Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Social Networking for Career Success selected “best in books”

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It’s so gratifying to hear from people who enjoy my book. Many have added reviews on Amazon, others tweet about the book, and some write about it on their blogs. It made my day yesterday to learn Social Networking for Career Success was designated a July “Best in Books” by the Calgary Public Library, via a review written by Samantha Schellenberg, Alberta Employment & Immigration Career Development Workshop Facilitator, Designer and Presenter and Director, ChoiceWorks Rehabilitation Solutions Ltd.

Please click through to read the full review. Here are some highlights from Samantha’s post:

“If you are looking for a user-friendly, systematic narrative on how to leverage online tools to grow your professional network, generate job search momentum, manage your online identity or craft your personal brand, then this book is well worth your time…Packed full of relevant sources for readers to explore in depth, this book also offers time saving tips gained from the practical experiences of the author…I consider this book a must-have, big-picture gem for those interested in capturing the best of what the online world has to offer.”

Are your perfectionist tendencies helping or hurting you?

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My friend, Ken Revenaugh, who authors the Fast Track Tools blog, often writes about the importance of storytelling in business. He advocates keeping an eye and ear out for stories everywhere you go to help illustrate a point down the road. During my recent visit to New York City, I kept a list of inspiring blog topics relating to career and job search. My favorite inspiration occurred during a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

While in the impressionist wing, viewing art by French artist Edgar Degas (1834-1917), famous for his paintings and sculptures of ballet dancers, I noticed an explanation accompanying many small sculptures (photo at right). Apparently, there were more than 150 pieces made of clay, wax and plastiline that Degas had been ambivalent about preserving in bronze because he wasn’t sure they were good enough.

I thought it a little ironic — this master painter and sculpture, whose art is now famous around the world and displayed in iconic museums, was worried some of his work wasn’t good enough to save for posterity.

Clearly, he had perfectionist tendencies, as the placard near the famous, “The Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer (photo below), indicated he had taken such care to sculpt it, there were an “extraordinary number of surviving sketches in charcoal and pastel, as well as his study of the figure.” You can see some of his paintings of dancers in the background.

Stop and think: what are you doing well that you don’t think is good enough? What are you underestimating about your skills, experiences and accomplishments? Are you convincing yourself something isn’t good enough when, in fact, any more objective onlooker would convince you otherwise? Sometimes, it’s difficult to give ourselves credit for what we know we do well. I remember advising a student when I worked at Emory to highlight her multi-lingual skills (she was in the international health field). She assumed everyone had similar skills, and her accomplishments weren’t unique or special.

Just as Degas didn’t think enough of the many small sculptures to preserve them in bronze, you may be underestimating your abilities and not applying for the right kind of jobs. Maybe you haven’t had success landing interviews, so you think you should look for different (maybe less advanced) work? Have you considered the fact you may simply be underselling yourself in your resume and other marketing materials. (If you even have other job search marketing materials.)

Before you alter your course, make sure you’re giving yourself every chance to succeed in your chosen path. Consider hiring an unbiased career expert to help showcase your best “you” before you metaphorically destroy your clay, wax and plastiline job search.

What career lessons do you glean from this story? Share you ideas in the comments.

Could you use some help highlighting your “best you?” Contact me for a quote for a transformed resume and/or coaching to get your job hunt moving in the right direction. Be sure to consider having your own professional website to showcase your professional attributes and to help people find you online.

Your job search questions answered!

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UPDATE: THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT and RTs of this post and for spreading the word to your communities. Due to the death of my father this weekend, we will be postponing the launch of this chat until next week. We will re-post and advertise it when we’re ready to get going.

I’m taking a bit of a break from blogging and social media posting to concentrate on remembering my dad and focusing on family matters. I appreciate your kind support in this difficult time. My social networking community is a big part of my life in good times, and I am lucky to be able to appreciate your thoughts in tough times, too.

I’ve been thinking about how to bring the great aspects of Twitter chats into Google+, and you’re invited to join in the fun!

I’m a big fan of Twitter chats. My favorite, and one I try to participate in regularly is #jobhuntchat, Monday nights at 10 ET. It’s moderated by Rich DeMatteo, @cornonthejob and Jessica Miller-Merrill, @blogging4jobs  If you’re familiar with Twitter chats, they are somewhat informal opportunities to engage with people you know — and meet new contacts, colleagues and experts.

I’m excited to announce my Career Collective co-leader, Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter and I will be launching an interactive Q & A we are calling Career+ Convo on Google+ in conjunction with several Career Collective members and other experts whom we’ll invite to join us. The plan is to meet on Wednesday nights, 9-9:30 pm ET on a G+ page. We’ll post questions (you can send them to me in advance) and you’ll have instant answers from us and any of our colleagues and expert friends who hop on!

We hope you’ll join us for this experiment, which will provide job seekers:

  • Answers to your “need to know now” questions.
  • Connection points with other job seekers on G+.
  • Introductions to career experts (coaches, recruiters, HR experts, etc.) who may be answering questions. This will help you add some experts to your “circles” so you can keep up-to-date on trends and resources.

This week, the chat will be happening on my Google+ homepage. You can click that link or search for “Miriam Salpeter” on Google+ to find the conversation.

Consider checking out the Chrome extension for Google+ to help make it easier to follow the conversation.

To summarize –

YOU ARE INVITED TO THE FIRST CAREER+ CONVO

When: Wednesday, August 3rd, 9 – 9:30 pm Eastern Time

Where: On my Google+ page. Or, just search for “Miriam Salpeter” in Google+ to find where we’ll be.

What you need: A Google+ profile and a willingness to try something new

Please comment to let us know if you’ll be joining, whether you are an expert or a job seeker! Looking forward to trying this out with all of you! Please let your social media communities know about Career+ Convo.

Google+ icon by Samuel McQueen

Via Mashable

Social networking, career advice

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The Web is buzzing with information and insights about Google+, Google’s new social network. My schedule finally allowed me to take some time to dive in to see what I think of Google+. One thing struck me: so much of social media, no matter the specifics, is similar. The reasons to use these networks (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Google+) are the same:

1) To expand the number of people you know and who know you.

2) To learn new information pertinent to your field from mentors and thought leaders.

3) To illustrate your expertise with a community of people who may connect you to opportunities based on learning about you and what you know.

Thus far, my favorite network to direct clients has been Twitter, where there are no roadblocks or barricades to connecting and engaging with exponential numbers of potential contacts and colleagues. I believe Google+ has the potential to offer users the same levels of engagement and interaction, along with the benefit of the open network and ability to learn from and share with a “public” stream (like on Twitter).

To engage well, the importance of creating your profile and interacting efficiently is the same, no matter what network you use. For example, I noticed my advice is similar for creating your LinkedIn profile as it is for your Google profile. How you write a LinkedIn headline is the same and similarly important as your Google+ “occupation.” (Find my advice for LinkedIn headlines in a free chapter download from my book.)

While some recruiters have already been searching Google profiles to find good potential hires, no doubt the introduction of Google+ and its inevitable result — more people updating their existing Google profiles — will encourage more sourcers and recruiters to turn to these profiles to mine information about candidates. It’s up to you to make sure it’s easy for you to be found!

Even if you don’t have access to the limited Google+ beta, yet, start out by visiting Google profiles (http://www.google.com/profiles). Upload the same avatar you use for other social networks, so potential followers will easily recognize you. (Check this out for tips to select the right online photo.)

Add several professional photos at the top of your profile. Then, use the “introduction” to include your “pitch,” which could be very similar or the same as what you use in your LinkedIn “summary.” Unless you are in a really creative industry that values humor, fill in “bragging rights” with industry awards. As noted, “Occupation” is important. Use the advice in the sample chapter about LinkedIn’s headline to fill this in. (It can be especially tricky to describe your “occupation” if you are unemployed, but I walk you through all of the considerations in the sample chapter.)

Once your profile is complete, you’re ready to think about how you’d like to use Google+ (even if you don’t have an invitation, yet).

Take a look at some great graphic comparisons of the various networks on the TweetSmarter blog, where Dave and Sarah share information from Stefano Epifani and Hutch Carpenter (VP of Product, Spigit).

Learn more about Google+ and its new sharing tool, called “circles” from their introductory materials.

Rich DeMatteo, of Corn on the Job (and a contributor to Social Networking for Career Success) created a post linking to various information about Google+. Click through to review what several recruiters and coaches are saying.

Hannah Morgan, of Career Sherpa, (another book contributor) provides several useful Google+ resources in her post.

Stay tuned for more information about Google+. Please consider including me in your “Career Advice” circle. (No one has access to what your circles are named!) Find me in Google+ HERE.

How having your own website helps you

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I always think one of the most frustrating aspects of job search is believing you’ve “done everything,” but aren’t finding an opportunity. I’ve never met a job seeker who actually has “done everything,” though, which I think is good news! Most people are very focused on out-dated tools and spend a disproportionate percentage of their time doing the same thing, over and over, without different results.

This month, the Career Collective (a community I co-coordinate with my colleague Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter) addresses the question of how to use social media in a job search. (Please click through to the links I’ll add soon at the bottom of this post to the other responses to this question.)

There are so many great ways to use social media in your search, most of which I address in my book, Social Networking for Career Success.

There’s no doubt social media tools offer an underutilized opportunity to:

  • Help you connect with new people and keep track of contacts.
  • Easily learn new things.
  • Share your expertise and expand your brand.

LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook all provide easy-to-use, free tools to get-in-touch (and keep-in-touch) with people who may be interested in learning more about you and what you have to offer. However, I think the best, and most important tool the majority of job seekers do not have is a personal website, or social resume.

Why have your own website?

  • Hiring managers will Google you. What will she find?
  • A personal site is a way to control how your name appears online.
  • Statistics show your online presence matters, and that employers are looking for personal and professional data about you.
  • NOT putting up your own site only gives people an incentive to look deeper in the web for information about you. Take a look at these sites to learn what the “deep web” knows about you: pipl.com, Polymeta.com.
  • Managing a site is important for career insurance and professional development. Showcasing your expertise online (even if it is in a new field) helps demonstrate what you have to offer, even when you aren’t looking for a job. An online presence can grow and change along with your career and help attract people to learn more about you. This could result in opportunities to speak at conferences or events, or even invitations to apply for jobs down the road.
  • Having a website suggests you have some technical savvy and understand how to use online tools to communicate. That, in and of itself, is an important skill many employers value. It’s known as “social proof.” You may say you know about technology on your resume, but actually using it to showcase your own information goes a long way to prove you have what employers want.

Especially if you are transitioning to a new job or an experienced job seeker who needs to overcome age discrimination, having an up-to-date online presence and maybe even a viable blog helps show prospective employers you’re willing to learn and are perfectly capable of keeping up with technology.

In my book, I suggest starting out using WordPress.com to try out an online presence. It’s a great resource, and it’s free. However, there are limitations to free tools — not the least of which is you don’t really “own” that online real estate. With some know-how, or an investment in someone who does know how, you can have your own site. If you’re lucky, you can even have “YourName.com,” which will help you rank high for your name in search and help direct people to find the information you want them to find about you.

I hope you’ll visit my site, GetASocialResume.com, to learn more about what you’ll want to include in your social resume. If you don’t want to figure out how to do this yourself, I can help. With a relatively small investment, I can offer you an online presence you’ll be proud to use as a hub for your social media activity, and help you create a site to tell a compelling story describing your background and experiences.

The following are posts from other Career Collective members answering this question

Make Your Career More Social: Show Up and Engage, @WalterAkana

You 2.0: The Brave New World of Social Media and Online Job Searches, @dawnrasmussen

How to Get a New Job Using Social Media, @DebraWheatman

Social Media: Choosing, Using, and Confusing, @ErinKennedyCPRW

How to Use Social Media in Your Job Search, @heatherhuhman

Updating: A Social Media Strategy For Job Search, @TimsStrategy

Your Career Needs Social Media – Get Started, @EliteResumes @MartinBuckland

We Get By With a Little Recs from Our Friends, @chandlee

Expat Careers & Social Media: Social Media is Potentially 6 Times more Influential than a CV or Resume, @expatcoachmegan

Social-Media Tools and Resources to Maximize Your Personalized Job Search, @KatCareerGal

Job Search and Social Media: A Collective Approach, @careersherpa

Social Media: So what’s the point?, @DawnBugni

Tools that change your world, @WorkWithIllness

HOW TO: Meet People IRL via LinkedIn, @AvidCareerist

Effective Web 2.0 Job Search: Top 5 Secrets, @resumeservice

Jumping Into the Social Media Sea @ValueIntoWords

Sink or Swim in Social Media, @KCCareerCoach

Social Media Primer for Job Seekers, @LaurieBerenson