?? Everything You Need to Know About Pre-Employment Personality Tests

?? Everything You Need to Know About Pre-Employment Personality Tests 109 fbq('track', 'ViewContent', { value: 1, currency: 'USD', }); Can you fail a personality test? You might think not, but recruiters can use them to fail you. This is a guest post by Jennifer Feldman. The use of pre-employment personality tests as a screening tool has skyrocketed recently, in part because research has shown there is a correlation between personality fit and employee engagement. If an employee works in a position that does not match his or her personality, it will cause lower employee engagement. Low employee engagement subsequently leads to lower productivity and higher turnover. The average cost of replacing a poor hire is estimated at about 1.5 times the cost of that worker’s salary and benefits combined. To keep those costs down, more than ever companies have embraced the idea of pre-employment personality tests. If you're applying to one of those companies, you need to prepare for their tests. With that in mind,   here are five of the most common pre-employment personality tests. What was the most recent pre-employment personality test you've taken? The Caliper Profile Myers-Briggs Type Indicator SHL Occupational Personality Questionnaire Hogan Personality Inventory DiSC Behavior Inventory A personality test not listed here I've never taken a personality test for a job View Results Free bonus: Download a PDF version of this article to use as a handy reference. Take a free pre-employment personality test 1) The Caliper Profile The Caliper Profile, often referred to as the Caliper personality analysis test or Caliper assessment test, has been used by employers for almost 50 years and is extremely popular. This test provides information on how personality traits correlate to job performance by using a variety of question types, including true/false and multiple-choice questions. The most common type of question provides you with a series of statements, and your task is to choose which statement best and least aligns with your point of view. A unique aspect of the Caliper Profile is that it examines both positive and negative qualities, aiming to give employers to get a more well-rounded picture of a candidate. Here's a detailed overview PDF of the Caliper test, and here's a Caliper assessment sample report. Helpful tip Employers can customize the assessment to specifically measure certain critical behaviors. They will receive a score report that indicates job-fit match or information about how appropriate a candidate’s personality is for a role. It is important before taking the Caliper Profile to do your research and understand which behaviors are targeted for which roles. Here is a great resource for preparing for the Caliper Profile. It includes practice tests, information about what employers are looking for in candidates, custom feedback based on job level, and information about what to expect on test day. 2) Myers-Briggs Type Indicator One of the most well-known tools for mapping employee personalities is the Myer-Briggs Type Indicator  (MBTI), used by many Fortune 100 companies. The MBTI identifies if a candidate’s personality leans toward one of two options in each of the following groupings: Extraversion vs. Introversion Intuition vs. Sensing Thinking vs. Feeling Judging vs. Perceiving An individual can fall into one of 16 personality types. The MBTI is made up of 93 questions that are presented at a 7th-grade reading level. Every question presents you with two choicesâ€"either A or B. Here's a sample MBTI assessment report. Helpful Tip Most candidates have heard of this test, but what you may not know is that, according to CPI (the test’s distributor), the MBTI is not considered ethical to use when hiring or determining job assignments. Rather, the MBTI is more appropriate as a tool to try and understand how a candidate will perform in a group. It should not be used for determining if an individual is well-suited for a specific position. Also, the test is not normalized, so scores cannot be easily compared between potential candidates. This is extremely important to keep in mind. 3) The SHL Occupational Personality Questionnaire the manager of the greenbrier panera bread, who turned me down for a job 10 years ago because I failed the personality test, just commented on my IG photo “Looking good bro!” My how the tables have turned. moth (@timhlm) September 7, 2019 The SHL Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ32) or SHL personality test has been around for over 30 years. It's used to give companies a picture of how specific behaviors may relate to a candidate’s performance. The test consists of 104 questions that measure 32 characteristic traits. Candidates are measured in three primary domains: Relationship with People Thinking Style and Feelings Emotions On the exam, candidates are presented with four statements, and they must identify which of the statements best and least describes them. The OPQ32 was developed with relevant and suitable scales for the workplace and has been validated for this purpose. Here's a sample SHL OPQ32 Candidate's report. Helpful Tip The OPQ32 offers employers a custom report with a simple graphical summary of the candidate’s performance. These reports outline strengths and weaknesses in detail, and the normed results can be directly compared to other candidates applying for the position. To learn more about this test, check out this practice pack, which features practice tests, customized feedback, and study guides. 4) Hogan Personality Inventory The Hogan Personality Inventory (HPI) was introduced in the 1980s and originally given in a socio-analytic context. Currently, the HPI has been adapted and is used as a job performance predictor. The HPI falls under the category of personality tests based on the Five-Factor Model, testing for Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism/Emotional Stability, and Openness to Experience. The inventory has 206 true/false questions that are to be completed in about 15â€"20 minutes. The HPI evaluates seven primary scales, six occupational scales and 42 subscales. The six occupational scales measure service orientation, stress, tolerance, reliability, clerical potential, sales potential, and managerial/leadership potential. The HPI is administered online with an instantaneous score report. The score reports have been normed on more than 500,000 candidates around the world and validated for use in more than 200 different occupations, making the inventory a dependable tool used to evaluate an individual’s temperament and how it matches the demands of the open position. This is what a sample HPI interpretive report looks like. The HPI is just one of the Hogan assessment tests. There's also the Hogan Development Survey (HDS), the Hogan Motives, Values, Preferences Inventory (MVPI), the Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory (HBRI) and the Hogan Judgment assessment. Helpful Tip The HPI score report lets employers know how a potential candidate might act in certain work-related circumstances. It also notes interview style and classifies candidates into categories. With that in mind, pay special care to research about the various interview styles. To become more familiar with the exam, take a look at this Hogan personality test prep pack, which features 266 Hoganâ€"style personality test questions for practicing the HPI or HDS. 5) DiSC Behavior Inventory The DiSC Behavior Inventory (DiSC) identifies a candidate’s main traits and is based on the four-style behavior model, the oldest of all personality tests; it has been around since  around 400 B.C.E., the time of Hippocrates. Companies use the DiSC as a tool to help recognize a candidate’s professional characteristics and how he or she works as part of a team. The DiSC personality profile consists of four basic factors: Dominant (D) Influential (i) Steady (S) Compliant (C) The DiSC is one of the simpler exams, and it is much shorter than other tests, with only about 12 to 30 questions. Candidates are provided with adjectives or short statements and asked to choose which applies to them the most and the least. One major reason for the DiSC being a common personality test used by many employers is because it is one of the cheapest on the market, typically under $100 dollars per test. Here's a sample DiSC personality test. Helpful Tip The DiSC may be popular but it is considered a temperament measure, not a pre-employment measure. The results of this measure only provide data on the relative strengths of a single candidate. This means employers cannot compare between scores of two competing candidates, similar to the MBTI above. Also, the DiSC is not considered a valid predictor of job success. Keep this in mind when taking the exam and after getting your results. What can you do to pass your pre-employment test? While it's essential to understand what to expect on your job interview day, it's even more important to prepare for pre-employment personality tests in advance. This is doubly true if you've failed pre-employment assessment tests in the past. When deciding on the best preparation method, start by asking your recruiter which test you are going to face, and then match your practice resource accordingly. If the recruiter is unwilling to disclose this information, it is still likely to be available on the Internet. In general, I recommend using this personality test practice pack based on the Big Five model. This pack is a comprehensive resource that includes practice questions and explanations, analysis of the top fifty traits employers are looking for, personalized feedback based on career level, and a complete guide to personality tests. Keep in mind that a personality test is a quantifiable way for employers to see if a job is appropriate for you. However, it can also be helpful in ensuring you are not placed in a role that is not suited for you. At the end of the day, personality tests serve not only to help the employer but also the candidate. Take a free pre-employment personality test About the Author Jennifer Feldman is a speech and language expert and blogger at JobTestPrep. She specializes in writing about the employment hiring process. READ NEXT: How Do You Score on this Quick Human Resources Personality Test? Bonus: the world's quickest personality test

Graduate schemes or graduate jobs University of Manchester Careers Blog

Graduate schemes or graduate jobs University of Manchester Careers Blog Its that time of year, lots of recruiters on campus all doing battle for your attention and applications.   They all want the best students, and you all want the best jobs. So what are the best options? Graduate schemes Tend to be mainly with big organisations where they are recruiting large numbers. Can be anything from 1-3 years May offer rotations so that you can experience several parts of the business. Are often associated with the large corporate organisations although there are a few in the public sector. Are well publicised as these organisations have a lot of investment in getting the right staff. You will often see them on campus and at fairs. Tend to have long recruitment processes, with many stages and tests. May have early closing dates, and may fill places before the closing dates Graduate Jobs Most graduates fall into this category. Its a job where a degree is useful to have. The employer may recruit a few graduates each year or just when they need one. Of all the graduate vacancies we advertise 48% are with small to medium size organisations The job description may be more specific, as you are likely to be recruited for a specific role. You may find you get responsibility earlier, have opportunities to use your initiative and create your own training programme. Can include Graduate Internships a short term placement usually 4 months a year.   Great for exploring a career or role and may in some cases lead to a permenant contract. Recruitment tends to happen as and when they need a staff member.   The  process  may be shorter and simpler. Jobs may be less widely advertised, and you may not have heard of the organisation  so the job may not stand out to you. Specualtive approaches can be appropriate. If you are not sure what the options are for the job you want to go into why not have a chat to us! All Undergraduate Undergraduate-highlighted Careerslink employers graduate schemes job hunting job market jobs

Do You have the Guts to Quit Your Day Job and Start a Business - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Do You have the Guts to Quit Your Day Job and Start a Business - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career When it comes to the internet, you really never know where you will meet and connect with others. As a Tom Peters supporter, I tend to review and comment on his blog from time to time. Through comments on a single post, I met media and marketing entrepreneur, Ian Sanders, who insisted I receive his latest book, called Leap! Ditch Your Job, Start Your Own Business Set Yourself Free. Dont you wish you could ditch your day job and start a multi-million dollar business? Well then, maybe this book will help you achieve that goal. Ian has 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur, with clients such as MTV Networks (his business is based in the UK). You can find his blog here. I took time to speak to him about his new book and you can follow our interview below. Have a great weekend! How is LEAP! different than any other career resource or self-help book? There’s a stack of self-help books out there full of finely-tuned theories about business success; promises of magic formulas that will make millions for the readers. This is a more honest book; (there’s no great intellectual basis to my approach to business) â€" it’s an instinctive intuitive approach to business that many people can relate to. And what’s more it works! In what ways has work changed and how do people need to prepare for what lies ahead? Whether we work for ourselves or for organizations, the world of work is changing rapidly. In an increasingly competitive marketplace, success stories are about leveraging intellectual capital for commercial benefit. That means, we need to be good not just at doing the job but also at coming up with innovate ideas and fresh perspectives for new ways of doing things. We need to have a pioneering spirit once again. In the world of the micro-entrepreneur, where workers are quitting their jobs to go it alone with no rules and no limits, the opportunities are huge. People need to be innovative, enterprising and flexible. To creatively and rapidly deal with opportunities as they arise. You have to be smart and quick. What inspired you to write this book and who is the target audience? ‘Leap!’ is a very personal project in that is the total validation of who I am, and what I represent. Over the years many co-workers and contacts asked me for advice so I decided to write my experiences down in a book. The target audiences are varied: executives who are considering taking the Leap; people who are working in small business/have already Leapt; people in ‘proper jobs’ who want to reinvent or reinvigorate their professional identity. Your subtitle is Ditch your job, start your own business set yourself free. What if people enjoy their job and feel free and comfortable in their current position? Should they read a different book? Good question. The whole principle of the book is that it is a relevant read whether you are comfortable in your current position or whether you want to take the leap. One reader emailed me to tell me that she had read the book but decided to stay in her current position. But she stressed that ‘Leap’ had inspired her to ‘own’ her daily job too which has given her a new energy, focus and direction. I think it’s for anyone and everyone who cares about their job and wants to add value in all they do, and make a difference to themselves, their customers or their employer. Can you describe the main philosophy behind the book: attitude, enterprise, success and worklife? The book is across 4 themes; very simply ATTITUDE is about being prepared to go it alone; ENTERPRISE is the magic ingredient you need to be successful; SUCCESS has ideas and tips on how to grow your own business; and WORKLIFE addresses some of those inevitable challenges that come from living and working in what I have billed, ‘the scrambled up world of work’, a world of no rules, great opportunity but significant personal challenges. Throughout your book you consistently use a !. What is the meaning behind this? Whilst I am weary of gratuitous use of an exclamation mark, what I am trying to communicate in the book is the need to be dynamic â€" or in Tom Peters’ language to be ‘Wow’! My love of the exclamation mark is about making a difference, about being active not passive, dynamic not mediocre; it’s the positive energy and passion every entrepreneur needs to succeed! In the book you describe the 6-point business plan. Can you describe it for all the personal branders out there? Sure. You and your readers are familiar with the science of business plans. Thick-wad presentations and documents with market assumptions, financial forecasts and projections. Like a lot of things in business, I think the ‘Business Plan’ can be over-complicated. My approach here is to distill it down to the basics: in six bullet points can you articulate your business proposition? If you can’t, you have a problem. The six points are: 1. What one thing makes your business different, makes it stand out? 2. Who are your target clients? How are you going to sell your product or service to clients? 3. How are you going to keep your costs down? 4. How are you going to maximise revenues? 5. How are you going to deal with competition? 6. How can you grow the business? What will you need to deliver that growth? Chapter 14 states why being a chameleon can be a good thing. Can you explain this philosophy? Many of us choose to wear a number of different hats as part of our professional offering. Not only does it make for a more varied portfolio but it also gives us the tools to be more enterprising. We are not just specialists in one single area, but skilled in many; so we may have a number of professional identities as part of our Personal Brand e.g. writer, consultant, manager, marketier. I know that you Dan wear a number of hats in your professional life: being a chameleon is about being open, flexible and broad-thinking when it comes to how you define yourself. How is your book connected to personal branding and what do you want my readers to walk away with? You and your readers are familiar with Tom Peters’ ‘Brand You’ concept. For me, ‘Brand You’ and the concept of personal branding is at the heart of all our professional lives whether we work for Google, IBM or for Me Inc. To succeed, we need to be focused on building a personal brand: defining our strengths, and where we add value; communicating that to our target audiences; and ensuring that spirit pervades all we do and all we are. I am passionate about personal branding; and for the Go It Alone generation it is even more relevant and necessary. It’s a crowded, competitive market out there and success is about ‘Survival of the Fittest’. He or She who is able to define and communicate their point of differentiation in the marketplace â€" WINS. Without a personal branding ethos, you will struggle. Personal Branding permeates all I do and is part of the Leap! philosophy.

13 Tips on How to Conference Like a Pro

13 Tips on How to Conference Like a Pro So youve bought tickets for your next big recruitment conference, and the day is  approaching quickly. Now what? Its crucial to prepare for a conference to ensure that you maximise and use your time effectively. Ive put together my top conference hacks to help you make the most out of your time at a conference. Let me know if you have any other conference hacks that you use when conferencing and networking. 1) Wear a hat (or another memorable piece of clothing): This is a great hack that works for many situations and it really helps to make yourself memorable. If you wear something (a piece of jewellery or a hat), it will be used to identify you and therefore keep you at the forefront of peoples minds.  I always follow this rule when Im going for interviews, with a flower in my hair or a funky shirt. Here we go! @billboorman kicking off #truNewYork! #ttirocks pic.twitter.com/XNkUMNwNjA Stacy Donovan Zapar (@StacyZapar) February 6, 2015 Take inspiration from Bill Boorman and his hat, or Rand Fishkin of Moz.com whos yellow shoes have made him a bit of a fashion icon! 2)  Ask questions: Ask questions if youre stuck for conversation, its  good to direct the conversation to the other person. People LOVE being asked questions about themselves, so go crazy! Let them tell you all about themselves and youll have a new person in your network in no time. 3) Nobody belongs here more than me This is a hack for all the introverts out there. Networking events can be incredibly nerve-wracking for some. The idea of speaking to strangers and putting yourself out there can be a scary thought. The trick to beating this is remembering the mantra: Nobody belongs here more than me. Never feel embarrassed about what you do or who you are, your experience or your age. And if people make you feel uncomfortable for it, dont worry about them theyre not worth networking with anyway! 4) Just do it: Conferences and networking events can feel like a whole lot of effort for no real outcome. It can be easy to flake on an event and miss out of a chance for networking, but by missing an event you could miss the perfect opportunity for you or the company you work for. You could meet a potential new client! No matter the networking event, there is no harm in attending you never know who you might meet! 5) Make a list of prompts: Meeting people is where networking events can become awkward. If you feel like youre missing the skills to start valuable conversation than you should note down some conversation prompts that you can follow when meeting people. Meet people at the food line with a funny comment about the food, or compliment someones shoes. You can still be genuine when following prompts too remember not to come off too forced. 6) Research whos going to be attending: This is a great way to meet people, and youll automatically make a great impression by knowing who they are. Not only will this make them feel very important, but it also makes a good conversation prompt! 7) Bring a battery charger: Theres nothing worse than your phone dying, especially when youre at a social media conference! Be sure to bring a phone charger with you for a little boost of battery when youre on the move. It also means you can keep up with all the new connections you make, and also the conference hashtag! 8) Connect with speakers Attending conferences means you have a way into the networks of the big-dogs who are speaking at the event. A simple LinkedIn message telling them you loved their talk usually does the trick! 9) Look up the venue the night before One of my least favourite things EVER, is having an event to attend but getting lost in the area whilst looking for the venue. This is why its so important for me to Google the venue location the night before and plan my journey so that I know exactly where Im going. Theres nothing worse than rushing and being late to a conference you were looking forward too. This usually means Im early to EVERYTHING, but at least I have time for a coffee and a relax before the conference begins. 10) Get there early: Getting to the venue early means you have an extra chance to meet some other attendees that you would otherwise not get to meet. Chatting over an early morning coffee is a great casual way to get to know others, and you have your commutes to chat about! 11) Ask the host who you should network with: If youre not sure who you should be networking, why not ask the host who you should be getting to know? This way, youll get an introduction and youll also be talking to the most relevant people for you. Bingo! 12) Take notes: I always find that if I physically jot things down, I am more likely to remember them and look back at them later on. Whenever I go to a conference I make my best effort to leave my laptop/tablet at home and go back to basics with a notepad and pen. It helps me take the information in and I dont get distracted by other things on a screen. 13) Follow up: Follow up with all the speakers and people you met on the day that evening or the day after the conference. This way, you wont forget to connect with anyone that you met and youll also create a opportunity to keep the conversation going. Main image credit: Shutterstock

How to Find a Writer and Writing Coach Resume Sample

How to Find a Writer and Writing Coach Resume SampleWhen you are looking for a writer and writing coach resume sample, you will find that there are many different options that you can choose from. You may be overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices that you have available to you. Whether you are hiring a writer or you are considering an outside source for resume writing and help, you should choose a sample that best matches your needs.While there are many services out there that offer this service, you should first ask yourself exactly what it is that you need them to do for you. Is it only your resume? Or, would you like it to include something else as well? It is important to figure out what you want before you start to make any choices.When you begin to look for a writer and writing coach resume sample, you will quickly see that there are many options. This is just the nature of the business. But, you will find that while there are many to choose from, you can use the same sampl es that many other writers and coaches will use. In fact, you can pick the samples that you find to use and bring with you to the interview.If you are hiring a professional resume service, you will likely find that there are many samples available. However, you may find that most of them are the same. That is because these services are not focused on individual situations. They know that their job is to sell their services and that includes trying to be as unique as possible.When you are looking for a writer and writing coach resume sample, you should be looking for a sample that is unique. By unique, we mean something that was written by someone who is specifically trained in particular areas. Some writing service companies might provide samples that include sample resume and cover letters, along with sample cover letters. But, you might want to know that if you are already a good writer, then there are some sample jobs available to you. You might want to look at writing samples pr ovided by some of the larger writing service companies out there. Many of these companies include samples with their contracts and you can usually pick and choose which ones you like the best.When you are looking for a writer and writing coach resume sample, you will find that there are a number of options. But, you should use the same samples that most writers and coaches will use. Most of the time, the samples are going to be something that was written by a specialist in a particular area.There are a number of ways that you can go about finding a writer and writing coach resume sample. You can try to find them on your own. Or, you can use online resources like resumes.com. Keep in mind that the best writers and coaches will always be working with others and will be willing to give you samples that they have done in the past so that you can learn from their experiences.

PARADE Update Wanting More Than Just a Job

PARADE Update Wanting More Than Just a Job PARADE Update: Wanting More Than Just a Job PARADE Update: Wanting More Than Just a Job June 4, 2010 by Career Coach Sherri Thomas 2 Comments PARADE Update: Wanting More Than Just a Job Focus your energy on those jobs you really want! Meaghan had a terrific break-through this week! She was able to identify that even though she met all the requirements in a job posting that her friend had sent to her â€" it was not a job that she actually wanted. So she made the decision not to apply. (loud gasp!) I know what youre thinking… as a Career Coach, arent I supposed to be encouraging Meaghan to apply for jobs? Well, yes, but my role with Meghan (as defined by her) is to help her reinvent her career into a job that she actually enjoys. I asked her how it made her feel to not apply for a job that shes highly qualified for, and she said empowering. Since she completed Step #1 in my 4-step process, she now has the knowledge and understanding of what she needs in her new career to be fulfilled, challenged and inspired. In other words, Meghan now has her own job requirements! (Sing it, Sister!!) This is a huge milestone when it comes to reinventing your career because so many times throughout the process were faced with a fork in the road. Turn right and youll go down the very familiar career path where youre in a cycle of being in qualified yet unfulfilling and uninspiring jobs. Turn left and youre faced with unchartered territory of changing industries, job roles or professional goals â€" which can be new and exciting, yet make even the most experienced professionals feel anxious and afraid. The fact that Meghan has chosen to reinvent herself in a new career in unchartered territory and feels EMPOWERED is huge! I remember one of the times I felt most empowered in my own career was when I turned down the opportunity for a 2nd job interview. At the time, I was in between jobs with no other potential offers in sight. I had just come out of a cycle of jobs working for a string of what I considered to be poor managers. After my 1st job interview with this particular hiring manager, my stomach was in knots, my throat had a big lump in it and I couldnt sleep. I realized that what was keeping me awake was not the fact that I was out of a job â€" it was the idea of working for that particular hiring manager. He had the same traits as some of my previous managers and I knew that Id be frustrated and unhappy working for him. In other words, I didnt want to leave one sinking ship for another sinking ship even if that was my only potential offer at the time. I sent the hiring manager a thank-you but no thank-you note, and then focused all my energy on identifying my own job requirements and finding the right job for me. Two months later, I was in my dream job! Im not sure if the universe sends us our right job because were clear on what we want, or if the right jobs have always been there and we missed them because our focus was scattered and we didnt see it. But what I do know for sure is that when me and my clients get a clear focus on defining our job requirements, and then focus all our energy on getting that job â€" it works! When you have the commitment and enough money in the bank to be able to explore where your passion is, what your strengths are, what kind of responsibilities excite you, and where all of those intersect with todays job market â€" thats when youre going to hit gold. Meaghans Assignment this Week The next step for Meaghan is to assess todays job market and identify which jobs are right for her. She needs to research company websites, on-line job postings, business periodicals, and industry magazines to find job openings that excite her. Now that shes put a stake in the sand to identify her job requirements, Im excited to see where that takes her. ??

Dont Rely On Job Boards To Find A Job

Don’t Rely On Job Boards To Find A Job Don’t Rely On Job Boards To Find A Job (Do This Instead) Job boards are not the holy grail. Yes, applying online should be part of your job search strategy. The operative word being “part.” One of the biggest mistakes job seekers make is relying on online job postings to find a job. It’s easy to fall into the trap of spending your day at the computer responding to job postings. It doesn’t take a lot of effort. You can do it at home wearing sweat pants and a t-shirt while watching TV. At the end of the day, knowing you’ve applied to 30 jobs, gives you a sense of accomplishment. But, its a false sense of accomplishment. The truth is, focusing on job boards isn’t the best use of your time. It’s more effective to take a strategic, multipronged approach. Target Employers At the beginning of your job search make a list of 10 or so companies you’d like to work for. These are your Target Employers. Contact   people in your network to see who can connect you with someone who works there.  If the employee you connect with can get your resume in front of the hiring manager for your target position even better. Set up Google alerts for each employer, that way youll be notified whenever they are in the news. Review the career section or job postings on their corporate websites, at least once a week. As a former recruiter, I can say that almost every job I was trying to fill was listed on the companys site. The only exceptions were “confidential” searches, generally when someone didnt know they were being replaced. Work Your Contacts When it comes to working your contacts be sure to go beyond sending out a message through LinkedIn. Ask friends, family, and former colleagues who they might know at a particular company. You might find your Aunt’s friend’s daughter works for the employer who is your first choice. Contact your college or university Alumni association for help. They may provide you with contact information or even reach out on your behalf. Most alumnus are happy to help someone who attended the same school. When it comes to LinkedIn, dont rely on your connections connections to help you find a job. Sending an InMail to a 2nd degree connection or even someone you barely know is unlikely to yield results. Instead, ask people you know to introduce you to people you want to meet. Network IRL For most of us, attending networking events isn’t easy. We have to get dressed, get out of the house, and walk into a room full of strangers. Then we have to strike up a conversation with someone we don’t know. Not easy. But, meeting people face-to-face is an essential part of a successful job search process. Make it easier on yourself by planning a few talking points in advance. The networking group, the speaker and/or the speakers topic are all possible topics. A simple, what brings you here tonight? is a good icebreaker. If you’re actively looking for a job, strive to attend 1 event a week. There are plenty of networking opportunities to choose from. Industry Events â€" Most organizations have local chapters who meet once a month September to June. Generally, the events are dinner and a speaker which provide the opportunity to meet people and even learn something. Alumni Activities â€" From Homecoming to holiday gatherings, most universities have events throughout the year. Put a few on your calendar and go. Job Seeker  Groups â€" Don’t discount groups because many of the folks attending are unemployed. It’s a great place to exchange leads and recruiter connections. Non-Business Groups â€" Every community has networking groups. Search online and/or in your local paper to find them. Try Meetup.com. When it comes to networking, anyplace that gives you the opportunity to meet new people and/or deepen relationships is great. Just remember this secret to networking success. Network Online For many, meeting people online is less intimidating than meeting them in person. It’s something else you can do sitting in front of the computer in yoga pants and a t-shirt. Even while watching TV. It’s a great way to connect with recruiters and people who work for your target companies. Start with LinkedIn groups. There are dozens of job seeker groups where you can get advice and meet career professionals and others looking for jobs. If you don’t already have one, set up a Twitter account. Follow recruiters, career professionals, and thought leaders in your industry. Interact with them via Tweets and try taking part in a Twitter chat. Another place you might meet people is on the Facebook pages of your target employers. Internal recruiters at some companies have been known to hang out there. Nurture and deepen your online connections by taking the conversation offline with a call or, if possible, an in-person meeting. I’ve developed several close friendships that way. Help People Help You When you do find someone willing to help you you be specific about your target position. Dont ask people to keep their eyes open for you. Dont expect them to figure out what you want to do. Be specific. Give them a target position. For example, CFO with an consumer products manufacturer or director of marketing for mid-sized company or VP, Sales with a technology company. There’s nothing wrong with spending part of your day applying for jobs online. People do find jobs that way. I have. The important thing is not to spend time on job boards to the exclusion of all else. As with any goal, you need to have a multifaceted strategy. Try to attend 1 networking event a week. Spend some time each day networking online. Ask people you know to help you reach your target employers. You never know who knows who. Updated 4/5/19.