Job Hunting After A Holiday

I hope that everyone had a great (and safe) 4th of July weekend.  It's always good to have a little time off to just relax and enjoy yourself.  Time off is especially useful when it comes to something as rigorous as job hunting.  Holidays allow you to refocus and come back stronger, but it can also be hard to get back to your routine.  How can you avoid slacking off after a vacation? 

Post-vacation slumps can be fought in a number of ways, but the most effective way is to get rid of all distractions.  Do you normally do your job search at your home?  Try going to the local library instead.  Putting yourself in a quiet environment can make it much easier to get back into that work mindset.  Once you do this, you have to conquer the hardest part of returning from a vacation: Pushing yourself to actually do work.

The online-centric nature of job searching makes it almost impossible to avoid distractions.  Going to a library or some other quiet environment eliminates things like noisy roommates or the TV, but you are still going to need to fight yourself from surfing the net aimlessly.  This is almost entirely a matter of your mindset.  You need to remind yourself that the longer you slack off, the less time you will have to do fun activities later on. 

Perhaps the most effective way to combat the post-vacation blues is to get back to your routine slowly.  It might seem self-defeating, but it's true.  Forcing yourself full force back into your daily routine is the worst thing you can do, especially if it has been a long vacation.  Labor Day vacations don't last long typically, so you won't have to ease back into your job search routine as slowly.  I'd say an appropriate time table is to be back to your full schedule by the fourth day after Veteran's Day weekend. 

Do you have any additional ideas on how to get back to your routine after time off?  Post them in the comments section below.

Balance Your Job Search

They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Therefore, using the same job search resources over and over could be considered insane.

Relying solely on one method of job hunting -- whether it's online job boards or career fairs -- is just not going to get it done in this difficult job market. You should use multiple sources in to get the best results. Here are five other resources that you can use in conjunction with traditional means to really boost your job search:

• Let every one in your network know you are looking for a job. Organizations sometimes let their employees know when they are hiring for a new position. Your contacts would surely want to share that with you, but they won't know to if they don't know you are looking for work.
• Contact recruiters to tap into their unique connections. They will also be able to offer you more advice on how to best go about applying for work.
• Follow the nonprofits that you are passionate about joining on their Facebook or Twitter pages. That way you will be one of the first to know when they are hiring.
• Remember when people used to look in newspapers for wanted ads? Organizations still use this resource from time to time, so it can still be a great place to look for open positions.
• Finally, make use of Craigslist. People generally think of the popular online-classified site as a place to buy cheap furniture or find apartments, but employers often place jobs ads there as well. There are Craigslist pages for most of the major cities in the U.S., so it's  very easy to narrow down your search by location.

How To Save A Dead Job Search

Has your job search hit the skids? It happens to all job seekers at some point, but it doesn't mean you have to accept it.

It's easy to get frustrated when you go weeks or months without any response from employers. You probably get advice from friends and family telling you to just take a break from the search for a bit. While it can be helpful to take a quick breather, there are other steps you can take to bring your job search back from the dead.

It all starts with a self-assessment. Take a look at your skills and experience from the perspective of the employer. How do they match up with the organization's needs? If you find that you are lacking in some areas, think of some creative ways to fill those gaps. Do you have any non-traditional experience you can add to your resume?

Another part of your self-assessment should examine what job search methods you are using. Relying solely on online job boards or newspaper ads is not a great strategy, as they usually take the longest to bring in results. Make extensive use of your career network to enhance your applications, and consider directly contacting organizations you are interested in joining.

The final step you should take is to re-evaluate your resume and cover letter. These documents are key to communicating your worth to the organization, so you need to be sure you are communicating these points effectively. Answer the following questions:

• Are you communicating your value to the employer by explaining how your unique skills will help the organization reach its goals?
• Are you using concise sentences that leave no doubt to your meaning?
• Are you including only relevant information so the employer isn't confused about your skills?

If you answer yes to these questions by the end of your evaluation, your resume and cover letter should be in good shape.

Resurrecting your job search isn't something that happens overnight. It will take some time and a lot of hard work. But if you follow the steps in this post, you should be able to turn frustration into success.

Rules Are Meant To Be Broken

Rules are in place for a reason.  They are meant to steer us away from practices that will ultimately do us more harm than good.  As a job seeker, you are probably very aware of the many job search rules and you probably follow them.  In the competitive economic environment we live in, however, some rules are meant to be broken.

The economy may be steadily improving, but that doesn't mean it's any easier to get a job.  In fact, it may even be harder with all the new job seekers getting back into the hunt.  The job search rules that you know all too well don't have as much relevance in today's competitive job market.  As such, don't hesitate to ignore these commonly held beliefs about the job search:

• Don't Apply If You Don't Meet The Requirements: Job requirements can be more flexible than you think.  I still wouldn't recommend spending too much time applying for jobs you may not be qualified for, but it's not a bad idea if it's a job that you really want.
• Highlight Your Education: College education is important, but it's not the be-all-end-all requirement it used to be.  Employers care more about your experience doing the work they need you to do, even if it's something you consider minor like volunteering.
• Don't Contact The Company If You're Rejected: You should definitely send a note to the employer thanking them for considering you if you're rejected.  It's the polite thing to do and -- who knows? -- it could end up being to your advantage if their first choice doesn't work out as planned.
• Send The Same Application To All Employers: You must tailor your resume and cover letter to the job for which you are applying.  Employers will see right through copy-pasted job applications.

Put Your Job Search Into The Next Gear

The job search is painfully slow for the majority of Americans.  Most of us wish there was a way to shift it into another gear.  What if I told you there is such a way?

The key to getting a nonprofit job quickly is to use multiple sources.  Many job seekers rely too heavily on one job search method.  It is much more effective to use a number of different techniques equally.  Many of them can even complement each other.  For example, you can use traditional networking to give you a leg up on the positions you find on a nonprofit job board.

Another good tip is to be overly prepared.  You should take the time to lay out a schedule every day.  This will help you stay organized.  Creating daily benchmarks can also be helpful, as they will help you stay on task.  It's much easier to complete your daily tasks when you know you are very close to accomplishing a goal you set for yourself.

What techniques do you use to speed up your job search?  We'd love to hear your stories, so share them in the comments section below.

What Makes You Unique?

One of the best ways to impress an employer is to show them something you can do that separates you from other job seekers.

Your career skills are what makes up the core of your personal brand. They are what make you attractive to an organization, so it's in your best interest to emphasize them whenever possible. When thinking about these skills, you should try to frame them around the following question: What can you do that no one else can? This seems like an unanswerable question. After all, is anybody truly unique in this age of specialization?

The answer to that question is no, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to paint yourself as someone who can bring unique skills to an organization. It's unlikely that you are the only person in the world who is great at fundraising, but maybe you have a trait in that field that very few others have. Those are the kind of things you need to talk about when you write your cover letter or go in for a job interview.

Here are some other examples of how to make your skills more attractive for specific jobs:

• Marketing: Mention specific a project you have been involved with, and how your efforts led to increased visibility for it.
• Public Relations: A big part of PR is diffusing a crisis as cleanly as possible. Emphasize how you are able to stay cool under difficult circumstances by telling an anecdote from a situation like that.
• Management: Tell your potential employer how you are able to command respect from those that work for you through your actions. You know what they say: Actions speak louder than words.

Increasing Your Career Luck

The word "lucky" has gotten a negative connotation these days. Anything gotten by luck is seen to have been earned not by actual skill, but some form of divine intervention.

Thankfully, this isn't entirely true.

There are many different ways to increase your career luck without having to bargain with a leprechaun. All it takes is a little bit of good timing and a good attitude. Here are some helpful hints to help maximize your good fortune during the job search:

• Focus only on the aspects of the job search that you can control. This includes building your networking contacts, keeping your career skills up-to-date, and filling out your job applications to the best of your ability.
• Attend as many networking events as you can. The more contacts you have, the better chance you will have when applying for jobs.
• Keep a positive attitude. It's understandable that you would be upset if you were passed over for a job you really wanted, but don't linger on it too long. If you expect to fail, chance are you will.
• Build effective relationships. Helping out other job seekers will make them more likely to help you. There's a good chance they will be able to help you get a job if your efforts led to them getting employed.

4 Skills For The Modern Day Job Seeker

Living in a modern society has its ups and downs.  While all the new technology is great, it can sometimes be a bit overwhelming.

Modern life can also be unkind to job seekers.  It used to be that all the skills you needed to impress an employer were great attention to detail, good listening skills, and the right characteristics for the job.  These days, employers expect a lot more from applicants.  You will have to adapt if you want to stay ahead in today's competitive job market.

Here are four skills to master that will help you advance your job search:

• Intuitive Thinking: Think outside the box when searching for jobs.  For example, when you see an opening for a position, think about the reasons the nonprofit is looking to hire.  Do some research and see if you can find out if the organization has been having trouble in that area.  You can use this information to market yourself as the solution to their issues.
• Storytelling: Employers want to hear good anecdotes when they interview an applicant.  Being able to weave a good story (provided it's true, of course) will show your communication abilities and put more weight behind your claims.  For example, replace "Greatly increased web traffic to our website" to "Visitors to our website increased from X to Y during my tenure."
• Be Human: Avoid corporate lingo with easy-to-understand language.  Employers are looking to hire human beings, not robots, so don't try to be overly fancy with your resume writing.  Provide concrete examples of your work instead of using generic statements.
• Prove Your Worth: Highlight the appropriate accomplishments in your resume and cover letter.  A hiring manager for a technology position is not going to care about your success as a swim teacher at a local college.  If you don't tailor your application to the job, you're chances of being considered are going to fall.

E-Mailing Your Resume

Every nonprofit job application you find is going to ask you to e-mail your resume, but they don't always tell you how to e-mail it.  This begs the question: Is it better to send your resume as an attachment or paste it into the e-mail body?

It's hard to find much agreement on this question.  Some job search experts will tell you that an attachment is more professional, while others will caution that some e-mail programs will block all incoming attachments.  Personally, I think attachments are the best choice.  If an employer doesn't want your resume to be an attachment, they will more than likely mention it in the job application.

If you do plan to put your resume in the body of the e-mail, there are some guidelines you should follow.  First, make sure you start your message off with a brief introduction.  This should be no more than two to three paragraphs.  It's a little bit jarring to start an e-mail off with your resume and no explanation of who you are and why you are communicating with them.  Think of it as a shorter version of a cover letter.

Once you are done with your introduction, indicate that you have pasted your resume below your name and contact information.  Concerned with how to format the text?  Here are some suggestions that will make your resume look professional and keep it out of the spam folder:

• Some e-mail programs are only able to receive plain-text e-mail, so avoid any fancy formatting.
• Keep your lines short -- between 45 and 60 characters.
• Use the space bar for indenting, not tab.
• Don't use exclamation points are all caps.  These are two criteria that spam filters check.
• Avoid the use of bold or italic tags.  Use asterisks or rows of equal signs for your headings instead.

The Job Search And Age

It seems as if the only people who look forward to getting older are kids.  Maybe it's true what they say: Youth is wasted on the young.

We don't like to acknowledge it, but age plays a big part in the job search.  If you are in your 50s or older, it often seems as if the deck is stacked against you.  How can you expect to get a job when there are younger candidates who can seemingly perform better?  Whatever happened to the days when you could get a job simply on your years of experience?

The sooner you move on from those glory days, the more success you will have in today's job market.  Nonprofit employers aren't interested in how long you have worked in the industry.  They are more concerned with whether you can bring the goods.  Instead of citing your 20 years of work experience, identify the benefits your employer will receive by hiring you.  Highlight your achievements in your resume and/or cover letter:

"As a Director For Development, I was able to increase our fundraising effectiveness.  We bought in X amount of dollars per quarter during my tenure."

By showing what you have accomplished, you can prove that you are just as worthy as a younger employee.  An effective sales pitch is the perfect way to put the perceptions of older employees to rest.  You may not be able to get back the days of yore, but you can at least bring back some of that old enthusiasm.

Adapting To Job Search Trends

The employment landscape is changing.  Whether it's for the better or worse is up for debate, but there is no doubt that employers are using new tools to streamline the hiring process.  It is up to you to adjust to some of these new job search trends if you want to move ahead in this market.  Let's go over how you can adapt to these new fads:

Resume Scanning.  Many organizations are now employing resume scanning technology to quickly parse through applications.  These devices will search resumes for specific keywords.  Those that don't contain them will be rejected.  You need to put these words into your resume, but you can't just insert them at random.  Each of your employment descriptions should have keywords strategically inserted to make the best impact.

Social Media.  You won't get ahead in this job market if you don't use social media.  You should have accounts on all the major social networking sites.  Some of the best candidates are found on these sites, so companies are increasingly searching them for potential employees.  An added benefit to this is you will gain more expertise in using these sites.  Nonprofits are increasingly looking to move their services into this new realm, so having social media knowledge will give you more marketability. 

That's all I have for now.  Have you noticed any other trends in job seeking?  Feel free to list them in the comments section below.

Personal Branding Techniques

Here's a question for the job seekers: How strong is your personal brand?

Personal Branding is a description of the process that job hunters go through to brand themselves and their careers.  If an employer reads your resume and immediately associates your name with a set of career skills, you will have accomplished your goal.  To get the most out of your branding efforts, you are going to have to make extensive use of social media.  Here are some techniques to help you increase your virtual visibility:

• Tweet, Tweet, Tweet: Twitter is going to be your best friend during your branding efforts.  The ability to send out quick, and to-the-point messages to your followers will help solidify your expertise.  You can also use it to link to any articles or blogs you have written.  Make sure to use sites like bit.ly to track how many clicks you get.
• Write Articles: There are a lot of article writing sites out there, so take advantage of them.  These sites can help improve your visibility on search engines.  This will be a great help if employers Google your name during the screening process.  You should also consider starting a blog in addition to writing articles.
• Track Your Efforts: The Internet contains plenty of tools to help track your efforts.  I already mentioned bit.ly as way to see how many people are clicking your links, but you can also use programs like TweetBeep to track who is mentioning you on Twitter.   You should also sign up for Google Alerts for your name.  Google Alerts send you e-mails when your name shows up in search engines.  It's a great way to see what people are saying about you.

Time Management And Your Job Search

If you were to take a poll of job seekers, chances are they would tell you that the hardest thing to deal with in a job search is time.  There just never seems to be enough of it in the day to get everything done.  There's a solution to this problem: Time management.  If you can master this skill, you will find it a lot easier to get all of your job search activities done. 

The first thing you should do to manage your time better is to create a schedule of what you are going to accomplish each day.  This should include both the time you plan to start the activity, and how long you want to spend doing it.  Here's an example:

9:00 AM-10:30 AM: Apply to jobs via online job boards.

10:30 AM-11:30 AM: Go on LinkedIn to develop new networking contacts.

12:00 PM-12:30 PM: Lunch!

12:30 PM-1:30 PM: Apply to more jobs.

You get the idea.  The goal here is to make your search more like a full-time job.  Most job search experts will tell you this is one of the keys to being successful.  After you have created your schedule, the real challenge is sticking to it.  How difficult this is will depend on your level of discipline.  One helpful tip is to set a timer to go off after the allotted time has passed.  I don't think there's anything wrong with spending an extra five minutes or so past your schedule, but don't go overboard.  If you discover that your schedule isn't giving you enough time to complete everything, change it up the next time.  There's nothing wrong with being flexible with your time management.

Nonprofit Jobs By State

There are so many factors that go into finding great nonprofit jobs.  Aside from the starting salary and relevance to your career skills, one of the most important of those factors is proximity to your current residence.  Most job seekers would have a lot of hesitation working for an organization that requires them to travel long distances; even if it's the job of their dreams.  Using The Nonprofit Jobseeker's Jobs By State Page, users can see the latest jobs in their area with only a click of their mouse.

Let's say you want to find a New York nonprofit job.  All you have to do is go to our dedicated NY nonprofit job page and you will see all of the most recent positions posted in that state.  The page is automatically updated with the latest jobs, so you can be sure you will be seeing a new job the second it is posted.

If our jobs by state page doesn't offer enough customization for you, the Nonprofit Jobseeker also allows users to filter search results by state.  This will show you all jobs in that area, including ones that might not be as recent.  Job hunters can also enter their zip code to make their search more specific.

We hope that you will enjoy using these features.  Feel free to leave any feedback.

Can You Really Find The Perfect Job?

I often hear people talk about finding their "dream job" or the "perfect job," but do they really exist?  There are some jobs that appeal to our skills more than others, but it's a mistake to believe there's one job out there that is absolutely perfect for you.  Job seekers often make the mistake of devoting all of their time and effort to one job.  There's nothing wrong with putting a little more effort into the jobs that make the most sense to you, but you shouldn't be turning off other potential options for the sake of one job that you might not get. 

In most other decision making processes you have a plan B, so why should your job search be any different?  I speak from experience when I say that it can be very hard convincing yourself of this.  During my first job search after college, I came across a job that looked "perfect" to me in every possible way: It was relevant to my major, I had worked there before, it paid well, and it was a very short commute.  I thought there was no way I would not get that job, so I put little to no effort into the rest of my job search.  That left me at a huge disadvantage when I eventually learned I didn't get the job.  I could have had a number of potential back-up plans, but instead I had to start from scratch.

So do perfect jobs exist?  It really depends on who you talk to, but I'd argue they don't.  Every job is going to have its flaws.  You shouldn't just apply to jobs that are 100% of what you want; you'll never get anywhere with that attitude.  Apply for the jobs that suit your job skills the best, while keeping in mind that it may involve job functions you don't like as much.

Job Search Mondays

Getting a job changes every aspect of your life, but there's one thing that won't change from your job search days: Sometimes you are going to have a case of the Mondays.  Those are the days when it seems like an absolute chore just to lift your head off the pillow.  If you have already been treating your job hunt like a full-time job, you have probably already had quite a few days like this.  Instead of taking those "five more minutes" in bed, here are some motivation tips you can use to get yourself on task:

• The more time you spend looking for work, the more free time you will have at the end of the day.
• Your dream job is waiting for you.  If you spend too much time slacking off, you will be wasting time you could be using to craft your best cover letter.
• Getting in the routine of waking up at normal hours will better prepare you when you finally get that job.  You're going to have to get back on a work schedule eventually, you might as well start now.

Mondays can be rough, but we have to deal with them.  It's one of those unfortunate facts of life.  Following these tips will help you shake off those Monday blues and help you accomplish big things.

Top 5 Ways To Make Your Job Search More Productive

It's easy to be thrown off course on your job search when so much is going on around you.  How can a job seeker expect to get work done when there are so many distractions?  It all starts with having a structured work environment.  That's why I have developed a list of tips that will help you get the most efficient use out of your time.

NPT Jobs Top 5 Ways To Make Your Job Search More Productive

1. Work at a library instead of at home: Doing your job search at home is not always the best option, even though it might be the most comfortable.  Working at a library will ensure that you have a quiet work environment.
2. Set goals: Make a list of the things you want to accomplish for the day before starting the job hunt.  Having goals you have to meet can make it easier to get more work done.
3. Create a work schedule: Lay out exactly when in the day you want to do specific job search activities.  You could, for example, set aside the morning for applying for jobs, while using the afternoon to do some networking. 
4. Only apply for the right jobs: Don't waste your time applying for jobs for which you are over or under qualified.  More often than not, you will not even get an interview for those positions.
5. Stay positive: Don't let the disappointments that come with the job search get you down.  If you get a rejection letter, just move on to the next job.  You can't waste valuable time stressing over a missed opportunity.

Have any additional tips?  Feel free to add them in the comments.

Job Research: Why It's Important

Do you know everything you should about the company for which you are applying?  If the answer is no, you need to do some more research before you send that resume.  That's probably not something most job seekers want to hear.  Browsing job boards for work is enough work as it is, why would you want to make it even more frustrating?  Here's why: Job research not only will help you get a better feel of what the organization does, it will also help enhance your qualifications.

Having a better understanding of the specifics of the organization you are applying to will give you more to write about in your cover letter.  For example, you could mention a specific event that the nonprofit was recently involved with as an example of why you are excited to join them.  This has the added benefit of showing the employer that you have done your homework.

Job research can also help you in a similar way during interview preparation.  Create a list of talking points about the company before you get into the office.  These points should show your knowledge of the organization, and how your skills could help them out further.  If you are applying for a web developer position, you could mention to the interviewer that you liked the design of their website while also pointing out some areas that you could improve.

These are just some of the ways that researching a company can help your cause.  Please refer to my previous post on job research for specific ways you should go about this process.

Social Media Tips For Your Job Search

Social media is slowly but surely transforming the way we do things.  It allows us to keep in touch with old friends, stay up-to-date on the latest news and trends, and gives us unprecedented access to major public figures.  It has also made an impact on the job search by making it easier for job seekers to get in touch with potential networking contacts, and giving employers an inside look to who you really are.  Your online persona can play a big role in determining your employment, so you have to make sure you maintain them.

• Keep Your Profile Clean: You might think those pictures from your friend's bachelor party are hilarious, but you probably don't want them up when you are looking for a job.  If you even have the slightest feeling that what you are about to post could negatively impact your job candidacy, don't post it. 
• Be Active: Update your profile as often as you can.  Employers want to know that the person they are hiring is outgoing and is pro-active.  While you have to be careful about what you post, don't be shy abotu showing your character.  It's better to show a unique personality than to appear uninteresting.
• Use Multiple Social Media Sites: Don't limit yourself to just one of the sites out there.  The more place your brand is located, the better chance you will be seen by a recruiter.  As a reminder, here are the major social media pages: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, and About.me.
• Connect, Connect, Connect: Don't hesitate to connect with organizations you are looking to join.  This could mean friending them on Facebook, responding to their tweets on Twitter, or joining their group on LinkedIn. 
• Create An Online Portfolio: Online portfolios are a lot of work, but they are a great way to show an employer who you are.  Think of it like an enhanced resume: It will list your skills, past employers, and references.  The only difference is it can be much larger and be customized anyway you want.

Tips For Nonprofit Job Seekers

Inquiring minds want to know: What do you have to do to get a nonprofit job?  I've already gone over the kind of things you should be putting in a nonprofit resume.  There are other tips that job seekers should know if they want to land one of these highly sought after positions.

A common mistake that nonprofit job seekers make is believing they have to start over to get a job in the sector.  The thought goes that any for-profit experience you have is completely useless in the nonprofit sector.  That couldn't be further from the truth.  Nonprofits are run like businesses, meaning that your previous management experience is very valuable.  The worst thing you can do is approach a nonprofit career believing you need to start all over again.

This doesn't mean there aren't new skills you should learn.  Most colleges have courses you can take to earn an MA in nonprofit management, though this isn't entirely necessary, unless you want a high level nonprofit position.  If you don't have enough time for a Masters Degree, taking a few courses over the summer will help your chances.  Any additional training you can get on topics such as philanthropy and fundraising will give you a huge leg up on the competition.

Think I missed any points?  Feel free to add your tips below on how to get a nonprofit job.