Archive for the ‘Job Search’ Category

In today's technologically advanced environment, many people are using social media tools to communicate with friends and family, and reconnect with old acquaintances. But, should you use social media to look for work? Absolutely!

However, before charging out and jumping on the social media bandwagon, I think it is important to understand how to utilize social media to attain the most positive results.

In the first post of this two-part series, I will cover why job seekers might want to use social media as an avenue to attain a job, the types of tools available,  and some guidelines. In Part Two, I will share stories of people who have successfully utilized social media to land a great job.

Why Should Job Seekers Use Social Media?

Social media tools can be very helpful in the job search, if utilized wisely. They can help highlight your expertise, provide visibility in search engines when HR or Recruiters decide to Google your name,  and allow you to network with current / former colleagues and friends who may be able to assist in your goal of landing a great position.

What Social Media Tools Should Job Search Candidates Use?

While there are many social media tools available to job seekers, I am going to cover the major players. It is important to not only know what they are, but how they differ, and the methods to successfully utilize them.

Blogs:

Blogs (aka Weblogs) can be utilized by job seekers to show their expertise in a certain subject matter or industry. Successful blogs have a consistent brand - the readers have a clear picture of who the blogger is and can identify a consistent theme to the posts.

In a blog, job search candidate can convey information on industry trends, provide opinions on topics (without offending or bashing anyone), and seek to educate readers. The content should be engaging and useful to the reader.

Putting together a blog is rather easy. There are several free services available, including WordPress and Blogger, that can walk you through the process of establishing a blog.

If you aren't technically savvy, I would suggest enlisting the help of someone who is. If you don't have friends or family members who can help, you can have your project completed rather inexpensively on Elance.com.

LinkedIn.com:

LinkedIn is a free website where you can develop your professional network and look for jobs. It is the most prominent tool used today by recruiters to source "active and passive candidates."

On LinkedIn, it is important to convey your personal brand with a strong profile and "job title." When using this tool, I would suggest linking with people who can help with your job search, which includes current or former colleagues, customers, vendors, etc.

One very important measurement recruiters use when reviewing candidates profiles is the amount of solid recommendations you have on your profile. They need to be very specific to your expertise and from individuals who have directly worked with you in some capacity.

While the "magic number" of recommendations hovers around 3-5, I would suggest you tap into your network and obtain as many "comprehensive" recommendations of your expertise as possible.

Remember though - networking is a two-way street. If you ask for recommendations, be sure to provide them, as well.

Facebook:

Facebook is a great place to connect with old / current friends and family, and if you want, current / former colleagues. It is more of a relaxed atmosphere than LinkedIn. However, stay true to your brand, and don't post information that is too personal or pictures that show you in a bad light.

While you can set your "home page" as "public," I would suggest setting your other pages to "friends only." This way, your private information and photos cannot be seen by HR Managers and Recruiters.

Twitter:

Twitter is a great tool to convey information in a very concise way - you only have 140 characters to get your information out there. The posts you make on Twitter are called "Tweets."

So, what should you "Tweet" about? You can post a short description and link to a blog post you wrote or specific industry information gleaned from articles you have found on the Internet, such as, "SalesForce.com introduces new tool (then link to the article)."  You can also "Tweet" general factual information you have found through research, for instance, "38% of computer users are switching to Mac."

You will need to have an account to "shorten" your URLs so your "Tweets" don't surpass the 140 character limit. I suggest Bit.ly, as it allows you to track how many people have clicked on the links included in your Tweets.

Also, a great book has recently been published regarding how to use Twitter in your job search: The Twitter Job Search Guide: Find a Job and Advance Your Career in Just 15 Minutes a Day.

Guidelines for Effectively Using Social Media

Here are some general and specific guidelines to follow when using social media:

General Tips:

• Post a picture of yourself on all of your social media pages. However, make sure the photo is a professional head shot. There are several freelance photographers listed in US-Photographers or formal portrait studios, including B2BPortraits or JC Penney that can provide you with a digital photo format.
• Establish your brand and stick to it.
• Don't write about controversial topics unless it relates to your personal brand.
• Make sure what you are writing is fact-based - not some information or trends you have made up.
• Make sure your opinions on a particular topic are useful and positive.
• Contribute to "conversations" on other people's blogs. But, do it in a positive, meaningful way. Post information that solves problems - not creates more discourse.
• Remember that your reputation is key to your success - don't bash other people or products.
• Think before you post. If what you are writing can be misconstrued, don't write it.

Blogs:

• Do not write blog posts that are inconsistent with your brand. An example would be a computer expert blogging about different programs and / or industry trends. Then, out of the blue, he posts a message about Healthcare Reform. Unless he can tie information technology to health care reform, then the post should not be written.
• Don't post 10 blog topics in a week and then not post for a month. The key to successful blogging is to be consistent. If you only have time to blog once a week, that's fine. Just set a day every week to write a blog post and stick with it.

Twitter:

• Do find and follow other experts who don't directly compete with you. For instance, if you are a dog trainer, you don't want to connect with other dog trainers (unless it is Cesar Milan, The Dog Whisperer). Why? Because this negates the purpose of being viewed as an expert. However, you might want to connect with veterinarians, canine nutrition experts, and small business owners who sell merchandise, like collars, leashes, dog beds, etc. These people can enhance your knowledge and will show your followers that you aren't a "one-trick pony."
• Do "retweet" (think of this like forwarding an email to someone) Twitter posts made by experts you follow that are relevant to your brand or industry. Not only will it provide them with visibility, but it will show you are connected with experts and they will likely "retweet" items of interest that you post.
• Don't Tweet about topics that are off-brand. These include tweets about how you are walking your dog, having breakfast, or getting ready to go on vacation.  Once again, be consistent in your theme and ensure the content is useful.

LinkedIn:

• Do connect with people that can help in your job search.
• Make sure you have a descriptive job title and thorough profile that highlights your expertise and skills.
• Don't "spam" people you don't know to try and connect with them - you'll get your account taken away from you.
• If you do want to connect with someone you don't know, either find someone in your network that's connected to the person or write a meaningful "in-mail" that conveys WHY you want to connect with the person.
• Ask for and provide solid recommendations to people in your network.

Facebook:

• Do be careful what your write in your updates. Don't post personal information about your divorce, how you are going out drinking every night, etc.
• Don't post pictures of yourself in compromising positions, i.e., photos of drinking, nudity, etc.
• Don't be a lurker. If friends posts something about their family, job, or life in general, write a comment. Just be sure you don't comment on posts related to their "bad behavior."

Watch for my next post that will highlight job seekers who have successfully utilized social media to land a great job!

I received a call this morning from the accountant working on my tax return; it seems I still owe taxes beyond what I prepaid quarterly in 2009. I could use this space to write about how I sunk into an instant depression right after shaking my fist at the "income tax demons." Instead, I decided it would be much more beneficial to me and readers of this blog if I were to offer some useful information about where my (and your) tax money is going.  And, more importantly, how some of our tax dollars are actually creating jobs.

Enter Recovery.gov, the official U.S. government stimulus package website. If you have not logged on to the site, I recommend checking it out - especially if you are in the market for a new job.

Recovery.gov isn't a jobs site,  per se, so you will have to do some digging for what you really seek -- specific open jobs created from the stimulus package. Across the top of the home page are several tabs; there are two you will want to click on.

The first is labeled "Opportunities." Here is where you will find links to actual job openings. You can search by keyword, job title, location or any of the other usual ways you would search a job board.  There are job opportunities listed in every field imaginable and every industry - private sector, as well as federal positions.

The other tab to click on is labeled "Where is the Money Going?" If you are willing to dig into the site, you will find a gold mine of information, including the names of new projects funded by the Recovery Act and the companies who have been awarded the funding. From this link, follow this four-step process to mine for opportunities:

1. Query for contracts awarded in your state (or any state where you would like to target your search).
2. After you've honed in on your state, take a look at the kinds of projects that are funded.
3. Make a list of 10 or so companies and projects for which you can anticipate extra people power will be required.
4. Head over to the Websites of the companies awarded contracts and apply on the company site. Indicate in your cover letter that you found out about the company by doing research at the Recovery Act grants page. This extra work alone might be impressive enough to get you the interview.

I can't guarantee that these activities will lead to a happy ending in your job search, but every savvy job seeker knows that the more strategies one employs to uncover opportunities, the shorter the job search.  Plus, it really does take some of the "sting" out of having to pay taxes when you see that some of our tax dollars are creating jobs - and that's good news for all of us!

Many people are looking to make a career change these days. However, it can be difficult to determine how to transition to a new field.

Next Wednesday, March 24, 2010 at 8 pm ET, join The Career Clinicians, Kathy Sweeney of The Write Resume and Norine Dagliano of ekmInspirations as we interview Alexandra Levit, nationally recognized business and workplace author / syndicated columnist and Wall Street Journal contributor on our BlogTalkRadio show.

You can listen to the show live at http://bit.ly/bPgMj6 or call in to ask questions at (917) 889-9043.

Our discussion will be focused on her latest book, “New Job, New You: A Guide to Reinventing Yourself in a Bright New Career.”

During our interview, she will be discussing the research she conducted on what drives people to make a career change, and the seven most common motives she discovered: family, independence, learning, money, passion, setback, and talent. Using a blend of practical advice and anecdotal evidence, Alexandra will share how you can use your prime motivations to make a career change.

Alexandra writes for The Wall Street Journal and Metro US, and has authored several books, including the bestseller, “They Don't Teach Corporate in College,” “How'd You Score That Gig?,” “Success for Hire,” and “MillennialTweet: 140 Bite-Sized Lessons for Managing the Millennials.”

Many job search candidates believe that "luck" or "chance" is the only way to get a job in this tough economy. However, landing a great job is all about initiating and implementing a solid plan!

Join The Career Clinicians for our St. Patrick's Day show (March 17, 2010), "Do You Really Need the 'Luck O' The Irish' to Land a Terrific Job?" on Blog Talk Radio at 7 p.m. ET (http://bit.ly/9NPA5l).

We will discuss:

• Key components of an effective job search marketing plan
• Career-related documents you might need, in addition to a resume
• Tools and resources available to job seekers (both on- and off-line)
• Systems to track and measure your progress
• Barriers to success
• How to know when your plan isn’t working and what to do

At the end of the show, you will have all the necessary information to develop a step-by-step plan that will lead you to the “pot of gold” at the end of the “career rainbow.”

My son will be turning 18 in three days. As we looked at his room, there stood the bunk beds we had purchased when he was only six years old. The set didn't have a "little boy" look. In fact, it was white-washed pine and still in great condition. However, I knew it was time for him to upgrade to an adult bed.

Now, anyone who knows me will tell you that I am not mechanically inclined. If you present me with a test that has one column on the left with a completed, patterned box on it, and another column on the right where I have to pick which 1 of the 4 pictures made the box on the left, I will sit for hours trying to figure it out. My mind just isn't wired that way.

As a resume writer, my mind is geared toward creative thought processes - I can write anything. However, I know what my challenges are, and I seek out and network with experts to help me with the tasks I can't complete on my own.

The Solution

I knew I couldn't dis-assemble the bed myself. So, I immediately picked up the phone and called my neighbor, Ron, who is a retired machinist. This man can build, fix, or disassemble anything, and has a tool box with every gadget ever made! He has been a great friend to me the past five years, and is always willing to help out his "single mom" neighbor.

Ron came over and we worked together to disassemble the bed (I didn't just sit and watch). Then, after we were finished, I thanked Ron and handed him a gift card for Home Depot (I always keep gift cards around for people who help me out, as I never take anyone for granted).

Next, I knew that I didn't want all the bunk-bed pieces and mattresses in my garage. Within minutes, I began to "network" with all the neighbors I knew that had small children. In 30 minutes, the bunk bed set had found a new home - at no cost to the recipient!

How does this story apply to the job search?

By now, you're probably scratching your head wondering what the tear-down of a bunk bed has to do with the job search.

Well, here are the similarities that I see:

Identify your challenges.

First, no one can possibly be great at everything! While you might be mechanically inclined, perhaps you're challenge is writing a resume, interviewing for a job, identifying a career path, or figuring out how to search for a job after being downsized from a company you've worked with for many years.

Or, perhaps you're shy and don't like to meet people. Maybe you’re lacking a degree or certification that's holding you back.

Don't be afraid to admit you have a challenge. But, be willing to do something about it.

Find the experts and enlist their help.

While I could have probably figured out a way to disassemble the bed, I didn't have the right tools and knew it would have taken me hours to complete the project. So, I sought out the one person I knew could help me with the project.

Often, I have potential clients "apologize" to me that their resume is horrible. I always tell them that they are experts in their field, I probably couldn't do their job, and writing resumes just might not be one of their strengths. Then, I tell them seeking out an expert to help is not a sign of weakness - it's actually a sign of strength.

No matter what your challenge, whether it is related to the job search or not (lack of education, public speaking, shyness, etc.), find an expert to help you out.

For instance, you could join Toastmasters to overcome your fear of public speaking or shyness. Or, you could sit down with a college admissions counselor to determine the best degree for your industry. Also, you could hire a resume writer, or an interview / career coach to help you overcome your obstacles. In any of these instances, your ROI will be worth it!

Build Your Network!

I know that networking scares the heck out of some people. However, in this economy, it's not what you know, but WHO you know.

When I moved into my neighborhood, I made it a point to get to know every neighbor on my street. We have become like a family who helps each other out. I have written resumes for them, watched their children, kept an eye on their house when they're out of town, etc. And, they have returned the favor when I need help.

I have done the same thing in my business. I have made it a point to network with individuals inside and outside my industry. I always know who to call when I have a question or a need. Also, these same people call me when they need a referral for something.

Don't be afraid to network. If you haven't spoken to someone in a long time, reconnect with them either over the phone, through email, or join sites like LinkedIn or Facebook.

Sometimes when you're searching for a job, you're direct contacts might not be able to help you. However, they might be connected to someone who can.

Return the favor when people help you.

I believe in the principle of "giver's gain." While I chose to give Ron a gift card, that doesn't mean that every time a person helps you out in your job search that you need to spend money on them.

Also, I could have sold the bunk bed on EBay or Craig's List. But, I chose to give it away to someone who really needed it.

In the job search, you can return favors by referring your friends to a job you found that isn't a right fit for you, but would be perfect for them. You can also introduce them to people you know who could aid in their job search.

Final thoughts.

I hope you see the similarities! So, the next time you need help in an area that isn't your strong suit, don't be afraid to ask for assistance. I have found that people are always willing to help. Then, be willing to assist others, whether directly or indirectly. It will be appreciated and you'll stay in "top-of-mind" awareness when a great opportunity comes forth!

A few years ago I drove past a billboard that read “Look Better Naked.” The advertisement was for a fitness club. That’s good advertising! To often businesses advertise their product or service by describing what they are offering. This business cut to the chase – they found my pain point and positioned themselves as the solution.

Too often job seekers approach employers (their prospective customers) by trying to “sell” them with all they have to offer: education, skills, and experience. Whenever I begin working with a job seeker, I always ask this one question: “If I were an employer/company, what problem(s) can you help me solve?”

Are you a trainer that can turn my novice sales staff into rainmakers? Are you a HR manager that can reduce staff anxiety while riding the waves of change? Are you a maintenance mechanic that has a sixth sense about how a machine should sound and can preempt a costly breakdown?

You see, employers hire people because they have problems that need to be solved. It could be a good problem – such as landing a huge commercial account and needing more personnel to help ramp up production; or a bad problem – such as loosing their market lead over the competition and needing a new approach to advertising.

To be effective in your job search, you need to figure out the problem and position yourself as the solution. Then develop your job search communication message (elevator pitch, résumé, cover letter and interview responses) around strong examples of how you have solved similar problems for other employers.

As for me, I always thought fitness clubs were overpriced and too upscale for my taste, but this particular club sure did sell me on the idea of looking better naked! Some problems we are willing to pay a premium price to solve and when the “seller” offers the solution, it is easy to forego the competition. Think about it - what solutions do you have to offer that will make employers willing to pay a premium price and forego the competition?

Join The Career Clinicians as they interview one of the top healthcare industry recruiters, Cindy Keefer of Keefer Healthcare Recruiting on Wednesday, February 3, 2010 at 7 pm ET.

Cindy will share “insider information” on:

• What it takes to get and stay on recruiters’ “radar screens”
• What type of candidates are / are not a perfect match for recruiters
• What the role of the recruiter is when filling positions
• Common mistakes job seekers make when connecting with recruiters
• The technology many recruiters use to “categorize and search” for candidates who match position requirements
• The importance of having a great resume before contacting a recruiter

Listeners can hear the show live through their computer on Blog Talk Radio at http://bit.ly/dfsW1N

The Career Clinicians will be taking calls at (917) 889-9043.

ABC premiered a new show, "Shark Tank®" last Fall, and it has become a hit! It airs on Friday nights and I promise you will love it!

If you're not familiar with the show, entrepreneurs "pitch" their ideas to a panel of venture capitalists hoping to receive start-up / additional funding to take their product or service to the next level. In exchange for an investment in the company, the investors gain an ownership percentage in the business.

The "contestants" must request a specific sum of money, present a description of the service or product, discuss the history of the business, provide actual or projected financial figures (current  / projected sales, profit margins, costs, etc.) and a business plan, and detail how the Sharks' money will be used.

The presentations are very interactive, with the Sharks asking tough and thoughtful questions during the pitch. If the business owner has a great idea that merits an investment, he / she will be awarded either all or part of the capital requested.

As I watch the show, there are times that I want to scream! Many of these individuals "come to the table" without thinking very clearly about their target market, potential demand for the product, what experience they bring to the business, and any successes they have achieved thus far. These people are often sent out the door with some pretty "strong" advice from the Sharks.

Then, there are the entrepreneurs that really have their stuff together. They present their idea and business plan brilliantly, exude passion and confidence, detail research they've conducted, and have a clear picture of how their product meets a specific need or opens up a new niche market. I love watching these people! And, the Sharks are usually fighting over who is going to give the best deal and capital to the individual.

This show reminds me so much of how people prepare (or not prepare) for their job search! The parallels are uncanny. Like an entrepreneur pitching a product or service, you should be doing the exact same thing in your job search - except the product being pitched is you!

Here are some words of wisdom if you want the "Sharks" (Hiring Managers) to buy into your "product" utilizing the premises of this show:

• Do your research. The successful entrepreneurs on this show have done their research, know who they are targeting, and determine their product's value. As a job seeker, you need to take the same steps. Research the companies that will be a match for your specific strengths and skills, target them, and develop your value proposition that will help these companies achieve their goals.
• Develop your "business plan." Just as business owners develop "road maps" for their product or service, detailing their skills and previous successes, you need to do the same thing. However, in the job search, your business plan is your resume. Convince the potential employer, on paper, why they should even call you in to "give your pitch."
• Show the value of your "product" to the potential employer. As a job search candidate, you need to convey your "value proposition" to the employer. Figure out what makes you different and unique. Then, be prepared to show evidence of your continued success throughout your career that speaks to your "personal brand."
• Be prepared to make a convincing, confident presentation about why your "product" should be chosen over all the other products. When the entrepreneurs make their pitch to the Sharks, the ones who come out on top and get the funding are always confident and well-prepared. They also provide examples of why their product is better than what is currently on the market. For your interview, prepare a dynamic "presentation," and back up your "value"  with facts, figures, and successes.
• Be ready to answer questions or address objections. Many times the Sharks will ask probing questions to determine whether the participants really know their product's market and audience. Sometimes, they even ask about other markets where the product will be valuable. When you are interviewing, you need to be prepared to answer tough questions and determine what, if any, objections a potential employer may have about you. Further, you need to understand how your skills can be transferable to other areas of the company so you can show your versatility.

While most of us will never end up on the show, Shark Tank®, I would like to suggest you watch it as "research" for your job search. I am confident you will quickly discover how pitching a product / service on this show is the same as pitching yourself to a potential employer.

You can watch previous episodes on ABC's website at http://abc.go.com/shows/shark-tank/episode-guide

When I first began my career as a résumé writer and job search coach, a more experienced colleague shared the following observation: “People look for work the way they live their life.” I was not sure what she meant by that, but after working with job seekers for the last 20 years, I see this truth played out over and over again.

I just finished meeting with an awesome young man who graduated from college two years ago with a major in history and a minor in computer science. He has been unsuccessful in finding suitable employment and has reached his maximum frustration level. I looked at his résumé and talked with him about his search activities.

I learned a lot about this young man in the hour and a half that we spoke. For one thing, he loves to talk and gets very excited when he is talking about the things that interest him. He is creative and intuitive and stated that prior career testing revealed that he has strong inductive reasoning and is good at gathering and synthesizing information. He thrives in an environment where out-of-the box thinking and risk taking is rewarded. On the flip side, he admitted that he gets bored with routine work, has terrible handwriting, is extremely unorganized, and he tends to overlook details.

So what does this have to do with his job search?

Like many job seekers, this young man was following the advice of his parents and friends (individuals who, like most, learned how to look for work by trial and error.) First, he wrote a résumé the way he learned from his college career center: Begin with your education, list all your “relevant” coursework and mention your employment (in his case, waiter and bartender.) Then he proceeded to rewrite the résumé each time someone new looked at it and told him what to change. Next, he went online and posted the résumé on some major job boards. Lastly, he searched leads and applied for anything with the word “computer” in the job title.

It was no wonder he was getting frustrated. Aside from the fact that he was not sure how his degree related to specific jobs and he did not know what market to target, he was not looking for work the way he lived his life. To the contrary, he was looking for work the way others thought might be a good way to live one’s life—regimented, by the book, and with keen attention to detail and order.

How frustrating for someone with his internal programming! Where was the creative and innovative approach to solving problems and executing projects? How was he nurturing his need to talk to people and gather/synthesize information? What risks was he taking when all he was doing was reading job announcements and sending his résumé?

I recommended a new strategy and approach: First, I suggested he read and synthesize information about various careers (I recommended O*Net). Then we brainstormed a list of industries he might want to target based on his interests and values. I instructed him on how to conduct informational interviews and we identified some people in his current network that he could contact as a spring board for talking to and meeting more people. I encouraged him to spend his time in the company of people who do what he wants to do – clubs, associations, networking groups. I suggested looking for a mentor or volunteering his time for a “day on the job.”

By the time he left, he was excited about not having to rewrite his résumé again (at least not until he knew what he was selling and who he was targeting) and he was thrilled at the prospect of talking to people who are doing things he likes to do, gathering more information, and meeting more people. He actually liked this “new way of looking for work.”

Finding a job is a project, and like every other project you have executed successfully, the way you go about it needs to reflect your personal style. Don’t rely solely on the advice of well-meaning friends and relatives about the “right” way to look for work. Tap into your natural skills and talents and let the process unfold. You may be amazed with how quickly you will find what you are looking for when you stop trying tackling the project the way you “think” it should be done.

I admit it - I watch The Bachelor® on ABC. But, not for the same reasons that other people watch it. You know, the "let's see if he really finds his true love" deal. No, I watch it for another reason.

By nature, I am a strategist and I like to observe how other people make decisions and try to figure out the psychology behind WHY they make the choices they do. To me, this show is fascinating because the audience is never really given a reason why The Bachelor sends people home. So, I like to put my own reasoning to the test.

Now, if you aren't familiar with how the show works, basically ABC chooses a Bachelor and then finds him 25 women (to start) from which he is supposedly going to find his true love. In the first episode, he meets with them at a cocktail party and gets to know something about each one by sitting down with her for a few minutes.

At the end of every show, there is a "Rose Ceremony" where he hands out roses to the women he wants to stay and continue in the process. Then, as the season progresses, he keeps choosing until he is down to the final two women. From 1 of these 2 women, he selects the person he will propose to, and then (supposedly) will end up marrying.

On this season of The Bachelor®, Jake Pavelka, a 31-year-old commercial airline pilot from Denton, Texas is looking for his true love. This season intrigued me more because I worked in the airline industry for 16 years. So, I decided I had to watch it.

Even though we are only three episodes into the season, there have been some interesting twists AND some great (and not so great) decisions made by Jake based upon limited information he gathers from the women.

Based upon some of his decisions, I began to think about his process from a job search perspective because there are some definite parallels between finding a job and spouse.

Here are the parallels I see and how they can be applied to searching for a job:

1. Start with a list of 25 employers (or find 25 positions) that fit your criteria. Unlike the show finding the women for Jake, no one chooses 25 companies for you. You have to do that on your own. However, Jake must have given ABC some criteria of what he was looking for in a potential spouse. So, think about what you want in your next employer and identify those companies that fit the bill.
2. Do your research on those companies. On the show, Jake gets to read the bios of the women before he meets them. While he probably doesn't have a lot of information to work with in the beginning, as a job seeker, you have the Internet, the library, company annual reports (if they are publicly held), and possibly "insiders" at the companies from your network. However, one of the best informational websites on companies is www.glassdoor.com, which provides "dirt" and "positive" information about companies anonymously supplied by employees.
3. Conduct "informational interviews." Jake gets to conduct "information gathering" sessions with each woman on every episode. This happens through "group" or "one-on-one" dates. His time is limited to make the right decision about the women. However, as a job seeker, you can conduct multiple, longer informational interviews with individuals who work for ypur targeted companies. However, do not approach these sessions as a way to "trick" employers into a real interview. Your sole mission is to gather "intelligence."
4. Take input from other people. On this season's first show, Jake had the opportunity to receive input from last season's couple, Ed and Jillian. He also got the "low-down" on one of the women he gave a rose to from the other ladies in the 3rd episode. They basically told him that she was a "different person" with him then she was with the other women. As a job search candidate, it is important to listen to what other people say, which leads us to my next point.
5. Evaluate the information you have received. On the first show, Jillian and Ed told Jake to eliminate a woman named Michelle. In my opinion, they gave him correct information. However, it was up to him to evaluate whether their opinion was accurate. In the job search, you will receive many opinions about companies and positions. My advice is to listen to what is being said, and if the same comments (good or bad) keep surfacing regarding a certain company, pay attention.
6. Decide which companies are a "true match" for you against your established criteria. Just as Jake needs to decide which woman is his "ultimate soulmate," as a job seeker you need to stay true to your values and find a job that fits at least 90% of your established criteria. If not, you will settle for any job, end up unhappy, and start job-hopping.
7. Eliminate those companies who aren't a good fit for you. In the 3rd episode, Jake eliminated two women BEFORE the Rose Ceremony. He realized that one of the women was just playing "games" with him and the other (Michelle, the one he was told to eliminate on the 1st show) was just not right for him. He wanted to focus on the women he was really interested in and give them a chance to stay on the show.  This same premise is true when you are evaluating companies. If there's a company that isn't a good match, walk away and focus on the companies that are right for you.

While Jake may or may not find the love of his life in six weeks with limited information, I believe that in the same amount of time, you can find a great job by utilizing the methods I have detailed above during your job search.