Searching & Applying for Jobs

Today we'll help you with: 

• Where to look for jobs, and how to apply 
• How to reach out to recruiters and potential employers
• Organizing your job search

Employment websites:
www.ziprecruiter.com
www.JobsInLogistics.com
www.JobsInTrucks.com
www.JobsInMfg.com
www.AllRetailJobs.com
www.fleetjobs.com
www.indeed.com
www.glassdoor.com
www.linkedin.com
www.simplyhired.com
www.idealist.org
www.careerbuilder.com
www.monster.com
www.flexjobs.com
www.care.com
And your local Chamber of Commerce!

Pinto Employment Search LLC - Logistics & Supply Chain Recruiters
Chris & Nancy Pinto, Owners
Website:  https://www.pintoemployment.com/

• Chris Pinto:
  Phone: 908-578-5814
  Email:  chris.pinto@pintoemployment.com
  www.linkedin.com/in/chrispintoemployment
• Nancy Pinto
  Phone: 201-988-2293
  Email:  nancy@pintoemployment.com
  www.linkedin.com/in/nancypinto

Thank you for listening! Please subscribe, share and rate!
Chris Pinto
https://www.chrispinto.com/
IG: @chrispeterpinto
FB: https://www.facebook.com/chris.pinto.940
Twitter: @chrispeterpinto
LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pinto-employment-search-llc/
Email: chrispintoactor@gmail.com

Music and Sound FX Credits: https://freepd.com/

Transcript

NANCY:   Whether you asked for a job transition or not, searching for a new position can be scary, frustrating and disheartening.  Times and technologies change quickly, and there’s a lot to organize!  But the journey can just as easily be exciting, fruitful and rewarding.  I’m Nancy Pinto. 

CHRIS:  And I’m Chris Pinto.  Together we own Pinto Employment Search, an executive recruiting firm specializing in the supply chain and logistics industry.  Our combined experience in transportation jobs and recruiting is over 50 years!  We’re here to help you navigate the world of resume writing, job applications, interviews, negotiating compensation, and everything in between - to help you land the job you want!  Once a week, we will also release an episode where we announce current job openings we’re working on.  

NANCY:  Welcome to the Job Search SOS Podcast! Today we’re gonna discuss the job search and application process.  The whole experience can feel like you’re running around in a MAZE.  But we want it to be A-MAZE-ING!  

CHRIS:  Let me take over from here!  We’ll visit different places online where you can find career opportunities, company directories, and people in your chosen field that you might wanna connect with.  We’ll give you our thoughts on the best way to reach out to potential employers, recruiters, and industry contacts.  And we’ll talk about how to apply for a job with your best foot forward.  

NANCY:   As I’ll say every so often, the VERY FIRST thing to do is to get in the right mindset.  

CHRIS:  Looking for a job is now your full time job.

NANCY:  Sit down with your laptop, a cup of coffee, and as many free hours ahead as you can spare.  The easiest way to start is to spread the word to everyone in your circle - personal and professional - that you’re looking for a job.  In business, LinkedIn remains a tremendous networking resource for many different industries.  Letting family and friends know you’re in the market is a pretty casual affair.  But for the professional approach needed out in the world, you should prepare a brief announcement that you can post for all to see.  For example, “Hi!  I hope you and yours are doing well.  I just wanted to let my network know that I’m available for employment.  If you know of any opportunities in customer service, I’d love to be considered.  I’ll be happy to provide a resume and answer any questions you may have.  Thank you for your time!”  Don’t forget to include your contact information!  

CHRIS:  If there’s a particular company you’d love to work for, try to find out who’s in charge, either in HR or in the department you’re interested in. LinkedIn is a very acceptable way to meet someone.  When approaching companies, think about JFK.  Not the airport...THE PRESIDENT.  Ask not what the company can do for you, but what you can do for the company.  You’ll stand out in a sea of job seekers.  And don’t take it personally if you don’t get a 100 percent response rate, or you’re not contacted for a particular job.  There could be any number of reasons.  

NANCY:   It might feel awkward to reach out to strangers if you’ve never had to do this before.  Trust me, as I’ll probably say a bunch of times, I’m an introvert, so I get it.  But after a while, it’ll get smoother.  

CHRIS: If you’re reaching out to someone via email, don’t just fling a resume at them and say nothing, or even worse, “Here’s my resume. Now go find me a job” (which has actually happened to us). Maybe they were trying to be funny, but that can get lost in translation.  You can’t go wrong with a brief note, including hello, please, thank you, and let me know how I can help. 

NANCY:  Don’t include attachments in an email unless specifically requested. Managers receive tons of email, and you don’t want yours to get lost in the shuffle.  Most organizations nowadays - even small companies, like Pinto Employment Search -  have a website, portal or operating system they prefer to receive resumes through.  These systems organize information and can automatically scan resumes for keywords, so that yours is flagged - in a good way - as a potential hire! 

CHRIS:   One more point on this that can never be overstated:  if you’re not sure who the hiring managers are, address all emails and cover letters in a neutral way. To whom it may concern, Dear Hiring Manager, Attention Human Resources.  Almost anything is better than, “Dear Sir.”   

NANCY:  A good place to start is by searching the main, well-known job boards for opportunities in your skill set and location.  Armed with an updated resume (listen to episode 2 for some resume writing tips), follow their instructions for applying to any job that piques your interest.  You wanna make it easy for HR to contact you.  

CHRIS: If there are fields for email and phone, fill those in.  If there are requests for more information (for instance, are you willing to relocate?), answer the questions. If they require a resume, don’t attach your LinkedIn profile.  Attach the resume, and make sure it’s rotated correctly (please, don’t make the hiring manager have to turn their PC or their head sideways to read it).   

NANCY:   Besides the general job boards, there are many industry-specific job boards and recruiting companies that you should explore.  For example, Chris and I are recruiters who worked for cargo transportation companies for many years, and now cater to the logistics and supply chain industry.  And within logistics there are sub-industries, for example, warehousing, trucking, aviation, maritime, and so on. 

CHRIS: We’ll put a list of job search websites in the show notes that you may or may not be familiar with.  Each of these is a world on their own, and doing a Google search will bring up a ton of target companies.   Make a list of the ones that appeal to you, even if they’re not actively advertising a job opening.  You can come back to that list later to do more research and determine whether or not you’d like to reach out to them.

NANCY:  Other resources include industry and business memberships - such as your local Chamber of Commerce, as well as temp agencies and flex time/work from home opportunities that can serve as a bridge between full time jobs.  Try to find reviews and news about any company you’re targeting that might help nudge you in one direction or another.

CHRIS:  It’s important to organize your search in a way that makes sense to you and is easy to access.  You wanna track your activities, especially if you’re applying to a lot of different companies and positions.  Oftentimes HR managers or recruiters will read your resume and pick up the phone then and there to have a chat with you.  We can sense the deer in the headlights as you attempt to figure out who we are, and what job we’re calling about.  

NANCY:  Even a simple spreadsheet can help, where you just input the company, recruiter or job board, job title, date of application, and contact person if applicable.  Update it as you get more information.  Get creative.  For example, color code different stages of the application and interview process!  When you land that new job, AND WE KNOW THAT SOONER OR LATER YOU WILL, file it away.  You’ve learned a lot on this journey, maybe made a new connection or two along the way.  You never know when that list will come in handy again, maybe even for someone else.    

CHRIS:   We hope you found some new avenues to traverse in your job search adventure.  We’d love to hear YOUR suggestions on where to network and look for a job!  

NANCY: Next time, we’ll communicate about communication!  While as a society - and since the advent of the emoji - we’ve adopted a more informal style of communication, there are some timeless practices that still serve us well when reaching out to business contacts.    

CHRIS:  We’ll also drop a weekly episode to announce the hottest logistics jobs we’re working on.  Our website and contact info will be in the show notes of every episode, so please feel free to share with anyone you know, and reach out with comments, questions, or just to say hello!

NANCY: Thank you for listening to the Job Search SOS Podcast!  
Please visit www.pintoemployment.com and feel free to reach out to us.  See you next time! 

Pinto Employment Search LLC - Logistics & Supply Chain Recruiters
Chris & Nancy Pinto, Owners
Website:  https://www.pintoemployment.com/

Chris Pinto: 
Phone: 908-578-5814
Email:  chris.pinto@pintoemployment.com
www.linkedin.com/in/chrispintoemployment

Nancy Pinto
Phone: 201-988-2293
Email:  nancy@pintoemployment.com  
www.linkedin.com/in/nancypinto

Job Search/Employment Sites:
www.ziprecruiter.com
www.JobsInLogistics.com
www.JobsInTrucks.com
www.JobsInMfg.com
www.AllRetailJobs.com
www.fleetjobs.com
www.indeed.com
www.glassdoor.com
www.linkedin.com
www.simplyhired.com
www.idealist.org
www.careerbuilder.com
www.monster.com
www.flexjobs.com
www.care.com
And your local Chamber of Commerce