I was profiled in this week’s Bentley@Work, the weekly job search/career resource e-newsletter for Bentley alumni. As part of that profile, I was asked to share what worked in my successful job search and what advice I could offer others. Here’s what I wrote. I hope this is helpful to you…

I would urge everyone to network their way to their next job. I think applying to online job postings and posting your resume online is, with rare exception, a waste of time. If you happen to see a job featured online that looks interesting, try to leverage your network to connect directly with the hiring manager. LinkedIn Advanced People Search is a great resource to identify those hiring managers.

Be active, energetic and enthusiastic in networking groups. Seek out professional associations in your field of work; they are out there. Offer to help others however you can and follow through on it. Avoid any networking groups where it seems like unemployed people commiserate more than anything else.

Print out good quality business cards, ideally with something unique to them: perhaps your photo, an interesting “tagline” describing who you are – don’t just use a plain cookie-cutter template. Exchange cards whenever possible and write relevant notes and follow-up reminders on them.

I also found blogging to be an excellent way to stand out and convey your genuine interest and enthusiasm for your work and career and stand out in the job market and stay in contact touch with your network. I found the book by Bentley alum Dan Schawbel, Me 2.0, and his blog (www.danschawbel.com) as well as the blog of marketing author David Meerman Scott (www.webinknow.com) all to be very helpful to get started.

I will elaborate on these ideas in future entries. If you have wrapped up a successful job search, what worked for you? Does any of my advice not ring true to you, based on your experience? Please leave a comment and have your say!

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