Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

What's important to you at work?

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Do you feel empowered as a job seeker? Do you have a list of needs and wants? Are you bored at work, but haven’t taken any steps to remedy the problem?

I recently came across some of Penelope Trunk’s videos. (Hat tip @LRuettimann.)

This is an older video, but I think these points Penelope identifies as most important to Gen Y job seekers is, in one sense, timeless. (I think it is also true that these are values for a lot of people who are not Gen Y.)

– They value time over money.

– They recognize that it is important to have friends at work.

– Location is key.

View Penelope’s video:


What do you think? What is most important for you as a job seeker? How do you evaluate an opportunity? What makes the difference for you, and how do those things change depending on your situation? What are you doing to help yourself land the opportunity that is best suited to your needs?

Personal Branding Magazine

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Dan Schawbel is one of the authorities on the topic of personal branding, particularly for the Millennial generation. I am happy to serve as a co-editor of Personal Branding Magazine, along with Jessica Lewis. The new, free sample issue is available. This is how Dan describes it:

Enjoy nine articles in the free sample issue, which can be found on PersonalBrandingSample.com. You’ll read partial interviews from Kathy Ireland, Vanna White and others. You’ll also see two articles on how to be socially responsible, authentic and build a remarkable brand.

Full issue available May 1st (paid subscribers only)

The full issue will be out on May 1st, including complete interviews with major business celebrities and a combined 28 articles for your viewing pleasure. Be sure to subscribe before May 1st in order to receive this issue.

More information can be found at PersonalBrandingMag.com.

Features

Exclusive interviews with:

  • Kathy Ireland is an American former-model, actress, entrepreneur, CEO and designer of her eponymous brand product marketing company, Kathy Ireland Worldwide. Her company’s  products are sold at over 50,000 locations in 15 countries, generating an estimated $1.4 billion in retail sales. Ireland’s annual take is thought to be around $10 million, which has prompted Forbes to name her the “prototype for model-turned-mogul.
  • Vanna White is an American television personality, best known as puzzle-board presenter and co-host on the long-running game show Wheel of Fortune. White also has made cameo appearances on television shows such as The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, 227 and Full House; and in movies such as Naked Gun 33â…“: The Final Insult. She guest-starred on Married…With Children, in a gender-bending spoof of the movie Indecent Proposal.
  • Jalen Rose is a retired professional basketball player. In college, he was a member of the University of Michigan Wolverines’ “Fab Five” (along with Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson) that reached the 1992 and 1993 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship games as both Freshmen and Sophomores.
  • Daymond John is a fashion designer, author, and businessman from New York. He is best known for being the founder and CEO of the fashion company FUBU. John is a ‘Shark’ on the new ABC television show Shark Tank. His latest book is called The Brand Within.
  • Leslie Scott is the creator of Jenga, the second-best selling game in the world, and the co-founder of Oxford games. One of the world’s few professional game designers, Scott spends her time in the Oxford countryside and the African plains with her two children and her husband.
  • Dan Heath is co-author of the New York Times bestseller, Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die.  It was also a BusinessWeek bestseller for two years.  Dan and his brother, Chip, published their second book, Switch, in February 2010, which is a #1 New York Times bestseller.
  • Harvey Mackay is the author of five New York Times bestsellers, including Swim With the Sharks (Without Being Eaten Alive), Beware the Naked Man Who Offers You His Shirt and his latest book Use Your Head To Get Your Foot In The Door. He is a nationally syndicated columnist, and one of America’s most popular business speakers. His books have sold more than 10 million copies worldwide and have been translated into 35 languages and distributed in 80 countries.

Contributors

Experts, authors, and bloggers such as:

Body language matters in your job hunt

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I’ve been writing about listening skills last week don’t miss 7 tips to become a better active listener and 6 ways to become a better listener. One point that came up several times – body language is an important element of good listening. Think about it – eye contact, nodding, leaning in to listen – all of these help your conversation partner recognize how engaged you are and helps him or her feel valued as part of a conversation.

Body language may be more important than you think in a job hunt.

Kate Lorenz wrote about the topic for CareerBuilder.com. She said:

Research has shown that the first impression you make on an interviewer really sticks. In one study, untrained subjects were shown 20- to 32-second videotaped segments of job applicants greeting their interviewers. When the subjects rated the applicants on attributes like self-assurance and likeability, their assessments were very similar to the interviewers’ — who had spent more than 20 minutes with each applicant.

Seems like focusing on your body language – and first impressions – matters – a lot!

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 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.

photo by Gerwin Filius

7 tips to help you become a better ACTIVE listener

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I can’t talk enough about how important it is to be a good listener if you want to succeed in your job hunt. Earlier this week, I shared tips to help improve your listing skills. Today, some additional thoughts and advice!

I have written about how to stand out in a sea of sameness.  Instead of focusing on YOU – what you want, what you offer – start listening. Ask questions. Be the candidate who connects on an emotional level with your audience. There’s nothing that people like better than someone who seems interested in THEM – it’s human nature. Be the one who listens first and answers based on what you learn. You may be surprised by how well this technique works!

Being an active listener is just that – a process that involves your participation. On the surface, listening is something you do without thinking. In reality, to be a good listener, you need to work at it.

, who writes for the About.com Guide offered these tips to help become an active listener.

  1. Listen for verbal clues.
  2. Watch for nonverbal clues. “ Eyebrows, hands, pauses, eyes” – these note when a person makes an important point.
  3. Be mindful of your own reactions. Nod or smile, but try to avoid physically reacting to a negative comment. Fleming notes,  “As long as you’re managing your reactions, you’re still listening.”
  4. Avoid making predictions. Don’t assume what the person will say next, as it usually means you will stop listening.
  5. Focus on the words, not the person. Don’t focus on what the person wears or ugly hairstyle!
  6. Don’t get caught up on one detail. It is easy to get distracted, but you don’t want to miss the next important point.
  7. Don’t let your mind wander. Your “to do” list can wait. Push non-related thoughts from your mind to focus on the conversation.

Don’t miss the rest of my series about the five networking fundamentals to help you land a job. Review the pieces about the keys to researching your networking targets, how to ask good questions and six ways to improve your listening skills.

Once you have a chance to think about updating your skills, take  this quiz to evaluate your general listening skills.

Please share your ideas and comments about good listening in the comments!

photo by vickisnature

How to evaluate your resume

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Recently, I have been working on a corporate job. One of the things I have been doing is writing annotations of resumes. I review the documents and then write up some notes explaining how each one addresses the key issues that are necessary to connect with a hiring manager. I assess the points the author is making and indicate how the body of the document supports those main points.

It occurred to me that it is a GREAT idea for job seekers to use this analytical process to evaluate their own resumes. Think about it…

Identify your main points. (The goal is for these to resonate with the hiring manager.) For example, a manager may have the following points to include in the Highlights of Qualifications section:

  • Mentoring/supervisory skills,
  • Diplomacy/communication
  • Leadership and
  • Specific subject matter expertise.

Once you identify the important skills – review the resume and identify which of the bullets PROVE each of your main points. When someone else reads the resume, will that person see proof of the intended skills? Does the resume include accomplishments related to each of the points? It is not unusual to see a resume that states something but fails to prove it in the body of the resume. Any point that you are not supporting with evidence in your resume is a lost opportunity to drive home your point to the hiring manager.

So, take a stab at your own resume…How are you supporting your points? (Or not?) Fill in the details – include skills and accomplishments to really give a full picture. I always say to my clients: You don’t send a prospective employer a “dot-to-dot” and expect him or her to fill in the blanks. Send a fully fleshed out portrait that leaves no doubt that you have what it takes to solve the employer’s problems.

photo from Beth Hampton