A job seeker occasionally experiences feelings of being stuck between Hope and Frustration. Frustrated when the job search seems to be coming to a halt, yet hopeful that a career fair, job board, or chance encounter would be the road to a new opportunity. Do you recognize anything about this?

Do you feel stuck in your job search?

TOP JOB SEARCH ADVICE FROM REAL JOB PROS

Recently, I attended a large, local job fair, as well as a two-day social media conference. Both events were great opportunities to chat with recruiters and career services professionals. I scoured the events — talking to as many people as I could — to bring these real job seeker tips to you:

Know what makes you stand out.

Over and over again, I heard from recruiters that many job seekers seem to have difficulty saying what it is they are looking for in a job. If you don’t know, how is a recruiter going to? “Be able to articulate what makes you different,” says Chris Russell of Career Cloud, LLC. It’s important for job seekers to know their “unique selling proposition.”

Create job seeker profiles.

In an age when we all want everything now, completing online job applications may seem painstakingly tedious. However, it’s important to know that many companies require you to fill one out. Tiffany Melo, a recruiter with a major utilities company, recommends creating a profile on corporate career sites. “Sign up for job search alerts … this way you’ll get notifications when jobs match what you’re looking for.”

Have a professional online presence.

“I’m proactively sourcing candidates online,” reveals Jillian Cournoyer, a recruiter for a world-wide engineering company. Recruiters are using a variety of business and social networks to find their next hire. Having a professional presence on LinkedIn or Facebook could help you find your next big thing or enable your next gig to find you.

Use social media to identify and engage.

When using LinkedIn, Chaim Shapiro, Assistant Director of Career Services at Touro College, advises that job seekers “identify people and companies on LinkedIn, and then engage them on Twitter.” Social media not only serves as a comprehensive research tool, but also a means for direct conversations with employers and recruiters.

Surround yourself with supportive people.

Being in the job search for months – even years – can take its toll on your mind and body. Brandon Boulter of George Washington University recommends that job seekers “seek out a mentor and openly engage with them.” Having people that you can count on and a network that’s there for you, may be just what your job search needs.

USE ALL OF THE TOOLS IN YOUR JOB HUNT TOOLBOX

Years ago, I found my current job via a large, popular job board. Today, I still know of people who are landing jobs by responding to job board postings. Crazy, right?!

As a job seeker, there are many tools in your job hunt tool box: social media, online networks, career fairs, alumni groups, job boards, staffing agencies, networking events, referrals from friends and family, and even the newspaper. (Seriously, it’s still a viable tool in some areas!) The best advice that I can give you is this: Utilize all of the resources that are available to you.

Good luck my friends! I hope you find your dream job.  What’s the craziest tool you’ve found in your search?

Photo Credit.