The Joel Paul Group Blog

If someone notices that you are updating your LinkedIn profile with a new job every few months, it will bring about concerns on that person’s behalf of your ability to maintain and keep a job. They might be hesitant to refer you to one of their trusted contacts. Wait a while to update your experience section on LinkedIn with your new job.

Why would someone agree to meet with you in their free time for a networking meeting, when you are the one who wants something? Let’s take a look at six reasons why someone would be open to meeting with you in order to make the process of asking for help less intimidating.

Searching for a job today is like a full time job plus overtime. Spending the time searching for leads, networking, changing your cover letter and resume for every job can be exhausting. In New York, when you work five hours (or thereabouts), you are entitled to a half hour break. Why not when you are looking for a job? If you take a ‘healthy’ break it can only reinvigorate your search.

Interviewing is all about perception. Do you appear poised and confident even when you are really nervous on the inside? What about when you are completely relaxed but something is making it appear that you are nervous.

A good way to find success in your career is to be seen as an expert in your field. By using the HARO list (help a reporter out), you can a name for yourself even if you have no contacts in the media industry.

A question that often puzzles job seekers is the following: should I submit my resume to a company a second time if I never heard anything back the first time?

A job seeker should not use a resume writer who will not teach the person how to change their resume for every job. A resume is part of a job seeker’s campaign to advertise their skills, experience and qualifications for the job. Each employer is looking for someone that is a strong match for their unique needs.

If your goal is to eventually work from home, gain an area of expertise that you can leverage at a later date. Once you have the skills, employers will be more flexible on how you work with them, possibly including an opportunity to work from home either full time or balancing your schedule between home/work.

In order for networking to work, you should be genuine about it. Say hello, thank people for their time and keep them updated of your progress. With a genuine approach to networking, you will have more success and it will not be transparent that you are only looking for something.

The nomadic trend of changing jobs every few years is partly due to the abundance of information available today. At any moment, you can stay up to date on the jobs available within your industry and apply in just a few moments.

If you make referrals, it will help to strengthen your network twofold. Not only are you helping the person in need of a service but you are helping the person that provides the service. Be careful in only recommending someone you know that does good work as it is your reputation that is on the line.

When considering transitioning to a new field of work, be sure to get an insider’s perspective as part of your research. Company literature and job descriptions will give some perspective into the job but to gain a real understanding, speak to a few people that have actually done the job.

Don’t just be an employee. Be dynamic in your job. Be open to suggestions. Help the company to do more with less. Consider how you can contribute not only within your defined role but outside of it as well. Your career will thank you.

With alumni networking, similar to any type of networking, it is what you put in that you will get back. To have the most success with alumni networking, one should be visible and be seen as a helpful resource for other alumni.

The idea of being overqualified does not seem to make much sense. Why would a company not want to consider a person who is not only qualified for the job but possess even more skills and experience than are required?

Your career cannot, and should not, be based on finding stability. To find true success, you have to find what you are good at, what you are passionate about, stay current in your field and work just as hard (if not harder) than everyone else to remain successful. Try not to fear change.

When we are asking others for help, we can often be confronted by feedback that is somewhat unpleasant. Oftentimes, our first reaction is to get mad and upset that the person told us something that we did not like. It is important that we as job seekers surround ourselves with some people who will not only give us encouragement but give us a dose of reality as well.

Spending the time to understand who else may have a need for your skills, will allow you to find many more appropriate opportunities. Instead of waiting for the opportunities to come to you, you can go out and find them. By thinking like a salesperson, you are more likely to find the job that is ideal for you.

Many of us have attended job fairs only to be let down. You may have expected different employers at the fair or could not find anyone looking to recruit for someone with our backgrounds. Perhaps we did meet the right people but never heard back afterwards.

We all know that networking is a key component to professional success. How can we make our network work for us? The key to professional networking is building “Professional Equity” with your network.