Social Media Etiquette 101 | Brand-Yourself.com Blog

Everyone knows the basics of etiquette. Shake hands when you meet someone, chew with your mouth closed, elbows off the table, etc. But when it comes to social media, do you know how to handle yourself and promote your business positively? Though Twitter and blogging may appear straight forward, there are right and wrong ways to use the Internet and put your business’s brand out there.

People Behind the Screen

Social media is often taken for granted. Though the Internet is a place full of scandal and interesting people to say the least, it’s essential to keep your business’s brand on track without getting distracted. Keep in mind that just because you’re online doesn’t mean all manners and guidelines of presenting yourself go out the window; thus, we have the existence of social media etiquette.

In fact, when online, sometimes etiquette can be more important than in person. In person, someone might not notice if you use the wrong fork or say something with improper grammar; online, people will certainly notice if you lash out at someone for typing errors or state disagreements with an article in a particularly rude manner. The most crucial fact to keep in mind is you’re still interacting with people. Whether it be five individuals tweeting for one business or one person writing a blog, don’t let the shield of the Internet fool you. We’re all people mingling in the online world, and everyone still deserves respect, standards and honesty even if their typing skills are atrocious or the content they’re introducing seems to you unworthy of attention. Act online as you would in person—or not if you think etiquette’s for fools.

Don’t be Hatin’

With a presence on the Web comes a certain amount of power. With great power comes great responsibility, according to Uncle Ben in Spider-Man (and I think the caretaker of a superhero would know what he’s talking about). People are going to be looking at your blog, looking to your website and following your tweets because they back your business’s brand and want to know more. Maybe they want to one day be a part of your business. You need to set the proper tone and standards for your business’s online presence from the start.

While you positively promote that brand, you also don’t want to be putting down others. Negative comments on people’s blogs, unhelpful responses to people’s inquiries, and sole promotion of your business won’t do much good in the long run. It’s important to be respectful of others and as helpful as possible, even if that means deferring your followers to other blogs and other businesses. In this way, you’ll ultimately win because you’ll be helpful, insightful, and overall pleasant. To be memorable, you need to break out those manners Mom taught you long ago and you’ll be able to charm the pants off all your critics.

Your Profiles are Your Brand

Ultimately, your online presence really personifies your business as a whole. If people stumble upon your website, it could be the first impression they have of what you do. Social media is meant to be the public’s constant connection to your company, an intimate setting where they can learn about how you do what you do in front of their own computer screen. The company should come off as personable, approachable and informative. Use the appropriate writing style on each platform instead of merely copying and pasting the same information everywhere.

Engage with others, rather than focusing on solely the business, and make everyone feel included (the don’t talk to strangers rule is ok to ignore under these circumstances). Basically, treat online users as life long friends, use proper grammar as much as possible, and provide helpful information and there’s no reason people will shy away from your business. Embrace social media etiquette, and tweeters, bloggers, and fellow business people will definitely embrace you.

via blog.brand-yourself.com

Posted via email from AndyWergedal

How To Signal Strength In A Job Interview

I’ve written about this topic before.  But never this directly.  It’s about confidence and delivery of your best stuff.  At a time when it matters most.

And especially when in a tough economy.  With so many others out there wanting to outshine you.  You have to deliver.

But first, here is a reminder of things you can do from prior content:

A.  Get properly prepared for an interview.  I shared the tool I used in a free interview prep download for those close to an important interview.  When your brain is ready, your head can relax a bit.  Knowing that you’ve done everything you can to prepare.

B.  Another way to relax and prepare your brain is with music.  There is great power in music as a mind control device (the good kind).  You can read about the power of music during job search.  Right now I am listening to a powerful song.  One I often let ravage my skull on the way to interviews.  It is The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart.  Now, you don’t have to be a lover of classical music to appreciate the strength of this tune.  Just think of how you felt during Star Wars or Indiana Jones.  Yep, all classical music rocking those theaters.  I would give this one a try on iTunes.

C.  Get off to a great start.  The first 5 minutes of any interview are absolutely crucial.  It’s like the big game.  You don’t want to go down early, right?  You want to get a few good swings or kicks in early.  To build a little momentum.

D.  Believe in yourself.  In the person that has enjoyed great victories in a career to date.  Of course it’s all relative (perhaps my big victory is your cakewalk).  But no matter what, your head should be full of your past victories when you pull open the big door.  Least desirable, of course, is you feeling desperate.  Don’t be a desperado.   People can smell it.  Even if you are not coughing up humble pie.

E.  Find and turn up your dimmer switch.  A great piece of advice I got once.  Whether you are heading into a job interview, a business meeting or your 25 year  high school reunion.  Find that extra bit of confidence.  Some more mojo.  Feel it rising in you as your head begins to turn the final corner toward the interview room.

And here are the new ideas.  10 ways to signal strength to the interview team.  And make them battle over who gets to recommend you first.

1.  A great handshake.  Have one?

2.  A strategic “I don’t know”.  Strategic doesn’t mean that you make it up.  Or pick a place for it randomly.  It means that on a question that you may have answered as best you can in the past, instead say IDK.  It’s really too bad that LinkedIn has ruined those words.  Because they really can be powerful.  An honest expression and perhaps a starting point for conversation.  Instead of you pretending that you know it all.

3.  A pause before you answer.  Sometimes everything is not on the tip of your tongue.  And sometimes you aren’t able to anticipate every question in advance. So pause and think about it.

4.  Grab a chair.  Without being too pushy, find the obvious or most obvious chair and grab a seat.  Don’t ask if it is OK.  Or hesitate.  Just grab a seat.

5.  Stay still.  While there is room for some movement, I’d rather you stay still in your chair.  Excessive shifting or leg crossing does not signal strength.  It signals “I’m not comfortable”.  Stillness suggests focus and resilience.  Especially during a long interview day.

6.  Smile.  It says you are relaxed.  And enjoying your interview day.  Not everyone smiles.  Many grimace.  But that’s not a smile now is it?

7.  Ask great questions.  Early on to create a conversation, in the middle to keep it going and at the end to make sure your knowledge of the company matches their understanding of you.

8.  Use first names.  Now for some of you, this is your normal way of interviewing.  For others, you wouldn’t think of it.  After all, it would be rude to use someone’s first name, wouldn’t it?  Really? First name = equality.  There are some exceptions to this, of course.  But generally, it works.

9.  Say hello to others you meet in the hallway, in the restroom and in the cafeteria.  It’s OK.  You are not an experiment.  You are a potential new employee there.  And you might even learn a little about the company’s culture based on the reaction you get.

10.  Have great stories.  And specific examples.  A lot of people deliver vague answers.  The smart ones have a whole treasure chest of stories.  Examples of big wins, tough challenges and an occasional failure they learned from.  Specifics are really important.  I don’t like to ask a question three times.

So what are your ideas?  What can job seekers do to signal strength in a job interview?  When meeting with a recruiter?  I look forward to your feedback in the comments below!

Photo Credit

via timsstrategy.com

Posted via email from AndyWergedal

Should You Thank Employer for Interview If You Don't Want the Job? - The Career Doctor Blog

Jon writes:

I have a question that wasn’t answered in the section of your article on post-interview thank-you letters.

What if I am not interested in the job? I had gone to the job interview, and realized that I would like a job somewhere else. I would still like to send a letter to maintain good relations with the company, but I was looking for some guidance on how to go about doing that.

---

The Career Doctor responds:

It’s still common courtesy to thank the employer for the time spent. You also don’t want to burn any bridges in case you ever pursue a different position at the same company. Just use some of the basic thank-you material from our sample letters, but leave out the parts where you further try to sell yourself. You could also choose to include a line like: “Although I have concluded that this position is not a good fit for me, I truly appreciate the time you spent interviewing me.”

OR you can simply wait to see if you get an offer before rejecting the employer.

via careerdoctor.org

Posted via email from AndyWergedal

Resume Objective Statements: Objecting to Objective Statements on Résumés | JibberJobber Blog

From JibberJobber.com

Today we have a treat – my JibberJobber Partner (career coach and resume writer) Julie Walraven answers some questions I have about the objective statement on a resume.  You may have one of these on YOUR resume… if so, you’ll definitely want to read this.  If you don’t, read it and you’ll have peace of mind about why you don’t have it.  (Julie Walraven’s blog // Julie Walraven on Twitter)

Jason: What is the objective statement?

Julie: From my perspective, Jason, the better question is “What was the objective statement?” When thinking of the traditional objective statement, such as “I want a position that offers a challenge working with a committed team of people in a progressive environment,” this is an archaic phrasing that went away years ago.

Jason: What is the history of it? Was it controversial 5 or 10 years ago?

Julie: I researched my résumé books hoping to find an author that championed the objective statement in the above format. But even an old book that someone donated to my résumé book collection, written in 1983 by Herman Holtz, Beyond the Résumé: How to Land the Job You Want, I only found Holtz talking about why you want to be specific in your target.

The objective statement has been replaced by the banner headline of the résumé, which according to the notes from the “Mastering the Art of Résumé Writing” session at the 2010 Career Thought Leaders Conference & Symposium, says “Headline  Provides immediate focus.”Louise Kursmark and Wendy Enelow from the Résumé Writing Academy who have co-authored many of the best résumé books on the market have long advocated dropping that lengthy objective statement.

I will confess that before I turned to organizations like Career Thought Leaders and Career Directors International for my source of information, I put those archaic statements on resumes back in the 80’s.

Jason: What’s the big deal today, why are people saying to not put it on?

Julie: A résumé is a marketing tool. YOU, the jobseeker, are the product. Gayle Howard, one of the world’s leading résumé writers writes in her book, “PS, You’re a Résumé Expert,” a guidebook for Career Directors International’s résumé certification courses, “This is one of the most hackneyed phrases ever written, and it’s all about me, me, me” Gayle’s amusing example continues, “How many people would actually prefer working in “a treadmill position, surrounded by boring deadbeats, in a potentially bankrupt, and stultifying atmosphere?”

Jason: What’s a good alternative then, if you don’t put on the objective statement? Why?

Julie: You want a Banner Headline, such as Sales Manager, coupled with perhaps a branding statement which adds uniqueness and personality.

Sales Manager | Operations Manager | Business Coach

Talented Leader and Manager with initiative to move projects forward.
Excels in delivering exceptional customer experience and satisfaction.

You could offset that with graphic lines or put it in a text box to grab the reader’s attention. This strategy puts you back in a marketing mode, again selling YOU the product.

Jason: Would it ever make sense to have an objective statement on the résumé?

Julie: No! Make sure that the advice you are taking for your résumé and your career marketing strategies is from someone who is connected with the leading career minds in the world. If you are using an old business textbook, you will end up on the bottom of the résumé pile with no offers in your hand.

Thanks for the opportunity to visit, Jason!

Julie Walraven — Your Career Marketing Strategist “When I  began writing resumes, I had no idea it would become my career and drive me into exploring technology, career management, and recently, the intriguing world of social media. Networked with the best and brightest career minds in the world, I want to use my resources and knowledge to help you succeed in your career path.”

via jibberjobber.com

Posted via email from AndyWergedal

TheWiseJobSearch: ALWAYS be your best!

Every now and then, I have a job seeker tell me…

“I really wasn’t that interested in that job, and so I didn’t do my best in the interview.”

I always think… what a wasted opportunity!

People often close off the possibility of a hiring process moving further because they decided in a moment that this wasn’t a job they wanted. Perhaps they didn’t like the role, the company, the hiring manager, or some other aspect of it. They get dispassionate, or overly succinct in their answers. They show no further interest in the role at all. The employer judges the response and closes things off.

People forget some basic principles in the process…

You are never obligated to accept an offer! Continuing the process with enthusiasm and commitment can have tremendous benefits for you, as we’ll discuss further shortly. Should you be successful and ultimately get an offer, you are certainly not under any legal, moral, or ethical obligation to accept the position. Why not go for an offer with every opportunity you can?

You can always use more practice! For most job seekers, you don’t get that many opportunities to practice and hone your interview skills under “live fire”. It’s critically important to prepare and practice for interviews prior to meeting the employer. However, it still feels different when you’re actually there, getting asked the questions when it counts. Go through each interview process as far as you can, the best way you can, to help you refine your skills for the interviews your really do want.

Every impression counts! It really is a small world. It amazes me how many times prior contacts come back around and reconnect weeks, months, or years later. We also live in a time when people move to new jobs regularly. Any impression you create with someone today, may help or hurt you when you might encounter them again someday. A hiring manager at a company you are interviewing for today for a job you don’t want, may be a hiring manager, or potential networking contact at another company months or years from now for a job you do want. It happens all the time, and the impression you left with them the first time will impact their interest in you the next time as well. Make every impression your best.

Other opportunities can result from the process! Similarly, you never know what other opportunities may come out of a good interview process if you stick with it. It’s not unusual for someone to go through an entire hiring process for a position, and find out at the offer stage that the company decided that the candidate actually fits another role better. They make an offer for an entirely different position that may be an ideal fit for that person. If you didn’t do your best throughout the process, or “exited” too early, that prospect can never happen.

It’s great to get a boost of affirmation! As I often say… One of the most important, and most difficult things to do in a job search, is to maintain a positive mental attitude! As time goes on, there are plenty of things to get discouraged about. Finding ways to boost your attitude and feel good about charging forward is key to a successful outcome. Even if you decide not to accept a particular offer, it sure feels good to receive one! It proves you’re employable, and an attractive candidate to some employer. That affirmation can provide a great bump to your confidence as you continue your search!

Don’t ever present less than your very best in any interview process. Regardless of how you feel about a particular position, always follow through to its conclusion. The benefits can be tremendous!

via thewisejobsearch.com

Posted via email from AndyWergedal

Entrepreneurs and Freelancers Support the Small Business Jobs Act

Today, the U.S. Senate is considering the Small Business Jobs Act, a bill that would:

• Create tax equity for self employed on health insurance
• Increase tax deductions for start-up expenses
• Increase loan amounts to small business owners
• Promote small business lending programs

If you’re a small business owner or self-employed, this bill could be critical for your financial livelihood. The Freelancer’s Union has made it easy for you to email your Senator and show your support of the Small Business Jobs Bill. Email your Senator.

Want to learn more before taking a position?

• Overview of the Small Business Jobs Act in The New York Times
• The United States Senate Committee on Finance documentation regarding the Small Business Jobs Act
• Analysis from Forbes

via escapefromcorporate.com

Posted via email from AndyWergedal

How to Brand Yourself Online – And Off | Brand-Yourself.com Blog

Whether you’re promoting a business or simply establishing your professional identity, branding is an essential step toward carving out your own unique niche in a crowded marketplace. But figuring out how to brand yourself is a different challenge altogether. With the Internet poised to completely overtake print worldwide, conventional wisdom holds that online promotions are the way to go. Yet focusing all of your energies in one place is sure to lead to a dead end, so here’s how to brand yourself both online and off to maximize your results.

Step 1: Create a Logo

Businesses, blogs – even individuals – can stand to benefit from a compelling and memorable logo. The best logos are almost surprisingly simplistic; for example, think of the lowercase “f” that immediately brings Facebook to mind. The reason why logos are so important in the branding process is that people tend to remember images more vividly than they remember words and names, so if you can create a visual representation of yourself or your business that really stands out, you’ve already accomplished half of the branding battle.

Step 2: Focus on Making Genuine Connections

All too often, people think of networking as something they “have to” do for their business, and the entire process is suddenly imbued with a sense of dreadful phoniness. The real key to successful networking is to make an effort to forge real connections with people, both online and off. Every blog you contact for linkbacks should be one that you actually read and enjoy; every person you hand a business card to should be someone with whom you have found common ground. It may take a little extra work to network this way, but it will be far more effective in the long run.

Step 3: Synergize!

Every single piece of correspondence you send out, from emails to mass mailings of postcards, should have a uniform appearance that makes it identifiably yours. If there’s a particular font you favor, use it on your blog and your business card. Place your logo everywhere. Always refer to your business by the same official name. You simply can’t have one kind of identity online and a different one in the real world – it will work against your branding efforts and leave people confused, or worse, disinterested.

Step 4: Choose Unconventional Items to Promote Yourself

When it comes to integrating print marketing into your branding strategy, don’t limit yourself to the old standards like postcards or flyers. Instead, you can make a real impact by choosing less expected items, like door hangers, magnets or custom stickers. When was the last time you found a door hanger on your front door that was promoting a blog or website rather than a restaurant or carpet cleaning business? Wouldn’t you remember it if you had? Case closed.

Remember, branding doesn’t have to be a headache. With a bit of ingenuity, it can offer many excellent opportunities to publicize yourself and your business.

Eli Kahn is an internet marketer that specializes in increasing the web presence and brand recognition of online printing companies, such as PrintRunner.com. With experience branding large to mid-level companies, Eli lends his insight on personal branding and its importance.

via blog.brand-yourself.com

Posted via email from AndyWergedal