This recent article contains, for the most part, a good deal of common sense. While common sense was sorely lacking in the people who brought about the current economic situation, it is not necessarily lacking in the people being victimized by it. Unfortunately, many of us are now in need of any kind of job seeking advice and tool set. With that in mind, here are a few more, less obvious tips to add to the list in the referenced article:

1. Become an asset in your networks.

   In every social network there is a spectrum of users ranging from the lurker to the constantly engaged. Twitter is not duplicable because it’s technology is cutting edge, it’s the people who are using it. Talk of Google buying service speaks to this truth. The search giant could put together a Twitter service in a heartbeat but how are they going to get the Twitteratii to join? Many of them have built up massive followings and would be very hesitant to attempt to build it up again. Google is thinking about buying the community, not the technology. That’s where the value is.

   As a job seeker in a social network, you can keep your name out there by being one of the people that makes a social media network valuable. Add useful content, insight and links. This will keep you in the public eye and elicit a great deal of gratitude that, in a down market, may not be immediatley convertable to a job, but you will start to bubble up on the list.

2. Continue to develop and make others aware of your authority.

   To expand on the above point, becoming a valuable source of links and comments is a good thing, but try to target what you are saying toward a message of high competence in your given area of expertise. Your links and commentary should point to this. They should contain the message that you are not following the news, but finding it. Even making it sometimes.

3. Use Social Media platforms to learn and stay current

   It is not easy to secure work unless you can demonstrate that you are up to speed on what is currently going on. One danger to looking for work is that you’ll spend too much time on the hunt and not keeping up to date. A life stream can demonstrate your information gathering and processing habits. Social media can expediate your access to valuable information and conversations.

4. Seek out and collect information on startups and entrepenurial efforts

   Depending on your field, there is a very real chance that you’ll be interviewing with a startup or small company. Such organizations, especially under the current economic climate, will be looking to get the most value they can from any employee aquisition. The ability to demonstrate knowledge of other startups, their risks and issues will be seen as an asset that comes as a bonus to the skill set that you are actually a professional in. Your employers may have a lot of ideas, but theres no reason they can’t have more. Beyond that, your research may provide you with just the critical eye that they need in order to avoid irrational exuberance.

5. Learn something new

   In addition to staying relevant, it is important to realize that changes are taking place in the marketplace whether you are employed or not. Not having a full time job does not mean inactivity, it means training for the state that your industry will be in when you rejoin the workforce. Evaluate your skill set against current trends and future projections. Using this information, you should be able to identify a new skill or ability that will sync well with the job your are trying to land.

6. Innovate within the Social Media space

   Social media is really picking up in the corporate world and proving itself to be of real value. Because of this, an understanding of these tools will become as requisite as the ability to send email. You should be able to demonstrate fluency in this space when interviewing. This doesn’t mean a barrage of buzzwords but rather a sincere conversation of some unique interactions, conversations and applications that you’ve been exposed to or took part in. A really sucessful job interview is often marked by a bit of brainstorming with the person responsible for the tecnical interview. When that happens, you know you’ve done well.

7. Share ideas

   Use social media to uh, well, socialize. Beyond information, share ideas. Other people will share theirs and this will be very helpful in determining the direction that your new skills and job hunting efforts will go. Sharing ideas also helps to keep you positive and looking forward at what is coming rather than behind you at what is lost.

8. Become a service – How many businesses started after someone got fired?<

   It is very sad to see someone who put a great deal of trust in their job and invested money based on that trust, lose both. It is uplifting to hear about people who, when faced with such adversity, recognized a strength they didn’t know they had and make something great out of it. People who have made such a sucessful transition rarely look back with envy at the job that they lost or the 9-5 lifestyle they left behind. If you approach your social job search with the above points in mind, you will see that you are providing a level of service to other people. Continue to approach it as such to see how it feels. It is a valuable skill and even if you prefer more of an office lifestyle, the entrepeneurial mindset is always a valuable point of view.

9. Find the needs

   Not all of your time in social media is about producing. Depending on your own habits a certain percentage is spent consuming information. Make sure to take note of what kind of needs are emerging. Again, this information can be used to determine how to train and position yourself.

10. Find the wants

    Similar to above, but the focus is on what people want rather than need. Landing a job means that things are improving. When that happens, people go from satisfying needs to satisfying desires. You should make sure you can identify the kind of trends that will emerge in this area.

11. Sell yourself by doing

    When using social media, make sure to mentinon the things your are accomplishing. This will demonstrate the fact that you are still active in your industry and you are also likely to recieve encouragement and support from others. This type of activity will also be met with helpful advice on where to look and things to try.

12. Ask questions

    People love to help others out it’s a good feeling. In addition, you can save a great deal of time and increase the efficiency of your efforts. This also addds value to the network you are using. Valuable networks get more users and a large number of participating users makes a given network more valuable. It’s a win-win

13. Be supportive of others

    This keeps a positive energy during a time when it is easy to get dejected. One point of social media is community contribute to a healthy, productive user base and create a positive experience for others. This adds to your status as an asset to the network as well.

14. Help others to accomplish the things on this list.

    Doing so verifies that you are a valued contributor and keeps you moving forward on a growth, rather than stagnation trend.

15. The takeaways from this are:

    • a) As much as it hurts, losing a job is a transition that has to be managed.
    • b) Become more entrepeneurial. This mindset is for life. Landing a job doesn’t mean that you should give up using these points. They can continue to contribute to your career well into your next job.

Related posts:

1. Finding Opportunities in the Social Media Shift Where will the opportunities be in the social media shift?...
2. 12 Essential Tips For Social Media Marketing Success Download The Free Report Here This paper outlines the...
3. The 7 Currencies of Social Media The currencies of social media: As search, bookmarking and messaging...
4. Define Your Social Media Mix There are a lot of lists out there describing steps...
5. What a Social Media Expert Should Be What is a social media expert? Looking at the...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.