Referrals and recommendations are an important part of the job searching process, whether online or off. Job searchers should, as a rule, consistently seek these while job searching. You can never have enough, but five or so recommendations/referrals that are current (last 6 months) are important to keep in your file.

As we discussed before, a Linked In profile can be essential to a solid job search. Within the Linked In profile options; there is an area for recommendations where the people who are connected with you on Linked In can write a recommendation about you. Often people trade recommendations. As an example, I recently taught a class on social media marketing and one attendee afterwards was especially enthusiastic about the class and all that she had learned. She asked how she could “thank” me and I told her the best way was to write me a quick recommendation on Linked In. She agreed, and I wrote her one back.

But wait! I had only known the woman a couple hours and only in a class setting. Could I really recommend her for a job? No, but this didn’t make me uncomfortable writing a recommendation. Why? Because a recommendation should focus on only what you know. I clearly stated that she attended one of my classes, that she asked good questions and seemed very detail-oriented and willing to learn. That was the honest truth and I clearly stated that I didn’t know her well. But it helped her build her recommendations and the one she wrote about me (clearly focused on the class she took) also helped me when someone else was looking for social media people to speak at a conference.

A recommendation should also only focus on the good points of a person. Although on Linked In, the connection has a final choice whether to publish it or not, positive is the name of the game and the most professional way to approach a recommendation. “I liked Mike until he showed up for work late two days in a row” is not acceptable and reflects poorly on the writer, as well as Mike. So if you can’t think of positives or are uncomfortable, don’t write a recommendation. I do have one writer connection on Linked In who is continuously asking for one. I keep saying no to her because at this point we haven’t connected at all outside of Linked In. If I hired her to write for me, I would probably be able to write her a recommendation but in the meantime, I won’t.

Don’t be afraid to ask for a recommendation from a connection. You can never have too many and it gives a wonderful impression to those employers who are looking at your profiles.  As soon as I conduct business with someone, meet them in person or collaborate with them in some way, I ask for one. Do I always get one? Of course not. But every bit helps.

Search for healthcare jobs now!

Twitter is another social site that can be helpful when job searching. With the wonders of modern technology, those who list job openings can automatically post each job to twitter as they are listed, giving you the heads up that something has become available within the category that you are searching. In addition, job posts are a popular retweet-meaning that people often pass on information about jobs posted to their own followers.

If you don’t have a Twitter account yet, go to Twitter and sign up using your email. Once you activate your account, log in with your information. You will already be following people as Twitter has this set up automatically, and if you want to you can easily unfollow them by clicking on their name and then using the option to unfollow under the sunshine. Click on “profile” to see the page that other people see when clicking on your username.

To change your background, choose “settings” and then “design”. Twitter provides several optional backgrounds, or you can upload a photo for your background. You can also change the colors of font for your links and your sidebar colors. Experiment until you find options that you like and then click on “home” to see the results.

We do recommend that you both upload a small picture (60 pix) for your avatar and that you also include a one-line bio. To do this, go to “settings” and then choose “profile”. If you have a website, list that there as well.

Now you are on Twitter and it’s a great time to search job listings and also develop relationships with people who can recommend you for job positions. To start this, use the “find people” tab at the top of your page. Search for the words in your specialty and follow those people who might be a resource in your job search. You also have the ability to create a list if you want to place different accounts in various categories. Also follow our list of 176 (and growing) health organizations/recruiters that regularly post jobs and check it on a regular basis.

Here are some accounts of ours to follow for job listings:

RadiologyJob

StaffNurseJob

TravelNurse_Job

Pharmacy_Job

NursingMgmtJobs

Surgery_Jobs

RadTechJobs

BioTech_Job

Physicians_Job

Hospital_Jobs

Nursing_Job

If you want to connect with us on other news in addition to job listings, follow us on our main account at HospitalDrmJobs. See you on Twitter!

“I think the needs of both the job seekers and employers are in getting lost in the current environment,” says Hospital Dream Jobs founder, Allison Rapaport. “My goal is to listen to their needs and have the website evolve to meet these needs.”

In 2008, Rapaport brought together her experience in web development, communications and job searching with her interest in healthcare to develop Hospital Dream Jobs.  Because she also had contacts in the healthcare and technology field, there was a natural fit with developing content for the site as well.

The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Hospitals/Employers are excited about the ability to search for qualified leads to fill positions and receive alerts from Hospital Dream Jobs with links to the resume of interested parties. They also enjoy the added coups of being featured via video clips on the site and on the Hospital Dream Jobs blog. The ability to set up a profile page with more about their facility is another popular option.

For job seekers, the site is a virtual goldmine as it not only lists jobs listed with Hospital Dream Jobs but also pulls in listings from other healthcare job sites. In addition, there are numerous job resources, including lists of top hospitals, educational podcasts, links to educational facilities/hospitals and a list of recruitment and staffing agencies. The site has 400 job categories and thousands of listings. The job seeker also enjoys the ability to upload their resume/cover letter, send and receive messages, save job searches, create job alerts and learn more detail about the particular hospitals that interest them.

The goals for Hospital Dream Jobs include:

1. Provide quality and a high quantity of healthcare job listings from all parts of the country.

2. Support job seekers as they progress in their career. Offer job listings, tools to track their job search, career advice and resources, and information to stay current.

3. Offer hospitals and recruiters great advertising for their organization and the ability to attract the best in personnel.

4. Maintain an environment that is personable and responsive for all users.

Join us today by signing up for a Job Seeker or Employer account!