Getting the Job Done

It’s not what you know, it’s who you know that may help you land a new job in this tough economy. Whether you are a recent college graduate or a seasoned professional, networking is the key factor to a successful job search.

When most people think of networking they believe it is standing around at a convention with a name tag that says, “Hi, My Name is (insert name here).” But, in fact, networking can be done almost anywhere- from talking with friends and former colleagues to working out at the gym or even joining a book club.

According to John Nicodemus, job search specialist with the Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation, there is one common mistake job seekers make.

“The biggest single thing people do wrong is they sit behind a computer applying for jobs all day long and think they are being effective. When in fact, they are not,” he said. "Only 20 percent of the jobs are gotten by applying online, but the vast majority of jobs are gotten through networking,” Nicodemus added.

Nicodemus said job seekers must have an effective resume to grab the attention of prospective employers.

“When there are 300 to 500 people applying for a job and you are the human resources manager, your mind set changes from finding the best person for the job to how to cut down a stack of resumes to four or five people to interview. This means your resume or application is not used to assess how good you are but to eliminate you.”

The best approach to creating an effective resume is to always remember less is more. It is suggested to have a one-page resume filled with accomplishments, not job descriptions of what you did before. Two or more pages in a resume do not work unless applying for a government job.

Nicodemus said the most important highlights in a resume are skill sets, accomplishments and education. Your resume should say, “If I did this for them, then I will do this for you.”

A one-page resume has the following section titles:

1. Executive Summary: This should only be three to five sentences describing your skill sets.
2. Selected Accomplishments: Select five to seven accomplishments that most closely match the job for which you are applying.
3. Professional Experience: List work experience by including the name of the company, job title and dates you worked at the company. Do not include a description of your duties but list results.
4. Education and Training: Do not list your high school unless that is the highest level you have attained.
5. Volunteer Activities: Only include this section if you have any of significance.

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