Don’t get left behind the social media wagon. Recruiters are eagerly diving in to Google+, looking for early adopters as examples of strong candidates. Buy my Google+ guide and take advantage of this tool. [Read more…] about Your Guide to Google+
Speaking at Digital Atlanta
If you’re in the Atlanta area, you’ll want to know about Digital Atlanta! I’ll be speaking in two programs, both on Wednesday, November 9th. It’s a great series of events the week of November 6th covering pretty much any aspect of social media you can imagine. [Read more…] about Speaking at Digital Atlanta
How to use your time in a job hunt
Are you looking in the mirror when you search for a job – to take a good, hard look and see if there is something about your attitude or approach that you can change? Staying positive and upbeat is important to your ultimate success.
Another important tip? Use your time well if you are not currently working. It’s easy to let hours, days and weeks pass by before setting up a strategy that will help you succeed in your hunt.
I’ve already shared great reasons to volunteer if you have some free time. Here are a few additional tips to consider if you’re not quite sure what to do with your time.
If you haven’t started, dive into social media and Web 2.0 applications! 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!
How? Post smart comments on their blogs. See if they use Twitter and follow them. (Read more of my suggestions about using Twitter for the job hunt HERE or check out my book, Social Networking for Career Success. (You can even get in on Kindle for a great price on Amazon.) Make sure you are using LinkedIn effectively. You may be amazed at how quickly you can connect and “befriend†people online. (Learn more about my book and my Google+ Guide!)
Consider authoring a blog. If you are a strong writer, there isn’t a better way to influence your Google rankings and demonstrate authority in your subject matter. If you have the time, why not try? You have nothing to lose. (If you want to learn more about what you’d put on your own website/social resume, but sure to check out my site. I can even help you get into your own site if you’re not technically inclined.)
Stop and think about what you really want to do. Use your time to assess yourself, your goals and plans for the future. How often are we forced to take a moment to really think about the future. This is your chance. Do you like the way your life is going? Are you happy with your path? If not, consider a coach to help you figure out a new direction.
Learn a new skill. Have you been thinking about taking a class in something that will help you with your job? Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn how to knit? This is a good time. Doing something new and learning a new skill is good for your attitude and will help you in multiple ways.
There is so much information and opportunities to learn new things online for free. High-profile and talented people are offering free teleclasses, webinars and seminars all of the time. If you plug in, you’ll learn about these opportunities and benefit from them. Take advantage of your public library as a resource for information. Check in with the librarian for information you might be missing!
Don’t wait until you have an interview scheduled to prepare for the interview! Do you know what you’ll wear to an interview? Does it fit? Is it clean and pressed? How about your shoes? Do they pass muster? Dont’ wait until you’ve been searching for two months and get a call for an interview tomorrow to look in your closet!
Once you have an outfit ready, start planning and practicing what you will say in an interview, in a networking situation…Use your time to get ready. I work with clients on mock interviews, so you will really know what skills you can improve. If you are prepared, when you start pulling in opportunities, you won’t panic!
Of course, much of your “free†time will be taken up with job hunting. Don’t forget, many of the activities listed above are part of your job hunt. I would be remiss if I didn’t specifically mention that networking (in person and online) is key – spend more time doing this than searching for online postings. Make sure your resume and materials are top-notch and use your time to prep for everything you will need.
What ideas do you have?
photo by Earls37a
Have social networking for job search questions? Join me at the Decatur, GA Book Festival
If you’re in the Atlanta area, you may already be familiar with the Decatur Book Festival. The web site calls it the “largest independent book festival in the country.” I’ve attended for the past several years, and always enjoyed the variety of activities, vendors, authors and information available.
This year, I have a book to sell, and I am delighted to announce I’ll be in the Atlanta-Fulton County Library’s booth (#127) selling Social Networking for Career Success on Saturday from 2 – 4 pm (or later, if I have lots of visitors).
When you buy my book directly from me, I’ll send you a free copy of my Google+ Guide, a $6.95 value!
The library will also have crafts and storytelling for children, library card sign-up and information about what’s going on at their 34 branches
Please stop by to visit, ask questions about how to use social networking for career success and to pick up a copy of my book and Google+ Guide!
Learn more about what’s going on at the Festival on their website, and be sure to stop by the Atlanta-Fulton County Library’s booth on Saturday from 2-4 to meet me!
Are you looking in the right direction for your career?
Last month, while walking in the magnificent Central Park in New York City, I saw a man taking a picture. As you can see in the photo I took of the man (to your right), it wasn’t that he was taking a picture that was striking, but HOW he was taking it — on his back, on the ground, pointing the lens up at the trees. His tripod (if that’s what you call it) covered his body like some sort of shield.
Clearly, there was something significant he wanted to capture. (It didn’t look particularly special to me — just leaves and the sun shining through.) Regardless, he was willing to go all out to accomplish his target photographs.
“Ah ha!” I thought. “THIS is a blog post.” Have you tried approaching your job search from a different angle? When is the last time you turned your focus a bit and thought about how you could do things differently?
Do you ever stop and think about the hiring manager’s point of view, for example? Do you ever read books or blogs written for recruiters or hiring managers? Do you know what they are thinking? What they say they like? Do you consider how your resume and other application materials may or may not appeal to them?
Maybe you’re too busy writing your resume all about you, when you really need to re-focus and write it focusing on the touch points making you qualified for the job? Are you looking backward (metaphorically) in your application materials, when it’s time to turn around and look to the future? Your resume needs to be about that future — it’s not a historical diatribe; it’s a marketing document. Focus it on your NEXT opportunity, even if it means you need to look in a different direction to do it.
Have you thought about applying for different types of jobs? Maybe “your job” doesn’t exist anymore; your field isn’t hiring. It may be time to look at your career from a different direction. Avoid being linear in your thinking; start exploring new opportunities and options. Maybe that includes working for yourself or branching out into a different field altogether. The first step is being willing to look at things from a new angle.
Are you letting people around you dictate your direction (where you’re looking)? This is often the case for young people, just starting out in their careers, but I think it is pretty common for more experienced workers, too. It’s too easy to hear the voices telling us to follow (or stay on) a certain path, when we may be happier looking elsewhere.
Are you looking at the writing on the wall, but ignoring it? Give yourself some credit. Stop and think about your plans, your goals. What are you doing to accomplish them? How can you turn your lens and re-focus your search to help you accomplish your goals?
(For more inspiration from NYC, you may enjoy “Are your perfectionist tendencies helping or hurting you?“)