Day 2 of the ‘Get a Job’ week and since it is Tuesday, the focus will be on technology. There are a lot of websites dedicated to getting a job or managing your career. There are some big players in the job search market, such as CareerBuilder and Monster, but don’t discount some others that are in the game such as Simply Hired and Indeed. There are also more specialized options such as USA Jobs for government listings and HigherEdJobs for those like me who enjoy working in academia.
Managing your career isn’t just about getting a job, especially since most people will have several career changes over the course of their lives. It’s important to stay current on how to effectively manage your career. Two of my favorite blogs on career development are The Brazen Careerist and Penelope Trunk. These two absolutely rock; they not only offer great advice and career wisdom, but they also make me laugh. Others that are good and more traditional, include QuintCareers and CareerHub.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t include some networking sites. There are obvious networking sites, such as LinkedIn and Brazen Careerist that are great tools for professional social networking. However, creating profiles is not the extent of maintaining an online network. You should also network by following people on Twitter or reading blogs that matter to you or relate to your career interests. It is not only important to follow and read what others have to say, but it is also important to add to the conversation. I contribute to and follow It’s Academic, the blog of the College and Research Division (CRD) of the Pennsylvania Library Association. The blog certainly covers interesting things happening in academic libraries, but it also covers thing such as networking, Just last week, one of my awesome colleagues, Erin, not only shared a post on networking in the CRD blog but her own blog is also a great read for librarians.
Leverage the technology and use it effectively. Experiment with it. A traditional resume or a CV are still the main ways to convey your skill set for a position. Today’s technology allows you to be more creative in how you sell yourself. Google Maps, video, slideshare, etc. have all been tools used in place of or along with traditional resumes.
As awesome as technology is though, what Erin said in that CRD post really says it all:
it all comes down to people and the power we have to make or break situations, organizations, conferences and the like…read more
Use your technology effectively and appropriately, but growing and nourishing your relationships and networks will be the biggest advantage in your career.
What sites or tools do you use to manage your career?
