Stop Job Hunting Like It’s 1999! Dos and Don’ts for ’09 Grads

[Ed. note: This belongs to our series of posts featuring tips for recent grads from LinkedIn users. Lindsey Pollak is the author of Getting from College to Career: 90 Things to Do Before You Join the Real World. She also writes the Lindsey Pollak Career Blog and speaks frequently at colleges and universities across the country.]

Job hunting is a journey, so I’d like to begin this post by paraphrasing from my favorite movie about a journey: The Wizard of Oz: We’re not in the 20th Century anymore, Toto.

This is the sentence I find myself thinking whenever a college student says something like, “I’ve sent out, like, a hundred resumes and I still haven’t found a job!”. Emailing out resumes and waiting for a response used to be a perfectly decent strategy for finding a job. Not anymore. Today’s job seekers, especially ‘09 grads job hunting in a recession, need to be more creative, more proactive and more tech savvy than ever before. We are blessed to live in a time when there are so many new job hunting tools and techniques. Take advantage!

Here are some tips:

· DO mix the personal and professional. The line between personal and professional is pretty fluid these days, and that’s a good thing for job seekers. Your network can and should include friends and family. (That’s right; there is no shame in “linking in” with your parents!) It’s important to email and talk to everyone you know—friends, family, professors, neighbors—to ask if they know anyone who might be hiring. Now is the perfect time to reach out and say, “I’m excited to share the news that I’ve graduated. I’m in the process of job hunting and would be grateful for any advice you have or introductions you’d be willing to make…”

· DON’T wait. In today’s super-fast world, a job can be snapped up based on something as brief and fleeting as a 140-character “tweet” on Twitter or a status update on LinkedIn, so you must move fast. If you see a job announcement, discussion topic, scholarship announcement or any opportunity that appeals to you, go for it immediately. When I post opportunities or questions, I am always most impressed and intrigued by the person who responds first.

· DO use LinkedIn as a research tool. There are many great tips on this blog for networking on LinkedIn, and I’d add another important use: research. LinkedIn offers a huge database of other people’s career paths, from which you can gather ideas for your own. Search other people's profiles to find new companies you may want to apply to, job titles or professions you didn't know about, organizations where you can network and people with similar interests who might be willing to offer some advice. Simply type your interests or dream employers into the LinkedIn Advanced Search engine, read the profiles that pop up and open your mind to new possibilities.

· DON’T spend too much time online. There is a perception that younger people are only comfortable communicating online, so it's especially important for recent college grads to demonstrate that they are also comfortable face-to-face, eyeball-to-eyeball (where much of the action takes place in the professional world you’re trying to join). This means that in addition to networking and job hunting online, it’s crucial that you set up live phone calls or coffee dates, attend “meet-ups,” job fairs and conferences and send snail mail notes to people who help you. Remember that online methods should supplement, not replace, in-person techniques.

· DO personalize everything. Do you open mail addressed to “Occupant?” No way. This is the same way recruiters feel about emails written “To whom it may concern” and generic LinkedIn connection requests. Show you’re not lazy by customizing every communication with the recruiter’s name (spelled correctly – triple check!) and a reminder of where you met, a topic you chatted about or, if you’ve never met, a brief introduction of who you are. You’ll impress people with your etiquette and you’ll demonstrate that you are a young professional who goes the extra mile.

Good luck on your journey, ’09 grads. Stay positive, work hard and I’ll look forward to seeing you along the Yellow Brick Road!

P.S. I welcome all LinkedIn connections from ’09 Grads…as long as they’re personalized, of course! Connect here.