Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

How to find a captive audience to fuel your job search

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tv at gas.outcastLast night, on my way home from the #ATLMix tweetup I co-hosted with Stephanie A. Lloyd (which was terrific – we had a wonderful turnout and a great time meeting up with new and old friends. If you joined us – THANK YOU) — I noticed that my gas tank was running on empty. (I have this bad habit of always waiting until the very last minute to get gas.)

I stopped to fill up, and as I  was starting to fuel, I heard a grunting noise. Then, a gurgling. Not so thrilled to be at an unfamiliar station late at night, I looked around, concerned, and thinking that I should have gotten gas on my way TO the tweetup!

Looking for the source of the noise, I noticed a video screen above the pump. Good – not a creepy person making strange noises. A baby. A LOUD baby in an ad above the gas register. Then, the screen flashed an inspiring message…”Advertise here. Why? Find a captive audience...” That was all I needed to see. What a concept – the captive audience.

Unless you already have made a name for yourself in your field and have a big following, it is unlikely that you already have a captive audience. So, as a job seeker – what can you do to find one?

First thing I would suggest is to expand your network. You need to connect with people who will appreciate your skills and experience and take a vested interest in moving your search forward. I love Twitter for this reason – it’s a great way to connect with all types of people and Twitter is a wonderful resource for your job hunt.

Another thing to consider – are you optimizing your LinkedIn presence? LinkedIn is probably the closest thing most job seekers have to a captive audience. Recruiters and hiring managers are increasingly turning to LinkedIn to source candidates. Learn how a recruiter uses LinkedIn and how to optimize your LinkedIn profile to fuel your search. You need to be sure you are making it easy to find you, otherwise you are wasting untold numbers of opportunities!

The best way to find a captive audience – make sure you are where your target audience can find you. Social networking is one great way. What other ways have you found or do you suggest job seekers look for a captive audience?

Sometimes, it pays to  hire a coach to help you fuel your search! Need some help getting your job search jump started? Not sure you can put all of the great tools at your disposal to good use? Need a great resume? Learn how I can help you propel your job hunt forward.

In Atlanta? GA is expecting > 10.7% unemployment. Get ahead of the game so you will be prepared to search for your next opportunity with local job search interventions: http://youneedajob.org/.

Review of Next-Day Job Interview

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next day job interviewJ6042I would be the last one to suggest you leave your interview preparation to the last minute. So, I hesitated when I saw the title of this book and its subhead: “Prepare tonight and get the job tomorrow.” Hmm…Maybe not a good idea to suggest this tact to job seekers? In fact, the authors note that, ideally, you will spend a week or two preparing for an interview.

However, I like the gist of the book – you don’t need to memorize pat answers to questions in order to get the job. This is something I absolutely agree with, so I thought it would be worth reviewing Michael Farr and Dick Gaither’s Next-Day Job Interview for my readers.

I was not disappointed! Even reading the introduction can help job seekers dramatically improve their readiness for an interview. Questions such as: “Can you talk the talk of the industry, using buzzwords, jargon and acronyms that are common to the industry?” and “Can you identify three prominent employment-related successes or achievements you’ve had and talk about your role in them?” These are two of the key, important elements of interviewing that I teach my clients.

The book continues by describing various interview formats. It’s important to be prepared to handle all different circumstances and types of questions, so this section is a great help.

Self-analysis (knowing what you have to offer – and how it relates to your targeted job) is another crucial aspect of interviewing well, and the book helps walk the reader through identifying his or her skills, as well as outlines important skills that most employers seek, such as the ability to learn, communication and writing skills and others.

This in-depth book also offers four different approaches to the all important question, “Tell me about yourself?” (Skills based, personal history, defined focus and “returning the question.” The descriptions include impressive suggestions and tips to think about how to respond to this “make or break” question.

Next-Day Job Interview is a very thorough, well designed book to assist the job seeker in mastering the all important interview stage. However, I really think the title is a bit of a misnomer, as I have yet to meet  job seeker who can really take full advantage of this terrific information in less than several weeks without a coach.

So, my advice? Get this book NOW – before you are preparing for a specific interview – use the tips and tricks and you will be way ahead of the game when you get the call for an interview “tomorrow.”

Win a copy of this book! Just comment on one of my blogs regarding the review. Enter at all of my posts for a better chance at the random drawing:
GreatPlaceJobs
Secrets of the Job Hunt
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Sometimes, it pays to  hire a coach to help you prepare for an interview! Need some help getting your job search jump started? Not sure you can put all of the great tools at your disposal to good use? Need a great resume? Learn how I can help you propel your job hunt forward.

In Atlanta? GA is expecting > 10.7% unemployment. Get ahead of the game so you will be prepared to search for your next opportunity with local job search interventions: http://youneedajob.org/.


How transparent should you be?

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fish253323619_eb37d646b9_mWhen I was in New York last month, I was lucky to be able to spend time with Marci Alboher, freelance writer, journalist, author and speaker who focuses on career and workplace trends. Marci is an authority on “slash careers” (about “custom blending” different, sometimes divergent occupations and passions). She is the author of One Person/Multiple Careers, and someone whose work I have admired and followed for a long time.

In our conversation during a walk around Marci’s Greenwich Village neighborhood (where she seemed to know everyone!), we discussed a topic that is often on my mind – how much should we reveal about ourselves online? It’s a topic that is salient for job seekers using social networking sites and blogging to get their name out as an authority in their subject, and it is just as relevant for entrepreneurs, coaches and anyone engaging in the sphere known as Web 2.0.

Marci wrote about our conversation and raised some important questions about this topic on her blog today…be sure to click through to read more about our conversations and learn about “the illusion of transparency,” which may be just the ticket for job seekers!

There is no “one size fits all” career advice. Don’t you deserve the best, personalized information and help? Learn how I can help you with your search.

Frustrated that your search isn’t resulting in a job? In Atlanta? Join me and Stephanie A. Lloyd, CEO of Radiant Veracity for our series of in-person job search interventions. Read more about how to propel your search and sign up here.


photo by atrotskyite

My, how tastes (and resumes) have changed!

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suit of armor101043722_8b4ae7064f_mI’ve been sharing career related epiphanies resulting from my recent sojourn in New York City. Specifically,  from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Today’s focus: My, how our tastes and trends have changed!

Opinions about what is beautiful and what are useful ways to spend our time certainly have changed over the centuries! (When was the last time you donned a suit of armor to challenge a foe? Or slept in a Versailles-era inspired bed?) The same is true of resume conventions.

My friend and colleague Erin Kennedy recently pointed out a modern resume writing trend – adding color to resumes! As she notes, this is not an idea most professional resume writers would have entertained several years ago, but is something job seekers can consider today. Similarly, I find myself explaining to clients that I don’t write “your father’s resume.”

Yes – there are many things about resumes that are similar to those 20 years ago, but a lot has changed! Who would have thought that resumes would actually include online profiles, “social resumes” and blogs? Just as women don’t walk around corseted with big bustles, you want to be sure that your resume doesn’t look like something that belongs in a musuem because it is out of date!

I recently worked with a client whose resume I totally redesigned using a very modern style. Her reply, “I thought it was going to look more like the one I sent…Will this appeal to recruiters?”

I explained that the best resume professionals are not writing “your mother’s resume” anymore. Times have changed, and we need to change with them. My client showed her new resume to an (older) recruiter who admitted it wasn’t what she expected to see, but that she liked the format and how it outlined the candidate’s skills and made her stand out! I couldn’t have been more pleased!

One of my twitter friends, Vicki, suggested I update this post to provide some visual examples of dated and modern resumes. So – follow this link to review my resume transformations – for some examples of the way resumes look today compared to old-fashioned versions. Thanks, Vicki!

What job search trends confuse or interest you?

There is no “one size fits all” career advice. Don’t you deserve the best, personalized information and help? Learn how I can help you with your search.

Frustrated that your search isn’t resulting in a job? In Atlanta? Join me and Stephanie A. Lloyd, CEO of Radiant Veracity for our series of in-person job search interventions. Read more about how to propel your search and sign up here.

Art – and the "right" way to job search – are in the eye of the beholder

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met246896968_6dc95bda71_mThere’s a reason, I think, that so many artists and creative people live in New York City (and other big cities). There is so much going on there, it is almost impossible NOT to be inspired in some way – just in walking down the street. Having recently come back from a visit to the Big Apple, I decided to take a lesson from one of my blogging mentors, Anita Bruzzese, whom I admire, among other reasons, for the fact that she never has writer’s block!

Anita suggested that I should take inspiration from what is all around me. So, some NYC inspired thoughts for the job seeker…

One of the highlights of our trip was a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. A few thoughts the museum inspired in me…

Forgive me for saying so, but am I the only one who thinks, “Art is in the eye of the beholder” whenever I visit a museum? Of course, the halls were full of masterpieces, but when I visit their famous collection, there is always something I walk by and say “hmm…THAT’s in the Met?”

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To a certain extent, the same concept – art is in the eye of the beholder – applies to the job search.

I have written about the fact that there is no ONE right way to look for a job. If someone tells you that they offer the holy grail of job search, be wary. The fact is, just as certain art appeals to some more than others, resumes, job search techniques and approaches for the hunt can only be evaluated individually. Everyone brings a unique set of circumstances to the table – biases and personal preferences are an undeniable aspect of job hunting.

My colleague Louise Fletcher recently addressed the issue of including something on the resume that may not appeal to 100% of readers. Her client was concerned, but she argued that doing something that is  “calibrated to appeal to your target audience” has the potential to appeal to more people than not.

There are many nuances in job hunting…How you write your resume, what you say in your LinkedIn profile…If you should write a “social resume.” It’s not a “one size fits all” or a “come as you are” job market. Everyone has an opinion, and you want to be sure that you are listening to someone who is an expert to advise you.

Stay tuned for more thoughts…Feel free to share your insights!

There is no “one size fits all” career advice. Don’t you deserve the best, personalized information and help? Learn how I can help you with your search.

Frustrated that your search isn’t resulting in a job? In Atlanta? Join me and Stephanie A. Lloyd, CEO of Radiant Veracity for our series of in-person job search interventions. Read more about how to propel your search and sign up here.

Photo credits:  wallyg