If you have been reading my blog for awhile, by now you know that I encourage you to thoroughly prepare yourself for interview situations in several ways, including research, review, and taking appropriate action to communicate your value to employers.
While these are extremely important and can either make or break your chances of generating a job offer, the truth is, if you don’t refine and maintain a professional image long before the interview, you may never have the opportunity to walk through that door in the first place. Organizations today have many methods of screening applicants prior to ever contacting them to schedule an interview. One of the easiest and most obvious places for you to begin to control your image is right in front of you- the internet.
If you are using a social networking site like MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, ClassMates, or Twitter, or if you have a personal blog, it’s time to go over it with the same fine-toothed comb an employer would. Four out of five organizations now report that they routinely search these sites and Google candidates before contacting them for interviews. In addition, since many employers now monitor employees as well, it's a wise practice to begin policing yourself now- after all, no one wants to get "Dooced"!
During a job search, you have by default become a salesperson, and your product is YOU. You have to develop an internal PR department to monitor that your every action, both online and in person, sends the correct message about your personal brand. It’s easy to unintentionally broadcast inappropriate, overly revealing, or negative messages about yourself on these sites if you fail to consider their value as branding tools. There is nothing professional about posting photos of your night life, vulgar language, or comments that reflect any potentially controversial beliefs or associations on these publicly accessible pages.
And remember- just because you may not be concerned about this now, doesn't mean it may not be a major problem later in your career. A wise man has said- "Once on the internet, always on the internet" and truer words may never have been spoken. You forever lose control of the material you post, how it is used, and who sees it the moment you hit “enter’, so be judicious. Don’t forget to take the next step and click through to the sites of your online friends that may be linked to your page- they may have posted pictures or comments about you that could be damaging as well.
Beyond content, inferences can be drawn by your use of these sites. Updating all day every day with every minute detail of your life tells an employer something about how productive you’re likely to be. So too does having multiple sites and pages that need attention regularly, or content that is out of sync with the message you’re trying to send professionally. Beware also who and what you are linked to online- having a large number of friends with unsavory profiles, or linking only to celebrity gossip sites, for example, sends a message in and of itself.
Conversely, thoughtful use of the internet- having a large and relevant professional network and a businesslike, unique and thoughtful blog or website with a dedicated following, can be quite attractive to an employer. Your personal brand is made up not only of your accomplishments, but also of every single person, group, image, comment, and site you allow yourself to be associated with. Choose wisely.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Effective Networking 101
How to Effectively Incorporate Networking Into Your Job Search
There are no rules, when it comes to networking
o Forget the old saying; it is who you know, but it is also what you know. Make sure you’re downloading your skills to the right people.
o There is no bad time to network. Grocery store, Starbucks, birthday parties, etc…
o Develop a mini-network of networkers. Meaning, solicit others share your cause and your objective.
"Sir, please step away from the computer"
o Look for face-to-face networking opportunities; you can build relationships through your computer, but not with your computer.
o Make sure you’re attending multiple (and different) networking events each week, and month
o Rule of thumb, if you recognize more than 5-10 people in the audience, it’s time to RSVP to a new event.
Identify what your trying to achieve through networking
o In this case, it’s looking for a job
o Target companies, staffing firms or positions that you’re interested in
o Attend events that maybe sponsored by these “targeted” companies. Develop a networking “buddy”
o Develop your 15 second elevator—focus on more on strengths, less on skill set and industry
Ask the Question
o If you don’t ask questions, you’ll never know the answer
o Identify the “give and take” moment: Be prepared to listen and offer to help others, but don’t forget to ask for assistance, a contact or follow-up meeting
Follow-Up and Deliver
o Follow-up is the hardest (and most often neglected) part of networking.
o If you offered to do something for someone else, don’t forget to deliver!
o Use social media tools to keep in touch, ask for a follow-up meeting (one on one), and send a thank you email
o Most important, do not stop developing your network. Continuously prioritize networking on your “to-do” list
This guest post was graciously provided by Jill Lemon, Career Consultant with Momentum Resources, Inc. Thank you for sharing this valuable information, Jill!
There are no rules, when it comes to networking
o Forget the old saying; it is who you know, but it is also what you know. Make sure you’re downloading your skills to the right people.
o There is no bad time to network. Grocery store, Starbucks, birthday parties, etc…
o Develop a mini-network of networkers. Meaning, solicit others share your cause and your objective.
"Sir, please step away from the computer"
o Look for face-to-face networking opportunities; you can build relationships through your computer, but not with your computer.
o Make sure you’re attending multiple (and different) networking events each week, and month
o Rule of thumb, if you recognize more than 5-10 people in the audience, it’s time to RSVP to a new event.
Identify what your trying to achieve through networking
o In this case, it’s looking for a job
o Target companies, staffing firms or positions that you’re interested in
o Attend events that maybe sponsored by these “targeted” companies. Develop a networking “buddy”
o Develop your 15 second elevator—focus on more on strengths, less on skill set and industry
Ask the Question
o If you don’t ask questions, you’ll never know the answer
o Identify the “give and take” moment: Be prepared to listen and offer to help others, but don’t forget to ask for assistance, a contact or follow-up meeting
Follow-Up and Deliver
o Follow-up is the hardest (and most often neglected) part of networking.
o If you offered to do something for someone else, don’t forget to deliver!
o Use social media tools to keep in touch, ask for a follow-up meeting (one on one), and send a thank you email
o Most important, do not stop developing your network. Continuously prioritize networking on your “to-do” list
This guest post was graciously provided by Jill Lemon, Career Consultant with Momentum Resources, Inc. Thank you for sharing this valuable information, Jill!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Taking the Mystery Out of Working With Recruiters, Part 1
***Jeff Jefferson, founder of Actum, Inc, located in Richmond, Virginia, has graciously provided this content to the Interview Angel blog. Thank you, Jeff!!**
The Role of the Recruiter-
Two things to remember about recruiters, 1. they are in the business of building relationships directly with the people who do the hiring, and 2. there are a lot of them out there. Companies are increasingly “outsourcing” non-revenue producing activities, and recruiting is one of those activities, so my point is this, recruiters aren’t going anywhere, and they can and should be part of your job search. Also, there are a large percentage of permanent job openings that never get advertised, and an even larger number that are contract or contract to hire only openings (more on that later). Recruiters are your only option for getting those jobs, and they can be great jobs with great employers.
Let me pull back the curtain on the types of recruiting firms.
Having worked at one of the largest recruiting firms in the country, and then starting one from the ground up, I feel pretty confident that I know how a vast majority of recruiting firms operate. There are really 4 types of firms for most purposes. The Big Boy, the multi-national, multi-vertical mammoth staffing company is the first type. This type of company is on many of the “vendor lists” for the large companies, and may or may not have small and medium sized clients. They may have dozens of recruiters sitting in your town, and a lot of them are not very far removed from college. Think “Boiler Room” meets a J-Crew add. This type of firm will almost always operate with a separation of duties, meaning that one person at the firm is the recruiter, who interfaces with you the candidate, and there is another person who interacts with the client and that person is called the Account Manager, or Sales Executive, etc… When working with the Big Boy, make sure you are aware of your specific recruiter’s skill level, as they will typically have very high turnover and hire a lot of greenhorns. The advantage of working with the Big Boy is their coverage. If you get with a good recruiter, they have a very broad view of the local employment market, and may be able to market you to many companies, increasing your odds, if you get with a bad one, it’s a crap shoot.
Next you have the Disadvantaged vendor. These are the firms that are designated as either women or minority owned and they are highly sought after by larger employers through their diversity supplier programs, so they are on all the vendor lists. They will range in size and makeup; they may resemble the Big Boy, however, they may not even have a representative in your town. If they have a local presence, the standard rules apply when working with them, if you get a call from their recruiter across the country, or even across the globe, all bets are off.
Next is the Regional Player, they are a lot like the Big Boy, but will typically do a lot of business with small and medium sized businesses. The large employers know who they are, but haven’t added them to the “vendor list” because they aren’t a national vendor or aren’t a Disadvantaged business. However, they will still work with the large employer as a “sub-vendor” through the Big Boy, or the Disadvantaged firms. They will typically have a good relationship with the person doing the hiring especially if they are working through the non-local Disadvantaged guys. Their recruiters will more than not, know a good bit about the specific jobs, and should be able to have an appropriate conversation with you about your background. The advantage with the Regional Player, is that their real target market is typically the small and medium sized employers, and right now in our current economic and employment situation, these are the companies that are doing the lion-share of the hiring.
Last but not least is the Boutique Firm, which is the small specialty or niche provider. This provider may separate duties, but more than not, these guys run a “full desk”. That means that the same person that is recruiting is also courting the local businesses for opportunities. These guys will typically only recruit for specific skill sets or technical expertise, and they will have very specific clients. They will know their clients well, and you will find that they will typically be versed in your area of expertise, because that is all they do. If you end up on the phone or in the office of one of these recruiters, its for a reason, they probably have a job for you. The only catch with these guys is, size; they may only fill one or two positions per month, so relationship and timing are key when dealing with the Boutique.
Read about how to work effectively with recruiters in Part II.
About the author:
Jeff Jefferson has successfully helped to grow multiple staffing and recruiting companies into industry leaders in their respective markets. Throughout his career he has focused on only two things, his clients, and his contractors. Check out his linkedin page at www.linkedin.com/in/jeffjefferson, and you will find numerous recommendations from both. While building his “book of business” Jeff has always taken the mindset that if you focus on solving your customers’ problems by providing the most qualified candidates possible for their hiring needs, you will be successful in the staffing business. The beauty of that mindset is that most people in the business do not share the sentiment, and it has helped to make Jeff one of the most successful staffing executives in the business.
The Role of the Recruiter-
Two things to remember about recruiters, 1. they are in the business of building relationships directly with the people who do the hiring, and 2. there are a lot of them out there. Companies are increasingly “outsourcing” non-revenue producing activities, and recruiting is one of those activities, so my point is this, recruiters aren’t going anywhere, and they can and should be part of your job search. Also, there are a large percentage of permanent job openings that never get advertised, and an even larger number that are contract or contract to hire only openings (more on that later). Recruiters are your only option for getting those jobs, and they can be great jobs with great employers.
Let me pull back the curtain on the types of recruiting firms.
Having worked at one of the largest recruiting firms in the country, and then starting one from the ground up, I feel pretty confident that I know how a vast majority of recruiting firms operate. There are really 4 types of firms for most purposes. The Big Boy, the multi-national, multi-vertical mammoth staffing company is the first type. This type of company is on many of the “vendor lists” for the large companies, and may or may not have small and medium sized clients. They may have dozens of recruiters sitting in your town, and a lot of them are not very far removed from college. Think “Boiler Room” meets a J-Crew add. This type of firm will almost always operate with a separation of duties, meaning that one person at the firm is the recruiter, who interfaces with you the candidate, and there is another person who interacts with the client and that person is called the Account Manager, or Sales Executive, etc… When working with the Big Boy, make sure you are aware of your specific recruiter’s skill level, as they will typically have very high turnover and hire a lot of greenhorns. The advantage of working with the Big Boy is their coverage. If you get with a good recruiter, they have a very broad view of the local employment market, and may be able to market you to many companies, increasing your odds, if you get with a bad one, it’s a crap shoot.
Next you have the Disadvantaged vendor. These are the firms that are designated as either women or minority owned and they are highly sought after by larger employers through their diversity supplier programs, so they are on all the vendor lists. They will range in size and makeup; they may resemble the Big Boy, however, they may not even have a representative in your town. If they have a local presence, the standard rules apply when working with them, if you get a call from their recruiter across the country, or even across the globe, all bets are off.
Next is the Regional Player, they are a lot like the Big Boy, but will typically do a lot of business with small and medium sized businesses. The large employers know who they are, but haven’t added them to the “vendor list” because they aren’t a national vendor or aren’t a Disadvantaged business. However, they will still work with the large employer as a “sub-vendor” through the Big Boy, or the Disadvantaged firms. They will typically have a good relationship with the person doing the hiring especially if they are working through the non-local Disadvantaged guys. Their recruiters will more than not, know a good bit about the specific jobs, and should be able to have an appropriate conversation with you about your background. The advantage with the Regional Player, is that their real target market is typically the small and medium sized employers, and right now in our current economic and employment situation, these are the companies that are doing the lion-share of the hiring.
Last but not least is the Boutique Firm, which is the small specialty or niche provider. This provider may separate duties, but more than not, these guys run a “full desk”. That means that the same person that is recruiting is also courting the local businesses for opportunities. These guys will typically only recruit for specific skill sets or technical expertise, and they will have very specific clients. They will know their clients well, and you will find that they will typically be versed in your area of expertise, because that is all they do. If you end up on the phone or in the office of one of these recruiters, its for a reason, they probably have a job for you. The only catch with these guys is, size; they may only fill one or two positions per month, so relationship and timing are key when dealing with the Boutique.
Read about how to work effectively with recruiters in Part II.
About the author:
Jeff Jefferson has successfully helped to grow multiple staffing and recruiting companies into industry leaders in their respective markets. Throughout his career he has focused on only two things, his clients, and his contractors. Check out his linkedin page at www.linkedin.com/in/jeffjefferson, and you will find numerous recommendations from both. While building his “book of business” Jeff has always taken the mindset that if you focus on solving your customers’ problems by providing the most qualified candidates possible for their hiring needs, you will be successful in the staffing business. The beauty of that mindset is that most people in the business do not share the sentiment, and it has helped to make Jeff one of the most successful staffing executives in the business.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Interviews are getting tougher. Are you ready?
With today's unprecedented rates of unemployment, competition for jobs is incredibly fierce. Because it is not uncommon for a single position to generate hundreds of qualified applicants, like the 700 applications recently submitted for a single janitorial position in Ohio; at many companies the hiring process has changed dramatically. Nowadays, hiring managers often find themselves resorting to creative, if not extreme, measures during the interview process to narrow the field.
Some of these strategies- like asking a candidate to solve a complicated mathematical problem, answer bizarrely hypothetical questions, ("if you were a food, what food would you be?") take online personality or skills assessments during the interview process, or observing how teams of candidates work together on contrived projects, (think "The Apprentice") have immediate, obvious value to employers as screening tools.
Other times, interviewers even go so far as to purposely insult or otherwise stress applicants to gauge reactions. As in most stressful situations, your best strategy here is readiness. It takes preparation to remain calm, good humored, confident, and poised under stress. Taking action during the interview by standing and demonstrating your points on a whiteboard, deep breathing, or allowing several seconds to gather your thoughts can help you remain focused and in control. While there is obviously no right or wrong answer to certain questions, getting too creative can backfire badly.
Don't let an attempt at wit undermine your performance here. It's okay to smile wryly in acknowledgement of a funny or unusual question. There's no reason to obsess over your answer, in most cases the interviewer just wants to observe you thinking on your feet and your mental and verbal agility.
To the hiring manager, observing how you perform in unexpected situations can yield important clues about traits like your flexibility, creativity, communication skills, critical thinking, and problem solving abilities. Ready yourself for these unanticipated interview scenarios by maintaining a strong network (news about unusual interview tactics usually travels fast!) and by working with local staffing firms and career consultants, who can frequently offer a "heads-up" when a company is known for using nontraditional strategies.
I would be amiss not to point out that these interview strategies often send a message about an organization’s values and corporate culture. If a company sees nothing wrong with keeping you waiting alone in a room for an hour, or insulting your personal beliefs, you should probably give careful consideration to whether the working environment would be a good fit for you before accepting an offer.
To perform well in a job interview today, you simply must be ready, willing and able to think quickly and articulate your message through interviews designed to disarm. Being relaxed and confident sends a message that you can handle high-pressure situations with grace and good humor- traits we all value in our co-workers when the going gets tough! Don’t wait until you have an interview scheduled. It’s important to start preparing now. You never know what opportunity might arise tomorrow.
Some of these strategies- like asking a candidate to solve a complicated mathematical problem, answer bizarrely hypothetical questions, ("if you were a food, what food would you be?") take online personality or skills assessments during the interview process, or observing how teams of candidates work together on contrived projects, (think "The Apprentice") have immediate, obvious value to employers as screening tools.
Other times, interviewers even go so far as to purposely insult or otherwise stress applicants to gauge reactions. As in most stressful situations, your best strategy here is readiness. It takes preparation to remain calm, good humored, confident, and poised under stress. Taking action during the interview by standing and demonstrating your points on a whiteboard, deep breathing, or allowing several seconds to gather your thoughts can help you remain focused and in control. While there is obviously no right or wrong answer to certain questions, getting too creative can backfire badly.
Don't let an attempt at wit undermine your performance here. It's okay to smile wryly in acknowledgement of a funny or unusual question. There's no reason to obsess over your answer, in most cases the interviewer just wants to observe you thinking on your feet and your mental and verbal agility.
To the hiring manager, observing how you perform in unexpected situations can yield important clues about traits like your flexibility, creativity, communication skills, critical thinking, and problem solving abilities. Ready yourself for these unanticipated interview scenarios by maintaining a strong network (news about unusual interview tactics usually travels fast!) and by working with local staffing firms and career consultants, who can frequently offer a "heads-up" when a company is known for using nontraditional strategies.
I would be amiss not to point out that these interview strategies often send a message about an organization’s values and corporate culture. If a company sees nothing wrong with keeping you waiting alone in a room for an hour, or insulting your personal beliefs, you should probably give careful consideration to whether the working environment would be a good fit for you before accepting an offer.
To perform well in a job interview today, you simply must be ready, willing and able to think quickly and articulate your message through interviews designed to disarm. Being relaxed and confident sends a message that you can handle high-pressure situations with grace and good humor- traits we all value in our co-workers when the going gets tough! Don’t wait until you have an interview scheduled. It’s important to start preparing now. You never know what opportunity might arise tomorrow.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
How to Stop Fishing at Job Fairs
On Thursday, more than 10,000 job seekers turned out for a job fair in New Hampshire. The turnout was so high, job fair organizers had to cut off admission after two hours.
With so many candidates flocking to these events, it is important that attendees understand how to make themselves stand out at a job fair. In Virginia, we have been a participating employer at multiple job fairs, and the lack of preparation on the part of candidates is both transparent and consistent.
Employers pay hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars for exhibit space at job fairs, and have put a lot of time and effort into the display and materials that they bring. If an organization is that serious about the job fair, you should be too. Most often there’s a website detailing the organizations that will be attending and the positions for which they are hiring.
Do your homework. Decide which organizations you’re interested in and why. Research them, and prepare targeted resumes and cover letters designed to highlight your value to the particular employers you want. If there’s nothing at the job fair that you’re interested in, it can still be a good networking opportunity, but you should treat it that way going in.
Expect that it is an opportunity to meet and greet, rather than dropping off a dozen resumes at companies you know nothing about. Employer representatives are doing initial screenings as they speak to attendees, and they can tell who has seriously researched them, and who is fishing. Those “fishing” resumes rarely garner a second look. The day of the event, no matter how casual the venue, dress and behave as if you’re headed to an interview. Arrive as early as possible. Take your padfolio, copies of your resume, business cards, and a working pen and notepad.
Silence your cell phone (yes, prospective candidates have stopped mid-conversation with us to answer their phones). Go directly to the tables of the employers you’ve targeted, introduce yourself, give your elevator speech, and drop off your resume, cover letter, and business card. Every event is different but you should be prepared to interview the day of the job fair if necessary. Ask for the business card of those you speak to, and make a note on the back after you leave the table, to remind yourself of key points about the person. It’s a good idea to know your schedule for the week or so after the job fair, so that you can tell prospective employers when, exactly, you’d be available for an interview, should they request one.
Follow up after a job fair is critical. The next day at the latest, send a Thank You note to anyone you may have connected with or spoken to, and a LinkedIn request if appropriate. The next week, if you haven’t heard anything, it’s appropriate to make a follow up phone call. Making every effort to stand out in a professional and courteous manner is key to being noticed in the crowds at job fairs.
With so many candidates flocking to these events, it is important that attendees understand how to make themselves stand out at a job fair. In Virginia, we have been a participating employer at multiple job fairs, and the lack of preparation on the part of candidates is both transparent and consistent.
Employers pay hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars for exhibit space at job fairs, and have put a lot of time and effort into the display and materials that they bring. If an organization is that serious about the job fair, you should be too. Most often there’s a website detailing the organizations that will be attending and the positions for which they are hiring.
Do your homework. Decide which organizations you’re interested in and why. Research them, and prepare targeted resumes and cover letters designed to highlight your value to the particular employers you want. If there’s nothing at the job fair that you’re interested in, it can still be a good networking opportunity, but you should treat it that way going in.
Expect that it is an opportunity to meet and greet, rather than dropping off a dozen resumes at companies you know nothing about. Employer representatives are doing initial screenings as they speak to attendees, and they can tell who has seriously researched them, and who is fishing. Those “fishing” resumes rarely garner a second look. The day of the event, no matter how casual the venue, dress and behave as if you’re headed to an interview. Arrive as early as possible. Take your padfolio, copies of your resume, business cards, and a working pen and notepad.
Silence your cell phone (yes, prospective candidates have stopped mid-conversation with us to answer their phones). Go directly to the tables of the employers you’ve targeted, introduce yourself, give your elevator speech, and drop off your resume, cover letter, and business card. Every event is different but you should be prepared to interview the day of the job fair if necessary. Ask for the business card of those you speak to, and make a note on the back after you leave the table, to remind yourself of key points about the person. It’s a good idea to know your schedule for the week or so after the job fair, so that you can tell prospective employers when, exactly, you’d be available for an interview, should they request one.
Follow up after a job fair is critical. The next day at the latest, send a Thank You note to anyone you may have connected with or spoken to, and a LinkedIn request if appropriate. The next week, if you haven’t heard anything, it’s appropriate to make a follow up phone call. Making every effort to stand out in a professional and courteous manner is key to being noticed in the crowds at job fairs.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Easy Way to Expand Your Network
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 70 percent of all jobs are found through networking. Dan Schawbel on Mashable noted it is as high as 80 percent.
So with LinkedIn membership increasing by one professional every second, how do you expand your network beyond the professionals with whom you have a direct relationship?
One opportunity may be to build a network bridge between LinkedIn and Twitter, and capitalize on a key benefit of each. LinkedIn promotes group memberships (e.g. by profession, college alumni, shared interest, or location) but outside of your immediate contacts, you are unlikely to go through a list of all 5,973 alumni of your school to find a potential networking opportunity.
Twitter, on the other hand, promotes open sharing of your professional identity, but it lacks an efficient way to identity and group common interests or backgrounds.
So how do you build a network bridge between the two?
It is actually quite simple and has proven to be kind of viral for my two alumni groups on LinkedIn - James Madison University Alumni Association and University of Virginia Alumni (UVA).
Here is my recommendation:
1. Start a simple discussion item in your LinkedIn group to get the discussion thread and network going.
For example...
Discussion Topic:
Group Members on Twitter?
Discussion Additional Details:
Respond to this post with your Twitter url and a brief discription so that other group members can follow you. Please look for opportunities here to establish connections, promote businesses, and support each other.
Please invite others to post as well.
Thanks,
Brent
http://twitter.com/InterviewAngel
2. Be the first person to respond to your discussion item so that other people see your example. This will keep the responses in a standard form and help get things going.
For example..
http://twitter.com/InterviewAngel
Description: Launched Interview Angel in December to provide job seekers an inexpensive tool to prepare for and use in interviews. Product also marketed to professionals in recruitment and human resources. Offering daily advice and referrals on Twitter to help people get hired.
By following this format, you are providing a direct url to your Twitter account so that people can easily follow you if they see a networking opportunity. Importantly, once the discussion thread gets going, you may quickly discover a valuable connection to someone else in your LinkedIn group. If you are the first person to start this viral discussion in your group, it will be like the Cheers theme song where everyone knows your name. You will always be listed at the top of the discussion thread. Can't beat that for publicity - whether you are a job seeker, recruiter, or entrepreneur!
Ever since I started these "discussion items" in some of my LinkedIn groups, the responses (and potential networking opportunities) have increased every day. Through this social media experiment, I have now built business connections with people across the country that, most likely, would never had been done otherwise, and these connections are increasing every week. Now, that's the power of social media to expand your network!
Since most groups in LinkedIn are private (e.g. you have to be a graduate of a certain school), I have created a new public group in LinkedIn with my company's namesake (Interview Angel) to demonstrate an example of this discussion thread in LinkedIn. You are welcome to check it out here.
If you are a job seeker or a professional in the business of helping other people get hired, you are welcome to add your Twitter url and description to the Interview Angel Twitter discussion thread. You are also welcome to add your information to this blog post.
Happy networking!
So with LinkedIn membership increasing by one professional every second, how do you expand your network beyond the professionals with whom you have a direct relationship?
One opportunity may be to build a network bridge between LinkedIn and Twitter, and capitalize on a key benefit of each. LinkedIn promotes group memberships (e.g. by profession, college alumni, shared interest, or location) but outside of your immediate contacts, you are unlikely to go through a list of all 5,973 alumni of your school to find a potential networking opportunity.
Twitter, on the other hand, promotes open sharing of your professional identity, but it lacks an efficient way to identity and group common interests or backgrounds.
So how do you build a network bridge between the two?
It is actually quite simple and has proven to be kind of viral for my two alumni groups on LinkedIn - James Madison University Alumni Association and University of Virginia Alumni (UVA).
Here is my recommendation:
1. Start a simple discussion item in your LinkedIn group to get the discussion thread and network going.
For example...
Discussion Topic:
Group Members on Twitter?
Discussion Additional Details:
Respond to this post with your Twitter url and a brief discription so that other group members can follow you. Please look for opportunities here to establish connections, promote businesses, and support each other.
Please invite others to post as well.
Thanks,
Brent
http://twitter.com/InterviewAngel
2. Be the first person to respond to your discussion item so that other people see your example. This will keep the responses in a standard form and help get things going.
For example..
http://twitter.com/InterviewAngel
Description: Launched Interview Angel in December to provide job seekers an inexpensive tool to prepare for and use in interviews. Product also marketed to professionals in recruitment and human resources. Offering daily advice and referrals on Twitter to help people get hired.
By following this format, you are providing a direct url to your Twitter account so that people can easily follow you if they see a networking opportunity. Importantly, once the discussion thread gets going, you may quickly discover a valuable connection to someone else in your LinkedIn group. If you are the first person to start this viral discussion in your group, it will be like the Cheers theme song where everyone knows your name. You will always be listed at the top of the discussion thread. Can't beat that for publicity - whether you are a job seeker, recruiter, or entrepreneur!
Ever since I started these "discussion items" in some of my LinkedIn groups, the responses (and potential networking opportunities) have increased every day. Through this social media experiment, I have now built business connections with people across the country that, most likely, would never had been done otherwise, and these connections are increasing every week. Now, that's the power of social media to expand your network!
Since most groups in LinkedIn are private (e.g. you have to be a graduate of a certain school), I have created a new public group in LinkedIn with my company's namesake (Interview Angel) to demonstrate an example of this discussion thread in LinkedIn. You are welcome to check it out here.
If you are a job seeker or a professional in the business of helping other people get hired, you are welcome to add your Twitter url and description to the Interview Angel Twitter discussion thread. You are also welcome to add your information to this blog post.
Happy networking!
Friday, March 27, 2009
How to Avoid Resume Gaps
There are many techniques that can be employed to prevent significant gaps in work history. Here are my top four recommendations (all of which look great on a resume and build valuable business connections):
1. Offer to produce something of value for free.
Employers are especially fond of professionals and students who present themselves as problem solvers instead of job seekers. If you are seeking a new position, offer to deliver something specific that you know you can hit the ground running (e.g. set of marketing ideas, research report, financial analysis). Set a short timeline such as two weeks and show them what you can do if employed.
2. Seek temporary or contract work.
Professionals should immediately contact local staffing firms about temporary or contract work if they are unemployed. These recruiters have visibility to short term opportunities that are often never publicized online. Contract work is a great work to get your foot in the door with an organization to see if there is a mutual fit.
3. Volunteer your services in your community.
Volunteering at a community-based organization is a great way to keep your skills up to date and to build connections. For example, if you are a project manager, offer to lead a project at the local arts or recreation center. Community work not only looks great on a resume, it also makes a difference in your town.
4. Pursue additional education and training opportunities
Use a period of unemployment as an opportunity to pursue professional or even personal goals such as taking computer classes or training for a marathon. Educational achievements, both short and long term, demonstrate that you are a motivated and goal oriented professional.
Final advice
There is nothing to be embarrassed about having gaps between regular employment (especially now) unless you take no action. What separates a smart professional from the majority of just "job seekers" is that they see themselves as problem solvers. They seize the opportunity between regular jobs to help others and to help themselves.
1. Offer to produce something of value for free.
Employers are especially fond of professionals and students who present themselves as problem solvers instead of job seekers. If you are seeking a new position, offer to deliver something specific that you know you can hit the ground running (e.g. set of marketing ideas, research report, financial analysis). Set a short timeline such as two weeks and show them what you can do if employed.
2. Seek temporary or contract work.
Professionals should immediately contact local staffing firms about temporary or contract work if they are unemployed. These recruiters have visibility to short term opportunities that are often never publicized online. Contract work is a great work to get your foot in the door with an organization to see if there is a mutual fit.
3. Volunteer your services in your community.
Volunteering at a community-based organization is a great way to keep your skills up to date and to build connections. For example, if you are a project manager, offer to lead a project at the local arts or recreation center. Community work not only looks great on a resume, it also makes a difference in your town.
4. Pursue additional education and training opportunities
Use a period of unemployment as an opportunity to pursue professional or even personal goals such as taking computer classes or training for a marathon. Educational achievements, both short and long term, demonstrate that you are a motivated and goal oriented professional.
Final advice
There is nothing to be embarrassed about having gaps between regular employment (especially now) unless you take no action. What separates a smart professional from the majority of just "job seekers" is that they see themselves as problem solvers. They seize the opportunity between regular jobs to help others and to help themselves.
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