Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

6 ways to improve your listening skills

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This is the fourth in my series about the five networking fundamentals to help you land a job. Don’t miss the pieces about the keys to researching your networking targets and how to ask good questions. Today’s installment is about being interested in the replies, which is mainly about being a good listener.

Good listening is fundamentally important for job seekers and all careerists. I’ve written about this and cannot say it enough.

It is so easy to be distracted. The buzzing (or ringing) phone in your pocket, the online ad that is dashing across your screen while you are typing an email, Tweetdeck notifying you of direct messages, the “to dos” running through your head while speaking to someone…This list is never ending. Being distracted is easy.

Need help articulating what you offer? Check out my new book:
100 Conversations for Career Success

Re-learning how to focus and concentrate is important, because good listeners have more opportunities to succeed at networking, in interviews and on the job. I can’t tell you how often I have interviewed a candidate, asked a question and gotten an answer that has nothing to do with what I wanted to know. Clearly, the person was not practicing active listening!

What can you do to improve your skills in this area?

JobsDB.com has some useful tips (bold from them, commentary is my own):

  1. Learn to listen by using lots of eye contact. It is harder to be distracted if you are really focusing on the speaker.
  2. Be slow to speak. Don’t interrupt.
  3. Be Attentive. Sit still and nod your head. Make sure your body language shows your interest. Lean in and keep your body turned directly to the other person.
  4. Show Gratitude.
    Thanking someone for a specific piece of advice or information clearly shows that you were listening and paying attention. Plus, people love to be thanked…It really helps form a connection that could result in more opportunities to share and learn.
  5. Stay in Tune.
    “If you find that your attention span is small, actively repeat what is being said to you as the speaker is speaking.” It’s rude to let your mind wander when someone is talking. If you are not interested in the conversation, change the subject or excuse yourself. Don’t give yourself permission to ignore what is going on in the discussion at hand.

Dawn Rosenber McKay, who writes for About.com, adds another great point: “Repeat instructions and ask appropriate questions when the speaker has finished.” This is a great tip to help maintain focus.

Stay tuned for more ideas to improve your listening skills…In the meantime, feel free to share your ideas and stories about good listening!

Photo by Beverly & Pack

How to evaluate your resume

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Recently, I have been working on a corporate job. One of the things I have been doing is writing annotations of resumes. I review the documents and then write up some notes explaining how each one addresses the key issues that are necessary to connect with a hiring manager. I assess the points the author is making and indicate how the body of the document supports those main points.

It occurred to me that it is a GREAT idea for job seekers to use this analytical process to evaluate their own resumes. Think about it…

Identify your main points. (The goal is for these to resonate with the hiring manager.) For example, a manager may have the following points to include in the Highlights of Qualifications section:

  • Mentoring/supervisory skills,
  • Diplomacy/communication
  • Leadership and
  • Specific subject matter expertise.

Once you identify the important skills – review the resume and identify which of the bullets PROVE each of your main points. When someone else reads the resume, will that person see proof of the intended skills? Does the resume include accomplishments related to each of the points? It is not unusual to see a resume that states something but fails to prove it in the body of the resume. Any point that you are not supporting with evidence in your resume is a lost opportunity to drive home your point to the hiring manager.

So, take a stab at your own resume…How are you supporting your points? (Or not?) Fill in the details – include skills and accomplishments to really give a full picture. I always say to my clients: You don’t send a prospective employer a “dot-to-dot” and expect him or her to fill in the blanks. Send a fully fleshed out portrait that leaves no doubt that you have what it takes to solve the employer’s problems.

photo from Beth Hampton

Questions to ask when networking

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This is the third in my series about networking. Now that you have the keys to researching your networking targets, and know the fundamentals, you need to consider what to ask when you meet them! The number one thing to remember when networking is that most people have a favorite topic of discussion – themselves!

GL Hoffman had some useful advice at his blog, What Would Dad Say?:

It truly is not about you. It is more about the other person. Ask questions, find their interesting story, learn from them, ask advice. Strive for a conversation that is 25% you, 75% them.

Remember your manners. Smile a lot. Say please and thank you. Hold doors open. Make eye contact. Say “and” more than you say “but.” Be positive. These are the things your mom taught you.

These are great launching off points to consider before thinking of what to ask at an informational meeting.

Don’t forget that it’s important to assess what you want to know! There is nothing worse than having a meeting and walking away without accomplishing your goals. So, have some goals!

Need help learning what to say when networking?
Find tips and scripts for in-person and online networks in my new book:
100 Conversations for Career Success

Figure out what you need to know about the organization or the person – things that you cannot find out by a quick Google search. Consider asking about the person’s (or organization’s) values, important skills needed to work there and about how they do business. Ask the nuanced questions you want to know. For example:

  • What are your biggest challenges? (Or those impacting your field/company/organization?)
  • What is the best (and worst) part of your job?
  • What would you do differently (if anything) if you were starting over in your field?

At the same time, in case you have a contact who likes to ask a lot of questions, be sure that you can also discuss your unique qualities – your unique selling proposition.

  • What are YOUR skills.
  • Why are you interested in this field or organization?
  • What do YOU have to offer?

Be sure to bring along your resume, just in case your networking contact asks for it, or if you have an opportunity to ask for input and advice.

In the long run, what exactly you ask is less important than HOW you ask it and how well prepared you appear. It is really true that you have one chance to make a first impression…Be interested and interesting and you won’t have to worry!

Feel free to share your great question ideas and success stories in the comments!

photo by leo reynolds

Don't be like Conan – create your online presence BEFORE you need it!

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I don’t think I am going out on a limb here by assuming that most of my readers are not celebrities! But, you do have something in common with a celebrity; you should reserve YourName.com – even if you don’t plan to use it right now.

If you have been following the whole Conan O’Brian story, you know that NBC’s contract prohibits him from appearing on TV until September. But, did you know that Conan had never even considered having his own online presence before the whole debacle with NBC? It turns out that a squatter owns ConanOBrian.com, and Conan himself was a bit of a luddite when it came to using social media.

The New York Times reported about O’Brian:

Gainfully employed by NBC for some two decades, a personal Web site had hardly been a priority until, well, his tenure as host of “The Tonight Show” screeched to an end in January. Suddenly he needed a new platform. He joined Twitter, and last month, helped by just a few tweets, Mr. O’Brien largely sold out his 30-city comedy tour, which starts on Monday in Eugene, Ore.

(Thanks @Twitter_Tips for that link.)

But, having ramped up quickly, many people now believe that Conan is using social media (Twitter in particular) to sell himself to Fox. (Hat tip @KathyOreilly)

Don’t wait until you need social media to corral the tools you need. Start building your online presence now! A social resume can help you build your brand and share information much more flexibly than other online mediums, such as LinkedIn. Creating your own site and building it into your online home is a project worth starting. Don’t wait until it seems crucial and you are pressed for time.

Just as you don’t want to leave your work address as a primary contact for your LinkedIn profile – since you would be locked out if you lost that email in a layoff, for example – don’t sit back and wait for someone else to take over your online presence.

Not sure what to do? I can help! CONTACT ME to learn about creating an online presence that would make anyone proud!

photo by rkolson

One way to empower yourself as a job seeker

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Under the “you never know what will inspire you to blog” category, I was listening to a local radio show last week – The Bert Show in Atlanta. They were interviewing Chilli (Rozonda Thomas) from TLC – @officialchilli on Twitter. You’re waiting for the career connection?

Chilli shared that she has a “list” when it comes to looking for Mr. Right. She explained that she has two categories – needs and wants. (Disclosure – I am paraphrasing here, as I was in the car listening and the audio isn’t posted online as of this writing!)

Needs according to Chilli include things that are “must haves.” Chilli’s needs for a life partner included “family man and Christian,” among others. Wants? “A six-pack” (she’s willing to date someone who has a 4-pack!) and a man who doesn’t eat pork (she can compromise), among a few other desires. Everyone on the show seemed to think it was great to have a list; they commented that it was empowering to know what you are looking for and to be able to quantify it clearly. It obviously helps Chilli to zone in on how to spend her time and energy when it comes to dating.

Job seekers – think about your needs and wants. Since this isn’t a relationship advice blog, let’s take this concept to your job hunt. Do you have a list? What are YOUR needs/must-havea? A certain salary? Flexibility? Type of organization? What about your “wants?” Close to home? Ability to telecommute?

Have you narrowed down what you are looking for? If not, it’s a lot harder to find it!

Take some time today to make your list if you have not already clarified this for yourself. I’ve talked about searching for a company instead of a job, but it’s tough to choose a company before you really narrow down what YOU want. Empower yourself with a list. You deserve it!

photo by tinybanquet