The Ultimate Social Media Checklist for Job Hunters, posted by Mark at applicant.com provides an excellent resource for incorporating social media into your job search. This extensive checklist includes links to many other articles, 30 Ways to Land a Job in 2010 and The 101 Top Twitter Job Search and Careers Experts are among many that will inform, educate, connect and ensure a visible profile positioning you in the forefront of a competitive job market.

The above provide links to information on every aspect of a career ranging from junior entry level to seasoned senior executives. The information and the experts encompass every topic from resumes, networking, job search, job interview to personal branding, career management and social media.

The wealth of information available today may at times seem overwhelming. To avoid becoming lost in exploring the infinite amount of knowledge available, break down the information into individual topics to assist in acquiring a reasonable amount of knowledge within an acceptable time frame. It may also be advisable to begin simply by searching for the definitions of social media, blogs, personal branding and career coaching to establish a comfortable foundation of knowledge.

We live in a world of experts, some focussing on a specific area of interest, such as resume writing or job search strategies but there are also those experts who are certified to provide a variety of executive career management services which also include personal branding strategist, executive coaching and employment interview professional. If you feel you could benefit more from speaking to a professional certified to provide a variety of services, contact Martin Buckland at Elite Resumes.          

Who do you know? Who do they know? Who knows you? 

If you have invested the time to utilize the vast number of social media resources available today, you may find the answers to these questions quite remarkable, even extraordinary. The opportunity to create an extremely valuable and influential network of people to establish your “social media status” has never been this accessible! Do you want to be known as “The Smartest Man in the World”? Google it and you will see one man who understood the power of social media to create his personal brand clearly and visibly, establishing his online status. As the smartest man in the world it was an easy decision for Saul Colt to embrace the world of social media with the same passion he exudes in his personal brand. You will find Saul Colt on Facebook, Twitter, Naymz, Plaxo, Vimeo, Friendfeed, LinkedIn, ……and that’s just to name a few.

In the past, allocating millions of dollars to advertising in newspapers, radio, TV and billboards could establish an impressive corporate brand. As an individual, you were limited to creating your personal brand within a small group of colleagues, family and friends, unless you were a movie star or entertainer. Today, you can establish a significant brand, recognized by millions, ONLINE and it’s FREE!   

An individual’s online profile or an organization’s online profile is the starting point to connect with millions of influential individuals and share a brand, share knowledge and establish a notable status to create a world filled with opportunities! It has been described as “an evolution of individual power” as we have never seen the potential to create such a far reaching network of influence as exists today! 

Your job search must entail a wide range of methods and strategies if you are going to succeed in today’s competitive job market. Job search tools that will elevate your visibility include a professionally written resume, extensive networking and utilizing online resources. If no one knows who you are or that you are looking for a job, how will you be found? You can search job boards but results show a success rate of approximately 3%. Networking is the number 1 job search tool for job seekers and today we have more online resources for networking than ever before.

The following online resources provide networking opportunities, job search tips and advice, job postings, personal profiles, company profiles, resume posting, facts, figures, surveys and so much more. Take advantage of these online resources to help you succed in your job search:

Monster.ca – “your calling is calling”
Workopolis.com – “Canada’s biggest job site”
JobAngels – A grassroots movement to help get people back to work, one person at a time.
red canary – “opportunity meets community”
JibberJobber – “Career Management 2.0″
About.com – “Jobs and Careers”
Indeed – “one search. all jobs. Canada”
Eluta – “The search engine for new jobs in Canada”
Jobhawk.com – “soar higher”
Alltop – “All the top Careers news.”
ZoomInfo – “find people and companies”
Simply Hired – “Search over 150,000 jobs in Canada”
LinkedIn – “Relationships Matter”
Naymz – “Next Level Networking”
Xing – “Global networking for professionals”
CareerAdviceBlogs.com – “top career advice headlines”
Twitter – Who are you following?

The Best Sites to Find Job Listings, by Alison Doyle

If you are still looking for more online resources, the following will provide a wealth of business information and the opportunity to find details  and employee reviews for companies you may be interested in working for.
BusinessWeek
Canadian Business
Glassdoor.com

Elite Resumes is dedicated to providing extensive information to help you manage your career. Please review our website for free resume samples and cover letter samples. We welcome comments and are pleased to answer any questions you may have.  Martin Buckland, Principal of Elite Resumes is fully accredited in a wide variety of career management fields.  Contact him for a free resume critique today! Martin is also the sole Canadian representative for ExecuNet. Sign up for the next meeting and join a professional group of networkers dedicated to managing successful careers.

Online resources offer volumes of information related to your job search on resumes, cover letters, personal branding, networking and more. Here are just a few articles available online offering valuable information:

Top 10 Tools for Landing a Better Job, by Kevin Purdy on lifehacker. Number 1. Write a killer resume for a new career path!

A Cover Letter is not Expendable written by Phyllis Korkki in the New York Times tells you what a cover letter is all about, what it should say and why, even in this day and age, you should never send your resume without one.

Use social media networks to create a “personal brand”, Brianne Sanchez reports in the DesMoinesRegister.com providing advice from Mike Templeton, recently named director of social media and Web strategy at the  Iowa Hospital Association, who says, “Before blasting out a “brand”, sit down and do a little self Q&A”.

Eight Little-Known Tricks for the Job Hunt, by Liz Ryan, The Savvy Networker online at SFGate.comhome of the SanFransciso Chronicle. Do you have a signature on your outgoing email? Does your resume sound human? Check out these great tips from an internationally recognized expert on careers and the new millennium workplace.

So much information available at your finger tips!