When New Years rolls around, we all begin frantically trying to decide what our goals are for the next year will be, what we aim to accomplish and the things we would like to change. As everyone knows, after the month of January these goals and aspirations seem to dwindle away as we fall back into the same routine as the year before. This year I say we make a change! The perfect way to start is with a new job…whether it be that your unemployed or wanting to turn over a new leaf, landing a new job can be the ultimate and achievable goal! A lot of companies out there tend to take the later months of the year off in terms of hiring, but come January they are back in action!  Take your New Year’s goal gusto and put it towards a job search.

In the tough job market these days, looking for a new job can become frustrating pretty fast. It is a numbers game and the more résumés you send out the better chance you have in getting a call back. Unfortunately in these times, being picky about where you want to work isn’t going to get you very far, but who knows…looking outside the box could land you in a great job you would have never considered before. Make sure you aren’t “lazy” in your job search; what I mean by that is coming home once a week and browsing the web for an hour does not constitute as looking for a job. You need to exhaust all options in order to make it worth your while. Research companies who seem interesting to you, although they may not have postings up on job boards…sending them you résumé anyways can’t hurt! Utilize the social media world, a great deal of companies have Facebook pages, Twitter accounts and LinkedIn profiles. These can be a great way of reaching out and getting your résumé out there! Attend a career fair or your college career center, knowing all your options is your best bet in landing that new job. Lastly do not give up….if you don’t land your dream job in the first month of looking, this is totally normal. Just like anything else if you keep trying, you will come out on top.

How to Write a Razor-Edge Resume

Job seekers should pay attention on making a resume that stands out over the others because it is your ticket to landing to a job.

Most people hear “career fair” and tend to run the opposite direction, screaming with arms flailing. The first things they picture are a thousand people all crowded into a ballroom and most people don’t want to have to climb over the next in order to get thirty seconds with a hiring manager. Who would want to experience something like that? I know I wouldn’t, but here’s my chance to tell you why a HireLive Career Fair or can be one of the best experiences in your search for a new job.

I have heard people use the words “cattle call”, “waste of my time” or “they are all just entry-level jobs” to explain a career fair…but I can almost guarantee you that they have never been to one, at least not a HireLive one. When do you get a chance to talk to 15-20 companies all in a couple hour time span? Or get the opportunity to network with other job seekers? Or practice your interview skills? I would say with confidence not very often. At HireLive’s career fairs job seekers get a great deal of personal one-on-one time with hiring managers without having to scramble to get it.

In fact here at HireLive we are changing people’s perspectives of career fairs all the time, take Eric for example he reached out to us and said, “I just wanted to say that I was happily surprised at your recent Woodland Hills Marriott event.  I have been to a few job fairs and felt that I wasted my time each time.  I promised never to go to another job fair again. I saw your ad on CareerBuilder and decided to take a chance on this HireLive event. I was able to meet with the companies that I wanted to speak with at your event.  The crowd was reasonable.  The other events were so crowded that you could barely move and NEVER even got to meet with the hiring managers.  As I said, they were always a waste.  So… I just wanted to say that your event was a success as far as I am concerned.”

We pride ourselves on being different from all the rest, and we take the time to ensure a quality experience for all the job seekers that attend our career fairs. So what can you do to ensure the most out of a career fair… here are a few handy tips to get you started. People please… take advantage of the ENTIRE career fair. Too many times I have seen someone come in and walk out within 10 minutes….after asking them how it went and who they spoke to the answer I always get it is “Well I only came to talk to __________ and I think it went well.” Why go out of your way to come to a career fair and pass by the 15 other companies ready and willing to interview you? It is something I just will never understand. I can tell you often times people may come for one company end up talking to several and finding their dream job with one of the companies they would have never considered if they hadn’t talked to all the companies at the career fair. Second, research the companies before attending. Find out if they are expanding? Launching a new product? Knowing simple facts like these can make you stand about above the other candidates.  Lastly, make sure you ask about following up. Ask them if you can have contact information to follow up with them after the interview….they may give it to you and they may not, but at least you asked. It shows that you are proactive in your job search and very interested to move forward.

Ready to give Career Fairs a shot? We will be in Northern California in Sacramento, Walnut Creek, San Francisco and San Jose as well as in Dallas and Houston September 20-22. Visit our website for more information!