Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Blog Carnival – Job search advice and food for thought!

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carnival170024684_e22d050f48_m1Several weeks ago, Ben Eubanks inaugurated the Career Carnival Blogging Event on Jobacle by showcasing a number of blogs and
a variety of topics. He invited me to take the reigns this time to share some links and possibly introduce you to some new blogs to follow. So, I put out the call to many bloggers to share a link and a “twit pitch” or summary of the post. I heard back from some bloggers whose posts I never miss as well as several people whose blogs are new to me. I hope you will have the same experience and find some favorites as well as a few new blogs to review…

Tiffany Monhollon shared her post, Mature Workers Face Toughest Job Market in this Recession. She summarizes:
“The debate about youth versus age is hot again, as competition in the job market continues to increase. Research shows that both mature workers and new graduates face a difficult job search. But, a recent online poll on the Express Job Blog showed that 70% of over 950 readers agree – the job market is more difficult for mature workers than for new grads. But, there is hope for both generations in today’s
job market.”

Trevor Wilson from Gradversity examines the benefits of sending individually targeted applications over a ‘mass mailing’ approach with Quality vs Quantity in Job Applications.

Ben Eubanks noted that “leadership was born from an interesting conversation about bad leaders and the people that follow them.  Do Not Follow the (Bad) Leader reminds us of times and situations where we do follow bad leaders, and it also shows us how those experiences are short-lived.  Almost everyone has spent some time with a bad leader, but some of the article’s comments show a different side of the story.”

Kirsten Grant summarizes: “What do Batman, Spiderman and the Bat Mobile have in common with finding a job and your online profile? It’s about consistency in online branding. You wouldn’t expect to see Spiderman riding around in the Bat Mobile, nor Batman shooting spider webs from his wrists! This article discusses the importance of picking one area to be known for and gives tips on branding yourself online to ensure long term job search success. This blog topic provides a step-by-step guide to taking your social networking profile from good to great and increasing your chances of finding a job!”

Kristi Daeda shares a timely post about networking with confidence. She notes, “People are nervous about networking because they fear failure, even though there’s no such thing! Learn more about how to be successful in networking by enhancing your confidence.”

Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter’s, “The Branded Resume: An Essential Tool,”  illustrates the importance of convincing the hiring manager by creating the emotional hook with kernels of inspired resume writing to get the interviews you deserve.

Stephanie Lloyd reminds readers that “…interviewing is extremely subjective, and if you apply to jobs that you meet the qualifications for, are prepared for the interview, and use common sense, there is no reason to beat yourself up if you did not get the job. Rather than second-guessing yourself or feeling defeated, after each interview take a few moments to do a self-assessment – and write the answers down so you can use them to prepare for your next interview.” Take a look at: 75 Reasons You Didn’t Get the Job.

My own most recent favorite post reminds readers that, to succeed in your job hunt, you need to know where you are going and what you want when you get there. So, it’s not a good idea to do the job search equivalent of going to a pizza place if you feel like eating sushi! (It will make sense when you read it!)

Enjoy the holiday weekend!

photo by wallyg

Ask for What You Want At Work. Or: Don't Ask for Orange Juice if You Want Grape Juice

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Have you ever known someone who doesn’t ever seem to know just what he or she wants? I know someone like that. In fact, I know him really well. He’s my 2-year old. He is in a constant state of not knowing exactly what he wants. A typical conversation:

Him: I want peanut butter and jelly. On bread.

Me: You want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Can you ask in a nice way?

Him: No. I want a waffle. (He proceeds to start removing an apple from the refrigerator.)

Another typical conversation at our house:

Him: I want orange juice.

Me: What’s a nice way to ask? (Pouring orange juice.)

Him: Please! No, I don’t want orange juice. I want GRAPE juice. In a cup.

I think you get the picture. If I’m lucky, he changes his mind before I prepare what he initially requested, but more often than not, I’m faced with trying to convince him to eat what he originally wanted or starting over. If I had a dollar for every time I say, “Oh…I should have known that when you asked for orange juice (and took it out), it really meant that you want grape juice!” – I would be on some island somewhere – someone would be serving ME drinks!

So, what does this have to do with the topic at hand? What does it have to do with your job?

Think about it – Do you really know what you want? Are you like the 2-year old who is asking for orange  juice, but really wanting grape juice? Are you impulsive, asking for (or wishing for) the first thing that comes to your mind? Unlike my 2-year old, whose only real consequence for his indecision is needing to say a few extra “pleases” or being stuck with whatever he first requested, there are real consequences for professionals who either don’t know what they want or don’t know how to ask for it.

What to do? Stop and think! Tiffany Monhollon writes that you should “stop, listen and move.”

It isn’t always easy to figure out what you really want. It certainly isn’t easy to decide to make a major change in the hopes of accomplishing what you really want. It is worth it, though. Don’t let life, or your job, just happen TO you. Stop. Listen. Move. If you want grape juice – don’t just ask for it – do what my 2-year old does when he is really desperate and I’m taking too long – get it out and pour it yourself!

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