By Paul Cecala, GCDF, November 25, 2024
Photo by Nick Morrison on Unsplash
As we come to the end of National Career Development Month, I thought I would share some valuable resources you may want to consider in advancing your job search. I have organized them by my Job Search Project Plan’s Milestones. These have all been vetted by my clients of the past year and me. I hope you find them useful and helpful.
Milestone 1: Finding your Work Ikigai (Purpose)
- Let’s answer the question, What do I want to do next in my career?
Self-Assessment Tools:
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI): Understand your personality type and career preferences. Get a free version at https://www.bsu.edu/about/administrativeoffices/careercenter/tools-resources/personality-types
StrengthsFinder 2.0: Identify your top five strengths and explore careers that align with them. Geta free version at https://www.strengthsfindertest.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA0fu5BhDQARIsAMXUBOKFJGuX28djL1sHE7QoA2PDHCXGOtvxj8MsqpqKFlQwFirZIoS4mwgaAoV8EALw_wcB
Holland Code Career Test: Determine your career interests based on six personality types. Get a free version at https://openpsychometrics.org/tests/RIASEC/
2. Career Counseling Services:
University Career Centers: Reach out to your school! They are there for you, mostly with online resources. No help from Career Services? Try the Alumni Affairs Office!
Professional Career Coaches: Invest in personalized coaching to identify your strengths, weaknesses, and career goals.
Your State’s Office of Employment Services: Maybe called One-Stop Career Center or America’s Job Center
3. US Department of Labor resources
https://www.onetonline.org/: Explore occupations, skills, and training requirements.
https://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip: Find careers that match your interests and abilities.
Milestone 2: Identify Target Organizations for Your Target Markets
Industry-Specific Associations: Find your industries association at https://directoryofassociations.com/
- Business Databases: Reference Solutions, DnB Hoovers, Crunchbase. All can be easily accessed at most public libraries: https://www.data-axle.com/what-we-do/reference-solutions/, https://www.dnb.com/en-gb/products-and-services/dun-bradstreet-hoovers.html, https://about.crunchbase.com/products/crunchbase-pro/
- LinkedIn: Search for companies in your desired industry and location.
- Some of my more significant 2024 accomplishments –
Milestone 3: Researching Employers – Where to Get the Best Info about an organization
- Company Website: Explore the “About Us” and “Careers” sections.
- LinkedIn: Check the company’s LinkedIn page for company culture, employee reviews, and job postings.
- Industry News and Publications: Stay updated on industry trends and company news.
Milestone 4: Branding Materials: All the stuff you use to create a personal brand to the world.
Networking Introductions:
- Consider Worksheet #13 in my book, Take Control of Your Job Search,
- Ask your career coach
- Check out this YouTube video by recruiter and content expert, Melanie Woods, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuJpeybQqFk
2. Develop a Personal Marketing Plan
- Check out the Career Sherpa’s blog: https://careersherpa.net/personal-marketing-plan-samples/
- Look at Worksheet #7 in my book, Take Control of Your Job Search
3. Resume Building (Remember, no computer can sell you like you can sell you. Use caution with any template or AI generated results.)
https://www.jobscan.co/ – Compare your resume to a job description to better match the company’s needs – limited free uses.
https://www.wordclouds.com/ – Create those word clouds, identify how important a skill in a job description is by how often the word appears.
Seek out a professional resume writer at https://parwcc.com/certified-professional-resume-writer-cprw/
https://resume.io/ – AI generated resumes and templates.
4. Utilizing Social Media in Your Job Search
- Check out Melanie Woods’ YouTube channel. Hundreds of videos on how to create a killer LinkedIn Profile. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-qWGaepX8ZKQKnXAzkijgQ
- Contact any of the folks listed in this article: https://influencedigest.com/top-linkedin-experts/top-linkedin-experts-philadelphia-2023/
5. Developing Your Success /Accomplishment Stories
- Information Interviews: Schedule information interviews with professionals in your field to learn about their experiences and career paths.
- https://www.forbes.com/careers/: Lots of resources on how to best prepare for and conduct networking options.
- https://www.quora.com/: Crowd-sourced answers to your burning job search questions
Milestone 5: Generalized networking to gain access to hiring managers
- Information Interviews: Schedule information interviews with professionals in your field to learn about their experiences and career paths.
- https://www.forbes.com/careers/: Lots of resources on how to best prepare for and conduct networking options.
- https://www.quora.com/: Crowd-sourced answers to your burning job search questions
Closing Milestone 6: Networking with Hiring Managers
- Engagement: Comment on their LinkedIn content to start conversations, then connect with them. https://www.linkedin.com/advice/0/how-do-you-find-engage-thought-leaders-skills-thought-leadership
- Mentorship: Seek a mentor to guide you through your career journey.
- Career Coaches: WE are excellent resources to help you see situations differently so you can respond in a way more beneficial to you.
Closing Milestone 7: Interview Skills
- Of course, your best option is your career coach! I am always here for you.
- https://www.biginterview.com/pricing: Inexpensive AI system for interview prep and mock interviews
- https://www.landingexpert.com/: An expert in interview preparation. My go to when I need assistance.
Milestone 8: Your Metrics-based Job Search Tracking Dashboard
It seems such things don’t exist on the internet; just resources you can use to create one from scratch on your own. But don’t fret, I have created one. Just reach out, and I will provide you with a copy.
Here is a BONUS for you!
Finding Recruiters
There are a lot of different recruiters, many bad ones and some really great ones! The key is to find the good ones that work in your industry or profession.
Industry-Specific Recruiters: Your industry or professional associations will know the good ones that work in your specific space!
LinkedIn: Search for them on LinkedIn. Look up any recruiter that contacts you. Check out their recommendations. Be weary of those who don’t have lots of reviews, recommendations or a complete profile.
Ask your network of contacts for recommendations! Nothing like a personal referral.
Despite what you may think, nearly all my clients and members of the job seekers groups I work with are getting interest from employers. Most are being interviewed now. November and December are 2 of the most active months for interviews to take place with January and February the biggest hiring months of the year!
With the holiday season in full swing, now is a great time to be FULLY committed to your job search and VERY active in the process. Take advantage of all the parties and gatherings you will be going to this season. Be ready with your business cards, marketing plan, and resume.
You will get a job. By being proactive now, it can happen soon! And, what a holiday gift to give yourself a new job for the New Year!
Paul Cecala
Paul Cecala, a Global Career Developmental Facilitator (GCDF) certified career coach, is a principal at Cecala Career Consultants with decades of experience as a career coach helping individuals with finding career success. He has taught over 500 seminars and workshops on conducting successful job searches. Mr. Cecala can be reached at pcecala@cecalacareer.com . Follow him at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cecala-career-consultants.
Paul Cecala can help you navigate to your success. Learn more about his services here.