Every so often, a new batch of job seekers are born.

Wet behind the ears and new to the game, their eyes are wide with anticipation, hope and a thirst for knowledge.

They need some resources and of course I’ll oblige.

Some of these resources cost money, some don’t. Sometimes the things that do cost, are such a return on investment as to be well worth the fee you pay.

Let’s start with one of those:

• Professional Resume Writers. Okay yes, I would say that wouldn’t I? However all jokes aside, even if I stand back and look at the situation objectively, I still agree with myself. Just between you and me, after 20 years of looking at people’s D-I-Y resumes I’m honestly surprised anyone gets a job! Seriously, the lack of effort and attention that goes into these things by most people is staggering. It seems that near-enough-is-good enough is the philosophy for a whole lot of people out there. Of course, I tend to see them when they’ve been unemployed or experienced a ridiculously long job search and have arrived at the point where they think they need to do something… anything to get noticed. Amazingly the same people get interviews virtually straight away when they submit a good, professional, well thought-out resume. Who would have thought? This is not a cost folks, this is an investment in your career. (By the way, five-to-ten hours of work goes into a professional resume. Don’t think you’re going to pay $50 for that amount of talent and personalised attention).

• Interview coaching. An actor rehearses before a big performance, a politician rehearses her speech; heck even a best man at a wedding usually gives it a run through or six before the big day. What makes you think you can be highly successful with answers off the top of your head in a pressure situation? Ever wondered how to frame an unfortunate job where you had been sacked? Ever wanted to negotiate your salary but ended up passively accepting less than you wanted? Ever wished you had coped better during a panel interview where four or five people fired questions at you?  Thought so. Does interview coaching cost money? Of course it does! That’s because coaches have valuable talents that you do not. Is it worth it? Again, if you’d experienced and heard some of the things people say or do at interviews, you’d realise why they are a tool used by hiring authorities to cull people from the shortlisting process. Costs range depending on the experience of your coach, but around $150-$180 would be a reasonable investment in securing you many thousands-of-dollars a year if you get the job.

• Linkedin. A free service and one that will help you enormously. Linkedin has been around for years now, but it is really only in the last couple of years that Australians have been starting to get their profiles up there in any great numbers. Now that there are many more people of relevance to you here in Australia, you’ll see that there are miles of opportunities awaiting intuitive and smart job seekers. It is not just a matter of uploading your experience and skills online. Did you know that you can search companies in Australia for recent hires? Did you know that you can find names of executives and management teams within certain companies? Wouldn’t that be interesting to reach out to someone in a company where you’d like to work? You may even catch up with past colleagues who endorse you or think of you for a job they’ve heard about. The research has been done and it is there for you to use and leverage to your heart’s content. You can get professionals to develop your Linkedin profile, or you can do it if you know how to market yourself correctly.

• WintheView. You’ve not heard of it have you? That’s okay, but if you’re a manager, senior manager or executive, you should. Put simply, WinTheView allows you to develop a strong and compelling business case for your services stating what you offer and why the company should hire you. The finished presentation can be printed, bound and presented either prior to interview to set the agenda for the discussion, during the interview, or after the interview to leave a lasting impression. WinTheView is subscription-based and for around $100 you can create as many presentations as you like for as many different jobs as you like, for three months. WinTheView isn’t for everyone, but the people it helps can find it career changing. You can read more here or purchase from me here.

• Meditation and Guided Visualisation. If you think I’ve gone all crystal ball and hippie on you, well, I have in a way, but it is based in science. If you have had a bad experience with job loss or redundancy—-bitterness, anger and resentment are burdens that will negatively affect your job search and have serious repercussions on your health and well-being. Research has shown that people who have lost their jobs carry around unresolved negative feelings for two or more years. The Job Loss Recovery Program by Dr Lynn Joseph here is a scientifically tested protocol for relieving stress, providing emotional closure and setting you on the path to clearly envisage and pursue success in the next phase of your life and career. It’s inexpensive and if you really commit to the process (which includes getting comfortable, doing nothing, closing your eyes and actively day dreaming for 20 minutes, three times a week) it can be good for your career, your health and your soul. Don’t knock it until you try it. Buy the Audio Buy the Ebook

• Twitter. It’s free and it’s a pot of gold for career and job search advice. Join up and get searching. Look for hashtags #jobseekers. (Remember your manners and wait to make friends before you start bombarding the experts for free advice). Here’s a list I’ve created of resume writers and coaches to save you time and another one I’ve made here of resume writers, coaches, recruiters and career pros.

• Metadata Removal. No-one really thinks about the properties section on a resume created in Microsoft Word. Half the population wouldn’t even know what their resume looks like if they neglect to remove tracked changes from their resume documents. However, if you want to ensure your privacy about who wrote your document, on what machine, at what company and shield yourself from the reader reviewing comments by everyone who has looked at your resume document prior to submission, you’ll realise the importance of removing this personal data (or metadata) from your resume. This site does it for free. Please use it.
  

• Text-only Resumes (sometimes called ASCII resumes). Probably most people in Australia will never need or want a text-only resume. But if you ever want to paste your resume in an email or use it to fill in a online form to upload your resume, text-only resumes can come in very handy. (Sometimes uploads from Word resumes can delete text especially if it is in a table or text box). ASCII resumes can be a tad tricky if you’re not all that familiar with word processors so this site is a beauty. You do need to create a free account with them, but they do not spam. Once you’re logged in, go to “Text Article Formatter”. (And, if you want to find out the details you can find them here).

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Overwhelmed? Let’s stop here and pick up the subject again soon. In the meantime, why don’t you review the ideas and tips from my pals at the Career Collective below? Or look for the hashtag #CareerCollective on Twitter.

If your industry does not participate online, you can lead the way, @Keppie_Careers

6 Ideas to Put In Your Toolbox, @WorkWithIllness,

Your Best Job Search Resource? You!, @WalterAkana

In a Job Search, Knowledge is Power, @barbarasafani

Jump Start Your Job Search Now!, @resumeservice

Favourite Resources for Jobseekers, @GayleHoward

The Best Job Search Tool Ever, @careersherpa

Find What You Do Best, Know Your Stuff, and Connect, @chandlee

27 Recommended Blogs for Entry-Level Job Seekers, @heatherhuhman

Invaluable Resources for Job Search Success, @heathermundell

Favorite Social-Media Resources for Job-seekers, @KatCareerGal

Canadian Resources for Job Seekers, @EliteResumes @MartinBuckland

A Self-Empowering Job Search Resource, @KCCareerCoach

Covering your bases: 5 ultra-useful online career resources, @LaurieBerenson

Favorite resources for Job seekers, @DawnBugni

Top 3 Resources for Job Seekers to Position Themselves as Experts and Increase their Visibility, @expatcoachmegan

Time as a Career Resource: How “Not” to Squander It, @ValueIntoWords

Favorite Internet Resources for Jobseekers, @ErinKennedyCPRW

The Facts Behind Why LinkUp Is the Most Revolutionary Job Search Engine Available to Job Seekers, @GLHoffman