Personally, I’m not really one to promote going after a “job” but rather I often speak about following your dreams of building a business (any business) that you’re passionate about. My belief is that true satisfaction and happiness on a professional level comes with being your own boss, doing things your way, etc. Yeah, we’ve all had that dream at some point. Though I feel strongly about small business ownership, I do currently maintain a full-time job. The reality is even if you’re an entrepreneur at heart; you still need a job to keep the mortgage paid and food on the table before you make it on your own.

These are tough times right now in this dwindling economy. It’s actually a relief to make it through a full day and NOT hear about company layoffs. Thousands and thousands of people across the country are out of work and life sucks for a lot of them. And as companies continue to lay people off, the job market will only get tougher and tougher making it harder for people to find employment.

So I thought to myself, how can I help? Is there anything I can do to help those that are out of work? Sure there is. Take what has worked for me and share it with the world (ah, good idea – brownie points for me). With that said, I’ve put together a list of ideas and tips that I think have worked for me in a huge way. Following the four steps below I feel is guaranteed to boost your chances of standing out from your competition during your job search and help you land a new job in no time.

#1 – Create a Professional Blog

Create and start maintaining a professional blog. Why, because it’s a great way to sell/share your thoughts, ideas and problem solving skills with recruiters and potential employers. The perception of blogging today varies. I often come across people who think blogging is only for the web and tech savvy. Today, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Yes, blogging was created by the tech and web savvy, but today it’s an amazing and valuable tool that can and should be used by everyone (no matter what the profession).

I truly feel that everyone should maintain a professional blog. And, I’m not talking about Facebook, MySpace, Twitter etc – those don’t count. I’m talking about a real professional blog where you’re able to clearly share your thoughts and ideas. Being a web designer, it’s easy for me to create/design a custom blog, but site’s like Blogger.com and WordPress.org has made it so easy for anyone to create a blog (in minutes). There really is no excuse to get started. Just go to Blogger.com or WordPress.org and you’ll be able to create a blog in a matter of minutes.

After creating and setting up your blog, you then want to start writing about things that you’re passionate about (keeping it totally professional). Start writing about the books you’ve recently read or the latest movie you watched. Blog about your career and things you’ve done. Blog about things you want to do and where you want to go with your career. You can blog about your thoughts on the environment and your thoughts on technology, etc. The point here is that you want to start blogging about things that are not only related to your profession but anything that shows off your thought leadership skills, your personality, you’re passions, you’re dreams, etc. This type of material plays a major role in job candidate sourcing and recruiting.

Having a blog is more valuable than the average person knows. Personally, blogging has played a huge role in me being able to land jobs quickly over the past several years. I always make my blog available on my resumes and many employers over the years have commented on some of the articles that I’ve written. It allows potential employers to get an understanding of how you think and solve problems. Most importantly, blogging allows employers to see your personality which gives them an idea on whether or not you might be a good fit for their company. This is a huge advantage over other candidates that may not have a blog to share. Having a link to your blog on your resume is a GREAT advantage. It’s a valuable tool that will help you get your foot in the door which is half the battle.

#2 – Create a LinkedIn Account

If you don’t have a LinkedIn Account, go sign-up today. It’s one of the largest, fastest growing employment tools out there today. It’s basically an online digital resume that you can maintain and connect with colleagues and business professionals. It’s not only a place where employers can find you but a place where employers might check to view any possible recommendations or connections you may have.

Having these tools such as a blog and an updated LinkedIn account show that you’re with the times, that you’re ahead of the game, that you’re aware of the latest technologies and that you’re keeping up with what’s current.

Again, it can only help your chances of standing out from the crowd next to someone who might not be so socially advanced on the internet.

#3 – Get rid of your Facebook, MySpace accounts

Ok, I’m just joking – but there is a little truth there. I say, if you can keep your facebook and myspace accounts very professional. Don’t say or post anything that you wouldn’t want your employer to see. Keep it clean, fun and friendly and you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. The last thing you want to happen is that you land an interview, do well, and then have it fall through during background screening. Just keep it professional and play it safe and you should be fine.

#4 – Practice on being more Personable, Friendly and Humble

People are generally attracted to other people who are nice, kind and loving. If you’re not generally nice by nature, that’s ok (we all have faults). You just want to be honest with yourself, acknowledge where you lack and work on fixing that part of your personality. You should make it a goal of yours to be more personable, friendly and humble. Make it a conscious effort to work on improving your personality. When you’re out at a restaurant, smile and be nice to people around you, be nice to the waitress or waiter. When you’re driving, be nice to other drivers. When you’re with friends and family, be nice to them – show people you care for them. HUMILITY is your friend. Make it apart of who you are and the doors to employment will open faster that you know.

One trick you can do to consciously work yourself into being more personable and coming off as more friendly is, SMILE. Personally, I smile a lot and people over the years always ask me why I’m so happy. Honestly, that’s just my nature. And it’s not that I’m not really happy all the time (well maybe I am), it’s really just who I am. All I know is that it does play a huge role in me being able to land and nail job interviews.

The point here is, let your personality, friendliness, and humility show in your blog and your interactions with people and you will succeed not only in the interview process but in all relationships.

In Conclusion

What can you do in this tough competitive economy to stand out from the competition and land that next job?

Answers:

1. Create a Professional Blog
2. Create and Maintain a LinkedIn Account
3. Get rid of your Facebook and Myspace Accounts
4. Be more Personable, Friendly and Humble

The point I’m trying to make is that by having a web presence (a Blog) that speaks about who you are, displays your thoughts and thinking ability, and shows your friendly personality – you will be more successful in your job search and interview process. Applying the four (4) things above will play a huge roll in a recruiter or employer calling you in for an interview and making you a job offer.

With tons and tons of people on the job market, making it even tougher than usual, you should take advantage of every possibility there is to help you stand out from your competition.

Hope these tips were useful, good luck and God bless!

Note: I provide free consultation and free web advice. If you have any questions on anything I’ve mentioned above (how to create a blog, how to use LinkedIn, etc.), just shoot me an email and I’d be happy to help you at no cost.