Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Things are not always what they seem. Job search lessons

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How about a deviation from the norm for a Friday? My brother shared this fun video with me…Since I have this habit of viewing everything through the lens of a career coach, job search advice writer/blogger, of course, I think there are some messages…(What we used to call “salient points” when I was at Columbia.)

1. Things aren’t always what they seem at first. (Watch the video, you’ll see!) The career message? Keep in mind when you apply for a job that you may need to think more broadly about the opportunity. The lesson may be that a job is better than you think…or that it is worse!

2. If you go to the site and read the comments, there’s another career lesson. People reacted very differently to this video. Many thought it was cute, some focused on the fact that the commercial ruins it (this version is without the ad), others point out details you may not have noticed. (For example, there are two kids who hide under the table at the beginning…Then, the table goes up with the back wall! Did you notice the flying people at the end? The eccentric “grandma” figure in the chair on the side?) Some seemed disgusted by the fact that it is “fake;” others said, “fake, but cute.”

Career tip: everyone reacts differently. Your resume? Show it to 10 people, you can get 15 opinions. Create a video resume? Some will like it, others may hate it.

What should you do in response? Do what you can to demonstrate the best you have to offer. Solicit opinions from people you trust, but recognize that some people have more informed opinions about what may work best in the market today. In the end, it is up to you to share your pitch, a story that is about you that you are proud to share. Maybe you are willing to take a risk — to be edgy — or even cutting edge. Maybe not. It’s your story, your choice.

Watch the video. Let me know what you think…and if you agree that there are some job hunting lessons embedded!

picture from Thomas Hawk

Target your pitch

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I receive many pitches from businesses and companies. Most of the time, people want me to advertise or market their product or service. My response depends on their pitch. My inclination is to delete and move on, but if something catches my eye, if the note includes a specific reference to something I have done or said and if it appears the person is making a true attempt to connect with me, I always read it.

Today, I received this pitch:

My name is _____ with XXX.com, I was doing some research and came across your postings. I would love to have the opportunity to speak with you about helping you fill those positions you have with low cost postings as well as face to face recruiting events.

That’s about as far as I got. If this person actually “came across” my postings (and actually read them!), she would know that I don’t have any positions to fill! She is selling something, but I am not a buyer; I’m the wrong target.

Job hunting is no different than selling, but you are selling your ability to get the job done. You are marketing your skills and experiences. Are you thinking about making sure you are sending your pitch to the right person?

Yesterday, during a Voice of Careers webinar, one of the panelists, Heather McGough, a staffing consultant/recruiter at Microsoft, explained that authentic flattery may be a good way to help a job seeker connect with a decision maker. For example, a job seeker may make a point to comment on something the recruiter or hiring manager has written or said. Social media tools make it easy to find a commonality (even a hobby) and to be authentic, intentional and thoughtful when reaching out.

However, she further described a situation when even that type of connection would not compel her to go the extra mile for an applicant. The difference? The correct target. Heather related a time when a job seeker wrote her to apply for an internship opportunity. As Heather explained, it is very clear on all of her own profiles that she was not the correct contact person for this student. The job seeker did not do the correct research, which is readily available, and did not ask the right questions — such as, “Can you please pass along my information to the internship recruiting team?”

I always remind clients that the vast amount of information that is readily available is both a blessing and a curse. Heather knew that the person writing to her could have easily done a little extra research and asked the right questions when contacting her. Not taking that step made the applicant seem lazy, which did not inspire Heather, a recruiter with a tendency to go the extra mile for applicants, to want to take the time to redirect her.

Identify the right targets for your pitch. Do your research; make a connection. It will pay off in the long run to make sure you are not barking up the wrong tree.

photo by Grant MacDonald

Over 50 in the job hunt

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I recently received a note from a prospective client. An executive in his late 50’s, he took early retirement from his company and was looking for his *next* thing to do. He explained he had applied for hundreds of executive positions and almost as many minimum wage positions with his resume, but that he had not been called in for one interview. His frustration, “I can’t help that I am over 50.”

What a frustrating situation. I can imagine how difficult it must be for a job seeker who has not been in the market for some time – applying for jobs – even minimum wage jobs – and no one being interested.

If this sounds like you…Stop and think about this: Is it really your age or experience level that is preventing you from landing interviews, or is it your approach to the job market?

Start with the minimum-wage jobs:

Put yourself in the shoes of people at McDonald’s who receive your resume detailing your executive-level experience. If you were doing the hiring, would you hire you? What experience on your resume suggests that you would be good at running the cash register? Or that you have experience serving food to impatient customers? They can’t understand why you would apply for the job, and they aren’t going to stop and try to figure it out. Yes, maybe you are thinking of a franchise ownership, and want to learn the ropes, but have you said so? Regardless of your goals, have you tweaked your resume to suggest you have the skills they need to serve their customers?

McDonald’s just needs to put someone in the job who can manage the responsibilities. If you can do it, the onus is on you to explain how; you need to send a customized resume for the job, not the same resume your outplacement firm created to help you apply for executive positions.

As for the executive jobs:

If you are not landing interviews, there is a problem, either with your resume or with the way you are conducting your search. If you are applying to hundreds of jobs, are you really focusing on each position and company and tweaking your materials appropriately? I’m guessing not. Companies are interested in someone who has exactly the experience they need. They want what they want, and they are unlikely to spend a lot of time trying to analyze your materials to identify where the overlap between your skills and their needs might be. That is your job.

Target your resume. Identify organizations of interest and make inroads by networking. Use social media channels to expand the number of people who know and take an interest in you. (The side benefit of this for over 50 workers is that they look in touch and prevent themselves from being labeled out-of-date.) Use what you learn to improve your materials and help hook your targeted organizations.

Sorry to yell, but: DO NOT SEND THE EXACT SAME RESUME TO HUNDREDS OF JOBS. No matter what the jobs may be. You need a resume that you know how to tweak slightly and adapt for different positions. You also need a cover letter that makes it clear why you are qualified for the job. In a few special circumstances, I have written cover letters for clients who really didn’t have the exact skills and qualifications for the targeted job, but the letter earned them calls and generated interest. While I am not a fan of applying to jobs without having the qualifications, these successes show that a persuasive, targeted pitch can make the difference.

Take the time to focus your search. Don’t look for a scapegoat (your age, too much experience, the economy, etc.) Instead, use your skills, market your experiences and accomplishments to the right organizations and people and give your search a fresh, new start.

Of course, my job is to help people navigate the job search maze. Maybe I can help. Contact me for a quote. It might be the best investment you could make.

Footnote: If you are looking for meaningful work in the non-profit sector for your next (or encore) career, be sure to visit the Encore Careers site, which shares great resources to help people who want to use their skills to combine “purpose, passion and a paycheck.”

photo by CJ Roberts

Job search success – look up from your phone and pay attention

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During a recent trip to New York City, I was excited to have a chance to get together with a colleague/new friend. We confirmed our meeting time and place. I got there early, stepped into the restroom to freshen up and then took a seat near the door, figuring my friend would be sure to see me when she came in.

As has been my norm since I started using my Google phone, I took it out and busied myself — checking email, Twitter, Facebook – whatever caught my attention. I certainly wasn’t going to just sit and watch for my friend if I could be productive! I occasionally kept my eye on the door and the clock, and noticed that my friend was a little late, but it didn’t phase me. She and I had each been at different parties, so I figured she got held up.

Ten minutes after we were scheduled to meet, my phone rang. It was my friend, “Um…Miriam? Aren’t we meeting tonight?”  Once we both looked up, we laughed — she was sitting several feet away, around a corner. She must have come in while I was freshening up, so we missed each other. Since both of us were early and busy on our phones — being productive — neither of us thought to really look around or keep a keen eye out for the other.

Do you remember a time when meeting someone involved actually watching for them, instead of keeping busy with your head buried in your phone? I do! Time seemed to move more slowly then — waiting actually involved waiting, not working or answering emails every second.

I think this is a great reminder for job seekers. Do you have your head down, buried in your search? Are you waiting for someone (or something), that is sitting right around the corner, but you’ll never notice, because you are too busy LOOKING for the job? Technology provides a lot of opportunities for job seekers, and I am the first one to extol the virtues of using social networking for job hunting. I think there are opportunities there, just waiting for people to discover them. But, if you are too self-involved, keeping busy doing what you think you should be doing, you are not likely to benefit. Like me and my friend in that restaurant, you may just miss exactly what (or who) you want to meet.

Keep your eyes open. Take your face out of your smart phone. Look around. You never know what you may find!

What have you found when you stopped to look around? Tell me your stories in the comments section!

Social media for job seekers – what you need to know now

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I was honored to be invited to serve on a panel for the Voice of Careers webinar series. Mark Stelzner moderated the webinar: Social Media for Job Seekers: A Career Coaches Panel, where I joined fellow coaches, Dawn Bugni and Shahrzad Arasteh to provide advice for job seekers about how to leverage social media for job seeking.

Luckily, Laurie Ruettimann, co-founder (with Mark Stelzner and Yasha Morehouse Stelzner) of New Media Services, live tweeted our talk. The tweets are below…I hope there is a tidbit or new piece of information you have not considered. (Note – to read everything in order, start at the bottom and work your way up! These are in reverse chronological order.)

The next free Voice of Careers webinar  is Networking With A Purpose Via Social Media on September 15th!