You Need a Job: 5 Steps to Get You One · Miriam Salpeter and Hannah Morgan | 8 INTRODUCTION We wrote this book for you, the job seeker or soontobe job seeker. We know there is a

You Need a Job: 5 Steps to Get One

Miriam Salpeter and Hannah Morgan | 2

© Copyright Miriam Salpeter, Keppie Careers, LLC. and Hannah Morgan, Career Sherpa.net, 2012. All rights reserved. Content may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without written permission.


You Need a Job: 5 Steps to Get One! ..............................................................................1

Introduction ................................................................................................................................8

Chapter 1 ....................................................................................................................................9 FIVE THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU START YOUR SEARCH ............................................................................ 9

1. What Do You Want To Do? ..................................................................................................................... 9 2. What Makes You Good At What You Do? ............................................................................................... 9 3. Where You Can Do It? ............................................................................................................................ 9 4. Why Should A Company Care (WIIFM)? ................................................................................................ 10 5. When Do You Want To Have A New Job?.............................................................................................. 10

Chapter 2 ..................................................................................................................................11 FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT KEYWORDS ................................................................................. 11

1. Why Should You Care About Keywords? ............................................................................................... 11 2. What Are Keywords? ............................................................................................................................ 12 3. Where To Find Your Keywords ............................................................................................................. 12 4. Advanced Keyword Searches For The Overzealous And Technically Inclined.......................................... 14 5. Still Don’t Get It? .................................................................................................................................. 14

Chapter 3 ..................................................................................................................................16 FIVE THINGS TO LOOK FOR WHEN YOU RESEARCH A COMPANY ................................................................... 16

1. Determine What You Want From A Company ....................................................................................... 16 2. What Are Their Stated Values, Mission And/Or Goals? ......................................................................... 17 3. Are They Financially Stable? ................................................................................................................. 17 4. What Are Others Saying About The Company? ..................................................................................... 18 5. Have They Been In The News Recently? ................................................................................................ 18

Chapter 4 ..................................................................................................................................19 FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HOW TO MARKET YOURSELF ...................................................... 19

1. Stand Out From The Crowd By Taking The Harder Route ...................................................................... 19 2. What Is A Personal Marketing Plan? ..................................................................................................... 19 3. How To Create A Personal Marketing Plan ............................................................................................ 20 4. Who Should See Your Personal Marketing Plan? ................................................................................... 22 5. Why Your Personal Marketing Plan Helps You ...................................................................................... 22

Chapter 5 ..................................................................................................................................24 FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW TO CREATE A GREAT PERSONAL BRAND .................................................. 24

1. What Do You Want To Be Known For? .................................................................................................. 24 2. How Do People Perceive You? .............................................................................................................. 25 3. Begin Spreading The Good Word .......................................................................................................... 25 4. Live Your Brand .................................................................................................................................... 25 5. Your Brand Makes You Memorable ...................................................................................................... 25

Chapter 6 ..................................................................................................................................26 FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW TO WRITE A GREAT PITCH – .................................................................... 26

1. What Is Your Goal Or Objective? .......................................................................................................... 26 2. Consider Your Target’s Needs ............................................................................................................... 27 3. What Do You Want To Do? ................................................................................................................... 27 4. What Impact Do You Have? What Results Do You Create? .................................................................... 27 5. What Problem Do You Solve? How? ..................................................................................................... 27

Chapter 7 ..................................................................................................................................29 FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WRITING A GREAT RESUME ........................................................ 29


1. Your Resume Is A Marketing Document ................................................................................................ 29 2. A Resume Is About The Future ............................................................................................................. 30 3. Target, Target, Target ........................................................................................................................... 31 4. Show, Don’t Tell ................................................................................................................................... 31 5. Leave Off Information Employers Don’t Need. ...................................................................................... 32

Chapter 8 ..................................................................................................................................33 BE BOLD AND ADDRESS THESE FIVE COVER LETTER MUST‐DOS .................................................................... 33

1. The Format Of Your Letter Should Keep The Reader Engaged ............................................................... 34 2. Grab Them With A Unique Opening Sentence And Paragraph ............................................................... 35 3. Pay Attention To The Details…They Count! ........................................................................................... 36 4. Include Examples Of How You Used Specific Skills Mentioned In The Job Posting .................................. 37 5. Follow These Guidelines For Submitting Your Cover Letter ................................................................... 37

Chapter 9 ..................................................................................................................................39 FIVE THINGS TO HELP EVALUATE AND APPLY FOR THE RIGHT JOBS ............................................................... 39

1. What Are Your Short‐ And Long‐Term Goals? ....................................................................................... 39 2. Do You Want To Work For The Organization? ....................................................................................... 40 3. Consider The Day‐To‐Day Aspects Of The Job ....................................................................................... 40 4. Minimum Requirements ...................................................................................................................... 40 5. Carefully Comb Through The Job Description ........................................................................................ 41

Chapter 10 ................................................................................................................................42 FIVE WAYS TO USE JOB BOARDS ................................................................................................................... 42

1. Be Safe ................................................................................................................................................. 42 2. Find A Site With "Right" Jobs ................................................................................................................ 42 3. Be Specific, Not General ....................................................................................................................... 43 4. Create Alerts ........................................................................................................................................ 43 5. Use All The Boards and Connect With Your Contacts ............................................................................ 43

Chapter 11 ................................................................................................................................45 FIVE BEST PRACTICES WHEN SUBMITTING A RESUME ................................................................................... 45

1. Always Follow Directions ...................................................................................................................... 45 2. .DOC Or .PDF ........................................................................................................................................ 45 3. Name Your Attached Resume File With Your Name .............................................................................. 46 4. Apply Early ........................................................................................................................................... 46 5. Be Safe ................................................................................................................................................. 46

Chapter 12 ................................................................................................................................47 FIVE WAYS TO FOLLOW UP AFTER YOU’VE APPLIED FOR A JOB ..................................................................... 47

1. Follow Up With An Email ...................................................................................................................... 47 2. Follow Up By Phone ............................................................................................................................. 47 3. Try Being Social… ................................................................................................................................. 48 4. Put A Little Pressure On Family, Friends And Inside Contacts ................................................................ 48 5. You Could Just Wait It Out .................................................................................................................... 48

Chapter 13 ................................................................................................................................50 FIVE THINGS TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT WORKING WITH RECRUITERS ........................................................... 50

1. Some Recruiters Work For The Employer.............................................................................................. 50 2. They Get Paid When You Get The Job ................................................................................................... 51 3. You Can Work With As Many As You Can Manage ................................................................................ 51 4. No Two Recruiters Work The Same Way ............................................................................................... 51 5. Some Positions And Some Companies Only Place Through Recruiters ................................................... 52


Chapter 14 ................................................................................................................................53 FIVE THINGS NETWORKING IS AND IS NOT ................................................................................................... 53

1. Networking Is Not Going Around, Telling Everyone You Meet That You’re Looking For A Job And Hoping They Can Help. That Is Job Seeking. .......................................................................................................... 53 2. Networking Is Not Sending Random Requests Online To Connect With People ..................................... 54 3. Networking Is Not Attending A Networking Event And Collecting Business Cards .................................. 55 4. Networking Isn’t About Asking For Help ............................................................................................... 55 5. Networking Isn’t About “One And Done” .............................................................................................. 56

Chapter 15 ................................................................................................................................57 FIVE TYPES OF PEOPLE TO ASK FOR A MEETING ............................................................................................ 57

1. Someone You Used To Work With (Or Vendor Or Supplier Or Contractor) ............................................ 58 2. Your Neighbor’s Cousin’s Uncle’s Nephew ............................................................................................ 58 3. Your Old Boss ....................................................................................................................................... 58 4. Someone You’ve Just Met .................................................................................................................... 58 5. A Manager Working At Your Dream Company ...................................................................................... 59

Chapter 16 ................................................................................................................................60 FIVE WAYS TO PREPARE FOR IN‐PERSON NETWORKING ............................................................................... 60

1. Become A Sleuth. ................................................................................................................................. 60 2. Make A List Of Several Conversation Starters ....................................................................................... 61 3. Plan In Advance To Be A Good Listener ................................................................................................. 61 4. Prepare To Request A Meeting ............................................................................................................. 62 5. Practice Makes Perfect – Practice! ........................................................................................................ 62

Chapter 17 ................................................................................................................................63 TOP FIVE THINGS TO ACCOMPLISH AT THE INFORMATIONAL MEETING ........................................................ 63

1. Learn Something About Industry Trends, Such As In‐Demand Skills And Technology For Your Field, Including Projects And Issues Specific To The Company ............................................................................ 63 2. Find Out About The Person, His Or Her Career Path And About A Typical Day ....................................... 63 3. Find Out Insider Information Specifically About Landing A Job .............................................................. 64 4. Learn About Other Contacts ................................................................................................................. 64 5. Make A New Friend And Land A New Supporter In Your Corner ............................................................ 64

Chapter 18 ................................................................................................................................65 FIVE WAYS TO KEEP THE BALL ROLLING AFTER AN IN‐PERSON MEETING ...................................................... 65

1. Plan Ahead. .......................................................................................................................................... 65 2. Follow Up Right Away .......................................................................................................................... 65 3. Use Information You Learned During Your Conversation As A Reason To Follow Up Regularly ............... 66 4. Never Seem Or Act Desperate; Avoid Asking For Favors Until You Establish Rapport ............................. 66 5. Always Say Thank You .......................................................................................................................... 66

Chapter 19 ................................................................................................................................67 FIVE THINGS TO PREPARE YOU TO KILL THE INTERVIEW ................................................................................ 67

1. Research The Company And The People Who Will Be Interviewing You. ............................................... 67 2. Prepare A STAR Story For Each Of The Job Requirements...................................................................... 67 3. Practice, Out Loud, Answers To These Common Interview Questions.................................................... 68 4. ALWAYS Have Questions To Ask During The Interview! ......................................................................... 70 5. Be Ready For Anything ......................................................................................................................... 71


Chapter 20 ................................................................................................................................72 FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT INTERVIEWING ........................................................................... 72

1. Phone Screening Is Step One ................................................................................................................ 72 2. Types Of Interviews To Expect: Panel, Series Of One‐On‐One Or Webcam ............................................ 73 3. The Interview Process Evaluates Three Things ...................................................................................... 74 4. Don’t Make Assumptions ..................................................................................................................... 74 5. The Process Will Take Longer Than You Expect Or Want ....................................................................... 74

Chapter 21 ................................................................................................................................75 FIVE WAYS TO FOLLOW UP AFTER THE INTERVIEW ....................................................................................... 75

1. The Thank You Letter Format ............................................................................................................... 75 2. The Purpose Of Your Letter .................................................................................................................. 76 3. How Will You Deliver It? Snail Mail Vs. Email ........................................................................................ 77 4. The Follow‐Up Phone Call..................................................................................................................... 77 5. Be Persistent, Not A Pest ...................................................................................................................... 77

Chapter 22 ................................................................................................................................79 FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................. 79

1. Pick The Best Recommenders ............................................................................................................... 79 2. Request Permission .............................................................................................................................. 79 3. Prepare Your References To Highlight Your Best Skills For The Job ........................................................ 80 4. Vet Your References ............................................................................................................................. 80 5. Don’t Wait! .......................................................................................................................................... 80

Chapter 23 ................................................................................................................................81 FIVE REASONS TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA IN YOUR JOB SEARCH ......................................................................... 81

1. Meet New People And Expand The Community Of People Who Know, Like And Trust You. ................... 81 2. Demonstrate Your Expertise ................................................................................................................. 82 3. Contribute To Conversations In Your Field And Suggest Solutions ......................................................... 82 4. Learn New Information ........................................................................................................................ 82 5. Be Found ............................................................................................................................................. 83

Chapter 24 ................................................................................................................................84 TOP FIVE WAYS TO USE LINKEDIN FOR YOUR JOB HUNT ............................................................................... 84

1. Complete Your Profile .......................................................................................................................... 84 2. Include Keywords And Descriptive Language In Your Headline And In Your Job Titles ............................ 87 3. Update Your Status .............................................................................................................................. 87 4. Engage, Interact And Expand Your Network Via Groups And Answers ................................................... 88 5. Make It Easy To Find You ...................................................................................................................... 88

Chapter 25 ................................................................................................................................89 FIVE WAYS TO USE TWITTER FOR YOUR JOB HUNT ....................................................................................... 89

1. Be Found And Get Started .................................................................................................................... 90 2. Meet New People And Expand The Community Of People Who Know, Like And Trust You .................... 91 3. Demonstrate Your Expertise, Contribute To Conversations In Your Field And Suggest Solutions ............ 91 4. Learn New Information ........................................................................................................................ 92 5. Engage! ................................................................................................................................................ 92

Chapter 26 ................................................................................................................................94 FIVE WAYS TO USE FACEBOOK TO LAND A JOB ............................................................................................. 94

1. Make It Easy To Find You ...................................................................................................................... 95 2. Monitor Your Profile Carefully .............................................................................................................. 95 3. Use Facebook To Be Sure Your Community Knows What You Do. ......................................................... 96


4. Join Groups On Facebook ..................................................................................................................... 97 5. Use Professional Facebook Applications And Visit Company Pages ....................................................... 97

Chapter 27 ................................................................................................................................99 FIVE REASONS TO USE GOOGLE+ FOR YOUR JOB HUNT ................................................................................ 99

1. Create A Profile That Helps People Find You ......................................................................................... 99 2. Expand Your Community Via Circles ................................................................................................... 101 3. Meet New People And Expand The Community Of People Who Know, Like And Trust You .................. 102 4. Demonstrate Your Expertise ............................................................................................................... 102 5. Participate In Hangouts ...................................................................................................................... 102

Chapter 28 .............................................................................................................................. 103 FIVE REASONS YOU NEED YOUR OWN WEBSITE – A SOCIAL RESUME .......................................................... 103

1. A Personal Site Is A Way To Control How Your Name Appears Online. ................................................ 104 2. Statistics Show Your Online Presence Matters, And That Employers Are Looking Online For Personal And Professional Data About You .................................................................................................................. 104 3. Posting Information On Your Site Helps You Maintain Your Privacy ..................................................... 105 4. Managing A Site Is Important For Career Insurance And Professional Development ............................ 105 5. Having A Website Suggests You Have Some Technical Savvy And Understand How To Use Online Tools To Communicate.................................................................................................................................... 105

Chapter 29 .............................................................................................................................. 107 TOP FIVE WAYS TO MONITOR YOUR BRAND ............................................................................................... 107

1. Google Yourself .................................................................................................................................. 107 2. Own Your Social Profiles ..................................................................................................................... 107 3. Business Directories ........................................................................................................................... 107 4. Build And Fix ...................................................................................................................................... 108 5. Tools To Monitor Social Activity ......................................................................................................... 108

Epilogue .................................................................................................................................. 109


INTRODUCTION We wrote this book for you, the job seeker or soontobe job seeker. We know there is a lot of advice out there and it can be overwhelming to sift through. We created this simple, yet complete resource that boils down the things you need to do for your job search into the five most critical steps. The job market is fiercely competitive and you need a new set of tools and skills to compete. That is what we have provided. Start your job search out on the right foot from the beginning and master these clear, critical steps to secure your new job faster! That’s what this is all about! Miriam Salpeter

Miriam is author of Social Networking for Career Success (LearningExpress, 2011) and 100 Conversations for Career Success (LearningExpress, Fall, 2012). She teaches job seekers and entrepreneurs how to leverage social media, writes resumes, creates websites (social resumes) and helps clients succeed with their goals via her job search and social media coaching firm, Keppie Careers. Featured by CNN and named to their list as a “top 10 job tweeter you should be following,” she is quoted in a variety of traditional media outlets, including: The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and Forbes.com. Miriam shares insights

about important and timely career strategies in her weekly U.S. News & World Report “On Careers” column and via her own blog. She was a vice president with a Wall Street firm before earning her master’s degree from Columbia University. www.keppiecareers.com LinkedIn Twitter: @Keppie_Careers Facebook Google+ Pinterest Hannah Morgan

Hannah compassionately delivers nononsense job search, reputation management, and social media advice. She shares information on the latest trends and techniques on her blog, Career Sherpa, and is a featured blogger on other nationallyrecognized sites. Her expertise and insight comes from 10+ years supporting and guiding the unemployed from all industries and occupations. Hannah was a Career Consultant with Lee Hecht Harrison and Trainer/Adviser in workforce development. In 2011, Hannah was recognized by Monster.com as one of the top 11 job search bloggers to watch.

www.careersherpa.net LinkedIn Twitter: @careersherpa Facebook Google+ Pinterest

http://pinterest.com/careersherpa/

http://www.getasocialresume.com/

http://www.keppiecareers.com/

http://www.keppiecareers.com/

http://www.linkedin.com/in/miriamsalpeter

https://twitter.com/#!/keppie_careers

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Keppie-Careers/108015577831

https://plus.google.com/108861528956056842263/

http://pinterest.com/miriamsalpeter/

http://www.careersherpa.net/

http://www.careersherpa.net/

http://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahmorgan

https://twitter.com/#!/careersherpa

https://www.facebook.com/careersherpa

https://plus.google.com/102523246865769356774


CHAPTER 1

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU START YOUR SEARCH

Before applying randomly to jobs and talking to people about your job search, you need to identify goals and a clear vision. Pull together the answers to these five questions to be prepared to hit the ground running. Wrap your head around these topics, and your conversations will result in more meaningful leads and opportunities. The best part? You won’t waste endless hours scouring the job boards searching for “any job.”

Here are five questions you need to answer to get your job search off to the right start.

1. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO?

Before you find your perfect job, you need to be able to give it a name/title. You don’t want to waste your time or others’ time by saying, “I don’t know what I want to do.“ Figure it out! Be specific when you tell people what you want to do; help them help you! Solving the “what do you want to do” puzzle also helps you avoid applying for jobs you are either under or overqualified to do. Reward yourself with a focus. You will be glad you did.

2. WHAT MAKES YOU GOOD AT WHAT YOU DO?

What aspects of your job do you excel at and enjoy? You can review performance appraisals, customer testimonials and other endorsements/recommendations from colleagues to fine tune this. Employers want to hire someone they like and trust and who can do the job. Be sure you can talk and write about the stories that exemplify your successes. Keep your message on track. Don’t try to be something you don’t want to be. Technically, you may be qualified for many positions, but really, that’s not what you want and employers aren’t advertising for “someone who can do anything.”

3. WHERE YOU CAN DO IT?

Zero in on Target Employers – NOT Jobs By the time an employer posts a job and you apply, you are in line with hundreds of others who want the job.


Identifying potential employers first – instead of job descriptions – enables you to begin to proactively network with employees and hiring managers to learn of job opportunities BEFORE they are posted. If you are the right fit for the company, they may even create a job for you. Networking with companies that could potentially have a job for you allows you to stand out. We know this sounds crazy, but, there are two reasons to focus on companies instead of jobs: Companies prefer to hire candidates who are referred. Many of the best jobs never get advertised. As you begin to learn more about companies, you will begin to understand what they need and whether you are a fit with their company culture. We’ll talk more about this in chapter 3.

4. WHY SHOULD A COMPANY CARE (WIIFM)?

In the world of sales, there is an acronym used WIIFM which stands for "What's In It For Me." This is used as a guiding principle for sales people to keep in mind the needs of the potential customer. As a job seeker, your “customer” is your future employer. As the employer is evaluating you, they are asking, "What's in it for me?" By switching your thinking to, "How can I solve a problem for this company?" you will convey your value in terms they can relate to and appreciate. Companies do not hire people to sit in seats; they hire people who can solve their problems. What problem do you solve for the employer? How can you make them money, save them time or money or make their lives easier?

5. WHEN DO YOU WANT TO HAVE A NEW JOB?

Though you only have so much control over this, you do want to set a target date. It will help you set more specific goals and prioritize your actions. Stephen Covey’s sage advice, “Begin with the end in mind,” will help you see what actions you will need to take in order to reach your stated target date. If you have set a date, then you can ask yourself these questions: How many job applications will I need? How many individuals will I need to meet to make that happen? How many recruiters will I need to meet to develop relationships? How many interviews will I need to have? How many hours can I dedicate to my search? Set some goals. Why? Because having goals and accomplishing milestones will help you land a job.


CHAPTER 2

FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT KEYWORDS

Ignoring keywords is probably one of the biggest mistakes job seekers make. Finding a job is all about targeting your information. Identifying keywords will help you successfully move in the right direction for your career.

Here are the five things you need to keep in mind to tap into the “keyword mystery.”

1. WHY SHOULD YOU CARE ABOUT KEYWORDS?

If you want to land a job, you need to target your audience. What does this mean? Your resume isn’t really about you and what you want people to know, it’s about demonstrating you have what the employer wants.

One of the best ways to make sure you’re connecting the dots between what you offer and what the employer wants is to identify and incorporate keywords employers want to see in your resume, application materials and online profiles.

Nearly all major corporations are using Applicant Tracking Systems (ATSs) to screen resumes. These computerized screening systems review your materials and decide if they are worthy of human eyes. Since we’re dealing with computers, there’s no room for nuances and assumptions. If the employer wants someone with strong organizational skills, and you only casually mention something you did relating to organizing without specifically mentioning how you used the skill, the ATS is going to ignore it. For example:

Bad: Completely overhauled company’s filing system, resulting in saving time and identifying priority documents.

Good: Used organizational skills to completely overhaul company’s filing system, resulting in saving time and identifying priority documents.

See how easy that was? You can’t assume the computer’s ATS will give you “credit” for your organizational skills unless you specifically use that keyword (organizational). By the same token, you can’t really assume a human will credit you with having organizational skills after reading the first example. In an eightsecond glance (the typical time someone spends on your resume at first), no one is engaging in any deep thinking.

Try to aim for 25 to 35 relevant keywords in your resume.

The Right Keywords Help You Apply for the Right Jobs

When you know the words people will search when they want to hire someone with your skills, it’s like getting the key to the kingdom. You can evaluate job descriptions and decide if the ATS will consider you well qualified. If you realize you cannot support the majority of keywords in a


job description, you can save yourself the time of applying for a job you are unlikely to land. When you identify the most relevant keywords for you, you will be able to define and position yourself professionally and land a job efficiently and with less stress.

2. WHAT ARE KEYWORDS?

You’re convinced you need to figure this out to land a job? So, what are keywords? They are nouns and phrases that highlight technical and professional areas of expertise, industryrelated jargon, achievements, projects, task forces and job titles. The more specific the keyword, the better. Recruiters use a keyword database to screen your resume.

Titles. Vice President (a noun) is not as specific as Vice President, Equities. Secretary (a noun) is not as unique or targeted as executive administrative assistant (a noun phrase). Manager is a general description, while sales manager is targeted.

Technical skills. Software programs/packages (Java, J2EE, Spring, Ant, Hibernate, JPA), degrees (MBA) and specifics (product names) or certifications/licenses related to the job (Series 7, CFA).

Buzz words and industryrelated jargon. (Credit analysis, sound business judgment, customer service, cost effective construction solutions, materials management)

Technical terms (including acronyms). (Pivot tables, balance sheets, general ledger, risk mitigation strategies)

Task forces and professional organizations. Project Management Institute (PMI), American Association for the Advancement of Science; The Task Force for Global Health.

Industryspecific tools and techniques (Six Sigma, LEED).

3. WHERE TO FIND YOUR KEYWORDS

You’ll be glad to know, finding and identifying keywords is a lot easier than you may think! You don’t need to dream up these words; in fact, creativity isn’t your friend here. Your best bet is to actually capture keywords from easytoaccess resources, including:

Job descriptions. Use job boards for research. Analyze position descriptions. Comb through and highlight all the keywords in each posting. See how many keywords you can find in each job and how many overlap between jobs. Use the most popular choices in your materials. (Note: When you’re searching for job descriptions, you can use descriptions for positions you’re qualified to do, even if the jobs are not geographically desirable. As long as the description describes a position of interest to you, you can use it to improve your resume.)

Company websites. Visit company websites and careers pages. This is the information the organization wants you to know. You can find keywords and unearth the company’s underlying values. Incorporating these values – if they synch with your own – is a great way to connect with an organization.

Social media properties. If the company invites you to connect via social media channels, by all means, do so! You can learn a lot by visiting company Facebook and Twitter sites, viewing their videos on YouTube and keeping up via LinkedIn. Companies spend a lot of time, effort and money compiling their public relations profiles for visitors.

http://www.aaas.org/

http://www.pmi.org/


Look for repeated words and phrases, taglines and hints about their philosophical approaches.

Some employers include videos or testimonials from employees to illustrate their corporate culture. Is the company leadershipfocused? Teamoriented? Do they value diversity? Is community service important? What are their business goals? Do they specify problems they solve? What buzzwords appear multiple times on the sites? What words or phrases do they repeat? Studying the company’s official online presence offers a window for you to determine a) if the job is a good fit and b) how to market yourself for a position. We’ll talk more about evaluating a company in Chapter 3.

LinkedIn profiles. What did we do before we had access to profiles and descriptions from potential mentors and colleagues all over the world? Granted, not everyone has a great profile. However, if you search with a focus on identifying key skills, you will find some that will provide the information that you need. Look for key skills to include in your materials. Review information from employees working for similar organizations for suggestions of the type of work, skills and accomplishments you should highlight to land interviews.

LinkedIn's advanced search. Use LinkedIn’s Advanced Search capabilities to identify people with a similar background. Search by job function, field, employer, and keywords. Review the Specialties section in complete profiles. Identify words they use to describe themselves, make a list of relevant keywords and incorporate them into your own social media profiles. (Do not “copy and paste;” make the information unique to you.)

LinkedIn’s Skills section. (Are you getting a sense that spending time on LinkedIn can help you identify some great keywords?) This section allows you to find people who rank well in LinkedIn for skills you may want to use as keywords. Review their profiles for more keyword ideas.

Speaker bios and session descriptions. Does your field have a goto industry conference where all the big players speak and offer insights and advice? Visit the conference sites, read the speaker bios and go through the session descriptions. Pick out the field’s “pain points,”—the problems they’re trying to solve—based on their conference topics. Address these issues and detail your relevant accomplishments on your resume. If your niche uses industry buzz words or important lingo, you are bound to find it there. Decide what is appropriate to include in your resume and online materials. The more keywords you include, the easier it will be for people searching for someone with your skills and experience to find you.

Talk to people! Reach out to your network. Look for people who are doing, know about or have done the job you want. Ask them for 30 minutes of their time and discuss key skills necessary to land the job you want. Conduct informational meetings with people who work in your target field and ask what skills they use, what problems they face and the types of qualities their organizations seek. Use the data you gather to enhance your resume. Target your resume with information to appeal to your next employer; it will give you the upper hand in a competitive market. We talk more about this in chapter 17 on informational meeting


4. ADVANCED KEYWORD SEARCHES FOR THE OVERZEALOUS AND TECHNICALLY INCLINED

Did you always go for the extra credit in school? If you want to turn your search for keywords into a real science, check out some of these tools marketers use to decide how to market their products. Why not? You’re marketing a product, too – you!

Google search. Take advantage of Google’s tool that reports how many searches it records for each word or phrase you enter. Visit https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal and test some words. It’s best to incorporate the most often search words into your profiles. For example, if you want to decide if you should label yourself a secretary (4,090,000 local monthly searches) or administrative assistant (2,740,000 local monthly searches), it might be wise to include the keyword secretary in your profile.

The following are tools marketing professionals use to help them identify keywords for their campaigns. Investigate these to see if they may be useful for you:

http://www.wordtracker.com/

http://keyworddiscovery.com/

http://48ers.com/ (realtime social search)

http://www.socialmention.com/ (social search and analysis)

Source: Smart Blogs on Social Media.

http://topsy.com/ (realtime search for the social web)

https://ads.youtube.com/keyword tool

http://www.kurrently.com/ (realtime search for Facebook and Twitter)

http://48ers.com/ (realtime social search)

http://labs.wordtracker.com/keywordquestions (find out what questions people are asking in your niche)

Source: John Jantsch via American Express/Open Forum

5. STILL DON’T GET IT?

Maybe you’re a visual learner? Cut and paste a job description (or, someone’s LinkedIn profile, a bio or any other text) into a tag cloud generator such as Wordle (http://www.wordle.net/) or Tag Crowd (http://tagcrowd.com). These sites will translate the words into a visual picture of the text. The most prominent words (some will be keywords) will be larger than the other words. Incorporate the biggest

http://tagcrowd.com/

https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

http://www.wordtracker.com/

http://keyworddiscovery.com/

http://48ers.com/

http://www.socialmention.com/

http://smartblogs.com/socialmedia/2010/10/20/four-ways-keywords-drive-blog-editorial-calendar/

http://topsy.com/

https://ads.youtube.com/keyword%20_tool

http://www.kurrently.com/

http://48ers.com/

http://labs.wordtracker.com/keyword-questions

http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/marketing/%20article/5-incredibly-useful-research-tools-your-competitors-dont-know-about-john-jantsch

http://www.wordle.net/


words in your profile or applications to increase the likelihood that employers will find you.

Want to take this visual test to the next step? Cut and paste your completed resume into the tag cloud generator. Compare the resulting word clouds. If the “big” words are not the same, back to the drawing board. See the picture for an example.

MORE RESOURCES

Use Linkup.com, Indeed.com, Monster.com, CareerBuilder, LinkedIn’s jobs, and company sites to research job descriptions

http://www.monster.com/#_blank

http://www.linkup.com/#_blank

http://www.indeed.com/#_blank

http://www.monster.com/#_blank


CHAPTER 3

FIVE THINGS TO LOOK FOR WHEN YOU RESEARCH A COMPANY

Have you ever found yourself working for a company and realized it wasn’t the right job for you? You may believe it is dysfunctional, management's communication style is harsh, you have different values from your coworkers or there's no opportunity for growth? Or, perhaps you absolutely LOVED your last company and you want to find a similar organization? Ideally, most job seekers want what’s known as a “cultural fit” with the organization.

Sometimes, it is easy to overlook cultural fit issues during the interview process. You may have glimpses, but it is easy to ignore the red flags, especially if there is a job offer pending. Just as employers have difficulty defining what they are looking for in a candidate, so do job seekers have difficulty identifying what they want from an employer.

Here are five things for you to keep in mind when you research a company where you might work.

1. DETERMINE WHAT YOU WANT FROM A COMPANY

Now that you have determined which issues are most important to you, begin crafting questions to ask during informational meetings or interviews to provide insights on the answers. Instead of asking questions such as, "Does your company have centralized or decentralized decisionmaking"? rephrase the question as: "When requisitions need to be signed, what is the process?" and then ask, "How long does that typically take?" The use of "situational questions" encourages real examples. For instance, "Tell me about a time when one of your employees was recognized for an accomplishment?" The following chart showcases several aspects about company culture. Choose which suit you best and you’ll be on your way to honing in on the right cultural fit!


Centralized Decision Making Decentralized Authority for Decisions

Cooperative Competitive

Welldefined Career Path Flexible Career Opportunities

Casual Atmosphere Formal Atmosphere

Clearly defined responsibilities Varied/fluid responsibilities

Loosely defined Procedures Structured/formalized Procedures

Clear, well‐communicated vision Flexible, adaptable corporate goals

Focus on public good Focus on company success

Individual performance‐based rewards Team‐based rewards

2. WHAT ARE THEIR STATED VALUES, MISSION AND/OR GOALS?

If you visit the company website, you can usually find company values and missions included somewhere. It may be included in the “About” page. They may have employee testimonials or videos. If you want to see how consistent these values are, you could observe how the company engages with customers and potential employees on Facebook and Twitter. Can you get a sense of how they handle situations and what is important to the organization? Investigate the company leaders. Many times, a leader’s style of management is inherited from their previous employer. By researching the work history of company leadership, you might be able to predict the culture of the company they now work for.

3. ARE THEY FINANCIALLY STABLE?

Conduct due diligence on the financial status of the company. You can read annual reports for public companies. Websites such as Google Finance and Morningstar.com can help you track the financials for companies that are publically traded. You may also see if they are listed here: www.annualReports.com.


4. WHAT ARE OTHERS SAYING ABOUT THE COMPANY?

Don’t be afraid to ask exemployees about their experience working at your target organizations. You can also ask their customers, vendors or suppliers about their experiences working with the company. Sites such as Glassdoor.com ,Vault and CareerBliss.com post anonymous employee reviews. Indeed.com also has a forum. Wetfeet.com showcases recruiter advice from top companies as well as the inside scoop from recent hires. Third party or agency recruiters can be helpful sources of information. You might even try to see what their competitors are saying about the company via Twitter or other online forums. A reminder: one negative or bad comment may not be representative of the entire organization. Look for reoccurring themes.

5. HAVE THEY BEEN IN THE NEWS RECENTLY?

Use search engines such as Google News to research the company name as well as key officers’ names. You are looking for good news and notsogood news. Have they received new contracts or lost contracts? Your investigation of them will help shed light on how they operate. Additionally, you could check these listings: Search Google for "Top 100" and "Best Employer" lists for your city Search companies within LinkedIn Visit Glassdoor.com’s Best Places to Work, 2011 Check out Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to work for, 2011 Scan Business Insider’s 25 Best Companies to work for in America

http://www.businessinsider.com/best-companies-to-work-for-2011-2

http://www.glassdoor.com/

http://www.vault.com/wps/portal/usa

http://www.careerbliss.com/

http://www.wetfeet.com/

http://www.glassdoor.com/Best-Places-to-Work-LST_KQ0,19.htm

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/bestcompanies/2011/index.html


CHAPTER 4

FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HOW TO MARKET YOURSELF

Job search should be proactive, not reactive. To succeed at a proactive search, you’ll want to create a job search strategy and plan of attack. Applying to advertised job is not a strategy; it is a tactic. In today’s job market, you need to do more than just apply for jobs and in order to do that you will need to define where you would like to work.

This chapter will provide five ways to better understand how to build and use a personal marketing plan to make you the standout candidate.

1. STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD BY TAKING THE HARDER ROUTE

You may have heard of the hidden job market. Many jobs are never advertised; they are filled through referrals or wordofmouth. Your chances of being at the right place at the right time greatly increase if you target companies with the potential to hire someone who does what you do. In chapter 3 we talked about how to research companies to find the best fit. Another way of thinking about this? Go directly to the source of opportunities. When you do, you will most likely get there ahead of the competition, since the job has not been advertised publically.

2. WHAT IS A PERSONAL MARKETING PLAN?

Your marketing plan is a document that lays out what you are looking for, why you are qualified and where you might potentially be able to work. Like the marketing plan for a business or new product, your marketing plan is futureoriented and, unlike a resume, it doesn’t have to fit an expected format. It also doesn’t scream, “Hire me, I am looking for a job” when you use it to network. It is a concise collection of the most relevant and important information about you and identifies where you are headed in your search. This is what one would look like.


3. HOW TO CREATE A PERSONAL MARKETING PLAN

List Job Titles and Preferred Functions You have already defined what you want to do. Now you are going to list them all here. Companies frequently name your target jobs with different titles. You want to list as many related job titles as possible so you don’t miss out on opportunities. Try not to eliminate options during this process; you are opening up options. Putting it in writing helps keep you focused and on track.


Identify Preferred Functions This section is optional. It is a good way for you to list the parts of the job you most enjoy doing and have been successful doing. For example, if you love the client/customer interaction part of your job, you can list that as a preferred function. It may be that being able to develop new processes or procedures is important to you. Maybe you thrive in an environment where you are able to develop creative solutions to problems. Any or all of these are the types of functions you can include. It serves as a way of differentiating you from the other people who do the same job. No two people have the same set of strengths. Include Summary of Qualifications and Elevator Pitch Your summary is a mini bio referencing the skills, experiences and talents that make you good at what you do and desirable to companies in your industry. It is not a laundry list of everything you CAN do, nor is it a generic overview. This has to be very unique to you. Including an abbreviated version of your elevator pitch (explained in chapter 6) provides a concise statement of the problems you solve, how you solve them and who you solve them for. Competencies List the skills and areas of knowledge you want to highlight. Be as specific as possible. This could be the processes you are familiar with in accounting, such as General Ledger, Accounts Payable, SOX Auditing; or maybe the quality certifications you use such as Lean Six Sigma. In sales, it may be account development and client needs assessment. Many times, you will find these competencies listed in the job description. Your keyword research (outlined in chapter 2) should help you complete this section. It is optional, as any of the sections of this document. Experience A picture is worth a thousand words. Visually summarizing your career path helps people you are talking with connect the dots. In this section, should you chose to use it, you will literally show your work history timeline and draw the correlation between the various jobs/positions you’ve held. Target Market You have already answered these questions in the first chapter: What industry do you want to work in? What size company is the best fit for you? Geographically, where would you be willing to work?

Identify the names of companies that meet this criteria. As you uncover information, you will learn about the business’ needs and problems. Also, keep look for competitors and watch for small companies on the move. Your list will change over time; some companies will be removed and new ones will be added to your list. Start with a large number – 30 to 50 companies. Since most companies only hire one position like yours, you will increase your odds of being at the right place at the right time the more companies you identify. Now, begin researching these companies. In the sections on social networking (chapters 2327) we’ll provide more information on how to network and identify people.


These are some ways you can find listings of companies to add to your list:

Potential Employer list (from America's Career Infonet) Employer Directory by State (from JobHunt) Search Google for "Top 100" and "Best Employer" lists for your city Search companies within LinkedIn Glassdoor.com’s Best Places to Work, 2011 Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to work for, 2011 Business Insider’s 25 Best Companies to work for in America Member list from your local Chamber of Commerce Your local librarian can assist you

ReferenceUSA Dun & Bradstreet

Your college career center for help (no matter when you graduated) Trade associations and professional groups Directory of Professional and Industry Associations (from JobHunt.org)

4. WHO SHOULD SEE YOUR PERSONAL MARKETING PLAN?

It is up to you to explain your goals to the people you contact. You decide how you want to use your plan and the information it contains. You may decide to send it to people, or you may decide to share certain parts of it during a networking or informational meeting. The HOW is dependent on your audience. Here are some different scenarios: Past coworker: Ask them for additional job titles they have seen that are similar to what you do: “What else are they calling what we do out there?”

Neighbor/family/friend: Ask them to provide you with names of people they know in your target companies: “Do you know anyone I could speak to at any of these companies? I am interested in learning more about what it is like to work there?”

Someone inside a target company: Ask them review your summary of qualifications/elevator speech: “Do you think this background might be of value within your company?” and/or “Does this sound like something your company might be interested in?” or even “Can you think of any other companies that might have a need for this type of experience?”

5. WHY YOUR PERSONAL MARKETING PLAN HELPS YOU

Your personal marketing plan provides you with focus (you know what you want to do and you can give it different names), direction (you know where to go to pursue opportunities) and confidence (you feel sure your skills and background will be of value to companies you are pursuing). It should help eliminate the “spray and pray” (untargeted) approach to job search. In short, when you have a list of target companies you know where you will be marketing your services. This helps you focus your actions and activities.

http://www.job-hunt.org/associations.shtml

http://www.acinet.org/employerlocator/employerlocator.asp?nodeid=18

http://www.acinet.org/

http://www.job-hunt.org/jobs/states.shtml

http://www.glassdoor.com/Best-Places-to-Work-LST_KQ0,19.htm

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/bestcompanies/2011/index.html

http://www.businessinsider.com/best-companies-to-work-for-2011-2


It forces you to look for people or get referred to people who work at target companies and arrange an informational meeting.

Your plan can serve as an agenda for a meaningful discussion during informational meetings.

You can go to job boards to create alerts for all the job titles you’ve identified. You can check the company websites directly for jobs they may not advertise anywhere else.

You can use LinkedIn to “Follow” all the companies on your list to keep up with news they are sharing.


CHAPTER 5

FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW TO CREATE A GREAT PERSONAL BRAND

Why is personal branding so important? In a competitive job market, employers are selective about their hires. With so many talented people with similar skill sets, employers are looking for the candidates who stand out. They also prefer to hire candidates they know (either from referrals or their own network) over unknown candidates.

Your personal brand is more than a jazzy tag line. It encompasses your skills, values, characteristics, interests and personality in a way that positions you as unique and oneofakind.

Companies such as Coke, Ford and others understand how important branding is in standing out and differentiating themselves from their competition. This is what we hope you will be able to do, too.

First, we want to help you determine what your message will include. Here are five important things to know to help you create your personal brand.

1. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE KNOWN FOR?

The answer isn’t one dimensional. It incorporates your personal and professional persona. As you develop your answer to this question, be sure to answer the questions below. These five questions may seem fluffy or lofty, but they should help you begin to refine what makes you unique and what differentiates you from the other people who do the same type of work as you. Vision What is one world problem or one area within your life you would like to see transformed? Purpose What do have you accomplished? How have you touched the lives of others? What difference do you make on your world? Goals List and prioritize all your goals! Which are most important?


Values What are your values? Passions What are you passionate about?

2. HOW DO PEOPLE PERCEIVE YOU?

Your personal brand is made up, in part, by what others say about you. Think about what your past coworkers would say. Were you easy to get along with? Innovative? A taskmaster? Strong in your resolve to get things done? These are qualities and skills you are known for in the workplace and outside of the workplace as well. The combination of these attributes is what will allow you to stand out. Ask coworkers, friends and trusted advisors what comes to mind when they think of you. You can also look at letters or emails from customers, performance reviews and LinkedIn recommendations. What characteristics, skills, talents and abilities do they associate with you? By gathering this information, you can begin crafting a true personal brand.

3. BEGIN SPREADING THE GOOD WORD

You don’t want to be a wellkept secret, do you? You worked hard in school, in your job and throughout your career. Now is the time to let more people know about your talents! Begin testing your thoughts on others and incorporate parts of your brand on key marketing pieces such as your business card, your resume, your email signature line, your LinkedIn profile, your Google profile, your Twitter account – everywhere you have your name, both online and offline.

4. LIVE YOUR BRAND

You want your brand to be authentic, not just words on paper. You want people to see and believe what you are saying about yourself. You want to develop trust. Therefore, you will want to make sure you use as many of these as avenues as possible to help live your brand: Participate in volunteer activities. Join and become involved in professional associations. Start a blog and/or comment on blogs related to your message. Enrich your profiles and portfolios with presentations and visuals showcasing your work. Contribute to online groups and forums. Speak at community events, professional associations and conferences.

5. YOUR BRAND MAKES YOU MEMORABLE

We talked earlier about the competitiveness of the job market. Wouldn’t it be great if employers were knocking on your door? Wouldn’t you love to hear someone say that you are exactly what they’ve been looking for? This fairy tale dream can become real if the employer had heard about you and knew what problems you could solve for them. The more people who can share your branded message, the more people it will reach.


CHAPTER 6

FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW TO WRITE A GREAT PITCH –

Before you look for a job, you need to think about how to tell your story. Surprised? You didn’t know job search was an exercise in storytelling? It’s good to find out now, before it’s too late. If you can’t clearly, succinctly and accurately describe what you have to offer, the people you speak with will not understand how to help you.

An important part of telling your story is creating a pitch; often known as an “elevator pitch.” (The name implies that you could deliver your “speech” during an elevator ride with a great contact. Since most people have a pretty short attention span, assume most buildings are short.) Sales and marketing experts understand how important it is to have a great story to tell people they meet. Since your job search is all about marketing YOU, having a well practiced, targeted elevator pitch is key.

Most people focus their pitch on what they WANT and don’t remember to include what they OFFER. Think about it…If someone approaches you and starts talking about themselves, detailing their needs and how you can help, how closely will you listen?

What if the person in the elevator focused on how he has the solutions to your problems? A little more interested? We bet you are! Who doesn’t want to meet someone who is the answer to his problems? The lesson for job seekers: focus your pitch on your target. What do you offer her?

Luckily, we’re going to boil down your “elevator pitch” to the five things you need to know. Answer these five questions to create a pitch to impress your targets.

1. WHAT IS YOUR GOAL OR OBJECTIVE?

When you’re taking a trip, you need a destination, or you’ll never get where you’re going. (Sound familiar?) Similarly, it’s crucially important to have a targeted goal or objective to create a pitch. What do you want to do? Refer to “Starting Your Search,” chapter 1, for information to help you answer this question. Remember your answers to important questions: what you do,


where you can do it, what makes good and why should people care? Hone in on your keywords; use them in your pitch.

2. CONSIDER YOUR TARGET’S NEEDS

The job search isn’t all about you; it’s about your skills and accomplishments as they relate to your target audience’s needs. What do you offer? What is special about you? What skills and accomplishments set you apart from every other person in the room? In your industry? To successfully create a pitch about you, make sure you research and “listen” first. Identify what people want and then position yourself based on your audience’s needs. You will find out what the employer wants via research, informational meetings and networking. Remember, consider yourself a brand. For example, big brands like Disney decide what they offer before they create and place their advertisements. When they want to advertise Disney World, they know they need to appeal to families and parents’ desire for an affordable, yet magical vacation. Their brand is all about magic and family fun. Disney’s television ads appear on shows with a high viewership of those targets. By defining themselves and the problem they solve (providing a magical experience), they can offer an appealing hook (an affordable family vacation).

3. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO?

To discover your “hook,” you need to know two things: 1. What the employer wants. 2. What you offer.

This is about you, too. Again, refer to the first section of this book with a focus on what you want. If you’re good at something, but it’s not what you want, don’t include that in your pitch.

4. WHAT IMPACT DO YOU HAVE? WHAT RESULTS DO YOU CREATE?

What is brand YOU all about? What makes you special and unique? Think about what you offer an employer? Identify your top five work and personal accomplishments. Write them down and think them over. Missing the mark means a lost opportunity. When you do not identify what makes you unique or special, you have lost the opportunity to distinguish yourself.

5. WHAT PROBLEM DO YOU SOLVE? HOW?

Remember, every job represents a problem waiting for a solution. What solutions do you offer? What skills do you use?


Samples I work with (target audience) to (what problem you solve). This is how (your impact/results).

For example: As a project manager and senior advisor in environmental energy (target audience), I bridge the gap between the technical community and management’s interests (what problem you solve). At Company X, I developed and led a Green IT project, which saved $65,000 per year (impact/results). (37 words)

Things to consider:

Be succinct; think “sound byte,” not “autobiography.”

Don’t assume you’re riding up the elevator in the Empire State Building – you don’t have a lot of time to showcase what you offer! Check out the Harvard Business School’s “Pitch Builder” for more help with your pitch.

http://www.alumni.hbs.edu/careers/pitch

http://www.alumni.hbs.edu/careers/pitch


CHAPTER 7

FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WRITING A GREAT RESUME

One of the biggest mistakes job seekers make is thinking their resumes should be all about them. Ironic? Maybe, but just as your pitch needs to be about your target audience, your resume should show how you are a good fit for the job.

Are you sensing a pattern here? If you want to be successful, it is impossible to avoid focusing on what employers want when you’re looking for a job. This is why having one, unchanging resume to send to every employer usually does not yield successful results. (Unless, of course, each job description is exactly the same, but that is unlikely.)

We weren’t sure if it was realistic to list the five things you need to know about writing a great resume. For most people, a resume is such an important way to try to open the door for new opportunities, how is it possible to give only five tips? Luckily – it turns out that, as with everything in job search, the you can hone in on five things you need to know for your resume.

1. YOUR RESUME IS A MARKETING DOCUMENT

That means it is not an autobiography or a list of everything you’ve ever done at work. Just as advertising professionals learn something about their target markets before deciding on what actors to use in commercials and how to talk to potential clients and customers, you need to hone in on your target employer. Take all the advice about how to research your target companies to heart to create a succinct, clearly positioned marketing document. An effective marketing document is organized and presentable. Don’t rely on templates in your word processing program to design your resume. Use a format that allows you to include information a human reader can easily scan. Headings, bullet points and appropriate use of white space will make it easier to read your resume. (View the sample template that follows for one idea of how to create a modern, marketing focused resume.)


2. A RESUME IS ABOUT THE FUTURE

It’s not a history lesson. You do not need to list everything you’ve ever done or every job you’ve ever had. Clearly, it includes your past accomplishments, but it’s more important to focus on what you want to do next. Your word choice is telling. Avoid words, phrases or jargon in your


descriptions if they don't specifically relate to your next employer's needs. If you include information focused on another field or position, it may confuse the reader and make him think you would prefer a different job. If you want to convince your targeted employer that you're a perfect fit, delete language the recruiter or employer might misinterpret or misunderstand.

3. TARGET, TARGET, TARGET

Tweaking and customizing your resume (even a little) for every job is important, because each employer will target a series of keywords and search applications for specific details. Remember, you want to find 25 to 35 keywords to include for each job you apply for. Another way to target your resume? Change headlines at the top and reorder bullet points to appeal to the human being who will eventually review your document. Every effort you make to customize your materials for the employer makes a difference in achieving your resume’s goal: landing you an interview. When you pay careful attention to every word you include and make sure you don't waste space with unnecessary content, you will have a better chance of landing an interview.

4. SHOW, DON’T TELL

You’ve heard a picture is worth 1000 words? There’s a reason for that – a picture can capture nuances you may not think to write in a description. No, we’re not advising you to put a photo on your resume, but we do want you to paint a picture of you and what you offer – with your words. How can you do this? Don’t just say you improved sales – tell how much. Don’t write how accomplished you are – prove it. What did you accomplish? Use numbers, dollar amounts and percentages to describe what you did. How do you compare to others? Did you increase return business in a downturning economy? Did you do the work of three people after layoffs? Were you chosen for an honor or award above everyone in your 5000person company? When you prove that you have what it takes to succeed in the job by offering solid examples, your resume will stand out from the crowd. When you describe your background, to use the correct verb tenses. Think of your resume as being written in “firstperson implied.” What does that mean? You don’t need to include the word, “I,” but the reader will assume you are talking about yourself. Do not mix the tenses in your bullets to effectively describe your skills in the third person (as if someone else wrote your materials). For example: Envision, create and write articles targeting niche audience of parents and teachers, resulting in exceeding expectations by increasing profits by 12% in one year. In this example, you can pretend there is an “I” at the beginning: I envision, create and write… VS.


Envisions, creates and writes articles…In this example, the correct pronoun would be “He” or “She:” “She envisions, creates and writes.” Many people accidentally mix their verb tenses and include both the “I” and the “He” versions. Don’t let that be you! Stick with the “I” versions so you are talking about yourself!

5. LEAVE OFF INFORMATION EMPLOYERS DON’T NEED.

What is irrelevant? An objective. Jobseekers used to learn to include an objective describing what they wanted in a job. (For example, "Seeking growth opportunity with progressive company" or "Looking for a job with flexible organization where I can advance.") Today, employers don't care what you want—it's all about their needs. Use headlines including the job title you want and key phrases pulled from the job description. If you're applying for a job in the United States, you don't need to include your age, social security number, a picture, nor list your marital or family status. (The employer does not need to know your children's names and ages.) Descriptions about your physical characteristics are irrelevant unless you are applying for a job that relies on your appearance (such as an actor, television anchor or model). Your hobbies generally don’t have a place on your resume, unless they directly relate to the job. (For example, you’re an avid runner seeking a position at Nike. Or, you’re an amateur artist applying for a position at an artsupply store.) You don’t need to include the phrase, “References provided on request.” It’s assumed you will provide references, so don’t waste your space saying so! Review the sample template to help you learn more about what to include in your resume. This post via The Work Buzz will offer additional good information.

http://www.theworkbuzz.com/get-the-job/resume/resumes-everything-you-should-shouldnt-be-doing/


CHAPTER 8

BE BOLD AND ADDRESS THESE FIVE COVER LETTER MUSTDOS

You will send a cover letter. Period. For many hiring managers or resume screeners, your cover letter explains which job you are interested in and, more importantly, WHY you are interested in the job and the company as well as what makes you qualified. Your cover letter should define what value you are bringing to the company. (Remember WIIFM as we discussed earlier in chapter 1!) Don’t just tell your story. No one cares unless you tie it back to the job posting. Relate your experience and interests to the employer you are applying to.

The Exceptions

There are exceptions to every rule. Some hiring managers will never read your cover letter. Others will not even glance at your resume unless you have a well written cover letter. This is determined by the preference of the individual. You can’t make them read it, nor should you assume they won’t read it and not include one.

More Grey Issues

Just as every reviewer has different personal preferences, so does every company and industry have expectations for what they want to see. A position in graphic design would require your cover letter to demonstrate your creativity. A position in sales would require you to demonstrate your assertiveness and sales skills. A position within an accounting firm, law firm or government, would expect a traditionally outlined letter. The most important rule in writing is to understand what is most important to the person, company and industry you are targeting.

These are the five most important things to consider when writing a cover letter.


1. THE FORMAT OF YOUR LETTER SHOULD KEEP THE READER ENGAGED

You only need three paragraphs. Your letter should take up less than a page. People don’t have a lot of time. You have to learn how to make your point concisely! Opening Paragraph This explains Why you are writing? Why you are interested in the job and the company. Who told you about the job (if applicable) or where you heard about it. Highlight your knowledge of the company. Include information that would make the reader believe you are genuinely interested in working for them. This is where your company research comes into play. (Be sure to review chapter 3 about how to research a company.)

Skills Summary answers the question: Why you are qualified? Match your skills to what they are looking for in the job posting. Briefly highlight your qualifications based on what you know about the company. Give examples of how you use specific skills mentioned in the job posting.

Closing Paragraph contains a Thank You and Action Item. Thank them for considering your resume and reiterate your interest. Let them know you will be following up.


2. GRAB THEM WITH A UNIQUE OPENING SENTENCE AND PARAGRAPH

How many cover letters do you think a company gets that begin with “I am interested in your job as a Project Manager and have attached my resume for your review,” or something similar? It is easy for you to start the letter this way, however, will it catch the reader’s attention and stand out from the hundreds of others they review? Using a referral name from the company is one way to catch the reader’s attention. Depending on your personality and the company culture, perhaps your letter opens with a quote. Give great thought to how you open your letter and by all means, make sure you think about who will be reading it and what they are interested in knowing.


3. PAY ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS…THEY COUNT!

Take the time and find the name of the person who is in charge of hiring for this position. If the best you can do is get the name of the person in HR, use it. We frequently hear the excuse from job seekers that they can’t find the name. You can and should take the time to try. Use LinkedIn. If you honestly have tried and can’t find the name, then consider using “Dear Hiring Manager.” Double check spelling, appearance, and format. What NOT To Do

1. Different font style (appears smaller and this is the first thing I see when I open the email). 2. Again, different font style. Clearly typed in as part of a form or template. 3. Varying sized text. 4. & 5. This font style is different. 6. Not sure what school this refers to, but it clearly has nothing to do with the job. 7. The email had the person’s name, but no telephone number or “signature” for me to easily contact the candidate or know anything more about the candidate. 8. This candidate expects me to call? Isn’t she the one who is looking for the job? Shouldn’t she be following up? She stated that her aim was to meet.


4. INCLUDE EXAMPLES OF HOW YOU USED SPECIFIC SKILLS MENTIONED IN THE JOB POSTING

Underline key words in the job posting. Literally, do this to make sure you are not overlooking any key qualifications or words or skills. Start by highlighting the experience you have and what you believe the keywords are for the employer. This is similar to the exercise demonstrated in the key word chapter 2.

Note. You may not even use them all, but knowing what you want to emphasize is important.

5. FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES FOR SUBMITTING YOUR COVER LETTER

There are different methods for submitting your materials. These are some key points to take into consideration. In chapter 11, we provide more direction about how to submit your resume.

Email There are two ways you can use your cover letter when submitting it via email. It could be the body of your email or your could merge it with your resume as an attachment or, you could do both. If your cover letter is too long to go into an email, consider highlighting the most important points and be sure to let the receiver know your full cover letter is attached. Don’t make readers open up two attachments; they may not have the patience!


USPS/Snail Mail Print the cover letter and resume on appropriate paper. Sign your name and include your phone and email on the cover letter. Do not staple or print on twosides. You will make it more difficult for the people processing this.

ATS (Applicant Tracking System) If you are applying online, you may need to convert your documents to .txt files which strips them of Word formatting. You may also need to make some modifications after doing this to ensure it looks right. This will better ensure the information is uploaded correctly. To do this, open up your letter in Word and select “save as”. From there, chose the pull down arrow next to the “save as type” and choose “plain text.” You aren’t done yet. Review the document and make any formatting changes so that the document looks visually appealing.

Most ATS systems only accept Word documents. .Doc files are preferred over .DOCX to ensure ease of readability.

Probably the most important rule of all is to ALWAYS follow the instructions in the job posting!


CHAPTER 9

FIVE THINGS TO HELP EVALUATE AND APPLY FOR THE RIGHT JOBS

In a perfect world, no job seeker would ever need to apply for a job – the jobs would all come knocking. Clearly, this isn’t a perfect world. Most job seekers are not in the position to move from job to job effortlessly. Reviewing and evaluating job descriptions is a necessary evil.

It’s both a blessing and a curse that today’s descriptions are so elaborate, long and involved. Some of you will remember a time when applying for a job involved reading a threeline ad in a newspaper and hoping you would get lucky and hit the nail on the head with your application materials. Now, companies can describe their needs in lengthy diatribes known as job descriptions!

The good thing about these job descriptions that don’t seem to end? At least you’ll gain a sense of what the organizations value. If they want four of five key qualifications, they will list all of them (and then some). In the old days, they may have left something off that would come back to bite you in the butt later in the process.

The other advantage to long job descriptions? As we emphasized earlier, you can use these descriptions to help connect the dots between what the employer needs and what you offer. Remember what we said about keywords? The more information in the job description, the more opportunities for you to connect the dots for job search success.

What are the five key things to keep in mind when evaluating a job description?

1. WHAT ARE YOUR SHORT AND LONGTERM GOALS? Throughout this book, we emphasize how important it is to think first about the company or organization’s needs when you’re looking for a job. When you evaluate a job description, your needs come first. Be sure to give a lot of thought to what you want to do now – and what you want to do in the future. Does the job seem to provide opportunities to use the skills you know you’ll want to hone going forward?


For example, maybe you know your goal is to be a manager. Clearly, you need some supervisory experience. If the job doesn’t offer the opportunity to supervise, and you are at that point in your career, it may not be the job for you.

Consider salary needs and desires, too. While you may not know exactly how much the job pays, use all the tools at your disposal to try to identify how much you may expect to earn in the position. Check Glassdoor.com, Salary.com and Payscale.com for information. Don’t be shortsighted or desperate when you review the job description. You’ll find it a better use of your time to weed out illfitting jobs in favor of spending valuable time, effort and energy focusing on positions you really want.

2. DO YOU WANT TO WORK FOR THE ORGANIZATION? Consider the job’s location, the company’s reputation and your values. Is it a match? There are a lot of hoops to jump through to land a position. Don’t waste your effort or the hiring manager’s time if you already know you won’t drive an extra 30 minutes each way to work or if you’re pretty sure the company is about to file for bankruptcy.

3. CONSIDER THE DAYTODAY ASPECTS OF THE JOB What do you want to actually do? If the job lists travel or physical activity that does not interest you – don’t apply!

4. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS Sometimes, you can land an interview for a position without the minimum requirements. However, that does not usually happen if you are submitting an online application. If the job mandates a certain skill or qualification (a degree or certification, for example), and you don’t have it, it’s likely the only way you will win an interview is via your network. If you can’t network your way into the organization and convince a hiring manager you have what it takes even though you don’t have exactly the qualifications they think they want, you’re probably wasting your time applying. Make a checklist of mandatory requirements and be sure you have all of them before you apply online.

Does this mean that you should never consider jobs beyond your qualifications? NO! We all know job descriptions often seem to seek the “sun, moon and stars.” Employers “shoot for the moon.” They want the equivalent of an accountant who has written a novel and has a perfect golf game! In other words, an unlikely combination – also known as a purple squirrel). When “desired qualifications” include experiences you do not have, it can still be worth applying. As long as you can make a direct connection between what they want and what you offer, go for it! You may also decide it is worth it to take a lowerlevel position to break into a new career or work your way up into a dream company.

http://www.payscale.com/

http://www.glassdoor.com/

http://www.salary.com/


5. CAREFULLY COMB THROUGH THE JOB DESCRIPTION Copy and paste it into a document or print it out and highlight the description. When you are done, jobs you are wellqualified to do will be almost entirely highlighted – and your mind will be buzzing with ways to prove you are the best candidate for the job. Need some more advice about self evaluating? This link may help you.

http://humanresources.about.com/od/performancemanagement/a/self_evaluation.htm


CHAPTER 10

FIVE WAYS TO USE JOB BOARDS

You want to make sure the time you invest searching job boards is going to generate the best and safest results! If you haven’t use a job board recently, there is a short learning curve.

These are the most important five features and tips to improve how you spend your time on job boards.

1. BE SAFE There are some basic things to assess before you begin creating a login and posting your resume. Your safety comes first in determining which boards to use. Most recruiters will search the job boards where they have an account (and where they post their own jobs).

You should be able to search the jobs before you register on the site. You want to evaluate the jobs they have posted to see if it worth your time registering.

Who owns the site? Look for contact information on the site. If you don’t see contact information, don’t use that site.

Google the site's name and see what shows up. Are there negative articles about the company? This would not be a good sign.

Is there a privacy policy on their site? Become familiar with what is says and compare it with the other “large boards” privacy policies.

Check out the "employer" side of the job site to see how easy it is to gain access to the resumes. If access is free, you may want to find another job site or risk receiving more junk mail or worse.

You should not have to pay to gain access to jobs in most cases. Before you decide to pay, look for written guarantees and current testimonials from clients.

2. FIND A SITE WITH "RIGHT" JOBS

Some job boards post positions for a very specific niche. This can be a good thing and a bad thing. If your job is highly specified and the niche addresses that, wonderful. You want to evaluate where and who these boards are focused.

Another way to assess “right” jobs is to look at who is posting the jobs, employers or thirdparty recruiters. Your preference is to apply directly to employer posted jobs, whenever possible. Does the site have a mix of both or are they very focused on agency announcements?

How current are the jobs and how many jobs are posted? Check the listings to see if the jobs have dates associated with posting. Have jobs been posted recently? You also want to see the quantity of jobs listed. More is better.


3. BE SPECIFIC, NOT GENERAL

Your first step in creating the right search is to get clear on the exact terms that best match the jobs you want. If you are too general, such as searching on "accounting" or "New York" you'll receive too many results and sifting through them is a waste of your time and energy.

Get comfortable using the “Advanced Search” page for any job board you visit. This allows you to enter multiple search criteria (such as accounting jobs in New York, NY). Be as specific as possible in terms of industry, location and experience level. Specify specific skills sets or areas of knowledge or certifications. You will save time culling through hundreds of postings that don't fit your needs.

4. CREATE ALERTS

Set up email alerts that send matching jobs to you. By setting your criteria, the board will know to send you an email alert when jobs matching or similar to those you are looking for are posted. This is a huge time saver. Monitor the quality and quantity of email alerts you are getting and fine tune your criteria as needed.

5. USE ALL THE BOARDS AND CONNECT WITH YOUR CONTACTS

CareerXroads 2012 Sources of Hire study found that companies found value in sourcing candidates from Indeed.com. (see figure below.)

Don’t overlook Craig’s List and niche sites catering to your industry or occupation.

More and more, companies are hosting job postings on their website only. Using LinkUp.com can help you find these opportunities.

One final thing to consider…your chances of being looked at greatly increase if you have an inside contact or connection., Jackalopejobs.com says “unlike most job sites our focus is you,

http://www.linkup.com/


the job seeker to find you relevant jobs and relevant connections for each job!” All you have to do is log into Jackalopejobs.com with your favorite social network and start looking for a job then quickly know who can help. We talk more about combining the power of your Facebook network to find connections in chapter 26.

Resources:

CareerBuilder.com

Indeed.com

Monster.com

SimplyHired.com

US.Jobs (formerly Job Central.com)

Listing of the Top 100 job boards, 2011: http://www.internetinc.com/top100jobboardniches/

Reference: Post from JobHunt.org: http://www.jobhunt.org/choosing.shtml

http://www.job-hunt.org/choosing.shtml

http://www.jackalopejobs.com/

http://www.careerbuilder.com/

http://www.indeed.com/

http://www.monster.com/

http://www.simplyhired.com/

http://us.jobs/

http://www.internetinc.com/top-100-job-board-niches/

http://www.internetinc.com/top-100-job-board-niches/


CHAPTER 11

FIVE BEST PRACTICES WHEN SUBMITTING A RESUME

Who would think that submitting a resume could be done incorrectly? All you have to do is send the attachment or upload your document and voila, right? Wrong. In this chapter, we outline the top five details you will need to pay attention to as you submit your resume to ensure it will be received and processed in the intended manner.

1. ALWAYS FOLLOW DIRECTIONS

The most important rule to follow when submitting a resume is to do whatever the employer has specified. You must follow their directions or risk pissing them off. Most of the instructions defined by employers were created to make their lives easier and therefore, that is what you want to do. It should go without saying, however, in your haste, it is common to overlook small but important details. Pay attention, please.

2. .DOC OR .PDF

When you submit your resume to a company via email, you want to make it as easy as possible for them to “process” your resume. Do you know if they will be uploading it into their Applicant Tracking System (ATS)? Most ATS do not upload .pdf files at this time. Surely this will change, however, what will they do if you send them a .pdf and it won’t upload? (Our guess: you pretty much won’t be applying for that job!) You don’t want to be a problem, so by default, send your resume as a .doc not a .docx. Not all companies are using the most current version of Microsoft Word. To ensure they will be able to effortlessly open your file, use the standard .doc which nearly every one can read. Convert your resume to textonly form by saving it as a .txt file. This will remove the formatting which many times doesn’t stick when you upload a standard Word document. Things like bullets and wordwrap formatting are eliminated from the document which will allow you to see it the way it will show up for the company. You can make changes to the .txt document before committing to upload it into the system. Once in the system, editing your resume may become difficult. These are some other ways to edit your .txt resume before uploading it. Edit by leftaligning everything. Center or rightaligning text will be lost on most online resume postings.

Use spaces, not tabs to indent. Don’t use special characters or symbols.


3. NAME YOUR ATTACHED RESUME FILE WITH YOUR NAME

If you email your resume to a company, you want them to be able to effortlessly save the document to their system. The resume you attach should be named so that your name and possibly the job title are included, for example: Janedoe.Resume.doc Jane.Doe.ProjectManager.Resume.doc When you name your attached resume file as either of these, they can be downloaded quickly and don’t require editing by the reviewer in order for them to save the documents to their computer or to their ATS.

4. APPLY EARLY

According to a StartWire survey of over 6,600 successful job seekers across ten industries, a majority of job seekers who got hired applied early – 50% applied within a week of a job being listed, and 75% within three weeks. StartWire says: “The earlier you apply, the better chance you have of getting full consideration for the position.” Typically Human Resources professionals will review resumes and refer the specified number of applicants on to the internal hiring manager. With so many applicants right now, they can almost always find what they are looking for by reviewing the resumes after a week or so. Because they have already passed along the requested number of applicants and consider their job complete, they seldom have time to go back and look at the most recently submitted resumes. It takes time to research the company and craft a WOW cover letter and then to modify your resume for the specifics of the job, we know. One of the reasons we emphasize self assessment and company research is because your advance research will help shorten the time it takes you to construct relevant documents each time you apply for a job.

5. BE SAFE

When posting your resume to a public resume site, such as Indeed, CareerBuilder or Monster, protect your identity! Omit personal information, such as your home address and phone number. Instead, post only your city and state and set up a special email for job search.

http://www.startwire.com/press/early_bird#_blank


CHAPTER 12

FIVE WAYS TO FOLLOW UP AFTER YOU’VE APPLIED FOR A JOB

One of the questions job seekers commonly ask is, “How long do I wait to follow up after I’ve applied for a job?” There is a fine line between being a pest and being persistent, which we outline in chapter 12. You want to be assertive and interested, but you also don’t want to be perceived as annoying. At the very least, you will want to make sure your resume didn’t get lost in cyber space.

These five tips help build a framework for you to use as you decide when and how you will follow up.

1. FOLLOW UP WITH AN EMAIL

For any job posting that specifically mentions an application deadline, wait a day or two after the deadline before you follow up. If the posting does not include a deadline, the followup time period is a little less clearcut. As a general rule, you should plan to follow up within a week after sending in the application. Your first email is to make sure they received the message and to briefly restate why it’s worth their time to review your resume. Email is often an easy way to contact busy professionals. It gives them the opportunity to respond when they are ready. Your followup email would be sent to the same person as your resume. Be sure to use the person’s name. The gist of your message is: “I hope you are happy with the quality and quantity of applications you’ve received so far. I hope you agree my credentials are strong and that you are considering my application.” You should restate your interest in the position and highlight one or two key details from your cover letter explaining why you are a particularly good candidate.

2. FOLLOW UP BY PHONE

The benefit of calling is that you may have a chance to speak with the person live. Your interest and personality should come across the phone. Depending on the type of position you are applying for, it will also demonstrate your phone skills and ability to persistently pursue an opportunity. Customer service and sales come to mind as jobs where these skills would be immediately valuable. The timeframe for following up by phone is the same as with an email.


We recommend asking about where the company is in the review process before you ask whether they got your resume. Asking the questions in this order is more polite and often can build better rapport. You may have to leave a message if you call. Be prepared to convey your message concisely and with energy over the phone. If you are lucky enough to reach someone via phone, be sure to ask them what their timeframe is for the next step and who you can follow up with around that date.

3. TRY BEING SOCIAL…

If you haven’t already, try following and retweeting (forwarding his or her tweets) the hiring manager on Twitter or joining one of their LinkedIn groups and posting something intelligent there. Google+ is another open network where you could directly communicate with someone who works for the company you applied to. Who knows, you may even have a connection through Facebook or LinkedIn. We go into more detail on how to use social networks in chapters 2327. By connecting through social networks, your name may be a little more familiar to your followup contact, and he or she may be impressed by your online contributions. For job postings with or without deadlines, you can safely follow up by email one more time after the initial followup and perhaps call and leave a message, just in case their email is completely flooded with applications. If that still doesn’t work, it’s time to look for other contacts inside the company who may be able to pass your resume along.

4. PUT A LITTLE PRESSURE ON FAMILY, FRIENDS AND INSIDE CONTACTS

Once you have applied, you can immediately reach out to everyone you know to let friends, family and inside contacts know. You should let them know this because many companies have referral bonuses. Ask your inside contacts to put in a good word for you. Who knows, your resume may just rise to the top of the pile. You may even be able to ask your inside contact to find out where their company is in the process or to find out any other information that might help you understand what is going on. Try checking out LinkedIn and Glassdoor’s Inside Connections both allow you to see who you know (on LinkedIn and Facebook) in companies you are applying to or interested in.

5. YOU COULD JUST WAIT IT OUT

This is the easiest option and one we don’t endorse. When you don’t take any followup action, you will never know what is going on and you may appear unmotivated or uninterested. Alternating between email and calling is a good tactic to try. The person you are communicating with may have a preference for one over the other. You can’t know that until you try to evaluate their response.

http://www.glassdoor.com/blog/video-uncover-connections-company/

http://www.mainstreet.com/article/career/employment/everything-you-need-know-about-following-job

http://www.glassdoor.com/blog/video-uncover-connections-company/


There may be a point when you do decide to stop following up. If you have emailed, called, tapped social media channels and your inside connections and believe you have done everything you can to get an answer, and still haven’t heard anything, then, give yourself permission to move on.


CHAPTER 13

FIVE THINGS TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT WORKING WITH RECRUITERS

It isn't enough just to connect with recruiters. You'll want them to know you, trust you and believe they can make money by placing you in a job – and that you will "stick." They know what is happening in the marketplace and can be a source of salary information. There are so many variables when working with recruiters. Be informed; when you understand how they work you’ll be a better candidate (if you are a good candidate for recruiters – not everyone is a “purple squirrel” – the recruiter’s term for a very unique candidate). These are five things you should know about recruiters.

1. SOME RECRUITERS WORK FOR THE EMPLOYER

HR/Human Resources Recruiters These are typically people who work for the organization (sometimes they can be contracted, meaning, they are not an employee of the organization, but working on a temporary basis). Their roles are to ensure rules are followed and processes are in place. One of their primary roles is to source and screen candidates. However, this may not be their only role. Pros They know the organization/company.

Cons They may or may not know the true nature of the job. They usually serve as a filter, screening candidates that don’t fit the criteria. 3rdParty Recruiters This term usually applies to people outside the organization who have been hired or engaged to find talent. They could be working for a firm or have their own business. They could be Retained or Contingent. You want them to know you. Try to set up a facetoface meeting.

Retained means that they have a relationship with the company (either exclusive or not), to help them find the right talent. Contingent means that if they provide a candidate who ends up getting hired, they will be paid a fee. Otherwise, they are not compensated. They may even be competing with other recruiters to fill the position.


Mission: To find the right candidate for the company and make money Pros They serve as gobetweens and you can and should be more direct in how you answer their questions than you might if talking to an employee of the organization.

They will love you if you meet the qualifications of the job they are trying to fill.

Cons Not all recruiters are created equal. If they don’t need you, you probably won’t hear from them again.

2. THEY GET PAID WHEN YOU GET THE JOB

You should never pay a fee to work with a recruiter. The company pays the recruiter once the candidate is placed in a job (or, after a certain amount of time). There are different ways these placement fees can work. What you want to understand is that generally, the more money you are paid, the more of a commission the recruiter earns. It is usually in their best interest to help you get a competitive salary. This also means that recruiters are looking for the very best candidate for the company and tend to think in terms of “square peg, square hole”(an exact match) If you are changing careers or have little work experience, recruiters may have a difficult time placing you. (They probably do not consider you a purple squirrel.)

3. YOU CAN WORK WITH AS MANY AS YOU CAN MANAGE

Different recruiters work with different companies. You don’t want to eliminate opportunities because you weren’t working with the right recruiter. Technically, you can work with as many recruiters as you can manage; However, you need to “manage” this carefully and may want to disclose the fact that you are working with other recruiters when you talk to them. Be sure that you know where and when recruiters are submitting your resume and that you keep track of where you apply as well. You don’t want multiple recruiters submitting you for the same job or a job you have already applied to on your own. If a company receives the same resume from two different recruiters it could result in you losing out on the opportunity. The employer does not want to fight or prove which recruiter submitted the candidate first. a job offer if two recruiters are asking for a fee based on your hire.

4. NO TWO RECRUITERS WORK THE SAME WAY

Recruiters often have areas of specialty and many times have different processes for working with job seekers. Some may negotiate on your behalf, others may not. Some may notify you before they submit your resume, others may not. Some may edit your resume for you or ask you to edit it for the specific needs of their client. Some recruiters enjoy incorporating a “coaching” element when they work with clients. Others expect to submit you as is. Consider each recruiter unique.


You can learn about their specialties from their website or directories such as Oya’s Directory of Recruiters, Find a Recruiter or “The Directory of Executive & Professional Recruiters” (in hard copy format at most libraries or career centers). For a listing of additional resources to identify recruiters, visit The Riley Guide’s Directories of Recruiters. You can also learn about recruiters by word of mouth or by searching lists on Twitter.

5. SOME POSITIONS AND SOME COMPANIES ONLY PLACE THROUGH RECRUITERS

Retained firms work exclusively with companies to help them fill their jobs. This can vary by industry and level within the company. You can often find out a company’s hiring practices and learn which recruiters they have a relationship with by talking with someone in the HR department. The more you learn about how your target companies fill their jobs, the better you will be at finding the opportunities.

http://www.rileyguide.com/recruiters.html

http://www.i-recruit.com/

http://www.i-recruit.com/

http://www.findarecruiter.com/


CHAPTER 14

FIVE THINGS NETWORKING IS AND IS NOT

Networking may be one of the most misunderstood parts of job search, which is a shame, since it holds a pivotal role for successful job seekers. The problem? A lot of people try networking techniques that are nothing more than asking for (or demanding) help. It won’t work.

In this chapter, we highlight 5 Things Networking is and is not – and how to make sure you are networking effectively.

1. NETWORKING IS NOT GOING AROUND, TELLING EVERYONE YOU MEET THAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A JOB AND HOPING THEY CAN HELP. THAT IS JOB SEEKING. Think about it: If you say: “I am looking for an opportunity working in _____, and I would like to talk to you about positions at your organization,” you aren’t likely to land a meeting unless your target contact has a job opportunity in mind. No one wants to disappoint another person, so if your target has no job in sight, he or she is likely to suggest that you send your resume to HR. That tact will not help you get your foot in the door, and does not connect you oneonone to a potential ally. If you don’t know of a job, and someone asks for your help because they are looking for a job, might you assume you won’t be able to fulfill his or her expectations? We believe some people will avoid wanting to meet with you because they don’t want to disappoint you or fail to meet your expectations. Make it networking What if, instead, you can convince yourself and your contact that you are looking for INFORMATION – not a job? Make a point to say you don’t expect the meeting to result in a job. Don’t even mention you are looking for a job.


See the difference: “I’m so impressed by what you are doing at (organization name), and I noticed on your LinkedIn profile that you began your career in retail — just like I did! I would love the opportunity to hear how you made the transition so successfully into a hightech organization. It would be great to have a chance to ask you some questions about your company and your career.” Be polite, but persistent. Explain you are gathering information, not expecting a specific opportunity as a result of your meeting. “I understand your company isn’t hiring right now. I’m really just researching organizations and hoping to learn a thing or two from a successful professional like you!” If your targeted contact is not interested, ask for a referral: “I understand that you are too busy to meet. Is there someone else in your department who might be able to speak with me?” Most people love to talk about themselves, and few of us have a willing audience for our stories! Ask yourself, if someone called you and requested that you share your story and information about your organization (assuming you weren’t working with classified information), what would you say? We would bet that most of you would be willing to help.

2. NETWORKING IS NOT SENDING RANDOM REQUESTS ONLINE TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE

Do you get these requests via LinkedIn? We receive them all the time: (Name) has indicated you are a person they've done business with at (company name we’ve never heard of). Or, a default message: I'd like to add you to my professional network Or – NO MESSAGE at all! This is not networking, it is sending random, unwanted messages to people who don’t want to hear from you know who you are. It is unwanted solicitation, otherwise known as SPAM. Turn your messages into networking:

“I follow you on Twitter and really enjoy reading your blog. I appreciate all of the great information you share. I’ve just started reading your helpful book. I hope you will agree to connect and network on LinkedIn.” “We both attended the (name) event last night, but I missed a chance to speak to you in person. I was so sorry to miss the opportunity and hope you’ll agree to connect here.”


“Thanks so much for speaking at my college alumni event at Emory University last night. I appreciated your thoughtful remarks. I hope you will agree to connect here so we can stay in touch.” “We’re both members of the Engineers for Good group on LinkedIn, and I was excited to see you quoted in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal. I hope you’ll agree to connect, as I would love to share some ideas for (something they are passionate about related to the article) with you.” If you want to connect with someone, make a point to let the person know why you are a good contact and not a stalker.

3. NETWORKING IS NOT ATTENDING A NETWORKING EVENT AND COLLECTING BUSINESS CARDS

What good are a bunch of cards at the end of the night if you haven’t had any significant conversations? Maybe you can tell people you attended a networking event, but if you did not learn anything useful and if you are not planning to follow up with anyone, you wasted your time. Make it networking Follow the advice in chapter 18 and prepare for inperson networking. Your sleuthing will be helpful. Instead of standing around, make an effort to introduce people to each other (even if you don’t know them already) — and to introduce yourself. It’s great if you are lucky enough to have someone nearby who can vouch for you and make a generous introduction on your behalf. (Think about how you can do this for other people…Being a connector by putting people together who may have mutual interests is a great way to build your value in your community.) Even if there is no one around to introduce you, stick out your hand with a smile and introduce yourself. Ask some questions and be interested in the person who is sitting down next to you in a session or who is waiting in line with you to get your picture taken! We’re all focused on what we’re doing next or where we need to be at the stroke of the hour; use that to your advantage. Ask other people where they are going next, or about the keynote address. Strike up a conversation; everyone around shares something in common with you if you’re attending the same professional event. Don’t miss the opportunity to meet someone new. Once you do — take the time to introduce that person to someone else.

4. NETWORKING ISN’T ABOUT ASKING FOR HELP

This was always one of the biggest reasons people say they don’t like networking, “I don’t like to ask for help.” Networking is not about asking for help. Make it networking Instead, consider the fact that there are lots of people out there who may be able to use YOUR help – and you haven’t met them yet! When you meet someone, one of the most powerful


questions you can ask is, “How can I help you?” It is a great way to indicate your willingness to connect. Networking at its very best is about building relationships, not about a quid pro quo relationship (I’ll do this for you and you can do that for me(.

5. NETWORKING ISN’T ABOUT “ONE AND DONE”

You met, you had a great conversation and you left. Don’t throw away opportunities with the last plate or cup after an event. Networking isn’t about meeting and then failing to follow up. Make it networking When you use the tactics suggested in chapter 18 and engage in some personal conversations when networking, you will have some great followup fodder. If you don’t reach back out and get in touch, you aren’t networking. You’re meeting someone and then never hearing from them again. When you focus on other people and their needs as much as your own, you will be much more successful at networking. You may even enjoy it.


CHAPTER 15

FIVE TYPES OF PEOPLE TO ASK FOR A MEETING

Why is asking for a meeting out of your comfort zone? Most likely it is because you think your agenda is to hit the person up for a job, right? Well, if we were to tell you that your purpose of asking for a meeting was to acquire information and learn from the person, would that make it easier? “Sure,” you probably are thinking, “But why would they want to meet with me?” First, because people are flattered you would be asking them for advice and information and second because smart people are always interested in meeting people, especially people like you!

Before you pick up the phone, develop a script or bullet points so you’ll be prepared to introduce yourself and explain specifically what you are asking of them. Being prepared should make you feel a lot better. Be very clear about what you ask. The more often you do this, the easier it will get, we promise.

Be prepared for objections. You will encounter people who don’t know how to help you and they may make excuses for not meeting with you. What they are really saying is that they are not comfortable enough to schedule a meeting with you at this time. They aren’t always saying no. Prepare responses ready for these common objections so you’ll be able to continue the conversation:

“I don’t know of any jobs”

“I don’t do the hiring”

“I’m too busy”

Your response could be:

“I understand, but I am actually looking for people to have a conversation with so that I can learn more about XYZ company (Q industry or P occupation). I’m not expecting a specific opportunity as a result of our conversation. If you were me, who do you think I should speak to?”

We’ve emphasized time and time again in this book how important it is to put the needs and interests of others first. When asking for a


meeting, you’ll want to bake this into your invite as well. How would the person benefit by meeting with you? How can you help him?

These are five different scenarios describing types of people to ask for a meeting!

1. SOMEONE YOU USED TO WORK WITH (OR VENDOR OR SUPPLIER OR CONTRACTOR)

You can reach out to your past colleague either through email, phone, LinkedIn or Facebook. Where do you think you would have the greatest success? The answer depends on the individual’s preference. Your purpose for wanting to meet is to find out what changes they are seeing in the business and secondarily to let them know you are in transition, a more politically correct way of saying you are looking for work. Of course, you will end that meeting by asking them to introduce you to anyone else they think might be helpful for you to meet.

2. YOUR NEIGHBOR’S COUSIN’S UNCLE’S NEPHEW

This is can also be called a warm referral. Your neighbor gives you the name of someone you should talk to. Make sure you follow up on this as soon as possible. When you reach out to this person, via phone or email, you will absolutely want to tell them that you got their name from your neighbor and why you’ve been told they would be a helpful person for you to meet.

3. YOUR OLD BOSS

Assuming you and your previous manager or supervisor got along, you will want to meet with him or her. She may know of upcoming opportunities at your old company. If she liked you and your performance, then it would be easy for her to want to help you and introduce you to other people you should know.

4. SOMEONE YOU’VE JUST MET

Let’s say you are attending a networking event or conference or baseball game and you meet someone you would like to get to know better. If there’s enough synergy and common interests and you feel like continuing the conversation, ask for a meeting. How? If you haven’t already, exchange business cards and ask if he would like to connect on LinkedIn. Then ask about continuing the conversation over coffee. Do everything in your power to set a firm date and time and location right then and there. You don’t want your new potential lead to slip through the cracks as can happen once people have left the venue. You know the saying, “Out of sight, out of mind.”


5. A MANAGER WORKING AT YOUR DREAM COMPANY

Have you ever wanted to rub elbows with someone famous, or at least somewhat famous? If you identify the name and identity of someone you would like to meet, perhaps they work for a company you would love to work for, or maybe they are well respected in their field of work, how can you meet them? If you knew what groups or associations they belonged to, you could approach them at the next conference or presentation. You could identify someone who can introduce you. Have you asked everyone in your network if they knew the person and asked for an introduction? Or, you could make a cold call and introduce yourself. Making that cold call can be frightening. In general, we recommend trying for an introduction first and using this approach as a last resort. As much as people want to help connect you, it is always a good idea to maintain as much control of the situation as possible. In many cases, it is better if you offer to do the legwork or make the call, with their permission and endorsement, of course. Otherwise, you know what will happen. Your wellmeaning friend just doesn’t have the same set of priorities or sense of urgency as you. It may take them days or weeks to get around to making the introduction. Offer to deburden them of that responsibility and you will also eliminate the potential of feeling like a pest when you have to call them in two week to remind them.


CHAPTER 16

FIVE WAYS TO PREPARE FOR INPERSON NETWORKING

When you network in person, you really need to be ready to “bring it.” This is your chance to make a good impression; it could mean the difference between having a key influencer in your corner (helping you land a job) and going it alone (possibly not landing an interview, let alone a job). Preparation is key.

It's not so easy to master the art of juggling a plate and drink in one hand while gracefully delivering an ontarget elevator pitch. For introverted jobseekers who prefer oneonone meetings or small group interactions, the idea of needing to "work a room" to meet an influential new contact may seem overwhelming.

Despite this, succeeding at inperson networking is not out of reach. Follow these five steps to prepare in advance. You’ll ease awkwardness and emerge with terrific contacts.

1. BECOME A SLEUTH.

Before attending inperson events, find out who else plans to attend. This is easier than ever if you received an online invitation. Heading to a neighborhood pool party? There's bound to be an einvitation listing the guests and their RSVPs. Attending a professional networking event? Organizers likely used a social application to record responses and make them available to invitees. Especially when it comes to formal programs, event organizers may have posted their plans via LinkedIn's "Events" application. (Access it through LinkedIn's "More" tab, then navigate to "Applications" to add it to your profile.) Colleagues and potential mentors may have listed themselves as attending, which provides easy access to click through their profiles to learn about their backgrounds and interests. Learn whatever you can about the people you may meet. Narrow down some people you may want to meet and use all available tools to learn more about them. Start with a Google search. Have they or their organizations been in the news? Have they recently been quoted in a professional journal or online newsletter? Most people are flattered when new colleagues mention a quote or comment of theirs that received positive press. Additionally, doing so also makes it clear a jobseeker is on top of industry news, which never hurts. Review LinkedIn profiles, Twitter streams and even Facebook pages owned by people you hope to meet in person. Focus first on professional information: Learn where people attended school, where they worked, and spend time reviewing their professional bios, or LinkedIn summaries.


(Don’t forget to make sure you have a complete LinkedIn profile and a professional online presence in case anyone is researching you!) Look for some common personal touch points. Are there any common connections? Do potential contacts belong to public, online groupfocused hobbies you enjoy? Make a note of any potential talking points.

2. MAKE A LIST OF SEVERAL CONVERSATION STARTERS

If you’re uncomfortable meeting new people, advance research and planning will come in very handy at the moment a great contact extends a handshake. No one really wants to stand around exchanging elevator pitches…Think about what you enjoy discussing. Do you have great ideas about a particular topic? Are you an expert in something other people want to know about? Some ideas to consider: Talk about food. Favorite recipe? Best restaurant in town? Are you a connoisseur? Share some ideas and your expertise.

Bargain shopping. Are you the goto person for advice about buying anything for a discount? Everyone likes to save a buck!

Sports. Do you know all there is to know about the top football teams? How about where to get tickets for events?

Did you just get back from a great vacation? Or, you’re an avid reader? Do you know all the best websites and apps? People always appreciate learning about online resources and ways to make their lives easier and more efficient.

What are your hobbies? If you are lucky, you’ll share a hobby with someone on your networking “hit” list.

Maybe the person enjoys skydiving and you do, too. Work the topic into the conversation. It's not necessary to say, "In researching your background, I noticed you enjoy jumping from planes; so do I." Even in an age when it's easy to find out anything about other people, this might seem a bit aggressive. Instead, once niceties are exchanged, feel free to comment, "Wow…This weather is great for skydiving. I hope it lasts until the weekend." The new contact will likely pick up the topic and presto—a natural conversation ensues. What’s another way to bring these topics up in conversation? Lynn Wong, a friend of Miriam’s who’s a great networker, suggests “playing host” at a networking event. If you’re uncertain or lonely, no doubt there are others feeling the same way. Find two people and act like it’s your party — introduce them to each other. Ask what brings them there and ask questions about themselves. (Feel free to bring up your key touch points you like to talk about.) (Be sure to read the networking is and isn’t chapter 14.)

3. PLAN IN ADVANCE TO BE A GOOD LISTENER

For some people, it’s natural to do a lot of talking. If you’re one of these people, or you know you get nervous and talk incessantly, be sure you plan ahead to ask plenty of questions. Most

http://www.keppiecareers.com/2012/02/27/new-requirements-for-a-complete-linkedin-profile/


people like talking about themselves. Be the person who wants to know more about new contacts. Nod, smile, and do everything possible to leave a favorable impression. A good conversation where the other person feels valued and heard is likely to lead to another meeting. A great way to do this is to use the phrase, “Tell me more about…” which keeps them talking and shows you are listening and interested.

4. PREPARE TO REQUEST A MEETING

It's a shame to research and plan to meet new people, have engaging conversations and leave without contact information and plans to get in touch. Don’t forget, while it may seem counterintuitive, you should avoid asking for help when meeting people for the first time. Make a point to have an engaging, upbeat conversation about nonwork topics that leads to a more formal followup meeting It's so much easier to have a professional conversation in a quiet, oneonone setting where people are not hovering around, waiting to butt in or talk to your contact. After a great introduction and casual conversation, you need to be ready to ask for another meeting and arrange an informational interview. If the interaction is lively and pleasant, most people will at least agree to hear from you again. What can you say? “It’s been terrific meeting you. I’d love to reconnect later on, in a quieter place. Would you be willing to get together for coffee sometime soon? Assuming the person says yes, be sure to ask about the best way to follow up to firm up a time. Maybe email is a great way to touch base, but for some people, phone, text or social media channels are great ways to get in touch. Make a point to immediately confirm a meeting time via the preferred contact tools.

5. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT – PRACTICE!

Especially if conversing with strangers is uncomfortable, spend some time roleplaying with friends, a pet or in front of a mirror. Make a list of things to say. It helps to prepare to discuss topics with buzz. See the latest movies, read some indemand books, and watch or read the news before the event. Practice your pitch, too. Be prepared to introduce yourself professionally! Think about ways to tweak it so you can work it into conversations you are preparing to have. If you think of a networking event as a type of “show” you can prepare and rehearse, it may not be as intimidating, and you could come away with some great contacts.


CHAPTER 17

TOP FIVE THINGS TO ACCOMPLISH AT THE INFORMATIONAL MEETING

First things first: what is an informational meeting? Also known as an “informational interview,” it’s not really an interview at all, but a conversation where you (the job seeker) are in charge of asking the questions.

It’s always better to schedule these kinds of conversations in person, but it’s possible to have an informational meeting via phone or Skype.

Another important detail: schedule these meetings before there’s an actual job in the mix. In other words, once you are applying for an opportunity, that’s not the time to contact someone at that company for a chat. At that point, it’s probably too late to really benefit from any inside information you might learn.

Here are five things to accomplish at an informational meeting.

1. LEARN SOMETHING ABOUT INDUSTRY TRENDS, SUCH AS INDEMAND SKILLS AND TECHNOLOGY FOR YOUR FIELD, INCLUDING PROJECTS AND ISSUES SPECIFIC TO THE COMPANY

There’s no point in meeting people if you’re planning to ask them questions you could find out elsewhere. Do some research to learn what you can find out online or by reading up about the company and industry before the meeting. Then, ask questions you can only find out from the “horse’s mouth.” Don’t miss an opportunity to ask some really good questions, for example:

“I have heard having my PMI certification would greatly enhance my marketability. What are your thoughts and what have you seen?”

2. FIND OUT ABOUT THE PERSON, HIS OR HER CAREER PATH AND ABOUT A TYPICAL DAY

Having a hearttoheart conversation with someone about his or her career is one way to know if the job or organization is a place where you’d excel and succeed.


Don’t forget, people typically enjoy talking about themselves. Ask for the person’s story; engage in a conversation about her goals, what she’d do differently and what advice she has for you. You could discover what you need to do next to achieve your career goals, learn what you need to know to succeed in your dream job or organization. For example: “How did you wind up where you are today? What advice do you have for someone like me who would love to emulate your accomplishments?”

3. FIND OUT INSIDER INFORMATION SPECIFICALLY ABOUT LANDING A JOB

You can’t count on it, but you never know what someone will tell you if you ask the right questions. Maybe there’s a special something the organization seeks when they hire. Maybe you can find out a name of a great, influential contact who makes important hiring decisions. Or, perhaps you can find out that the company plans to lift a hiring freeze soon, or that an opening may be coming up soon. For example: “What qualities are most important for someone working here? Is there anything specific I should know to help me join your team?”

4. LEARN ABOUT OTHER CONTACTS

Sometimes, an informational meeting will be a dud. Or, maybe not really a dud, but not as helpful as you had hoped. You won’t learn what you need to know, and you won’t come away with great tidbits of information or inspiration to move to your next step. However, you can always salvage the situation: ask for another contact. Make a point to include a question such as: “Do you know anyone else I should include in my research about __________?” Ask if it is okay for you to say they referred you. At the end of every networking meeting or informational meeting, ask if the person knows someone else who might be able to provide resources or suggestions for you. Your next contact is your next rung on the networking ladder.

5. MAKE A NEW FRIEND AND LAND A NEW SUPPORTER IN YOUR CORNER

The very best thing you can hope to happen at an informational meeting is that you will gain an ally for your job search. It goes without saying: the more prepared you are to kill it at your meeting, the more likely you are to convince your contact to invest more time in helping you. This networking contact may not hire you, but could be very influential in helping someone else hire you, via introductions, by convincing someone to meet you and by advocating for you. It doesn’t happen by accident, and it’s not something most people can expect from every meeting, but if you enter into the conversation with an authentic interest and curiosity about the person and the organization, plan well, communicate effectively and impress your contact, the sky is the limit!


CHAPTER 18

FIVE WAYS TO KEEP THE BALL ROLLING AFTER AN INPERSON MEETING

It takes a lot of effort and preparation to meet someone who could play a role in your job hunt success. Don’t waste it by neglecting to follow up. Throughout this book, we emphasize how important it is to follow up. Why? Quite honestly, it is something we could all improve on. Here are five ways to make sure you keep the ball rolling after you meet in person.

1. PLAN AHEAD.

Follow up begins when you’re at the end of your inperson meeting. Always ask for the best way to reconnect when you meet someone. It’s easy to do, simply say, “I enjoyed speaking to you. What is the best way to keep in touch?” Consider asking to connect on LinkedIn, and then make the connection request within 24 hours. Be sure to ask about the best methods and times to reach your new friends and contacts. Avoid frustration: Use the preferred methods even if it means stepping out of your comfort zone. In Miriam’s interview with Lindsey Pollack, she said, “If you don't hear back after a full week (or even 10 days), it's okay to send a second email. Now here's the fine line: it's pestering to write, "I haven't heard back from you and I wanted to know if you're still interested in hiring me." It’s polite and appropriate to say, "I wanted to thank you again for our interview last week. In the meantime, I've read more on [something you discussed] and [then say something you learned or an idea this research sparked]. Would you be able to let me know any next steps at this point?"

2. FOLLOW UP RIGHT AWAY

Do not expect your new contact to remember you two weeks from now. Unless you really made an impression, you’ll be lucky if he remembers you two days later. Do not delay; get in touch right away. Be sure to remind the person about your conversation. For example, “I really enjoyed our conversation about places to buy furniture for my new home.” Or, “Remember me? I was the one with the ‘Go Blue’ button on my lapel. Who knew I’d meet another Michigan fan?” Lindsey suggests you “Follow up with a concise email that has a really descriptive subject line, such as ‘Nice to meet you at Thursday's NYC Networking Night’ or ‘Thank you for the meeting online marketing assistant.’ This helps your email stand out from all of the bland followup emails that say ‘thanks’ or ‘meeting request.” After the meeting, she says, “Thank the person


for his or her time and mention something from the meeting that stood out to you or a topic that you could tell the interviewer was particularly interested in. Finally, end with some sort of added value another thought you had from the meeting or an idea that it sparked, or a link to an interesting article or book. Show that you are someone who always gives a little bit extra.”

3. USE INFORMATION YOU LEARNED DURING YOUR CONVERSATION AS A REASON TO FOLLOW UP REGULARLY

If you followed the advice in “preparing to network” (chapter 16), you may have had a personal conversation, where you discussed hobbies, likes and dislikes. That’s the information you want to use to help you stay in touch! Your contact is a passionate Braves fan? Send a quick note when the team wins a big game. She’s having twins? Send a link to a newspaper column about how to get through the first few sleepless months. When you keep in touch, you keep yourself topofmind. If you want to keep in touch with a contact, consider setting a Google alert about the person’s passionate interest. Send a note with a useful link every few months and it’s unlikely the person will forget you. Yet another way to keep up with what the individual is up to is to use tools like Gist, Rapportive, Xobni or Ming.ly that incorporate with your email and show the social updates of people you are emailing o receiving email from.

4. NEVER SEEM OR ACT DESPERATE; AVOID ASKING FOR FAVORS UNTIL YOU ESTABLISH RAPPORT

What does that mean? If you have nothing but a LinkedIn connection and have never interacted beyond an initial meeting, do not ask for an introduction to someone who posted a job opening that interests you. A better idea? Keep in regular contact (as described above), and follow through with a formal, inperson meeting.

5. ALWAYS SAY THANK YOU

Even if the thank you is just a note to let the person know you appreciated them attending (or organizing) the event, it can make an impression. If you’re following up after a networking meeting, use the opportunity to extend the conversation. Did you forget to mention something you want the contact to know about you? Include it in your letter. Be specific; include details. Make an effort to stand out from the crowd. It will be worth your time.

http://ming.ly/

http://gist.com/

http://rapportive.com/

https://www.xobni.com/


CHAPTER 19

FIVE THINGS TO PREPARE YOU TO KILL THE INTERVIEW

The interview is scheduled! Did you ask what the format of the interview will be? (One on one? A panel? How long it is scheduled to last?) It isn’t too late, call the company and ask! What will you do to prepare yourself for this interview? Technically, a lot of your interview preparation can be done before an interview is schedule, and some you did when you applied for the job (assuming you followed the advice we recommended).

Your intent is to do whatever possible to make the interview an exchange of information. You will be learning about the company as they learn about you. Keep in mind, the company is looking to hire someone who can do the job, will do the job and whom they like. All of these things are important.

Here are five things you can do to prepare for a successful interview.

1. RESEARCH THE COMPANY AND THE PEOPLE WHO WILL BE INTERVIEWING YOU.

Use the company’s website, LinkedIn and sites other sites mentioned in chapter 3 on company research, to be prepared to answer these questions during the interview: “What do you know about us?” and/or “What do we do?” or “Why do you want to work here?”

You also want to be able to develop rapport and if you have identified something you have in common with the interviewers, this can happen more quickly (for example, you attended the same college or share a common group or interest.)

In your research, look for clues about their company culture and what is important to them. You are also looking for news that can help you understand what some of their upcoming challenges might be.

2. PREPARE A STAR STORY FOR EACH OF THE JOB REQUIREMENTS.

By examining the job posting, you can develop examples of your work to match what they want. This will prepare you for a variety of different questions. When you were writing your cover letter, you highlighted key words and phrases from the job description, now go back and


use these to create your STAR stories. You want to be able to provide specific examples of times you have performed the same of similar functions.

STAR stands for

Situation – what was going on, briefly describe the scenario Task – what problem did you have to solve or what had to happen Actions – step by step, what did YOU do? Results – what happened because you did what you did

For Example:

I was selected by the senior management team to research the market growth potential for expansion of our product in South America (situation/task). I analyzed the competitive environment, product trends, channel structure and promotion policy in South American‐based businesses, developed recommendations, prepared the key elements of an executive presentation delivered by company president (action). My research was instrumental in successfully obtaining a $800,000 strategic planning contract and led to three subsequent contracts for similar projects (result).

3. PRACTICE, OUT LOUD, ANSWERS TO THESE COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTIONS.

Q. Tell me about yourself.

A. Tell the employer about your skills and interests – especially ones relating to the position for which you are applying. Indicate positive personality characteristics such as being dependable, honest, and able to get along well with others. Cite some examples from the past to back up what you say. (Remember your elevator pitch?) Q. Why do you want to work here?

A. Mention positive things you might have learned about the company, its products or services and its personnel. This is an excellent time to show the interviewer you have done your homework about the company and the job, and that you are highly enthusiastic about working there. Be certain to let the interviewer know you can do the job and that you would fit in well. Q. What are your salary expectations?

A. Do not introduce the topic of salary or benefits in the initial interview. Wait for the employer to bring up the issue. If you are asked about your salary expectations before being offered the job, respond by stating that you can be flexible or explain that your salary needs are negotiable. Then try asking the employer what figure they have in mind for someone with your qualifications.


Hopefully, the employer will respond with the salary range the company has determined is fair. If he will not offer you any information and insists you state your expectations first, give a range of what you believe would be fair. Of course, this means that you must have done your homework ahead of time and learned as much as you could about the company’s reputation and average ranges for this position. Be sure to take into consideration the monetary worth of the employer’s benefit package when you make your decision to accept or reject an employment offer. After you have been offered a position and before you have accepted, you have the most negotiating power. The employer has decided that they want to hire you and will be likely be more flexible and open to your point of view. Q. Why did you leave your last job?

A. It is best to be truthful in most cases. Keep you answer BRIEF and positive. If you had problems with coworkers, be certain not to blame others. Take responsibility for your part in the problem; state what you learned and why it would be different today. Remember, the interviewer is likely to identify more with your former employer than you during the interview so watch what you say about past employers, supervisors and company policies. Q. What is your greatest strength?

A. Be prepared to answer this one – it is a favorite! Don’t be afraid to say good things about yourself; if you don’t, no one else will. Support what you say with specifics – give examples! Describe positive past experiences as examples of being dependable, honest, hardworking, creative, or whatever else you claim. These examples will stand out in the interviewer’s mind more than the general responses that most interviewees give. For example, you might state, “I am very quick to learn new things. In my last job, my supervisor asked me to learn all the tasks in our department and had me train new staff as well. This made the schedule more flexible.” Q. What is your greatest weakness?

A. This one can be difficult. Employers do not really expect you to confess your true weakness, though they will never stop you from doing so. (This is an opportunity to insert your foot in your mouth!) Some believe the trick to this response is that you should state something that would actually be perceived by the employer as a strength. There are several keys to this question. You should be prepared to answer it. If you’re caught offguard, you just look illprepared.

You need to come up with a weakness that has NOTHING to do with the job. You must demonstrate how you are striving to improve your skill in the “weak” area.


For example, a computer programmer whose job it is to sit at a computer and work magic might say: “I have to admit that I am a bit nervous speaking in front of very large crowds. However, I’m considering joining Toastmaster’s and I’ve been doing some reading about how to be better at public speaking, as it is a skill I’d like to practice and improve.” Why is this a great answer in this case? Public speaking in front of very large crowds is not part of this applicant’s potential work duties.

Most people are nervous speaking in front of very large crowds, so even if speaking may ever unexpectedly come up in this job, it wouldn’t be unusual to have this weakness.

If the job involved frequent presentations, this would not be a good choice for a weakness. Q. What would you like to be doing in five years?

A. The employer wants to know if you plan to stay with the company. The interviewer is also checking out your maturity and whether or not you are a person who likes to continue to grow and learn. Avoid mentioning that you would like to be the manager or supervisor unless you are positive that would be the career path the company would have you follow. Remember too, you are probably being interviewed by that supervisor and s/he may see you as a possible threat to his own job security. Be a bit more general in your approach assuring the interviewer that you would like to be with that company in five years, growing professionally and contributing to the organization. Q. Why do you think I should hire you?

A. This question is the underlying inquiry for every interview question. Make sure you know the answer! Clearly and specifically point out your related skills and experiences. Tell the employer about successes in past jobs and describe yourself as hardworking and dependable. (Remember, use your STAR stories.) Show your interest in working for that employer and let the interviewer know that you are informed about the company and the position. Also mention education, training and any hobbies or community activities that would be in any way related to the position and the skills necessary to do the work.

4. ALWAYS HAVE QUESTIONS TO ASK DURING THE INTERVIEW!

In order to thoroughly understand the job and company and to show your interest in the job, you’ll want to ask questions! Ask open ended, nonleading questions to get the best answers. You will have your own set of questions you want answered as well. What are the most significant factors affecting your business today? How do you differ from your competition? Describe your star employee. What are the qualities of people who perform best in this organization?


If this company were known for three things as a workplace, what do you think those three would be?

What trends do you see in the future that will affect your organization and industry? Of all the people who have worked for you, who are you proudest of — and why? Can you describe a disagreement within a project, job or department and how it was resolved?

What would a typical day look like in this job? Are there formal opportunities to mentor or coach rising stars in the firm? What did the last person in this position go onto do — and what were they like?

By asking these openended questions, you allow the interviewer to speak about the issues that are most important right now. Listen carefully to which path they chose to take as they answer.

5. BE READY FOR ANYTHING

Bring copies of your resume for each person you will be interviewing with, just in case. Have all the information you need to complete an application, including your list of references and contact information.


CHAPTER 20

FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT INTERVIEWING

Seldom do companies have the same process for interviewing candidates. In general terms, we have outlined what to expect and prepare for. The more preparation and research you do, the more comfortable you will feel. Once you have some experience interviewing, interviews will become easier. Gone are the days where you have one interview and are offered the job. Because hiring is a costly investment (it costs about 130% to replace someone), companies have been inviting candidates back for two, three and sometimes more interviews to ensure they are making the best hire and finding the best fit. (There was even a story of someone who endured 10 interviews, only to find out the job went to another candidate.)

Clearly, being prepared is key. Read on to learn five things to keep in mind about interviewing.

1. PHONE SCREENING IS STEP ONE

The person reviewing resumes will want to talk with you on the phone to learn more about you and assess your interest. This ultimately saves them time and eliminates the need to invite many candidates to interview in person. Your performance during this call is crucial. It will determine if you get invited for a facetoface interview in most cases. Another note, these screening calls can happen any time from 8 am until 9 pm. You should remember, they are calling because there was enough on the resume to make them want to call you. Your job is to sound interested, upbeat and talented. Confirm that you are the right candidate for the job, and don’t underestimate the phone screen’s importance. If you are answering your mobile phone Check the caller info and use a professional greeting if you don't know the number. Make sure there aren't distracting activities in the background of your call If you do answer the call and you are driving or can't speak, tell the caller you are interested in speaking with them and will need to call them back. Confirm a good time and telephone number.


At home When you do take the call, make sure you are organized. Have your resume and the job posting and your research on the company in front of you.

Don't proceed with the phone call until you have it all together. The caller may not mind holding for a couple of minutes, but explain why you are asking them to hold and if they mind waiting. Otherwise, you can ask to call back.

Be prepared to ask questions too. Here are some general questions that will provide you with some good data but you should develop your own company specific questions as well. What is driving the need to hire this position? What was it about my background that interested you? What is the time frame for filling this position?

2. TYPES OF INTERVIEWS TO EXPECT: PANEL, SERIES OF ONEONONE OR WEBCAM

Panel interviews are designed so that multiple people are involved in the interview at the same time, which means they hear your answers at the same time. Companies do this to save time in many instances. The people on the panel could be potential coworkers, managers and company leaders. All are listening for different things as you provide your answers. Be ready to introduce yourself to each person on the panel, even if they do not introduce themselves. If you understand who is in the room, you can address your answers more appropriately. Always be sure to make eye contact with as many people as possible and observe their body language. When your interview is done, be sure to get the contact information for each person so you can send everyone a unique thank you letter. Some companies prefer to schedule a series of interviews on one day, which means you will be meeting backtoback with a collection of company employees and decision makers. The key to being successful in these interviews is your stamina. Maintain your energy and enthusiasm throughout the process with each person. Don’t be afraid to ask for a bathroom break. Take the short, private break to jot down some notes and to take a breather. Why would an employer use web cam technology (Skype or Google Talk are the biggest right now)? They are free and save the recruiter time and money! Reason two: they are recordable, so they can keep the information on file if they chose. All the same interviewing rules apply and here are some specific to the webcam interview: Make sure the equipment is ready and you understand how it works before you start. Be aware of your surroundings. The camera will capture things in the background so be aware of what is behind you.

Be sure to do the interview from a quiet location, as free as possible from dogs, kids and other background noises.

Make eye contact. Make sure the camera is located on the monitor or laptop near the image of the other party, so you will appear to be looking directly at the speaker.


3. THE INTERVIEW PROCESS EVALUATES THREE THINGS

1. Can you do the job? In other words, they want to know if you have the skills to perform the tasks. In order for you to be able to prove this to them, you have to understand what they need and the tools and processes they are using. Many times, this information is not fully covered in the job description. You will gather more information by talking with people who work in the company or who are familiar with the how the company works. 2. Will you do the job? The employer is assessing your temperament and personality. They want to see if you will fit into their culture and be able to easily and productively assimilate into their culture. 3. Are you a good fit; do they like you? They want to feel comfortable working with you. Assessing likability is not concrete or easily measured, it is more of a hunch. They may be asking themselves questions such as: Would this candidate make my life easier? If I asked this candidate to work overtime, would he? Would this candidate be easy to manage?

4. DON’T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS

There are many assumptions job seekers tend to make – most are dangerous. Many people conducting interviews have never been trained on how to do it. The hiring manager or person within the company who’s role is not Human Resources is being taken away from daily responsibilities to interview. He may even feel like interviewing is keeping him from doing his job. Even the most wellintentioned interviewer sometimes doesn’t have time to review your resume immediately prior to the interview. She will not be as intimately familiar with it as you are. You are also not the only candidate the interviewer is evaluating, so it is your responsibility to make sure you draw attention to the most relevant and important parts of your experience.

5. THE PROCESS WILL TAKE LONGER THAN YOU EXPECT OR WANT

Company priorities change and often the process takes longer than they expect. Remain interested, patient and persistent as you interact with the company. Time lines can and do slip, and therefore it is important for you to continue exploring other job opportunities while you are interviewing. Don’t stop looking until you have a job offer in hand, and even then, you will want to keep your options open. Never keep all your eggs in one basket.


CHAPTER 21

FIVE WAYS TO FOLLOW UP AFTER THE INTERVIEW

Actually, let’s step back a second. Before you leave the interview you must ask a couple of really important questions:

1. What are the next steps in the process?

2. What is your time frame and if I don’t hear from you by then, what is the best way for me to follow up with you?

These questions serve a couple of purposes. First, asking questions shows you are interested in the job and will be accountable for following up. Second, you now know when you should follow up and you won’t feel like a pest because you’ve gotten permission.

As in the previous chapters on following up, your follow up after the interview demonstrates your interest in the job and the company. Here are five ways to stand out.

1. THE THANK YOU LETTER FORMAT

The interview is a business transaction and many people believe your “thank you” should be in business format with three paragraphs (just like we discussed in the cover letter chapter.) Others say a handwritten note is more powerful and leaves a lasting impression. One study said that fewer than 5% of interviewees sent a thank you. Just sending one, in either format, will automatically distinguish you. Three Paragraphs

Paragraph 1: This explains why you are writing…to say thank you. Paragraph 2: This explains how your specific skills are a match for the job and how you will add value to their organization. You have an opportunity to address any of your areas of weakness during the interview or to improve upon an answer you gave during the interview. Paragraph 3: This emphasizes your gratitude for the opportunity and states when YOU will be following up. These are some other reminders for you to consider as you craft your thank you: Customize your message and details for each and every interview and interviewer.


Be as specific as possible when talking about how your skills/qualifications match the job and why that is of value to the organization.

Interject the right tone/personality to fit the organizational culture and personality of the person interviewing you.

2. THE PURPOSE OF YOUR LETTER

There is more than one reason you are writing this letter. You are being polite, yes. But above and beyond that, this is part of marketing yourself and your skills. You need to convince them that you are the right candidate. Additionally, sending a thank you helps make you memorable. When the company is interviewing multiple people for the same role, it is easy for them to mix candidates up or forget specifics. Your thank you helps remind them who you are!

Sally Finkel 22 Main Street, Yourtown, US 555.111.2222 [email protected] www.linkin/in/sallyfinkel Date Name, Job Title Company Street Address City State Zip Dear Name: It was wonderful to have the opportunity to speak with you concerning the sales representative position with [company name], and I thank you. I know how limited a physician's time can be, and your timely involvement in the interview process impressed me. After speaking with you, I felt certain that we can develop an effective working relationship. After reflecting on our discussion, my assumption is that you are looking for more than just another sales representative; you seek someone who will pursue opportunities as if it were for their own business. Accountability and autonomy are engrained in me, and I have the proven experience to back this up. I intend to use not only my dedication in this position, but my persistent prospecting and interpersonal skills to convert potential customers into enthusiastic advocates of your service. If you decide that I should interview with additional team members, I will be available at your convenience. Until then, I look forward to the possibility of working with you. I thank you again for taking the time to meet with me. Sincerely yours, Sally Finkel Sales Representative 555.111.2222 [email protected] www.linkin/in/sallyfinkel


3. HOW WILL YOU DELIVER IT? SNAIL MAIL VS. EMAIL

Because you asked the question during the interview, you know what their time frame is for the next steps so let that determine the sense of urgency and how you decide to deliver your note. It isn’t about which is easier for you. Think about the impression you will be making on the person who receives your thank you. The thank you note or email you send should be appropriate for your industry or line of work. A card with a kitten on the front probably isn't wise for an IT professional, however, if you are a vet tech, maybe. Also, keep in mind how many emails people receive. Do you want someone to read your note? If you send it in the mail, it will be hard to overlook. Sometimes job seekers want to send both typed or handwritten and email notes. If that is the case, then make the email different from the letter. Email, by definition, is shorter and a bit less formal. If you decide to send an email, be sure to send a wellcrafted email thanking the interviewer(s) for their time and indicate that you have mailed them a letter as well.

4. THE FOLLOWUP PHONE CALL

Be prepared to leave a message if you call. It is likely you will get a voice mail greeting. Your message should be brief and polite. State your name (slowly) and why you are calling. If they have given you permission to follow up with them during the interview, say so. The purpose of your call is to remind them you are still interested in the job, you are sensitive to their busy schedule and that YOU will follow up in a designated period of time. That could be a day or a week depending on what their time frame for filling the position is. Leave your telephone number and state it slowly, then repeat your name. “Hello Bill. This is Jim Swift. As we discussed during my interview last Tuesday, I’m following up to see where you are in the evaluation process, answer any questions you may have and reiterate my interest in the position. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via email or my phone number is 5551112233. Again, it’s Jim Swift and you can reach me at 5551112233. Per our discussion, I will also send an email. Thank you!”

5. BE PERSISTENT, NOT A PEST

There’s a fine line here. Please remember that no two people see things quite the same way. Do not use your own personal filter to judge what others might see as pesky. Put the employers needs and concerns first as you plan your follow up. Think about all the things they have to do in a day. Hiring is just another project they have to manage and it tends to fall lower on the list of priorities. Alternate your follow up between email and telephone.


If you have been referred or know someone in the company, find out from them if the company has announced a hiring freeze or if the person you’ve been in touch with has gone on leave. How can you follow up without becoming a pain – or a stalker? Miriam interviewed Lindsey Pollak, author of Getting from College to Career, who noted, “There really is a fine line. The right kind of persistence is always polite, positive and appropriately timed. You should send a thank you email within 12 to 24 hours of a formal job interview using the tips in the previous answer. Then mark in your calendar to wait one full week before attempting any other follow up. I know a week feels like a long time when you want a job, but it’s a short time to the person who interviewed you.” Be sure to check out Quintessential Careers’ vast collection of Sample Job Interview and Career Thank You letters

http://www.quintcareers.com/sample_thank-you_letters.html#_blank

http://www.quintcareers.com/sample_thank-you_letters.html#_blank


CHAPTER 22

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT RECOMMENDATIONS

Even though many employers will independently seek thirdparty recommendations of your work, it’s important to identify people who are ready, willing and able to serve as professional references. It's a good idea to prepare in advance (early in your job search) so you're ready when a potential employer wants a thirdparty endorsement.

Here are five things to consider so you won't be caught like a deer in headlights when you need a professional recommendation to land a new job.

1. PICK THE BEST RECOMMENDERS

The best people to recommend you are those who can attest to your professional credentials. Your desired employer will prefer references from your current or previous employers, particularly your direct supervisors. A word of caution: if your supervisor may not provide the best recommendation, using a coworker, colleague or manager from another group you worked closely with is the next best option. Alternatively, you may also want to include clients or customers you worked for in your current or previous job. If you're a recent graduate or if you've just finished a class, consider asking the professor or instructor to vouch for you. It's not unheard of to have someone you supervised act as a reference, though it's not a firstchoice option. If you have had a leadership role in a volunteer organization, "supervisors" from that organization may also be good references.

2. REQUEST PERMISSION

Never give an employer the name of a reference without first asking the person's permission. If possible, ask in person or over the phone so that you can gauge the contact's response to your inquiry. If prospects seem hesitant, allow them to bow out gracefully. You don't want to have people on your list who don't feel strongly about your qualifications. If you can't reach your references on the phone and do resort to email, then never email more than one person at a time to ask for a reference. Everyone wants to be considered special and important. Contact each person individually, and make a point to explain exactly why you value his or her recommendation. You may offer to email some of the qualities and skills you hope she will specifically address in the recommendation. This ensures she provides the “right” recommendation for you.


3. PREPARE YOUR REFERENCES TO HIGHLIGHT YOUR BEST SKILLS FOR THE JOB

It's especially important to provide as much information as possible to help the person understand what makes you the best fit for your target job. Include a job description, your cover letter for the position and specific information you learned at the interview. For example, if it's clear your teamwork skills are important for the job, and you know your recommender can speak highly of your abilities as a team player, point that out and ask if he would be willing to mention emphasize those skills. Remind your contact about your work together. Provide an updated version of your resume, emphasizing skills and accomplishments the person can highlight when an employer calls. Be sure to remind her when you worked together so there is no confusion about dates or details

4. VET YOUR REFERENCES

If you've often reached the final interview stages without landing the job, you should probably touch base with the references who may be acting as speed bumps in your quest to move on with your career plans. Is it possible someone on your list isn't as enthusiastic as you would expect? Or maybe you haven't prepared someone well enough to vouch for you? It's difficult to know for sure what people say about you when a prospective employer calls, but if you're suspicious, try mixing up your list.

5. DON’T WAIT!

Stay on the lookout for good references, even when you're not at that stage of your job hunt. Maintain an ongoing list of people who are able to speak about your professional qualities. Ask for LinkedIn recommendations and use LinkedIn to collect written recommendations that will support your search. Employers will likely want to speak to the reference, but if you have a positive, targeted reference on LinkedIn, it's a great starting point to help the person to remember your terrific professional qualities.


CHAPTER 23

FIVE REASONS TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA IN YOUR JOB SEARCH

You are skeptical. Didn’t you just hear the other day about someone who lost her job because of something she posted on (insert social media tool here)? If you don’t use common sense and good judgment, you, too, can lose your job via Twitter or Facebook. But, you are smarter than that – and you have this book to help steer you in the right direction. Take our word for it: social media tools can help you land opportunities if you use them well.

If you need convincing, these are the five top reasons you should incorporate social media into your jobsearch strategy.

1. MEET NEW PEOPLE AND EXPAND THE COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE WHO KNOW, LIKE AND TRUST YOU.

Career coaches have long advised job seekers to network in order to help them land jobs. In fact, the 2012 CareerXRoads Sources of Hire survey shows referrals were the biggest sources of hire, at 28%.

What is new? Social media opens the doors to expand your network exponentially; you can even extend your reach across the country or around the world if necessary. You don’t need to hope your brotherinlaw’s neighbor can introduce you to someone in your target company. You can identify someone you want to know and purposefully move to get to know him or her. Break down barriers between you and people who could influence your career by engaging and reaching out via the networks’ various tools. For example, LinkedIn’s Groups feature is a terrific way for job seekers to get to know people in their fields. On Twitter, it’s easy to tap into communities of people tweeting about interesting topics via sites such as Listorious.com, Wefollow.com and by identifying Twitter chats attracting thought leaders and colleagues in your field. Similarly, Google+ provides an open network, where people are happy to have you find and follow their public posts. You may even engage in an online “hangout,” where you can actually see and speak with people who are getting together to discuss a topic that interests you.

http://www.slideshare.net/gerrycrispin/2012-careerxroads-source-of-hire-channels-of-influence


2. DEMONSTRATE YOUR EXPERTISE

Social media is the easiest way to showcase what you know to a broad audience of potential colleagues, networking contacts and hiring managers. Employers want to hire people who are well suited for their openings. What’s the best way to show you’re that person? If you have a deep digital footprint – that is, if you have created extensive content about your field or industry and are known as a goto expert in your field, you’ll have a huge leg up on someone who may know as much as you, but has only a resume to show for it. Have you ever considered the ageold question, “If a tree falls in a forest, but no one hears it, does it make a sound?” If you are an expert, but no one knows it, you are unlikely to attract opportunities or land jobs. Social media tools allow you a chance to “show, don’t tell” what you offer. Importantly, one key set of skills you can showcase is your emotional intelligence. It’s great to say on your resume that you are a team player or have strong leadership skills. It’s another thing altogether to be able to point to the 5,000member LinkedIn group you run or your impressive and wellattended Twitter chat covering topics relevant to your field. Even if you aren’t a power social media player, just maintaining a positive, powerful online presence without the kind of inappropriate gaffes that cause people to get fired can help instill confidence in an employer that you can be an asset instead of a liability.

3. CONTRIBUTE TO CONVERSATIONS IN YOUR FIELD AND SUGGEST SOLUTIONS

Every job opening represents an organizational problem needing a solution. When you make an effort to engage in conversations via online channels, you will illustrate your ability to suggest appropriate and timely solutions. The more you contribute (for example, by posting links to information on Google+, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn or by authoring blog posts discussing hot topics), the more likely it is that people will see you as a goto thought leader in your field. You think it sounds like a reach to be considered a thought leader? It does take effort and knowhow. (Social media isn’t a magic wand – if you don’t know your stuff, it isn’t going to help you). But, if you are an expert, social media provides an outlet for you to engage online.

4. LEARN NEW INFORMATION

Social media is an ongoing source of professional development opportunities. This is so important, as it allows you to keep uptodate with what is new in a field. Maybe you used to attend several conferences each year to enhance your professional development and skills. Maybe today, you are not able to attend as many events. Tap into what is going on at sessions and programs all over the country right from your home or office by monitoring social media channels. For example, many conference organizers encourage participants to tweet details learned in sessions attached to a conference hashtag (#) – a term included in tweets to identify them as being from particular events. In some cases, you may be able to access every key take away


from speakers you did not pay to see in person. (Obviously, there are still advantages of attending inperson events, but access to knowledge from your desk or laptop is significant.) Another useful tool to glean your “need to know” information is LinkedIn’s “News” tab. Both LinkedIn Today (a customizable array of news sources) and LinkedIn Signal (a way to search LinkedIn’s updates from your network) will help keep you abreast of useful content you can rely on to share with your network.

All the social media channels provide access to streams of information other thought leaders and professionals in your field may be sharing. People often comment on how overwhelming social media can be, bombarding you from all sides with information. However, once you find and follow those who cultivate and decipher what’s important for you to know – you will be ahead of people who refuse to tap these resources. If you can become one of the musthave resources of information in your field – all the better!

5. BE FOUND

If you are "perfect for the job" and no one knows, you won't go far! A Jobvite study suggested 89% of companies are using social media for recruiting, and 2/3 of companies surveyed had hired via social media. If you’re not out there, creating your digital footprint, you may miss some great opportunities. Your goals should be to shift your “push” job search strategy (where you apply for openings) to a “pull” strategy (where you provide information online to help people find you). When you set up and use your socialnetworking profiles well, they act as magnets, helping attract potential hiring managers to you. Arguably, there’s nothing more important for a job seeker than being found. (Remember the tree falling in the forest? You don’t want to be the tree no one hears. ) Another argument for creating a digital footprint to help people find you online is to combat potential digital doppelgangers – people who share your name. What might happen if you share a name with a less than desirable character; maybe someone convicted of a crime? When people Google YOUR name, the convict’s information pops up. If you haven’t secured YourName.com and produced a steady stream of social media information, you don’t have ammunition to fight for your own digital real estate. You’re at the mercy of Google’s algorithms. On the other hand, when you regularly post via social media channels and maintain your own website or blog, you have a chance to overcome a digital doppelganger or a “digital shadow” – what other people are saying online that influences your reputation. It’s too easy to trash someone’s character online by posting a few, nasty, welltargeted comments. Even if you have no enemies, you probably have a digital shadow. Think about it – what will people find when they Google your name? The charity golf tournament you played in? The article in your local newspaper outlining your comments at the last homeowners’ association meeting? If you want to control what other people find when they look for you online, seize your digital footprint and don’t let go! We’ll show you how.

http://recruiting.jobvite.com/resources/social-recruiting-survey.php


CHAPTER 24

TOP FIVE WAYS TO USE LINKEDIN FOR YOUR JOB HUNT

While all the big social networks have the potential to help you with your search, we consider LinkedIn to be a nonnegotiable network to join. In other words, if you’re looking for a job, you need to create a solid LinkedIn profile.

Luckily, the time you spend creating and perfecting a terrific LinkedIn profile can serve double and tripleduty when you expand your social networking to other, key tools. (For example, your great LinkedIn headline can double as a Twitter bio or a tagline on Google+.) A strong, optimized LinkedIn profile can improve your chances to be found, highlight your professionalism and open the door to other great networking opportunities.

This network has a lot to offer, but these are our top five tips to use LinkedIn well.

1. COMPLETE YOUR PROFILE

A 100% complete profile is more likely to land you in LinkedIn’s search results, and your main goal online is to be found. Here are LinkedIn’s tips to make sure your profile is complete. Checking all of these requirements off your list is worth your while. A) Add a profile photo. This is not only important for a complete profile, it is important to ensure people will click through to learn more about you when and if your name comes up in search. LinkedIn research says a profile with a photo is seven times more likely to be viewed than one without, which is significant. Some tips for your LinkedIn picture: Use a current, closeup picture of your face ONLY. Post a highquality, sharp picture, taken in good light. Pay attention to the photo’s background. Don’t wear a distractingly large piece of jewelry. Unless you are an actor or actress, there’s no need for an overly dramatic pose. (Keep your hands away from your face/pose naturally.)

When you upload it, you have a choice to make it available to your connections, your network, or everyone. Select “everyone.”

B) List all the jobs or positions you’ve held, along with descriptions of your roles.


Including all your past positions give you an opportunity to include more key titles and descriptions to help people find you in search. It also makes it more likely for you to connect with past colleagues who are looking for you. C) Have five or more skills on your profile. (In skills section.) The skills section is relatively new to LinkedIn, but it is useful for you to include your skills as well as to explore the Skills section for your own research to learn new information. Find this section under the “More” tab and then include at least five skills in your profile. You can include up to 50 skills! Once you’ve completed your profile, go back to the Skills section to take advantage of the research opportunities this section provides. It suggests what skills are on the upswing, it offers employers who use the skills you search and it even provides links to job listings requesting those skills. Don’t miss this unique and useful section in LinkedIn.

D) Write a summary about yourself. The summary is your chance to tell your story. We recommend you write it in the first person – using I, me and my (instead of “John worked at XYZ company for 12 years, you would say, “I worked at…”) Think about a hook – something that is special or unique about you. Emphasize that in your summary. You can include some personal information (as long as it is relevant) and really explain why you are unique or special relevant to others with your expertise. E) Fill out your industry and postal code. When people conduct geographic searches – for example, for experts about a topic within 30 miles of their location – having your industry and location will help them find you.

F) Add where you went to school. This helps people who went to school with you find you. G) Have 50 or more connections. LinkedIn suggests you only connect with people you know, but you can extend your connections to people you “meet” online – including people who answer your LinkedIn questions and fellow Group members. In general, if you have several positive interactions with a colleague or potential networking contact online, it’s acceptable to ask for a connection.


Don’t forget to tap your personal and alumni networks. It’s always surprising to us how many people we might think are our LinkedIn connections, but are not actually linked in – yet! Make a point to grow your network using the “People you may know” section. Why should you care about growing your network? LinkedIn’s head of search explained that having shared connections between you and people who are searching for people like you (via keywords) makes it more likely those searchers will click through to your profile. Having people click through to your profile is a key factor in improving where you show up in LinkedIn’s search. It’s an important cycle for anyone who wants to be found in LinkedIn! Recommendations TIP: One item that is no longer required as part of a 100% complete profile is recommendations. Even though it’s not mandated, it’s still a good idea to consider asking for some recommendations. There are a few best practices when it comes to asking for recommendations on LinkedIn: It is not necessarily better to have a lot of endorsements. You don’t need 58 recommendations. In fact, some people say that they are suspicious when people have what they consider an excessive number of endorsements. Miriam was once conducting a workshop, and a participant found a colleague who had a lot of recommendations. She said, “Wow, that’s impressive.” Upon further investigation, each recommendation was reciprocal — that is, she had endorsed everyone who endorsed her. All of the sudden, it seemed less impressive. Which leads us to…

Be sure not all of your recommendations are “you endorse me and I’ll endorse you.” It’s easy to ask for a recommendation on LinkedIn. (Maybe a little too easy!) All you need to do is follow PROFILE from your LinkedIn toolbar and select Recommendations. Then, you can choose the job you want a recommendation for and select people to ask for the endorsement. Here are some tips to get the best recommendations possible: NEVER ask more than one person per message. Each recommendation request should be personalized and specific to the endorser.

Recognize that most people have no idea what to say and can use some guidance. It is your job to help steer your recommenders along the right path. For example:

“I am updating my LinkedIn profile, and I’d be honored if you would write a recommendation for me. While I am not currently looking for a job, the skills most important in my field include: customer service/communication abilities, being selfdirected and deadlinedriven, as well as paying attention to details and having an inquisitive nature. I hope you will be able to comment on any of those in your note. I have an updated LinkedIn profile if you’d like to review it.” Providing information that helps your colleague or former supervisor know what you want him or her to say goes a long way to ensuring a) he or she actually writes out a reply and b) the recommendation has information that is actually useful to you. (For more tips about recommendations, see chapter 22.)


2. INCLUDE KEYWORDS AND DESCRIPTIVE LANGUAGE IN YOUR HEADLINE AND IN YOUR JOB TITLES

LinkedIn does prioritize the bold sections of your profile when it comes to search. Look at your profile – anything in bold – including your job titles and your headline (what appears directly under your name) is very important to making sure you are found. When you write your headline, incorporate a PITCH. Answer the question: what makes you unique and special compared to other people in your field? (Underlined words could be keywords for these headlines, italics in AFTER headlines represent the person’s pitch.) Before Headline: Sales Manager After Headline: AwardWinning Sales Manager, New Business, Customer Retention & Operations Leader – I improve ROI & build your business Before Headline: VP, Program ManagerSenior at (Company Name) After Headline: Sr. Program Manager – Expert Organizational Performance/Leadership Effectiveness/Talent Management – I create teams that work! Do not use only your official job title or the name of your company. Remember, every word you use in these key sections should be included to help someone find you. Use keywords from job descriptions and other resources identified in the chapter 2. Here are some examples of makeovers: Before: Executive Vice President After: Executive Vice President, Communications & Broadcast Media Before: Executive Coach/Facilitator After: Executive Coach/Facilitator – Strategic Training Solutions & Personal Growth

3. UPDATE YOUR STATUS

When you update your status, you keep your name in front of your connections, since LinkedIn pings your network about changes. Let your connections know what you are doing (stay top of mind) and add value to your network by sharing things they may be interested in (showcasing your competence in your chosen field). Guess what? People can search status updates to find other people posting information about their field! Check it out – it’s called LinkedIn’s Signal, and you can find it under the News tab in LinkedIn’s top toolbar. Suggestions of what to include in your updates:

Comments relevant to your target audience. What you are doing professionally – relevant to your network. Links to useful blogs or professional journals. Newsworthy information pertinent to your target audience. Commentary relevant to your professional interests.


4. ENGAGE, INTERACT AND EXPAND YOUR NETWORK VIA GROUPS AND ANSWERS

LinkedIn makes it easy to meet new people and to demonstrate your expertise. Find Groups on the top toolbar. Search via keyword for a group interested in your professional interest. Scroll down while you’re in the group’s page to find the “ad” for “Group Statistics” (shown here). Click on it to find all kinds of useful information about the group, including group demographics (where the people live and their seniority), how many members, how many discussions and more useful data. Decide what groups are worth your time and get involved.

Answers is a section a bit more difficult to find. It’s under the “More” tab on LinkedIn’s top toolbar. This section allows you to choose topics relevant to your interest and expertise and to both ask and answer questions. This is a great way to showcase what you know to people who need information. It’s possible people whose questions you answer may ask to join your network, and you never know when a potential hiring manager could be asking questions.

5. MAKE IT EASY TO FIND YOU

Check your settings. Find this section at the top of LinkedIn’s toolbar (shown to the right). Go through all of the setting options and select the choice allowing people to see your broadcasts, your feed, allow people to see when you’ve viewed their profile, share your connections and allow your profile and photo to be visible.

Another tip: If you have been known by more than one name, or if you have nick names you use, either personally or professionally, AND/OR if your name has typical misspellings, include a mention of these name or names at the end of your Summary. For example: Also known as Jane Smith Jones. Known casually as “Buck” or Billy Stanton.


CHAPTER 25

FIVE WAYS TO USE TWITTER FOR YOUR JOB HUNT

What can Twitter do for you? It would be easier to list what it can’t do!

Twitter affords you access to other professionals in your field. When you follow industry leaders, you’ll know who spends time with them, what conferences they attend (and what they think of the speakers!), what they’re reading and what is on their minds. This is great information to leverage for your search.

It provides a means to gain exposure and increase your credibility as well as opportunities to forge new personal and professional relationships when you connect to others in your industry.

Twitter offers you a venue to demonstrate your expertise and share information in quick, pithy bursts of wisdom. This is perfect if you don’t have the time or energy to create a blog.

There are many useful ways to maximize Twitter:

It is casual and immediate and a great place to “meet” informally.

You’ll find an array of people on Twitter, including CEOs, toplevel executives, hiring managers, recruiters and everyone inbetween! It’s onestop shopping for your networking needs. You’ll be surprised to find that stars in your field (mentors) may follow you if you reach out to them!

Unlike Facebook, where it is kind of creepy if you start trying to “friend” people who are connected to your contacts, it is acceptable (and expected) to follow people on Twitter because another friend or colleague does.

It forces you to be brief. Coming up with your “TwitPitch” – what you have to offer in 140 characters or less – will help you clarify your value proposition. Remember: less is more!

Narrowing Twitter’s value to only five points is a challenge, but we are up for it. Suffice to say both of us really enjoy (dare we say love?) Twitter – for what it can do for job seekers, and business owners, for that matter. (But, that is another book!)


Twitter embodies all of the important reasons why we believe people should spend time on social media. Before Google+, it was the only major social network without barriers to entry. You could find, follow and communicate with anyone without introductions. It was a level playing field (as much as anything is) and you had only your talent and pluck to bridge the gap between you and someone you wanted to know.

Luckily, it’s still like that! Twitter’s detractors say there’s nothing valuable you can say in 140 characters or less (the maximum length of a tweet), but we know differently. It takes a little practice, but brevity can be beautiful. If you can swing it, Twitter could be the difference between walking through an open door to an opportunity and banging your head on the door, hoping to pound it open.

These are our top five ways Twitter can help you land a job.

1. BE FOUND AND GET STARTED

Pick a Twitter name; brand yourself professionally. If you are planning to use Twitter for a job search, set up a designated profile and account. Choose a professional Twitter handle using your name or some combination of your name and profession that sounds good and is easy to remember. For example, @JaneSmith or @PRJane. Twitter offers you one link to include in your profile. If you don’t have a website (think about having your own website), link to your LinkedIn profile. We feel like a broken record here (can you still say that today?), but being found is your main purpose online. Like all of the networks, you will have a profile on Twitter. Lucky for you (or maybe not, if you’re loquacious), your Twitter bio is only 160 characters. Make it count. Again, rely on your pitch. Do not waste your space. Say something that will make someone want to learn more about you. Here are our Twitter bios: @careersherpa: Career Sherpa: Guide for lifetime career navigation @Keppie_Careers: Job search and social media coach, resume writer & author of Social Networking for Career Success. Empowering successful job seekers & entrepreneurs.


2. MEET NEW PEOPLE AND EXPAND THE COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE WHO KNOW, LIKE AND TRUST YOU

Before you follow anyone, start posting some tweets! Don’t succumb to the temptation to share your lunch menu…Tweet about an article, an idea or share a link of professional interest to your targeted followers. Do this for a few days. It may seem strange to be tweeting when no one is following, but you may be surprised to gain an audience before you even try. Once you have a great profile and a set of interesting tweets, start following people in your industry. Aim high! Follow stars – some will follow you back Industry chatter is incredible. News items, rumors and trends get discussed daily. The amount of excellent ideas, tips, leads, news, informative articles and best practices going by all day long is amazing You can become much better versed in your field by ‘listening.’ It can provide you with new and valuable information that can make you a better candidate in the interview process. Resources to help you find people: Use WeFollow.com and Listorious.com. Use FollowerWonk.com to search bios. See who others are following; check lists. Follow them, too. http://www.twellow.com/ – Twellow, the Twitter Yellow Pages http://justtweetit.com/ – a directory to help you find other Twitter users http://www.followerwonk.com/ – allows you to search bios on Twitter

3. DEMONSTRATE YOUR EXPERTISE, CONTRIBUTE TO CONVERSATIONS IN YOUR FIELD AND SUGGEST SOLUTIONS

Provide solid content in your tweets – this will increase your followers. What to tweet? It’s the same concept as what to post to your LinkedIn updates: Engage with the community: ask and answer questions relevant to your expertise. Incorporate @ mentions and have conversations directly with people. Add value – provide information people want to have. Consider how valuable it is to have a resource who cultivates information you need to know. Now, be that resource.

When you’re tweeting, in order to help connect with people, use and follow hashtags (terms designated by the # symbol). Why? People on Twitter use hashtags to make tweets more easily searchable. You may be able to identify and follow tweets about industry conferences, jobs and general topics of interest. To learn more about hashtags, visit http://hashtags.org. Find out trends, tags to watch and other information relating to hashtags. Consider searching for hashtags such as #jobs, #jobsearch, #_____jobs (where you fill in your industry, for example, “#accountingjobs or #prjobs.

http://hashtags.org/

http://www.twellow.com/

http://justtweetit.com/

http://www.followerwonk.com/



More Resources: What the Trend? short blurbs about a hashtag http://hashtags.org/ plots hashtags on a graph and shows tweets using that tag http://tagal.us/ a dictionary for hashtags

4. LEARN NEW INFORMATION

Some of us get all of our news (at least initially) from Twitter. Earthquake? Celebrity death? Local traffic updates? It’s all possible to access immediately as it happens from Twitter sources. More importantly for job seekers, it’s easy to find out what is going on in your field once you follow the right people. In addition to the other tools listed in this chapter to find those “right people,” we strongly suggest you identify Twitter chats to learn information you need to know. A Twitter chat is a time when people who have similar interests hop on Twitter and tweet using a hashtag (a hashtag is a # along with a word or acronym) that helps everyone interested get in on the conversation. For example, for job seekers, #JobHuntChat is Monday nights at 1011 pm eastern or #HFChat (which stands for HireFriday) is Friday afternoons at noon eastern. Both are great opportunities to network and learn from career coaches, hiring managers, recruiters and other job seekers. Who would have guessed there is a chat about strength training (#sbgym) or pharmaceutical marketing and social media (#socpharm), a chat for foodies (#SOSfood) and one to discuss fashion and style (#styletalk). The list goes on and on. Of course, there are a lot of chats having to do with social media, and there are several other career oriented chats – #internchat, for example. The great thing about joining chats and communities pertaining to your hobbies and interests is that it gives you an opportunity to connect with other people about things that have nothing to do with jobs. Just as it is a good idea for job seekers to join a biking club if they enjoy biking, or an art class if artistically talented, Twitter provides an unprecedented way to reach out to new people and to extend your “loose” network – people you would otherwise never meet. Don’t be shy – take a look at the schedule and find a fun chat…You will be surprised at how generous people are once you exchange a few tweets. The nextdoor neighbor of the person who may need to hire you may be on Twitter chatting right now! Search for posted positions. Use Twitter’s search function to look for #jobs, or TwitJobSearch, JobShouts or TweetMyJobs (@twitjobsearch, @jobshouts and @tweetmyjobs) to find a wealth of open positions that aren’t necessarily posted on job boards or company sites. Also search #splits for positions that recruiters use to split open searches with other recruiters. New positions are posted with excellent companies, large and small, every minute of every day. Get them in real time, early and often.

5. ENGAGE!

With People All Over the Country and World

http://www.tweetmyjobs.com/

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UDSoU_UpWCYML_7DLkKroanuSjGRAMj2qun3UlbzeUQ/edit?hl=en&authkey=CKnbwHI


http://tagal.us/

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=ruaz3GZveOsoXUOOt86B3AQ

http://www.twitjobsearch.com/#_blank

http://www.jobshouts.com/


Get in conversations with people. Ask questions, offer help, ReTweet (repost) good information you see. Make sure to proofread everything you Tweet, and keep everything professional. Offering opinions about politics (unless you’re looking for a job in politics), or talking about your weekend at the bar will alienate half the people you want to attract. Don’t sound discouraged or be a spreader of bad news. Keep your conversations focused on your area of expertise, or job search topics, and keep them positive. With Locals Find people tweeting from your local area. Why? Twitter is an international community, but sometimes, it is nice to purposefully identify Twitter friends you could easily meet in real life. Step 1: Use tools such as http://geofollow.com/, is a locationbased directory to help you find people in your area or http://www.happn.in/ to find out the most discussed topics in your area. Step 2: Check to see if your area has a popular hashtag. For example, #ATL or #Atlanta. Especially if there is a local weather event, it is easy to identify local tweeters sharing information about it using a hashtag. Take the opportunity to identify those local contacts. Step 3: Use http://search.twitter.com/advanced and search for tweets near your location. Step 4: Follow directions on the sites. You never know whom you will find! Watch for Tweetups – inperson meetups open to Twitter friends. Follow anyone who seems interesting. With Companies Connect with people at your target companies. Many companies have an official presence on Twitter; some even post positions. Additionally, there are many people who tweet for themselves, but list a company name in their Twitter bios. (Check FollowerWonk.com to search Twitter bios.) Be sure to find, follow and interact with both company accounts and connect directly with people you find who work at your target companies. Ask questions, ask for referrals, offer information and seek advice. Once you establish an online relationship, don’t be shy about asking for a phone call or an inperson meeting. Social media is wonderful for building connections, but you really solidify partnerships and gain buyin from people when you meet or speak on the phone. The reputation you build on Twitter, just like the image you create on any other site will either help or hurt your chances of finding the right position. Be positive, professional, helpful, consistent, inquisitive, engaging, honest and have fun!

http://www.followerwonk.com/

http://geofollow.com/

http://geofollow.com/

http://www.happn.in/

http://www.happn.in/

http://search.twitter.com/advanced

http://search.twitter.com/advanced


CHAPTER 26

FIVE WAYS TO USE FACEBOOK TO LAND A JOB

“Facebook is not for job search – it’s personal.” Is that what you think? If so, you’re not alone. Many believe they should keep their job searches as far away from Facebook as possible. It’s no surprise, when traditional media representatives do such a good job covering the “I lost my job on Facebook” stories. And, there are plenty of them.

Statistics suggest Facebook can help you land a job. Jobvite’s Social Job Seeker Survey offers the following data:

48% of all job seekers (63% of those with a profile) have done at least one social job hunting activity on Facebook in the last year.

One in five job seekers added professional information to their Facebook profile in the past year.

18.4 Million Americans credit Facebook as a source that led to their current job.

55% of companies use Facebook as part of their hiring strategy

78% of people identified Facebook as the source of their job search referrals.

61% of Fortune Global 100 companies use Facebook

Take into account the CareerXRoads study, which shows referrals as the largest source of hires for companies (28 percent), and you may begin to think Facebook is a pretty good tool to add to your job search arsenal.

Peter Shankman, a consultant, angel investor, speaker and Vocus small business evangelist, explained the importance of Facebook well. He noted:

“How many times have we heard that we need to be careful about what we post within our "personal" brand because our "professional" brand could be hurt? That's a lie.

http://www.careerxroads.com/news/slideshows.asp

http://recruiting.jobvite.com/news/press-releases/pr/jobvite-social-network-job-seeker.php

http://recruiting.jobvite.com/news/press-releases/pr/jobvite-social-network-job-seeker.php


It's 2012. The future is here. If I can land a 747 heavy on Fifth Avenue with the technology embedded in my wristwatch, it's time to stop thinking that our brands will "one day merge into one."

They already have years ago, in fact. We're the ones who need to adjust.

Every single day, someone directs me to their LinkedIn profile to learn more about them. You know what I do when they do that? I go right to Facebook and search on their name there. Why? Because I know they're on their best behavior on LinkedIn, but on Facebook, they're going to be "real." Guess what? I'm not the only person who thinks this way.”

Peter’s a smart guy, and he is right. Just today, we read an oped by our colleague, Alexandra Levit. She wrote in The New York Times about being an independent contractor, or contingency worker, but the advice is the same for anyone promoting a professional identity. She said, “Brand yourself as a contributor that any organization would love to hire. Create strong profiles on sites like LinkedIn and Facebook, and build an eyecatching Web site around your personal domain name.” We took note of how Alexandra paired LinkedIn and Facebook…Again, the personal is professional.

Here are five ways to use Facebook to land a job.

1. MAKE IT EASY TO FIND YOU

We know – everyone says you should set your privacy up so no one can find out anything about you on Facebook. However, if you want to tap into certain professional networking characteristics, it’s important to allow certain information to be public. Go to “Update Info” and edit your “Work and Education,” “About You,” and “Contact Information” to allow them to be visible to everyone.

2. MONITOR YOUR PROFILE CAREFULLY

Make sure you don’t post anything you wouldn’t want a potential boss to see, and watch to see what other people post that could reflect on your reputation. (This includes a lot of online

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/jobs/independent-workers-are-here-to-stay.html?src=tp


games, such as Farmville. If you let your children access your Facebook account for gaming, it’s probably a good idea to cut it off now.) Set privacy settings, but assume everything you post is public. A study from Columbia University discovered almost 94 percent of respondents who use Facebook accidentally shared information they wanted to keep private. Do an audit: Delete or untag yourself in unprofessional photos. Unfriend any contacts who may embarrass you or who don’t use good judgment. Don’t post anything negative, derogatory, offensive, racist, sexist or homophobic. Quit groups such as, “I hate Mondays” or “Working is for Suckers.” Consider using a tool such as http://scur.me/secure_me to check to see what may potentially cause you problems, but recognize the tool is very stringent, and suggests you make literally every piece of information – even your bio – private. For job seekers, that is a bit over the top. Use analytics to help you find something that could really hurt you, but use your judgment and our advice to decide on other settings. Depending on your goals with Facebook, you can consider creating a “Page,” a professional space on Facebook. This is not for everyone, and you cannot operate certain applications (described next) from a professional page, but you can consider creating a page that is strictly for business purposes and invite your friends to join you there. Learn more at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php

3. USE FACEBOOK TO BE SURE YOUR COMMUNITY KNOWS WHAT YOU DO.

How many people have friends and contacts on Facebook who don’t really know that much about your work history or experience? We’d venture to guess a lot! Especially if you have changed careers or if you haven’t been in touch with certain people personally in a long time, it is unlikely this target group, potentially willing to refer you for opportunities, will know what opportunities interest you! The following are sample updates one person could post over a period of months. Consider posting at least one “professional” post every few days. After reading these posts for several months, everyone in your network will be apprised of your professional interests. Just learned I was accepted into my firstchoice vet tech program! This is going to be a big career change, but I know I’m up to the task! Loving my new internship with Dr. Riley at Pet’s Paws. It’s amazing how much science I’m learning and putting to use. It’s clean your pets’ teeth month! Did you know that (insert some fact about pet teeth)? Aw…did you see this story about the dog who rescued a baby from drowning? What a great story (Include link). Who’s your favorite for the Westminster Dog Show? (Include link)

https://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php

https://mice.cs.columbia.edu/getTechreport.php?techreportID=1459#_blank

http://scur.me/secure_me#_blank


I can’t believe I’ll be finishing my vet tech program in May. I’ll be looking for a job in the Boston metro area soon. If you have a relationship with a vet, and you’d be willing to make an introduction, I’d love to start meeting people for informational meetings. Thanks @Jaime and @John for the generous introductions to your dogs’ vets! I really appreciate your help. Think it would be difficult to provide a steady stream of interesting and useful posts related to your field? With the Internet at your fingertips, it’s easy to research what’s going on in your field online, share links to articles and include your ideas in your status updates. Set a Google alert (Google how to set a Google alert if you don’t know how) to let you know when news happens in your field. Use a resource such as Alltop.com to identify relevant blogs to read, which will provide a steady stream of useful links and information. When you are mindful about capturing data to share, it’s much easier than you might have imagined to keep your community in the loop about your career and to become a resource. People will begin to think of you as a goto source of information and you’ll be topofmind if they learn about suitable opportunities for you. In addition to showcasing industry knowledge and expertise, avoid the tendency some have to turn Facebook into a catchall for complaints and whining. No one is interested in how tired you are, and very few people really care about how hard you are working. You don’t want to leave the impression that you have a negative outlook – even if you do! Save the complaints for phone calls with friends or tell it to the dog. Don’t forget to create a vanity URL (facebook.com/username – when you are signed into your account) to make sure it’s easy for people to visit your page.

4. JOIN GROUPS ON FACEBOOK

We’ve talked about “Groups” on LinkedIn, and joining (or as they call it here, “Liking”) Groups on Facebook can yield the same type of network extending. When you meet more people, you’ll have more opportunities to connect with information, more people will know what you offer and you’ll be more likely to land a job.

5. USE PROFESSIONAL FACEBOOK APPLICATIONS AND VISIT COMPANY PAGES

Applications There are several Facebook applications that allow you to create a professional subset of your Facebook identity. Two of the biggest and best known are BeKnown (an application from Monster.com) and BranchOut. Both of these tools create a “LinkedIn like” experience within Facebook and allow you to set up professional connections that do not have access to the rest of your Facebook account. While the aim of these tools is to keep separate “professional” and “personal” identities, remember – “The personal is the professional” and viceverse. Other tools that allow you to tap into the power of your Facebook connections include: SimplyHired.com’s Facebook tool, Glassdoor.com’s Inside Connections and Monster.com’s

http://www.glassdoor.com/blog/glassdoor-adds-facebook-tool-helps-job-seekers-find-connections-companies/

http://facebook.com/username

http://www.beknown.com/landing

http://www.keppiecareers.com/2010/12/22/time-to-branchout-how-to-use-facebook-to-job-hunt/#_blank

http://www.simplyhired.com/#_blank


BeKnown site integration into the core Monster experience. Each of these will alert you to people in your Facebook network who work in organizations where you may want to apply. The key here is that your contacts must allow their work information to be public so these applications will be able to “learn” about them. This is also one reason we advise you to allow your biographical data to be public – so your friends and Facebook contacts will be able to access you as a networking contact. Company pages You may be surprised, since you’re looking for a job, but a lot of companies are out there hiring consultants for a lot of money to learn how to create Facebook pages to attract talent. They talk about their “war for talent.” That talent is you! Don’t miss the opportunity to engage and interact directly with recruiters and hiring managers at companies via their Facebook pages. Too often, we see job seekers squander this accessibility by asking questions on the page that they could easily find out other places. A better use of these pages would be to: Find, visit, and “like” Facebook pages for any company that interests you and interact there. Every once in a while, add an update asking if anyone knows anyone at a specific company, but networking works better when you don’t look desperate.

For example, if you are interested in a job opportunity, don’t say, “Do you have any jobs for accountants in the Chicago area?” (That’s something you could easily find out via the company’s website.) Instead, post, “I was so impressed to read in Forbes that [the company’s name] was named an a “top innovator” and cited as being a “customer focused” organization. Innovation, creativity, leadership and client service are all skills I practice and hone everyday. I hope to join your team sometime soon.” Clearly, for a post like that, you need to be in a public job search; posting on a company’s Facebook would be considered an announcement of your interest in a job change. Used well, Facebook is an amazing tool for any job seeker. Showing you can function and contribute in an online community is one way to demonstrate you have what it takes to get a job done.


CHAPTER 27

FIVE REASONS TO USE GOOGLE+ FOR YOUR JOB HUNT

When it comes to Google+, the reason to learn about it and incorporate this tool into your job search is all about social search – what Google calls “search plus your world.” Basically, what it means is that Google is delivering search results via Google search partly based on what it learns from users via their use of other Google products, including Gmail and Google+.

What does this mean in practice? If you are an eye doctor, connected to certain customers via circles in Google+, and one of those customers runs a Google search for “eye doctor,” it’s possible your online information will appear as a highlevel result for that client because Google would consider your information relevant to the searcher. If that client forgot about you, it’s possible having that relationship and having interactions via Google+ could actually bring that client back to you.

Google+ offers many of the same types of opportunities as the other social networks for job seekers. Here are the top five ways to use Google+ for your job search.

1. CREATE A PROFILE THAT HELPS PEOPLE FIND YOU

The first order of business is creating an ontarget profile. This is especially important, since your main goal in Google+ is to be found and to teach Google what how you want to be known. Tagline: This is your pitch. Right now, it does not look like G+ is showcasing this as part of the profile people see when they roll over your picture, but we hope tht will change. Make a point to say something useful. Your tagline can be your mini pitch – what are you known for? What’s special about you? (You can use something here similar to what you have in your LinkedIn headline.) Make it interesting: Career Coach, Job search coach, social media coach, author, speaker, resume writer. Career Sherpa: Guide for lifetime career navigation (job search strategies & reputation management) Introduction: This is the equivalent of your Summary in LinkedIn. Tell your story! Pack your Google profile with those keywords we talked about in chapter 2. Similar to LinkedIn, where it is


easier to find you if you include keywords in your titles, descriptions, skills, etc., it appears Google will index you higher in search if your profile is packed with your keywords. List all of your work titles. Be descriptive. Include professional associations. List all the information you can to incorporate as many keywords as possible in your profile. A trick? Google doesn’t offer a “skills” section to “tag” yourself in the profile, which would be similar to LinkedIn’s “specialties” section, where it is appropriate to list words and phrases relevant to you. Why not add one in? In your “Introduction” section, add KEYWORDS: and then fill in all the words and phrases you think will help people find you in search. Miriam did it, and it immediately impacted her search results in Google+. Take a look at Miriam’s profile. Try a “before” and “after” search to see if your rankings improve. Bragging Rights. “Bragging rights” may make you feel like including some tongueincheek information, such as “survived high school.” Don’t be frivolous when writing a professional profile; include awards and accolades pertinent to your professional targets. It’s a good idea to fill out this section, but unless you’re in a creative profession, avoid trying to be funny. Occupation. This can be your job title or description. Especially if you’re unemployed, consider using a description similar to your headline on LinkedIn. Employment. This is where you list your work history. Information you include here will show up when someone rolls a mouse over your profile. One suggestion, to help people learn as much about you as possible when they hover over your thumbnail in Google+: In the first employer name box, include some key parts of your bio. For example, Hannah includes: Career Sherpa.net: Providing job search help and tools for new job seekers. It’s a good idea to fill the employment section in completely, as it will help people find and identify you down the road. Be careful with dates. This information should be consistent with all of your other online profiles (specifically, LinkedIn), and your resume. Include links to any other sites you own and use. Include profiles for social networks such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook (assuming it’s all professional). Add links to your professional websites/social resumes. Education. This section asks for your school names, degree (or field of study), and dates. Make sure these dates are consistent with other online and job application materials. You don’t want to raise any red flags with prospective employers who find your Google profile during a search. Places You’ve Lived. “Places you’ve lived” may be less important than your other information, unless you want to highlight international experience or some other geographically focused identity in your profile. How you fill out the sections at the end is up to you. Don’t feel compelled to list a phone number unless you want it to be available. It’s a good idea to list nicknames or maiden names (to help with search). As for the “looking for” section, consider keeping it professional. It’s not really necessary for people to know if you are seeking a relationship or not. “Networking” is a great reply.

http://getasocialresume.com/

https://plus.google.com/108861528956056842263/about

http://getasocialresume.com/


2. EXPAND YOUR COMMUNITY VIA CIRCLES

The major, lauded aspect of Google+ is the "circles" concept, which allows you to create groups of people, to share content with them, and to view content they share. (See later in this chapter for information to find people to add to your circles.) Once you find some people to add to your circles, it is okay to look to see who they have in their circles and add people who suit your interests. It’s also fine to "circle" people who don’t circle you. As noted, this makes Google+ similar to Twitter, where it is acceptable to find and follow friends of your contacts, even if you don’t already have a relationship. Google+ will also suggest contacts for you. You’ll probably keep personal and professional circles and want to label them accordingly. You may want circles for your closer contacts and circles for people whose information you value, but you don’t know well. If you’re looking for a job, maybe you’ll have a "Job Search Info" category. However, it allows you to both share content to the group AND see content from that group only. As of now, people cannot see what circles you put them in; they just know they are in one of your circles. Many Google+ early adopters commented they wish they had been more careful about creating their circles. Since this feature is one of the most unique about Google+, it’s worth taking some time to create meaningful circles you will be able to review for content and that will allow yourself to share your content with a targeted group. For example, we keep circles of colleagues, recruiters, HR professionals, job seekers and local people. The best advice about circles is to have as few as possible, as it makes it easier to keep track of them and more efficient to post to them. Unless a circle is purposely small (maybe a “family” circle, for example), if you have only a few people circled, consider if you can move them to a different group. What to do once you find people? Add them to your circles, begin to engage and interact with them. Comment on their posts, ask questions, even consider connecting on other social networks. For example, you may find contacts who spend some time in Google+, but most of their social media engagement is via Twitter. If you’re not already following the contact on Twitter, be sure to do so and continue the engagement there. Once you know the person will recognize you (due to your interactions in Google+), consider asking to connect via LinkedIn. Consider your social media experience to be as seamless as possible. Create overlaps between networks to be sure you don’t miss opportunities to connect. If you use Facebook, you may be familiar with “tagging” someone in a post by putting the @ symbol before his or her name, which alerts the person of your mention. Similarly, in Google+, you can tag someone in a post by starting the person’s name with a +. For example, if you want to alert Miriam about something, you’d say, +MiriamSalpeter, and she’d receive a notice. For Hannah, it’s +HannahMorgan.


3. MEET NEW PEOPLE AND EXPAND THE COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE WHO KNOW, LIKE AND TRUST YOU

Like Twitter, Google+ is an open network, so it’s easy to meet and interact with new people. Not only can you find and follow people and add people to your circles via Google+, you can also interact via Hangouts online meetings were you can see and speak to people. Find people using Google+ via various search tools, including: http://www.gpeep.com/, http://findpeopleonplus.com/, http://gplussearch.com/ and http://www.recommendedusers.com/. Conduct searches using keywords in these and other tools to identify people you want to know on Google+.

4. DEMONSTRATE YOUR EXPERTISE

It’s easy to share what you know in Google+. Similar to Twitter, your information is available to anyone who chooses to follow or “circle” you. Suggestions of what to include in your updates are the same as those for your other social media profiles: Comments relevant to your target audience. What you are doing professionally – relevant to your network Links to useful blogs or professional journals. Newsworthy information pertinent to your target audience Commentary relevant to your professional interests

5. PARTICIPATE IN HANGOUTS

Google+ prominently highlights the “Hangouts” option on the right side of your screen. Just click on the "Start a hangout" button on the right side of your screen. Clicking it opens up a chat window where you can check your mic and choose who will be able to join the hangout (either by inviting individuals or sharing it with your circles). Once the hangout is live, your friends will see the hangout prompt in their stream. They can then join the hangout until a maximum of ten people have joined. Mashable reports about a website, GPHangouts.com, which aggregates public hangouts on Google+. You can add your hangout there, and join in conversations with people in your field. These video chats are limited to 10 people, but this can certainly be an opportunity to meet and get to know people in your field and/or start a "Hangout" and be a leader in your field. The trick to success on Google+ and all social networks isn’t so tricky – interact and engage. When you do it well, you may be surprised by how generous people you do not know except via Google+’s circles may be.

http://gphangouts.com/

http://www.gpeep.com/

http://findpeopleonplus.com/

http://gplussearch.com/

http://www.recommendedusers.com/

http://mashable.com/2011/07/19/google-plus-hangouts-directory/


CHAPTER 28

FIVE REASONS YOU NEED YOUR OWN WEBSITE – A SOCIAL RESUME

When was the last time you searched for your own name online? Did you like what you saw?

You may be surprised to learn your only Internet claimtofame is the track trophy you won in college or a mention of your participation in a charity golf tournament—three years ago. If you have a LinkedIn account and an uncommon name, your LinkedIn profile may show up in a search. But if you have many doppelgangers (people who share your name), it’s more difficult to distinguish yourself online.

In a digitally driven job market, engaging in the online playground and sharing professional information designed to attract employers is key to job search success. As illustrated in the previous chapters, one way to produce and manage a digital footprint is to use social media sites. However, the unavoidable fact for everyone using these sites is this: you don’t own online space.

LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Google+ decide how your information looks, how it is presented and they can change their terms of service or business models any time. You’re effectively renting (albeit free) space when you contribute content and expertise there. Clearly, we still believe it’s worth doing. However, you can really help secure your space online when you own it, and the only way to own space online is to reserve a URL, such as YourName.com.

Miriam once spent 45 minutes trying to convince a careerchanging friend she needed HerName.com. She was finishing an advanced degree and was about to start looking for opportunities in a teaching specialty. She couldn’t understand why it was important to have an online presence, and she made some good points:

“I’m going to get a job because my professor recommends me, not because of a website.”

“I don’t want information available online that everyone can find.”


With that in mind, here are five reasons why owning and maintaining YourName.com is important.

1. A PERSONAL SITE IS A WAY TO CONTROL HOW YOUR NAME APPEARS ONLINE.

Even if you have a networking contact pass along your materials, it’s likely the hiring manager will Google you. (Studies show 40% of people will check you out online before a meeting; we think that percentage is low.) What will they find? Maintaining your own site and creating content you want employers and others to see when they search for you online is one of the best ways to control what people learn about you—and one way to help people conducting cursory searches land on your information instead of someone else’s. It also ensures you present an uptodate, targeted, professional profile, and helps suppress older information you may not want people to find. Content other people share about you online can be considered your digital shadow; you want to maintain a digital footprint. For example, your “shadow” may include that picture of you carrying a profane sign at a rally —complete with your name in the caption. When you produce current information relevant to your goals and post it for everyone to see, you may convince a hiring manager to end his or her search before uncovering information you don’t want public. What can you include in your professional site? Your resume, work samples, links to projects, places you are quoted, endorsements, links to your other social media profiles, a professional bio, a blog (if you’re a good writer), contact information and any information you want to share that would be relevant to someone who may want to hire you. Luckily, you own the site, so you decide what it should look like, what to emphasize and how to set everything up to make it as easy as possible for someone visiting to learn more about you.

2. STATISTICS SHOW YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE MATTERS, AND THAT EMPLOYERS ARE LOOKING ONLINE FOR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DATA ABOUT YOU

Nearly 80 percent of recruiters, human resources professionals, and hiring managers who responded to a Microsoft survey said they search for candidates’ information online and may use it to disqualify applicants. And what if they disqualify you based on incorrect information? Maybe it’s not really you they found online, but someone with the same name and a similar profile. What if you share a name with an unsavory character or someone with a questionable reputation? Be vigilant about monitoring your online reputation. Set up Google alerts for your name to receive notification whenever Google indexes something about you or someone who shares your name. Also consider searching and monitoring your name’s alternate spellings or misspellings. If you don’t know what’s out there, it will be difficult to combat it in the job market. (See chapter 29 for more information on how to do this.)

http://www.job-hunt.org/onlinejobsearchguide/article_Google-Alerts.shtml#_blank

http://executivecareerbrand.com/microsoft-study-finds-online-reputation-management-not-optional/#_blank

http://www.google.com/alerts#_blank


3. POSTING INFORMATION ON YOUR SITE HELPS YOU MAINTAIN YOUR PRIVACY

NOT putting up your own site only gives people an incentive to look deeper in the web for information about you if nothing is readily available. Take a look at these sites to learn what the “deep web” knows about you: pipl.com, Polymeta.com.

4. MANAGING A SITE IS IMPORTANT FOR CAREER INSURANCE AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Showcasing your expertise online (even if it is in a new field) helps demonstrate what you have to offer. An online presence can grow and change along with your career and help attract people to learn more about you. This could result in opportunities to speak at conferences or events, or even invitations to apply for jobs down the road. Expand your network of potential customers, employers, mentors and colleagues. The more people who know about you, the more likely you are to be referred for opportunities. (Don’t forget those CareerXRoads statistics about referrals being one of the biggest sources of hires – 28%.) Get discovered by people who need you. Attract interest in you and what you offer. Raise your profile and improve your value as a subject matter expert. Use your online presence to convince people you can do what you want to do next — even if you are missing some qualifications.

5. HAVING A WEBSITE SUGGESTS YOU HAVE SOME TECHNICAL SAVVY AND UNDERSTAND HOW TO USE ONLINE TOOLS TO COMMUNICATE

This, in and of itself, is an important skill many employers value. It’s known as “social proof.” You may say you know about technology on your resume, but actually using it to showcase your own information goes a long way to prove you have what employers want. Especially if you are transitioning to a new job or you are an experienced job seeker who needs to overcome age discrimination, having an uptodate online presence and maybe even a viable blog helps show prospective employers you’re willing to learn and are perfectly capable of keeping up with technology. Still Skeptical? Maybe you, like Miriam’s friend, are skeptical. You can’t envision how and why having an online presence will help you get a job, manage your career or become known as an expert in your field. Why is having YourName.com crucial to your professional identity and to managing your career?


See what other reputable marketing and online experts say about owning your own website: Forbes.com “We’re seeing more and more recruiters use the web as a place to search for talent and conduct employment background searches. This trend is set to increase year over year and I’ve been predicting that an “online presence search” will become as common as a drug test since 2007. Your online presence should consist of your own website at yourfullname.com.” GlassDoor.com “It used to be that having a slick resume and some nice letterhead was all a job seeker needed to get an interview. Not anymore. The web has become more important in every facet of our lives, to the point that it can even affect a job search. In other words, if you’re a job seeker, you need to think about how your profile is appearing online, and what the search engines are saying about you to future employers.” Mashable “First, if you don’t have a personal website, get one. It’s a great way to showcase your passions, thoughts and experience, whether you’re searching for a job or not. If you name your website after yourself (i.e. ericaswallow.com, in my case), it will probably rank highly when people search for your name online.” From The New York Times “You still want short bits of information, where you get to the key points quickly, but you can create a multipage, online portfolio on the Web and include case studies, a page of references, and testimonials…” From The New York Times “Brand yourself as a contributor that any organization would love to hire. Create strong profiles on sites like LinkedIn and Facebook, and build an eyecatching Web site around your personal domain name. Learn about client recruitment and retention from other sales people and business owners, and incorporate their techniques.” – Alexandra Levit, Workplace consultant

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/jobs/independent-workers-are-here-to-stay.html?src=tp

http://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2011/02/21/5-reasons-why-your-online-presence-will-replace-your-resume-in-10-years

http://www.glassdoor.com/blog/job-seekers-website/

http://mashable.com/2011/05/28/online-resume/

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/27/jobs/27search.html


CHAPTER 29

TOP FIVE WAYS TO MONITOR YOUR BRAND

Fact: Employers are Googling you. 78% of hiring professionals and recruiters stated that they researched candidates online by using search engines according to a 2010 Microsoft commissioned study.

You can say all of this searching represents an invasion of privacy, or you can think of it as an opportunity to showcase the best information about you. We hope you choose the latter.

What we want to help you do is to see yourself through the employers eyes. These are five ways you can make sure you know what an employer is going to see when, not if, they search for you online.

1. GOOGLE YOURSELF

It’s funny that Google has become a verb! It is the most popular search engine, so start searching for yourself there. When you enter your name, use the spelling that is on your resume. How many pages of results do you need to scroll through until you find a true reference to you? A search result of Facebook might be fine if you click through on that link to be sure it really is you. Then try putting that in quotation marks like this “Jane Doe.” Do you get the same top search results? You want to be on page one and at the top of page one if at all possible. Try this same search method with Yahoo! and Bing.

2. OWN YOUR SOCIAL PROFILES

There are literally thousands of social networks and profile tools. Most, if not all, are free. You may not be active on all of them or any of them now, but you may want to in the future, so you can use a tool called Nameck.com. It is designed to simply and easily check to see if your desired username or vanity URL is still available at dozens of popular social networking and social bookmarking websites.

3. BUSINESS DIRECTORIES

Sites such as Spoke.com or ZoomInfo.com collect data and contact information from websites and the data its users share. These are free and you want them to contain the correct information and consistent information. In many cases, your name may already be listed, but be sure the information is under your control by claiming it.

http://www.zoominfo.com/

http://www.job-hunt.org/guides/DPD_Online-Reputation-Research_overview.pdf

http://namechk.com/

http://www.spoke.com/


4. BUILD AND FIX

The good news is, that all the tools you need are available at no charge. If you want to improve where you appear in search engine results (remember, you want to be on page one) you can use tools like Vizibility.com or BrandYourself.com which will direct you through the slow but steady process of increasing your ranking on search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo. There are other steps you can take too. Comment on popular blogs, create your own website with services such as Social Resume (getasocialresume.com). Be sure to clean up any social network activity that may not be suitable for a potential employer to see.

5. TOOLS TO MONITOR SOCIAL ACTIVITY

If you blog, comment on blogs, tweet or are involved in social networks, you may be interested to know that this information is all public. Even Facebook posts have the option to be public. You want to do a check to see if there is anything out there that you didn’t know about. Social Mention allows you to search across multiple social networks, blogging platforms and bookmarks to see if or where your name is being mentioned.




EPILOGUE We hope we’ve taken some of the “overwhelm” out of your plans by highlighting the most important steps to a successful job search. In reviewing these chapters, we are convinced you can be successful with your job search plans if you follow this roadmap and cover each of the suggested areas. Don’t allow yourself to be caught up in the enormity of job search; it can only paralyze you and make you feel that you will be stuck in a job search fog forever. When you take things one step at a time, we hope you agree with us – you can do it! Please be in touch if you have question and to tell us about your experiences and your successes. We can’t wait to hear from you! Miriam and Hannah

Documents

You Need a Job: 5 Steps to Get You One · Miriam Salpeter and Hannah Morgan | 8 INTRODUCTION We wrote this book for you, the job seeker or soontobe job seeker. We know there is a