Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Network with strangers

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I coach my clients to cultivate loose networking ties. (Effectively, connect with people outside of your immediate circle.) Many wonder how useful it is to reach out, especially  online, to people they only expect to “know” via the Internet.

My colleague, JT O’Donnell, recently wrote a great piece for Mashable asking, “Would you refer a stranger to a job?” Her response to her own question:

“I guess that all depends on what your definition of ‘stranger’ is these days…Last week, I sent an email to an HR Director introducing a candidate. Seems normal, right? Well, the catch is that I’ve never met the person I referred, or the HR Director – in person, that is. I met them on LinkedIn.”

JT explains her thought process in referring a virtual stranger for an opportunity:

1. In my mind, she’s not a stranger. While it is true that 93% of effective communication between two people is done face-to-face (i.e. voice tone and pace, eye contact, body language, facial expressions, etc.), the reality is that she only got to use 7% of her communication skills (the words and style of her writing) by e-mail to connect with me. I had multiple dialogs with her online – and all of them were consistently professional and enjoyable.

2. Networking online is easy an efficient. These days, it is estimated that over 80% of jobs are gotten by referral. FACT: The ‘Six Degrees of Separation Theory’ truly applies when it comes to job search. Just look at the evidence: it took me all of three minutes to learn that I was only two contacts away from the HR Director she wanted to meet, and just another five minutes of my time to send the e-mail recommending her.

3. Being helpful is good for your business-of-one. Leveraging our contacts online to help someone find a job in this economy is thoughtful and much needed. Not to mention, it boosts your own credibility as a professional. Besides, you just never know when you might need the favor returned. The reality is that anyone you refer still has to get the job, the assignment, or the sale on their own. So, it’s not a big investment on your part. I actually think the returns are greater for the person who does the referring.

I think that JT’s story is a wonderful reminder to job seekers – do NOT underestimate the value of “loose” connections and the opportunity to build relationships using technology and social media.

The majority of the 80% of jobs found via networking are not likely to be a result of “close” connections – What I like to call the “brother-in-law phenomenon,” where you have to hope your family member can connect you to an opportunity. Things are much more in the job seeker’s hands than that!

This contact JT  described in this story did everything right by building a relationship first. She did not cut to the chase to ask for a “favor.” JT was willing to refer the job seeker because she had a good feeling about her skills – and a sense that she would behave in a similarly professional way when connecting with another contact.

Job seekers who learn how to form relationships with people instead of looking at “networking” as a chore will be the success stories we career coaches point out for everyone else!

Use LinkedIn, Twitter and FaceBook to propel your search! I would be happy to help teach you how to leverage your job search network for success. Contact me!

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When should you take a mediocre job?

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In today’s economy, it is tough to counsel “choice” to job seekers. When bills need to be paid, and jobs seem few and far between, many don’t consider “options” as part of their job hunting mentality. That said, taking a bad job probably is not the wisest career move.

Forbes.com recently advised that it is “probably never” a good idea to take a job out of desperation.

Read the rest on my blog at GreatPlaceJobs…


Don’t get to the point of being desperate! Get help for your hunt today! Need a resume? Don’t know how to get started on your search? Keppie Careers is here to help!


photo by paperbackwriter

Stay Positive and Upbeat When Job Hunting

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Maybe you read yesterday’s post and have been wondering how you’re going to get yourself out of the doldrums so you can approach your job hunt with a positive attitude that will appeal to employers. (Just having a positive attitude should also help make you feel better, but that’s another blog!)

I’m no Polianna – I understand how difficult a long and drawn out job hunt can be. It can be demoralizing to be out of work, especially around the holidays. I hope the following tips can help you get over a hump and get your search going in the right direction:

You are not alone! Heard the news? Read a newspaper lately?  Take comfort in the fact that you are in great company if you are looking for a job.

Focus on the silver lining. Try to separate your thinking from the inevitable worry and stress a job loss creates to focus on your plans. Think beyond tomorrow – what do you REALLY want to do next? Is there a silver lining that will allow you to re-think your career direction or job location? Is this an opportunity to take the time to re-train for another field that has always interested you? Maybe you never really liked your job much anyway, and if you stopped to think about it, this job loss is actually a good thing for your career and maybe for your health as well!

It’s not all about you. While there are things that you control and should consider evaluating, such as your resume and written job search materials, your appearance and demeanor and actual job hunting skills, don’t take the fact that you can’t find a job personally. Even if you take care of all the things in your control and focus your search efforts properly, it may still take longer than you’d like to land a new position. Assuming you’ve done your part, it’s not your fault.

Plan your search. And plan time off of your search! You can’t stay chained to your computer 24/7. I’ve written about how important it is to take time off of your search. If you were a workaholic before, this may be difficult for you, but try! Take time off for fun. Rent a movie. Pop some popcorn and relax. Plan hours to search and hours to be off. Take control – it feels good!

Volunteer. This is a great way to help other people who are less fortunate. The advantages?

  • First and foremost – you will be helping an individual or group. Using your skills to benefit others is very rewarding.
  • Noticing that, even if you lost your job, you are still very fortunate relative to many others can be a reminder to stand up straighter and smile.
  • You may inadvertently find new career avenues as a result of volunteer work. If you volunteer in an area that always interested you, but you never learned much about, it might be an opportunity to find a new direction.
  • Volunteering can offer great networking potential. You’ll meet new people, expand your circle and demonstrate you skills and competence in a new venue. This is great for your job hunt!

Stay tuned for the rest of the series, including other tips for how to use your time well and how to find support when it isn’t coming from the typical sources.

If you’re looking for a job, I can help you. Take a look at our services to learn what we can offer.

photo by william hutton jr.


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You Control Your Job Hunting Destiny

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I recently received an email from a former colleague. He’s an empathic and caring professional who never has an unkind word to say and is one of my mentors in the career world. So, I certainly took notice of his strongly worded comments.

He wrote:

I was watching Good Morning America this morning, (not a normal part of my routine), but on the show I learned they are sponsoring/promoting job fairs across America…I only saw one segment, but it was very revealing and certainly blog-worthy.

DRESS!!! Attire was absolutely HORRIBLE. What are these people thinking???? The men were less than business casual. One man Robin Roberts interviewed had no tie and literally 4 buttons undone on his shirt. He has been unemployed for over a year and has no idea why. Sure, he was in construction, but he has to dress when meeting potential employers. Overall, of the people they showed in line, at least 2 – 3x were more inappropriate than appropriate for a job fair. It was SHOCKING!!!!

Then came the interviews. Robin Roberts talked to 3 people. Talk about depressing. Sure they are unhappy because they have been unemployed since February or longer, BUT, that is NO REASON to have lack of energy and purpose. They will never get hired with the hang-dog pessimistic attitude. Who wants to hire that??? People need to suck it up and get a burst of happy because being morose will not earn them work. Someone needs to shake these people and wake them up. It was awful…terrible…pathetic.

Think about it: are YOU one of these job seekers? You don’t even try very hard anymore because you’re so tired of looking for a job? I often think about all of the clients I meet who blame the economy or any number of other factors when they can’t get a job, when there are some very basic things that job seekers can do to improve their chances.

In your efforts to focus on resume standards and interview questions, are you forgetting the basics?  You MUST make an effort to appear positive and not down and out at the interview. Appearing desperate won’t win you points, and most people wouldn’t purposely choose to work with a sad sack. In fact, career columnist Anita Bruzzese said, “Most hiring managers I have interviewed say they won’t hire desperate candidates, although they can’t exactly explain why. They also say they really take notice of people who give off a positive energy.”

Are you giving off a positive energy? Would YOU want to hire you? Think about it…Take control of what you DO control. Dress up for interviews. Smile. Sit up straight and look confident. Stay tuned for tips to help you stay positive and use your time well while in a longer than expected job search.

If your job search is getting you down, consider partnering with me to help get you on the path to landing a job. You will be amazed at the things you could be doing that you are NOT doing that can help you get where you need to go.

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Addressing Ageism in Your Job Search

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I spend as much time as possible online, reading blogs and keeping a finger on the pulse of what I call the “career space.” Lately, on LinkedIn, the “Answers” in the “resume” section is populated with questions pertaining to ageism in the job hunt.

If Father Time is catching up with you, read on for some tips to consider for your job hunt…

This week, a question on LinkedIn reads:

A friend just confessed she is facing age discrimination when looking for a new job. She is very experienced, very professional, keeps in great shape and looks around 40 years old. But she’s in her early 50’s and since the CV precedes the interview, that is what a recruiter or HR person sees even before meeting her: HER AGE.

And that is enough to get her CV rejected.

My answer:

Yes, there is ageism. No question about it….More experience typically equals more pay, and if a company can get by with a less mature, less seasoned professional, why not?

However, the fact is, your friend cannot know for sure that age is what is preventing her from landing an interview…In my experience, the resume itself is often half of the problem, not the years of experience.

If I were to advise your friend, I would also suggest that she first ask a professional to evaluate her resume. If she is sending out the same thing and not getting results, it seems like a good time to take stock.

Once the resume is top notch, I would advise that she focus on growing her network.
Everyone should know that 80% of jobs are found via networking, and not all of those networking connections are “close” connections. Web 2.0 offers so many opportunities to grow a network and to demonstrate expertise…Job seekers should take advantage of them to stand out in a crowd!

While resumes need only demonstrate the last 10 or so years of work, taking years off of degrees is a bad idea. Face it – if there isn’t a year, won’t everyone reading it just assume your friend is older than her years?

Let’s assume that ageism, not a poor resume combined with ineffective job search strategies, is the problem. I’ve written about how to use your digital footprint to make yourself look younger. There is a link in the blog to a NYT article which has a great clip from the Today Show. You may be surprised at the control that you really have when you drive your own career bus!

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Need help with your hunt? We can help you get your job hunt in gear! Visit Keppie Careers online for information about our services: www.keppiecareers.com.

photo by aloofdork