Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Facebook applications for your job search

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Facebook, Inc.
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I highly recommend using social networking tools to help propel your job search. My favorites are LinkedIn and Twitter, but Facebook has a lot applications to help job seekers. Just remember that the BEST use of Facebook (in my opinion) is to make networking connections that will help inform your search. I don’t advise spending too much time looking for and applying to jobs online.

There are many Facebook applications that are targeted to job seekers…

I’m happy to share this list, as posted on AskBink: 

  1. jobsterJobster Career Network – Join the Talent Networks of your favorite companies, and get personalized job alerts based on your career interests. Plus, get career advice from your friends; post your resume online, search for jobs, and more!officebook
  2. OfficeBook – What would you tell a friend about your office if he or she was interested in working there? Love your company? Hate it? Say It!indeed
  3. Indeed – Job Search – Find jobs where your friends work. Search millions of jobs from thousands of job sites and company career pages. Receive job proposals and resumes from your profile page.testimonials
  4. Testimonials – Use Testimonials to gather your personal, professional and academic references in one place from your teachers, friends, and co-workers.
  5. Professional Profile – Create a professional profile on Facebook. With one-click,professionalupload your resume in or import your LinkedIn profile and recommendations. Get recommendations from friends. See resumes in your network.
  6. Career Builder – Find a Better Job – Users who add the applications will receivefind-a-better-jobcontinuously updated job and internship listings. Based on information like major in school, hometown and network, users will receive the most relevant jobs from CareerBuilder’s database in their profile. You can apply to jobs directly or access a link to search for more job on the CareerBuilder.com Web site.job_search_agent
  7. MonsterTrack Job Search Agent – Want to get jobs delivered right to your profile? Download MonsterTRAK’s Job Search Agent application today! Your own personal Agent will pimp your profile with only the jobs you want to see.work-with-us
  8. Work With Us by Jobvite – The Work With Us application displays jobs on profile or fan pages. Anyone can browse interesting opportunities at companies where friends work, apply to the jobs and send Jobvites to their own friends and contacts.meetingwave
  9. MeetingWave – MeetingWave is a business or social networking tool that helps you connect offline with people you would like to meet – whether traveling or near home. You can set up meetings with friends only or with a mix of friends and “new” people.
  10. Inside Job – InSide Job connects you to helpful people at places you want to work next by inside_jobgiving you access to where people have interviewed, worked, or are currently employed. Find the right person you are looking for. Post jobs. Get the inside scoop.
  11. Workin It by Simply Hired – Give gold stars to your friends to thank them—think of it as workin-itprofessional props for the people in your network. A good excuse to thank your friends…and a great excuse to get to know everyone else in your network a little bit better. You will thank YOURSELF when you need that “friend of a friend” to help you find your dream job or give you an internal referral at their company, since 80% of jobs are found through friends.seek-job-search
  12. Seek Job Search – SEEK & you shall find. The SEEK Job Search application lets you personalize relevant job search results in your Facebook Profile. Get the freshest jobs delivered every time you log in. Send it to your friends so they stay informed too.konoker
  13. Konoker Jobs – KONOKER Jobs is a job advertisement and job search tool allowing individuals to advertise regular and freelance jobs for free, as well as apply for postings from within the application. KONOKER speaks English and Danish and follow the users’ settingsjobs
  14. Jobs – Search thousands of open jobs, directly from employers. Find jobs where your friends work. See what jobs your friends are interested in. Find a job by updating your profile with your work status and dream job.brave-new-talent
  15. BraveNewTalent – BraveNewTalent.com is a new social networking site that allows you to connect to employers online. It allows you to take control of your career, engage directly with employers that interest you, and be part of their online incircle-connectionscommunity.
  16. InCircle Connections – Receive exclusive job opportunities. Connect with other members. Join inCircle today to get connected and get ahead.my-linkedin-profile
  17. My LinkedIn Profile – Promote your LinkedIn account with a badge on your Facebook profile.
  18. LinkedIn Contacts – LinkedIn Contacts allows you to view and share your LinkedIn linkedin-contactsContacts.
  19. Business Cards – Business Cards will help you network better on Facebook. business-cardsPersonalize your card and attach it to your Facebook messages! View postings and network with others!
  20. Easy CV – Easy CV is an add-on to the famous on-line resume service easy-easy-cvcv.com. It adds a short view of your CV on your profile and a dedicated page. Resume is available in PDF, MS Word or video. Take benefits of your network to get jobs opportunities!
  21.  CollegeRecruiter.com – CollegeRecruiter.com features 250,000 active job posting ads 

collegerecruiter1  from all industries.

 

For help with all things job search – contact me!

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Cracking the networking CODE by Dean Lindsay

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crackingdean_3625x5_ad2b1I can’t seem to talk enough about networking. Maybe it’s because most jobs are found via networking and job seekers MUST empower themselves with good information and techniques (in addition to great job search materials) in order to successfully land a targeted position.

Most of my clients ask, “How can I network well? What steps should I take?” Dean Lindsay’s book: A Progress Agent’s Guide to Cracking the Networking Code – 4 steps to Priceless Business Relationships, offers a lot of terrific ideas for all job seekers and careerists, as well as entrepreneurs and anyone hoping to succeed in business.

I love acronyms…(what would we do without STAR and PAR stories for interviewing?) The title of Dean’s book incorporates a crucial acronym.

CODE stands for:

C: Create Personal Curb Appeal
Effective networkers feel successful and display a genuine desire to help others progress. They look and act the part of someone with whom you would want to have in your corner.

O: Open Face-to-Face Relationships
Effective networkers research the various networking options and commit to a networking strategy. They get out and about and reach out. They open relationships.

D: Deliver Solid First Impressions
Effective networkers know the first impression sets the foundation for all future impressions and make sure it is a good one.

E: Earn Trust
Effective networkers follow-up and keep in touch. They stay involved with the people they meet and earn their trust through a series of progress based impressions. They continually find ways to help. This is where most ineffective networkers drop the ball.

Dean acknowledges most peoples’ perceptions of networking as something manipulative or excessively self-serving. He goes on to explain how those are misperceptions of networking – and convinces the reader that networking is about relationship building.

His assertion that people we meet should ideally view us as offering “progress, not change” is an interesting and perceptive point! Let’s face it, when we hope to engage in a relationship with someone, most of the time we aren’t looking to make a change in our lives. Dean notes, “It is natural to resist change but we embrace progress (p. 26).” If you “genuinely want to understand and help fulfill the needs of others,” a key factor for networking success, Dean offers a step-by-step guide to help readers “Be progress.”

I love the messages in this book: “Don’t make networking more complicated than it needs to be (p. 47).” “You make a much more powerful impression, a much more memorable impression being interested in others rather than trying to be interesting to others” (p. 95).”

But Dean doesn’t just offer quotes and platitudes – he shows readers what they can do to become successful at networking. If you’ve been uncomfortable or hesitant in your in-person networking, this is a great book to give your plans a jump start. I hope you’ll enjoy reading it as much as I have!

It’s your lucky day…Dean is giving away several copies of his book to my readers. All you need to do is share a brief comment or story below about networking. Do you have a success story? Or, tell us what makes networking difficult for you. At the end of the week, I’ll randomly choose several winners. (Be sure to give a correct email address so I can notify you.) Feel free to enter at each of my blogs to increase your chances of winning:

Examiner

GreatPlaceJobs

Secrets of the Job Hunt

Need more help to get your job search running? Contact me for advice and coaching to get your career in gear!

More free career advice – March Career Madness!

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2323161584_d68e951385_mAh…March Madness. I remember a time (not SO long ago) that this was an exciting, edge-of-your-seat period that really interested me. Those were the days when my alma mater, the University of Michigan, actually WON the tournament (or, at the very least, was competitive). The year I started Michigan, they/we actually won BOTH the Rose Bowl AND the NCAA, but I digress…

In any case, my friend and colleague, Chandlee Bryan came up with a great idea to turn this month into a fun one for career advisors (and an informational one for job seekers) on Twitter! I’m delighted to be participating in “March Career Madness.”

This is how Chandlee introduces the event on her blog:

This event, which will run throughout the month of March, is a joint effort of a team of career experts who have committed to sharing their wit and wisdom with us in “tweets” of 140 characters or less on Twitter. Posts will be written on a singular theme–innovative strategies for your career.

All posts will include the following code: #mcm (referred to in the Twitterverse as a hashtag)

You can follow March Career Madness through Twitter Search (search #mcm) or by following the tweets of individual contributors (name and user “handles” listed at the bottom of this post). Share posts with others by “Retweeting.”

New to Twitter?

You haven’t gotten on Twitter yet? What are you waiting for? I am a big fan of Twitter for the job search. (I think it is right up there with LinkedIn as a way to make connections that will be useful for your search.)

I’ve written all about using Twitter for your job search. Here are some links for you:

Why use Twitter?

How to use Twitter for your job search.

People to follow on Twitter for advice about job hunting.

Can you find a job on Twitter? Yes you can!

Using Twitter to hire: the employer’s perspective

JobAngels is an amazing viral phenomenon, started on Twitter, to help connect job seekers with those who can offer resources and support. 

Participating Career Experts (& their Twitter “handle”)

Barbara Safani (barbarasafani)
Brian Kurth (briankurth)
Chandlee Bryan (Chandlee)
Dawn Bugni (dawnbugni)
Deb Dib (CEOCoach)
Kevin Donlin (kevindonlin)
Katherine Hansen (kathansen)
Kimberly Togman (ktogman)
Laura Allen (la15secondpitch)
Megan Fitzgerald (expatcoach)
Miriam Salpeter (Keppie_Careers)
Pam Slim (pamslim)
Paul Copcutt (Paulcopcutt)
Phyllis Shabad (Phyllisshabad)
Sital Ruparelia (SitalRuparelia)

You’re not sure how to use Twitter to your best advantage? I can help! Contact me to learn how you may benefit from coaching.

photo by jmacphoto

Network for success – don't be a bumper car

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872986311_e33b9503b9_mI try to practice what I preach, so I’ve been making an effort to attend in-person networking events. Every time I go to these events, I learn something! This week’s lesson: don’t network like a bumper car.

Many networkers at the event seemed to spend their one-on-one time in pursuit of their next contact. You know the type: shifty eyes, impatient body language and unfocused conversations. I found it difficult to connect with these networkers, as it seemed that they were much more interested in the next conversation than in the current one!

In watching them interact during the night, they reminded me of bumper cars, haphazardly moving around the room, without any direction or focus. Maybe, incidentally, this type of networker will bump into someone and have a valuable interaction, but it seems more likely that this style would prevent meaningful interactions. After all, who would be interested in someone who doesn’t seem very interested in them?

On the flip side, I had several excellent networking conversations that reminded me how easy it is to form a connection with a stranger. I spoke to one person, a painter, for some time. Obviously a skilled networker, he asked about my work and talked to me about his business. Throughout the conversation, he was very focused on what I was saying, his eye contact focused on me (not his next “target”), and his responses to my questions were on point.

During our conversation, I felt that I had a strong sense of his professionalism and business philosophy. When we were finished speaking, I made a mental note to give him a call when I was ready to move forward with some painting projects I’ve had in mind.

Incidentally, his background and personal network turned out to be very related to my own networking goals, as he is very connected to the HR and recruiting world. So, in addition to the opportunity to learn about him and his business, he may be able to provide some valuable contacts for my business. This is another example of the fact that you can’t judge a book by its cover!

Focus on each person you encounter when networking (and even when you are not officially “networking.” You never know what you might learn and how it will propel you toward your goals!

Need help networking? I’m here to teach you what you need to know! Contact me to discuss how we can work together.

photo by whatdavesees

Do something different to find a job: talk to people who can’t help you

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2137729430_11b29f9164_marrow1You’re looking for a job? When is the last time you tried a new strategy? A change of direction?

Your job hunt is lasting longer than you thought? You know it’s a tough market, but you’re frustrated and looking for answers? Here’s another in a series of posts sharing ideas to help you “change up” your job hunting efforts.

Be sure to read earlier posts in this series:

Read materials targeted to employers
Change your job search strategy – search for companies instead of jobs

I was recently speaking to a client about his search and offering him some tips to rev up his hunt. I said, “Talk to people you don’t think can help you.” Silence…”People who CAN’T help?,” he asked, incredulously. Absolutely! You never know where the next lead may be or where an important piece of information may be lurking.

Talk to people who CAN’T help you with your search. Expand your net of networking contacts. You never know when a connector is in your midst – someone who takes pride in knowing a lot of people and introducing them to each other.

As part of my work, I keep a close eye on career and resume trends by reading books, blogs and keeping in touch with my advisory board of professionals in an array of industries.

When I’m not writing resumes, coaching, blogging and reading, in the spirit of ”practice what you preach,” I also frequently meet people for “informational interviews.” I attend Chamber of Commerce meetings, visit close-contact networking groups and seek out an array of networking opportunities.  It is amazing to me how our need for networking (as entrepreneurs and as job seekers) has spawned a whole industry of people for whom networking is actually their business!

I’ve been to coffee with real estate professionals, a dentist, investment advisors, life coaches, travel professionals, vitamin sales people, photographers and a salesperson trainer, just to name a few.  It never ceases to amaze me how much we have to share with each other, and the possible “touch points” between our businesses or our networks.

Taking the time to meet these professionals offers me the opportunity to share information about my business, but more importantly, I have a chance to learn about programs, events and opportunities I might never have considered.  I also try to share something that will help them and offer to be a resource.

In a recession, it is even more important to expand our circles when  job seeking.

Some lessons:

Never underestimate the possibility for really interesting common ground.  Some of the meetings I’ve least felt like getting up at 6 a.m. to attend have been the most productive in terms of what I’ve learned.

Open your eyes to the opportunities!  Seek out places to meet new people.  Join an organization, a new health club or take a class. Google “networking opportunities, (your city)” and see what comes up! Then, don’t just attend, be an active participant.

Just because someone isn’t in your field doesn’t mean they don’t have useful information for you.  (Or you for them.) Our lives intersect in so many points.  Think of someone you consider least likely to be able to share good information with you for your search. Meet for coffee. You may be surprised!

I challenge you to engage – ask questions…be able to explain who you are and what you do. Don’t underestimate the value of every connection.  Everyone knows someone who knows someone who knows something. Inserting yourself as part of the chain is a great step in the right direction!

 

picture by lumaxart