Look for a Job and Add Value: Don’t Count on the Unemployment Extension

Be proactive and utilize social media marketing and social media networking to find or create your dream  job.

I‘m not that political, I’m just a business owner that loves to help my clients.  I pay in plenty in payroll, social security and unemployment taxes.  I guess you would call me a conservative.

As an entrepreneur my entire life I don’t understand why big government wants to increase taxes on small businesses.  From my point of view, albeit limited, if government cut taxes for small businesses, they would hire more people or pay their current employees more which would mean that they would spend more and everyone would win.  Okay, back to using Social Media Marketing to help with your job search.

Those that know me will attest that I live by the credo, “Add value and make a profit”.  If you’re reading this blog then please understand that while I recognize the understanding for unemployment benefits, I also recognize that it’s killing the economy.  Just think of what it’s doing to millions of Americans by making them even more co-dependent on the Government.

Unemployment benefits are supposed to cover the gap, not be a solution to income.   There are too many stories of people that are milking the system, working for cash and collecting unemployment.  How long do you think this system will work before it’s drained dry?

I believe there are plenty of jobs and a ton of ways to create value to generate an income. I don’t believe it’s a money problem… I believe it’s a lack of creativity and ideas. If you want more money or a different or better job, then get creative and start focusing on what value you bring to the situation.

Using social media allows  you to research, connect and network with virtually anyone in a wide variety of industries.

LinkedIn: Use Linkedin to research people and companies.  It’s designed to be for professional networking. Create your professional profile, connect with more people and spread the word what type of value you can add.  You need to market yourself in today’s competitive marketplace to stand out above the competition.

FaceBook: You can use FaceBook to learn about new areas of interest, participate in group discussions and network in that community too.  There are over 400 million people on FaceBook.  It’s more than a place to post erroneous data about your self.  As a business owner, I’d caution you what you put on FaceBook and other social networking sites for that matter because it could influence  a future company’s hiring decision.  Make sure you set your privacy settings properly so that things you want private stay that way.  A good rule of thumb is don’t post anything that you don’t want shared.  Go back through your profile and make sure you’re communicating the value you bring. Then let the word out what type of position or opportunity that you’re looking for.

YouTube: (and other video content sharing websites) If you want to learn a new skill or enhance your current skills you can start with searching Youtube for video training.  There are millions of videos online on every subject imaginable, including how to prepare for an interview, so make your list of needs and get going.  The answers are just a few clicks away, but you have to take the initiative.  You should also create your very own YouTube channel and create your online video resume.  Then when you email new prospective companies you could include a link to your YouTube channel so with a video describing your talents and value that you offer to an organization.   The days of the old copy cat boring resume are coming to an end.  I’ve read hundreds of resumes and very few are prepared for today’s methods of communication.   They are lifeless, lack-less, boring, and insulting.  The closest anyone every comes to perfection is on their written resume.    Creating a video resume shows your communication style which is key for most hiring situations.  Don’t know how to create a youtube channel or create a video resume. No problem, go search for those keywords and you’ll get many solutions.

Twitter: A micro blog of 140 characters or less. This one is a bit more challenging for job searching.  This really depends on if you’ve built a following already. If not, you may want to skip Twitter, but if you have a following, then you could use twitter and other twitter aggregaters and to create, monitor, influence conversations and prospect for a new career opportunity. You can also tweet links to your YouTube videos and your video resume.  You can literally reach thousands or even millions of people with a few keystrokes.

There are many other online resources like CareerBuilder, Monster and other employment search and social media websites that can help you look for that new job.  It’s a digital age and the old style way of circling help wanted ads and mailing resumes is a tough way to make things happen for you.

Have a great suggestion how to get people off of Unemployment? Agree or disagree with this blog post:  Enter your comments below.