Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

My book!

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Have you heard? My book, Social Networking for Career Success, is available for pre-sale! I’m so excited to finally be able to share this book with you. It includes my advice and insights regarding how to use all the biggies: LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook for job hunting and business use, as well as tips about networks you may not have considered.

The best part? Over 100 of my colleagues (most of whom I met via Twitter and blogging) provided their thoughts and expertise. Recruiters, social media pros, career coaches — you name it, their advice is included. Take a look at this list of amazing contributors!

I’ve recently launched the book’s site, and have started sharing some blog posts there. I hope you’ll take a look, and please pre-order the book for yourself or a friend!

What is the best way to follow up with a job lead?

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Sometimes, I receive questions via my contact form from people who are not interested in a quote for a resume transformation or coaching services. Some people just have a job search question and want an answer! Since I cannot respond to each inquiry individually, I decided to start answering some of the questions that are of general interest here. You are welcome to submit a question via my contact form, and please note that I am more likely to be able to respond via the blog if the question is relevant to many job seekers and is not a totally unique situation.

Here is a question that is useful for most job seekers:

I recently applied to a job at ( —–) and I am extremely interested in the position. However, I do not have any contacts and keep thinking this is the best way to land a job, or even an interview. Do you think it would be okay to do a search on LinkedIn and then proceed to message someone at the location who specializes in (my industry)? If so, what is the best way to go about communicating with them that I applied for a job there recently and would love an opportunity to launch my career there? Thanks for your help!

This is a great question and raises an important point about networking. When I coach my clients, I explain that it is important to look for a company instead of a job. What does that mean? You want to network and ask for informational meetings for informal chit-chat before a job ever becomes available. The goal is to share your ideas and credentials with people at your targeted organizations so you are the first person they think of when a job does come up. This helps you take advantage of what is generally labeled the hidden job market, and gives you a leg up when it comes to applying. Think about it — if you are the one who comes to mind when they visualize the job, clearly, you have a much better chance of landing the opportunity.

That said, you want to use every tool at your disposal to follow up after you have applied for a job. If you can find people via LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or any other social networking tool who are connected to an organization where you have applied for a position, absolutely reach out to them.

What is the best way to approach these contacts? First of all, make sure you do not make the interaction about you and your goals. (So, focusing in on the fact that you would love to launch your career at the company is a misstep.) Don’t ever make your networking strictly about YOU!

It is important that you make a point to illustrate why you are a good match and what you offer. Research the organization as much as possible. Identify their successes and where their problems may lie. Think about how your skills and experiences may be able to help them solve a problem or overcome a hurdle. What do you offer that makes you special and uniquely suited to the job? (This may seem like a difficult assignment, but if you do not know, how will you be able to convince them that you are the best one for the job?)

Don’t be surprised if you find potential contacts unwilling to talk to you under these circumstances. The fact is, it may feel to them like cheating — speaking to an applicant about a currently open position…However, you may find that your pitch resonates with someone. If they like what you say, you may be lucky (actually, you may have created some luck for yourself) — and have an opportunity to both share what you have to offer and learn something about the organization at the same time!

photo by purplemattfish

Social media conference in Atlanta

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New Media Atlanta LogoAre you a job seeker or entrepreneur (or a “wanna be” small business owner) who needs to know how to incorporate social networking tools into your plans? Then, you won’t want to miss the New Media Atlanta conference, billed as ” a high level, business dialog about how social media is changing marketing and messaging – and in fact, changing the nature of all communications.”   You will learn strategies to leverage social networks “power to build your company, product, brand, service, etc.”

This conference, which will be held in Atlanta THIS FRIDAY – September 25th, is a great opportunity for both job seekers and entrepreneurs to hear from some of the leaders of the social media movement! Read on for details:

Chris Brogan will be a key presenter talking about his new book ‘Trust Agents‘ which he co-wrote with Julien Smith. Chris is President of New Marketing Labs, and home of the Inbound Marketing Summit conferences & Inbound Marketing Bootcamp events. He works with large and mid-sized companies to improve online business communications like marketing and PR through the use of social software, community platforms, and other emerging web and mobile technologies.

You’ll have an opportunity to ask your burning questions of the speaker panel and get real answers. Read more about the schedule here…

Don’t miss this great opportunity to learn from and network with the best social  networking minds in Atlanta and beyond! I hope to see you there!

I can help you with your social networking strategy! Learn more about me and my services.

Job search planning – steps, tips and tricks

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july2582874758_5bebef06c2_mSince we are on the cusp of a new month, a new fiscal year for some and have just officially crossed into a new season, I am declaring this week on my blog as “Job Search Future Planning Week.” Everyone engaged in a successful search needs to have a plan.

Today, some tips and/or reminders about how to get your job hunt off on the right foot. Stay tuned this week for posts and ideas that are a little off my typical path!

Identify your 3%…

Peter Weddle explained that the genome project taught us that humans are 97% similar! So, he suggested that we each have 3% that is special and unique. Have you thought about that 3%? You need to focus and purposefully identify what you have to offer that makes you stand out from everyone else. It’s not enough to assume that it’s obvious or that everyone will recognize your talents. Stop, outline what you have to offer and focus on your goals. Then, move forward with intent.

Stay upbeat and positive – it really matters

You’re not alone – try to focus on the silver lining in the job hunt. No one wants to hire Debbie Downer. There’s no telling how much a positive attitude will help you succeed, so do your best to stay upbeat, or at least to look upbeat to the outside world.

Work on identifying companies – not just looking for openings.

Searching for job opportunities posted online can certainly take all of your time. Instead of focusing on open positions, consider targeting companies of interest (even if they do NOT have openings) and network your way into the organization so that you will be “top of mind” when there is an opportunity.

Know how to tell your story…

Did you know that being able to tell your story is probably the most important part of the job hunt? You need to be able to share your “elevator pitch” when you meet people and it’s important to have some good stories to tell on your resume, in your cover letter and during an interview. I like Kathy Hansen’s Tell Me About Yourself, a book that is all about how to tell your job search story. Be sure to pick up a copy!

Dive into social media if you haven’t already!

Yes, this can take some time if you are going to do it full force. But, you have time, so go for it! Start searching for blogs in your niche. Guy Kawasaki’s Alltop list is a perfect place to find blogs in an array of topics, but you can certainly use Google to find current information in your field of interest. Spend some time researching and exploring. See if you can identify the stars in your field. Use online mechanisms to connect to them! (More about LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook later.)

In fact, the New York Times published an article, The Brave New World of Digital Intimacy, which emphasizes the importance of expanding your network beyond your immediate circle:

This rapid growth of weak ties can be a very good thing. Sociologists have long found that “weak ties” greatly expand your ability to solve problems. For example, if you’re looking for a job and ask your friends, they won’t be much help; they’re too similar to you, and thus probably won’t have any leads that you don’t already have yourself. Remote acquaintances will be much more useful, because they’re farther afield, yet still socially intimate enough to want to help you out.

This idea is also proven in Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point, an excellent read for those interested in being connected!

LinkedIn

I can’t emphasize how important it is to enhance your LinkedIn profile. Recruiters are sourcing from LinkedIn in large numbers, so if you aren’t there with a strong statement of your qualifications, skills and accomplishments, you are missing out!

Use Twitter to help you find a job

Yes, you CAN tweet yourself to a job. Get set up using the tips linked above and follow these links to learn what people to follow to help accelerate your search and about Twitter applications to use to help you propel your job hunt.

FaceBook

While Facebook isn’t my favorite social network for job seekers, you can use Facebook groups to help with your job hunt, and there are many Facebook applications that are useful for job seekers. You may also want to review how to use Facebook for your job hunt.

Start taking care of your digital footprint

Satisfying Career, Happier Life suggests these services to help control your digital dirt:

These resources may be useful, but you don’t want to be in the position of worrying about whether or not unsavory pictures or trash talking could have cost you an interview or a job. Be careful what you put online and you’ll never have to find out how well or quickly these services work!

Don’t forget to keep up your in-person networking

If you want to succeed in business or your job hunt, you need to be able to engage on a person-to-person basis, tell your story and share information to help you connect.

Consider the cost benefits of seeking career advice.

The fact is, most people don’t have a very good resume and have no idea how to search for a job in today’s economy. In a competitive environment, your job seeking materials (this includes your LinkedIn profile and web 2.0 presence) will be even more important. Money may be tight, but hiring a coach and/or a resume writer might be just the boost you need to propel your search. Anita Bruzzese, career advice columnist and author suggests,

“If you don’t think you can afford a career coach, consider giving up some of the extras in your life (a gym membership, eating out, cable television, etc.) which can can help you pay for a coach.”

Consider the cost of unemployment and the fact that you are much more likely to land a job in a timely way if you have a great resume, understand how to market yourself and are well prepared to interview and negotiate.

Need a little help ramping up your search? Read how I can help get you going!

photo by phlyersphan

Social Networking Bridges the Generational Gap and Propels Your Career Forward

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So, I’ve written that participating in social networking can help you look younger without the aid of botox or hair dye! Since I’ve been writing about Twitter this week, and how you can use it to help you network and find a job, I thought I would end the week with some stories of people just like you who believe that using social networking tools are useful to propel them along the right career path.

Veronica Gliatti, a 40-something, experienced public relations and marketing expert, believes that her blog, which she created to help her look for not just a job, but the right career position for her, has helped drive interest in her for job opportunities.  She notes that the blog also “Helped instill more confidence in [her] own abilities” and that she knows several recent leads were directly related to writing a good effective blog with a powerful message.

Melissa Balmer, of Creative Conscious Connecting, 44, emphatically believes that being on line with her website, blog, Facebook profile, yelp profile, etc., helps keep her seeming younger, hipper and more connected in the eyes of her current and future clients.

Melissa notes, “Now that I have quite a dynamic web presence, including an updated photo, blogs in more than one place, presence on myspace, Facebook, linkedin and more, I’m finding that the ageism I grew to fear doesn’t exist for me. People are looking for great, responsible, tuned in people who can connect cross- generationally, and the internet is truly the way to go for this – it’s not someone’s age that matters so much as how ready they are to understand what makes things happen now.”

John Williams, Partner in B2B CFO® believes that having a presence on linkedin and other networking sites gave him more visibility than just being on The Ladders, Exec-U-Net and similar job sites. He also suggested that having a Blackberry “created an impression of being connected” and gave him an edge during his search. He notes, “Utilizing the web was very useful [during his search] and much more efficient than networking at the C level.” He suggests that “Job seekers will miss a major outlet if they are not on the web in this fashion.”

Perhaps one of the more persuasive arguments for using social networking to make yourself seem younger in the job hunt (especially for older workers) comes from Gary Stewart, an executive recruiter in the pharmaceutical industry. He says, “The problem that I have experienced as a recruiter is that there is a definite gap between those who are familiar with [social] networking” and the people he seeks – those who have a minimum of 10-20 years of experience.  He notes, “Most people with this much experience are not aware, or do not know how to take advantage of this sort of medium.” Gary acknowledges that anyone with that experience who participates in online networking would have an advantage in his book.”

If you’re convinced that learning about social networking can help with your job hunt, I can help you! It’s not rocket science, but if you’d like a helping hand to guide your entree to the online market, Keppie Careers is here for you. Email me at [email protected].

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picture by skampy