Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach
Thanks to Kristen Jacoway (@KristenJacoway) for sharing the link that led me to this video from Reach Personal Branding. It’s upbeat and thought provoking, especially as I am in the process of visually re-branding Keppie Careers! I am glad to see that I made the right color choices (with the help of a skilled professional).
So, have you thought about what color is brand YOU?
photo by bernatcg
If you have not been using Twitter to expand your networking community and broaden your network – why not?
Even if you did not already know that the word “Twitter†is the fastest growing term to appear in job postings appearing in job boards (per Indeed.com), you should still be using Twitter because it is an amazing place to connect and learn and to grow the number of people who *know* you and are able and willing to help you (with your job hunt or your workout routine).
Thanks to Christina Brown, I recently learned about a resource I had not used before – the Twitter Chat Schedule. Â Another resource to find chats is Tweetreports.
A Twitter chat is a time when people who have similar interests hop on Twitter and tweet using a hashtag (a hashtag is a # along with a word or acronym) that helps everyone interested get in on the conversation. I have participated in #JobHuntChat (Monday nights at 10-11 pm eastern), which is a great opportunity to network and learn from career coaches, hiring managers, recruiters and other job seekers. Clearly, I follow the job searching community on Twitter pretty closely, which is how I knew about this chat.
However, I would never have imagined that there was a chat about strength training (#sbgym) or pharmaceutical marketing and social media (#socpharm), a chat for foodies (#SOSfood) and one to discuss fashion and style (#styletalk). The list goes on and on. Of course, there are a lot of chats having to do with social media, and there are several other career oriented chats – #internchat, for example…
The great thing about joining chats and communities pertaining to your hobbies and interests is that it gives you an opportunity to connect with other people about things that have nothing to do with jobs. Just as it is a good idea for job seekers to join a biking club if they enjoy biking, or an art class if artistically talented, Twitter provides an unprecedented way to reach out to new people and to extend your “loose” network – people you would otherwise never meet.
Don’t be shy – take a look at the schedule and find a fun chat…You will be surprised at how generous people are once you exchange a few tweets. The next-door neighbor of the person who may need to hire you may be on Twitter chatting right now!
Haven’t gotten started on Twitter? Read this post that I wrote to encourage job seekers to dive into this amazing network.
photo by joelaz
You can’t beat Dilbert for saying it like it is. If this video touches a nerve, you may want to contact me to learn how you can put the wheels in motion to move on!
Thanks to my new partners Simon North and Nisa Chitakasem, for sharing this video via the Position Ignition Career Advice Blog. Position Ignition is all about helping you get clear about what you want to do next with your career and how to make it happen. They focus on helping people who want a more purposeful, rewarding career and those who are considering a career change.
photo by Ol.v!er
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:
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:
Anthony Balderrama, from CareerBuilder’s The Work Buzz suggests these questions to consider when evaluating a 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
It’s only recently that I have personally taken advantage of DVR technology. Yes, I watched shows when they were on live AND sat through commercials. We didn’t even have cable (believe it), so using the VCR to record and replay shows wasn’t a good option – the reception was not good enough make it worthwhile.
So, when TV went digital and the converter box for those without cable didn’t give me access to ABC, it was time to enter this century. While I am not a huge TV watcher, I do enjoy certain shows, and being able to view them on my time – on the TV (not via the internet) was pretty cool. (Yes – this is career related – I’m getting there!)
It took me awhile to remember that I could fast-forward through commercials. I usually multitask while viewing, so stopping to skip the commercials actually interrupted my flow. I am getting in a groove, though. Skipping commercials and getting through my favorite shows in less time has become a ritual.
Sometimes, though, a commercial just grabs me before I have time to hit fast forward. In those cases, I actually catch myself watching the commercial. I was thinking about which commercials grab me and why. Usually, it is one of three reasons:
Since I now often watch with my hand on the remote, if I am going to actually watch a commercial, one of these three must happen right away.
Think about your resume. You have about the same amount of time to grab a person reading it as commercials have to get my attention. What are you doing to immediately attract attention?
Appearance
While looks are not everything, they do mean a lot. Yes, often a resume goes through a computer scan first, but when a real person looks at it, it is important for it to be attractive, easy to read and up-to-date. If your resume looks like the BEFORE versions on my site, you really need to consider a revision. If you are using one of Word’s templates (they certainly did not consult a savvy resume writer for those) – you absolutely need to consider a change.
Did you know that you can even use a little COLOR in your resume? There are a lot of different ways you can visually grab attention – some that are more controversial than others. For example, some people use company logos on resumes. (This is not a practice I favor, but some really think it is great!) The bottom line is that you need an attractive resume if you want to compete.
Are you offering something the reader wants?
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it 100 times – the resume must speak in the language that an employer will understand. If your targeted job requires someone who knows how to “develop proposals and presentations detailing new implementation process plans implemented by top management,” saying that you have done that is terrific! If the job has nothing to do with developing proposals and presentations, that language might as well be Greek to the hiring manager. Remember – simply stating your ability to do a particular task is not likely going to help your cause. Show, don’t tell.
And – do it in a way that immediately appeals to the reader.
Engage with a story
Just as a good story hook captures my attention when I watch TV, telling a good story on your resume – and in your job hunt – is important. It’s a good idea to think about stories – even collect them – to help improve your ability to catch their attention. Being able to tell your job search story is an incomparable skill. Do you know what you have to offer, and can you tell it in a way that interests people? In a way that makes them want to know more about you?
Learn how to share your story via social media, in person and via your resume. I can help!
photo by danielgreene