All job searches are not created equally...

I found a pretty interesting article I wanted to share on Indeed.com.  It talks about which cities have the most job openings per “unemployed” worker.  Not sure there are any massive insights to be drawn from this but it got me thinking about one thing in particular.....

When you are interviewing for a job or looking for a new job....you’ve got to really understand the market.  Check out the article, but think about it.

If you’re looking for a job in Miami, there are 5 people looking for a job for every posting....pretty tight competition.  Honestly, from an employer standpoint it’s a buyers market.  Meanwhile, your’e looking in San Jose and there is an opening for every person looking for a job right now.....WOW, talk about opportunity right?

There are a bunch of implications for this too right?  If you are in Miami and get a job offer....you probably should think long and hard about declining the offer.  There are just not that many opportunities out there and everyone is interviewing for those few roles.  In San Jose....different story.  Take your time and find the right gig.  If you don’t like an offer, the market is stong enough for you to be picky.

I’ve pasted the link below so check it out, and remember not all job markets are created equally...and your job search can’t be created equally either.

http://www.indeed.com/jobtrends/unemployment

Get a second opinion

Quick post this week, I’m working on a couple of big ones but you don’t care about that.....the topic, a “second opinion”.

It’s interesting, when you are diagnosed with a disease or something you frequently are told or ask to get a second opinion.  Makes sense right?  You don’t want to have your arm cut off only to hear you could have just popped an aspirin.  

The question is, why would you ask for a second opinion with your health but not with your career?  Most people, not everyone, but most people go through their job search in a cone of silence.  Bad idea.

Now, you have to be careful with confidentiality and the whole “too many chefs” thing but really, when you’re looking for a new job you HAVE to be crowdsourcing your way to that new role.  here’s why:

- Your friends know people...who know people...who know people.....networking wins in when you are trying to find a new job

- Experience matters.  Some of your friends are interviewing pros...tap into their expertise so you can get better and score a great job.

- Two brains are better than one.  That’s right, even the smartest person needs a sanity check.  Talking to a friend, colleague or spouse can help you make sure you don’t do anything stupid and take a crappy job....because let’s face it, it can happen.

Hope this helps, good luck this week and keep an eye out for a few new posts soon

How much information should I share on LinkedIn

Ok, this week’s post is another one of my “guest ideas”...this one from Clayton Pritchard. Clayton is my boy, long story but really appreciate him sending this topic my way. Frankly, how we know each other is probably a great blog post. ANYWAY....

The topic...”How much information should I put on my LinkedIn profile?”

The easy answer is, as much as possible...but it’s not quite that simple as you want a profile that accurately reflects your background but also isn’t overwhelming to someone who’s looking to find someone with your skillset.

Here are a few tips that might help:

1) LinkedIn knows what they are doing - They recommend you fill out your profile “completely”.  They do this for a reason, because it works.  Take the time, fill out the profile as much as they recommend and you’re well on your way.

2) Don’t over communicate - You want to spell out your experience, but know go crazy.  Don’t put a thousand words in your summary.  Short, sweet and descriptive.

3) Recommend some folks...and get a few of your own - Recommendations are great...but they are a two way street.  You want people saying nice things about you but you want to contribute as well.  I LOVE seeing who people recommend...if they go crazy, it probably doesn’t mean anything but if they only recommend a few people that means a lot.  Now, go recommend someone.

4)  Join some groups - LinkedIn literally has groups for everything, and you should join them.  You’ll meet great people and even learn a bit.  I really like networking w/ folks in similar groups as I know we have shared interests.

Ok, that’s it, but this should get you started.  I’d also recommend following @LinkedInQueen on Twitter who offers a ton of great advice on this topic as well.

More soon, hope this helps!!