Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Archives for 2008

Interview with Liz Lynch, Author of Smart Networking

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Liz Lynch, founder of the Center for Networking Excellence and author of the newly released Smart Networking: Attract a Following In Person and Online, mastered the skill of networking from the ground up and is now a sought-after speaker who brings a practical and insightful perspective to networking that has connected with a global audience. Her printed and audio products have sold on six continents, she’s been invited to speak at conferences and organizations around the world and her writings have been translated into multiple languages.

So, when Liz invited me to join her virtual interview series contest for bloggers, I was delighted to sign on! Liz touts her new book as “the essential guidebook for building business relationships in a wired world.” (Please vote for my interview by clicking HERE and scrolling to vote for me in week #2)

I enjoyed the opportunity to include her expert perspective on a topic regular readers know is one of the most important for job seekers: networking for success!

Here are my questions and what Liz had to say:

What “homework” should prospective networkers do before they attempt to engage in new networking relationships?

I’m glad you asked about homework, because so many people go into networking situations completely unprepared, expecting magic to happen. The best homework is to create a plan for your networking (Chapter 13 of Smart Networking takes you step-by-step to develop one). You want an overall plan, a big picture strategy, but you also want a plan for your ground game. Before you go into a networking event or even a one-on-one meeting, know exactly why you’re going, what you want to know and what you want to convey about yourself. Having a plan will help you sound more confident and give you more confidence. It will also help you achieve what you want much faster.

How do you advise busy people seeking to take advantage of the best online AND in-person networking? What are the “must haves” in a successful networking suitcase?

In marketing it’s almost always more expensive to acquire a new customer than to keep an old one. If you’re churning and burning through your network, you’ll have to do a lot more work and spend a lot more time just to stay even. So if I had to pick the “must haves” they would be those tools that allow you to stay in touch with your network and communicate with them easily, namely online sites like LinkedIn and Facebook, and those skills like mastering the art of the ask that help you get the help you need when you need it.

What are your top three tips to help professionals who are behind the 8-ball in today’s economy because they haven’t already built a strong network?

  1. Realize that you do have a network already of former colleagues, classmates, etc. and it’s worth spending time reconnecting with those folks to re-establish your connection.
  2. Use online networking sites to find these contacts and invite them to connect with you so you have an easy way to reach out to them later.
  3. Tell everyone you know what you are looking for.

How can an unemployed job seeker network effectively without seeming desperate?

First take action with the steps outlined in the previous question, so you have your network set up to help you. Then, take additional actions to get visible. It may be tempting to stay at home and not want to get out in public because you don’t feel great about yourself, but start meeting people in different ways, like volunteering at a local charity or signing up for art class. Depending how long you’ve been job hunting, getting in a new environment can help shake things up and give you a strong purpose to follow that can spill over into improving how you feel about your job search.

What advice do you have about cultural differences to consider when networking?

I was in China in June and realized how people there seem much more comfortable asking questions that we wouldn’t find appropriate here in the U.S. Questions like, “How much money do you make?” would leave most of us aghast. Networking across borders requires diplomacy. It’s helpful if you know you’re going to be traveling to get some guidance from a local. And be prepared to respectfully decline to answer questions that make you uncomfortable.

What questions do you have about networking? I’d be happy to answer them in a future post or direct you to a resource!

Don’t forget that I am available to help with all of your job search needs! Everything you need to know is right here on this site!

Great Employers Are Best, Even in Recession

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Are you still waiting for things to look up in the job market? You may be waiting a while…All indications are that we are in for a bit of a bumpy road for the next patch. But, all is not lost for job seekers! Did you know that workplaces that have been recognized as “great,” such as those highlighted on GreatPlaceJobs, historically outperformed the general market and are less likely to have to resort to layoffs during tough times?

These award-winning employers typically offer better job security, which is a terrific benefit for anyone who needs a job!



Read more at my blog at GreatPlaceJobs…


photo by Nick Starr

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Thinking About an MBA? You May Want to Think Twice and Listen Hard in Kindergarten

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kids-in-sandbox

Thinking about waiting out the recession by getting an MBA?  A recent Newsweek article may may you think twice. The article, Happy Birthday, Harvard B-School reported on an 18-month study on the state of the M.B.A. conducted by Harvard professors David Garvin and Srikant Datar. They interviewed deans, recruiters, faculty and alumni from several dozen top business schools.

Their conclusions?

At some companies, longer-tenured employees without an M.B.A. face better odds of getting promoted than newcomers who hold the degree, and some employers now dissuade star employees from returning to school for an M.B.A. at all. Recruiters say the M.B.A.s they do hire have learned little about such skills as giving presentations, navigating corporate politics or leading co-workers. “The M.B.A. degree may be at an inflection point,” Garvin says.

The article goes on to say:

In the symposium’s most thoughtful remarks, Civil War historian and Harvard president Drew Faust suggested that B-schools may teach their students to become so focused on competing against colleagues and tallying individual rewards that they suffer “a kind of blindness” to “the fundamental interconnectedness of humankind, of societies and of economies.”

Not exactly a ringing endorsement of higher business education.

Clearly, in the working world, being able to communicate and lead are two crucial “soft” skills employers seek.  Having written about the importance of being connected, I’m intrigued to note the focus on the “fundamental interconnectedness of humankind.” In his book, Never Eat Alone, Keith Ferrazzi says, “…Community and alliances will rule in the twenty-first century…[success is] dependent on whom you know and how you work with them (291).” He asserts that living a truly connected life is a prerequisite to success. If this is true, it looks like the M.B.A. may not be the path of choice.

Could it be that all we really need to know are the lessons we learn in the sandbox? Is the poem “All I Ever Really Need To Know, I Learned in Kindergarten” turning out to be really true?

What do you think? When do we learn our most important skills – the sand box or the ivory tower?

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Need help to jump start your search? We can help you with a successful job hunt. Need a great resume? Career search advice? Mock interview? Visit Keppie Careers online for information about our services: www.keppiecareers.com.

photo by patterbt

On Election Day – Remembering Tim Russert's Lessons for Careerists

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tim-russert-2On Election Day, I thought it would be fitting to re-run my post in memory of Tim Russert, host of NBC’s Meet the Press and influential political commentator who died in June.

As I watched and read coverage of Tim Russert’s death, everyone who worked with him pointed out his generosity of spirit and willingness to mentor colleagues. In fact, the quote on one of the memorial programs for Tim Russert reads, “No exercise is better for the human heart than reaching down to lift up another person.” I heard him described as someone who pulled others up and then held them there, nurturing and celebrating their successes.

My sense from the tributes memorializing him is that this quality, along with Russert’s reported love of family, work and life, may have contributed as much to his success as his tenatious questioning of political figures.

I’ve written about being a “connector” and what a great aspiration it is to become a networker who networks generously and links people for their advantage. Similarly, this is a great time to think about the value of a mentor. Being a mentor can raise your career aspirations. People who see your kindness and generousity of spirit will help lift YOU to higher career heights. How much easier will it be to find people to offer recommendations and references if you are a strong mentor? How much more will you enjoy your work life if you really care about the people who work with you?

For young people entering the working world for the first time, the lesson is to seek a mentor and to someday aspire to be one. Get to know the people who work with you. Care about their lives, their children, their sports teams. Connect because you care and people will respond. Your career and your life will be the better for it!

Subscribe for free up-to-date tips to help with your job hunt! Click here to subscribe to receive future blogs sent directly to you via email! Prefer to subscribe in a reader? Click here for a link to receive Keppie Careers’ feed sent to the reader of your choice.

Need help to jump start your search? We can help you with a successful job hunt. Need a great resume? Career search advice? Mock interview? Visit Keppie Careers online for information about our services: www.keppiecareers.com.

Empower Yourself for Career Success – Job Action Day Blog

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Today’s post is in honor of Job Action Day, a blogging event organized by Quintessential Careers to encourage service-oriented articles and blog entries that provide workers and job-seekers with information, ideas and concrete steps that they can take to secure their futures — both in the short-term and the long-term.

Secure your future for the short- and long-term – a tall order in today’s turbulent, fast-changing economy. According to former U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley, the top 10 in-demand jobs in 2010 may not have existed in 2004. (Hat Tip: The Creative Career.) How can you thrive professionally when keeping up seems about as easy as holding water in your bare hands?

While there is much we as individuals cannot control (e.g., the stock market, whether or not the industry we chose for our career will thrive in tomorrow’s economy and if layoffs will be necessary in our company), careerists still have a lot of power. My advice for those who expect thrive in today’s marketplace…

Seize control of what you can! Don’t be a victim of circumstances. Drive your own career bus. Steps to take:

  • Draw your own career map.
  • Design your vehicle.
  • Take the keys and start the ignition.
  • Don’t let fear drive you.
  • Back out carefully, but do get rolling…

Draw Your Own Career Map
Identify your goals. You can’t get anywhere until you decide the destination! Stop and evaluate. What characteristics and traits make you special? What are you (or do you hope to be) known for in your field?

Review trends and industries with career potential. See if there are matches between your skills and interests and the fields and organizations most likely to have opportunities. If not, consider re-focusing slightly without altering your dream.

When setting your goals, be open to the possibilities that new industries provide. Consider the glass “half full.” Instead of cursing a business with a shrinking job market, be willing to re-adjust, re-tool and re-train to take advantage of possibilities coming down the road.

Design Your Vehicle – Brand YOU!
Once you identify a destination, you need to drive there! Take the time and effort necessary to learn how to position yourself as the expert in your field of choice. Use all of the tools at your disposal to create a “vehicle” (your brand) that will drive you where you want to go.

If you haven’t looked for a job in a while and/or aren’t tuned in to managing your “digital footprint” – what comes up when someone “Googles” your name – it’s time for a quick lesson in social media. The long and the short of it is this: an online presence is key to how people will perceive you. Presenting yourself well both online and in person will help open doors that seemed closed to you.

Dan Schawbel, Personal Branding Expert, suggests these steps to get you started: “Buy yourname.com to secure your brand, make a video resume, start a WordPress blog, use Google Reader, participate (comment on blogs and link to them), get on Facebook and LinkedIn, network and more.”

The key is to become the “go to” person in your field. When you leverage your expertise online and become part of the social networking community, doors will open that you otherwise would never have even considered knocking on!

Take the Keys!
The key to a successful career is to network generously. There is nothing more important or more useful than networking. In our digital, Web 2.0 world, success will depend more and more on your ability to broaden your professional circles and to reach out to a diverse socio-economic group of people representing a mix of opinions and beliefs. Professionals who habitually introduce people who otherwise may not meet earn goodwill and reputations as valuable resources and colleagues. Become that professional to help you overcome obstacles to career success.

Start the Ignition – Communicate Your Value
Your ability to promote, communicate and connect your value to colleagues and superiors is crucial. Hone this “soft” skill – practice your writing, emailing, speaking, interviewing and presenting skills. Join Toastmasters. Make a point to learn how to communicate well. There is no doubt that the superior communicator in a field has the best chance to win the job. When you can articulate why your role is vital, you will certainly help secure your future.

Confidently Forge Ahead – Start Rolling
Adjust your rear-view mirror, but keep your eyes on the road! Move forward with your plans knowing that you DO control your career. Is it as easy as reading these steps? No, but if you follow this plan, you will be on your way to managing your job hunt and/or your career with finesse and aplomb!

Have other ideas to help empower job seekers and workers? Please share them in the comments. I also invite you to review an updated list of Job Action Day participants and to visit their blogs.

You’d love to drive your own career bus, but it sounds like a lot of work? I can help you! Contact me at [email protected] to discuss how to get your career bus moving in the right direction!

photo by gwen