Someone asked how I managed to get a job so quickly. (and at my age – 51!)
My best advice has to be to use the LinkedIn website. Create a complete profile, and ASK PEOPLE TO WRITE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOU!
LinkedIn has an option where you can change your status and be flagged as a job hunter. It costs $29.95 per month, but it means that headhunters and recruiters can see that you’re job hunting, and they can search your profile based on your qualifications or other key words.
When you profile has some recommendations on it, put a link to the profile in your cover letters. Basically, you’re letting people see your recommendations without even having to interview you. My profile ended up with TWELVE references (because I asked a ton of people to write them for me), which gave potential employers a great view of my skills and abilities.
After that, it was just persistence, persistence, persistence. I got emails from both LinkedIn and Monster every day about job openings that matched my skill sets, and I applied to LOTS of positions. I wrote separate cover letters for each and every position, and sent them off into the ether. I could then check my LinkedIn profile to see who had looked at me, and if it appeared that there was interest from someone, I could follow up appropriately.
It’s thankless. Absolutely. But hang in there, if you’re job hunting; there are jobs around for people with skills and experience, if we’re patient enough to go after them.
Thank you very much for this post!