Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

In-person networking tips and free ebook offer!

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dandelion486633811_a3b1edda56_mFor those accustomed to online networking, being face-to-face is a whole different ballgame! Don’t worry, I have a lot of advice and tips for you!

First, an offer for you! I’ve written an ebook, Drive Your Own Career Bus -  Networking for Success, for FREE to subscribers to my blog at Keppie Careers. All you need to do is follow THIS LINK and follow the instructions to subscribe to my blog.

Additional information and links for anyone preparing to network in person:

Job seekers need to pitch what they offer, not just what they WANT

Follow up that keeps you top of mind

Looking for a job? Use an old-fashioned networking technique – be where they are. (Or, what does networking have to do with deli meats?!)

Review of Who’s Got Your Back?

Tell Me About Yourself? Storytelling to get jobs and propel your career

Network for success – don’t be a bumper car

Do something different for your job hunt – talk to people who can’t help you!

In-person networking is absolutely key to your job search success. CLICK HERE to learn about an opportunity in Atlanta on October 29th!) It’s a good idea to practice “working a room” whenever you can, especially if it does not appeal to you. In the long run, you will land faster and gain important communication skills. So – what are you waiting for?

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!

photo by michaelheiss

Common errors on resumes

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redpen2366448173_29889b5da9_mYesterday’s post about avoiding errors on your resume and job search materials was actually inspired by THIS post by Rachel Rose, an independent multimedia communications professional based in Atlanta. (And, I’m happy to say, a Twitter friend!) Rachel wrote about 42 commonly confused English words – AKA – homophones.

Homophones are defined by dictionary.com as:

Phonetics. a word pronounced the same as another but differing in meaning, whether spelled the same way or not, as heir and air.

While receiving documents addressed to “Dear Sir or Madman” or suggesting that the candidate has a “keen eye for derail” might provide a chuckle, as it is an obvious error, misspelling homophones does not even offer a chuckle. Assuming the reader knows the difference, I think these errors are even more serious, as they indicate that the applicant may not be smarter than a 3rd grader!

My personal pet peeves – and errors I see over and over again:

There – There is going to be a party after the play.

Their – Their children are very well behaved.

They’re – They’re having a lot of trouble on the spelling test.

Incidentally, I personally learned the difference between their and there from a beer commercial. It said something along the lines of it’s the Bud (?) and then inserted ‘ir” for it’s their Bud…Not sure why I remember that…

Your – Your dress is lovely

You’re – You’re going to be sorry if you don’t edit that resume!

Its – The doll lost its shoe.

It’s – It’s going to be a very long day.

Read Rachel’s post and learn what other homophones you should know!

No matter what, avoid these errors in your application materials!

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


photo by lexnger

How (and why) you should create error-free resumes

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typo3379282409_763fb097a5_mHow you communicate your skills and accomplishments is key to a successful job search.

OfficeTeam’s website notes:

The adage “It’s not what you say, but how you say it” holds particular weight when it comes to resumes, a recent survey shows. Eighty-four percent of executives polled said it takes just one or two typographical errors in a resume to remove a candidate from consideration for a job opening; 47 percent said a single typo can be the deciding factor.

The survey was developed by OfficeTeam, a leading staffing service specializing in the placement of highly skilled administrative professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and includes responses from 150 senior executives at the nation’s 1,000 largest companies.

Executives were asked, “How many typos in a resume does it take for you to decide not to consider a job candidate for a position with your company?” Their responses:

One typo……………………………………………………… 47%

Two typos ………………………………………………….. 37%

Three typos …………………………………………………. 7%

Four or more typos ………………………………………. 6%

Don’t know/no answer…………………………………… 3%

However, typos are not the only types of errors that pop up in resumes. Take a look at these, from another post about errors in resumes:

  • Hope to hear from you, shorty.”
  • “Have a keen eye for derail.”
  • “Dear Sir or Madman.”
  • “I’m attacking my resume for you to review.”
  • “I am a rabid typist.”
  • “My work ethics are impeachable.”
  • “Nervous of steel.”
  • “Following is a grief overview of my skills.”
  • “GPA: 34.0
  • “Graphic designer seeking no-profit career.”

I’ve written about how *impotent* 🙂 it is to review your resume carefully! Click through to THIS POST with a really funny video on the subject.

In one of my very first posts for this blog, I suggested:

Don’t assume that your spell check is a good editor!  How often are words misspelled only to inadvertently form other words? You don’t want to advertise that you were distinguished as the “best manger of the year.”

Be sure to read through your resume, and have a trusted friend review it as well.  You never know when “public” may become indecent, or you’ve used “suing” instead of “using.”  The list goes on and on: their/there, and/an, faculty/facility, board/bored…

A tip to consider:  create an ”exclusion dictionary” in your Microsoft Office program.  This personalized dictionary will flag a word as misspelled (such as manger), even though the main dictionary knows it as a proper word.

Stay tuned tomorrow for more resources to help you avoid embarrassing errors on your resume!

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

photo by cole007

ROI, your job search and social media

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jump3113896395_fc8eb121ff_m“What’s the ROI? How do you know you are GETTING something from it? How much time do you spend?”

These are questions a friend of mine asks when I talk about how much I enjoy using Twitter to connect with colleagues and job seekers. She wants quantified RESULTS. How much money did I earn from it? How many clients do I have because of Twitter? She’s busy. She needs to make every second count.

I’m thinking, “Do you ask about the ROI and decide if you are going to use the phone for your business? Email?” Do you know much MONEY you made last month because you use the phone?

I’m thinking, “If you want to move your business to the next level and doing what you have always done is not working, it is time to try something new. Something new does not always come with any immediate ROI. It builds. Snowballs. When that something new is Twitter, the impact could come in drips – a new client here and there – a retweet or two, or it may come in a wave – a new business opportunity or partner, a new friend.”

We have lots of opportunities to expand our circles. Entrepreneurs have opportunities to share our expertise and sell our services. Similarly, job seekers can dive in, stake a claim online and lay claim to their own “brands.” Are you going to see an immediate “return” on your investment in social networks as a job seeker? Probably not, although you never know. (After all, it only takes one good contact.) Certainly, you can sit on the sidelines, shaking your head and saying, “That will never work. I can’t do that. It takes too much time.” It is your own choice.

My vote? Dive in “with wild abandon,” as my English teacher used to say. (Although, he was talking about great books, not Twitter!) Do something new! Try something different. It’s a chance. A risk that you will be “wasting your time.” Nothing ventured, nothing gained. If you have something to offer, get out there and offer it or no one will know.

Just do it. What is stopping you?

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

photo by nolly

Tenacity in the job hunt – does it define you?

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cat.milk192519690_127cdc43e9_mThis post is inspired by my cat. She knows how to go after what she wants. Yesterday, I made the mistake of putting down a mug of milk while I continued to work. She went after it. I said, “no,” and moved the mug to the other side of the desk. She went slinking around the other side of me to try to dive into that mug. Again, I moved the cup, this time covering it with a book so she couldn’t put her nose in it. Undeterred, she promptly saw what needed to be done to move the book for access to the milk. I finally needed to return the drink to the refrigerator. (That is not my cat in the picture, but it might as well be!)

If you are looking for a job, would you call yourself tenacious?

Dictionary.com defines it as:

te⋅na⋅cious  [tuh-ney-shuhs]

–adjective

1. holding fast; characterized by keeping a firm hold (often fol. by of): a tenacious grip on my arm; tenacious of old habits.

2. highly retentive: a tenacious memory.

3. pertinacious, persistent, stubborn, or obstinate.

4. adhesive or sticky; viscous or glutinous.

5. holding together; cohesive; not easily pulled asunder; tough.

I guess, as far as my cat goes, “glutinous” is a good fit, but I think focusing on “pertinacious, persistent, stubborn, or obstinate” is a better definition for our purposes discussing job search!

What can you do?

Are you really going after what you want? Or, are you approaching your job hunt with the spine of a wet noodle? Do you think you can’t make an impact on the results of your search? I make a practice of telling my clients that they DO drive their own career bus. It is up to you to take the wheel. (More details about this HERE.)

Read here to learn how to stand out in a sea of sameness and here to see how following up can keep you top of mind.

Seize control of what you can! Don’t be a victim of circumstances. Drive your own career bus!

No one wants to hire someone who has thrown in the towel.

If you haven’t changed the way you are “driving through” your career or job search, what is holding you back?

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!

photo by 30D