Looking for a new work may be mind-boggling – especially if you haven't been in the job market, or even updated your resume, in years. With more folks searching and opportunities seemingly shrinking, I thought it was a good time to list the places where I start my search for candidates in the hopes of giving you a few ideas. Of course, the most important factors remain a well-written resume and effective leveraging of your networking opportunities. But as for where you want to start, here's where I look:
1. Microsoft Corporate task sites: I start here because these are great places for me to find candidates who are both passionate about technology and Microsoft in particular. Microsoft recruiters look at every resume submitted through our Careers site, or if you are a college candidate, through our College Careers site. For international software development candidates, you can submit directly to the alias I provided in a previous post about international jobs.
2. Social networking sites: LinkedIn, MySpace, Facebook and Jobster are all very popular. LinkedIn is one of my favorites in terms of finding candidates, both domestically and internationally, because it was designed as a tool for professionals to connect. So if you haven't created a profile yet and you are in the profession market, I recommend it. Search for past co-workers, classmates and managers to connect with and reach out to regarding task opportunities. You'll want to avoid the potentially embarrassing over-sharing of information that can happen when you use sites like Facebook for both personal and professional purposes,
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3. Online employment boards: I use CareerBuilder, Monster, Yahoo! Hotjobs, Indeed, Simply Hired,
office Home and Student 2010 sale, Jobs.com and MSN Careers by Profession Builder, just to name a few. Some of these profession boards have resume databases. If I have an opportunity that is very niche,
north face discount, I likely won't post that placement online. Instead, I'll look through those databases for candidates that have the specific skills. So, consider downloading your resume to their database and make your profile public, even if you don't necessarily see a posting that you think is a perfect fit for you. For our international readers, I'm always on localized job sites as well and sometimes more than the ones listed above. Look online or check with others in your region to find the more popular job sites in your area.
4. Referrals: As much as I can, I reach out to my network. This can mean Microsoft employees, colleagues at other companies, candidates that recently joined Microsoft, professors or candidates that I have worked with in the past. If you do the same, you're more likely to get your resume in the right hands. Seek out those ex-colleagues who are now at the company you are interested in and have them submit your resume. Or better yet, have them pass it to their contacts who are looking for the skills you can bring to the table. For college candidates, I recommend you connect with your school or regional recruiter. Consider connecting with alumni or past interns at the companies you are interested in. Also, keep in mind professors, department deans and career center staff.
5. Events and profession fairs: These have always been popular with college candidates -- but we've been noticing record numbers of industry applicants at Seattle area occupation fairs recently. Go online and look at the company participant list before you attend. It can be very frustrating to spend a day at an event that is more targeted toward other professions. Consider virtual position fairs, which have become more popular recently (Microsoft has hosted a few of these in the past). These are typically advertised on career boards, corporate websites, etc. For CS candidates, I recommend going to CS conferences and forums that could possibly or might possibly not have career fairs built into their agendas. I'm currently searching into which events I'll be heading to for the rest of the year and targeting specific conferences/events so I can find candidates for my open roles.
6. Online search engines: Live, Google and Yahoo: Yes, I use all three, and I really don't have a preference because they either give me the same exact results or, better for my purposes, very different results. Either way, it's usually a win. I look for resumes online, so post it -- and highlight those keywords! Depending on the placement I'm looking to fill, I am plugging in search terms regarding the skills and experience that my hiring team is interested in seeing. If you get stuck, take a look at the occupation descriptions for the roles that are a good fit for you. But remember, always be truthful as to how much experience you really have in an area.
7. Blogs and Tech Forums: Post your projects and publications on your blogs, tech forums, etc. We love the candidates who are active in the tech community. If you have side projects or if you can answer questions that are posted, upload and get involved. You'll not only reach recruiters, but hiring managers as well.
8. Alumni Groups: Join your computer science alumni group if your school has one. I've already reached out to a few this year and asked them to advertise our open roles. If your university or department doesn't have an alumni group, try the social networking sites or different tech boards to see if there are existing groups. Better yet, coordinate your own alumni group with your school and tell me about it!
9. Tech-focused organizations/forums: These could be local .NET user groups, the regional IEEE groups or National Diversity organizations. They are pretty easy to find online, or check with your colleagues. Many of these groups have a presence on social networking sites. Once again,
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These are the places where I look for almost every role I fill at Microsoft, however I'll also typically go beyond this if the roles are especially niche or senior. It's a tough time to be seeking a profession, so be creative in how you think about your work search. If you are doing many of the above,
Thomas Sabo Mens Charms, know that you are already ahead of the game compared to a lot of task seekers. While it can take a bit longer to find the right opportunity, rest assured that many companies are still looking for great candidates: We are at Microsoft!
I'm constantly trying to find new ways to reach candidates. Help us recruiters out by sharing with me the places you think I'm missing. We may perhaps see you there!
-Anne
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