Jason Grimes

Last week a friend of mine and fellow rock n roller, Jimmy Flame reached out to his “Friends” on Facebook looking for a job. 14 Comments later Jimmy was working in Seattle’s Victory Lounge. See for yourself how this unfolded.

Finding a job is getting tougher for all of us these days. Still, you can make it easier on yourself if you follow a few tricks that I discovered during my own job search. In this competitive environment, successful job hunting is all about using the newest technology, while still making real world contacts. Looking for a job isn’t easy for anyone, but if you play it smart you can definitely save yourself some headaches.

Here’s a few of the things I learned:

1.) Social networking is your friend. You could seriously cut down how long it takes to find a job if you utilize Facebook.com, Twitter.com and other social networking sites. Your friends, family, and acquaintances can be a huge resource for your search, so don’t forget to let them know that you’re Looking For New Things. LinkedIn.com, in particular, is an excellent value if you choose to purchase a premium membership. If you only use one paid site for your job hunt, let this be the one. Be sure to set your LinkedIn.com status to “Looking for new opportunities” – that will clue in recruiters that you are available.

2.) In fact, it’s a good idea to be wary of pay sites that make lofty promises about finding you a job. Sites like The Ladders, in spite of their attractive presentation, aren’t really able to ensure that anyone will see your resume. In one report, a job seeker paid top dollar for a professionally re-written resume, which was seen by a grand total of 3 potential employers. You could do better on your own with free sites like Indeed.com and SimplyHired.com.

3.) Don’t underestimate how powerfully effective it can be to include a personalized cover letter with your resume. This is a simple, easy way to make your resume stand out from the crowd. Yes, it takes time to customize for each opportunity, but it’s a difference maker.

4.) Take advantage of the cloud. Services like Google Apps and Mobile Me enable you to have constant, immediate access to important documents like resumes, contacts, and cover letters. Do not lose another USB drive with all your files :(

5.) Although we’ve learned how powerful Google.com and the Internet can be, there’s often no substitute for getting out there and making face to face contacts in your industry. Tech talks and conferences are great for real world networking. If you’re as motivated for a new job as I think you are, you probably won’t have much trouble breaking the ice and getting to know other attendees. Take pains about your grooming, be sociable, and remember: each new person you meet could be the key to an exciting new job.

So what am I doing these days? I recently accepted a position at RescueTime.com as the VP of Product Marketing. I’ll be out there beating the productivity drum while searching for interesting and new ways to grow our revenue. If you want to reach me just email jason [at] rescuetime [dot] com.