Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Making lemonade out of a layoff

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Have you heard of the movie Lemonade? “Lemonade is an inspirational film about 16 advertising professionals who lost their jobs and found their calling, encouraging people to listen to that little voice inside their head that asks, “What if?”

The trailer for the movie is below…Take a look – you may be inspired!

Thanks to my new partners Simon North and Nisa Chitakasem, for sharing this video via the Position Ignition Career Advice Blog. Position Ignition is all about helping you get clear about what you want to do next with your career and how to make it happen. They focus on helping people who are wanting a more purposeful, rewarding career and those who are considering a career change.

photo by pink sherbet photography

What Duct Tape Marketing has to do with your job hunt

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Last night, I had a chance to hear John Jantsch, author of Duct Tape Marketing and (soon to be released) The Referral Engine. I was so excited to have the opportunity to meet John, as his highly acclaimed book has long been on my “to read” list. (It also seems to be on the “recommended” list of many of my colleagues’ blogs.) John has a great blog as well, dedicated to helping small businesses find “simple, effective and affordable” marketing solutions.

I also have to give a shout out here to the Atlanta Business Marketing Association and Kris Elliot (@regusatlanta) from Regus AtlantaOffice Solutions for hosting a terrific event in their beautiful office space! (Win one year of fully furnished office space at one of their 23 Atlanta locations enter HERE!)

I had a feeling that I’d get some great ideas to share with you from John, and I was not disappointed! The fact is (can’t say this enough): Job search is nothing more than marketing YOURSELF. And John’s definition of marketing absolutely hits the spot:

“Getting someone who has a need to know, like and trust you.” What a great way to define the point of the job search!

All too often, job seekers fail to connect and land because they don’t focus on what the organization or employer wants. Big mistake. Find this information by studying the job description, thoroughly reviewing the organization’s website and social networking sites and making good use of information from people you have met via informational interviews.

What are their problems? (Their “pain points.”) You need to understand those problems before you can try to solve them. (Follow THIS LINK for a story that helps explain why!)

Job search is not about you. Your resume is not even all about you – it is an opportunity to make connections between what you offer and what the organization desires. If you ignore those all important NEEDS, it is unlikely that you will connect with an employer in this very competitive market.

Take a good look at your resume. Are you taking into consideration who will be reading it and what appeals to him or her? Do you make an effort to connect your skills and accomplishments in a context that resonates with your audience? What can you do to incorporate information with the “hooks” to appeal to the jobs you are hoping to “catch?”

Stay tuned for more that John shared that really resonated for me and related to job search!

What you don't know about the job hunt will hurt you

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As you might imagine, I receive a lot of inquiries from blog readers about my services for job seekers. Sometimes, the communication between us reminds me of just how much help some job seekers need.

Recently, a very savvy, high-level professional with a stellar work history contacted me asking for help with her resume and with moving to a digital format. I replied, delighted to hear from someone who was asking me about a digital, or social, resume before I mentioned it first!

I explained that I am partnering now with an expert web developer to offer online resumes and described my services, which include a free coaching session “to discuss how to look for a job.”

The prospective client replied that she did not need to be told what to wear or how to interview, and assured me she was very capable, thank you very much. She also asked how much a social resume with fewer pages would cost, as she does not have enough to fill more than just an “about me” and resume page.

“Hmmm,” I thought, “This bright, talented and accomplished job seeker has no idea that there is so much she does NOT know about getting a job.” The fact that she thought my offer to help her learn “how to look for a job” would be about how to dress for an interview, yet she cannot envision what information she might use to fill her online profile seemed a bit ironic to me. However, how can you fault someone for not knowing what they need to know to succeed?

This was my reply:

Thanks for your note. I think that the key thing with a social resume is that you create the content to fill the tabs. Maybe it is links to the various news stories you generated, events you impacted, data or stories about previous companies (how they did while you were there), etc. The sky is really the limit – you have lots of room to share your “story,” and readers have the option to explore more or not! (Which is the major advantage of having a social resume that supplements the paper resume.)

I don’t usually focus on how to dress for an interview with my clients. Like you, they know about that, but are less well schooled on how to leverage social media. Why are you not on Twitter? It’s my absolute favorite social network for job seekers. Do you really optimize LinkedIn? There is a lot that most job seekers don’t have the time (or the inclination) to feel their way through. I spend all of my time in that “space,” so I can help you get where you need to go faster. Especially in your line of work, I would imagine the return would be significant.

So, when I offer a free coaching session to discuss how to find a job, I am not talking about “your father’s job search” – what to say in an interview, how to stand up straight – I am offering insight and ideas for job search that you probably have not considered.

Think about it – do YOU know what you DON’T know that may be preventing you from moving forward with your career plans?

photo by flowerbeauty

What pretzels have to do with your job search (or) why job seekers should focus on helping others

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Today, I was at Target. This is nothing all that unusual, to tell the truth. This morning, I was looking for individually wrapped snack packages. Perusing the aisle, I stopped in front of a man and his boxes. It seemed that they were right where my targeted snacks would be. He was stocking the shelves and quickly moved his boxes so I could find what I wanted.

No, it wasn’t there. So, I asked him if he knew where to find them. He explained that he was the “Frito-Lay guy,” and gestured to his array of chips and snacks on the shelf on the opposite side. “Hmmm…,” I said, looking at the chips – none individually wrapped. “Thanks, but I was really looking for something in small packages.” He stopped what he was doing, stood up and walked down the lane, noting that what I wanted was probably there. I was impressed that he was being so helpful, especially since I wasn’t looking for “his” stuff.

I thanked him, picked out some snacks, and then remembered that I needed pretzels! Usually, I find what is on sale. Today, there was no question that I was going to choose Frito-Lay snacks. (Sometimes, there is more to your choice than price!) Laughing, I told the man that he had sold three bags of his pretzels by helping me find his competitors’ treats! I have a feeling that I’ll remember my little encounter with the Frito-Lay man whenever I am looking for snacks. Will I always choose that brand? Maybe not, but this story will most likely cross my mind every time.

Turning back down the lane, I said to myself, “I guess I know what I am blogging about today!”

If you are a regular reader, you already know the career connection…If you are looking for a job, have you considered focusing more on how you can help other people? Small acts of kindness not only help you engage and connect with your community (whether it is online or in person), they also may remind you of your valuable skills that you can use to impact others.

I’ve written about the value of volunteering during a job search, but just reaching out to your immediate community and making an effort to extend yourself and help people who ask (or even those who do not ask) can have a real impact. You never know what might result from focusing part of your job-search strategy on helping other people.

What do you think? Has helping other people helped you in your job search? Do you think making an effort to think more of others has the potential to improve your mood – and maybe your prospects? Share your ideas in the comments!

Rules for the job hunt

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Do you ever stop and think that it would be nice if there were rules for the job hunt? You could just read the free online manual, do exactly what it says and land the job of your dreams?

The problem, of course, is that everyone would be reading the same exact manual (since it would be free!) Think about how competitive it would be. There was a comment on my post about job seeking and the Olympics this week from Michael Glenn that said “If job seekers trained like Olympic athletes for a job interview, they can reach Gold medal status.” If everyone had “the rules,” that would be true – it would be necessary to train as an Olympian to even get your foot in the door!

The fact is, no one can tell you the “right” way to land a job. There are as many opinions about resumes, networking, using social media and cover letters as there are hiring managers, recruiters and career coaches!

Just a minor example, some people will never read your cover letter, others won’t consider your application without a cover letter that impresses.

To further complicate the situation, everyone is different! What is right for you is not right for your neighbor, and your colleague needs something else altogether. As a result, I think the best approach is to EMBRACE the system instead of rage against it. Is it fair? No, no question that job seeking is not listed under “fair” in Webster’s…In fact, the job hunt process is anything but fair! The nature of selecting candidates is discriminatory: the organization has a set of criteria, combined with personal biases, personality considerations and individual impressions. Hiring someone with the “right fit” for the job is as nuanced as it gets.

On the other hand, Mark Jaffe notes on the Personal Success blog:

“We have a pretty terrific system in America: Careers are open to talent. I’m not saying it’s a pure meritocracy, but compared to other countries and cultures, we completely rock. Who your parents were, how you grew up, even where you went to school — all these factors are secondary to whether or not you can deliver the goods.” (Hat tip @danschawbel for tweeting this post.)

Good point! Reading on, he suggests this approach for job seekers (instead of trying out for the job):

“Imagine instead that you’re a consultant, and that you’ve already been paid a non-refundable $20,000 consulting fee to attend this meeting. How does that change things?”

Possibly very good advice for many people. Certainly, a positive way to think about job search – as if you already have the job and need to begin solving the client’s problems. I don’t think you can go too wrong presenting yourself as the solution to a prospective employer’s “pain points.” HOW you do it, however, and how you can be most successful MUST vary based on your level of experience, the employer and both of your personalities.

So, the takeaway here – educate yourself. Don’t make errors that can be “no brainers” for some positions (e.g., missing deadlines, typos, not knowing how your skills directly pertain to the job). But, be wary of anyone who writes a book or a blog and tells you that they have the holy grail of job search. All we can do is offer general advice and the onus is on you – the job seeker – to evaluate it and either incorporate it or not into your plans.