Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Use parties and other festive opportunities to your advantage for job hunting

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holidaypunch3069151645_2c8c4a0877_mHave I mentioned how great it is to turn to a terrific social network for ideas to share with you? Yes – I guess I have! Today, advice about job hunting during the holidays from two terrific experts who both write for About.com…Alison Doyle and Andrea Santiago….

Alison Doyle, author of About.com’s guide to job searching suggests:
View every holiday event you attend as a networking opportunity and accept all the invitations you receive, both personal and professional. You never know who may be able to help. Friends and family, as well as business acquaintances are typically more than happy to assist. A word of warning – don’t overindulge. You don’t want to be remembered as the guest who had one too many drinks.

Andrea Santiago, a medical recruiter and author of About.com’s guide to health careers reminds her readers that the holidays are a prime time for networking. She suggests keeping at your search by focusing on these possibilities:

  • Travel – You never know who could be standing next to you in the security line or sitting in the seat next to you on the plane! Be prepared to strike up a conversation.
  • Parties and Gatherings – Be prepared to meet new people, no matter if you’re gathering at your Aunt’s house, your in-laws, or at a friend’s holiday party. Remember, the people you meet don’t even necessarily have to work in the healthcare industry in order to be valuable contacts.
  • Down Time – Depending on your travel and celebration plans, you may have more down-time than usual during the holidays. If you have extra time off from school or even from a current job if you’re employed, or downtime in between travels or waiting to board a plane, use this time to do some on-line networking, or maybe read a helpful book.

For much more advice about job searching during the holidays…

Part 1 – My suggestions and a free ebook offer

Part 2 – Walter Akana – Take care of yourself

Part 3 – Anita Bruzzese – Stay ahead of the crowd

Part 4 – Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter – Unplug and embrace rest

Part 5 – Wendy Enelow – Ideas for employed and unemployed job seekers

Part 6 – GL Hoffman – Use time to research and prepare

Part 7 – Meghan M. Biro – Use the holidays as a time for self assessment

Part 8 – Craig Fisher – Recruiters don’t ease up during the holidays – neither should you

Part 9 – Ronnie Ann – Take advantage of other peoples’ resolutions

I can help with every part of your job hunt! Need a great resume? Tips to use social networking? Interview coaching?  If you need help mobilizing your networks and your job search plans, learn more about how I can help you! While you’re at it, don’t forget those social networks! Be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the community! Since we’re on the subject of doing something new…Are you on Twitter? Jump on and touch base with me @keppie_careers.

photo by trazomfreak

Take advantage of OTHER peoples' new year's resolutions – keep at your job hunt during the holidays

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2010.4129504084_45b9f63eac_mIt seems that the general consensus is that driving your job search bus straight through the holidays is a good idea. Today, I’m happy to share some thoughts from Ronnie Ann, an advisor who blogs at Work Coach Cafe. We got acquainted on Twitter, and I really enjoy reading her posts and tweets. So, I was glad that she had some ideas to share about job searching during the holidays.

These are Ronnie Ann’s ideas about holiday job searching…

I’m so happy you’re writing about this, Miriam. Through the years, I’ve heard people say it’s not worth looking for jobs as we get into December and the holiday season. Well, I think it’s exactly the right time to be looking…in all meanings of that word.

It’s true that many employers may wait until the new year to post a new job, but at any given time there are still jobs that need to be filled ASAP. And since so many people hold back from looking at all during this time, you may have an even better chance applying for any jobs that do get posted. Less competition can be a good thing! You only need to find one job to make it worthwhile, right? It’s at least worth a try.

But here’s my favorite part. Even in tough times, people will make New Year’s resolutions to quit their old jobs in 2010 and find new ones. So this is exactly the right time to get a jump on the crowd and start planting those networking seeds – your best chance at finding a great job.

And the holiday season is a golden opportunity for networking. There are more parties and chances to connect. In fact, in my own career, I once decided to switch from the private to non-profit sector, and when I met someone at a holiday party who worked in non-profit, I casually mentioned what I was thinking about. Well…he got me to someone who got me to someone else – and long story short – I found what I was looking for!

Don’t forget – casually is the operative word;  you don’t want to look like you’re all about you. Listening and NOT being in “sell-yourself mode” is the key to good networking. (For my favorite tip on networking you might enjoy reading: The Simplest Job Networking Tip of All.)

As I see it, now is always the exactly the right time to start looking. Good luck!

Don’t miss the rest of the series and advice from many of my colleagues:

Part 1 – My suggestions and a free ebook offer

Part 2 – Walter Akana – Take care of yourself

Part 3 – Anita Bruzzese – Stay ahead of the crowd

Part 4 – Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter – Unplug and embrace rest

Part 5 – Wendy Enelow – Ideas for employed and unemployed job seekers

Part 6 – GL Hoffman – Use time to research and prepare

Part 7 – Meghan M. Biro – Use the holidays as a time for self assessment

Part 8 – Craig Fisher – Recruiters don’t ease up during the holidays – neither should you

I can help with every part of your job hunt! Need a great resume? Tips to use social networking? Interview coaching?  If you need help mobilizing your networks and your job search plans, learn more about how I can help you! While you’re at it, don’t forget those social networks! Be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the community! Since we’re on the subject of doing something new…Are you on Twitter? Jump on and touch base with me @keppie_careers.

photo by toettoet

Recruiters don't ease up during the holidays – neither should you

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smartphone.red2306615976_2952f1cc23_mIf you are a regular reader, I hope you are already convinced that it’s important to job hunt during the holidays. Do you know where you are going with your job hunt? Today, I’m happy to share insight from the “other side of the hiring desk.” Today’s contributor, Craig Fisher, is a management and information technology recruiter, staffing entrepreneur and co-founder of A-List Solutions.

I know Craig via Twitter and saw him tweet on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving about placing a candidate:

craig tweet

Of course, I immediately DMed and asked if he’d contribute to this series. This is Craig’s take on looking for a job during the holidays…

So perhaps you are thinking that hiring managers won’t be in the office over the holidays.  Maybe you should ease up on your job search.  But you should know that your friendly neighborhood recruiter is likely still in touch with those managers and trying to make placements happen.

As a case in point, I just placed a candidate in a great new position.  It is Tuesday evening before Thanksgiving.  I was able to facilitate a background check and offer letter while both candidate and client were already out for vacation.  All parties were thrilled and the candidate gets to start work on this coming Monday morning.

Today it is easier than ever for recruiters to do business even when nobody is at work.  Smart phones make it so easy to text and view documents.  And smart recruiters know that many hiring managers are trying to spend budget money right now before year end.

Just remember that we recruiters are ALWAYS trying to get people placed in jobs.  And we are likely in touch with many of our clients even when they are out of the office.  Recruiters work hard all through the holidays.  And if you are a job seeker, you should too.

Craig Fisher is a founding partner of A-List solutions, blogger at http://blog.fishdogs.com/ and host of the TalentNet Live #TNL recruiter forum. As a 15-year recruiting industry veteran, Craig is a social recruiting and new media branding strategist for job seekers and employers. Follow Craig on Twitter @Fishdogs

Don’t miss all the great advice from my colleagues and friends for holiday job seeking:

Part 1 – My suggestions and a free ebook offer

Part 2 – Walter Akana – Take care of yourself

Part 3 – Anita Bruzzese – Stay ahead of the crowd

Part 4 – Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter – Unplug and embrace rest

Part 5 – Wendy Enelow – Ideas for employed and unemployed job seekers

Part 6 – GL Hoffman – Use time to research and prepare

Part 7 – Meghan M. Biro – Use the holidays for self assessment

So, what do you think? Are you planning to go at your job hunt full force? Share in the comments!

I can help with every part of your job hunt! Need a great resume? Tips to use social networking? Interview coaching?  If you need help mobilizing your networks and your job search plans, learn more about how I can help you! While you’re at it, don’t forget those social networks! Be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the community! Since we’re on the subject of doing something new…Are you on Twitter? Jump on and touch base with me @keppie_careers.

photo by geedarryl

How to use the holidays as a time for self assessment

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reflection.8395783_8dda8afb97_mIt’s so nice to be able to turn to my network of colleagues who are willing to share advice and insights with all of us! In a continuation of my series on job hunting for the holidays, today’s thoughts are from Meghan M. Biro. Meghan is founder of Talent Culture, where she partners with clients, corporations and individuals to ensure a match between hiring needs, brand and culture/personality. I “met” Meghan via Twitter and have had a chance to speak with her several times. I was delighted to have her accept my invitation to join in the chorus of expert opinions regarding how to make the best of the holidays.

These are Meghan’s ideas:

The holidays can be a daunting time to look for a new job or contemplate a career move. Exhortations to be thankful and/or happy may be in conflict with the realities of short money, no prospects and few responses to resumes and inquires.

I agree with my colleagues that it’s not a great idea to suspend a career search during the holidays – many companies are firming up 2010 budgets and it’s still possible to work your way in to a good job.  What can be useful, however, is a quick self-assessment. This task is perfect at the holidays, when we may already be introspective – visits with family and seemingly prosperous friends may have pushed you to examine where you are and where you want to be.

Keep networking, use social media to connect with people in companies you admire and search for places that could use your skills. As you move forward with the standard seeking-a-job tasks, though, give yourself permission to be introspective.

Self-assessment isn’t self-indulgence – it’s a hard look at four factors that can affect your appeal as an employee:

➢    Personality type
➢    Interests
➢    Skills
➢    Values

Personality type defines what is consistent – if you’re an introvert or a leader, if you prefer cooperation or manage conflict well. If you aren’t happy with your personality type, remember that you can adapt in other areas through self-assessment. Take interests. You may be very interested in travel and mildly interested in writing. Now may be the time to begin short-form writing in a career journal, on a blog – even on Twitter. Develop this interest into a marketable skill, and build it into your personal brand.

Skills are things you know how to do well. List all the things you know how to do well, hone those skills and build a story around why they will make you a great employee. [Miriam’s note – take a look at the skills lists HERE to help you get started.]

Personal values may seem to be the least important aspect of a career search, but they, more than anything else, will help you find a business culture where you fit. Use the holidays, a time when it’s safe to think in terms of values, to assess and reconnect with yours. If you value honesty and independence, are outgoing, interested in travel and writing and are skilled at managing people and negotiating compromise, create a narrative that weaves theses attributes into a personal brand. Use the holidays to connect with people who work for companies with cultures that align with your personal brand. From introspection will come inspiration and perhaps new opportunity. Make the holidays work for you with a little self-assessment.

So, do you believe you have a good handle on who you are and what you offer? Share in the comments!

Part 1 – My suggestions and a free ebook offer

Part 2 – Walter Akana – Take care of yourself

Part 3 – Anita Bruzzese – Stay ahead of the crowd

Part 4 – Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter – Unplug and embrace rest

Part 5 – Wendy Enelow – Ideas for employed and unemployed job seekers

Part 6 – GL Hoffman – Use time to research and prepare

I can help with every part of your job hunt! Need a great resume? Tips to use social networking? Interview coaching?  If you need help mobilizing your networks and your job search plans, learn more about how I can help you! While you’re at it, don’t forget those social networks! Be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the community! Since we’re on the subject of doing something new…Are you on Twitter? Jump on and touch base with me @keppie_careers.

photo by djwhelan

Job search resources for Boomers via Civic Ventures

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civic.ventures.logo_cvWith record levels of unemployment, all job seekers are looking for new ideas and resources to help move their search forward successfully. I can tell you from experience that Baby Boomers come to the table with concerns that are unique to their generation. They worry about ageism, about interviewing with bosses young enough to be their children and about the fact that job search techniques and methods have changed dramatically since they last looked for opportunities.

For Boomers ready for a real career change after their primary career has ended, a terrific resource is available. Civic Ventures, a think tank on Boomers, work and social purpose, provides information and advice to help Boomers transition to what they term, “encore careers.” Civic ventures recently hired Marci Alboher, a highly respected expert on career issues and workplace trends, author of the book, One Person/Multiple Careers: A New Model for Work/Life Success (Warner Books, 2007) (and one of my favorite writers on the subject of career and job search issues), to help boomers hoping to transition to meaningful and different career opportunities.

I spoke to Marci recently about her new position and about Civic Ventures. She described  The Purpose Prize, which the organization offers annually to social innovators over 60 who are using their talents to make a difference in the world. (They receive between $50,000 and $100,000 for “creating new approaches to solving tough problems – from education and job training to global warming and hunger.” Read about the recently announced prize winners HERE. You may be inspired to follow in their footsteps.)

However, Marci explained that Civic Ventures does so much more. She noted, “Civic Ventures is committed to reinventing the years formerly known as retirement. Most Americans over age 65 are not planning to idle away their ‘retirement years.’ Many want to do work that matters after their primary career has ended. Civic Ventures is creating pathways to connect these talented professionals with meaningful and fulfilling work that provides continued income, personal meaning and social impact.” (Read more about Civic Ventures on Marci’s blog post announcing her new position.)

Marci also alerted me to Civic Ventures’ new guide for for those hoping to succeed in an encore career who want to get started on the right foot.  The guide is available as a series of free downloads HERE. It covers a myriad of topics, including what to expect, job hunting tips, volunteering as a bridge to your new career and updating your skills, among other key topics.

The opening of the guide resonated with me:

“We like to think that the key to a successful career change is knowing what we want to do next, then using that knowledge to guide our actions, writes Herminia Ibarra, author of Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career.

But, she continues,

“Studying people in the throes of the career change process…(suggests that)…Change actually happens the other way around. Doing comes first, knowing second…It’s a transition, not a transaction.”

If you are a Boomer thinking of making a change to a fulfilling “encore career,” don’t miss the resources at Encore Careers. Even if you are not sure of your next step, explore the quality materials and resources. Remember, as Herminia Ibarra noted, “It’s a transition, not a transaction.”

I can help with every part of your job hunt! Need a great resume? Tips to use social networking? Interview coaching?  If you need help mobilizing your networks and your job search plans, learn more about how I can help you! While you’re at it, don’t forget those social networks! Be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the community! Since we’re on the subject of doing something new…Are you on Twitter? Jump on and touch base with me @keppie_careers.