365 Day 106 The Job Hunt © by jamestruepenny

Are you like me and looking for work here in Toronto? One month ago I got laid off my job as a Social Media Specialist when the company restructured. I didn’t see it coming but one of the lessons I have learned in life is be prepared and part of being prepared is knowing how to do an effective job hunt. I am blessed that I volunteered a few years back at a local employment center. I know I have the skills to land my next job and begin my next great adventure. For those of you who are job hunting in Toronto market here are some of my tips for the job hunt:

1. Polish your resume, and get it read by a few people who work in jobs that you want. Get them to proof read it, they may suggest things that will help you get the interview, and that is all the resume is about, the foot in the door.

2. If you are not on Linkedin, get yourself a profile, and if it is in the budget upgrade for job seeker status as it gives you a few advantages that are helpful.Make sure your profile is complete and accurate. Ask for recommendations if you have none.

3. Research the companies you are interested in working for, follow them on Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter. Often they will use these mediums to advertise new job opportunities.

4. Coffee date people who work in the industry, often these casual meet ups can lead to great opportunities.

5. Network, let people know you are looking, better yet seek real ways to help others out. Trust me the karma is worth it. Meetups are a great way to meet others in your field.

6. Google yourself, your future employer will, know what is out there and clean up any pictures, status updates that may need to be taken down.

7. Know the job boards but do not rely on finding you new role on one. More and more today it is about a connection, a referral. Here in Canada  I have been using: Linkedin, Workopolis, Monster and Charity Village. Some like Kijiji and Craigslist but watch out for the scam ads and those who want unpaid interns.

8. Dress and act professionally when attending events.

9. Be active on social media, and curate great content in the field that interests you.

10. Most of all know what you want, have defined long term and short term goals. I am looking forward to finding out where this road is going to take me personally. I hope these tips help you as you search for a job in Toronto. Let me know how your own hunt is going and if you have any other tips that you think would be useful.