real name? Well, as so many services push for using your real name, it’s increasingly difficult to find your next job using social media, which is exactly what I wanted to leverage to find my next job!

All of my social media accounts are represented by my real name. How on earth could I openly network with companies the way that I want to using my real name? I couldn’t!

So, that’s what really sparked my creation of the @SeekingSFJob Twitter handle, my Kareer.me résumé, and this Tumblr account.

There you have it, folks!

Apr 20, 2012
#identity #nom de plume #real name #social media #networking #career #job
Huntsy is like Read It Later for Jobs

I’ve been very busy lately with my current job and I only have time to focus on my job search after work and on weekends. Thankfully, I found Huntsy! It’s an awesome web app for organizing jobs, multiple resumes/cover letters, notes, and interview progress. As you complete each task, Huntsy sets up your next to-do.

My *favorite* feature of Huntsy has to be that it uses a bookmarklet (there’s a Google Chrome plugin, too)!

Apr 20, 2012
Apr 19, 2012
#resume #wordle #career #job #infographic #word cloud
Apr 19, 2012
#career #resume #twesume #twitter #social media #san francisco #job #silicon valley
Finding a job with social media: Can it be done?

Hello! I’m an east coast IT consultant looking to move to the SF Bay area.

I thought I’d try a grand experiment—could I find my next job using social media?

I think I can!

I created a new Twitter account, @SeekingSFJob, and I’ll be using it to network, share, and hopefully find my next job!

A few things I’m already noticing:

  • Twitter is great for searching for jobs! Searching for the location and the job title returns tons of results!
  • Using the Favorites button in Twitter is a great way to bookmark job tweets. Whether it’s a direct link to a job opportunity or a job-related article I want to read later, using favorites is a great way to follow-up on opportunities.
  • Recruiters, companies, and individuals are active on Twitter and want to share with you! I’m learning a lot by searching Twitter and discovering new users to follow, like this tweet I found with a tip on improving phone interviews.
Apr 17, 20121 note
#career #social media #twitter #tips #san francisco #job
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