Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Read Success for Hire for great advice about the hiring process

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success-for-hireAlexandra Levit is a business author and consultant who has written several books, including the popular business world survival guide, They Don’t Teach Corporate in College, How’d You Score That Gig? and Success for Hire.

I recently had the opportunity to review Success for Hire, which is targeted to employers to help them find and keep outstanding employees. In the book, Alexandra adroitly guides employers through a series of steps to help them target, attract and retain the very best candidates for their organizations.

It will be no surprise to job seekers that some employers do not plan their recruiting efforts as strategically as they might. Sometimes, the hire just doesn’t work out or employers inadvertently misrepresent the job to prospective candidates. If they all read and followed Alexandra’s advice, employers could save a lot of time, effort and money, and employees might be spared being put through a process that is less than stellar.

In her book, Alexandra outlines nine strategies for employers. Most interesting for job seekers? Number 4 – Create a Strategy for Interviewing. Job seekers may be surprised to learn that “most evidence has demonstrated that interviews have low reliability and validity, yet everyone continues to rely on them as the principal way of determining the future of their organization” (p. 49). Alexandra encourages interviewers to prepare questions that target specific criteria for the job. (This is great advice for job seekers as well, as they must be able to target their skills and accomplishments to the job’s requirements.)

She suggests guidelines from Martin Yate (2006), author of Hiring the Best. His guidelines for questions (and suggested examples) include:

  • Adaptability and suitability: What was the most difficult project you tackled in a previous job?
  • Motivation: What have you done that you are proud of?
  • Teamwork and manageability: Describe the best manager you ever had?
  • Management: How do you quantify your results as a manager?
  • Entry-level questions: How did you spend your vacations while at school?

The “interviewing” chapter expands on the different types of questions (closed-ended, open-ended, negative balance, reflexive, “hamburger helper” questions and mirror statements and silence). I was interested in reading up on the most recent research in this arena. Clearly, anyone hiring or trying to be hired can benefit from the research Alexandra included in her book about the interview process.

While I normally read (and write) information targeted only to the job seeker, reading Success for Hire was an informative and enjoyable change of pace. It is a good reminder to the well-researched job seeker that looking at books and information targeted at EMPLOYERS is a good idea. I highly recommend Success for Hire to people on both sides of the hiring desk!

Get help for your job search before desperation sets in

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Looking for a job can be a lonely process, even when it is clear that no unemployed job seeker is alone. All you need to do is read or listen to the news to know that you are in good company if you’ve been laid off of your job. However, knowing that you’re not alone isn’t usually enough to help keep job hunters motivated and on track. In anything, the negative news may just send more people to bury their heads under their pillows to escape the incessent bad news

My colleague Alexandra Levit recently wrote about how job seekers are turning to “accountability groups,” teams of job seekers whose goal is to help each other stay motivated and on track.

She shared information from a New York Times article that reported on one such group in suburban Chicago. The article notes what we all recognize: being out of work and job hunting can be difficult and demoralizing. It may be a very lonely process, especially for those unaccustomed to job hunting and for job seekers who don’t know how to conduct a successful search.

The benefit of an accountability group is that job seekers encourage and support each other, network and keep each other motivated and on task in what might otherwise become a very unstructured time.

Alexandra notes,

According to the Times, membership in various networking organizations across the country for unemployed executives and other professionals has ballooned in recent months as the recession has continued its march, sparing not even the highly educated and skilled. Providing a spur as well as solace, the groups offer transition assistance for people who previously led comfortable lives in the middle and upper-middle class.

One thing that struck me about the group described in the New York Times article was that it was organized and run by the job seekers themselves. “Seven of nine members have been out of steady work for six months or longer; the other two are approaching the six-month mark.” The organizer of the group lost his job 16 months ago, struggled to get interviews and wondered if he was “spending too much time applying for jobs online.” The article quotes him as saying, “I’m not doing something right yet.”

Honestly, reading about this group breaks my heart! Clearly, these job seekers could benefit from some professional job hunting advice. What if they knew how much time to spend sending out online applications and had expert feedback about their resumes and other job search correspondence? I am sure they could benefit from up-to-date information about using online tools and social networks. I wonder how different their stories might be if they had engaged the services of a coach before things began to look so glum?

I am happy to announce that I will be facilitating “virtual” accountability groups to help job seekers succeed in this difficult and competitive market. Help is just a phone call away! Participants will benefit from targeted professional coaching, an understanding team of other job seekers for networking and support and a structured program to help keep their job hunt on track.

Please CONTACT ME if you are interested in learning more about these groups.

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How important is a college degree for your job prospects?

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Last month, 20/20 ran several career oriented items. Interestingly, one segment, which questioned the value of a college degree, was perfectly timed for me. I’ve been hearing from more and more clients and potential clients who have worked their way up to positions that now require a college degree as a basic qualification. Unfortunately, these professionals are now finding themselves laid off and in the unenviable position of being “unqualified” to apply for the jobs they have been doing for years!

How frustrating to have this extra barrier to winning a new job! Is it impossible to overcome? I don’t think so. With strong networking and the right connections to less traditional organizations, I think these job seekers can still succeed.

So, when job seekers wonder about the value of their undergraduate degrees, I always come out on the side of earning the degree, even though college doesn’t typically prepare you to actually find a job! The skills you do learn in formal education should serve you well as a job seeker, and those letters after your name will not hurt.

Of course, there are iconic figures who never earned a college degree (such as Steve Jobs), but historically, workers with college degrees have been shielded much more from the ups and downs in the market.

The national unemployment rate in January 2009 was 7.6 percent. Recently, for those with college degrees, unemployment was 3.7 percent — a reduction of nearly 50 percent. Lawrence Mishel of the Economic Policy Institute in Washington predicts that the unemployment rate for college graduates will reach a record 4 or 5 percent in 2009. His comment to the AP: College-educated workers “are going to experience the kind of pain that has been common for people with less education.”

The New York Times suggests that the typical gap in unemployment favoring college graduates is narrowing a bit. Certainly, having a college degree, including those from online colleges and universities, is no guarantee against unemployment.

What all of this points to is that today’s economy doesn’t offer anyone a free pass to employment. No matter how highly “qualified” you are, knowing how to market your qualifications is much more crucial. Your ability to connect your skills and accomplishments to an organization’s needs will be just as important as actually having the basic qualifications.

It’s up to you to convey what you have to offer that is above and beyond your competition. When you do that well, you’ll be on your way to landing the job of your dreams!

Need a little help marketing yourself in today’s tough market? I can help! Contact me to discuss how I can help you succeed!

 

photo by adobemac

People to follow on Twitter to accelerate your job hunt

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Since I first started writing about Twitter for your job search, it has continued to grow into an even better resource for job seekers. I am planning some posts to updates my readers in the near future, but in the meantime, I’d like to offer some compilations that my colleagues have put together.

Alison Doyle, the author of about.com’s job search blog, maintains a list of top job sites and career experts to follow on Twitter. Be sure to take a look at her list to find job search sites and many terrific career professionals to follow.

Willy Franzen from One Day, One Job compiled another list of the top 25 “must follow” Twitter users for your job search.

I’m so pleased to be named on both of these lists! I’m happy to share pertinent career advice and forward information from my colleagues (via “retweets”) on Twitter! I’d be delighted if you “follow” me on Twitter HERE.

What I liked most about Willy’s list is his suggestions about how to fill out your “top 50” people to follow on Twitter. He says,

“…The true power of Twitter comes through connecting with people who share your interests and passions. Instead of focusing on specific people, this second half of the list will focus on the types of people that you should look to connect with on Twitter. Finding them may not be easy at first, but once you find one, you’ll be able to look at whom they’re following to fill out the rest of your list.

26-30. Thought leaders in your industry – You need to be up on the latest news. Find the big names in the industry that you want to be in and hang on their every word.

31-35. Local leaders in your industry.

36-40. People who share a common passion – Although you may not be pursing a career that is aligned with their interests, you never know when meeting someone with common interests might help your job search.

41-45. Amusing people – You need to stay entertained. A job search can be depressing, so make sure that you follow some people who can make you laugh.

46-50. Real life friends – It’s easy to get caught up in social media and social networking, but make sure that you’re using tools like Twitter to connect with people that you actually know. It’ll help you keep things in perspective.

I think this is great advice! Let me know if you have any additional recommendations of people to follow for useful career and job hunting information! Stay tuned for more up-to-date tips about optimizing Twitter for your search.

Still can’t figure out how to use all of this to help propel your search? I am happy to help get you started. Contact me to learn how a little coaching can go a long way!

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Network with strangers

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My social Network on Flickr, Facebook, Twitter...
Image by luc legay via Flickr

I coach my clients to cultivate loose networking ties. (Effectively, connect with people outside of your immediate circle.) Many wonder how useful it is to reach out, especially  online, to people they only expect to “know” via the Internet.

My colleague, JT O’Donnell, recently wrote a great piece for Mashable asking, “Would you refer a stranger to a job?” Her response to her own question:

“I guess that all depends on what your definition of ‘stranger’ is these days…Last week, I sent an email to an HR Director introducing a candidate. Seems normal, right? Well, the catch is that I’ve never met the person I referred, or the HR Director – in person, that is. I met them on LinkedIn.”

JT explains her thought process in referring a virtual stranger for an opportunity:

1. In my mind, she’s not a stranger. While it is true that 93% of effective communication between two people is done face-to-face (i.e. voice tone and pace, eye contact, body language, facial expressions, etc.), the reality is that she only got to use 7% of her communication skills (the words and style of her writing) by e-mail to connect with me. I had multiple dialogs with her online – and all of them were consistently professional and enjoyable.

2. Networking online is easy an efficient. These days, it is estimated that over 80% of jobs are gotten by referral. FACT: The ‘Six Degrees of Separation Theory’ truly applies when it comes to job search. Just look at the evidence: it took me all of three minutes to learn that I was only two contacts away from the HR Director she wanted to meet, and just another five minutes of my time to send the e-mail recommending her.

3. Being helpful is good for your business-of-one. Leveraging our contacts online to help someone find a job in this economy is thoughtful and much needed. Not to mention, it boosts your own credibility as a professional. Besides, you just never know when you might need the favor returned. The reality is that anyone you refer still has to get the job, the assignment, or the sale on their own. So, it’s not a big investment on your part. I actually think the returns are greater for the person who does the referring.

I think that JT’s story is a wonderful reminder to job seekers – do NOT underestimate the value of “loose” connections and the opportunity to build relationships using technology and social media.

The majority of the 80% of jobs found via networking are not likely to be a result of “close” connections – What I like to call the “brother-in-law phenomenon,” where you have to hope your family member can connect you to an opportunity. Things are much more in the job seeker’s hands than that!

This contact JT  described in this story did everything right by building a relationship first. She did not cut to the chase to ask for a “favor.” JT was willing to refer the job seeker because she had a good feeling about her skills – and a sense that she would behave in a similarly professional way when connecting with another contact.

Job seekers who learn how to form relationships with people instead of looking at “networking” as a chore will be the success stories we career coaches point out for everyone else!

Use LinkedIn, Twitter and FaceBook to propel your search! I would be happy to help teach you how to leverage your job search network for success. Contact me!

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