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Does the slow economy leave you worried about finding a new job? Don’t despair! Even in a slow economy there are plenty of good jobs available, and with the right preparation you will make yourself stand out from your competition. Below are 7 tips that will get you closer to your dream job.
1. Research
Research the industries that interest you. Find all the companies in your geographic location that currently have positions that you think you would qualify for. This doesn’t only mean open positions. The initial goal is to fill the “funnel” with as many companies that you could see yourself working for. Don’t be too picky. The more companies the better.
Organize those companies in a way that will make it easy for you to keep a good overview. An excel spreadsheet will do just fine. Find each companies’ contact information and simply call them up. Your goal is to find out who is in charge of hiring for the department that you are interested in. Finding out this information might take a few phone calls, but keep in mind that the harder it is, the more likely your competition won’t do this.
2. Making Contact
Once you completed your spreadsheet with the information you need, including the hiring manger’s phone number and e-mail address, it is time to start prospecting. The best way to do this is by working all communication channels. Send in a your resume by mail with a targeted cover letter. Then follow up with a phone call to ensure that the resume was received. The goal is to start the conversation with the hiring manager. Be polite and don’t be too pushy. Simply sell yourself!
3. It’s a numbers game.
The more times you do the steps above the better. It is simply a numbers game. Take your time to customize each cover letter and send in plenty of resumes. The more the better!
4. Ask for action
Be proactive in your job search. Follow up with your targeted companies and learn more about their possible hiring time frame. Once you know their sense of urgency, there is nothing wrong with asking for action. If you know that company XYZ is planning on filling your position within the next 4 weeks, then it is quite acceptable to ask for an interview falling in this time frame. Once again, don’t be too pushy. The following might be a good example how to ask for your face to face interview: “Mr. or Mrs. (hiring manager name here) from your previous e-mail you mentioned that you are planning on filling the (position’s title) position by the end of this month. Is this time frame still accurate” If the answer is yes, then simply ask for your interview by saying something like this: “Well, that is great. I have been narrowing down my job search, and I am most excited about your company. I would really enjoy the opportunity to learn more about your business. Do you think you might be available next week for a brief meeting?” Simply give this a try and you will be surprised about how well it is perceived. If you owned a business, wouldn’t you want employees that are passionate about your business and take initiative to get the job done?
5. Dress Right For Your Job Interview:
As a general rule, it is better to overdress than showing up too casual. Keep your attire on the professional, and slightly conservative side. Unless you are applying for a job that is related to the fashion industry keep your outfit to a classy 2-piece, charcoal gray business suit, plain white dress shirt, and classic business tie. The best necktie colors for this purpose are dark blue and burgundy red. Stay away from too trendy neckties such as pink, orange, and lime green. Although they are quite fashionable, they might be perceived as too flashy.
6. Body Language:
First impressions are usually made within the first 3 seconds of meeting someone. That’s why the right attire and body language is so crucial for your job interview. If you start the interview on a good note, you will have won half the battle.
Have a good handshake, make good eye contact, and smile when appropriate. Be confident but not arrogant!
7. The right Follow Up
Few people take the effort to write a Thank-You note these days. If you really want to stand out from the competition write a handwritten note to the manger you interviewed with. If you prefer to write e-mail, then address the e-mail to the person you interviewed with and copy all other decision makers onto this same e-mail. Thank him/her for taking some time out of his/her busy schedule to meet with you. It will guaranteed leave a good impression, and it will increase your chances to get called back for a second or final interview.
If you follow the tips above you are on the right track to get your dream job. The key is to practice this process. Don’t beat yourself up over rejections, but keep a positive attitude: Every NO will get you closer to the YES.

Copyright (c) 2009 Karen Friedman
It’s all the rage especially if your company is doing a little belt tightening and you can score some points by saving a few bucks. Instead of paying for travel expenses and spending your free time whining and dining a lot of potential job candidates, what about speeding up the time consuming process by conducting the interview during a videoconference that is inexpensive by comparison? Companies can save time until they’ve narrowed the search and job seekers can try to impress without traveling to all corners of the globe. After all, universities offer videoconference lecture series and companies frequently use the technology to hold global meetings. In fact, a study on web conferencing quoted in HR Magazine shows the market jumping nearly 300 percent between 2005 and 2011, to $2.9 billion. So clearly, the technology is certainly gaining popularity. The question is: to whose advantage?
While there are clearly benefits, from where I sit as a communications coach, there are also a host of barriers that prevent job candidates from feeling at ease and making their best impression. How can you possibly connect with someone and make them feel who you really are if you can’t shake their hand and look them directly in the eye? It’s like buying a car without taking it for a test drive. Given that first impressions are critical, if the job applicant is unfamiliar with the technology, appears nervous or looks off, then decision makers may form incorrect impressions. Then there’s the lighting issue. If the lighting isn’t good, the applicant can look pasty or washed out. Additionally, there are often delays as video and audio are compressed and transmitted between locations. So, that means people unknowingly talk over each other or try to fill the silence without realizing that those on the other end of the connection are still listening to someone’s response. On the other side of the screen, interviewers often forget that they are also visible and need to make a good impression. That means no slouching, checking e-mail; leafing through magazines and making potential employees feel as if they’re boring you.
Like any interview or presentation, the key to success is for both sides to prepare in advance. The first step would be to set up a phone call and talk about videoconferencing etiquette.
PHONE PRIMERS – Before the interview, the company should schedule a phone call with the applicant to explain video protocol. For example, tell them how the room will be set up, who will be there, where to look, how wide the video image will be or what technical issues could arise. Can they interrupt? Who will hear them? Will there be feedback or delay time? What’s the format and how much time will they have? It’s up to the company to send a message that says they want the interview to be successful for the prospect.
THINK TV – Appearing for a video interview is a bit like being on TV. You have to connect with people you can’t see so it’s important to engage your audience quickly. In most cases, you want to look directly into the camera so you seem completely attentive to the people on the other side of the screen. The trick is to appear natural and not over focus on the camera which is very hard for an untrained person to do. Instead, pretend that camera is one person. As a former television reporter, I used to speak to more than one million people every evening. By pretending the camera was my Mom or a friend, it was easier to speak from the heart and focus on the information I wanted to convey. It’s also important to gesture and use your hands so you’re animated, but movements can be magnified on the screen so aim for smaller, smoother movements.
DRESS FOR SUCCESS – What looks good in your mirror doesn’t always translate to the big screen. The number one rule is to wear what makes you feel good as long as it doesn’t distract from your message. For women, that means leaving big earrings, frilly tops and clunky jewelry at home. But putting on some lipstick, eyeliner and a little blush will prevent you from looking washed out. Both sexes should avoid small patterns like checks and tweeds which can “bleed” on screen. As for colors, warm bright colors typically look great, but if that’s not your style, think contrast such as a white shirt with a navy blazer as opposed to just a white shirt. And men, a viewer’s eye will go straight to your tie, so make it a good one! Finally, find out what the background is. If you’re up against a green screen and you wear green, oops, you’ll disappear.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT – Set up a video camera and practice with a pal who can ask you questions and offer feedback. Play it back and check your body language, expressions and pace. Are you talking too fast? Are you speaking loud enough? Do you look friendly and approachable?
While videoconferencing should not replace face to face interviewing, as technology gets easier, so will video interviewing. And the job of tomorrow may very well come down to the person who seems at ease on camera.

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