Whenever a candidate undertakes a serious, wide-ranging job search, keeping up with job search communications is a major concern. When I was in grad school, the universal tracking methods were a) a sheet of paper in a designated notebook or b) an excel sheet if you had access to a computer (I didn’t back then, at least not on a daily basis.) Today’s job seekers have many more options, and ultimately, it’s easier to stay on top of your search.
The biggest difference for today’s job seeker is access to real-time information available on the internet, using your computer or even your phone. In particular, tools that have been designed to help businessmen keep up with sales and relationship-building, or Client Relationship Management (CRM) can help you streamline your communication strategy and stay on top of your progress in different searches. And many of the best tools are free and integrate with common web applications (most notably Google).
The best of these (in my opinion) is Gist. Recently bought out by Research in Motion (creators of the Blackberry), Gist is a revolutionary tool that aggregates information about your contacts from the public streams that their blogs, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other profiles put out there on the internet, relate them to any public information about their employers and networks, and allow you to see all of the above, in context with communication you’ve had between these contacts.
Screen grab of Gist's suggestions feature.
There has probably never been a more powerful tool for job seekers. Gist is intelligent, and you help it learn and get better. Each time you log in, it gives you suggestions for new sources of information about your contacts,which you can filter through, confirm, or ignore. It allows you to see communications and meetings between you and your contacts. And it lets you keep notes. All in one place.
Click on the name if a person or company, and Gist will compile a “dossier” for you. Connect Gist to your calendar, and as you prepare for your next interview, you can research your contacts, the company, and others you might be meeting with. You can see that you did indeed send in your latest resume, cover letter, and that all-important background check form. And you can read the latest news on your potential employer and prepare your questions and talking points more effectively.
Gist works well with GMail, Outlook, Firefox, and Chrome, and you can use it on your iPhone or Droid phone, so you can access new information while on the go (like at a placement conference, or on the way to your next interview.)
To some, Gist seems a bit “Big Brother.” I’ll admit that it really brings home the extent of information available out there in the public stream about individuals and institutions. But you have to remember that most of the information it shows is public, and that the rest of it is directly related to communications you’ve had with the involved parties. In this context, think of Gist as a powerful and personalized partner in your job search.
1950s style journalist working in his office at night, he is typing with a vintage typewriter, flat lay desktop
I’ve been posting chunks of the “Creating a Killer Resume” webinar and resume coaching session for the past couple of weeks, but have found a good way to share it with you in its entirety through Amazon S3.
It is just over an hour long, and will show you what a resume coaching session is like, as well as give you tips on how to ensure the content, style, design and flow of your resume bring out the best aspects of your professional history and your potential match for a position.
I will be posting some additional resume resources soon, and announcing some specials on resume and interview coaching to my list. So if you need personalized help creating your resume, stay tuned!
So check back soon, and if you are interested in getting some coaching, sign up for my list so you don’t miss the special offers! (There is a sign-up form in the sidebar, and you may also see a pop-over form as well.)
This is part 3 of my recent “Creating a Killer Résumé” webinar, where I did a sample coaching session for a second-step job seeker in Student Affairs. If you find it informative, please share, like and re-tweet the link, and “like” it on YouTube.
More segments are coming next week.
Also, please consider joining my mailing list, where you will get periodic “insider only” content, and special offers. Subscribers also get, for a limited time, access to my auto-responder e-course “Planning Your Career in Higher Ed” for free.
This brief video (just under 4 minutes) is about commitment, resolution and change. Inspired by words of wisdom from Chris Brogan on the Third Tribe Marketing membership site (affiliate link), Higher Ed Career Coach Sean Cook talks about “levelling up” and resonating with the market.
What advice or input could you offer about ways to improve the site and offer programs and services that would better meet your needs as a higher ed job seeker?
And what are you doing this year to “level up” and step up your game?
The other day, I did a free webinar on “Creating a Killer Resume” to give job seekers some ideas about how to put together a résumé that flows well, is visually appealing and has great content. The webinar was over an hour long and featured an overview of the résumé coaching process, some tips on design, flow, logic and content, and a sample coaching session with a mid-level/second-step job seeker.
In order to take advantage of my YouTube channel, I’m forced to break the presentation into chunks of 15 minutes or less, so I will be posting the webinar replay as a YouTube playlist with multiple shorter segments and posting them to this site over the next week or so. The entire video will also be available soon through my e-Junkie store as a digital download with some worksheets.
Video 1: Creating a Killer Resume: The Resume Coaching Process
Video 2: Visualization Activity-Using Wordle.Net
Sean Cook is a Certified Life Purpose and Career Coach from Athens, GA. Before earning his certification from the Life Purpose Institute, he earned his M.Ed. in Counseling and Guidance Services from Clemson University and spent 15 1/2 years working in higher education.
Work with Sean. I help higher ed professionals take control of their careers with tailored services including resume and CV development, LinkedIn profile optimization and networking strategy, interview coaching, and one-on-one career guidance.
