Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Monster’s BeKnown adds to the mix of professional Facebook uses

By

If you have an ear to Twitter or the career/HR blogosphere, you already know Monster just launched a new social network for job seekers via a new Facebook application called “BeKnown.” Along with many, many of my colleagues, I joined a preview conference call to learn about BeKnown.

Many on the call were thinking, “This sounds an awful lot like another Facebook app, Branchout.” (I know I was thinking it!) In fact, I’ve written about Branchout, which Mashable notes has more than 800,000 users (compared to LinkedIn, with more than 100 million members). Both Branchout and BeKnown try to leverage Facebook’s more than 750 million (!) members and hope to provide a go-to, “professional” space within Facebook. Since statistics show so many more people use and spend time on (in) Facebook, I’ve been advising job seekers to clean up their Facebook profiles for job-hunting purposes for some time now. I devoted an entire chapter to Facebook in Social Networking for Career Success, because I believe it’s important to “go where the people are” when it comes to networking online, and the people are on Facebook!

Having a professional profile on Facebook helps allow job seekers to connect with companies hosting Facebook pages and helps make it easier to connect with recruiters on Facebook.

While a professional online profile is a good idea, Monster makes a point to note its app allows Facebook users to:

·         Easily invite contacts from other social networks to expand their BeKnown network beyond their existing Facebook friends

·         Keep social activity with friends and family separate from work-related activity with professional contacts

·         See who among their professional contacts on BeKnown is connected to a company or job opportunity of interest

·         Connect professional networking to Monster’s job search and browse tools and import their Monster profile to BeKnown from right within the app

For companies, Monster explains that BeKnown:

·         Opens up a vast source of potential global talent on Facebook – Facebook’s estimated 750 million members span ages, income levels and ethnic groups

·         Creates new recruitment-focused visibility opportunities and extends job posting reach in a high engagement environment

·         Increases engagement opportunities with so-called passive job seekers, as BeKnown users follow company job and network activity

·         Activates recruiter and employee networks as referral sources

What’s especially unique about BeKnown compared to other apps?

Monster explains it will include a “Social Referral Program (SRP), which encourages BeKnown users to pass along specific jobs through their BeKnown network.  The Social Referral Program amplifies a company’s employee referral network and extends reach to passive candidates.  Currently in beta, the referral program will be rolled out to select Monster customers.”

I had a chance to ask a few questions I thought would be important for readers to know.

My first question: “Is this an application marketed for job seekers, since it’s from a company best known for its job board?”

The answer was “No, it’s for anyone who wants to build a network.” In particular, it aims to offer a tool to people who have not already grown their LinkedIn network, for example.

My second question related to the jobs that will be posted on the site. I was concerned about verifying the companies and avoiding scam artists from moving in to collect information from unsuspecting job seekers. I understand there will be some verification. (We’ll see how this all plays out.)

I started using BeKnown, and, so far, I like it! Stay tuned for my first impressions. In the meantime, if you’d like to try it out:

For more information, follow these links to join BeKnown (http://www.beknown.com/landing) and to learn more about how it works (http://www.beknown.com/landing/howitworks). And, feel free to connect with me there. I’m planning to have an “open” network on BeKnown.

Yes, you can use Facebook for job seeking. 5 steps to get started

By

How can you overlook a social network with more members than most countries? With more than 500 million active users; it’s likely that just about anyone you might want to find has a profile on Facebook.

There is a reason we hear more about people losing their jobs based on what they do on Facebook than about those finding jobs as a result of their activity there. Let’s face it (no pun intended!) — it was intended as a social network; it’s a place where people go to unwind, unload and vent. It’s where they go to show off their vacation photos or share a video of their infant’s latest sneeze.

That in mind, you can still create a professional-looking profile on Facebook that may very well be the link you need to land your next job. If you’re looking for a new job, you will want to take advantage of every useful tool. I’ve suggested five steps to help you get started on the right foot on Facebook. Read them on my Social Media and Job Search column at Job-Hunt.org.

If you want to learn how to look for a job today, check out The Career Summit…more than a dozen online presentations (including mine) to help you land that next job!

photo by laikolosse

Looking for a job? The Career Summit is for you!

By

I am excited to announce that I am participating in a big event — and you can join us! The Career Summit is the brainchild of my friends Mark Stelzner and Laurie Ruettimann, two highly respected and smart, sought after voices in the HR and careers sphere. In addition to Laurie and Mark, The Career Summit brings together more than 20 experts in all different career arenas, including:

Career columnists like Anita Bruzzese (USAToday), Sarah Needleman (Wall Street Journal), Vickie Elmer (Washington Post) and Alison Doyle (About.com).

Recruiters, including Heather McGough (Microsoft), Jeremy Langhans (Starbucks), Richard Cho (Facebook) and Susan Strayer (Marriott Intl)

Authors, such as Alexandra Levit and Jonathan Fields.

Coaches, including Paula Caligiuri (professional career counselor), Alison Green (career advisor with non-profit expertise), Jason Seiden (executive coach) and Jennifer McClure (business process coach). I will cover resumes and job search/social media coaching in my session!

Plus, Mary Ellen Slayter (career advisor and senior editor, SmartBrief), Ryan Paugh (Community Manager for Brazen Careerist) and Susan Joyce (Job-Hunt.org Job Search Expert).

Wow! I’m excited to be in such great company.The point of all of this is to provide useful, actionable information to job seekers and people who may be starting to think that they may want to start looking for a new job or career.

(Maybe that is you?)

The topics include everything from how to think about finding a job you love, to what has changed in search, demystifying the recruiting process, online career management, interviewing and (last but not least) — strategies and tips for your resume, social media profile and job search. (That one is mine!) You’ll need to visit the site to review all the great workshops; there are 13 sessions! It’s all available online, both live and in archives if you miss something. There’s even an online community; you can interact there as much or as little as you want.

The site explains:

You buy one ticket and you have access to 13 sessions covering all aspects of job seeking and career management. The difference is you have control – you can access the information live, or whenever you like, since it’s all online and archived. Live sessions run between October 26th through November 17th. General sessions will be held every Wednesday, between 3 and 6PM ET.

You get invitations to all of our career expert sessions which you attend online. If you miss anything, log in to your account and access the session archives. We will record everything so you will have unlimited access to the classes. You can go back and listen at your convenience.

Why THIS summit? Because it’s the one-stop shop for the most relevant career expertise in the market today. There is a lot of “career expertise” floating around out there. We used a tough and cynical eye to handpick the experts we thought were most helpful and actionable – given today’s economy, given today’s social networking environment, and given what’s coming next. Check out our agenda to see what we’re talking about.

Sounds good? You really can’t lose, especially with early-bird pricing. You get all of this, plus bonus materials and a chance to win a career makeover for only $99 if you sign up soon!

Learn more by CLICKING HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Protect what is yours

By

I was reading through some Facebook status updates and  came upon an interesting one from an old high school classmate. It said, “Bill (not his real name) is Married.” Now, I don’t keep up with Bill, and I really had no idea of his marital status prior to his post. “Nice,” I thought…”Bill got married.” Curious, I read the comments. (Does that make me a voyeur? Or, is that the POINT of Facebook?)

Anyway, the few comments made it clear that Bill and his wife (who apparently have some kids) were going to make a go of their marriage, which had apparently been on the rocks. (I guess that would be “complicated” in FaceBook lingo.)

None of this would be all that interesting or topical for me, except Bill’s comment at the end of the messages congratulating him  for sticking it out. He said, “Ya, we’re going to give it a go. Don’t tell anyone as I haven’t told my family yet. I didn’t realize Facebook was going to post it.”

Hmmm…Maybe not the best idea to announce your “status” on a social network if you want your friends and family to know first. Why didn’t Bill realize that Facebook was going to announce his status to the world? Or, at the very least, that it was not going to be “their little secret?”

I was thinking about this in light of the buzz about Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg’s recent comments about privacy. In an apparent about-face on the subject, he indicated that today’s consumer is not as interested in privacy as in the past. PC World quoted him:

“People have really gotten comfortable not only sharing more information and different kinds, but more openly and with more people. That social norm is just something that’s evolved over time,” Zuckerberg said. “We view it as our role in the system to constantly be innovating and be updating what our system is to reflect what the current social norms are.” Zuckerberg then pointed to Facebook’s recent privacy policy change that made user’s key information open by default as an example of the social network’s willingness to reflect “current social norms.”

For those unfamiliar with the recent changes, Facebook recently changed settings to allow your name, profile picture, gender, current city, networks, friends list, and all the pages you subscribe to to be publicly available information on Facebook. What does this mean to you? Everyone on the web can see it; it is searchable. (Yes, that means Google can come looking for you.)

Making the default “public” is kind of  like when you sign up for anything and the default is to subscribe to their newsletter and learn more information – not taking action is so much easier, many businesses get subscribers who had not intended to hear from them ever again. By the same token, if you’re not paying a lot of attention and being vigilant, you may be sharing more than you intend to online.

And, if you are my old high school friend, you are sharing because it feels natural, only later realizing the ramifications. Think about it…If you are who Google thinks you are, you need to step up and make sure you actively manage what it sees and knows.

–

Don’t forget that clear, concise, optimized job search materials AND a strong, well executed plan are key for job search success! 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 Bill Gracey

Facebook for your job hunt?

By

FBfriendwheel693439830_51fcf34cc4_mI don’t write very much about using Facebook for your job hunt. Why? Honestly, it’s not my favorite social network. I’m a bit of a Twitter fanatic, and LinkedIn is an obvious social networking tool for job seekers. I usually say that Facebook is my #3 “go-to” social network for job seekers.

That said, you may have read recently that Facebook has reached over 300 million users. We know that, if it were a country, it would be the world’s 4th largest. My friend Dan Schawbel tweeted stats that LinkedIn just hit 50 million users and Twitter has ~20 million.

So, it would be unwise to ignore how job seekers can mobilize their Facebook networks for professional networking. That’s why I was so excited to read THIS POST by Sarah Welstead, a Recruitment Marketing Consultant who works with Head2Head and RetiredWorker. She really nails down some great reasons to re-look at Facebook.

Some of her points? (In bold – commentary is mine.)

Just because it’s ‘fun’ doesn’t mean it’s not ‘productive.’

Au contraire, mon frere. (Ah, Facebook reminds me of high school – just something my old friend used to say!) How amazing is it that something that is a “guilty pleasure” for some can actually be useful! How is it useful to reconnect with old high school (or grade school!) friends? Read on…

Still a ‘sphere of influence’ – just a different sphere

You need to network? Well, Facebook is a network! I have a colleague who mentioned that she gets a lot of referrals from connections on Facebook, as her high school friends are all professionals now, many of whom need resumes and job search help.

Similarly, you can connect with friends on Facebook for professional information and advice. You never know who knows someone who knows someone.

Your school friends have grown up into successful people – who’ll make great business contacts!

Welstead notes in her piece: “Remember, people tend to move in peer groups:  That means that if you’re ambitious and successful now, the kids you hung with in high school or university, and the friends you made in your first career jobs in your early 20s, have probably gone on to be successful and ambitious, too.  In other words, they’re worth knowing for professional reasons.”

So, if you use Facebook only to take quizzes and complain about your spouse, it probably won’t be terribly useful for professional networking. But, if you include enough information to let people know about the professional you, it can be a very personal and successful way to connect.

While you’re at it, be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the community!
Stay tuned tomorrow for more great reasons to be on Facebook!
If you need help mobilizing your networks and your job search plans, learn more about how I can help you!