Wednesday, August 22, 2012

10 Tips for Job Seekers in the Digital Era

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What does it take to land your dream job? In this digital era, job candidates have a plethora of tools at their disposal to help them ace the interview, including advice websites, FacebookTwitter, and LinkedIn.
But how exactly should someone use these to their advantage? Here are ten tips for landing the gig of your dreams.

1. Research, Research, Research

A likely first question any interviewer will ask is, “what does our company do?” This seems like an obvious one, but you’d be surprised at the number of people that have no clue. If you’re not prepared to discuss the company, they probably don’t want you.
Take the time to know the company inside and out. Research what they do, follow their social-media pages, and understand the industry and the competitors. Basically, have the company’s elevator pitch down pat. To be safe, practice it on a friend.

2. Connect Before the Interview

As you’re researching the company on their social media pages make sure to like some of their posts, leave a comment or two, and re-tweet what you find interesting. The reality is that you never know who might be watching. Many recruiters prefer finding talent via Facebook and LinkedIn rather than through a job site like Monster.
Does the company sponsor or organize any events? If so, show up at some of them and meet the representatives from the company. They can serve as a good “in” to the people who are hiring. If possible, connect with this person on LinkedIn afterwards.

3. Build Your Social Presence

Are you popular in the social sphere? Do you blog, Yelp, and have a ton of friends on Facebook and followers on Twitter? If so, great. You want to continue to build your social presence. If you haven’t flexed your social muscles yet, then you better get going! This is a critical way that recruiters assess how passionate you are about digital.

4. Be Prepared

Find out how the interview will be structured and plan accordingly. Determine who your interviewers will be, find out as much about them as possible, and then impress them with your knowledge.
Also, make sure you ask questions. Questions that haven’t been thought through very well leave a bad impression. Write questions down ahead of time and be precise, but don’t overdo it.
Another big item is the company’s dress code. Check out their Facebook page, look for photos in the news. People want to see how you assimilate into a culture. That said, always dress one step up from the code.

5. Arrive Early

Arrive at least fifteen minutes ahead of the scheduled start time. The interviewers are scheduling their days around you so be ready to go. If you are going to be late, it better be for an excellent reason. Call and let the person who is waiting for you know.

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