The Young and Successful Job Search

(page 2 of 2)

This way, you can find out what people are saying about you online so you can ensure that your reputation is untarnished.

You can minimize your chances of being bad-mouthed online by representing yourself accurately. Plenty of people lie on their résumés, embellishing the amount of experience they have and even making up fake names of companies they "worked" for. Every move you make is easily traceable by hiring managers. Remember that if you're a different person off-line from what you are online, you won't get the job anyway.

3. Treat Life as One Giant Networking Event

Did you know that most jobs occur through referrals? Employers would much rather hire someone they already know, like, and trust because an existing employee recommends him or her. Networking online via social networking sites isn't enough. You need to think of your every situation as a potential opportunity to network with another professional.

A good way to locate networking opportunities is to join a special interest group at Meetup.com. Or search through Eventbrite.com for community events that interest you and get involved. For every field and type of business, there exists a professional association—the American Marketing Assn., Meeting Professionals International, Entrepreneurs' Organization, etc. Joining such associations will give you access to people with intimate knowledge of the type of career path you're following.

You can make any social situation, such as a birthday party or a bar mitzvah, an occasion for networking, as long as you're subtle in your approach. Ask other guests what they do for a living and get them talking about their own professional experiences. This way, it will make it natural for them to ask what you do, and you can talk about your own job hunt, which just might spur them to refer you to others who can help. Don't get discouraged if people won't answer your e-mails or phone calls. Be persistent, and reach out to others until you get a positive response.

You have more resources at your disposal than you can imagine. Starting today, treat your job search like a full-time job, stay positive, network every day, and make sure your career choices reflect your long-term goals.

Dan Schawbel is a personal branding consultant and author of Me 2.0: 4 Steps to Building Your Future and the publisher of Personal Branding Blog and Personal Branding Magazine. The New York Times called Schawbel a "personal branding guru." He is also a speaker and managing partner of Millennial Branding, a branding company that serves individuals and corporations. Recently he was named to Inc. magazine's 30 Under 30 list.

Business Exchange

Track and share business topics across the Web.