Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Personal Branding Magazine – CEO strategies

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The latest issue of Dan Schawbel’s Personal Branding Magazine is available. (I am co-editor along with Jessica Lewis.) Dan explains, “Volume 4, Issue 4 is focused on CEO branding strategies, leadership and corporate culture. We interviewed some of the leading CEOs from across multiple industries, including Deloitte and Campbells, to present multiple perspectives on personal branding from the top down. The strength of the CEO brand can be attributed to the overall success of a company, regardless of size. Employees look to the CEO for guidance, leadership and personality.”

Features:

  • Full paid issue (May 1st): 25 articles total
  • Sample issue: 9 articles total, including how to make a good first impression, how to manage your digital image, and wardrobe tips.
  • Interviews with: Doug Conant (CEO of Campbells), Jim Quigley (CEO of Deloitte), Bob Taylor (CEO of Taylor Guitars), Sam Calagione (CEO of Dogfish Head), Brian Halligan (CEO of Hubspot), and Andy Boynton (Dean of the Carroll School of Management at Boston College).

Be sure to click through or subscribe for useful information, insights and details!

How many votes is your social network worth? (Help a friend!)

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One of the best things about social media is it gives job seekers an opportunity to pick an area where they can excel — it’s different for every job seeker. Some are great using video, others may want to blog. Many more can share expertise via Twitter in 140 characters or less and connect with potential colleagues and contacts.

At the same time, some employers are using social media and thinking “outside of the box” when it comes to hiring. A case in point, a friend recently let me know his sister, Amy Bailey, is in the running for an awesome job at HopScout. They are looking for 5 editors to write guest posts, test products and be community managers of sorts. They also want their editors to be buyers and attend trade shows. The job is targeted to stay-at-home parents who want a little work and money on the side.

Instead of advertising and asking for resumes, they require applicants to post a video on Facebook and are running an online vote to select finalists. It makes a lot of sense, as it not only tests video skills (part of the job), but also the applicants’ ability to leverage the social web. It’s kind of a “social proof” job interview screen. People may say, “I have this many friends or “likes” on Facebook” or “X people follow me on Twitter,” but it comes down to actually calling a community to action to secure votes and convince people to take a minute to vote! People who can do that can also probably get the job done!

I asked Amy what she thinks about the process from the job-seeker’s side:

This method of interviewing people puts a minor barrier to entry, which is a great way to weed out applicants. It’s a lot easier to send off a resume that you’ve brushed up than to learn how to make a video you’d be willing to publish. They’ve received over 150) submissions so far, and if they’d asked for resumes, I’m guessing that number could easily be much higher.

The first stage of this process focuses on the number of votes your video gets, though other factors (creativity, innovation, fair play, quality of content and sense of humor) may be considered as well.  I see the point of focusing on popularity because on one hand, this is an e-marketing job that relies on building a social network. At the same time, the votes aren’t necessarily coming from anyone from the target market of the site.  However, Hopscout’s Facebook page has netted over 10,000 likes in a little over a week, primarily due to this contest, so it seems to be a successful marketing campaign regardless of the outcome.

I’m impressed that they’re so optimistic – that before the contest started, they believed 25% of their top-voted videos would have been made by people who can get the job done – people who can write, appeal to an audience and give fair (and fun) evaluations of products. I think that took a lot of faith on their part, but I think it was a smart move – there are some great videos and some very creative moms and dads, and hopefully that will translate into the kind of employees they’re looking for. If they hire me, their plan definitely worked. 😉

If my video is one of the top 20 videos (I could really use your support!), then I’ll get a chance to review a product and show them that I’m worth hiring. They’ll hire five people from this second stage of the interview process.

Consider this…You never know when you’ll need to – or want to – leverage a community to help you land a job. You may never be in a situation where you need actual votes via Facebook to get a position, but when you think about it, isn’t any endorsement or referral kind of like a “vote?” I believe the biggest benefit to social networking is the ability to grow your network and expand the number of people who know and like you well enough to care if you get a job or a gig. The more people out there rooting for you, the more likely you are to score the opportunity you want.

I hope you’ll vote for Amy, and leverage your networks to see if you can win her some votes. Why? Because she’s my friend’s sister, and I’d love to help her out. (A bonus? She’s actually perfect for this job based on her credentials!)  In the meantime, think about your own network and what “votes” you need to get to land your next gig!

Please vote for Amy HERE.

How social media can help you change careers

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Career change is usually difficult for the one doing the changing. There are always aspects of advertized jobs the applicant has not exactly accomplished, if only because he or she hasn’t had the chance! Highlighting transferable skills (the ones you can use in any job) as well as targeting your application materials for the positions in question are important pieces of a successful career change. Having a well-targeted resume that makes it clear why you can do the job (even if you’ve never done it before) is so important!

Beyond the resume and typical job search materials, I believe using social media tools can really help build a career changer’s bridge to a new occupation or vocation. In my book, Social Networking for Career Success, I explain how social media may help career changers who naturally have a difficult time proving they have what they need to succeed in the next job: How? It solves several problems:

  • It allows you to extend your network to meet people you otherwise would never encounter. Statistics show how important introductions and “warm leads” are to job seekers. Companies value referrals from within their organizations, and meeting new people you would not otherwise know via online interactions provides more potential for referrals. (Moving those social networking interactions to in-person or telephone conversations is a good next step.)
  • You have easy access to information and resources about your targeted profession. I like to think of social networks as offering a constant opportunity to learn what people in the field and thinking, saying, writing and sharing. Twitter is particularly useful in this regard. In the book, I describe how it’s possible to follow content from conferences you don’t attend in person via hashtags, and share tips from Mark Stelzner, of Inflexion Advisors, for live tweeting a conference. If you find and follow people like Mark in your field, you may be able to grasp the key problems your new targeted industry is grappling with, without leaving your home and without spending a dime! (I elaborate on all the details in the book for HOW to find and follow the right community online.)
  • Social media allows you to demonstrate your newfound expertise, engage in your targeted community, and make a name for yourself in your new industry. Social media can’t MAKE you an expert, but if you have what it takes to excel in your new field, you should be able to demonstrate it online. Show that you know what’s going on, suggest solutions based on your expertise in other industries or fields and be someone who contributes to the conversation in your targeted field.
  • Your lack of actual experience in the field may become less important once potential colleagues view you as an active contributor. If you’re good at sharing what you learn and know, the connections you gain and their willingness to promote you as a contributor will outweigh your actual lack of industry, paid work experience as a factor. (It won’t totally erase it, but it goes a long way to helping you get where you want to go.)
  • Being familiar with social media tools may be just the unique skill you need to help you land a job. Social media isn’t going away. Having an online profile, a Twitter feed and/or using LinkedIn to connect with prospective colleagues helps show you are staying ahead of the curve regarding technology. In and of itself, that may help you exceed another qualified candidate’s credentials.

In the book, I share career change success stories from several contributors, including:

  • Alexis Grant (@alexisgrant), social media coach and owner of Socialexis, who is now Careers editor for U.S. News & World Report.
  • Jessica Lewis, who transitioned to a non-profit career after 10 years in a different field.
  • Kate-Madonna Hindes (known online as @girlmeetsgeek), who used blogging and Twitter to launch an entirely new career as a social marketer and career columnist. (She notes, “Social media changed my life.)

Don’t let the competitive market discourage you from making a change. Dive into social media — I hope you’ll take a look at my book to teach you how to get on the right path — and you may be surprised by the results! Be sure to learn more about my book, Social Networking for Career Success, as I teach you how to use all the social networks you know about — and some you haven’t even considered — and Amazon has it for a great price!

photo by vistavision

 

 

How LinkedIn can help you find a job or a gig

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I’ve been writing regularly on my book’s site, Social Networking for Career Success, sharing some tips and highlights included in the book and thanking the many contributors who share their advice and expertise in the manuscript.

I believe LinkedIn is the first social network all job seekers and entrepreneurs should use and master.

Here are links to recent posts about LinkedIn on my book’s site:

Craig Fisher, who provided some LinkedIn tips about using keywords in chapter 5, allowed me to highlight advice from one of his recent blogs about using LinkedIn.

Tim Tyrell-Smith, manager of a LinkedIn Success Story group, and Timothy Puyleart, who runs a very successful, niche LinkedIn group, offered excellent advice about the advantages and challenges of creating LinkedIn groups. Learn more in the post highlighting LinkedIn groups.

Stay tuned for more links to posts with social networking advice thanking contributors to Social Networking for Career Success. Take a look at the entire list of contributors and links to their blogs and Twitter accounts.

photo from LinkedIn Press Center

My book!

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Have you heard? My book, Social Networking for Career Success, is available for pre-sale! I’m so excited to finally be able to share this book with you. It includes my advice and insights regarding how to use all the biggies: LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook for job hunting and business use, as well as tips about networks you may not have considered.

The best part? Over 100 of my colleagues (most of whom I met via Twitter and blogging) provided their thoughts and expertise. Recruiters, social media pros, career coaches — you name it, their advice is included. Take a look at this list of amazing contributors!

I’ve recently launched the book’s site, and have started sharing some blog posts there. I hope you’ll take a look, and please pre-order the book for yourself or a friend!