Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

How social media can help you change careers

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Career change is usually difficult for the one doing the changing. There are always aspects of advertized jobs the applicant has not exactly accomplished, if only because he or she hasn’t had the chance! Highlighting transferable skills (the ones you can use in any job) as well as targeting your application materials for the positions in question are important pieces of a successful career change. Having a well-targeted resume that makes it clear why you can do the job (even if you’ve never done it before) is so important!

Beyond the resume and typical job search materials, I believe using social media tools can really help build a career changer’s bridge to a new occupation or vocation. In my book, Social Networking for Career Success, I explain how social media may help career changers who naturally have a difficult time proving they have what they need to succeed in the next job: How? It solves several problems:

  • It allows you to extend your network to meet people you otherwise would never encounter. Statistics show how important introductions and “warm leads” are to job seekers. Companies value referrals from within their organizations, and meeting new people you would not otherwise know via online interactions provides more potential for referrals. (Moving those social networking interactions to in-person or telephone conversations is a good next step.)
  • You have easy access to information and resources about your targeted profession. I like to think of social networks as offering a constant opportunity to learn what people in the field and thinking, saying, writing and sharing. Twitter is particularly useful in this regard. In the book, I describe how it’s possible to follow content from conferences you don’t attend in person via hashtags, and share tips from Mark Stelzner, of Inflexion Advisors, for live tweeting a conference. If you find and follow people like Mark in your field, you may be able to grasp the key problems your new targeted industry is grappling with, without leaving your home and without spending a dime! (I elaborate on all the details in the book for HOW to find and follow the right community online.)
  • Social media allows you to demonstrate your newfound expertise, engage in your targeted community, and make a name for yourself in your new industry. Social media can’t MAKE you an expert, but if you have what it takes to excel in your new field, you should be able to demonstrate it online. Show that you know what’s going on, suggest solutions based on your expertise in other industries or fields and be someone who contributes to the conversation in your targeted field.
  • Your lack of actual experience in the field may become less important once potential colleagues view you as an active contributor. If you’re good at sharing what you learn and know, the connections you gain and their willingness to promote you as a contributor will outweigh your actual lack of industry, paid work experience as a factor. (It won’t totally erase it, but it goes a long way to helping you get where you want to go.)
  • Being familiar with social media tools may be just the unique skill you need to help you land a job. Social media isn’t going away. Having an online profile, a Twitter feed and/or using LinkedIn to connect with prospective colleagues helps show you are staying ahead of the curve regarding technology. In and of itself, that may help you exceed another qualified candidate’s credentials.

In the book, I share career change success stories from several contributors, including:

  • Alexis Grant (@alexisgrant), social media coach and owner of Socialexis, who is now Careers editor for U.S. News & World Report.
  • Jessica Lewis, who transitioned to a non-profit career after 10 years in a different field.
  • Kate-Madonna Hindes (known online as @girlmeetsgeek), who used blogging and Twitter to launch an entirely new career as a social marketer and career columnist. (She notes, “Social media changed my life.)

Don’t let the competitive market discourage you from making a change. Dive into social media — I hope you’ll take a look at my book to teach you how to get on the right path — and you may be surprised by the results! Be sure to learn more about my book, Social Networking for Career Success, as I teach you how to use all the social networks you know about — and some you haven’t even considered — and Amazon has it for a great price!

photo by vistavision

 

 

Job search advice from recruiters

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Last week, I was a guest at an iRelaunch Return-to-Work Conference in Atlanta. It is always a pleasure to have a chance to hear from recruiters, and, in this case, also from a number of women who returned to work after taking some time off. Carol Fishman Cohen and Vivian Steir Rabin, the co-founders of iRelaunch and authors of Back on the Career Track: A Guide for Stay-at-Home Moms Who Want to Return to Work, put together several terrific panels and seminars for those attending.

The employer panel included:

Elizabeth Russel, Director of Change Leadership — Emerson Human Capital

Kathy Davis, Recruiting Manager — Accenture

Michelle Wilkinson, Leadership Recruiting Manager — Wellpoint Inc.

The panelist share a number of good tips for job seekers…

Ms. Russel commented on how important it is to demonstrate your ability to manage projects, an across-the-board skill to demonstrate on the resume. Other top picks to highlight? The ability to meet deadlines, manage a team and to fit the organization’s culture. Ms. Davis noted the importance of referencing key words in a resume and suggested using LinkedIn to connect with people at your target companies. She believes it is a great idea to use Twitter to network and gain and share information and explained it was important to “make your voice heard.”

The recruiters differed in their opinions about cover letters, with Ms. Davis saying she doesn’t always read them, while Ms. Wilkinson believes a cover letter is “quite important.” This is typical of advice regarding cover letters — some read them, others ignore them, so it’s a bit of a toss-up for job seekers. The best advice seems to be to write a strong cover letter, in case it is valued.

The panelists agreed it was important for the candidate to indicate on the resume why he or she left a job or had a gap. For example, “left to care for ill parent” or “stayed home with infant daughter.” They even suggested noting things on the resume such as, “department closed” or “company bought out.” Ms. Russell suggested not “over explaining” a gap, but believed (as did the others) that it was important to account for time off of paid work.

Job seekers may be interested to know that the employers agreed volunteer work, especially board-level work and significant volunteer contributions should be highlighted on a resume when appropriate. In fact, Ms. Wilkinson explained “community work is key at WellPoint,” so showcasing it would be particularly significant. This is a great reminder to identify an organization’s key culture points in order to illustrate why you are well-suited for the job. Sometimes, that cultural fit can really make a difference between two equally qualified candidates.

As for resume length, the general rule of thumb was two to three pages, and all three women agreed referrals from within the company were valued. They suggested asking the recruiter or hiring manager about appropriate intervals for following up and emphasized it was a great question to ask at the interview.

Their final words of wisdom:

Ms. Wilkinson: Know what you want to do. The worst thing is when a candidate does not know. Do your homework about the company and industry and be prepared for the interview.

Ms. Davis: Don’t sell yourself short. Take phone interviews seriously – be sure to smile, even though you’re on the phone; it makes a difference!

Ms. Russell: Dress up for those phone interviews. Be open minded. Recognize your next role may not have existed five years ago!

photo by K’vitsh

Celebrating Kindness Day – How to help a job seeker

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Today, my colleague Phyllis Mufson invited me to participate in “Kindness Day.” Via her blog, she suggests perpetrating kindness via Twitter by doing and tweeting acts of kindness, using the hashtag (search tag) #Kindness.

Writing about job search and interacting regularly with job seekers, I thought it made sense to also contribute a brief blog with tips about how to be kind to job seekers. It’s very easy to make half-hearted offers to help someone in the midst of a job search. Everyone has made one of these offers in one way or another: “Let me know what I can do to help.” Or, “I’m happy to help, just let me know what you need.”

It’s easy to say, but unlikely to encourage the job seeker to follow through. We all know it’s difficult to ask for help — job seekers are no more likely to follow up with your offer than someone with a broken leg you tell to “let me know what I can do.” We’re all self-sufficient and don’t like to accept assistance.

What’s a better suggestion, in honor of Celebrating Kindness Day? Just do something nice! Here are some suggestions that came to mind.

  • Invite a job seeking friend to meet for coffee with a contact who might be able to help him or her connect with a company of interest.
  • Ask the job seeker what companies interest him or her. Review your own network; if there is a good contact, invite both to meet for lunch and facilitate an in-person introduction.
  • If you’re attending an event that could be useful for your job seeking friend, invite him or her to go with you and make a point facilitate targeted introductions.
  • If you’re a close friend, offer to do something nice personally — offer to babysit, so the job seeker can have some time alone – for job hunting activities or just to relax.
  • Keep an eye out for useful information that could assist the job seeker, and pass it along. If you hear of well-suited opportunities, offer to forward a resume and actually make an effort to connect the job seeker with the opportunity.
  • Peruse your own social networks — your LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook connections — for possible good contacts for the job seeker. Do everything you can to facilitate their connection.
  • Keep an eye open via your own networks about resources such as Hiring for Hope/Job Angels — where volunteers offer to assist job seekers.

What other ideas do you have? What have you done to help a job seeker? If you ARE a job seeker, what’s the best thing someone could do for you? Also share tips of what is NOT kind — or not helpful — for job seekers.

Thanks to this group of Twitter users for co-hosting Celebrating #Kindness Day! Be sure to follow them and tweet some kindness today with the #Kindness hashtag!

Kim Wells @kwells2416 http://Twitter.com/kwells2416
Susan Smith @togetherwf http://Twitter.com/togetherwf
Dave Carpenter @Dave_Carpenter http://Twitter.com/Dave_Carpenter
Sarah Hodsdon @Sarahndipitous http://Twitter.com/Sarahndipitous
Georgia Feiste @feistycoach http://Twitter.com/feistycoach
Jacob Share @jacobshare http://Twitter.com/jacobshare
Melissa Cooley @TheJobQuest http://Twitter.com/TheJobQuest
Phyllis Mufson @PhyllisMufson http://twitter.com/phyllismufson

photo by the_moment

Simply Hired reports opportunities up for job seekers

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In Simply Hired’s February Jobs Report, there were some silver linings for job seekers.

They reported growth in 17 of 18 industries; only Technology was down a bit (-2.0%). Reported large growth areas: Military (22.7%), Travel (20.9%) and Agriculture (20.0%)

Month-over-month, growth in job openings (based on posted jobs on Simply Hired) were up 3.8% and year-over-year (compared to February 2010), they were up 49.7%.

There are (statistically) 4 people for every 1 job opening nationwide. Top hiring companies nationwide included:

  • Home Depot
  • HCA
  • Securus
  • Starbucks
  • U.S. Air Force

Top hiring sectors based on jobs listed on Simply Hired included: agriculture, automotive, construction, education, financial services, government, health care, hospitality and legal.

Statistically, the most competitive place to land a job was Miami and Fort Lauderdale, where there are 9 candidates for every one opening. Washington D.C. has one job for every one candidate. (Remember, this is a statistical analysis, which doesn’t necessarily mean you will or will not be able to land an opportunity.)

Daniel Greenberg, CMO, SimplyHired.com, explains how they calculate these ratios and what they mean for job seekers:

SimplyHired.com’s unemployment ratio is calculated by taking the average of the total number of currently unemployed persons in the U.S. (as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics) over the total number of job openings listed on SimplyHired.com each month. In February, the unemployment ratio was 4:1 nationally. This means that on average there were four job seekers for every one job opening. What this means for job seekers varies by location, if you’re looking for a job in an area like Miami, the unemployment ratio is actually 9:1, and in Washington, DC the unemployment ratio is an ideal 1:1.

This ratio also includes every job opening, meaning that part-time and contract work is considered – not just full-time jobs. Everything else being equal, job seekers in highly competitive job markets would be well served to relocate to areas that have more favorable job seeker-to-unemployment ratios.”

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If you’re looking for a job — or thinking you need to start using social media to propel your career, my book: Social Networking for Career Success is available on Amazon (at a great discount). Please order now!

 

photo by Redvers

Newest updates from LinkedIn

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I was delighted to be invited to attend LinkedIn’s latest press conference (via live stream from their headquarters). No question LinkedIn is working hard to compete with other, growing social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter.

An interesting point made in the early part of the conference: LinkedIn wants to emphasize itself as a network helpful for job seekers, but not JUST for people looking for jobs. They strive to be a place for people to share insights, build relationships  and update profiles to illustrate expertise and offer information all of the time. I’ve been promoting this concept for years, and it was not surprising to know that being a go-to network for every professional is one of LinkedIn’s goals.

The three objectives they outlined:

  1. Be the professional profile of record to help people find and be found, ultimately eliminating the need for the “cold call.”
  2. Be a source of professional insights with a focus on making content relevant to readers.
  3. “Work where our members work,” in other words, create applications to use via smartphones and on the go in addition to on the Web.

Some of their latest – and newly announced features:

LinkedIn’s InMaps – allow you to visualize your LinkedIn social graph (the people you are connected to and how they connect to each other). You can learn where there are pockets in your networks and consider where you may want to expand your connections, and it’s all via a visual tool. (The picture above is a piece of an InMap. Try it out: http://inmaps.linkedinlabs.com/.

LinkedIn’s Signal – This has been in beta in September 2010, and today is available for everyone. Find this on your LinkedIn home page or via http://www.linkedin.com/signal. (See picture below — the link is in the bottom, right corner – Search Updates.)


See updates from your immediate or expanded network, or information shared by company or industry, location, time, University, or any combination of those search parameters. This gives you access to updates from people who are not in your network.

This search is sort of similar to searching a hashtag on Twitter, which shows you updates from everyone – not just your network – using that search term. LinkedIn aims to share “professional” updates with you via this tool, but this all depends on how your network or the network you are searching uses LinkedIn. Let’s face it, there are plenty of updates that are not exactly “professional.” I found many by searching only by city. However, in theory, this type of search should clue me in to what professionals in a given city are thinking and sharing. (Searches by industry are more focused and will likely produce useful results.)

LinkedIn Today Beta. Find this at http://www.linkedin.com/today. LinkedIn calls it, “A new product that surfaces the top headlines and stories being shared the most across multiple industries by LinkedIn’s trusted network of more than 90 million professionals.”

They explain, “LinkedIn Today gives members a customized and tailored way to consume the top trending news relevant to a particular industry and by what is being shared the most frequently by those industry’s professionals. It lets members access their professional news through three different lenses – by their connections, industry, and the broader global professional network.”

LinkedIn Today integrates with Twitter and StumbleUpon and other news sources, including Bloomberg.com, Wall Street Journal Digital Network, CNNMoney, and many more. They also integrated this into their iPhone app (version 3.6), which has special features allowing users to quickly access the news they need.

Learn more about this new feature by taking the “tour” offered right below the site’s headline. It’s easy to personalize the experience and save stories so you can track the information you want.

Be sure to take advantage of these useful tools, whether you are looking for a job, have a business, or just know you need to keep up-to-date to stay ahead of the game professionally!

Want to learn all about how you can use social networking to propel your career? My new book, Social Networking for Career Success, is available for pre–order (at a great price). I want to invite you to order now!