Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Are you a French fry or a job seeker?

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One of the first things I tell prospective clients who have received job hunting  advice elsewhere before coming to me is that a lot of job search is unscientific — what one person likes, another thinks is useless. A good example is the cover letter debate. Some recruiters expect a cover letter, others believe they are a waste of time. The fact that opinions vary about “right and wrong” is clear in resume-ology as well. The fact is, there is no absolute right way. There are best practices, and the rest is up to the job seeker or resume writer.

So, when I was speaking to a prospective client who told me he had been to a LinkedIn workshop and had his resume reviewed, I asked him to share a bit about what he had already learned, as I never want to confuse a job seeker from the get go with contradicting information.

Then, he told me that someone had advised him to suggest he was a “seasoned” professional in the headline of his resume. That’s when my coaching self control hit a road bump and I knew I needed to explain why he should not say he was “seasoned.”

I asked, “Are you a French fry?” (Actually, I didn’t really ask that. But, our discussion did hone in on that question.) Think about it: what is the chance that anyone has included the word seasoned in his or her applicant tracking system software (that scans resumes and helps identify the best ones) as a “grab this person if you find him” word? I’m thinking not very many.

I explained to the prospective client that it is so important to choose each word on the resume based on 1) the fact that it describes you (the job seeker) and clearly outlines what you have to offer (your skills and accomplishments – as they relate to the employer’s needs) and 2) the chance that the employer has flagged that keyword as important for the job.

Think about this when you get advice about your resume. Don’t just blindly incorporate information or words because someone mentioned them — think about what those words will be doing to help you get where you want to go.

Stay tuned for more advice about writing targeted job search materials!

photo by Gudlyf

Are you 45+ with an idea about how to make a difference?

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Do you have an idea that will make a difference in your community in the areas of  education, social services, environment, health care or helping others engage in encore careers (careers that combine purpose, passion and a paycheck)? If you are at least 45 years old, take note! Civic Ventures (a think tank on boomers, work and social purpose) just announced its new Launch Pad contest, which is designed to discover five inspiring people 45 and over with ideas to improve their communities.

Each winner will receive $5,000 and resources and support from the Encore.org community to put his or her idea into action.

Jim Emerman, executive vice president of Civic Ventures, explained, “The Launch Pad is a new contest to spur people’s thinking about how they can make a difference in an encore career.  We’re looking for five people, 45 and over, with great ideas for transforming their communities.  Each will win $5,000 to get their ideas off the ground.”

He continued, “Experienced adults with the passion and know-how to make a real difference in the lives of others offer a windfall of talent in our communities. The Launch Pad is about tapping their ideas for improving education, health, environment, social services and more.”

Launch Pad contenders from around the country can submit their ideas on how they want to make a difference in their communities at http://launchpad.encore.org/ through December 20.

On January 17, 2011, Civic Ventures will name 25 Launch Pad semifinalists. From January 17 through February 14, people will be invited to vote online for the idea they’d like to see realized.

The announcement of the Launch Pad contest follows last week’s news of the 2010 Purpose Prize winners, 10 people over age 60 who are making extraordinary contributions in their encore careers. The Purpose Prize, an award of up to $100,000, is given annually to individuals who are using their experience and passion to tackle society’s biggest challenges.

For more information on the Launch Pad contest, visit http://launchpad.encore.org/.

How to access the hidden job market

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I’m fortunate to live in the Atlanta area, where there is an active and talented, social media savvy recruiter community. I’m lucky to be able to meet these recruiters “in real life,” or as my friend Phyllis Mufson says, “in 3D.” One such recruiter is Jim Stroud. Jim is well known in the field for his work as a “Searchologist” (someone adept at online research), with an expertise in the full life-cycle placement of Executive and Technical personnel, Recruitment Research and Competitive Intelligence. What does all that mean? He has a lot of ideas about how to teach job seekers about how recruiters think.

While not everyone is going to find a job via a recruiter, I think his video about how to access the hidden job market is worth every job seeker’s time. This is what he says about the video:

Did you know that traditional job searches leave you at a disadvantage? Why? Simply put, there are a lot of unadvertised jobs that you are overlooking everyday. If you do not know about these hidden jobs. its because you have been looking in the wrong places. Its time to do something different! In this video on job search strategy, Jim Stroud gives tips on how to prospect the hidden job market. Tune in now and PLEASE share with other job seekers in your network.

Jim asked me to share this, so here it is. Let me know what you think, and be sure to be in touch if you’d like help implementing Jim’s suggestions. If you are ready for a social resume that gets results (and is optimized for search), contact me!

How To Find Hidden Jobs from Jim Stroud on Vimeo.

Making a difference may help you find a job

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Over the weekend, I was honored to be invited and to attend Civic Ventures’ Purpose Prize awards gala and the day of learning that followed. Civic Ventures is “a think tank on Boomers, work and social purpose.” People over 60 who are improving their communities and the world receive Purpose Prizes that recognize and reward their efforts. Five people receive $100,000 and five receive $50,000. It was something else to meet the prize winners and fellows who are doing amazing work in what might otherwise be their “retirement” years. (View highlights of the events captured on Twitter by searching #purposeprize.)

In fact, I didn’t hear anyone mention the word “retirement” without it being followed by a laugh. As if to say, “Like there is time to relax. There is too much to do.”

Inez Killingsworth won a $100,000 prize for her work heading Empowering and Strengthening Ohio’s People. The organization helps homeowners avoid foreclosure by negotiating with banks for more favorable terms on mortgages. When receiving her award, she commented, “if you know something is wrong and you don’t try to do something about it, why are ya’ here?” (Learn more about Inez and her work here.)

Take a look at the video (below) about Inez from Civic Ventures. (See more videos at Civic Ventures’ site.) I will be sharing stories from winners and other remarkable people I met during the weekend in Philadelphia on my blog in the next few weeks. I hope their stories help inspire you if you are a job seeker to begin to think about how you can use your time and expertise. No matter what your age, there is something out there for you to do that makes good use of your skills.

Maybe you don’t want to start your own non-profit or launch a movement in your community, but there is sure to be some place or organization that needs you. You never know when that something may turn into a paid position.

Learn more about Inez below:

photo courtesy of Civic Ventures.

What business owners and job seekers have in common

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It was exciting to attend Social Media for Start ups, a panel that is part of Social Media Atlanta’s events this week. The experts provided lots of great advice that is relevant for those planning to start businesses, but also for anyone seeking a job.

The panel was moderated by Laura Nolte, Principal – Green Theory. Panelists were:

Adam Rice, Co-Founder – Looxii

Jeremy Porter, Founder – Journalistics

Lance Weatherby, Startup Catalyst – ATDC at Georgia Tech

Nicole Jayne, Social Media Manager – Scoutmob

Sarah DeVries, BlinqMedia

Some takeaways:

Lance made a point about “social proof,” a term that means you show, rather than tell, what you have to offer. Someone who demonstrates a social proof may be applying for a job in social media and do so by using social media in a particularly unique or clever way. The concept of social proof is key for entrepreneurs and start up businesses — they need to show what they can get done. It is also important for job seekers. Always be thinking about how to PROVE that you have the skills, experience and expertise you say you have. Think, “show, don’t tell.”

Adam and Jeremy suggested staying flexible and focusing on what customers want…Another crossover here between a start up and a job seeker. While I advocate job seekers target organizations and opportunities, sometimes, it is necessary to make adjustments in job search strategies. Be prepared to adjust if you want to succeed. For job seekers, the “customer” is the hiring manager. Focus on what he or she wants. Be that person (assuming you are!)

Jeremy suggested that start ups focus on building communities via social media (via blogs and using Twitter)  in the pre-launch phase. He noted that the product could be great, but that the community adds value. Sarah added that word of mouth is key for start ups and suggested relying on friends (and, by extension – social media friends) for buzz. Again — a perfect analogy for job seekers. Build your network before you need it. (Before you are job hunting.) You may be amazing, but it doesn’t matter if no one knows about you. Create a community (or more than one) and rely on it when you are in job search mode.

Jacqui Chew, principal of iFusion Marketing, provided several great insights from the audience. She pointed out that to gain credibility, you need to create your own content and become a go-to resource for your niche. She reminded the audience to provide value by building an audience. Perfect advice for job seekers as well as start ups!

Sarah suggested start ups avoid long, drawn out campaigns because they cause reader fatigue. If you see the same ad on Facebook for a month, you will probably ignore it at some point, right? The same goes for job seekers. Don’t be the “job seeker” who does nothing but look for a job, talk about looking for a job and asking people if they “know anyone.” Instead – remember the previous point – think about how you can provide value and gain credibility. How can you connect for content?

Jeremy commented that start ups need to balance “push ideas” with “pull ideas.” This is absolutely crucial for job seekers as well. You cannot rely on finding a job by sending out resumes and applications. Think about how you can attract people to you. (See “create content.”)

Think about how you can incorporate these ideas into your job search. Can you do anything differently that may achieve a better result?