Tools for the Job Search

I have been in a full-time job search for the past month now, and I wanted to share some of the tools that I have found most helpful or otherwise entertaining:


-Indeed.com - a must for any job searching. It searches all of the other job boards!
-LinkedIn - This is a good site even if you're not specifically looking for a job. It's a professional networking site that allows you to see the compounding value of your network. As you connect with more people, the people that they know can become part of your loose network!
-jibberjobber - I'm playing with this as a tool to track my job hunt and networking efforts. It's takes a bit of learning… We'll see how much I continue to use it for my job tracking.


Job/Career-related Blogs I have enjoyed:
-Penelopetrunk.com - This is one of the first blogs that I checked out, and it has lots of good advice, and not just about career topics. Explore the categories that interest you in her archives!
-Keppie Careers - a good site that's regularly updated and focused to the job search and resume creation!
-Water Cooler Wisdom - Alexandra Levit provides interesting thoughts on what's going on in the work environment. While not specifically about the job search, she's very interesting to read!
-Dan Schwabel's Personal Branding Blog - personal branding guru! Tons of stuff, although I sometimes find it a bit daunting to package oneself as forcefully as I sometimes feel that he presents.

A month in Chicago

I've been in Chicago for just over a month now, and I'm really liking the city! Overall, I've found people here to be friendly, and I seem to enjoy myself more in the more urban environment than Madison, WI.

What have I been up to?

• Lots of running, especially in the Bucktown/Wicker Park area. I recently ran the Bucktown 5k and did very well for myself!
• Hot Yoga. This is yoga in a 105 degree room, for 90 minutes. Yes, it's very sweaty, but I like it, and you get to do each pose twice, so you get an immediate chance to improve upon your first try.
• Exploring the city. I saw a bunch of "aircraft" try to fly but mostly fall into Lake Michigan, explored a Mexican street market, and also seen more of the city's nightlife. Whatever you might be looking for, there is definitely something to do in Chicago.
• Meeting up with old friends.
• Reading more.
• Searching for my next job.

The job search has been my main focus, but I would be going crazy if it weren't for the other fun things going on! I'm definitely enjoying my free time here, although I appreciate the more active and slightly more structured environment of an office. But I'm sure that once I start a job, I'll be looking back wistfully on these more open-ended days!