Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

More Rules for Job Hunting in a Recession

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Did you watch ABC’s Nightline last night? There was a story about Dale Kloefkorn, an out-of-work, 40-something data analyst with long hair.  The network hooked him up with a coach to see if he could give his job search a jump start.  The coach, Peggy Klaus, who wrote The Hard Truth About Soft Skills, (read more on soft skills here) suggested that there are several points to consider to make yourself more marketable, especially in a recession or when you are out of work.

1. Don’t be overly modest.
It’s all about self-promotion!  If you can’t articulate what you have to offer, how are you going to find an opportunity?  You need to know yourself to sell your skills.

2. No job is completely secure.
Don’t assume that your job is safe – you never know the way the pink slips will fall.  If it looks like your department is in danger, step it up and see if you can avoid being a casualty.

3.  Don’t be a “paycheck player.”
If you see yourself as a cog in the wheel, it is easier to pluck you off the payroll.

4. No job is perfect.
Don’t be too picky when job searching.  Consider new possibilities, different fields and realize that there may not be one job that has the perfect combination of attributes. Limiting yourself will not yield the same offers as being open minded.

Finally, it is important to note that Dale did cut his hair to freshen-up his image.  The fifth rule could certainly be “Appearance Matters.”

ABC reports that, after the meeting with the coach and re-working his resume and posting it online, the candidate heard from 11 recruiters and had one promising interview. 

So, a mini-makeover, attitude adjustment and a revised resume did the trick for Dale.  Could it do the trick for you?  Keppie Careers is here to help!  Visit www.keppiecareers.com for information about our services.

Alternate Life Interviewing?

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The New York Times‘s Matt Villano recently reported that some companies are offering job interviews and career fairs in Multi-User Virtual Environments, or MUVEs, such as Second Life:

Much of the recruitment is done through job fairs. TMP Worldwide Advertising & Communications, an advertising firm in New York, held two virtual job fairs last year, events that included employers like Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, Verizon Communicationsand Sodexho, a food and facilities management services company. Bain & Company, the global management consultants in Boston, has sponsored virtual job fairs in Second Life, as well.

Obviously, it makes sense that Linden Lab, the owner and operator of Second Life, would offer interviews in their alternate world.  Certainly any employer that seeks tech-savvy (most likely younger) employees could benefit by this type of recruiting.

It is an interesting trend.  Call me old fashioned, but I would tend to think that someone who has created an elaborate alternate world for themselves may have too much time on their hands. 

I better run now.  I want to update my avatar in Second Life 🙂

 Keppie Careers – Keeping on top of career trends for you!  www.keppiecareers.com

Get Paid To Interview?

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And you thought that e-mail inviting you to be paid to interview for jobs was spam, didn’t you? 

In what could be the ultimate acknowledgement that it is easier to find a job when you have a job, a startup called notchup.com arranges for “passive” job seekers (employed workers who are not seeking opportunities) to be paid for interviews.  Job seekers (who aren’t really passive if they sign up, are they?) register, set a price for an interview (the site calculates a suggested fee) and wait for an invitation.  Payment relies upon the employer agreeing that the interviewee was active and engaged in the process.

If you are happy at your current job, good at what you do and NOT looking for a new job, you are notchup.com’s target audience.

How can companies afford to pay for interviews?  Founders Jim Ambras and Rob Ellis explain on their site that a candidate who would earn $100,000 annually could cost $20,000 to hire using a recruiter.  If that same organization selected a hire from a pool of 10 people paid $500 each to interview, the company can save $15,000.

The AP reports that founder Ambras, former vice president of engineering at the search engine AltaVista said,

”In every job I’ve had, I’ve had to, under time pressure, build a team of engineers. I learned years ago that the best people you want to hire are the people who aren’t in the job market.”

The over 10,000 registrants and potential notchup.com candidates may be interested in reading about potential privacy issues they may encounter using the site.  Others may prefer to dive in with wild abandon!

Keppie Careers helps active and passive job seekers!  Your resume should always be up-to-date and ready to use at a moment’s notice.  We also offer mock intervews.  Prepare for the job  hunt:  www.keppiecareers.com

Interviewing Positively

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Would you want to hire someone who trashed her former employer?  As the next and future employer, you might be concerned about your own reputation should bad blood come between you and the new hire.

No matter how much you hated your old boss or loathe your current supervisor, it is a BAD idea to let anyone interviewing you know about it.

Instead, try to put the situation in the best possible light if pressed and avoid discussing it if possible.  Negativity can only hurt you, so why go there?

What NOT to Wear to the Interview (or Job)

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In an article from the Wall Street Journal Online, Tassels, Pantsuits and Other Interview Fashion Faux-Pas, writer Christina Brinkley uncovers what might be some surprising news about dressing for interviews.

We have all heard that we should dress conservatively for an interview.  Scuffed shoes, dangling jewelry, too-tight attire – all to be avoided.  Some may be surprised to learn from the article that at least one relatively young (35) manager won’t hire a woman who wears a pantsuit to the interview.  Others in the article suggest that light colored suits on women are less intimidating than dark suits and therefore a better choice.  (This issue is a topic for another blog!)

Some interviewers evaluate candidates based on how their haircut is tapered, how the inside of their car is organized or the color of their socks. 

This information demonstrates an all encompassing point about the job search.  Especially  in a tight job market, everything is a matter of scrutiny.  Before you even get to the interview, employers have potentially vetted you online by checking social networks and Googling your name.  Your resume may have been scanned for key words and scoured for skills and accomplishments.  You need to know who you are, but also how other people perceive you.

It’s not an easy job, but Keppie Careers is here to help.  We hope you’ll review our services at www.keppiecareers.com.  When you work with us, you gain clarity about the job search process and expert advice every step of the way.

keppiecareers.com – We advise, encourage, enlighten!