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Do You Know What You’re Looking For?

Original Post: Do You Know What You’re Looking For?

So often, I have people that are looking for a new job, network with me but they can’t tell me what kind of position they are seeking. Sometimes they only know they don’t want to do the same thing as their previous position, or they don’t want to ‘limit’ their options, or they just don’t know what’s available. They tell me they are “open right now”.
I can’t help you if you can’t tell me what it is you want!
That may sound obvious, but to a great many job seekers it’s the biggest obstacle to getting meaningful leads. Before you send your resume to a job posting, or go to a networking meeting, or pursue specific companies, take the time and put in the effort to figure out what you want to do and what you are looking for.
Here are some ways to help you figure that out:

~ Take assessment tests to help you figure out your strengths, and understand your personality better. Google “career assessment test” and you will find a multitude of options. I recommend taking multiple tests to see if you get consistent results.
~ Ask family, friends and previous co-workers what they think your strengths and abilities are. Often others see talent and passions in us we didn’t recognize ourselves.
~ Evaluate your previous jobs and determine what aspects and tasks you enjoyed or did well to help you discover what new position would be most appealing. Also, separate your tasks from where, and with whom you did them. Often it wasn’t a job you disliked, but rather the company or culture.
~ Research what kinds of jobs exist related to your interests. You can do this by searching online job boards, getting guidance at your state’s workforce centers, asking others you know, and other online resources. Be realistic as to what you can get hired for with the skills and experience you have, however, for most people there are more options than they might initially realize.
This process may take some time. However, once you determine what your target is, you will be much more effective at communicating a specific objective to others and they will be much more able to give you guidance and effective leads and referrals.
Know what you are looking for!

Why LinkedIn Recommendations Really Are Valuable

Original Post: Why LinkedIn Recommendations Really Are Valuable

LinkedIn recommendations are like public reference letters, but are they too positive to have any credibility?

In a blog post titled “
Requested Recommendations on Social Networks: Why I Won’t Do It“, web strategist Jeremiah Owyang weighs in against recommendations on LinkedIn. Although what he says has a lot of merit, ultimately this is an example of throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

In his article, Jeremiah sums up by saying-

I Won’t be Giving LinkedIn Recommendations

Although I’ve only given honest recommendations in LinkedIn, I won’t be giving anymore recommendations on that platform (at least for the foreseeable future), instead, I’ll use my blog and Twitter to provide them in a more organic area where there aren’t obvious filters –making the recommendations count even more. The challenge of course is finding them will not be easy.

If his blog post was initially aimed at requested recommendations from him, and even though he mentioned examples of people who found jobs using LinkedIn recommendations, Jeremiah’s conclusion is that all LinkedIn recommendations are cheapened by the way the system is almost entirely geared towards positive recommendations.

That may be true, but here are 3 reasons why I think Jeremiah is wrong to completely stop using LinkedIn recommendations.

1) The job search process is a sales process.

When you’re trying to sell something to someone, one rule is to not give them objections, i.e. reasons not to buy. Stress the positive over the negative.

Even if LinkedIn is only a few years old, this idea is not. Before LinkedIn recommendations, people had (and still have) references and recommendation letters and can choose which ones to give and which ones not to give to a recruiter. By deciding whose recommendations to seek or which ones to hide, you are simply making these same kinds of sales decisions on LinkedIn.

In either case, it’s up to the recruiter to decide whether more reference-checking is needed.

2) The relation between the recommender and the recommended is what matters most.

Not all recommendations carry the same weight or should. Here’s how to rank them:

Best - a recommendation from someone by whom you were employed, such a past boss or client.
Useful - a recommendation by someone who witnessed your results firsthand or was directly impacted by them, such as a colleague or business partner.
Sometimes useful - a recommendation by someone who is impressed by you or your work, like a fan, friend or family member.

You can always click through to see more information about the person who actually made the recommendation and where they are in this ranking.

3) LinkedIn is reliable.

It’s fairly difficult for someone to fake recommendations on their own. If your profile shows that you have recommendations from your last employer, that recommendation almost certainly came from them and is less likely to be faked than a typed or handwritten letter. And of course, you could usually use LinkedIn itself to find other people to confirm the source of the recommendation. Compare this with a typed letter where often the only sign of authenticity is a company letterhead.

Even if I disagree with Jeremiah’s conclusions, his blog post inspired me to rewrite the recommendations section of my
Gigantic Tips Guide for Finding Jobs With LinkedIn by putting less emphasis on the
numbers game and more on the recommendation sources.

If you liked this article and appreciate what I’m trying to do with JobMob, you can leave me a recommendation on
my LinkedIn profile.

Originally published a version of this article on the terrific
Personal Branding Blog.

What Advice Would YOU Give To Job Searching Baby Boomers?

Original Post: What Advice Would YOU Give To Job Searching Baby Boomers?

Baby Boomers are aging picture: realestate.co.nz

When I was downsized last December, I knew exactly where to look. I knew who to talk to, I knew who to solicit advice from and I knew what I wanted to do.

And it still took two months and a lot of luck to find a gig.

What if my job search was for something that DIDN’T relate to the internet as much as mine does? What if I was an instructor, a teacher for safety products or another profession B2B profession that REQUIRED on-site time, dealt with a group that hadn’t yet mastered technology or who just didn’t care?

My dad is going through this. My hard working, never quit and never give up dad has found himself on the wrong of a company downsizing and I’m having trouble figuring out how to aid him in his job search.

Does he make YouTube videos of what he can do? Start a blog? Join Twitter?

He’s a safety product representative, an industry I know nothing about.

So, what would you do? What advice would you give a baby boomer with average tech skills and lots of free time? How does he market himself?

Your Social Media Power Belt: 5 Powerful Tools You Need For Your Job Search

Original Post: Your Social Media Power Belt: 5 Powerful Tools You Need For Your Job Search

A short list of useful social media tools that will help you manage and organize your job search.

This a guest post by Patrick Ambron.

The job hunt can be overwhelming and scary, especially during a recession. If you can’t relate to that statement, you’ve either never had a job or you work for your dad.

Between browsing for openings, researching companies, preparing for interviews, touching up your resume and networking, it often feels like there is too much to do and nowhere to start.

So how do you maintain an edge? With your job search social media power belt.

5 kinds of social media tools for your job search

1) Google Reader & Google Alerts

These Google tools make the job search significantly easier by bringing the important information to you, rather than the other way around. With Google tools you can:

Keep up to date with industry trends and news. Find relevant blogs via
AllTop and subscribe to them with your Google reader. Take time each day to browse through them then share them with your network.

Subscribe to job listings by keyword and position. Instead of spending hours sifting through job site after job site for a small handful of appropriate positions, simply subscribe to specific job titles. You save valuable time and gain insight towards which type of positions are hiring

Subscribe to job search topics by keyword. Frankly, going out and finding valuable job search articles is a waste of time you don’t have. Instead, subscribe to keywords using Google Alerts in areas you need help. For example, you may want to aggregate articles related to interview tips, resume writing, cover letter writing, etc.

2) Delicious

Delicious is an extremely convenient job search tool and can act as a filter for all the information piling up in your Google Reader.

Any time you come across a helpful article regarding some aspect of the job search, bookmark it for later reference. I would recommend creating lists for the following categories:

Interviews

Resumes

Cover letters

Personal branding

Personal website creation

Networking

Social networking

General job search strategies.

Have an interview tomorrow? No problem, you have an entire library of interview tip articles. Need to target your resume? Simple, just browse through all the resume guides you’ve bookmarked.

3) Personal Websites/Online resumes

Google is now your first impression. 83% of
employers Google potential applicants and almost half make decisions based on what they find. You need to create favorable results that showcase your talents in the best light possible.

Blogs. There is no better way to establish your credibility in your field and show employers you are a thoughtful, continual learner. I’d recommend
WordPress,
TypePad or
Blogger.

Online/video resumes. Pick up where your paper resume left off. Online resumes can showcase portfolios, past work, presentations and endorsements. A video resume is also a personal and impressive touch. I recommend sites like
VisualCv and
LinkedIn.

4) Twitter

I’ve written about this topic extensively in the past. Twitter is a powerful networking and promotional tool. You can build credibility, build meaningful networks, and even find a job.

Create a targeted, professional profile. Focus like a laser on building a profile that describes who you are and what you bring to the table. Include links and calls to action to your other professional profiles.

Build a meaningful network. Follow major players in your industry using tools like
Twellow, to interact with them and put yourself on their radar. Use twitter search to find conversations related to your field and start joining them.

Establish yourself as an authority by adding value. Share and post interesting articles. Answer questions. Reply to industry experts. Retweet people in your network. Establish yourself as a thoughtful, contributing member in your field.

Find new opportunities. Subscribe to
job postings via character and location. Leverage your twitter network to let them know what you are looking for.

5) LinkedIn

According to a recent survey, 75% of job recruiters now use LinkedIn to research prospects. Translation: LinkedIn has the power to make or break your job chances.

Paint a comprehensive, professional picture of yourself. Your profile is not just your resume posted online. It is a chance to show who you are, professionally and personally. Upload a head shot, add presentations and white papers, and post a few powerful recommendations.

Build a meaningful, professional network. Search for people you have a connection with, through various affiliations: schools, companies, etc.

Establish yourself as an authority. Join groups related to your industry. Answer questions, share insights, offer your help. Once again, establish yourself as a thoughtful, contributing member of your field.

Find new opportunities. Once you have proven yourself to be a worthy member, your community and network will be willing to help you out. Let them know you are looking for something. Also use LinkedIn job search and find people in the company of interest. Find a mutual connection to introduce you two.

It is important to note that these are tools not solutions. They do not replace traditional techniques, but they do extend them by making the process more efficient and easier to manage.

About the author

Patrick Ambron is head of online/social media marketing strategy at
brand-yourself.com, named one of the 100 most innovative college start-ups in the country. Along with brand-yourself, Patrick helps a handful of businesses devlop & implement their online strategies. Patrick is always interested in meeting smart and forward thinking individuals and you connect with at
@pcambron or his personal blog
www.patrickambron.com.

Interview with a Successful Social Media Job Seeker

Uploaded on July 24, 2008
by Pasquale D'Silva

Yesterday, I had a great conversation with Danny Cox who is helping to pioneer a new way of Job Seeking. I found Danny on Twitter because of his recent success in getting a great interview. Watch the video below to get some GREAT tips that you can use tonight.

Just to summarize the video:

Danny has only been using social media for his job search for just 2 months. And his parting words were, “I wish I had started sooner”. If you are holding off on starting this, then it’s time to jump right in. Danny, a senior in college, was able to get a killer job interview in 2 months without spending a penny. I argue that it should be even easier for a returning professional with more experience to bring to the table.

Here is Danny’s Twitter strategy:

Tweet about potentially interesting topics to target companies. Let them know you are in the job market in your profile
Use Twellow to identify people/companies in the location and field you are targeting
Because your profile and tweets are interesting, they are more likely to follow you back
Begin to tweet about specific companies you are targeting by name, asking for more info, letting them know you are searching

Companies search twitter to see what people are saying about them. By using their name, your messages get read.

Danny’s Twitter Profile has a link to his blog. You might have one to your LinkedIn profile or VisualCV. So that companies can get more information, including contact information.

Finally, Danny uses his blog to provide value to his readers, rather than using a blog as a place to emote. He learned a ton from Brazen Careerist, a great community to be involved if you are a job seeker looking to stand out of the crowd.

93 Most Linked To Articles of Top Job Search and Career Blogs

Original Post: 93 Most Linked To Articles of Top Job Search and Career Blogs

These are some of the most popular articles from the top English job search and career blogs in the world.

If you think I’ve missed any, please tell me in the comments below.

This article took a long time to compile. Enjoy!

Job search strategies

Recessions, Layoffs & Unemployment

Personal branding & marketing

College Graduates & Gen-Y

Job interviews

Resumes

Job search resources

Social media

Facebook

Twitter

Entrepreneurship & Freelancing

Productivity

In the workplace

General

Phew…
The idea for this article came from my blogger friend Jacob Cass, with his The Most Linked to Pages of Top Design Blogs, in which he explains how to make a list like this one using Yahoo! Site Explorer.

If you liked this resource, you’ll also enjoy 39 Best Job Search Tip Articles of 2008.

Subscribe to JobMob via RSS or email and follow me on Twitter for more favorites from the best career blogs.

-- Jacob Share, Job Search Expert and Professional Blogging Consultant

Is The Business Card Still Relevant For Students And Recent Grads?

Original Post: Is The Business Card Still Relevant For Students And Recent Grads?

Published May 11 2009, 05:31 PM by Ross Taylor

The short answer is YES. But how, in an age of digital everything, can this small piece of cardstock hold so much power?

It travels from the designer, to the print shop, to your hands, and then into the hands of a prospective employer, a networking contact, peer, friend or other business relation.

The most important part of a business card’s life is actually none of the above steps but rather what the recipient does with it. Do they keep it or trash it?

Many of us already have some form of a digital signature (often featured in our email correspondence), but we’re not so digitally entrenched as a society that we don’t occasionally step away from our computers. It is those face-to-face, in-person interactions where the business card becomes king.

It can ensure you’ll be remembered. When you’re in the midst of a job search, being memorable is invaluable and can be the difference between a call-back and no call at all.

A small 3″x4″ card — the beauty of it is that you have carte blanche! Design it however you like. Include as little or as much information as you like. Be bold. Be memorable. Be different.

Make this card a true tangible representation of you. The natural inclination is to highlight your contact information and be professional in design, but (as some of the options show below) if you can take that natural inclination and transform it into something undeniably you, why not?

TalentEgg Tip: Some colleges and universities even offer student business cards (check out this one from Concordia University’s John Molson School of Business, or this one from the University of the Fraser Valley). Ask someone from your department or your school’s student services if business cards are offered by your school.

I once received a bright red, fold-able business card presented in a small envelope. The business card itself was a mini adventure. It was from an event management company and, to this day, I have not forgotten them or the impression they made.

You should be looking to make the same impression. Amongst the hundreds of cards any notable person at a company may receive, what can you do to ensure that they keep yours and not trash it?

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