Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Tips for effective networking

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Today, I am delighted to share a guest post by Alexandra Levit, courtesy of JobSTART101.org.

JobSTART101 is a first-of-its-kind course that’s free and available to college students and recent graduates nationwide. Alexandra, whose blog is Water Cooler Wisdom, is an author and speaker on business and workplace issues. She is also host of JobSTART101.

The purpose of professional networking is to gain information, increase your visibility in your field, and establish personal connections that will help you advance in your career. No matter how much you love your job, you should always be looking for ways to expand your networks because, ideally, your contacts will follow you from position to position. A strong network allows you to get advice from trusted sources, to keep your professional knowledge current, to find career opportunities, and to support the careers of others. Young professionals who are willing to ask for help will find it easier to navigate within their organization and perform their job duties. Your network can be an excellent source of information when you have a question that you do not want to ask your co-workers or supervisor.

Your network should have lots of variety; individuals from different companies, career levels, and professions can add a range of perspectives. Keeping in touch with your college friends who might be in different companies and industries is a great way to populate your network. Joining a professional association in your field and regularly attending its events is also a smart idea. Finally, investigate your company’s sponsored programs; many organizations provide opportunities for individuals to network within the company. Training events, visits from management, guest speakers, or various types of interest-based events can yield the same type of contacts as an external event.

Know that it takes time to authentically populate your network. But also know that each new contact is a step in the right direction. When I first got into educating people on twenty-something workplace issues, it was startling how helpful I found just one meeting of the Chicago chapter of the American Society for Training and Development. I walked out of the event with business cards for several potential clients and mentors. My network increased after only one event.

Before going to such an event, think about what you hope to get out of attending. Is it general knowledge? Is it a new contact in your field? Or perhaps you are looking for someone to provide input on one of your projects? Understand who the speakers will be at the event and how you might contact them or access their materials in advance of or after the event. Also, learn what other companies and individuals might be at the event. Prepare a few questions that you want to explore, and set a goal to answer them at the event. For example, if you want to do an informational interview—a thirty-minute conversation with an expert on a new development in your field—your goal may be to find someone at the event with that type of expertise. Think about how you would propose a call with that individual, or if this person is local, perhaps a face-to-face meeting might make more sense.

Many experts are willing to speak and share their knowledge, but some may not be as willing. Don’t become discouraged. It may take a few attempts at building your network to make a personal connection. Once you have received an initial response and are moving forward with an interaction—whether it’s in person or via e-mail or phone—be friendly, respectful, and conscious of the contact’s time constraints. Confirm your contact’s available time and the topic you want to cover. If you have the opportunity to sit down with a contact in person, remember to make eye contact, smile, shake hands firmly, and exchange business cards. Ask thoughtful questions and listen carefully to the answers.

If you are meeting over coffee or a meal, when the check comes, simply say to your contact, “I invited you here today, so this is my treat.” This, combined with a handwritten thank-you note, will make the best possible impression and leave the door open for future follow-up—which you should do, of course! If your contact gave you any advice or suggested a course of action, touch base every few months with an update on your progress. And since effective networking always involves give and take, think about ways you can help your contact in return.

JobSTART 101 is a free, online 90 minute course dedicated to helping college students and recent grads master skills critical to workplace success. Check it out at www.jobstart101.org.

photo by Nimages DR

Considering relocating for job?

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If you are having a hard time finding a job, have you considered relocating? It’s not always an easy or obvious choice, but in some cases, being open to a relo may be just the change you need to land an opportunity.

Consider Indeed.com’s ranking of the “number of unemployed per job posting for the 50 most populous metropolitan areas in the U.S.” While these statistics can be a bit misleading (they indicate the number of jobs per the number of people without specifically taking into account the types of job), they list the following as the best U.S. cities to find work:

  • Washington D.C.
  • San Jose, CA
  • Baltimore, MD
  • New York, NY
  • Salt Lake City, UT
  • Oklahoma City, Ut
  • Hartford, CT
  • Boston, MA
  • Seattle, WA
  • Austin, TX

Another recent listing of places to consider working is from a study reported by Kate Lorenz, CareerBuilder.com/CNN by Apartments.com and CBcampus.com, which list the top 10 cities for new grads are:

  • 1. Atlanta – Average rent:* $723: Popular entry-level categories:** sales, marketing, customer service
  • 2. Phoenix – Average rent: $669: Popular entry-level categories: sales, customer service, training
  • 3. Denver- Average rent: $779: Popular entry-level categories: sales, customer service, health care
  • 4. Dallas – Average rent: $749: Popular entry-level categories: sales, customer service, health care
  • 5. Boston – Average rent: $1275: Popular entry-level categories: sales, marketing, training
  • 6. Philadelphia – Average rent: $938: Popular entry-level categories: sales, marketing, health care
  • 7. New York – Average rent: $1,366: Popular entry-level categories: sales, customer service, marketing
  • 8. Cincinnati – Average rent: $613: Popular entry-level categories: sales, customer service, management
  • 9. Baltimore – Average rent: $1,041: Popular entry-level categories: sales, customer service, management
  • 10. Los Angeles – Average rent: $1319: Popular entry-level categories: sales, training, health care

Anthony Balderrama, from CareerBuilder’s The Work Buzz suggests these questions to consider when evaluating a move:

  1. What is the entire cost of the move itself?
  2. What is the comprehensive cost of living adjustment?
  3. When is your last day on the old job and your first day of the new one?
  4. What are your career opportunities in this new city?
  5. What does saying “no” to the relocation mean for your career?
  6. If you’re switching employers, what are your career opportunities at the new company?
  7. Do you want to move?

Giving a move serious consideration? Be sure to visit the Riley Guide’s list of resources if you are planning to make a career move. Links include cost of living calculators as well as moving companies!

photo by mattindy77

Are you fooling yourself? Bored at work? Is it your own fault?

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In honor of April Fool’s day, members of the Career Collective community I co-coordinate with my colleague Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter are tackling a few important and timely questions! Today’s post is one of many responses to the question, “How are you fooling yourself about your career or job search? What can you do about it?”

I encourage you to visit other members’ responses, which are linked at the end of my post! Please follow our hashtag on Twitter: #careercollective.

Are you “bored” at work? Maybe it is time to look in the mirror! Susan Cramm,  the founder and president of Valuedance and a former CFO and CIO, asks this question in a post I have been meaning to share. She suggests, “Maybe You’re the Reason Your Job Is Boring” for the Harvard Business Review. (Thanks to @J2BMarketing for tweeting about this post!)

Susan suggests you ask yourself these questions (points 1-3 are Susan’s, commentary is my own):

  1. Are you on autopilot?

    2. How often are you driving somewhere new, but you accidentally turn the wrong way because you usually go the same old places? It’s tough to break out of routines that are monotonous. Think about how you can make a change. Otherwise, you are always going to wind up in the same place, and you will have no one else to blame!

  2. Your energy level is less than impressive.

    3. This is familiar to most people. We are tired, busy, overworked, have too much on our minds. It would be surprising if our energy levels were not much lower than necessary for active, productive work. What can you do about it? Break your routine. Get more sleep, exercise. Read a good book. Make time for yourself so you have more energy to give at work.

  3. You’ve become a conformist.

    4. Susan says, “It’s not unusual for leaders to start sleeping on the job once they hit year three or four. At this point, they have molded the organization in their own image. They know their people, processes, and technology aren’t perfect, but have adjusted to their imperfections and lose sight of the opportunities for improvement.”

    Are you sleeping on the job? Have you given up on making changes that you might have pushed for early in your tenure? Can you take one problem and think about how you may push for a solution? Is there ONE thing that really excites and interests you at work that you can take upon yourself to champion? What issue can you try to solve? Is there a strategy you can pursue that will engage and interest you?

    4. I would add – you are complacent.

    I have a friend who was thinking of looking for a new job, but realized how much work she would have to do to achieve the level of trust and flexibility that she maintained at her current (boring) job. Once we start to become accustomed to the way things are, it is difficult to take action that would challenge us and keep things interesting at work.

    So – the question remains: Are you fooling yourself? What actions are you willing to take to grab the wheel and drive your own career bus? Is it time for a change? Maybe the change should involve a job search, but maybe it means re-engaging and re-connecting with your current job. It’s up to you, but nothing happens until you take the wheel!

    Read what my #CareerCollective colleagues have to say on the topic:

    10 Ways to Tell if Your Job Search is a Joke, @careerealism

    April Fool’s Day – Who’s Fooling Who?, @MartinBuckland @EliteResumes

    If It’s Not You and It’s Not True, You’re Fooling Yourself, @GayleHoward

    Don’t Kid Yourself! (The Person You See in the Mirror is a Good Hire), @chandlee

    Avoiding the Most Common Blunder, @jobhuntorg

    Are you fooling yourself? Bored at work? Is it your own fault?, @keppie_careers

    Hey, Job Seeker — Don’t Be a Fool!, @resumeservice

    Job Search Is No Joking Matter,  @careersherpa

    Is Your #Career in Recovery or Retreat? (All Joking Aside), @KCCareerCoach

    9 Ways You Might Be Fooling Yourself About Your Job Search, @heatherhuhman

    Don’t get tricked by these 3 job search blunders, @LaurieBerenson

    Trying to hard to be nobody’s fool?,  @WorkWithIllness

    It’s not all about you, @DawnBugni

    Mirror ‘their’ needs, not ‘your’ wants in #jobsearch, @ValueIntoWords

    Stop Fooling Yourself about your Job Hunt: Things you may be doing to sabotage yourself – @erinkennedycprw

    Same as it ever was – @walterakana

    Don’t be fooled. Avoid these – @kat_hansen

    Job Seekers: You Are Fooling Yourself If...@barbarasafani

    photo by and_there_I_was

Rules for the job hunt

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Do you ever stop and think that it would be nice if there were rules for the job hunt? You could just read the free online manual, do exactly what it says and land the job of your dreams?

The problem, of course, is that everyone would be reading the same exact manual (since it would be free!) Think about how competitive it would be. There was a comment on my post about job seeking and the Olympics this week from Michael Glenn that said “If job seekers trained like Olympic athletes for a job interview, they can reach Gold medal status.” If everyone had “the rules,” that would be true – it would be necessary to train as an Olympian to even get your foot in the door!

The fact is, no one can tell you the “right” way to land a job. There are as many opinions about resumes, networking, using social media and cover letters as there are hiring managers, recruiters and career coaches!

Just a minor example, some people will never read your cover letter, others won’t consider your application without a cover letter that impresses.

To further complicate the situation, everyone is different! What is right for you is not right for your neighbor, and your colleague needs something else altogether. As a result, I think the best approach is to EMBRACE the system instead of rage against it. Is it fair? No, no question that job seeking is not listed under “fair” in Webster’s…In fact, the job hunt process is anything but fair! The nature of selecting candidates is discriminatory: the organization has a set of criteria, combined with personal biases, personality considerations and individual impressions. Hiring someone with the “right fit” for the job is as nuanced as it gets.

On the other hand, Mark Jaffe notes on the Personal Success blog:

“We have a pretty terrific system in America: Careers are open to talent. I’m not saying it’s a pure meritocracy, but compared to other countries and cultures, we completely rock. Who your parents were, how you grew up, even where you went to school — all these factors are secondary to whether or not you can deliver the goods.” (Hat tip @danschawbel for tweeting this post.)

Good point! Reading on, he suggests this approach for job seekers (instead of trying out for the job):

“Imagine instead that you’re a consultant, and that you’ve already been paid a non-refundable $20,000 consulting fee to attend this meeting. How does that change things?”

Possibly very good advice for many people. Certainly, a positive way to think about job search – as if you already have the job and need to begin solving the client’s problems. I don’t think you can go too wrong presenting yourself as the solution to a prospective employer’s “pain points.” HOW you do it, however, and how you can be most successful MUST vary based on your level of experience, the employer and both of your personalities.

So, the takeaway here – educate yourself. Don’t make errors that can be “no brainers” for some positions (e.g., missing deadlines, typos, not knowing how your skills directly pertain to the job). But, be wary of anyone who writes a book or a blog and tells you that they have the holy grail of job search. All we can do is offer general advice and the onus is on you – the job seeker – to evaluate it and either incorporate it or not into your plans.

Search for jobs by identifying a company

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One piece of advice I share with all of my clients – don’t look for a job, look for a company. If you are looking only specifically for a job (focusing only on job boards or posted listings), you are missing out on potential opportunities that are never advertised. Seeking an organization and broadening your target will help you be more competitive in this environment.

Research from the Michigan State University Collegiate Employment Research Institute, which conducts an annual survey, (as reported via CNN) suggests that:

“Large companies, those with more than 4,000 employees, plan to decrease hiring of all graduates by 3%, and medium-sized companies, those with between 500 and 4,000 employees, expect to lower hiring by 11%.

Smaller companies, however, may provide a bright spot in the job market for new graduates.

Employers with fewer than 500 staff members said they expect hiring at their companies to jump by 15%. These companies will hire 11 new graduates on average in 2010, and 8 of them will be at the bachelor’s level.”

So, it may be wise to stop looking only at large companies and to focus on smaller firms for opportunities.

I have many clients who identify organizations first.  They say, “I want to work for a small company where I will be able to get involved in a lot of different areas.”  Or they say, “I want to work for a large company with opportunity to be promoted.”  Or, “I’d love to work for a large firm and be pigeon-holed into doing the same work day after day.”  Except for that last one…

There are pros and cons to every type of job. I have a client who works for a small family firm.  Her stories are exactly what one would expect based on stereotypes of small family firms…Uncle Bill comes in to do the taxes, Aunt Sue is hired to decorate the waiting area.  Non-family members work at their own peril.  At the same time, this client had the opportunity to take on responsibilities and hone skills she otherwise would not have had the chance to do had she worked at a larger firm.

Points to consider…

Small businesses offer:

  • Quick response time
  • Decision making flexibility
  • Personal attention
  • Specialization opportunities
  • Ability to change with the times

Salary.com offers these reasons to choose a small company:

  • Improved work/life balance
  • Less political
  • Better company culture

Larger firms may offer better benefits (free lunch, anyone?), training opportunities and an HR department that prevents Uncle Jim from getting a job that someone else is more qualified to do.  Although I was glib in noting that large firms may pigeon-hole their workers, it is also true that they may provide more opportunities for advancement from within or transfers from one office to another that would not be possible in a small firm.

Suite101.com notes these advantages of working for a large company:

  • More resources
  • Leadership potential
  • Ability to specialize
  • More job options

There are pros and cons to every choice, but it is interesting to consider:  Are you a large company or small company worker?

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?  Could you use some help mobilizing your job search plans? If you’re ready to hire a pro to help you get where you want to go, contact me to find out how you can boost your job search – both online and off line. Check out my new book, Social Networking for Career Success, to learn how to use social networking tools to your advantage!

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 Clif1066