Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Protect what is yours

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I was reading through some Facebook status updates and  came upon an interesting one from an old high school classmate. It said, “Bill (not his real name) is Married.” Now, I don’t keep up with Bill, and I really had no idea of his marital status prior to his post. “Nice,” I thought…”Bill got married.” Curious, I read the comments. (Does that make me a voyeur? Or, is that the POINT of Facebook?)

Anyway, the few comments made it clear that Bill and his wife (who apparently have some kids) were going to make a go of their marriage, which had apparently been on the rocks. (I guess that would be “complicated” in FaceBook lingo.)

None of this would be all that interesting or topical for me, except Bill’s comment at the end of the messages congratulating him  for sticking it out. He said, “Ya, we’re going to give it a go. Don’t tell anyone as I haven’t told my family yet. I didn’t realize Facebook was going to post it.”

Hmmm…Maybe not the best idea to announce your “status” on a social network if you want your friends and family to know first. Why didn’t Bill realize that Facebook was going to announce his status to the world? Or, at the very least, that it was not going to be “their little secret?”

I was thinking about this in light of the buzz about Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg’s recent comments about privacy. In an apparent about-face on the subject, he indicated that today’s consumer is not as interested in privacy as in the past. PC World quoted him:

“People have really gotten comfortable not only sharing more information and different kinds, but more openly and with more people. That social norm is just something that’s evolved over time,” Zuckerberg said. “We view it as our role in the system to constantly be innovating and be updating what our system is to reflect what the current social norms are.” Zuckerberg then pointed to Facebook’s recent privacy policy change that made user’s key information open by default as an example of the social network’s willingness to reflect “current social norms.”

For those unfamiliar with the recent changes, Facebook recently changed settings to allow your name, profile picture, gender, current city, networks, friends list, and all the pages you subscribe to to be publicly available information on Facebook. What does this mean to you? Everyone on the web can see it; it is searchable. (Yes, that means Google can come looking for you.)

Making the default “public” is kind of  like when you sign up for anything and the default is to subscribe to their newsletter and learn more information – not taking action is so much easier, many businesses get subscribers who had not intended to hear from them ever again. By the same token, if you’re not paying a lot of attention and being vigilant, you may be sharing more than you intend to online.

And, if you are my old high school friend, you are sharing because it feels natural, only later realizing the ramifications. Think about it…If you are who Google thinks you are, you need to step up and make sure you actively manage what it sees and knows.

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Don’t forget that clear, concise, optimized job search materials AND a strong, well executed plan are key for job search success! I can help with every part of your job hunt! Need a great resume? Tips to use social networking? Interview coaching?  If you need help mobilizing your networks and your job search plans, learn more about how I can help you! While you’re at it, don’t forget those social networks! Be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the community! Since we’re on the subject of doing something new…Are you on Twitter? Jump on and touch base with me @keppie_careers.

photo by Bill Gracey

Age discrimination in the job hunt

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I’ve been thinking a lot about age discrimination facing job hunters. I plan to do a series of posts on the topic and have been collecting links and resources. There is certainly no shortage of information. (If you are an expert on the subject, or a job seeker with a personal experience or story to share, be sure to contact me!)

When I started to think about this topic, I remembered a blog that Marci Alboher wrote that described a job hunter, Lisa Johnson Mandell. Lisa was profiled on the Today Show because she had transformed her image as a 49-year old “over-the-hill” job seeker (in her industry – entertainment) by taking advantage of online resources and re-making her image to seem more “hip.” I was intrigued by the story at the time and wrote a blog responding to the topic.

(In a funny coincidence, Marci Alboher, author of the book, One Person/Multiple Careers: A New Model for Work/Life Success, is now a senior fellow for Civic Ventures, an organization dedicated to helping people reinvent themselves with “encore careers.” I’ve recommended their GUIDE for boomers (and anyone) who hopes to reinvent their careers in favor of doing something in the nonprofit world and/or the public sector.)

In doing some digging, I found out that Lisa actually has a book out now on the subject of remaking yourself for the job hunt – Career Comeback. In it, she talks about everything from appearance to attitude as they relate to overcoming age discrimination in your job hunt.

I just received my copy of Lisa’s book today, so I was inspired to share the post I originally wrote in July 2008 on the topic of ageism on the job hunt. I think it is just as topical (if not more so) today! Here is a version of that post…

You thought social media was for the “kids?” Blogging, Twitter, Facebook…You don’t have time to engage online with a bunch of people – you’re busy with your job hunt! Think again!

If you haven’t looked for a job in a while and/or aren’t tuned in to managing your “digital footprint” – what comes up when someone “Googles” your name – it’s time for a quick lesson in social media. The long and the short of it is this: an online presence is key to how people will perceive you. Especially if you are in a “young” industry that discriminates against workers over 40, appearing connected to new ways of presenting yourself (your brand, as it were), may help you open doors that seemed closed.

Take the story of a 49-year old entertainment reporter (as reported in Marci Alboher’s blog) who remade her image by freshening up her appearance and wardrobe and creating a hip online presence that made her seem younger than would belie her 20 years of industry experience. She hired people to help her, which is a great idea, but Marci points out that asking fashion conscious friends and teenagers (your children or others’) for advice and information about trends and technology is another option.

The key factor is, no matter how much experience you have, it is important to keep up with what is going on in today’s job market. Video resumes, Wikis, video conferencing, podcasts…Job seekers should be aware of these technologies and willing to use them! Be resourceful and aware – you may be surprised to learn that Web 2.0 tools can be a lot of fun and helpful beyond networking and job seeking. (Be sure to let me know when you start using a Wiki to plan your next potluck!)

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Facing discrimination in your job hunt? I can write your resume to make you look younger. Need help navigating social media and online networking? Keppie Careers is here for you! Don’t forget that clear, concise, optimized job search materials AND a strong, well executed plan are key for job search success! I can help with every part of your job hunt! Need a great resume? Tips to use social networking? Interview coaching? If you need help mobilizing your networks and your job search plans, learn more about how I can help you! While you’re at it, don’t forget those social networks! Be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the community! Since we’re on the subject of doing something new…Are you on Twitter? Jump on and touch base with me @keppie_careers.

photo by Help Age

How to write your LinkedIn profile

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I’ve written about using Facebook for your job hunt this week, but clearly LinkedIn is an obvious place for professional networking and connecting. While your resume typically will be a formal document that doesn’t include the words I, me or my, LinkedIn is a place where you can tell a story.

In the “Summary” section, you can describe yourself and highlight something you have to offer that is unique. There is no need to be overly formal – write something that will draw the reader in!

My colleague Barbara Safani inspired me to write about this today with her tweets from the Career Directors International conference during Louise Kursmark’s presentation. Follow the hashtag #CDI09 on Twitter for lots of great insights from the speakers and participants in Orlando this week!

Here’s a sample of Barbara’s tweets to whet your appetite:

LI from Barbara

Feel free to share success stories, questions and thoughts about LinkedIn in the comments section!

While you’re at it, be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the community!

If you need help mobilizing your networks and your job search plans, learn more about how I can help you!


Why you should be on Facebook

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Yesterday, I shared some ideas to get you thinking about using Facebook as a professional networking outlet, inspired by THIS POST by Sarah Welstead, a Recruitment Marketing Consultant who works with Head2Head and RetiredWorker. She really nails down some great reasons to re-look at Facebook.

Today, the definitive…Why you should be using Facebook. (Also inspired by Sarah. Bold – her thoughts, commentary is my own.)

The ‘fun’ value will help you stay motivated

Let’s face it…Updating your LinkedIn profile really isn’t that much fun. How often do you get sucked into spending hours on LinkedIn, just for the heck of it? Contrast it with Facebook. Admit it- you could click around for hours, if only you had time. Or, maybe you do already. As Welstead says in her post, “If you’re already on Facebook, it’s way easy to use it for building your professional profile!”

Facebook delivers better-quality relationships

Think about this. Have you seen pictures of your LinkedIn network’s kids or dogs? How close of a bond do you really feel with them? Contrast to Facebook. Welstead makes a good point about quality over quantity: You may have a smaller network on Facebook – in fact, the BBC says that 150 is the ideal number of Facebook friends, …but because you’re able to have more meaningful interactions, with more people, on a daily basis, those contacts are likely to deliver more ROI in the long run than 1000+ LinkedIn connections.

Bonus tip from Sarah: “People are always more likely to trust someone they’ve known since Grade 8 than someone they’ve met at work, even if they haven’t talked to them since high school.  So rekindling an old relationship will always be easier than forging a new one.”

Another stat from Welstead: At least 50% of your contacts aren’t using LinkedIn!

You want to cast the widest net possible, and the numbers show that Facebook has the most people. I have a friend who is skeptical about all of these social networks. She badmouths them left and right and never hesitates to make fun of the Facebook fanatics. But, guess what? She has a profile there now. The pressure was too much for her! She finally realized that there are some nice results from being able to see pictures of people she cares about but has no interest in talking to! You can’t find her on LinkedIn, though, so don’t even try!

How many friends do YOU have like that? You don’t want to miss opportunities by “poo poo-ing” Facebook.

Facebook is a better ice-breaker

If you connect with your old pals, the nostalgia factor is likely to kick in and it’s just easier to start a conversation. Who is going to argue with that?

Facebook helps you stay top-of-mind with the people who are most invested in you and your career

Update your status, share your expertise, and you may be surprised how many people pay attention. A reminder – this is not a suggestion to run to Facebook, set up a profile and link to old friends for the purpose of asking if anyone has any job leads. Build a network, share information, connect with old friends and THEN, if there is a good opportunity, you can share your needs. Give before you expect to take. Don’t forget, most people don’t think they can help a jobseeker, so if you go “out” as one, you may find that networking does not work for you.


While you’re at it, be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the community!
So, what are your favorite social networks? Do you like Facebook? Do you have success stories? I would love to hear from you in the comments and would consider writing about some successes!
If you need help mobilizing your networks and your job search plans, learn more about how I can help you!

photo by Brian Veloso

Facebook for your job hunt?

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FBfriendwheel693439830_51fcf34cc4_mI don’t write very much about using Facebook for your job hunt. Why? Honestly, it’s not my favorite social network. I’m a bit of a Twitter fanatic, and LinkedIn is an obvious social networking tool for job seekers. I usually say that Facebook is my #3 “go-to” social network for job seekers.

That said, you may have read recently that Facebook has reached over 300 million users. We know that, if it were a country, it would be the world’s 4th largest. My friend Dan Schawbel tweeted stats that LinkedIn just hit 50 million users and Twitter has ~20 million.

So, it would be unwise to ignore how job seekers can mobilize their Facebook networks for professional networking. That’s why I was so excited to read THIS POST by Sarah Welstead, a Recruitment Marketing Consultant who works with Head2Head and RetiredWorker. She really nails down some great reasons to re-look at Facebook.

Some of her points? (In bold – commentary is mine.)

Just because it’s ‘fun’ doesn’t mean it’s not ‘productive.’

Au contraire, mon frere. (Ah, Facebook reminds me of high school – just something my old friend used to say!) How amazing is it that something that is a “guilty pleasure” for some can actually be useful! How is it useful to reconnect with old high school (or grade school!) friends? Read on…

Still a ‘sphere of influence’ – just a different sphere

You need to network? Well, Facebook is a network! I have a colleague who mentioned that she gets a lot of referrals from connections on Facebook, as her high school friends are all professionals now, many of whom need resumes and job search help.

Similarly, you can connect with friends on Facebook for professional information and advice. You never know who knows someone who knows someone.

Your school friends have grown up into successful people – who’ll make great business contacts!

Welstead notes in her piece: “Remember, people tend to move in peer groups:  That means that if you’re ambitious and successful now, the kids you hung with in high school or university, and the friends you made in your first career jobs in your early 20s, have probably gone on to be successful and ambitious, too.  In other words, they’re worth knowing for professional reasons.”

So, if you use Facebook only to take quizzes and complain about your spouse, it probably won’t be terribly useful for professional networking. But, if you include enough information to let people know about the professional you, it can be a very personal and successful way to connect.

While you’re at it, be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the community!
Stay tuned tomorrow for more great reasons to be on Facebook!
If you need help mobilizing your networks and your job search plans, learn more about how I can help you!