Network With Other Job Hunters Online

Original Post: Here

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Many cities have job clubs or support groups where people can meet, network and share tips. You already know that.

But don't forget the Internet -- there are loads of great Web sites with message boards and chat rooms devoted to networking.

Here are two of the best places where you can build and leverage a network of other job hunters, to share job leads and tips:



www.vault.com


www.wetfeet.com

Both of these Web sites have message boards that you can read and post questions on for no cost. Try them and see.

Action Step:
Does this countermand my earlier advice, about people and not computers being the ones that hire you? No. Use Web sites and other online tools as a way to meet and build relationships with people, not as a substitute for doing it.

Compliments of David Perry and Kevin Donlin

Grab your Free
Guerrilla Job Search Audio here."

The 3 Mistakes Job Seekers Make On LinkedIn

Original Post: Here

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image by ClearedJobs.Net


In 2006, I trained my MBA class on how to use LinkedIn.

Back then virtually no one was on. And those that were on formed some kind of a tight-knit community. I remember landing in Vietnam on vacation, knowing only my college friend. I used LinkedIn to schedule 10 meetings with local business leaders.

Using the network, I arranged a breakfast meeting with the COO of the Mercedes plant, 2 vice presidents of the newly built Ikea, a top broker in one of Vietnam’s many stock markets and so forth. These experiences demonstrated to me the power of LinkedIn when used correctly.
The following are 3 mistakes Job Seekers tend to make when using LinkedIn.

LinkedIn Mistake 1: Not Representing Yourself as a Confident User

The most common manifestation of this mistake is when people neglect their profile health. Most audiences I speak at have one thing in common…Their profiles aren’t 100% complete.
This is like showing up to a job interview Naked. Why would you do that?
I understand it takes time to fill it out correctly, and writing a profile doesn’t happen all at once. But there is no reason it should take longer than a week to get yourself a nice looking profile.
When I was requesting meetings with top business leaders in a foreign country, I knew they would be carefully considering their decision on my request and my profile.
Please Please Please get your profile to 100% if it is not already.
Imagine requesting a meeting from a hiring manager at your target company. And when they look at your profile, it is clear to them that you are not taking your network seriously.
There is no one to blame but you, and no, it’s not the economy either.
My philosophy is: not everything is my fault, but when it is, then there is no one else to blame but me. When I point my finger, I need to make sure I can do so with 100% confidence that I’ve done everything I could.

LinkedIn Mistake 2: Not Stating Your Intentions Up Front

A few weeks ago, I received the following LinkedIn “In-Mail”

Hi Joshua,

I obtained your name through the Boston University MBA LinkedIn Group. I graduated from the School of Management last year and I am in the process of making a career transition. It would be helpful for me to ask you questions about your experiences as an Sales Account Manager for Cisco. I am not expecting to discuss a particular employment position but I would appreciate being able to talk with you on an informational basis.

I thank you in advance.

Regards,

This is the perfect email format. Let’s look at the key elements

• She told me how she found me, the BU Group.


• She gave me just enough background info about herself so I can know why she chose to reach out to me, her graduation date and her career transition.


• She told me the topic that she wanted to discuss with me.


• She made sure I knew she wasn’t trying to solicit me for a job, and she didn’t sound desperate.


• The email was short and to the point, clearly respecting my time.

I got back to her right away and made sure to answer all of her questions. I suggest your requests for info interviews keep to a similar format.

LinkedIn Mistake 3: Letting a Robot Speak with Your Voice

LinkedIn does a fabulous job telling you who you might know. When I log into my account, I can see old colleagues’ whom I haven’t spoken with since 2006 or earlier. I can see some jerks I used to work with who took pleasure in kicking puppies. But I don’t see people whom I’d like to connect with in order to grow my business.
The direction of your network is in your hands. You need to make sure that you steer it in a direction that is strategic to your job search. Make sure to connect with people who are in industries that interest you, in companies you might like to learn more about or even in geographies that you would like to move to.
On a similar note, when connecting with folks, NEVER use the built in message:

I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.

You are not a robot. Don’t talk like one! Use your voice and personalize your request to connect. Not doing this is the fastest way to banality. To stand apart from other job seekers, you need to be different in ALL of your communications. Use every chance you get to demonstrate your personality and motivation.
Where those tips useful for you? Do you have more tips to share? LinkedIn pet-peeves? Please comment below to share with me and the other readers.

When A Job Search Moves Faster Than Expected

Original Post: Here

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Uploaded on November 7, 2009
by David Sandell

I asked an executive at a networking meeting for an informational interview and she wants to speak to me this week. I thought these things take time, so I haven’t researched her company or her industry. I don’t feel prepared but I don’t want to miss this opportunity. What do I do?

This is a luxury problem! Congratulations for putting yourself out there, asking for a meeting, and clearly representing yourself well enough that this executive wants to meet with you! Too often we don’t celebrate our job search successes. There is a ways to go before an offer is closed, but this is a step in the right direction, so take time to acknowledge this and savor a task well done. Celebrating here isn’t just about feeling good. There are practical benefits. When I coach clients to troubleshoot their search, we don’t only look at the trouble; we also look at what went well. You want to build on your successes, so capturing data on what works enables you to replicate the success for other prospective employers.

But we still have to get through this meeting. Before an informational interview you want to research the person, her company and her industry. The more research, the better, but there is plenty you can do even in a few days (or overnight if needed). So never let a good opportunity disappear just to do more research.

Read the person’s LinkedIn profile, blog and Twitter feeds if they have any. If they have presented or published, get to know their expertise. Use Hoovers or Vault data to understand the company. Read the press releases. Understand what projects are in the works, what opportunities and challenges exist for them, and any recent accomplishments. Check out the related industry’s professional trade association. There may be a list of competitors, industry surveys that give you a snapshot about key issues for the industry, and cutting edge news. You want to have a sense for the published information so you don’t ask questions about items that are readily available. I’ve listed a lot of sources but with information readily available on the Internet, this process takes just a few hours.

Now form hypotheses. A powerful informational interview is not just a laundry list of questions. Your questions are a reflection of your interest and your expertise. So take the extra step of forming hypotheses from the above research to test in your interview. Instead of asking what challenges exist, offer what you think the biggest challenge is and ask your interviewee to confirm or refute. This takes the burden off of them to come up with ideas. They will appreciate the time you took to learn their industry. Once you’ve collected their answers, it will be that much easier to speak to their competitor – not because you share confidential data irresponsibly (informational interviews don’t usually yield top secret data anyway) but because you can then say in your next interview that you’ve spoken to another leading company in that industry and here’s what you’ve found.

Good informational interviews build on each other. They are a critical component of a proactive job search. So when you bag a big target unexpectedly, it’s cause for celebration, not panic. When a job search moves faster than expected, run with it. There will be other companies that move more slowly than anticipated. One fast company does not mean a fast job search overall. Keep flooding your pipeline with more companies, ask for more informational interviews and don’t stop till you’re at your new job filling out your new hire paperwork.

Survey Says: If You're Not Eating Cat Food Tonight, You're Lucky [Yeah, That Recession]

Original Post: Here

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A new survey from employment site CareerBuilder has some cheery news: About 61% of employees live paycheck-to-paycheck, and 21% of workers are stealing from their retirement funds to make ends meet. And these are the lucky folks who still have jobs.

According to the survey, even workers making over $100,000 are feeling the pinch; 30% are living check-to-check, up 9% from last year. 'Workers are employing a variety of tactics to help make ends meet in this economy,' said Rosemary Haefner, VP of human resources for CareerBuilder. 'Whether it's by keeping a tighter budget, finding ways to bring in additional income or adjusting their savings strategies, workers are doing their best to weather the current storm.'

What was it Bernanke said the other day? Oh, right. Recession's over! Too bad it's Friday, or we'd have enough cash to pick up some ripple to celebrate!

61 Percent of Employees Live Paycheck to Paycheck [Nielsen Business Media]
(Photo: rockman057)

Networking Tip: Help People Help You

Original Post: Here

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I’ve been talking with a lot of entrepreneurs lately, and one thing I can say for certain is that, as a group, they’re very eager to help each other. They get just as excited talking about the pursuits of others as they do talking about their own, and they’re more than willing to go the extra mile for those around them.

But how do you tap into this invaluable resource? It can be intimidating to go to others for help and can be perceived as pushy and self-serving if approached the wrong way. Here are a few tips to help others help you.

1. Embrace the idea of “paying it forward.”

People really do want to help you, which usually stems from them wanting to help everyone in their network. They ask what you do and immediately think, “Oh, you should meet [fill in the blank]!” Likewise, when you mention that you have a particular need, they mention several people you might consider and offer to connect you with them.

The most important thing to remember is that networking is all about adding value. The more you find ways to help those around you, the more opportunities will inevitably come your way.

2. Make it easy.

In an article on Techcrunch, Michael Arrington said “Those of us in a position to help entrepreneurs need to do more of it…But this is a two way street. Budding entrepreneurs trying to break down the walls need to grow up. Most of the time people don’t have the time to help you, and you shouldn’t aim hate at them for it. Instead, try a different angle or a different person.” This quote made me think of two things. Firstly, it’s important to remember that people are busy, so you need to make it so easy for them to help you that they can do it quickly and without too many steps.

For example, Betsy Talbot of Married with Luggage emailed people in her network recently asking for promotional help. She made it insanely easy by including links, as well as short and specific instructions for what to do with each of the links. She even included copy so that we didn’t have to come up with it ourselves.

3. Don’t be self-serving.

The second thing about Arrington’s quote that struck me was about trying a different angle. It’s easy to come at things from the wrong angle, and when promoting a business, that’s usually followed by rejection. If you always think of it as, “How can I get people talking about me or my business?,” then that means (a) you have to introduce yourself to someone without sounding like you’re selling something and (b) you have to somehow get them to feel compelled to mention you to others. If you think of it this way, it can seem purely self-serving.

Instead, find a way to help them, and of course, you have to always be sincere with your help. Maybe ask to interview the person for your blog or podcast, or if the person has written a book recently, offer to review it. By reaching out in this way, the person will actually look forward to learning more about you and your business, and if they enjoy talking with you, they may take the time to mention you to people in their own network.

The main thing to remember is that people are more than willing to help you. Most entrepreneurs are acutely aware of the value of networking, and successful ones understand that networking is all about helping others. Just remember, as Arrington said, it’s a two-way street.

What have been your biggest lessons in networking and helping others help you with your business? How do you make sure that you’re not perceived as self-serving?

Image from Flickr by crschmidt

18 Sources Of Personal Branding Credibility

Original Post: Here

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Uploaded on January 13, 2009
by Hans Bruno Lund


The most important part of your personal branding strategy lies in your bio, which is sometimes called a profile. A bio, just like a brand or career, isn’t something established overnight. It accumulated and builds as you become more established. Your bio may appear in several different places at a given time, including the summary section of your LinkedIn profile, a page on your blog called “About me” or “Your Name,” at the bottom of an article you wrote for your favorite publication, on the back of your book and just about anywhere else. A bio depicts your credibility, achievements, brand positioning, as well as your story and possibly your vision or mission.

How to create a bio

Most bio’s are either too long or too short or aren’t compelling enough. When you’re first starting out, you’ll have to establish a bio more on what you intend to do, than what you’ve already done. After several years, you’ll hopefully have enough achievements, experience and endorsements to weave through your bio.

Here is what goes into a short bio:

Sentence #1: Start with your name and personal brand statement. Your name should be the same as it is everywhere else it’s written. If your name is Matthew, but you cite your name as Matt everywhere, then stick with Matt. Continue the first sentence of your bio with your personal brand statement, detailing how you want to be positioned in the marketplace. Remember that a personal brand statement isn’t a job title and that is depicts what you’re an expert in and the audience you serve (Best Children’s Doctor in Chicago, for example).

Sentence #2: Immediately state your most prominent achievement to date. Your first sentence positions you as an expert in your field and explains what you do to serve customers, clients, etc. This sentence is more about capturing the reader and pulling them in, as well as showing a lot of credibility. Most people won’t read the next few sentences of your bio unless you nail this one. An example could be a book you got published, an award you won or your successful business that is serving Fortune 500 clients.

Sentence #3: Depending on what industry you’re in and your positioning, this sentence could change. It could talk about what your company does or a list press mentions from high profile media outlets or a second achievement you’ve had to support the first one. Basically, sentence#3 and any other following sentence in your bio, should support the first two sentences.

Picture your bio like an essay.

If you want ideas on what to include in your bio, I’ve listed 17 different sources of credibility that you can add to it. Some may apply to you now or in the future.

17 sources of personal branding credibility

1. A full-time job or consulting business related to your brand.
2. Endorsements from respected experts, celebrities or other authors in your field.
3. One or more media mentions citing you as an expert or quoting you.
4. An award you won or a big achievement that most people don’t obtain.
5. The number of clients you’ve worked with over the course of your consulting career.
6. A written column or freelance work you’ve done for one or more media sources.
7. A previous book you’ve gotten published.
8. An executive position at your company.
9. The number of year’s experience you have in your field.
10. Corporate boards you currently sit on.
11. Graduating from a very well respected university such as Harvard.
12. The number and names of companies, associations, and universities you’ve presented to in your speaking career.
13. A blog or website that you own that receives considerable traffic and attention.
14. A successful company that you started that was sold to a larger company or has achieved a high standing with the media and/or customers.
15. Research you’ve done in your field that is unique, relevant and timely.
16. A well-known “branded” company that you’ve worked for such as Nike or Apple.
17. A major project that you worked on that made a major impact on your companies business.
18. A revenue number you’ve achieved at yoru company or by selling your company.

An example of a mesmerizing bio

“The subject of a Time magazine feature called, “The Man Who Can’t Miss,” James Patterson is the bestselling author of the past year, bar none, with more than 16 million books sold in North America alone. In 2007, one of every fifteen hardcover fiction books sold was a Patterson title. In the past three years, James has sold more books than any other author (according to Bookscan), and in total, James’s books have sold an estimated 170 million copies worldwide. He is the first author to have #1 new titles simultaneously on The New York Times adult and children’s lists and is the only author to have five new hardcover novels debut at #1 on the list in one year—a record-breaking feat he’s accomplished every year since 2005. To date, James Patterson has had nineteen consecutive #1 New York Times bestselling novels, and holds the New York Times record for most Hardcover Fiction bestselling titles by a single author (46 total), which is also a Guinness World Record.” Read more of James Patterson’s bio here.

Why this profile will rock you

Sentence #1: James took his bio to the next level by using a strong endorsement upfront, even before mentioning his name. What this tells the reader is that he’s famous, credible and what you’re about to read in the rest of the bio will probably blow your mind.

Sentence #2: It’s debatable if this is his biggest achievement relative to the other sentences written in his bio about the New York Times bestseller lists, but it sure is impressive. It shows that he has a lot of books out, which means he’s a proven author with a track record and a successful writer.

Sentence #3 through 6: The rest of his bio (and this is only a portion of it), really digs into the second sentence by proving how many books he’s sold and how he’s one of only a few authors ever to have achieved what he has.

Your turn

What does your bio look like? Are you proud of it? What are you adding to it every month or year?

10 Tiny Things to Make Your Resume Better (From The Perspective Of A Grant-Giver)

Original Post: Here

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by Olivier Charavel

I reviewed close to 30 resumes and applications for a program of which I am a member (I’m keeping details obscured for the privacy of the applicants). I am currently sitting, waiting for my next interviewee to show up.
In reading those resumes, I have developed a list of 10 things I will be doing differently for my resume.

1. Change your objective to fit the job! It is quite difficult to remain neutral on (much less become supportive of) an applicants application which stated their objective was to “Gain an Internship in the Financial Sector”. Real people have to read your resumes, make it as easy as possible.


2. Delete “Operating Systems” if all you know is OSX and Vista. I simply do not care. Now, if you run your own home-brewed Linux distro, or even Open Solaris or Red Hat, that tells me something about you. For any job I am going to be applying for, saying I can use the world’s two most popular operating systems should be as irrelevant as saying I speak English clearly. It should be a given.


3. Delete “Relevant Coursework” if it isn’t relevant


4. Make skimming easy. Give me clear headings with short bullets. Keep the font around 12–reading resume after resume is hard on the eyes, and you want to make it easy to like you for a position.


5. Delete “Software” if it isn’t relevant, which it absolutely is not if you are applying for a travel grant. The presence of this section was my litmus-test for determining whether an applicant had bothered to customize her resume for the application. Also, even if you are applying for an internship where the software is relevant, unless you know something more than Microsoft Word and Excel, do not tell me. I don’t care.


6. Don’t say “references availible upon request”. Of course they are.


7. Give me space for notes on your resume. Say I am reading your resume, and I see you worked at Stanford Libraries when you were an undergrad there. I want to write a note to myself–”See if she knows Rachel”–but can’t, because you filled every availible inch of your resume with text. Too bad for you.


8. Keep your fonts simple. Times New Roman in bold, underlined and italics, with 1-3 sizes of font for different headers is fine. Unless you are a confident graphic designer, and sometimes even then, you show more class with simplicity than with decorative typesetting.


9. Use numbers. “Quadrupled the number of client stories on website”, “Managed portfolio of over $100,000 in assets”, “Built social media presence which brought in over $1000 in 3 days, 3 months after internship completed”. These are much more powerful than banal paragraphs about your impact on ROI or contribution to a project. Give me numbers.


10. Include locations of past jobs. Perhaps this is not necessary for all applications, but this is a small way of advertising your network. If you’ve worked in Washington DC, Palo Alto, San Francisco and Pittsburgh PA, your interviewer may know someone in those cities and feel connected to you.

Summary of 10 tiny tips to improve your resume:

Optimize for the job in front of you. Make it scannable. Advertise your network.

Keep up hope!