Step #1: Forward your resume to everyone you know

Okay, here’s the deal. There is very high unemployment. There is tons of competition for every position you apply for online on www.monster.com, www.indeed.com, or www.Craigslist.com. There are, however, inevitably many positions available that you will never hear about! This is because many people don’t advertise positions. Maybe they are a small firm and don’t want to spend $$$ to advertise on Monster.com or Devex.com. Maybe the position doesn’t actually exist yet, but they have the budget if they find the “right person.” Or maybe they advertised it once on Craig’s List in Boston and you missed it. The reasons for missed opportunities are endless. The solution is to LET EVERYONE KNOW YOU ARE ON THE MARKET!

Here’s what you should consider doing:

a) Develop 1 or 2 resumes/CVs. Make one a “general” (in other words, unless you are only looking for one specific type of position, try to make all of your experience rather “generalist”). If you are looking for work in a particular arena, or have a lot of experience in one profession or area, you might also develop another resume that is “specialized.”

b) Put both resumes into a PDF (you don’t want anyone messing with your MS Word resume and making changes. Can simply go to “save as” in MS Word and save as a PDF.”

c) Write a very professional SHORT email. Something like this (obviously tailor it a bit!):

Dear friends,
I hope this email finds you well. I recently learned that my contract /position at XXX is abruptly ending/just finished graduate school, and therefore, I am in need of a job. As we all know, the job market right now is extremely limited and therefore I would like to ask for your assistance in helping to circulate my resume (attached) to any friends or colleagues that might offer some career advice or leads.
As you may know, over the last X years, I have held a variety of interesting positions in XXX. I am fluent/skilled/experienced in X and have strong research and communicative skills that I believe would help me succeed in any position. I am interested in exploring all career options and would be open to talking/meeting or listening to any career advice/suggestions/positions!
I have attached two resumes to this email: one that highlights my years of XXX experience, and one that is more general.
Thank you so much. I apologize for the impersonal nature of this email, but am trying to utilize all networking vehicles during these challenging times.
Best Regards,
Your name (email and phone number)

The idea is to keep the message professional and short. You want someone to feel comfortable simplifying hitting “forward” to everyone in their address book with an “FYI” or “I know this girl. Please email her directly if you have any suggestions.” Keep out any jokes or personal references, etc. You don’t want to have any explaining to do. The easier, the cleaner, the better.

Moral of the Story- Sing loud and clear to the world (and put it out to the universe) that you are looking for a new job and are available!