Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Facebook May Propel Your Job Search Networking

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Willy Franzen, from One Day, One Job, “an insider’s guide to unique and exciting entry-level job and career opportunities for recent college graduates,” recently ran an experiment with new college grads to see if posting ads about their desire to work in certain companies (Disney, Sprint) or certain fields (publishing, entry-level) could propel their job searches to the next level.

Although none of the 5 new grads who participated in the experiment landed a job as a result of their ads, they did have some interesting results. Willy notes some key takeaways:

1. The most successful students were those who targeted a single company with a very specific ad that mentioned the company’s name in the text.

2. Targeting by location draws too many extraneous clicks and seems to have a low return on investment.

3. Spending more on ads leads to more responses.

4. This method is best suited for targeting larger employers with significant populations of Facebook users.

So, should everyone advertise their job search on Facebook? I don’t think so, but I think there is a lot of potential for expanding your network as a new or recent college grad. For a more senior person seeking an opportunity, I think it may border on seeming desperate!

Some other important points…
Consider this type of marketing as part of your networking plan. I believe the best way to approach this is to hope to make connections who may be willing to help you with your job hunt.

Spend some time sprucing up the site where potential connections will wind up when they click through your ad. If that site is your linkedin profile, optimize it before you set up a campaign. If that site is your blog, make sure the blog is up-to-date and current and would appeal to your target audience.

Willy also notes (and I agree) that sealing the deal is key in this strategy. Just because you have an ad and people click through to learn more about you doesn’t mean that you will get a job. Your follow-up and ability to demonstrate why you are a great networking link (and a great hire) depends on how you manage the follow-through.

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Need help with your hunt? Did you know we offer a resume consulting service? We advise, you write! Or, hire us to write your resume for you. Visit Keppie Careers online for information about our services: www.keppiecareers.com.

Quantify Accomplishments on Your Resume to Stand Out in a Crowd

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So, you are convinced that accomplishments are important for your resume? Good! The next key step is to quantify your accomplishments. The point of your resume is to entice the reader to want to know more about you. Demonstrating how you stand out in a crowd by quantifying your accomplishments is a great way to generate interest.

When you start to quantify, think about the following categories:

  • Money (especially as you saved or earned it)
  • Time (more efficient, less wasted)
  • Amounts (sales, customers, etc.)
  • Situations (fast-paced, difficult economic environment, etc.)

What do you think is more interesting or persuasive?

Before: Conducted patient interviews and managed data collection for survey.

After: Demonstrated analytical skills and cultural sensitivity as leader of team conducting, coding and verifying 1000 patient interviews using SAS in deadline-driven environment.

Before: Met all sales quotas.

After: Only salesperson to meet 100% of quotas in down-trending economic environment. Won top award for sales closed (2008).

By contextualizing what you have to offer, you help the reader gain a clear picture of your value.

If you want to receive free up-to-date tips to help with your job hunt, Click here to subscribe to receive future blogs sent directly to you!

Not sure how to implement good resume advice? Need some help to give your job hunt a boost? Visit Keppie Careers online for information about our services, including resume writing, interview preparation and job hunt coaching: www.keppiecareers.com

photo by Paul likes pics

Accomplishments for Your Resume

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Almost every resume I see reads like a laundry list of “stuff” the person has done at work. The problem is that everyone applying for the job you seek probably has a similar list of “stuff.” What makes you stand out? Why are you special – why do YOU deserve to win an interview and the job?

It certainly isn’t because you were “Responsible for” something or that you were “Recruited to” do something. A prospective employer wants to know what you’ve accomplished. What impact have you had on past employers? What obstacles did you overcome to achieve a positive result in the past?

Quintessential Careers compiled a comprehensive list of accomplishments employers seek.

Describe how you:

  • Make money
  • Save money
  • Save time
  • Make work easier
  • Solve a specific problem
  • Help the company become more competitive
  • Build relationships
  • Expand the business
  • Attract new customers
  • Retain existing customers

I suggest you answer the following questions:

  • What problems did you solve?
  • How did you improve your organization?
  • What innovative ideas did you introduce (and what were the positive results)?
  • How did you make a difference?

When you re-focus your resume spotlight to shine on what you have to offer instead of just listing what you’ve done, you will be much more marketable.

photo by meanest Indian

Avoiding Age Discrimination in the Job Hunt

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So, you’re not a 20-something, right out of college? Not a spring chicken when it comes to the working world? Are you worried about age discrimination in your job hunt?

Recently, I contributed my 2 cents to a discussion on linkedin about the pros and cons of listing a date specifying when you received your degree on your resume. (Thus, presumably revealing your age.) The questioner had been told that he should remove degree dates for any degrees ten years or older.

Coincidentally, last week, I worked with two clients in their 30’s, both of whom asked about removing graduation dates. Maybe they are all getting advice from the same source!

I disagree with this advice.

My research on the subject indicates that if you leave off your graduation dates, it will only raise a red flag to a recruiter or hiring manager. The fact is, when you don’t list a date, the reader will automatically assumes you are probably quite senior. If you were trying to look younger by omitting a date, the result has the opposite impact.

Yes, there is age discrimination in the job hunt, no question. The fact is, you can’t hide your age forever! Being honest from the beginning could be the best approach, no matter how long ago you earned your degree!

There are a lot of ways to help you look younger in a job hunt. I’ve written about how managing your digital footprint can make you appear more youthful. I believe that what you DO, how you ACT and what you KNOW is more important than what dates appear on your resume. I’m not alone!

Facing discrimination in your job hunt? We can write your resume to make you look younger. Need help navigating social media and online networking? Keppie Careers is here for you!

If you want to receive free up-to-date tips to help with your job hunt, Click here to subscribe to receive future blogs sent directly to you!

photo by Bill Liao

Sarah Palin Teaches Job Seekers Not to Throw in the Towel

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I don’t believe that it’s a good idea to inject politics into the workplace. Inevitably, people will disagree, and some will feel it’s necessary to “convert” people to their “right” way of thinking. In any case, it’s a can of worms, a Pandora’s box – once opened, it can’t be contained again.

So, I don’t choose political sides on my blog. However, I’ve been a bit of a political junkie since I was a kid. Somehow, I can’t get enough of the talk shows and articles and blogs about the ins and outs of the presidential election. I can’t help but be inspired to write a post about John McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin for his VP spot.

Two angles that interest me as a blogger writing about career issues:

  1. Governor Palin’s relative inexperience.
  2. The blog that some credit for raising her profile.

Experience in the Job Hunt

No matter what your political bent, you are probably surprised that McCain chose someone from such a small state, who, on paper, has less experience than any VP pick in modern history (per the Huffington Post).

What does this mean for job seekers? I think it means – you never know! On one hand, I just blogged about the risks of taking a job that is beyond your experience. On the other hand, maybe Palin’s accomplishments and specific skills (including the less quantifiable “soft” skills) make her very well qualified to balance a ticket with McCain. Sometimes, the “right” person for the job may not be as obvious as it seems.

The lesson? Maybe there is a promotion at your organization that you’d like to shoot for, but you figure another candidate is a shoo-in. Don’t throw in the towel! Think about what you can do to stand out. What makes you just right for the job? Think outside of the box, focus on all of your skills and contributions and make sure the decision makers know what you have to offer.

Which brings us to point #2:

Some Credit Blogger for VP Pick

Adam Brickley, a 21-year old college student apparently has been blogging in an effort to win Sarah Palin a spot on the Republican ticket since last year. The power of social media? Perhaps! Just as you don’t really know what the tipping point is that causes an organization to choose one qualified candidate over another, seemingly equally qualified candidate, we’ll never really know how much influence (or not) this blog had. Brickley did report that he received a call from the Palins after McCain’s official announcement.

The lesson for job seekers here? You never know what can tip the scales. While Brickley’s blog may have had little influence, it is safe to say that his impact was more than just blowing into the wind. I often tell job seekers that blogging can be good for their careers. For a strong writer, starting a blog is a great way to demonstrate expertise in an area. With employers “Googling” applicants, blogging is one way to help control your digital footprint (what people find when they search for your name). If you blog, you directly impact what comes up, which is especially useful if you aren’t happy with current search results.

Only time will tell how Governor Palin will fare in the VP race, but no matter what the outcome, don’t ignore the lessons for your own career or job hunt!

If you want to receive free up-to-date tips to help with your job hunt, Click here to subscribe to receive future blogs sent directly to you!

Thinking of reaching for a position that seems out of reach? Need some help to give your job hunt a boost? Visit Keppie Careers online for information about our services, including resume writing, interview preparation and job hunt coaching: www.keppiecareers.com