Sandra Naiman, author of The High Achiever’s Secret Codebook: The Unwritten Rules for Success at Work (JIST, 2009) [read my review HERE] echos the sentiment that the “holiday season is a great time to enlarge and reactivate your network.  That is not to say that you ask people if they have or know of a job; however social networking sites, letters and cards are a great way to get back on people’s radar screen.”

She suggests that you create inexpensive ways to bring people together at your house – such as a cookie baking party where everyone cooks and shares cookies and candies with everyone else. “Again, your objective is to connect with as many people as possible and create opportunities for follow up, where appropriate, after the holidays.”

A fun idea – host your own party!

Another author, Richard S. Deems, who wrote, Make Job Loss Work For You (Jist 2010) with his daughter, Terri Deems, suggests job seekers move their focus to direct (in-person) networking during the holidays to take advantage of the generally good mood. Richard reminds us how important it is to follow up, which is key!

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I first meet Ellen Sautter and Diane Crompton, co-authors of the book, Seven Days to Online Networking, last April, and wrote about their presentation sharing some details from the book. I have since had the opportunity to get to know Ellen by attending a weekly networking event with her. Anyone looking forward to reading the book should know that Ellen really lives by the philosophy of helping job seekers connect and goes out of her way to be generous and helpful to anyone who requests her advice and assistance.

Ellen and Diane’s book really does cut down the clutter to help job seekers and others dive into social networking in a short amount of time. By first explaining WHY you would want to network with millions of people (!), exploring the issue of how to find the time and identifying the importance of social networking, they bring the reader to the “guts” of the book – How to Stand Out in the Cyberspace Crowd.

With a market flooded with profiles, blogs and digital dirt, can one person really make inroads and “be someone” online? The answer is yes – if you know what you are doing and how to get there! Ellen and Diane offer an easy to understand and digest tutorial to help even the most resistant networker join the fun online.

Readers will learn the “do’s and don’ts” of online networking, how to optimize their use of blogs (their own or others’), various professional networking sites to explore (such as XING and Ryze) and how to start thinking about a “webfolio” – information on a website identifying skills and accomplishments.

I highly recommend Seven Days to Online Networking to anyone who is overwhelmed at the prospect of jumping online, but recognizes how important it is for career success. WIN a copy! Leave a comment here and at my other blogs for a chance in a random drawing!

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Sometimes, it pays to  hire a coach to teach you everything you need to know! Need some help getting your job search jump started? Not sure you can put all of the great tools at your disposal to good use? Need a great resume? Learn how I can help you propel your job hunt forward.

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Ellen and Diane spoke about the importance of using the internet to help promote and define your personal brand – they referred to your “electronic footprint.” This seems to be my week to write about the importance of keeping up appearances online and using your social networks for job searching.

Regular readers know how much I love referencing other authorities who agree with me! This presentation was a great reminder of the importance of creating and maintaining your online identity. I thought I’d share some insights from the presentation for job seekers and everyone else hoping to take advantage of cyber-connecting.

Ellen and Diane note (and I agree) that online networking does not replace face-to-face contact. Combine the two for the most impact.

Have a strong profile or bio to use online. Keppie Careers will be happy to help you write, revise or proof your profile to make sure that you are presenting the most professional image possible. Nothing screams careless more than a typo or grammatical error on a standard bio. Email: results@keppiecareers.com for more information.

Ellen and Diane point out that it’s important to have networking goals. They suggest keeping a “networking tool kit” that includes:

• Frequently used links
• URLs of all of your profiles and sites where you are a member
• Links to your articles and press
• Email signatures
• Photos/headshots
• Various versions of your bio
• Profile information (what you offer and what you seek)
• Accomplishment statements, elevator pitch, etc.

Remember to Google yourself. (In fact, set a google alert to alert you when your name or business is indexed. This is a great way to know if other people are mentioning you on their websites or blogs.) Ellen and Diane suggest checking up on your online identity on a regular basis, even weekly.

Enhance and maintain your profiles. A tip from Ellen and Diane: Review other linkedin profiles from people in your industry to get ideas of keywords and buzz words. Incorporate language that makes sense for your profile.

Keep an eye on this blog for ongoing tips and tricks for improving your online and in-person networking efforts!

Keppie Careers will teach you how to network! www.keppiecareers.com

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