Cynthia:

I'm glad to hear that you are recovering well from your treatment and are ready to get back to work.

On the other hand, job boards like Career Builder are not a very good place to find a job.  I often tell my coaching clients that spending a day responding to ads on job boards is a day that would have been better spent at the beach. 

First of all, many jobs posted on job boards are there solely for the sake of compliance. When they advertise on a job board, employers can say that they made a bona fide effort to attract a wide range of diverse candidates.  From personal experience with my corporate consulting clients, I know that many jobs posted on job boards are jobs for which an internal candidate has already been identified.

Second, job boards hinder a targeted job search.  It becomes too easy to think, "I can do that job" and send off a resume instead of staying true to yourself and focusing on the type of job you want and the companies, schools, or non profits for whom you want to work.

I suggest you do a targeted job search.  First identify the exact type of job you want.  Then go looking for companies, schools or non profits in the area where you want to live that have a need for someone with your skills.  Network like crazy to get introductions to people in those organizations.  I suggest you use LinkedIn to network as you are looking for a job in an area different from where you live currently.

Hiring managers are more likely to give your resume a thorough look if it comes form someone they know and trust.  That's why networking is so important.

My suggestion is to empower yourself by doing a targeted job search -- not responding to ads on job boards.  You'll feel more in charge of you life and career if you do so.

All the best,

Bud Bilanich

Hi Cynthia,

Just to follow-up on Bud's great advice above, I want to recommend a couple of resources to help with your job search and networking. The first is our Job Search Toolkit, which has information on everything job-search related (including a chapter on networking) and can be ordered/downloaded for free here: http://www.cancerandcareers.org/publication_orders/new

The other resource that I would recommend, if you haven't already used it, is our free Resume Review Service, just submit your resume here for tailored feedback: http://www.cancerandcareers.org/resume_reviews/new

I hope that this is helpful and please let us know if you have any other questions.

Best,

Sarah, Associate Manager of Programs, Cancer and Careers

Thank you both for your wisdom.   I have already submitted my resume and will continue to try to network.  It seems like all of the connections I had made fell away during my treatment process and is very overwhelming trying to restart. I will keep plugging away and claiming success.  Again thank you and blessings to both. Cynthia