Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Tweetups and in-person networking for your job hunt

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lenox_frontI want to “personally” invite you to join me and Stephanie A. Lloyd for the second #ATLMix Tweetup on Thursday, October 29th beginning at 6 pm Pizzeria Venti on Lenox Road in Buckhead. Pizzeria Venti’s owners, Brian and Jaime Lackey and their staff are so hospitable, and we appreciate their sponsorship of our event! If you’re on Twitter, follow the hashtag #ATLMix for information and to connect with other people who plan to attend.

Even if you are not using Twitter (yet!), feel free to join us! I invited a non-tweeting colleague who asked, “What is the advantage of a tweetup?” Let me count the ways! For the uninitiated, a tweetup is just the Twitter term for a get-together/opportunity to network with all different types of people. It’s amazing what synergies there are between professionals in very different fields.

Networking is important for job seekers and non-job seekers alike. This tweetup (free to attend – you purchase your food and beverages) – is a great way to connect with people you would probably never otherwise meet! I hope to see you there, and feel free to invite your friends! You can RSVP and find all of the details by clicking HERE, but feel free to come, even at the last minute!

For tips to network in-person AND a free ebook offer, CLICK HERE!

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!

In-person networking tips and free ebook offer!

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dandelion486633811_a3b1edda56_mFor those accustomed to online networking, being face-to-face is a whole different ballgame! Don’t worry, I have a lot of advice and tips for you!

First, an offer for you! I’ve written an ebook, Drive Your Own Career Bus -  Networking for Success, for FREE to subscribers to my blog at Keppie Careers. All you need to do is follow THIS LINK and follow the instructions to subscribe to my blog.

Additional information and links for anyone preparing to network in person:

Job seekers need to pitch what they offer, not just what they WANT

Follow up that keeps you top of mind

Looking for a job? Use an old-fashioned networking technique – be where they are. (Or, what does networking have to do with deli meats?!)

Review of Who’s Got Your Back?

Tell Me About Yourself? Storytelling to get jobs and propel your career

Network for success – don’t be a bumper car

Do something different for your job hunt – talk to people who can’t help you!

In-person networking is absolutely key to your job search success. CLICK HERE to learn about an opportunity in Atlanta on October 29th!) It’s a good idea to practice “working a room” whenever you can, especially if it does not appeal to you. In the long run, you will land faster and gain important communication skills. So – what are you waiting for?

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!

photo by michaelheiss

Common errors on resumes

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redpen2366448173_29889b5da9_mYesterday’s post about avoiding errors on your resume and job search materials was actually inspired by THIS post by Rachel Rose, an independent multimedia communications professional based in Atlanta. (And, I’m happy to say, a Twitter friend!) Rachel wrote about 42 commonly confused English words – AKA – homophones.

Homophones are defined by dictionary.com as:

Phonetics. a word pronounced the same as another but differing in meaning, whether spelled the same way or not, as heir and air.

While receiving documents addressed to “Dear Sir or Madman” or suggesting that the candidate has a “keen eye for derail” might provide a chuckle, as it is an obvious error, misspelling homophones does not even offer a chuckle. Assuming the reader knows the difference, I think these errors are even more serious, as they indicate that the applicant may not be smarter than a 3rd grader!

My personal pet peeves – and errors I see over and over again:

There – There is going to be a party after the play.

Their – Their children are very well behaved.

They’re – They’re having a lot of trouble on the spelling test.

Incidentally, I personally learned the difference between their and there from a beer commercial. It said something along the lines of it’s the Bud (?) and then inserted ‘ir” for it’s their Bud…Not sure why I remember that…

Your – Your dress is lovely

You’re – You’re going to be sorry if you don’t edit that resume!

Its – The doll lost its shoe.

It’s – It’s going to be a very long day.

Read Rachel’s post and learn what other homophones you should know!

No matter what, avoid these errors in your application materials!

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, be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the community!


photo by lexnger

How (and why) you should create error-free resumes

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typo3379282409_763fb097a5_mHow you communicate your skills and accomplishments is key to a successful job search.

OfficeTeam’s website notes:

The adage “It’s not what you say, but how you say it” holds particular weight when it comes to resumes, a recent survey shows. Eighty-four percent of executives polled said it takes just one or two typographical errors in a resume to remove a candidate from consideration for a job opening; 47 percent said a single typo can be the deciding factor.

The survey was developed by OfficeTeam, a leading staffing service specializing in the placement of highly skilled administrative professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and includes responses from 150 senior executives at the nation’s 1,000 largest companies.

Executives were asked, “How many typos in a resume does it take for you to decide not to consider a job candidate for a position with your company?” Their responses:

One typo……………………………………………………… 47%

Two typos ………………………………………………….. 37%

Three typos …………………………………………………. 7%

Four or more typos ………………………………………. 6%

Don’t know/no answer…………………………………… 3%

However, typos are not the only types of errors that pop up in resumes. Take a look at these, from another post about errors in resumes:

  • Hope to hear from you, shorty.”
  • “Have a keen eye for derail.”
  • “Dear Sir or Madman.”
  • “I’m attacking my resume for you to review.”
  • “I am a rabid typist.”
  • “My work ethics are impeachable.”
  • “Nervous of steel.”
  • “Following is a grief overview of my skills.”
  • “GPA: 34.0
  • “Graphic designer seeking no-profit career.”

I’ve written about how *impotent* 🙂 it is to review your resume carefully! Click through to THIS POST with a really funny video on the subject.

In one of my very first posts for this blog, I suggested:

Don’t assume that your spell check is a good editor!  How often are words misspelled only to inadvertently form other words? You don’t want to advertise that you were distinguished as the “best manger of the year.”

Be sure to read through your resume, and have a trusted friend review it as well.  You never know when “public” may become indecent, or you’ve used “suing” instead of “using.”  The list goes on and on: their/there, and/an, faculty/facility, board/bored…

A tip to consider:  create an ”exclusion dictionary” in your Microsoft Office program.  This personalized dictionary will flag a word as misspelled (such as manger), even though the main dictionary knows it as a proper word.

Stay tuned tomorrow for more resources to help you avoid embarrassing errors on your resume!

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, be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the community!

photo by cole007

ROI, your job search and social media

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jump3113896395_fc8eb121ff_m“What’s the ROI? How do you know you are GETTING something from it? How much time do you spend?”

These are questions a friend of mine asks when I talk about how much I enjoy using Twitter to connect with colleagues and job seekers. She wants quantified RESULTS. How much money did I earn from it? How many clients do I have because of Twitter? She’s busy. She needs to make every second count.

I’m thinking, “Do you ask about the ROI and decide if you are going to use the phone for your business? Email?” Do you know much MONEY you made last month because you use the phone?

I’m thinking, “If you want to move your business to the next level and doing what you have always done is not working, it is time to try something new. Something new does not always come with any immediate ROI. It builds. Snowballs. When that something new is Twitter, the impact could come in drips – a new client here and there – a retweet or two, or it may come in a wave – a new business opportunity or partner, a new friend.”

We have lots of opportunities to expand our circles. Entrepreneurs have opportunities to share our expertise and sell our services. Similarly, job seekers can dive in, stake a claim online and lay claim to their own “brands.” Are you going to see an immediate “return” on your investment in social networks as a job seeker? Probably not, although you never know. (After all, it only takes one good contact.) Certainly, you can sit on the sidelines, shaking your head and saying, “That will never work. I can’t do that. It takes too much time.” It is your own choice.

My vote? Dive in “with wild abandon,” as my English teacher used to say. (Although, he was talking about great books, not Twitter!) Do something new! Try something different. It’s a chance. A risk that you will be “wasting your time.” Nothing ventured, nothing gained. If you have something to offer, get out there and offer it or no one will know.

Just do it. What is stopping you?

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, be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the community!

photo by nolly