Speed Dating

Who would have thought that "dating" could lead to a job?

In the February 23rd edition of the Miami Herald, there was an article about Speed Dating---but not the romantic, "5-minutes with a person" kind. Rather, this was job speed dating, providing people with a chance to sit down with potential employers and pitch their skills. Here contact information is traded and small talk made before moving onto the next recruiter.

This kind of approach requires out of the box thinking. Instead of simply looking on-line and submitting resume after resume, job seekers can proactively pursue jobs and meet company representatives face to face. Job seekers were identified by blue name tags, employers by red name tags. And while the ratio of the unemployed to the employer was uneven, it gave people a chance to connect to companies they would not have previously considered and provided networking contacts.

It has become increasingly apparent that finding a job in this economy requres one to consider the unconventional, be it in a field they previously hadn't considered or in the way they acquire information. It also shows that networking is a crucial tool in finding a job. Even if being put in contact with a person doesn't result in a job, it can have incredible benefits. Networking can lead to informational interviews about a specific sector or a "day in the life of..." and it can also lead to the name of a person or company that is hiring. But what this article also shows is that this competative market is not just flooded with recent college graduates, but professionals who have been laid off from work with decades of experience. The key to being sucessful in your job search requires diligence, imagination and creativeness, all while being assertive and actively pursuing new (and perhaps unique) opportunities.

The real message of this post is not to ignore or scoff at any opportunity to put your name and resume out there. Upload your resume into the Resume Book! Connect with alumni on LinkedIn or through the Muhlenberg Career Network! And if you are brave enough, sign up for a career speed dating night.

Happy job hunting---or in this case, dating.

For the full article, click here: http://http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/02/23/1494580/job-seekers-speed-date-to-find.html