I’ve read a lot of articles recently about the struggles of finding a job in this economy. College students are scared. People who’ve been laid off are scared. People who have jobs are scared. There’s a lot of advice out there to sort through. Some say the old ways are outdated (read=think Web 2.0 strategies). Some say that you can’t make real connections behind a computer. I think a mixture of the two is probably the way to go. Here are a few suggestions:

FINDING A JOB WEB 2.0 STYLE

1. Blog – Blogging can be about sharing and highlighting your expertise. You can either start your own blog, or regularly contribute and make comments on others. Yes, there are a gazillion blogs out there about fashion and marketing and advertising. Unless you have a clever twist on one of these topics, you may want to rethink starting your own and concentrate on contributing to others. Like this one
2. Social Networking Sites – Join them, if you haven’t already. Even Zappos.com’s CEO Twitters. And, LinkedIn‘s popularity has soared. According to TechCrunch.com, unique visitors rose 22 percent in January, and total minutes on the site doubled. If you’re on Facebook, we have a Retail Careers & Advancement Group. It is just as important to network with others looking for a job as it is potential employers. Others in transition can be a great source of information for trading tips, not to mention morale support.
3. Start using #1 and #2 Together — If you’ve authored a blog post or made an insightful comment, make sure you share it with your social network.

FINDING A JOB THE TRIED AND TRUE WAY

1. Have a Focused Resume – Customize your resume to each company and position you are applying for, placing emphasis on the experience that is most applicable. A resume recently came across my desk where the candidate created a chart with one column showing the qualifications we were looking for and one column indicating how his qualifications matched up. I thought this was a great idea.
2. Get Out and Meet People – Don’t spend all your time on the computer. Go out and meet people and network. Initiate breakfast, lunch, or coffee. Consider consulting work or volunteering.
3. Internships – This obviously applies to the younger job seeker, but they should not underestimate the importance of internships. Internships provide work experience, connections, recommendations – all things necessary to make your resume stand out.

Have other successful strategies? Please share them by making a comment below!

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Resources used in this blog post include:
career-resumes.com
careerbuilder.com
ocregister.com