Whether you find yourself unable to find work fresh out of college or in a job but looking for something more fulfilling, how you go about your job search will play a major role in whether or not you end up finding success.

For many people in one of the above-mentioned situations, they quickly discover that searching for a job is a job in and of itself.

While there is no precise manual as to how best go about locating that first or career-changing job, there are pointers you can take that will point you in the right direction to tracking down the position you want, especially if you’ve found yourself falling behind as of late.

Among them are:

• Would I let my mother read my resume? While everyone thinks their resume is the cream of the crop, keep in mind that companies receive countless resumes each day, so you’re battling many other people for the same jobs. That being the case is your resume up to snuff to the point you’d let those closest to you read it? It is important to get unbiased opinions on your resume so that those closest to you don’t sugar coat it.
• How much time and effort have I been giving the job hunt? For many individuals, the job hunt comes and goes, depending oftentimes in how dire their situation may be. For those out of work looking for a job, they may throw in the towel at some point, while those in jobs but looking for something else may become lax when they figure they already have a job, so what’s the rush to get a different one? Still yet, those fresh out of college may become dismayed by the job hunt and go back to school for a higher degree. Make sure in any situation that you apply the necessary time and effort to the job hunt, leaving no stone unturned.
• Don’t be deterred by no response – Put yourself in the shoes of the employer, specifically their HR staff or department head who is asked to review countless resumes, interview a number of candidates, and oftentimes re-interview, then make a final decision on the new hire. The process can be equally challenging for the individuals doing the hiring and interviewing as it can be for the applicant. Oftentimes you will not get a response, so either be prepared to move on or follow up in an appropriate manner.
• Make sure you are covering all your bases – Your job search will undoubtedly involve time and effort, something some people don’t want to devote all that much time to. If you’re job hunting and you’ve hit a rut, review where you looked, when you looked and why you thought those were the areas to go to in the first place. Many companies today use online outlets exclusively to advertise their jobs, some still use traditional print methods, and others use job fairs, career expos etc. A good idea is to pull potential jobs from all three categories.
• Think outside the box – All too often, individuals want to stay in their comfort zones when it comes to looking for work. Yes, you’re more likely to find a job in your field of expertise, but that doesn’t mean you cannot find work elsewhere. Just because one door closes, doesn’t mean another one won’t open up.
• Take a breather every now and then – As noted earlier, looking for a new job can be a job in itself. You are more likely to burn out if you go at it 24/7 with few or any breaks in between. Set aside times of the day to specifically job hunt, then stop and continue the next day. If you set realistic goals for yourself, you are less likely to be disappointed. Trying to cram 25 hours of job hunting into a 24-hour day is a certain recipe for disaster.

As more and more people continue to look for jobs now and heading into 2012, it is necessary you leave no stone unturned, while making sure that your job search does not overwhelm you to the point where you throw in the towel.

Dave Thomas, who covers among other subjects’ background checks, writes extensively for Business.com, an online resource destination for businesses of all sizes to research, find, and compare the products and services they need to run their businesses.

Fresh out of college, many young men and women find locating that first full-time job to be the greatest challenge they’ve faced in their lifetimes.

Given that the present economy is continuing to struggle, and the fact that the national unemployment rate continues to hover around 9.1 percent, many recent college grads from this past spring and summer continue to find that first gig elusive to track down.

According to The Economic Policy Institute, “The class of 2011 will likely face the highest unemployment rate for college graduates…in history.”

So, how can these young twentysomethings improve their chances of landing full-time work when their experience level is little to none?

Among the things to concentrate on are:

• No hidden surprises – Given today’s obsession with social media, more and more employers are checking the online backgrounds of young individuals applying for work with them. Be sure if you have any questionable photos or comments on sites like Facebook and Twitter that you delete them prior to the job hunt. While that photo of you partying in college may seem innocent to you, a prospective employer may in turn frown upon it;
• Step outside the comfort zone – While you likely had a focused area of study in school and interests that you would like to pursue, there are no guarantees you will find work in your preferred field. Be willing and more importantly able to step outside your area of expertise in order to gain experience and make some money. Even if taking a job in another field means less money to start than you wanted, it is something to put on your resume, which you will want to grow right away;
• Internships are a good foot in the door – While a non-paying internship may not seem like the key to success, many individuals have started as interns and worked their way up the corporate ladder over time. If you can find a paying internship even better. Many individuals do internships while still in school and then transition to full-time positions once graduated. If you’re just out of school and a good internship presents itself, don’t automatically turn it down;
• Network via social media – While social media can be a problem for some individuals (see first tip), it can also be a boon for others. There are great opportunities to network via sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn just to name a few. Social media is also a great way to visit the sites of potential employers to learn more about what they do, their teams, and more. The last thing you want to do is go into a job interview totally unknowing of what the company does. If you are blogging and the posts are related to your desire area of work, by all means include a few links when emailing resumes to potential employers;
• Be aggressive, yet respectful – Oftentimes you will see job ads that say “no phone calls please” somewhere in the posting. The reasoning behind that is some employees would never get any work done if they answered every phone call regarding an applicant’s resume and potentially getting an interview. Whether you come across the phone notation or not, you can still follow up. Whether it is a simple and friendly email or tweet to the company’s Twitter page or dropping a short follow-up note in the regular mail, you can stay in touch. Don’t push it though and leave several messages to where you become a nuisance instead of a candidate.

While some recent college grads have found work or are closing in on jobs, others can take solace in the fact that they are not alone in trying to track down that elusive first full-time job.

Dave Thomas, who covers among other subjects’ business credit cards, writes extensively for www.business.com an online resource destination for businesses of all sizes to research, find, and compare the products and services they need to run their businesses.

This post could have been titled: Quit making it So Difficult on Yourself to Get a Job, but that’s a little too wordy and negative.

It’s coming from talking to a client who attended a job search workshop where the speaker advised people coming in for a job interview to not bring anything with them.

Not a coat, not a purse, not a notebook/pen or a copy of their resume.

Huh?

I asked my client why the coach gave that advice, and they said that they felt that the applicant should look like they just walked down the hall for a meeting, I’m guessing implying that they already work there.

Now I don’t know about you, but when I was in the corporate world I always brought a notebook and pen to a meeting. I rarely took notes, but it made me look like I was prepared to swing into action should the opportunity arise. (I also could use it to write a HELP – THIS MEETING IS SUCKING THE LIFEBLOOD OUT OF ME! note and toss it out the open window…but that was just in my fantasies.)

So the advice to not bring anything makes no sense. I actually interviewed someone who did that, just walked into the interview with absolutely nothing, and my impression was that he didn’t really care and was completely unprepared.

And yet job seekers will hear the advice from that coach, and implement it because that person must be the “expert.”

Let me tell you this. There is no “gimmick” to getting a job. There aren’t tricks, secret knocks, hidden codes, special handshakes. Taking advice that flies in the face of common sense just because someone claiming authority told it to you isn’t doing you any favors.

I guarantee each and every one of you, at one point has been in the position to hire someone, whether it’s a contractor for your home, a mechanic, hairdresser, or person to sell you a car. You knew what you wanted them to do, and you hired the people that gave you the most confidence that they could do it. It was just that simple.

Chances are that the person you ended up hiring did something to differentiate themselves, and they were qualified for what you wanted them to do. Differentiated and qualified. Also, the way that they differentiated themselves was relevant to the position. If you were looking to hire a painter, one who came dressed as a clown “just to stand out” would seem a little odd. Another painter who came dressed neatly (rather than showing up in his speckled painting clothes), would subtly give you the impression that he would also be neat when he worked in your home. A good thing.

However, if the painter was dressed neatly (differentiated), yet didn’t have as much of or the type of experience that you were looking for, you wouldn’t hire him-because he wasn’t qualified for what you wanted him to do.

So being different just for the sake of being different won’t get you the job if you’re not qualified. Showing that you’re different from other candidates in a way that relates to the job, while also being qualified for the job, will work.

Before you adopt some truly creative approaches to your job search, always do a common sense test to evaluate someone’s advice. Hiring managers and recruiters don’t come from different planets with odd rituals that they’ve devised to trick job seekers. Every hiring manager and recruiter is a person, just like you, and they go through the same decision-making processes you do when looking to fill a position-regardless of what that position is. Put yourself in their shoes and look at how you would react to determine if someone’s advice is sound.

Now, let’s go get some jobs!

Melanie Szlucha’s company Red Inc. Helps candidates stand out from the crowd–in a good way. Follow her on Twitter or check out her website.

Too many times candidates and people in networking situations feel that they have to put on their “interview persona”–which simply isn’t true. Be real, show some personality to increase how much an employer likes you.

This week I worked with a client (and yes, I know you’re on my list (smile)) who was having a bit of a “personality block” when it came to the job interview. She is a truly lovely, professional-looking woman, but when it came to interviewing, or even introducing herself in front of a group, she’d turn into a “Stepford Job-Seeker” (a la a Stepford wife), and put on this impenetrable cloak of professionalism.  It made it virtually impossible for people to get a feel for who she is, let alone figure out if they liked her or not.

When I was a hiring manager, this was the biggest issue that went through my mind when I was interviewing candidates. What IF they were the perfect fit for my job, but I just couldn’t wrestle a personality out of them?

As those of you who know me can attest, and those who have just read my material can figure out-I have a LOT of personality. Some would say too much at times-ahem.  So when I was hiring for an assistant or account manager to work for me, I’d look for someone who also had a good personality, would laugh at my jokes, and make the day go by a little quicker.  I’ve also never met a moron with a great sense of humor; so if they were funny, I was confident that they were smart too.

I know that job interviews are stressful, and as the candidate there’s a lot on the line, but as a hiring manager, I’m still not going to hire someone I don’t like.  I don’t care how perfect their resume is or where they’ve worked before.

So how can you up your likability component? First, if you’re working with a coach or a friend, start practicing by talking about a funny trip you took, your last holiday with your family, a good movie-anything to get you relaxed.  Remember that feeling.  Remember your posture, the expression on your face, and how easily you thought of what to say next.  Now, have your friend ask you to give them some examples of a project you worked on at work.  Talk them through what you did, why you made the decisions you did, and relate it as the same interesting story that you were just chatting about in “relaxed” mode.  Now I never advocate acting unprofessional in an interview, but there’s always an opportunity to be personable and friendly.  Think of watching an interview with Julia Roberts or Oprah or George Clooney.  They are friendly, but never lose their cool or reveal too much about themselves.

After I worked with her, my client went into the interview with a fresh set of eyes and realized that the HR Director actually was the one lacking the personality. I had coached my client about the importance of establishing a rapport with her-HR Directors, like it or not, hold the keys to the kingdom-so she would give my client an idea of what types of personalities and styles they were looking for in their ideal candidate.  If it wasn’t going to be a fit with my client, then that was valuable information.  However, once the HR Director lightened up a bit, she did share those details and even more with my client.  Emboldened with this success, my client then went through the rest of the interviews, confident that she was the candidate they were looking for.  This sense of confidence, in turn, made her more relaxed, and her success with the HR Director showed her that being personable in an interview can open up all kinds of doors.

So how are you coming across in your interviews? Are you recognizing that being qualified for the job is only half of the battle-that it’s really the personality fit that sells you to a company?  Are you really reading the situation and the interviewer, or are you stuck in your own head-worrying about your responses rather than listening to what they’re looking for?

The great news is that you can practice this skill without the pressure of an interview. The next conversation you’re having-really pay attention to how the other person is reacting to what you’re telling them-and adjust your approach!  Getting into this habit will greatly improve your ability to effectively read situations and people.

Melanie Szlucha’s company Red Inc. Helps candidates stand out from the crowd–in a good way. Follow her on Twitter or check out her website.

I attended the Women for Hire job fair in New York to get a feel for what the Washington D.C. event would be like as a speaker.

These are my tips on what job seekers should do to maximize the opportunities at one of these events.

I attended the Women for Hire career fair in Manhattan. I’m speaking at the same event in Washington D.C. next month, and since this is a different layout than speaking gigs I’ve had before, I wanted to get the lay of the land so I had some idea what I was walking into in D.C.

It was interesting to be there without a purpose (other than reconnaissance). I was able to sit back and observe behavior, traffic flow, dress code and attitude. Career fairs are grueling marathons–there’s no doubt about it. They’re rough for the job seekers, they’re rough for the recruiters, they’re rough for the people who have volunteered their time to review resumes and the volunteers who manage the traffic flow. But I have some tips based on what I observed that will help you better navigate the event.

Tip 1: DO NOT get there early. I know, this goes against everything you’ve been taught and told by, well, just about everyone. However in this case, it doesn’t make a bit of difference if you’re looking to connect with recruiters or employers. Here’s why…

Everyone is there early, the lines are monsterously, long, painful, horrible lines. Think Disney in July-kind of lines. The lines are snaking around the escalators, it’s all bad.

Employers aren’t giving out jobs to the first 100 people they talk to, they’re giving them to the qualified people, so getting there early to be one of the first through the door doesn’t get you anywhere. After you survive the line to get into the event, then you’re going to be in lines waiting to talk to the employer, and they won’t remember the conversation because they’re overwhelmed looking at the large group of people behind you waiting to talk to them.

In the case of the Women for Hire event, it went from 10 AM until 2 PM. I got there at 11:30, and walked through the employer space to get where the speakers were presenting. The employer space was packed, wall-to-wall people. After I listened to a few of the speakers, I made my first walk-through the job fair around 12:45 and it was considerably less crowded, still busy, but you stood a chance of talking to employers. I walked through again at 1:15 before I left, and it was all but deserted. A few employers were still busy, but the majority of them were sitting behind their tables not talking to anyone.

My tip when you do approach them later in the day, be considerate of the flood of humanity they’ve just endured. Offer to let them sit down when talking to you, “I know you must be exhausted from this morning, if you want to sit down, I’m completely fine with that…I want you comfortable as we discuss how perfect I am for this job.” A little humor, a little compassion, a little tongue in cheek and you’ll stand out from the crowd, in a good way, and you’ll build a relationship. Everyone is a network, a connection to other friends and relatives who may be able to help you. If you make a favorable, memorable and professional impression on them, they may refer you to someone else who is looking for your expertise.

Tip 2: Do your research in advance. This one should go without saying, but I just want to make sure it doesn’t get overlooked. Career fairs will publish the names of companies attending. Please go to those company’s websites and check them out to see what opportunities they have. If it’s a company you haven’t heard of before, that’s an even better reason to do more thorough research. Look for ways your experience might be interesting to them: did you work for a competitor, was one of their competitors a vendor of yours? Have you done something similar in another position? Be a little creative to find the similarities–keeping in mind this is your big chance to sell yourself to them and draw the connections.

Tip 3: Talk to everyone. I don’t care who they are, chat ‘em up! First, it’ll put you in a more relaxed, open state of mind. Second, this is how you network and build relationships. I’ve had some of the most fun conversations with people as I waited to pick up my luggage from an airport carousel. I make witty observations (sometimes they’re witty just to me, but we can’t hit all of them out of the park.) smile, catch other people’s eye. It builds camaraderie and will help take away some of the pressure.

As you’re waiting for a minute to talk to your target companies, talk to the people from companies that you didn’t think you were interested in. First, they may be looking to fill a job that wasn’t listed on the site or might even be opening in a month (and they don’t know about it yet). Second, if you build a relationship with them they could refer you to other companies that are hiring. Treat it as a friendly conversation, tell them what you do, what you’re looking for, say that you didn’t see anything on their site that was a fit, but hey, it’s always great to talk to new people. Recruiters are by nature very outgoing, personable people. I’m sure they’ll appreciate the change of pace and the potential of a different conversation than someone selling themselves for a specific job.

Tip 4: Don’t wear black/dark blue. That was the one thing that really struck me–how everyone looked like they dressed for a funeral. If your “interview suit” is black or dark blue, then do something to dress it up a bit. A unique pin, scarf, something to help you stand out from the crowd. I never liked the mentality that there’s only one way to dress for an interview. You should always look professional, pulled together, and neat, but that does not mean you can’t wear a figure-flattering suit in a different color. Light tan, red/maroon, dark brown–all are acceptable. I’ll never forget how I landed my first job in an impeccable Liz Claiborne mustard-colored blazer with army-green dress pants and cream pumps. I was hot, I felt it and looked it. I exuded confidence from every pore, and was offered a position on the spot.

And yes, the different color suit theory is primarily for women, but men can wear a distinctive tie or discreet lapel pin. Give people something to ask you about as a conversation starter, and start conversations with others based on questions about what they’re wearing. “That is such a unique scarf/pin/ring, there must be an interesting story behind it.” The comment is flattering and opens the door for conversation without sounding like you’re trying to pick up the opposite sex.

Tip 5: Structure your time and your booklet gathering. Here’s another thing I saw that was a little awkward. Home Depot was giving out great, large orange bags that you could use to put all the booklets/pamphlets you pick up as you wander through the employers.

The bags were great, but instantly detracted from the professional demeanor jobseekers were trying to convey.

If you have a neat briefcase to stash all the paperwork you’ll pick up, bring it or borrow one from a friend. You can still pick up the Home Depot bag, but stash it in the briefcase to take home.

If you don’t have another briefcase you can use, before you grab that flyer or brochure, consider if you’re really going to read it later. You don’t need to be schleppin’ other stuff around.

Tip 6: If the event offers a free resume review, please give the person reviewing your resume an idea of the types of jobs you’re applying for. Bring a job description and highlight some of the key phrases you see in a lot of positions so they can quickly understand your industry. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times–a resume without a target job description is much harder to give constructive feedback about. Help them help you.

And please don’t give them a resume unless it already includes your accomplishments, or if you’re not sure how to include them, discuss that specifically with the person.

Do not-under any circumstances-give them your resume and say “What do you think about this?” You’ll get a variety of feedback, some based on their personal preferences and biases (which will differ depending on the person you talk to) and some not relevant to the positions you’re applying for-combined with some advice that is actually spot on. Give them a goal and you’ll get better feedback.

Following these tips will better prepare you for your next career fair and make them a worthwhile use of your time.

Now, let’s go get some jobs!

Melanie Szlucha’s company Red Inc. Helps candidates stand out from the crowd–in a good way. Follow her on Twitter or check out her website.