Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Networking with a purpose – ideas from Joe Lavelle

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purpose2555523620_2c43403894_mYesterday, I shared a review of Act As If It Were Impossible to Fail. (You can read it HERE.) Today, I want to share more from Joe Lavelle’s book!

Joe talks about “Networking with a purpose.” This is so important. I hear from people all of the time who insist that they have been doing EVERYTHING for their job hunt – including networking. However, upon further inquiry, it is clear that they could be doing a lot more.

Joe offers this advice, which I believe is right on target. (Points are his, commentary my own):

Make meeting others a priority. So often, networking is something careerists only think about when it is time to look for a job. It should be something you do all of the time, no matter what. Joe suggests setting goals of how many people to contact in a certain period of time. It is key to focus on your networking, as we all know there are so many other priorities that take our time.

Network with empathy. This is a great way to describe how to network. Joe reminds readers to focus on making networking a two-way street. What do YOU offer? This is not all about taking – be sure you are also giving.

Find a location. You can meet people in all types of groups and programs. Join groups – both professional and personal, as you never know when or where you will meet someone who is a great match.

Ask questions. A lot of times, job seekers focus on how to ANSWER questions. It is just as important to know what questions to ask! I always tell my clients to be sure to know what they WANT to know when meeting a great networking contact. It sounds obvious, but often, people go into meetings (or informational interviews) without a clear goal. Have a goal – and great questions to ask. You won’t be sorry.

Listen for Clues. Good listening is so important. I’ve written about this and cannot say it enough.

Take notes. Personally, I write down everything I want to remember. You don’t want to forget who you met, what they told you, if you should follow up…There is so much to remember! Don’t miss an opportunity because something slipped your mind. Most people will be flattered if you make a point to write something down during a conversation!

Read what Joe has to say in his book…A great read!

What do you have to add about networking well?

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! Since we’re on the subject of doing something new…Are you on Twitter? Jump on and touch base with me @keppie_careers.

photo by mag3737

New issue of Personal Branding Magazine

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MCHAMMERsampleissue8

Dan Schawbel is one of the authorities on the topic of personal branding, particularly for the Millennial generation. I am happy to serve as a co-editor of Personal Branding Magazine. The new sample issue is available. This is how Dan describes it:

Summary: Personal Branding Magazine Volume 3, Issue 2 is about brand reinvention through social media and what better example of that than MC Hammer.  Hammer, a celebrity hip-hop star, sold millions of albums back in the 80’s.  Decades later, Hammer is now one of the front men for the social media movement.  He has his multi-million Twitter following and his own social network to keep in touch with his old fans. Aside from Hammer, this issue will help you control brand perceptions, repair a damaged brand and give you tips and tricks for navigating the web 2.0 terrain, so that stay ahead of the game.

I am also happy to welcome a new co-editor to the management team! Jessica Lewis is a communications professional with a significant background in journalism and copy editing. Her specialty is helping organizations connect with their audience by communicating in a concise, informative, relevant and inviting way. Her blog reflects her interest in social marketing and effective job hunting. You may also want to follow her on Twitter @copytailor.

In her introduction, Jessica notes:

You don’t have to be famous to benefit from a personal brand. Douglas Karr encourages us to give it a try, even if you have to take your profile picture on your webcam. He says that even though he has friends who are better at some things than he is, they never get the great opportunities he does.

One sentence from Howard Sholkin’s piece stood out to me as an excellent summary of this issue’s focus: “You can shape your reputation, network and expertise, or others can do it for you, but probably not as well.”

Features:

  • Full paid issue (November 1st): 29 articles total covering brand reinvention, strategy and related topics.  Website: www.personalbrandingmag.com
  • Free sample issue (October 26th): 8 articles total, including how to fix a broken image and how to get a competitive advantage.   Website: www.personalbrandingsample.com
  • Interviews with: MC Hammer, Kerry Rhodes, Patrick Lencioni, Steve Rubel, John Jantsch and Mitch Joel
  • The 2009 Personal Brand Awards

Here’s a video introduction:

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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! Since we’re on the subject of doing something new…Are you on Twitter? Jump on and touch base with me @keppie_careers.

Job search horror stories

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cracklymoon1797667874_0a714115a9_mIn honor of Halloween week, I thought it would be fun to commiserate and share some job search horror stories! The goal is to share tales from job seekers (so you know you’re not alone) AND from hiring managers, so job seekers can learn what things might NOT work.

So, welcome to “Horror Story Week” on Keppie Careers! I appreciate my Twitter friends for helping to pass the word that I am looking for stories, and for passing along some ideas for my series. Thanks also to Peter Shankman for HARO – Help A Reporter Out, for help finding additional sources! (It’s not too late to share your story! Send it to me: miriam(at)keppiecareers(dot)com.)

I guess that I wasn’t too surprised to learn that some of these horror stories may have had different endings had the job seeker taken a different approach. NOT that this excused rude behavior on the part of the hiring manager, but it is important to learn something from these stories…

Todd shared this story:

So, this so-called executive recruiter sends me a questionnaire (10 pages BTW) and says complete it and schedule an “interview.” Well, in full disclosure, I only completed half, but went ahead and scheduled the meeting. After all, I was an executive and my resume was what I wanted to talk about. So, while waiting in the lobby of this firm, some guy walks out to greet me. He’s wearing some ridiculous looking suit with tennis shoes and showing off a shiny keychain that says “Hyundai” and acts like he’s doing me a favor by taking the time to meet with me.

The guy walks me to some conference room, throws the half-complete questionnaire on the table and begins to yell at me–literally. He proceeds to tell me that I’m a loser and have no future. I couldn’t believe it!

So, I stood up and said I made a mistake. Then–THEN–he calls me an “a-hole” as I walked out. All I said was, ” Back at ya!”

Following this, eh em…episode, I landed a job as an executive for an online brokerage firm in Texas. I always wanted to call the guy and rub it in, but why stoop to that level.

So, what can we learn here? Clearly, Todd wasn’t very interested in this job! The fact is, if he was not willing to fill out the application (no matter how long), he should not have bothered to apply! As a job seeker, it is your responsibility to follow directions regarding the application if you want the job!

On the other hand, if you see what seems like a ridiculous application process, consider it a red flag. Maybe this company has policies and proceedures that are not likely to mesh with your preferred way of doing things. Evaluate it and decide NOT to apply! Even if you are desperate for a job, you know, deep down, you are unlikely to be happy working for a place that sets up what you consider to be an absurd hiring process.

In this case, obviously, the hiring manager was a bit “off.” It’s never appropriate to yell and swear at an applicant, and you have to assume an employee would receive the same treatment. So, it was lucky for Todd that things worked out the way they did!

What do you think? Share your comments below!

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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! Since we’re on the subject of doing something new…Are you on Twitter? Jump on and touch base with me @keppie_careers.

photo by peasap

The other side of the hiring desk, pt 5: How often should job seekers follow up with recruiters?

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desk5P11457831aSo, you’ve read how NOT to follow up with a recruiter. But, what is the RIGHT amount of follow up? Here is another in my series of interviews conducted with my friend and colleague Stephanie A. Lloyd, a Talent Strategies Consultant and Owner of Calibre Search Group in Atlanta, Georgia. She is a National Careers + Workplace Columnist for Examiner.com and also blogs at Radiant Veracity. You can also follow Stephanie on Twitter.

How often should job seekers follow up with recruiters?

As far as how and how often to follow up…ask the recruiter you’re working with. I personally prefer a brief email once or twice a month. Remember, our job (and the way we get paid!) is to fill openings for our clients. If we have a job that you may be a fit for, we’ll be on the phone with you immediately!

During the interview process, how long it takes to get feedback or to move from one step to the next depends on the client and the situation. How urgent is the need? Who is an integral part of the process and is traveling/on vacation/otherwise unavailable? Unfortunately most interview processes do not move as quickly as anyone would like simply because there are so many people and variables involved.

There is no need to call your recruiter daily – when we have news, we’ll call you! There is nothing we want more than to fill a position. We do what we can to keep the interview process moving forward, and at the same time we must walk a fine line as we do not want to irritate our clients.

The candidates we enjoy working with the most understand and respect the process.

Do you need help with your search? Follow this link to learn how I can help propel your job hunt!

 

Free networking ebook!

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Are you prepared to make the most of your networking?

Don’t miss the opportunity to talk to people who may have information (and those you don’t think have any information for you at all)!

For a limited time, I’m offering a copy of my ebook, Drive Your Own Career Bus -  Networking for Success, for FREE to subscribers to my blog at Keppie Careers. Subscribers receive an email once a week with my Keppie Careers blog posts. All you need to do is follow THIS LINK and enter your email address. Then, you’ll receive a confirmation notice. Once you confirm, you’ll be subscribed and will receive the link to my free ebook. It is full of advice, tips and tricks to get you through in good networking shape.

What a deal!

Don’t delay, this offer is limited. My marketing team thinks I should sell this report, so take advantage now before I change my mind!

Don’t forget that Keppie Careers offers many services to help you get your job hunt on track. Stop wasting your time! Learn more about me and how I can HELP YOU get your job search on track!