Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Stand out in a crowd to improve job prospects. Here's how.

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standoutincrowd2447128243_b9ed95ec74_mMonday, I reviewed Gary Vaynerchuk’s new book, Crush It! and yesterday I posted some additional thoughts inspired by his book regarding personal branding. (It’s looking like Gary Vaynerchuk week here at Keppie Careers! That’s okay – I think these are important points that job seekers don’t often stop to consider.)

Today, I’d like to share an interview that Pam Slim (author of Escape from Cubicle Nation) conducted. You can tell how passionate Gary is about the subject:


Interview with Gary Vaynerchuck, author of Crush It! from Pamela Slim on Vimeo.

A summary of the highlights:

  • Stop doing what you hate – the cost of doing what you love is a lot less than it was 10 years ago.
  • Everybody has a voice. Being in business now is like “working a room.” You can’t control the conversation.
  • Quality of your product is key.  Content is king.
  • Regarding integrity/credibility. If you are worried about credibility, it means you don’t have it.
  • Do what you love. Apply what you understand about social media to your passion. Apply social media to make things happen – it’s free! The gatekeepers are gone. Going through the trenches is gone.

Gary’s book is mainly directed to people who are considering breaking out and becoming a business owner. However, it’s important to focus on the fact that these points apply equally well to anyone who wants to work for someone else, but doesn’t want to get lost in the crowd.

If you think about what you have to offer and take some time to share it, you will improve your career profile and the number of opportunities available, whether or not you need them right now. I think it is worth investing some effort. Your return could be more than you think.

Think you could use a little help raising your career profile? I can help! Learn more about Keppie Careers.

photo by shellysblogger

Gary Vaynerchuk on personal branding and working hard

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Gary_Vaynerchuk_by_Erik_KastnerYesterday, I reviewed Gary Vaynerchuk’s new book, Crush It!

It’s a great guide for job seekers and entrepreneurs (or “wanna-be” business owners) who hope to make a name for themselves. There are some additional points I wanted to share that I thought were particularly important:


It takes hustle – lots of hard work – to Crush It!

There really are no true shortcuts to success. Gary says, “…Hustle is it. Without it, you should just pack up your toys and go home…You might have thought your old boss was bad, but if you want YOUR business to go anywhere, your new boss had better be a slave driver (p. 88).

Gary doesn’t believe you can pay “lip service” if you want to succeed. He says, “The only differentiator in the game is your passion and your hustle…Expect this to be all consuming” (p. 89).

Personal Branding

Gary makes a lot of great points about personal branding, which I think is a bit of a mystery for a lot of job seekers. He says, “Developing your personal brand is the same thing as living and breathing your resume every second that you’re working (p. 38).

In essence, your personal “brand” is just that – YOU!  Everything you do online just gives you the opportunity to share YOU with an audience.

However, the most important piece of a personal brand according to Crush It? Quality. What you have to offer is more important than how you offer it. It’s the underpinning of every job seeker or entrepreneur: if you aren’t good at what you do, Gary says, no one will care.

Something to think about!

Do you need help demonstrating your best “YOU” online and in your job search materials? I can help!

Photo by Erik Kastner

Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuk, a review

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book-header-transI’ve heard a lot about Gary Vaynerchuk. He is well known and widely lauded for his approach to personal branding for business owners. He “leveraged social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook to promote Wine Library TV,” a video blog about wine. He’s hob nobbed with Meredith and Ann on the Today Show, shared wine with Ellen and Conan and been featured on Nightline, among other appearances.

So, when I was invited to participate in launching his book, I was happy to join in. (I love reading advance copies to share with my readers!)

Gary’s book is a high-energy guide for business owners and would-be business owners to harnessing the power of social media to fuel not only your bottom line, but also your personal brand. (And, if you don’t think you need a personal brand because you are happy with your day job, Gary’s response, “What you think you’re invincible?” He notes, “Developing your personal brand is the same thing as living and breathing your resume every second that you’re working” (p. 38).

He reminds readers how important it is to create bonds with other professionals in your field and to share your ideas and expertise on the social networks. (I LOVE when other writers second what I tell my readers!)

Gary thinks traditional resumes are going to be irrelevant. This is a common belief among the social media elite. I agree that your reputation (aka, personal brand) will be key, but having a great traditional resume is still important for most people! The good thing? Pursuing a new media strategy to support your professional reputation does not prevent you from having a terrific, traditional resume. The best approach? A multi-tiered plan that has potential to appeal to everyone in your target audience.

Other terrific points relevant for job seekers from the book? Wait for it…this is key:

If you are authentic, you will sometimes lose people along the way!

Gary knows this – he admits that his loud, in your face, brash style does not appeal to all wine lovers. He says, “I lose about 12 percent of my viewers right off the bat because I yell and scream like a maniac” (page 85). You can’t be everything to all people, whether you are a job seeker or an entrepreneur. And, you really shouldn’t try. When you differentiate, you will lose some people, but those probably are not “your people.” On the other hand, by strongly focusing on what you have to offer – your best and authentic you – you have a better chance to connect and appeal to a community of “good matches.”

Crush It! is a terrific guide for anyone (entrepreneur or job seeker) who needs a nudge and a guide to begin to shift his or her mindset to move forward with today’s tools. Stay tuned for more thoughts from his book tomorrow, the official launch date!

If you need help using social networking tools for your business or job search and just need a helping hand, contact me to learn how I can help!

Tax information for your job hunt

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taxguy3446996142_ef962cee3a_mDid you know you can deduct some expenses associated with a job hunt from your taxes? There are some exceptions. You cannot deduct expenses if this is your first job hunt (for example, if you have just graduated from college and have never worked before) and you cannot deduct expenses if you are planning to change careers.

Since I am not a tax advisor, I thought it would be useful to direct you to the IRS’s website. Be sure to consult an expert regarding how this information may pertain to you, as this blog is not intended to provide tax advice. For example, you may download the IRS’s publication: Tax impact of job loss for answers to the following questions and more:

  • Can I deduct any of the expenses that I have from looking for a new job?
  • What types of expenses can I include?
  • What about travel costs for interviews or job hunting?
  • Can I deduct the moving costs I paid to move to my new job?
  • My chances of finding a new job will be better if I take a few college courses. Can I deduct any of my tuition?

IRS’s publication 529 (page 5) answers other questions (this link is to the document for preparing 2008 returns):

  • Can you deduct employment and outplacement agency fees you pay in looking for a new job in your present occupation?
  • What expenses for preparing and send a resume can you deduct?
  • What about travel and transportation expenses?

It is so important to be smart about your money, especially when you are looking for a job. Don’t miss an opportunity to use deductions that may be available to you just because you did not know you were eligible. Make it your business to learn the rules and to consult a professional for help.

If you need help actually looking for a job, THAT I DO provide expert advice about! Learn more about how I can help you with your job search.

photo by brianjmatis

Job competition at all-time high. Time to raise the bar.

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thebar3740145835_98f6af34d7_mThe AP reports that, according to data released Friday, October 9th, competition for jobs is tougher now than when the recession began, with the Labor Department reporting an average of 6.3 unemployed workers competing for each job opening. (This compared to 1.7 workers when the recession began in December 2007.)

The article by Christopher S. Rugaber indicates that, while layoffs are slowing, companies are hesitant to begin hiring. Several key points from the post:

“Fewer people are facing job loss,” said Heidi Shierholz, an economist at Economic Policy Institute in Washington, “but once you have lost your job, you are in serious trouble.”

“The recovery in output continues to be unaccompanied by a recovery in jobs,” said Nigel Gault, chief U.S. economist for IHS Global Insight. He expects the unemployment rate, currently at 9.8 percent, will be at 8.6 percent in 2012.

Economists offer several reasons why companies aren’t hiring. Many employers laid off huge numbers of workers earlier this year but have since found that productivity jumped, enabling them to maintain output.

It appears that American workers, possibly afraid to lose jobs if they still have them, have managed to outperform, inadvertantly making some employers believe that ramping up hiring is not necessary.


What is a job seeker to do? Yesterday’s Career Collective posts addresssed the topic of avoiding being a “cookie cutter” job seeker. My post included several suggestions, and I encourage you to follow THIS LINK and link to other member posts on the topic.

Is this news unwelcome? Of course, but anecdotal evidence (talking to people involved in outplacement and to my own clients) suggests that those who mobilize good information along with cutting-edge job search techniques, such as using Twitter to expand a network and find a job, ARE landing in opportunities. So, take a good, solid look at your resume. Think about how you are approaching the market. Are you doing the same things you did the last time you looked for a job (10 years ago)? If so, it is time for a change.

Another idea? Visit my friend Laurie Ruettimann’s blog with her outside the box ideas on how to manage if you are freaking out.

If looking for a job is tiring you out, and you are not sure that you are doing everything you can to fuel your plans, learn more about how I can help you HERE.

photo by lloydcrew