Find Jobs

Networking

The Job Application Two-Step

By: Peter Weddle

Here's a common scenario that a job seeker faces today: You spend hours searching through thousands of job postings and finally you find what you're looking for – an opening that matches your qualifications perfectly. So what do you do? Send in your resume? Well, not exactly.

By: Paul A. Greenberg

Job fairs remain one of the best ways for those seeking employment to maximize their job search efforts. Clearly, if you're able to meet multiple employers in one location and make important contacts, it is advisable to attend. Before you go, however, there are a number of preparatory steps you should take:

1. Find out which companies will be attending the job fair – Often promotional materials for job fairs include a full list of the employers that will be attending. Study this list to determine which companies would be most appropriate for you to approach. Then do some research on each employer. Start with the "About Us" section of the company's website, and move on to bios of the company's managers and any data offered for investors. Most importantly, read everything you can about the company's products and services. By the time you meet the company representative at the job fair, you should be well-versed about the organization and what it does. If the website includes a section with press releases about the company, read recent releases to find out about the future plans for growth and expansion. Employers will often be impressed if you've taken the initiative to learn about their business.

By: Heather Boerner

Just because former employers fall off the bottom of your resume doesn't mean they should fall off your radar. Far from it. These days, the more heavy-hitters you can harness into your network, the better your shot at moving up in your career. Connecting with former bosses helped Atlanta-area IT specialist Marleen Graham's job search this year. Graham hesitated to contact a former boss last year. This was the person who gave her first break in the IT field, and it had been almost 10 years since they'd spoken. Would he even remember her?

He did more than remember her: He referred her to a company he knew was looking for an IT person. Graham got an interview and very nearly got the job – then the company instituted a hiring freeze. Here's how to harness your former bosses for future career success:

By: Taunee Besson, CMF, CareerCast.com Senior Columnist

Today's column comes from David Bell, a successful job seeker who used networking to help land a new job in the current economy. I asked him to explain the secret to his success, and he distilled his experience into six key points that can help you build a better network:

By: Taunee Besson, CMF, CareerCast.com Senior Columnist

Most people can think of at least one co-worker with whom they have a massive personality conflict. Unfortunately, if this individual is their boss, college department head or HR representative, at some point they will likely be needed for a vital job reference.