Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Nostalgia Leads to Networking

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If you’re a regular reader, you’ve noticed a pattern to this week’s posts. I’m feeling kind of nostalgic…remembering my college days, which makes me think back to high school.

My family moved away from my home town in the suburbs of Chicago when I went to college. Moving so far away, it was hard to keep in touch with any but my very closest friends from that time. (I know this probably seems a foreign concept to students today, but this was before social networking and Web 2.0. Think actually PAYING for long distance calls – made while tethered to a phone with a cord – and needing to mail letters!)

This nostalgia led to a little flurry of activity in my FaceBook account, which leads to me today’s post. Randomly (it seems), I’ve all of the sudden been compelled to spend time “friending” neighbors from my home town, classmates and even more distant aquaintances from high school. (Being more of a linkedin kind of gal, I admit to not spending a lot of time pursuing FaceBook connections in the past.)

We exchange a note, maybe post something on our “walls,” view photos…There’s no long-term investment of time or energy to touch base, and it is comforting to know that maybe I won’t lose track of these old friends again.

I like that this group of people who share a bond with me, albeit distant, is out there. I know that I’d be happy to help or support any of them if I could, and I think they would do the same for me.

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Luckily, I am not in this flurry of networking activity because I “need” something from any of these contacts. (It’s really more of a nostalgia thing.)…Which leads me to connect this post to a relevant career topic!

With prices going up and salaries going down (and some jobs becoming fewer and further between)….

NOW is the time to enhance, re-build or create your network.

Networking is about relationships…Most of us have relationships that we’ve let fall by the wayside. Maybe a little revival isn’t a bad idea.

Using social networks – which may or may not lead to offline meetings – there’s no specific time committment, no small talk (really), no “what do I wear to go to that event.” Reaching out is as easy as a click of the mouse, some exchanged emails and touching base once in a while. FaceBook gives you everyone in your networks’ birthdate – consider sending a note to remember their special day.

Baby steps to online networking are okay – find some “friends,” see if there may be some potential revived relationships and nurture them.

Stay tuned for more on FaceBook for job hunting…

Looking for a job? Keppie Careers will help you every step of the way? Need a great resume? Take a look at our resume transformations!

Job Hunt Tips for New Grads and the Rest of Us!

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May brings the pomp and circumstance of graduations. The other day, my college roommate sent me an email with a number as the subject. The number was how many years ago to the day we graduated from Michigan. (Not mentioning the number here, suffice to say it was in the double digits.)

I remember how exciting it was to graduate, but both of us only had “fall back” plans set up at that point, and the future seemed a little uncertain. To make a long story short, we both wound up working in New York City (me on Wall Street and my friend for a non-profit organization).

Our lives took a course that we never (in a million years) would have imagined. Following a path to plans we hadn’t actually charted changed both of our lives.

Neither of us would be where we are today without having followed a road that we didn’t pave ourselves. Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing.

I think this story applies to all job seekers, not just new graduates. Keep an open mind to possibilities you may not have considered. If your hunt is getting stale, consider a new directional focus. Look for positions in a new, but related field. Open your eyes to opportunities that may not be what you expect, but may be exactly what you need.

Keppie Careers will leverage over 10 years of experience helping job seekers for you! Contact us: [email protected] or www.keppiecareers.com.

Body Language for Your Job Search

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I once wrote a term paper about the importance of body language. The quote I remember from it,

“Don’t underestimate the power of body language,”

from The Little Mermaid, is no less true today!

(Yes, I really quoted a Disney movie in my paper. It worked.)

Did you know that people who are positive and confident outperform their peers in their job searches? Research shows that persistence and a postive attitude pay off in the job hunt. You can always pick out a pessimist by his or her body language – slumped shoulders, eyes down, expressionless (or frowning). No one wants to hire someone who seems sad or pessimistic. Straighten up, smile and make eye contact. Your body language speaks louder than your words.

In fact, research also shows that body language makes up more than half of how our communication is perceived. That means that you may be describing your greatest business accomplishment, but if your posture isn’t good and you don’t make effective eye contact, you might as well tell the interviewer about the time you lost your portfolio on the way to a presentation.

Another telling body language tool is the handshake.

How many times do we have to tell you – strong and firm gets the job done! BusinessWeek recently wrote about several different types of handshakes to use and some to avoid. Eye contact along with a firm handshake can make a world of difference to how you are being perceived.

Remember – the little things matter.

In fact, the “little things” may actually be the BIG things! Focus on every aspect of your presentation to ensure that you put your best foot forward with your job search.

Keppie Careers will help you with every aspect of your job hunt. We will write your resume and teach you how to find a job. www.keppiecareers.com.

Stressed Out? Go Zen for Relief!

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Are you “stressed out?”

So many of us are so busy with our work and personal lives, stopping to think how to keep everything in balance doesn’t make the list of “things to do.”  Marci Alboher’s  Shifting Careers column in the New York Times recently recounted a session with Jennifer Edwards, whom she describes as “a ‘stress reduction educator’ with a background in dance, meditation and yoga.” ÂÂ

Ms. Edwards encouraged the group to focus not on the actual stress point itself (the complaining co-worker, the high price of gas), but instead on “the stories we tell ourselves about these things and the way we respond to them that causes the stress.”ÂÂ

Some of you may be familiar with the Buddhist state of nonattachment.  This involves avoiding judgements and expectations in your daily interactions.  We can’t control the stressors, but we can control our REACTION to the stress.  Yes, it is possible not to get your blood pressure up every time someone cuts you off on the highway or a co-worker shirks a responsibility.  (Maybe it takes some practice, though!)

Alboher mentions the physical techniques she learned in her workshop, such as “pausing during long stretches at our computers and applying some pressure to a point near the elbow (that)…helps reduce strain caused by repetitive movements like typing on a keyboard.”

After a long day myself, a new pressure point seems just the trick!  Does it work for you?

A long job hunt causing you stress?  Keppie Careers can help.  Let us encourage, enlighten and empower you for success by writing your resume, teaching you how to find a job and supporting you every step of the way.

Clean Up Your Digital Dirt

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The blog, Satisfying Career – Happier Life offers some resources for those who have unsavory information in their digital footprint. According to the blog, a report in careerbuilder.com, says that hiring managers checked out job candidates online and discovered these discrepancies:

  • 31% lied about qualifications
  • 24% were linked to criminal behavior
  • 19% bad-mouthed their former company
  • 19% boasted about drinking and doing drugs
  • 15% shared confidential information from former employers
  • 11% posted provocative photographs
  • 8% used an unprofessional screen name

I’ve written before about the dangers of mixing too much personal information in your online profile that potential employers will find if they “Google” you. I’ve also suggested that you check your online profile frequently and set a “Google Alert” so you can keep up with what is posted online that is tied to your name.

Satisfying Career, Happier Life suggests these services to help control your digital dirt:

These resources may be useful, but you don’t want to be in the position of worrying about whether or not unsavory pictures or trash talking could have cost you an interview or a job. Be careful what you put online and you’ll never have to find out how well or quickly these services work!

Need a new job? Keppie Careers will write your resume and help you every step of the way.