Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Prepare in advance for the job that may come knocking

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Last week, a prospective client contacted me. He was thinking about solidifying his “personal brand” and thought he could use some help firming up his job search plans. We spoke briefly, I explained how I could help him identify the stories that would relate and appeal to his target audience and how I could teach him to propagate those stories via social media. I agreed to outline a strategy/proposal while he interviewed other coaches (!), but the next thing I knew, he was contacting me with an urgent email:

“My dream job just came knocking on the door.”

All of the sudden, a longer-term, “let’s think about it” plan became an immediate need — how to impress the telephone screener to land a chance at an interview for the job he’d been yearning to have. (Incidentally, this was the second client in a week I’d convinced NOT to offer to “scrub toilets” for the privilege of working someplace!)

Luckily, I was able to schedule a just-in-time coaching session and identified the salient points from the job description I believed would be most valuable to highlight and discuss in an introductory meeting. Success! The meeting went well; the client is waiting to firm a date for the second interview — and is ready for the next “just-in-time” session to help him hone in on what he wants to say.

Could this be you? Absolutely! Do you need to wait to the 11th hour to get some help to get you where you want to go? No! Start preparing now.

Are you ready to present yourself — in line with what your audience wants to hear? Could you pass an initial screen? If not, maybe it’s time for a coaching session?

photo by Feuillu

Important information about work-life fit/flexibility

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One issue for many job seekers is landing an opportunity offering “flexibility,” “balance,” or, what consultant,  Cali Williams Yost, CEO and Founder of Flex Strategy Group and author of Work+Life: Finding the Fit That’s Right for You, would call “work-life fit.”

Today, I’m happy to share research Cali sent me from from the 2011 Work+Life Fit™ Reality Check Survey. It illustrates that, “Work life flexibility is no longer a bright, shiny, novelty item that only a few people have.  In fact, most full-time employees have some form of work life flexibility and they are much less afraid to use it than they were five years ago.”


The following tips are directly from survey findings to help you get the most out of the work life flexibility that’s become a foundational part of the way we live and work:

Tip 1: Don’t let too much work and too little time keep you from work life flexibility, instead use that flexibility strategically to get your work done and have a life. When asked, respondents ranked “increased workload or no time for flexibility” as the top obstacle (29%) that kept them from using or improving their work life flexibility.  Looked at another way, flexibility could also be the key to managing that greater workload and having more time for the other parts of your life.  A periodic shift in hours, or working from home now and then could restore a sense of productivity and well-being.  Be creative.

Tip 2: Remember that work life flexibility comes in many forms.  It includes both day-to-day, informal ad hoc shifts in how, when and where you work, as well as formal plans that officially change your work+life fit. Even though 62% of respondents said they had some type of day-to-day, ad hoc flexibility, it’s easy to take it for granted as a given.  Use it thoughtfully and strategically to manage the way work fits into your life every day. If you are interested in more formal plan, learn ahead of time how to present a proposal that’s a win for you and the business.

Tip 3:  To make informal, day-to-day flexibility a success for you, your team and the business, make sure to communicate and coordinate with all of the key stakeholders, not just your supervisor. According to the survey, when respondents made occasional changes in how, when and where they work, they discussed those changes with:

  • 79% their supervisor
  • 63% their spouse, family or partner
  • 52% their colleagues
  • 45% those they supervise, and
  • 7% no one.

You don’t need to tell your colleagues and those you supervise why you are using flexibility, but let them know how the work will get done and how they can reach you if needed.

Tip 4: Challenge any lingering fears that may be keeping you from using or improving your work life flexibility. Make sure any fear or concern is based on fact, not invalid assumptions.  The good news is that individuals are much less likely to let fear or negative perceptions keep them from using or improving their flexibility than they were in 2006:

  • You might make less money:  21% in 2011 versus 45% in 2006
  • You might lose your job:  16% in 2011 versus 28% in 2006
  • Others will think you don’t work hard:  11% in 2011 versus 39% in 2006
  • You worry that your boss would  say “no”:  13% in 2011 versus 32% in 2006

However, obviously some fears and concerns linger.  Learn about the compensation policy related to flexibility where you aren’t working less, just differently.   Understand the employment climate in your organization.  Make sure you continue to work hard, communicate and coordinate well (see Tip 3) and learn how to present a flexibility plan that’s a win-win and hard to turn down.

Tip 5: Understand that work life flexibility is more than a perk, or benefit.  It’s a strategy that your employer can use to “retain talent, manage workload and grow.”  And without it, the business will suffer particularly in the areas of health/wellness, morale and productivity.  One of the surprising findings for the 2011 Work+Life Fit Reality Check is how many respondents either think work life flexibility is a “perk or benefit” (36%) or “don’t know” what it is (14%).  Just as work life flexibility can help you strategically manage your workload and resources, it can also benefit the business in other areas.  Specifically, a majority of respondents (66%) felt that without work life flexibility health (48%), morale (41%) and productivity (36%) would suffer.

For more details and to download the study, visit Work Life Fit Tips.

You may also want to read a study addressing the issue of inevitability of work-life flex, Findings from the Flexpaths – LinkedIn study.

photo by ellajphillips

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

 

 

Why should we hire you?

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“Why should we hire you?” It’s the underlying question inherent in every interview inquiry. Even if interviewers don’t ask this exact question, it’s what they want to know. Your job is to supply appropriate answers. You’ll need to describe reasons using concrete examples illustrating how and why you are a good fit for the organization.

Answering the question well requires two, equally important elements:

  1. Knowing what you offer.
  2. Understanding what the organization wants.

 

What You Offer
Why are you a good fit for the job? If you don’t know your skills, it will be difficult to land an opportunity. It’s imperative to understand what you have to offer when applying for positions. I tell my clients to post the question, “Why should we hire you?” on their bathroom mirror, refrigerator or anyplace they will see it during the day. I instruct them to answer, out loud, keeping different companies in mind each time. This type of rehearsal will help you hone in on what you have to offer.

What do you enjoy most about your job? It’s likely those aspects correlate with your strengths and may help identify reasons to hire you. For example, do you enjoy spending a lot of time negotiating, preventing problems (or solving them), or interacting with people from various backgrounds? Are you a writer, whose best time is quietly typing, alone at the computer? Or, is presenting in front of large groups your favorite thing? Make a list of what you would consider your best strengths.

If it’s difficult choosing your best skills, consider asking for help and doing some self-referential research. Dig out old performance reviews, read what people have written about you in LinkedIn recommendations, and ask your friends or colleagues about your strengths.

Need help articulating what you offer? Check out my new book:
100 Conversations for Career Success

Identify what is unique or special about you. How have you gone above and beyond the call of duty? What did you accomplish that no one else managed to do? Did you volunteer to tackle a problem and solve it? Give yourself credit — ideally, your past work will provide a strong, supportive platform for your next job.

Don’t underestimate the value of looking at yourself, your skills, and your accomplishments and outlining the key points you will want to share with a prospective employer.

What the Organization Wants
While the focus of “Why should we hire you?” is on “you,” the interviewee, it’s important to remember the answer isn’t all about you. The most successful interview responses focus on the hiring manager’s needs. Framing replies that demonstrate you understand their problems — or “pain points,” makes a big difference when competing with many other qualified candidates.

What are the skills to focus on when you apply for jobs? It’s usually not very difficult to identify what employers are looking for; their 2,000-word, in-depth job descriptions don’t leave much to the imagination. Many firms post videos, and manage Facebook sites and Twitter feeds touting their organizations and why you might want to work there. Skip these resources at your own peril — they are telling you exactly what you need to know to be a strong candidate.

To prepare to successfully interview — frame your answer to, “Why should we hire you?” to suit the employer’s needs. Print and highlight the job description, looking for the top three or four most important details. Do they include terms such as, “cross-functional team,” “team work,” and “team player” several times? If your answer to, “Why should we hire you?” (asked directly or as an underlying question) does not mention and focus on your abilities as they relate to teams, you are probably out of luck.

Does the company’s YouTube channel have a series of videos outlining its commitment to customer service? You’ll want to include details about your interest in client relations as part of the reason the employer should hire you. If an organization emphasizes a topic, it’s likely management will appreciate your letting them know why (and how) you are a good fit. Think of an interview as an opportunity to build a bridge between what the company wants and what you offer — and to figuratively lay a red carpet across the bridge, encouraging the employer to walk across!

Final Thoughts: What if There’s a Disconnect? You Know You Need to Emphasize a Skill or Accomplishment that’s not a Strong Suit?
The job requires leadership skills, for example. You know the interviewer will want to discuss it, but it’s one of your weak points. What should you say?

Give examples of non-work related leadership stories if your work history isn’t very leadership focused. Maybe you led a volunteer team and raised a lot of money, for example. It does help to be able to work in information about how you demonstrated leadership at work. To address this topic, break down the definition of “leadership” and identify some matches between what you’ve exhibited on the job and what the job requires.

For example, a leader:

  • Takes responsibility for his or her actions
  • Can think on his or her feet and make decisions
  • Can convince others of a viewpoint or plan — and inspire them to cooperate
  • Sees the bigger picture and makes suggestions to avoid obstacles

When the interviewer asks why the organization should hire you, include a leadership-focused reply, such as, “I know this job requires strong leadership experience. The best leaders think ahead, make good decisions and skillfully convince others to cooperate.” (Then, tell a story illustrating a time when you used those three skills.)

photo by b4b2

What LinkedIn’s “apply” button may mean for job seekers

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There’s been a lot of buzz in the past week or so about LinkedIn’s “apply” button. Mashable reported LinkedIn will launch a button to allow users to easily apply for jobs using their LinkedIn profiles as an effective “resume” later this month. Dan Schawbel called for this being one more nail in the resume’s coffin and asserted job boards are on their way out as a result. There’s lots of push back from the recruiting community on the topic and, many of us believe the resume is not going out of style, but I think there is a more important question to consider for job seekers.

Does “one button” applying help or hurt your chances for a job? Easy isn’t always the best approach for job seekers. I would anticipate a one-button solution (eliminating those pesky “hoops” job seekers usually need to jump through) will result in many more candidates applying for jobs. Just a guess here, but I am also guessing it would appeal to more UNqualified candidates. I’m not sure if that’s useful for employers or job seekers, but it’s sure to feed into an applicant tracking system to help make it easy for employers to scan and screen applicants.

The question of what it all means for job seekers still sticks out like a sore thumb. One of the most important things to do when applying for a job online is to target your materials to match the employer’s needs. How you apply for a job can be the difference between getting a job or not. It’s crucial that your application materials make a case for you. This may be tricky for people applying for various types of jobs. It is much easier to tweak a resume and application than it is to worry about what LinkedIn profile is up. (Although, of course, the LinkedIn profile is always a factor, when it is the clear leading indicator when you apply, it can make applying more complicated for career changers or those career change expert Marci Alboher calls “slashers.” She defines “slashers” as people who have multiple career interests and expertise and “can’t answer the question ‘What do you do?’ with a single word or phrase.”)

Donna Svei points out that reports say applicants will have a chance to edit their profiles when they apply, but as she explains, it’s unclear right now if the changes would be permanent on the LinkedIn profile or not.

These are all important details, and it will be absolutely necessary for job seekers to remember that “one button” applying may shorten the process, but it’s not an invitation to apply for jobs without foresight and focus.

If companies do start to receive a lot of unqualified or un-targeted applicants, we may see them preferring to find candidates from other sources. In fact, Career Columnist for The Seattle Times (NWjobs), Paul Anderson recently shared a column describing the fact that some employers advertise and collect applications from places even though they DON’T expect to hire applicants from that pool! A little crazy, right? Paul clarified for me they put out those feelers “just in case” they don’t get a good pool from their preferred sources.

Job seekers should keep an eye on news about easier ways to apply for jobs. If you want to land an opportunity to interview for the job, though, don’t focus on the “it’s easy” aspect — keep an eye on the prize and spend time needed to tweak and target.

Have you seen my new book — Social Networking for Career Success? Take a look if you want ideas about how to get your job search (or business) going in the right direction!

photo by Jim’s outside photos