Hi everyone,

Welcome to week two of my journey. so here is what I have accomplished since starting this blog. So I went to LinkedIn and fine tuned my profile on there by adding what I believe is a better picture. With the old one you really couldn't see myself much and so I added one that is a lot closer, so hopefully my shining personality comes through. lol

Next I crafted a welcome statement so that I am not sending a generic invite on linked in, I don't want these nice people thinking this is a numbers game for me on linkedIn. I am not trying to have the most friends on linkedIn, just hoping to makes quality network contacts that will help me along this journey.

Then I watched some football and well the Cowboys lost.....I mean really can you believe that. They are like 1-3 now it's ridiculous, especially with all the talent on that team ya know. Just had to add that in and vent about that loss. Ok back to business...lol

Finally I gathered up a list of zip codes that will help me target the invites that I want to make on LinkedIn. The goal for this month is 200 quality connections that can be of benefit to both parties. I really believe that mutual understanding works very well in accomplishing goals, so hopefully the people that I will reach out to will believe that as well.

To finish off as promised here is a new article for the week. It is about effectively planning your online search while job hunting.

Wish you all the best and thanks again for all your support.

Will

Article Title: Up the River without a Paddle - Have you Planned your Search?
Author Byline: CareerAlley
Author Website: http://CareerAlley.com

"And it goes on and on, oh, watching the river run, Further and further from things that we've done, Leaving them one by one." - Kenny Loggins

A number of years ago I went on a canoeing trip with my son's Boy Scout troop. Early one morning the Scout Master, six scouts, two canoes and I headed out for our trip. The plan was to canoe on a canal that was parallel with a river and come back on the river. We set out in the relatively calm water of the canal, stopping for lunch mid-day in a park. We then carried the canoes (dragged would be a better description) about 100 yards to the river to head back to where we started. Unfortunately, we were now paddling up river. The scouts were exhausted and most of the paddling was done by the Scout Master and me. At the end of the very tiring trip back (I don't think I was able to lift my arms for three days), I asked the Scout Master - "Why didn't we canoe up the canal and down the river?" and he said "that would have been a good idea". So what's the point? Job search is not a random event, you need to have your plan in place before you find yourself up the river without a paddle.

Company Reviews and Ratings:

• JobVent.com - This site also has reviews (by employees) of companies. The main page has the alphabet at the top to browse companies, followed by "I love my job / I hate my job" where you can search what employees think. You can search by name or by City/State.

• Glassdoor.com – Another review site, glassdoor.com started with salaries (everyone shares) but also has company reviews written by employees. This first page of this website is split into three sections - Salaries, Company Reviews and Interview questions. Click on "reviews for all companies" and start your review. Select your country on the map (if you are brave) or use the links below the map. The highest rated companies are listed followed by reviews by industry.

The Best Job Hunting Blogs - Okay, I have to admit there is some self-promotion here (CareerAlley is on this list), but this truly is a list of the very best job hunting blogs provided by Onlineschools.org. While I've not reviewed them all, I have reviewed quite a few and all of my favorites are here (like Jobmob and Tim's Strategy). Take a look at the other blogs listed here as well.

Job Hunting - Headhunters - From Forbes "Best of the Web" series, a short list of recruiters with reviews and links.

Job Sites: Reviews - A review of job search sites from Consumersearch.com, there is an overview of some sites with links and reviews. Click the "what to look for" tab to get some great tips as well.

Good luck in your search.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.