TwitJobs Blog

Good Question: Do Cold Letters Work?

2012-01-29T13:59:00.000Z

I answer job search questions on Proformative.com, I like to share the good questions from their members.

Original Good Question:

Given the job market we are experiencing, do you recommend sending a letter to a business that does not have an advertised position posted? Are cold letters such as this viewed as irritating to the business leaders?

My response:

If you recommend sending a letter, should it be very brief merely asking about a job or should it accompany a resume to inform the business of your skills?

Is a Cold Letter Effective?

A cold letter is generally ineffective because there is not an immediate need to fill, therefore, no reason to look at talent. Also, without a referral or introduction, it is difficult for someone to dedicate time from their day to review the letter (e-mail, etc.)

No Advertised Position - How to get in:

To get into companies with no advertised positions, I have used two steps with success

First, I have looked for 'events' that could trigger need for people with my skill set (new products, funding, acquisition, etc.). I looked at events within the last six months - it's usually a series of small events, not a major one. While that seems like a big window of time, a company may need an extended period to determine what it needs.

Second, I find a way to get a referral or connection to remove the 'cold' - just to give your letter a chance to be read. Remember, regardless of how strong a referral, your letter may go unread.

I think the book "Take the Cold out of Cold Calling" (www.takethecold.com) by Sam Ritcher is a great tool for finding connections.

Letter versus E-mail:

Use an e-mail; you are more likely to get it read. Letters are good for follow-up. I like to send notes like this on Sunday night, when people begin to scan e-mails on their smartphones in prep for the week, but their Inbox is not jammed.

What's in your e-mail:

As what to include in the e-mail it's all about addressing a need. In addition to using your network to get a connection, also seek insight into what's happening in the firm and specifically for the person you want to meet.

Here's what I've included in my e-mail.

1) Should be to a specific person (e.g. CFO)

2) Reference your referral by name (I include in the title of my e-mail)

3) Identify the need that person has from the event (e.g. integration of accounting post-acquisition). When I say need, what do they think about are those tasks they personally need to accomplish to remain successful.

4) In short, mention only background that is relevant to the addressing the need (e.g. I've done 4 integration projects).

5) Ask if they would like to meet, at a minimum you can share insight from your background.

Your objective is to have them take a meeting. Give them a compelling reason why to meet - anything more simply gets in the way and diminishes your chances.

Include the URL to your LinkedIn profile instead of a resume and leave out asking for a job. You want to avoid making someone feel like they will have to say "No" to you regarding a job (Who wants to take a meeting like that?)

There are no advertised jobs for a reason, they are not looking. But just because they are not actively looking does not mean they do not have a need to solve. What you want to do with your e-mail and meeting is highlight the need.

While these are generally longer-term plays, the interesting part is very few people use this method to get in -

especially when it comes to stringing together several events where the cumulative effect could be significant.

Hope this helps.

Mark

www.candidateschair.com - sharing ideas from candidates for candidates to keep your psyche strong and search focused.

http://TwitJobs.net The Career Community

Pitching Your Startup Experience to an Non-Startup Audience

2011-09-25T15:18:00.000+01:00

Question: Does having a start-up or early-stage experience help or hinder your resume’s appeal?

The answer: Depends on the reader.

I know that’s a crummy answer, but it’s the truth.

If the reader has a background with firms that were with startup/early-stage, entrepreneurial, fast growing or rapidly changing business, they can see how the experience effects what you can offer a potential employer. If not, it’s more difficult.

Think of it like working outside your home country, it’s tough to truly appreciate until you cross the border.
Since you may move between established firms and start-ups, understanding how to position your experience to a non-Startup audience is important.

Having worked in and with start-up/early-stage firms for the past five years I can share some of the key upsides and downsides. There are loads of both, but these items that come up most frequently in either discussion with colleagues or what I’ve experienced firsthand.

UPSIDES:
These are the items to emphasize in a cover letter, pitch or within body of resume.

Fine tune your view of the customer: Without all the meetings, processes, etc. this is where you focus all of your attention on understanding the need, design a product to fulfill it, understand their motivation to buy, how to find them and convince them to put money in your wallet. There’s not a company on the planet that does not want to serve their customer better. This is the best thing going for a start-up, that ability to get to the absolute essentials of bringing revenue into the business.

Visibility to the entire business process: This is the second best thing going for a startup; you get to see the entire delivery process to a client – from product, pricing, operations through collection of cash. You learn both what’s truly essential to running the business and when to add functions to your company.

Expand and Understand Your Skills: Titles are given, but generally optional when it comes to getting the work done. Those skills you were good at become great; those skills you were okay at become better. My titles have been CFO, but my tasks have including designing web pages, developing a social media plan, creating sales tools, and operating manuals. I’d never say you’ll become an expert, but you certainly learn to use what you’ve got and how to deal with situations where you have little past experience. In a small firm, you are pretty open about your strengths (also it’s hard to hide) and when to ask for help – which makes you a more effective member of a team to accomplish a given task.

Speed of Decision-Making/Risk Taking: Due to a variety of constraints, you learn to move quickly with less information. More importantly, you learn to focus on the ‘right’ information. How you approach risk is also finely tuned, because you learn to balance the need to move quickly and the risk that a bad decision can sink the firm. You move to try new ideas quickly, but you move to shut down rotten ideas with equal speed.

Problems = Innovation: There’s always some problem or roadblock to overcome. Whether it’s too little capital, change in client behavior, your solution did not work exactly right, or new competitors, you learn to adapt your original vision of what you bring to market. Because of their frequency, you become enamored with what you can deliver, less on how it’s delivered. Innovation extends well beyond the initial idea into how to make the idea commercially viable.

DOWNSIDES:
A non-startup audience may often view the following items as less than favorable because of how they differ from their typically established company perspective. I describe the traits and how to offset it in your pitch, etc. When it comes to the downsides, my advice is to assassinate the assassin, by directly addressing the issues that may derail your chances.

You could not get job in big firm: There is a common belief that traditional firms were not interested in you, so you went to a start-up.

Offsetting argument: The reality is that given the risk of capital, the investors, board and management tend to be very choosey as to who gets hired. They have both capital and reputation on the line, and when it comes to raising capital for their next deal, protecting these is critical.

Failure or non-performance of start-up: It’s the nature of the beast and no one is immune. You are defining a new product, new market or both and with this come higher risk.

Offsetting argument: It’s this risk that enables the upsides noted above, however, without a roadmap, processes or history – you are likely to make mistakes. You can compare a start-up success rate to a number of projects, products in a large firm.

Nomadic lifestyle: People will see that you may have worked with a number of start-ups in a short period of time. There are three primary reasons why this might be true. First, it can take several tries to find the right deal and you may have to jump in to figure it out. Second, not every start-up needs your skill full-time after launch; your work can be a project to get the business launched. Third, the business does not succeed or grow, so it’s time to try a new one because they cannot afford you or there’s no upside.

Offsetting argument: Start-up investors lay bets on a large number of start-ups with the belief that 1 in 10 or 20 will have a significant return that more than offsets the deals that goes sideways. They go into deals knowing that many will not succeed; the tough part is that they don’t which one up front.

CAVEATS:
Before pitching someone, learn their background and their firms. For their firms, remember that big does not always equal stodgy, and may view itself as very entrepreneurial for their size.

The non-startup audience is not wrong in their view of skills, simply different than you. It’s your responsibility to help them appreciate the startup experience.

Your experience will vary in scope and depth. Before you head out to pitch yourself, take an inventory of your experiences – you’ll be surprised at what you’ve learned!

If your start-up hit it big, then skip the above and promote the end result, you’ve punched your ticket.

Good luck today.

Mark

www.candidateschair.com/blog

http://TwitJobs.net The Career Community

Interview Performance: In Transition Candidate Versus The Employed Candidate

2011-08-31T03:09:00.000+01:00

Have you ever wondered if being in-transition makes you less attractive in an interview? The answer may be “Yes”, but not for the reasons you may think.

My colleague Marcia Ballinger from Keystone Search and I were having coffee and we got on the topic of interviewing. She shared some amazing insight into how in-transition candidates effectively derail their chances during the interview.

Marcia has submitted many in-transition candidates for her clients’ consideration because they have the right skills and experiences that make them attractive to a client – regardless of their employment status. Also, Marcia’s firm has sat in interviews as an observer for the past five years, so she has seen both types of candidates in action.

She noted distinct patterns of behavior from the in-transition candidates derailed their chances for the role because they made themselves an ‘outlier’ compared other candidates – but in the wrong direction.

Much like that old joke about when you and buddy are being chased by a bear, you don’t have to run faster than the bear, just your buddy. When it comes to hiring, the candidate selected is not the best at everything, they are simply better than the other candidates.

Here are the traits that Marcia has seen from in-transition candidates are going to get you caught by the bear.

· They talk more and listen less.
· They are very quickly convinced that an opportunity is “perfect” for them, even when they don’t have all the facts. Marcia said that she frequently has in-transition candidates proclaim that they are ‘perfect’ for a position, even before they have seen a job description. (Writer comment: For an executive position, these can be literally ‘million dollar’ decisions given the potential impact of the executive on a business. Who makes million dollar decisions with no information?)
· They lean forward.
· They don’t always wait for the speaker to finish answering the question.
· They are glib, surface, and less “thoughtful.”
· They talk faster, as though they are trying to “squeeze” more in.
· They seek to persuade, not to understand.

Having interviewed during my own transition, I’ll admit to being guilty of these behaviors. At the time I felt as though I was displaying my eagerness and interest, but now I see it was my anxious feelings shining through.

How does someone with a job behave during an interview? Here’s what Marcia has observed:

· These people are picky. They are choosey.

· Instead of trying to convince, they are waiting to be convinced.

· They are genuinely interested in learning more and investigating whether the opportunity could be a fit. But, they do not come in convinced that it IS a fit.

· There tends to be more mutuality in the discussions with employed candidates. Employed candidates see themselves as ‘peers’, so the interview is more like two business people having a meeting.

· For the hiring executive, it feels more like a regular meeting between a boss and a staff member, and less like an outsider, or a “salesperson.”

For you and me, these types of ‘insider’ insights are pure gold since its behavior from fellow candidates – both what’s working and what’s not. However, Marcia made another point which I think is more relevant: The in-transition candidates’ behaviors arise from their circumstances and build over time; therefore, they need to work harder to suppress these behaviors.

The employed candidate comes into the interview with the ability to walk away, which gives them a position of strength. They feel less overall risk and certainty no reason to push or persuade. This is why the discussion is more relaxed and interactive.

Can an in-transition candidate give themselves the walk away power? While perhaps not at the same level of the employed candidate, you can get close if you go into an interview with this mindset: I don’t want to be interviewing a year from now; therefore, I need to be sure this is a job where I can truly succeed and will be retained.

If this approach helps you avoid being back in-transition in the near term, it’s a powerful motivation to help you make sure this is the right position. (If you are at the point, either financially or emotionally, that you to just get into a role please see: The Art of Settling for Less).

My thanks to Marcia for sharing this amazing insight that will help all of us get the most out of our interviews.

Good luck today!

Mark

http://TwitJobs.net The Career Community

Good Question: How to Avoid Networking Burnout

2011-08-30T17:00:00.000+01:00

I blog on Proformative.com (on-line community for finance executives), this is one of the questions that I was recently asked.

Good question:

I have been in interview mode for about 8 months. How do I refresh from this process so that I don't start to sound like a "canned speech". I am networking and in interviews, phone and in person probably about 25 hours per week. Selling yourself starts to become tedious.

My answer:

Before I begin, if you are feeling burned out - take a break. Cancel your networking meetings. You only have one chance to impress and no matter how you try, if you feel burned out - it comes through to whomever you are meeting. Trust me, I've been on both sides of this equation. No one buys from a sales person who lacks confidence - and you are your number 1 sales person!

I found that burnout is a combination of three factors: low psyche (from not getting a role or being treated poorly in process), repetition of process (different people, same pitch) and too many similar meetings (all hat, no cattle).

1. For the low psyche - two ideas:

· Define 'success' as those actions that got you an interview or moved the hiring process ahead. If you only define success as getting a new role, then it's tough to feel like you accomplished anything. Keep a running list of accomplishments for each week - 2 or 3. It's these little accomplishments that will add up over time. (Also see my post on Redefining Success)

· Pick a project that you can accomplish in short-time. Whether as volunteer, contractor or at home - I had a list of projects I could knock out. Gave me the rhythm of being at work, where I had the sense of moving things ahead.

I know both of these two may sound like parlor tricks, but the first is about what to expect from yourself and the second reminds you that bring value to a firm. I've given this advice several times and had good feedback - I've also used it for myself.

2. Repetition:

What varied this for me was practicing the "80% Rule", where 80% of my networking was focused on the other person. This strategy is a long-term investment in building a relationship because you are focusing on what you can do for that person - but I can guarantee it never gets boring.

You will get your chance to pitch, but it's usually not the same - because most people return the favor and start to ask different questions and the networking becomes more collaborative. (See the resource "Networking Checklist" and blog post "Making Networking Effective - Your Timing is Everything".)

3. Too many meetings:

One of my mistakes in search was too much networking. I was taking too many of the same meetings or not making the most of my meetings.

For taking too many of the 'same meetings', try the "Daily Point System". This tool will help you allocate your time to those meetings which make a difference.

For not make the most of my meetings, see the blog post "Roadmap to the Hiring Manager", this was my discovery of aligning my request for help with the networking contact's level of relationship with the hiring manager. In short, asking for help that they can truly deliver.

This is just a starter and I hope this helps.

Good luck today.

Mark

www.candidateschair.com - Networking and job search advice from candidates for candidates. Please take a visit to get free tools and advice.

http://TwitJobs.net The Career Community

Making Networking Effective – Your Timing is Everything

2011-05-09T04:08:00.000+01:00

Your timing of delivering your story makes all the difference of whether or not a meeting is successful or not. A story or pitch is only effective once you’ve fully engaged the other person.

WHY THEY WANT TO BE THERE

“Interested, but need to be engaged” is what I call people who have agreed to network with you. They agreed to network because of a mutual connection or desire to help, so they are interested.

You want them engaged from the start; therefore you must begin the meeting by showing them why they want to be there. We all have self-interest and desire to be appreciated. We also know when those two elements are fulfilled; we are far more likely to engage in whatever activity lies ahead of us.

While not scientific, the chart below will illustrate where to put your attention to get the most of a meeting.

Let’s slice up the meeting into four sections and

Initial Impression: It starts with simple professional courtesy, being on time, etc., but it continues with setting the stage by establishing why you wanted to meet, expected outcome and that you are looking to network with them.

Selling Phase: The initial impression you want to set is that there is a good meeting ahead, which gets their interest. Now you want to stoke that interest, by beginning with them and using the 80% rule by offering help from your network via connections or information and understanding if there are other areas you can help. During this time you do not focus on yourself at all.

Telling Phase: The connections and help you offer have opened the door for you to make a very simple pitch. The pitch should be the 2-3 important messages that want your connection to remember after the meeting. To make a message about a skill or experience memorable is to accompany it with an outcome or important lesson. If someone would like to learn more about any of the 2-3 message, they will ask.

Remember to always watch your networking contact’s eyes and body language. Take a tip from my experience, just because I thought a point was compelling it does not mean everyone does. I’ve tried using a different way to explain my message. At the first sign of a loss of interest, it’s time to move to the close.

Close: To send your contact with motivation to help, close the meeting with your follow-up actions. Most people will respond with their own actions, if they do not, it’s not a cause for worry. Once a meeting starts to finish most people begin to think about the rest of their day.

Changing your contact from ‘interested’ to ‘engaged’ will make the world of difference.

Hope this helps.

Mark

http://TwitJobs.net The Career Community

Anytime, Anywhere, Anyplace - When Keeping Your Options Open Yields Lower Results

2011-03-28T04:45:00.000+01:00

Your objective in networking is to build a relationship that mutually benefits each party.

The first step in building in defining how you can help one another, as once this is defined the networking can really get underway.

You’ll do research and listen during your first meeting to get ideas for where you can help one another. Now what?

You will be tempted (like all of us) to use the approach called “Anyplace, Anytime, Anywhere” where you keep the networking very general to keep all the options for helping one another open.

However, while it may appear counterintuitive, the more focused you become on a single area for each of you to begin, the greater the result. Because this gives you something to act upon and it is action that truly builds a relationship.

I’ll use a live example from my job search to show how ‘keeping all options open’ does not work. Here’s how I answered questions during a networking meeting.

Q: What size company are you targeting?

A: My experience could work at any size company.

Q: What industry are you interested in?

A: I have service industry experience, but I’m open to all industries.

Q: Public or Private firm…

You know where my meeting was going: Nowhere. I came across as either uncertain of my skills or interests. I gave my networking contact nothing to work on to make connections or help identify possible jobs (I have also sat through countless meetings where I received similar answers).

One of my favorite examples of where taking a very specific focus is very effective, the 37Signals team’s (www.37signals.com) approach for building software. They intentionally design less features and scope in order to deliver a specific need of high importance to their clients. Their philosophy is to establish a very clear relationship with the buyer as to what they should expect to receive. The smaller focus also enables them to deliver. (Writer note: I’m totally underselling the 37Signals story, recommend you visit their site or better yet read one of their books to get the full spirit of the firm and their accomplishments).

What is interesting is that once I narrowed my search focus (very narrow), I was finding myself interviewing more often based upon leads from my networking contacts. On the flipside, I also found myself delivering more networking referrals. Mutual benefit = Mission Accomplished.

The lesson here is to start small by picking a specific topic or 3-4 tangible actions where the two of you can help one another. You will get immediate results and a nice momentum to start this professional relationship.

Good luck today!

Mark Richards

www.candidateschair.com

http://TwitJobs.net The Career Community

Should you ask for Informational Interviews?

2011-02-14T01:37:00.001Z

A colleague on Linked recently posed a question to me on how to improve their response on requests for informational interviews.

My answer was to just ask them for a networking meeting and do not use the term “informational interview”. My experience in trying both paths is that the term “informational interview” has two perceptions/barriers that lower your chances of getting someone to agree to meet with you:

People do not like to say “No”: There is always an expectation of a job with anything called an interview. No matter how hard to tell yourself or the interviewer, there’s always the hope that the interviewer will end the meeting by pulling a job opening out of their desk drawer.

As an interviewer, you know there is no role and will likely need to say “We’re not hiring”, “You are an amazing candidate, but…” or “No” to the candidate who asks if there are any available positions. So why agree to meet with someone so you can disappoint them? It’s easier to just ignore the request.

Interview requires preparation: If there is no job, but you are doing an interview – it means like you have to act like there is one and be ready. If you think this person is important to meet, so do others. So why make them do work to meet with you.

A request to network has no implications or expectations. You simply state you are interested in the industry and want to get their insight. Be prepared with questions on how their firm operates and you will walk away with loads of insight. If a role does pop up, you’ve got an inside edge on how to tailor your resume and get ready.

With luck, you may get other connections in the firm – which is great as the more people you can tell your story, the higher your chances of getting connected to positions that come open. Ask any good sales person, they are always working multiple contacts at each firm.

My advice is to ask for a cup of coffee, not an informational interview.

For tips on how to ask for a meeting, see my post on “Sharing the Secret Sauce”.

Good luck today!

Mark Richards

www.candidateschair.com

Job Search from a Candidate's Perspective - Advice and tools for search organization and networking

http://TwitJobs.net The Career Community

Keeping Your Psyche Strong during Job Search

2011-01-27T19:12:00.000Z

The saying goes “Desperation does not work in dating or job search”. I can verify both of those when looking at my school years and my own job transition.

At one point in my search I had six solid job leads go completely dark within a week’s time. I remember going to a 7 a.m. networking meeting the following Monday. Big mistake – I wasted a good networking opportunity. When I got home, I cancelled all of my job search activities for the next two days, so I could get my psyche back in order and avoid a downward spiral (which we all know can be tough to pull out of). I also sent follow-up notes and apologized to my contacts, I told them exactly what happened and apologized for not being in top form.

I recognize this advice to cancelling meetings can come across as a bit extreme. But it is not, a strong psyche is more important than a strong resume. Ask yourself this question: How often have you made a major purchase or commitment from a less than enthusiastic salesperson? The answer is “Not very often, if at all”. As for the follow-up notes, not much I could do after the bomb went off, but was a sign of respect and managing my reputation.

In the end, a job search is like making a sale and you need to believe in the product (yourself) before anyone else will.

Both asking someone to introduce you to their network, much less a hiring decision, is asking someone to ‘buy’ your story. No matter how hard we try to put a ‘good face’, if your psyche is in the dumps, it comes across during your networking and interviews.

If a job search is selling, you have to believe yourself first before anyone else will.

Once I took the time off, here is what has worked for me many a time to boost my psyche. Make a list of small projects that you would like to accomplish. When you feel down, pull out the list and work like mad to finish the project. The sense of progress, accomplishment and putting your mind somewhere else for a stretch of time will work wonders. Trust me.

There are loads of other good ideas like volunteering, etc. – whatever they are, put them on the list and keep it handy. It’s not a question of ‘if’, but ‘when’ you will use it.

Remember, if you run into someone who needs to take a break – do them a favor and tell them.

Good luck today.

Mark Richards

www.candidateschair.com

http://TwitJobs.net The Career Community

Using Twitter to Promote Yourself during a Job Search

2011-01-17T18:41:00.002Z

Twitter is another great tool in the toolbox to promote your qualifications during a job search. The intent is to have potential employers and networking contacts read your tweets.

A couple of thoughts to help get you started

1. Keep it professional and positive

2. Focus on your profession only – especially where you can give advice from personal experience

3. If you have skills that cannot be easily trained, put those in your tweets, as employers will need to hire someone with them

4. Tweet on issues/experiences that will likely be raised in an interview/networking

5. Before starting to Tweet. Write your first 50 tweets. People will go to your profile and review your tweets – so best to have them organized versus random thoughts. So tweet with purpose (I’d wager no one has ever told you that before).

6. Retweet other good thoughts from people you follow – recognizing good content is as valuable as giving it

7. Manage who you follow and who follows you (e.g. Blocking anyone who has ‘Check out my hot profile’ is a good tip)

Put your Twitter ID on your business cards (along the URLs for personal blogs, LinkedIn profile, etc.) – so people know you’re tweeting.

Good luck today!

Mark Richards

www.candidateschair.com

http://TwitJobs.net The Career Community

Question: If I know who the hiring manager is, should I connect to them directly or their colleagues?

2011-01-09T02:29:00.000Z

I answer questions on job search and networking for Proformative.com (on-line forum for finance professionals to share information), here is an excellent question.

======================
Response:

Assuming the interview process is not in the late stages, you will want to approach the hiring manager in two steps: Learn and Influence.

LEARN:

To differentiate yourself from other candidates, you want to promote the experiences/style that best fits what the company needs.

Meeting with company insiders will help you understand the business model, department and current issues. You will want to meet with people outside the department to give you a well-rounded view. If time allows, meeting with vendors (e.g. auditors) can also give you an objective view.

Even if you’ve worked for the company before, I would recommend refreshing your information to understand the most important issues (e.g. integrating new software, cash crunch, etc.)

INFLUENCE:

There are people who have a strong relationship with the hiring manger that can promote you to the hiring manager. In ascending order of influence: outside colleague, direct report, peer, and boss – their relationship with the hiring manager gives their recommendation more weight.

The reason these people will be compelled to promote/introduce you to the hiring manager is the effectiveness of your pitch (both content and delivery) – short, relevant and convincing is what makes you memorable.

The best experience does not always win; it’s usually the person who can best explain how they can use their experience on behalf of the company.

IF TIME IS SHORT: I would recommend getting to someone in the hiring manager’s department to get a sense of the most critical issues. Switching to phone versus face-to-face reduces the effectiveness of the ability to influence, but allows you to talk with more people in a short time.

IF THE COMPANY IS SMALL: Same process, except the lines between Learn and Influence are blurred – since people are likely to have a relationship with the hiring manager.

Here’s a post that may add some additional insight: http://candidateschair.com/roadmap-to-the-hiring-manager/

Hope this helps.

Mark
Creator, Candidateschair.com - Job Search and Networking from a Candidate's Perspective

http://TwitJobs.net The Career Community

A question you probably screw up - What Do You Do?

2011-01-06T02:24:00.000Z

There are some pretty simple questions in this world. Questions we get almost everyday whether career networking or seeing old friends. And screw up. Like these:

How are you?

How are you feeling?

What’s up?

So why do we screw them up so bad? To me these questions are hard because they are asked out of context. And asked by people who may not actually care for the answer. Often the first verbal exchange. After the initial eye dancing.

Read the entire blog post at http://community.twitjobs.net

http://TwitJobs.net The Career Community

Is Your Pitch Motivating Action?

2010-12-24T02:01:00.000Z

We will all deliver our pitch hundreds of times during a job search and networking. The question is whether it’s effective to get someone to commit to taking action on your behalf. After hearing hundreds and giving hundreds of pitches, here’s my take: The best pitch is one that is understood.

The most effective pitches I’ve understood are as follows:

• Short

• Uses simple language (or the language of experience)

• Emphasizes the ‘promise’ of what you can deliver to the hiring company

• No more than three key points, so I can remember in my head

Unless you are a clever copywriter, I’d pass on trying to craft a snappy tag line to describe yourself. I’ve only heard one or two that did not make me want to roll my eyes. All these lines were well-meaning attempts to make you memorable, but it’s usually just dead air.

Here’s what makes you’re the ‘message’ in your pitch truly memorable

• You have practiced and can deliver it in a confident voice

• Targeted the pitch to what the listener will “hear”

A pitch is the starting point to get the other person to commit to act on your behalf (provide contacts, move you along in the interview process, etc.) If your pitch piques their interest, then they will want to learn more about you. If it does not, then no need to pile on the details of your background, as it will be dead air as well. This is why you want to make sure you include the information that will interest the listener

You are seeking different actions from each contact to move you toward the hiring manager – either to “Connect” to an insider, “Learn” about the company or “Influence” the hiring manager. (Please see “Roadmap to the Hiring Manager”). To motivate them to learn more, may require a slightly different pitch that includes information that will be important to them.

Always ask yourself “What will they want to ‘hear’ to trigger them to take action?” For example, if I want my contact to introduce to a company, I may want to pitch my industry knowledge to help them feel more comfortable.

Here are a couple of ways to test your pitch effectiveness:

The Elevator Test: Does your ‘elevator pitch’ require a 150 story building to get through it? If so, time to shorten it.

The Independent Observer: After giving your pitch, ask the person to repeat the top 2-3 items they remember. If it does not match your 2-3, then shorten your pitch.

The Language Test: Write out your pitch. Circle any words that you don’t use in everyday conversation (e.g. evangelist, etc.) if you have more than one, then it’s too many. Try this “Buzzword Bingo” at LurkerTech.com - okay, you won’t use all these terms, but a good starting place for overused words.

Repeat Their Expectation: What would you expect from someone in your role (e.g. ability to work with clients, specific technical skill, etc.)? If you have held a similar role, then they would expect you possess those skills. Don’t burn time repeating. Focus on what you can DO with those skills.

Lastly, I will borrow a recommendation from Guy Kawasaki’s “Art of the Start” chapter called “The Art of Pitching”: Rewrite from scratch. His advice is sound, because we puts parts from different pitches and try to incorporate feedback, only to end up with what Guy often sees “a Jeep with a Chevrolet engine”.

Good luck today.

Mark

www.candidateschair.com – Tools and Advice from a Candidate’s viewpoint to help get past job search roadblocks and keep your spirit strong. Please take a visit.

http://TwitJobs.net The Career Community

Good News for Candidates - Hope Lives on a Small Diet

2010-12-05T23:43:00.000Z

Your secret weapon in search is a strong psyche. It’s your resume or contact that gets you in the door; it’s the strong psyche that closes the sale and lands you the role.

The resumes from people in your profession will likely read very similar. Several candidates will be pulled out because they show the ‘promise’ of succeeding within the role. When you speak to the company, it’s your strong psyche that truly brings the differences between you and the other candidates to life.

A strong psyche gives you confidence, poise and the ability to look anyone in the eyes when you answer or ask a question. Sitting across the table as the interviewer or networking contact, a strong psyche is almost tangible, as though that person has a shield in front of themselves and no matter what you toss at them – nothing is going to make them stray.

The strong psyche is driven by the hope that you will see an office, cubicle, nametag, or paycheck with your name on it – or whatever the symbol you think of when being employed. It’s that vision that gives you the hope. Anyone has let their hope dip will tell you it’s like living in slow motion.

Here’s the good thing about hope, it can live on a small diet. Hope is driven by the small events of a day or week, not only major events.

This is good because most of us don’t experience many major events or opportunities that get us ‘discovered’ to be immediately hired. Sure it happens to people, but you cannot count on it – sort of like that winning lottery ticket (I could have sworn the Powerball was going to be ‘10’ this week!)

Keep track of the small positive events in your search, the act of keeping track of these actions helps build your hope as well by reminding you of what is going well.

For example, any action that moves you closer to the hiring manager, information you discover that helps match your resume to a company, holding a great networking meeting, getting useful or positive feedback on your experience, finding someone who will connect you to a highly-desired networking contact, shortening your pitch or resume without losing any potency, etc.

Here’s the other good thing about hope. Whatever hope you give to someone will increase yours by an equal share.

Good luck today.

Mark

www.candidateschair.com – Tools and Advice from a Candidate’s viewpoint to help get past job search roadblocks and keep your spirit strong. Please take a visit.

http://TwitJobs.net The Career Community

Roadmap to the Hiring Manager

2010-11-27T19:26:00.000Z

We all want to get to in front of the hiring manager, both in reputation (or brand) and in person. Although getting there can be a long march, it’s even longer without a roadmap!

Here’s another one from the “Chronicle of My Job Search Mistakes”: By not thinking about their level of relationship to the hiring manager, I was not asking my contacts for the right help.

I was networking, but not interviewing, so there had to be something missing. When a networking contact failed to show up a meeting, I sketched out a roadmap to the hiring manager (thanks for the napkin Caribou Coffee!).

Based upon a contact’s level of relationship to the hiring manager, I determined to ask them for help in one of three areas: Connect, Learn or Influence.

Connect: People who have limited information about the company or hiring managers, but can make introductions to others who are inside the firm, understand the firm, or have a relationship with the hiring manager.

Learn: People who have a good working knowledge of the business, who could teach me about the culture, business model, view of the department where I want to work, and hiring practices. They can make connections to people with influence with the hiring manager.

Influence: People who are close to the hiring manager and can carry the message of how I can serve the company to the hiring manager.

Ranking of contacts:

I considered two factors. The first was knowledge of the company. The second was their strength of relationship to hiring manager.

A company insider who does not know the hiring manager, is great to learn from but has little direct influence. The same goes for service providers who work in the hiring manager area or former employees of the firm.

An outsider who is a good friend with the hiring manager will not have a strong working knowledge of the company, which limits their ability to match you against the current needs of the firm. This is why they behind the hiring manager’s peer, in terms of influence. My highest ranking goes to the person who manages the hiring manager.

Learn versus Influence:

Do you need both? Yes. Meet with “Learn” contacts first, so you can determine if the company/role is a proper fit and then get ideas on how to fine tune your pitch.

Where to start:

Ask for any type of connection, but the priority of contacting them would be learning before influencing.

Again, the roadmap to the hiring manager will be unique, but you will still connect, learn and influence – if you understand where each networking contact fits, you are more likely to get a better result.

Good luck today.

Mark

www.candidateschair.com – Tools and Advice from a Candidate’s viewpoint to help get past job search roadblocks and keep your spirit strong. Please take a visit.

http://TwitJobs.net The Career Community

Arguments for Hiring Someone in Job Transition – Skills You Will Not Find on a Resume

2010-11-03T04:02:00.000Z

If you were to change Newton’s third law of motion, which states “To every action there is always opposed an equal reaction”, to fit job transition it will sound like this: “To every job search experience there is always an equal learning you can use again.”

After meeting 250+ candidates and my own transitions, I have seen traits and skills that are learned in job search. A candidate may not put these skills on a resume, but they a huge benefit to the hiring company.

1 – Eager to Work: Businesses always want to find a ‘motivated’ employee. Knock. Knock. We’re here.

2 – Ability to Network: It’s more than learning networking techniques like LinkedIn, but the willingness to build to reach out to others and knowledge of how to work with others.

3 – Value of Network to Business: A network is not just for finding a job. It is a wickedly powerful tool to find and connect to clients, vendors, investors, candidates and advice, often with a national reach.

4– Communication Skill: Besides developing an effective pitch, it’s also delivering it in multiple forms: in person, e-mail, blogs, Twitter, resumes, etc. Most important, candidates know how to keep it short.

5– Broadened view of business/Awareness of trends: When else in your career will you just focus on meeting so many people, seeing so many businesses and learning about the market.

6 – Understanding of their skills: The virtually continuous feedback stream from networking and interviews, gives a sharp view of skills, including those which are stronger than a candidate may think.

7– Open to new ideas: Search forces a candidate to think differently about a career path, how to find answers, what skills to use and living in new financial world… and they successfully lived through it.

8 – Not afraid of risk: How often do we complain of people not willing to take a bit of risk? Candidates try new ideas almost daily with their most precious resource: themselves.

9 – Dig up the Answer: No roadmap on how it should get done. No problem. Candidates get creative to find connections, get inside companies, learn the language and get to know who will interview you.

10 – Ability to deal with adversity: Search is a war of attrition between what’s it like out there a Candidate’s psyche. Unlike work, everything is personal, which makes every defeat that much tougher.

11– Constraints inspire innovation: No corporate support, limited finances and less than welcoming marketplace. Candidates are not going to quit, so they make constraints a source of innovation.

12 – Local community contacts: Most networking is done locally and these are great for working in the community for non-profits and corporate awareness.

People currently employed can also see these items, but there is a greater frequency and heightened awareness when in search that cements these traits into a candidate. Of course, no two candidates will have the same level of these traits – but they will be there (and many others as well!).

Job search always gets a bad rap, so we all tend to hide our efforts in job search – then promote how it’s really has improved us and what we can bring to a company.

Good luck today.

Mark

www.candidateschair.com – Tools and Advice from a Candidate’s viewpoint to help get past job search roadblocks and keep your spirit strong. Please take a visit.

http://TwitJobs.net The Career Community

Job Search: Take Two

2010-11-01T23:27:00.000Z

The following is a guest post from Dave Opton the founder of ExecuNet.com – he and his team have been providing amazing insight into career management and networking since 1988 – so he’s done a few laps around the track! Dave was gracious enough to agree to write a post for CandidatesChair.com. Many thanks Dave! - Mark Richards.

==========
Ever since I can remember, there has been a “factoid” making its way around the career management world about how long someone should plan their job search will take. What I can’t recall and never remember seeing is the source from which this “factoid” came. In any event if you are in a job search, you have probably heard it too. It goes something like: You should plan your search to take about 1 month for every $10,000 you seek in salary.

I haven’t the slightest idea nor have I ever seen statistics that indicate whether this rule of thumb is right, wrong or anything in between, and I have been roaming around the career management space since (dare I say it?) 1961.

That said, in talking with ExecuNet members, this is a subject that comes up with great frequency. Certainly not surprising, as most executives tend to be more type A’s than B’s and as such focus on objectives to be reached within a specific timeframe and get pretty impatient if and when it doesn’t look like that is happening. In addition, as leaders, they are used to being in control (more or less), and if things are not going the way they want them to and fast enough, they can make the needed changes.

In truth, I believe the foregoing is a major reason why we all find the search process so frustrating. There is only so much of it we really can control, and a great deal of it that we can’t. When you are “action oriented” and you feel you are in a situation when you can’t “make things happen,” to say it is frustrating doesn’t do it justice.

Also, how much time a job search is going to take is also one of those questions where I am not sure that an actuary could really give anyone a meaningful answer. There are so many variables involved, such as geography, age, function, industry segment, compensation needs, and the economy just to name a few.

Armed with the foregoing, hopefully you can understand why it is when someone asks me to guesstimate a timeline that I try to say this is one of those questions where “the answer is, there is no answer.” But of course, most people think that this is just a cop-out on my part and ask for a number anyway.

At that point I am likely to say something along the lines of, “Well,” and using my own personal experience as a starting point, “I can tell you that whatever length of time you think it will take, you are probably underestimating it significantly. It is kind of like when your spouse says they are going to do some redecorating and they estimate the cost at $X and as a seasoned pro you immediately make a mental note that it is much more likely to be at least $2X+.”

While we can all try to smile at our spouse’s budget estimates, translating that to a job search isn’t so funny. It is, however, very important in this sense: Part of trying to manage your way through a process as frustrating as a job search is to set realistic expectations. For without them, people tend to set goals that reality will make it very hard to attain, and when they are not attained, they feel it is somehow a sign that there is something seriously lacking in themselves when, of course, that is not the case at all. Easy to say but much harder to internalize.

I talk with members almost daily whose searches have been going for several months and in many cases more than a year, and aside from looking for ideas on handling the frustration, they also want some ideas on what they can do to try and re-energize the quest.

There is a lot that could be said on this subject and even more that’s been written, but for whatever it’s worth, here are a couple of thoughts for those who might be in this situation:

• Keep in mind that this is essentially a sales process, and as such, do what companies do if a product they have introduced to the market is not producing the results they expected – repackage it. As a candidate, that could mean a résumé makeover, tuning up your phone and/or in-person interviewing skills, making sure you are doing really thorough research in terms of target companies, and certainly working harder to expand your personal and professional networks.

• Make sure that because things have gone much longer than you wanted them to that you don’t fall into the trap of locking yourself in your home office and spending your days “clicking and praying.” It is counterproductive both strategically and emotionally.

• Get out, about and involved, both online and especially offline. Relationships can start online, but trust, which is the tipping point in personal referrals, comes much more often from face-to-face relationships built over time. If you are not already actively involved in at least one professional organization and one civic organization, do so. Keeping yourself intellectually “tuned in” is really important in terms of both attitude and energy, both of which are critical in terms of how others react to you.

• Since most people get jobs as the result of a linkage process (i.e. networking), everything you can do to give yourself the opportunity to create those links is very much worth the time and effort. If you are a member of ExecuNet, you have long heard us write and talk about effective networking being built on a foundation and attitude of “giving, not getting.” Approaching both people and/or events with the idea that you’re there as a resource to others does a lot to get your focus on the right stuff.

• If you are someone who has trouble doing some or all of this revamping yourself, you might consider getting an executive coach to help. It is certainly nothing to be ashamed of and from an accountability and structure perspective can be very helpful in getting things back on track. At ExecuNet, members frequently ask our help in finding such a resource, and we are happy to refer them.

And don’t ever forget what every salesperson will tell you: every “no” is simply one step closer to “yes.”

Dave Opton, Founder

ExecuNet

Blog: Six Figure Learnings

www.execunet.com

Twitter: @Oppy

http://TwitJobs.net The Career Community

We Need YOU!

2010-10-22T13:14:00.002+01:00

As you may have heard by now, we are busy working away on our brand new community site, TwitJobs Opportunity Community (due for launch in November 2010).

TwitJobs incredible success would not have been possible without everyone being involved and so willing to help other people find work, with our unique search engine gathering jobs and content from 1000's of job sites all over the world.

How could we make our community better? By asking you what you want!

Please feel free to share services you like, suggest new services, inspire us, help us, get involved and together, we'll make the best possible community that we can!

Just to give you an idea, I've listed some of the services that will be available from launch...

Twitter/Facebook login (login directly using your facebook or twitter account)
Forums/Chat/Blogs/Discussion Areas
Multi Language
Employer/Recruiter area
Groups and sub groups
Events section

Plus (obviously) a whole lot more - but we'd love for you to tell us what you think, and what you'd like to see - also, feel free to expand on any of the current features above.

Also...you can sign up to our beta (launching November 2010) by clicking here -> http://twtjbs.net/botRdX

http://TwitJobs.net The Career Community

Rewrite Your Pitch with the Most Used Skill from Your Work

2010-10-21T03:44:00.002+01:00

If there was a skill I admired watching, it was a colleague take a product idea and strip out the features, functions, etc. until they got down to what was most valuable to our customers. The items removed were good ideas; but they cluttered up a client’s path to what they really needed.

This is an example of the most used, though unrecognized, skill from your work: Understanding what’s relevant.

Think about it for a minute. How many times did you look at projects, new products, task lists, presentations, etc. and remove the items that got in the way of what needed to be done or were out of order? My guess is that it was a daily task and you were probably pretty good at it – because it’s the engine behind making things happen.

Now how can this skill help your pitch?

I’ve heard enough pitches (including my own); to know that they become muddled because we don’t want to leave anything out and then start to incorporate ideas from others. Each point is valid, but when all together, it’s less than a clear statement to the reader of what’s most important – no matter how many times we reorder, bold, change font or italicize. More data = Less information.

A good pitch is like your favorite website. It was easy to figure out what the site does, the features you want are logical to use, and it’s easy to navigate. Because the designers did not overwhelm you, you’re hooked. For your pitch: Provide the most relevant information in a simple form. Then you’ll hook them to want to learn more. Less data = More Enticing Information.

Okay, so how do get there?

To start, create four lists to summarize your last few roles. Just write down everything that comes to mind, don’t worry about editing it.

List One: Work situations you faced (big shifts in market, competitive change, new product launches, merger, international markets, etc.)

List Two: Outcomes achieved

List Three: Skills regularly used, new skills learned or improved

List Four: Lessons and Mistakes

Next, imagine you had to hire someone to replace you. Scan each list and then circle the three most important items from each one – what you would want to see on their resume. Just put your “what’s relevant” skill into action.

The end result is your pitch: What situations you can handle, the proof of your success, the best skills you bring and how you apply them.

One last thought, I like to start with the situations and accomplishments, because people don’t ask for “10 years of experience”, they ask for “Someone who can handle sales in 10 states”.

Good luck today.

Mark

www.candidateschair.com – Tools and Advice from a Candidate’s viewpoint to help get past job search roadblocks and keep your spirit strong. Please take a visit.

http://TwitJobs.net The Career Community

How many networking meetings should I have each week?

2010-10-20T04:31:00.000+01:00

If you are in search, you have asked this question. The responses I received ranged between five to thirty meetings a week. My initial thought was “That’s quite range”, but I realized these answers represent two schools of thought for networking: “Specific Focus” versus “Gaining Exposure”.

Specific Focus: Meetings with a high probability of moving you toward a new job.

One: Meet with a potential hiring manager – may not be an opening, but a firm where you want to work

Two: Meet company insider to gain insight on a company to learn how to get into the company, tailor your application and key items to include on your resume

Three: Meet company insiders after applying for a role to build your ‘brand’ inside the company

Four: Meet with an advocate who can pitch you inside a company directly to the hiring manager

Time required: 5-6 hours a meeting – schedule, in depth preparation (research, developing questions, etc.), travel, meet and follow-up

Gaining Exposure: Meetings which build your presence or ‘brand’ within the market.

Because most people do not know of an immediate opening, these meetings accomplish the following:

One: Increase the number of people who know what role you seek and where you want to work

Two: Increase the size of your primary and secondary network – great for finding future connections or people that you can connect with others in your network

Three: Help make connections into targeted companies, specific people or certain types of people (e.g. marketing in software firms).

Time required: 3-4 hours a meeting – prepare, travel time, meet and follow-up. If you have meetings with very similar connections, it may be faster.

How many meetings a week?

You need to start by dividing your week into three parts: Business development, Maintaining contacts and New Contacts. In a 40 hour week, about 10 -15 hours are spent on business development (finding who to meet, reaching out to new contacts, follow-up on open invitations to meet) and maintaining contacts. (updates to network, making introductions, or other activities to continue to build the relationship).

With the remaining 25-30 hours, assuming you do not have any interviews in the week, the number of meetings depends upon the type.

How can you get 30 meetings in a week?

The number sound intriguing so how can you get it done? It’s really a combination of the following: A) They have to be all ‘Exposure’ meetings. B) Many are by phone call – to eliminate travel. C) Keep several meetings to ½ hour in length D) Reduce time spent on business development.

Using the phone and limiting time (especially when you can get more) will likely reduce your effectiveness. It makes it harder to establish an initial relationship, due to less time, level of attention, and ability to make an emotional connection.

The greatest number of meetings I had in a week was 25. All were face-to-face and I got a ton of new connections. However, by Friday, I was exhausted and probably less effective in making my pitch and I did not do any business development – which resulted in fewer meetings in the upcoming weeks. Early in your search, you will have more ‘exposure’ meetings, so you should expect to do more meetings.

The best number to focus on?

In my first search, I made the mistake to get fixated on a specific number of networking meetings. I should have been only fixated on the results: The number of positions discovering and opportunities to meet with people making hiring decisions (whether or not there is a current role). I know that this sounds like a no-brainer, but in the depths of networking, it’s easy to get focused on the means, not the end.

Good luck today.

Mark

www.candidateschair.com – Tools and Advice from a Candidate’s viewpoint to help get past job search roadblocks and keep your spirit strong. Please take a visit.

http://TwitJobs.net The Career Community

Networking Events - Is there a Buyer?

2010-10-14T05:03:00.002+01:00

Your pitch needs a buyer.

Most of us could attend a ‘networking’ event daily that is filled with people that could become new contacts. The question becomes whether or not you can turn those contacts into meaningful action after the event.

My enlightenment regarding networking meetings came from a discussion with a colleague regarding options for our event marketing budget. He would accept or reject the idea based upon whether or not the people attending the event were in the mindset to buy the product we offered.

He used the example of a sporting event where a local bank sets up a table. For the bank there are loads of potential customers. But most people don’t stop. Why? They came to watch the match, not talk about their banking needs – so they are not thinking, or buying, banking services.

Correction: Your pitch needs a motivated buyer.

Let’s go back to networking meetings. Before you decide to go, understand the purpose of the event and why people are attending – this will help you determine if there will be ‘motivated buyers’ in the crowd. Leaving aside meetings targeted at those seeking new opportunities, here’s my ranking of the different types of networking events.

HIGH: Social events – These are the most casual and have the greatest amount of networking time, so people are openly mingling and moving about. If it’s associated with profession/industry group, get someone to escort you around to help break into the small groups in conversation.

MEDIUM: Profession/Industry Meetings – If the meeting is a lunch/dinner affair, there is networking time prior to the meal (while people check in). Attendees are there to visit with their friends and listen to the speaker. IF YOU GO: Same as social events, get a well-known member to escort you and make introductions – don’t leave their side, they are your credentials.

MEDIUM: Conferences – If it’s a conference that brings together different people to connect (say small companies with investors, companies with vendors), if you can help facilitate the type of connections being sought, then by all means attend.

LOW: Professional Development Sessions – There is limited time to network and the sessions present more than can fit in your head, so people are not in the mindset to effectively take in your pitch. You might get to know a few people at your table, so if the topic is of interest, you should attend. If not, spend your networking time elsewhere.

LOWEST: Breakfast events – These are usually the least productive. People show up right before they start, eat, listen to the speaker (while not checking their smartphone) and then bolt for the exit to get to the office.

Before you attend any event:

First, ask a few other candidates who have attended how effective these meetings were in getting them closer to the decision maker. Their answers may either confirm or be very different than my ranking above, so it’s easy and effective due diligence.

Second, figure out who you know will be in attendance and contact them in advance. The more people that know you’re coming in, the higher likelihood you should know even more people on the way out.

Remember your network has great value, make sure you know how to best use it for each event.

Good luck today.

Mark

www.candidateschair.com – Tools and Advice from a Candidate’s viewpoint to help get past job search roadblocks and keep your spirit strong. Please take a visit.

http://TwitJobs.net The Career Community

Taking My Own Advice … Almost

2010-10-07T04:35:00.000+01:00

Now that I’m back into search mode again, I am reading my own material.

I can recall the events and meetings with fellow candidate that served as the source for every post and tool. What stands out for each is either discovering a more practical method for search or how to improve our expectations.

Getting back into search has helped me remember why I gave the guideline to use ideas on the CandidatesChair as a starting place, even though they are all based on real-life experiences.

As much as candidates want to be seen as individuals, the same is true for networking contacts, hiring manager, recruiter, etc., everyone comes with their own set of circumstances.

Before you deliver a pitch, hit send, etc. – take a moment and ask three questions about the person you are addressing.

ONE: How many times will they receive a similar message/pitch?

TWO: What is important to me to know about this candidate?

THREE: How well do they know you?

Let’s use some live ammunition from my current search: My e-mail template for setting up a networking meeting (See “Tools You’ll Need”). I can use the template word for word and know it works pretty darn well – it can work better.

For questions one and two, it’s as simple as adding an extra sentence can cement the connection (e.g. same college, profession, company), establish credibility in area (e.g. specific experience addressing one of their needs), or increase their desire to network with you (e.g. people in your network of interest to them).

For the third question, I may use other means to deliver the message than e-mail, to help boost the level of connection or jog their memory. I’ll use LinkedIn, College Alumni message board, ExecuNet, or with a forwarded article of interest.

The lesson I have relearned is that the advice and tools give you a jump start in creating a message. Asking myself these three questions helps me make it more effective.

Good luck today.

Mark

www.candidateschair.com – Tools and Advice from a Candidate’s viewpoint to help get past job search roadblocks and keep your spirit strong. Please take a visit.

http://TwitJobs.net The Career Community

Redefining “Success” During Job Search

2010-09-21T15:08:00.000+01:00

During my first job search I equated success to landing a new position. It seemed a reasonable position, in that it’s what I was trying to accomplish.

Before continuing to read, how have you defined success in your job search?

As my search carried on, I never seemed to have a sense of satisfaction. When I was working, I gained satisfaction from completed items or witnessed success. But it took a meeting with a colleague to help me realize that I did not feel the same in search simply because of my definition of success.

A friend of mine, Jim Rasmussen, who has spent his career in Sales and Sales coaching, clued me into the mindset of a Rainmaker. While ultimately judged on completing the sale, the Rainmaker knows the sales cycle can be long – so they look at the accomplishments that get them closer to a decision as victories.

This viewpoint is important to maintaining your best work as the sales process can be long, tedious, filled with stalls and capricious behavior of the corporate buyers. (Feel familiar my fellow job seekers?)

Jim’s lesson was that these little victories add up over time and celebrating these victories is important to keeping your psyche strong. Once I adopted my new definition of ‘success’, I got greater satisfaction in networking and job search.

Professional sales folks have a variety of tools to track their success, so I tried to figure out how to ‘track’ my search. I searched around for a simple solution and found the Daily Point System devised by Jeffrey Fox for his book “How to Become a Rainmaker”. I made a few adaptations for search and sent a copy to Jeffrey and asked if could share it – thankfully he agreed.

The goal of the point system is time management and to help focus your networking on those that move you closer to a decision maker. After using it for about three weeks, I found my successes were more rapid – simply because I was networking with the appropriate people. I was doing the same amount of networking; I just got more out of it.

Another practice I adopted was every Friday to write down three successes I had during the week. I kept a running list and it served a good boost to the psyche as I added to the list.

To see Jim’s profile or the “Daily Point System”, please see the links below.

Good luck today!

Mark

Jim’s profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jimras/

Daily Point System: http://candidateschair.com/tools/ - See Tool #11.

www.candidateschair.com – Tools and Advice from a Candidate’s viewpoint to help get past job search roadblocks and keep your spirit strong. Please take a visit.

http://TwitJobs.net The Career Community

View from CandidatesChair.com – Useful Job Search Sites

2010-09-16T02:08:00.000+01:00

There are loads of sites out there related to job search, here’s a few that I frequently recommend to others (in alphabetical order, not priority). I like these sites for both their intent and content.

http://www.alisondoyle.typepad.com/
• Alison has been writing about job search for a long time and offers some great insight.

http://www.back-2-work.com/
• Resources provided by people just trying to help people in transition

http://www.businesscard2.com/
• Creates a virtual business card that can sit ‘above’ all of your social networks – allows you to attach
documents (resumes, references, proof of work, etc.).

http://www.careerrocketeer.com/
• This blog has great content - but also some excellent lists on who to follow on Twitter, etc.

http://www.careersuccessradio.com/
• More proof that networking is an international exercise - AnneMarie Cross and Keith Keller are career coaches from Australia. They have an amazing set of interviews on the site.

http://www.jobangels.org/
• This is a grass-roots organization where volunteer ‘angels’ try to help someone in transition

http://www.jobtalkamerica.com/
• Sure it says ‘America’ – but it offers great content for job search that will work anywhere!

http://www.job-hunt.org/
• 15,000 links to job search related sites. When it comes to finding items related to job search – you’ve now found it.

http://www.ilostmyjob.com/
• Besides a very ‘on point’ website name – this is loaded with videos – so gives you a break from reading, but no loss in the value of the content!

http://www.linkup.com/
• I did not think there was a new twist to job boards – I stand corrected. Linkup takes jobs from only corporate web sites. As a seeker, these are real jobs. Nice. For now, it’s primary markets are the U.S. and U.K.

http://www.thewisejobsearch.com/
• Harry Urschel is a recruiter who writes this blog – besides having lived through his own transition, he has been deeply involved with a job transition group.

http://www.twitjobs.net/ (Okay, you are here - you know it has value!)

Of course, there are loads more – but these will give you a good start!

Good luck today.

Mark Richards

www.candidateschair.com – Tools and Advice from a Candidate’s viewpoint to help get past job search roadblocks and keep your spirit strong. Please take a visit.

http://TwitJobs.net The Career Community

A Great Way to Learn – Teach Your Mistakes

2010-09-01T04:29:00.000+01:00

One of the unexpected benefits of blogging and creating my CandidatesChair site was how much I learned from sharing my own mistakes.

I made some whopper mistakes and they have proved to be the best lessons for fellow candidates.

In addition to giving us a few good laughs, sharing my mistakes have saved my fellow candidates a boatload of time and potential embarrassment (like the time I forgot the name of the person who made the referral).

The benefits of teaching were greater clarity on how to fix my mistakes and spot other ones.

In teaching, you put things objectively, which is a good start. When you add the dialogue with fellow candidates, it makes for an excellent finish.

You don’t need your own blog to teach your mistakes. You can share at networking meetings with fellow candidates, offer to teach a seminar, answers questions on LinkedIn, submit a post to an existing blog, or participate in a discussion in a LinkedIn group.

I found that giving a seminar and writing blog posts are the best methods to give you clarity - as you are required to clearly layout your information.

Here’s the surprise benefit: When other candidates share their mistakes. Like me it is a mix of bonehead moves and things you wish people would have told you beforehand. Regardless of what it is, it’s all pure gold as it’s what really happens day-to-day when you search. (In fact, if it was not for the sharing of these fellow candidates, there would not be a CandidatesChair!)

A recent mistake: Just because you connect with someone on LinkedIn, does not mean they are on your contact list (e-mail or phone). I’m running late to a meeting, I look in my contacts to call them – rats! I’ll e-mail them – double rats!

Good luck this week.

Mark

www.candidateschair.com – Tools and Advice from a Candidate’s viewpoint to help get past job search roadblocks and keep your spirit strong. Please take a visit.

http://TwitJobs.net The Career Community

Keeping Your Back Away from the Wall

2010-08-21T05:44:00.000+01:00

One of my practices for effective networking: Keep your back away from the wall.

Why? It’s one of the best methods to minimize your distractions.

There are two reasons why I’m writing on a topic that most people would think is pretty obvious: minimize distractions. The first reason is important. The second reason is just killer.

FIRST: Because distractions can repeatedly sneak up on you during a meeting, it’s not always obvious for the candidate.

Most of us out networking spend a fair amount of time in coffee shops. It’s a natural part of the experience to take in your surroundings, watch interesting people, etc.

It happens almost every time I meet a fellow candidate, they don’t even realize their gaze has wandered. I’m talking about total professionals with impeccable resumes, references, etc. – yet several times during our meeting their gaze is elsewhere.

SECOND: When speaking, the candidate’s eyes are fixed on me, because they are focused on their pitch. Their gaze wanders when I’m speaking. Ouch.

After awhile, it becomes difficult to tell if I’m a total bore or are they oblivious to their level of distraction. I have to admit I’m relieved to hear the candidate mention what they are looking at so intently. At least it makes me feel less of a bore.

In my view, each meeting represents your one and only chance to make a sale. Don’t let some odd looking fellow get the way.

The ability to make the sale is most often judged by your ability to show that the meeting is truly a ‘networking’ meeting. If can achieve that, it sets you apart from the other people who have networked with the same contact.

You just cannot get there if you are not focused on the person – especially when they are sharing their insights with you.

Face the wall. Take notes. Keep eye contact at all times (though don’t make it a staring contest). Do whatever it takes to keep your focus.

Next time you go to coffee with a friend, face the wall. See how much more you focus on them and count how often they look elsewhere and when.

This is a lesson from the networking trail, where the obvious is not always so.

Good luck today.

Mark

www.candidateschair.com – Tools, Seminars and Advice from a Candidate’s viewpoint to help get past job search roadblocks and keep your spirit strong. Please take a visit.

http://TwitJobs.net The Career Community

"What do you plan to do with your philosophy degree – become a professional philosopher?" by Heather Haggis

2010-08-10T16:12:00.007+01:00

When stating you have a Philosophy degree you can be greeted with a look of bewilderment from your family, friends and now recently for me, recruiters. From personal experience I believe the question they would rather ask (if they weren’t so polite) would be: “what can you do with a Philosophy degree?” You can do a lot and very little, so it would be acceptable to ask what the point is behind spending £9K to study it. Majority of the time it isn’t to become a professional philosopher.

Philosophy has had good press and bad press in the past and while it is classed as an arts degree, there seems to be a lack of knowledge on what Philosophy students actually study. We all have a good understanding of English and History subjects, but Philosophy seems a grey area where recruiters from my experience don’t seem to be sure of the skills of a Philosophy student. Regardless of the degree, I am sure that graduates have had to explain their reasons for the course, but I believe that those skills haven’t been doubted the ways I think mine have.

Our skills can include:

· Analytical, problem solving, research, independent thought

· Debating, communication (oral and written), organisation,

· Team work, working on initiative, attention to detail,

· Dealing with some of the most complex and daring thoughts in history

I think the last is crucial and completely missed when discussing Philosophy student’s skills. Our degree is one of the few disciplines that allow its students to handle some of the most controversial essays in history. Many of these papers have influenced and directed governments, religious belief, ethics and medicine. Philosophers were once greatly respected leaders and the Philosopher Plato stated that the state (country) should be ruled by Philosophers, as they are the most educated and knowledgeable (The Republic).

While an interesting and thought provoking idea, I don’t regard Philosophy as a more respectable subject, my only qualms being that the attitude towards modern Philosophy students can be misguided. From friends and people I have come across who have shown a curiosity in my studies, the attitude seems far from the ideas above of a Philosophy graduate. Instead the typical idea seems to be of drinking in pubs discussing conceptual ideas and generally just being very boring. I found some interesting articles in the University of Leeds Careers Centre on the general idea of Philosophy students by employers as being lazy about work because they think logic, time travel, anti-realism is interesting and normal work isn’t. Furthermore, if anyone has come in contact with a Philosophy student or graduate, they will know the degree involves very few contact hours. So from the outside perspective it looks as though our degree is easy. One of my Business friends came back from her day at University to proclaim she had a look in one of the Philosophy tutorial rooms to find us “just sitting around chatting”. She was mortified because she had never seen something look so easy and informal.

However I beg to differ as would many Philosophy graduates. We may have less than ten hours of contact a week yet we are still given a forty hour workload, therefore we are expected to organise our own time and develop our own learning techniques. The advantage over a science or mathematical based degree is that we aren’t given the information; we have to find it ourselves which gives Philosophy students a sense of independent learning and maturity.

This could and maybe should look desirable to an employer, but in researching what recruiters want at entry level for graduates they could possibly be excused for thinking Philosophy graduates would think they are above work. During my research for this piece I came across an interesting article called Advice for Philosophy Graduates[i] by Rob Farrow. What he drew on were the factors which would cause stress to a Philosophy graduate looking and entering the workplace. The section I found most interesting was he understood that at entry level a graduate isn’t expected to reason, question and discuss the mechanics of their new surroundings. Instead you are given your policies and procedures and that you are expected to follow.

“…[Philosophy graduates] often move from an environment which prizes critical and original thinking, ethical integrity and rationality to environments in which these are often considered problems. The culture of compliance that is so prevalent in the modern workplace can be a shock to the philosophy graduate who has been developing their independent thought.”

Nevertheless, I know that this problem of graduates feeling restless and unchallenged occurs right across the spectrum of degree disciplines. I recognise of course there may be other degree disciplines who receive prejudice when applying for jobs by recruiters, but I have specifically chosen Philosophy because this is my chosen subject and I know from experience that there seems to be a lack of understanding of what it involves. The point I am trying to make is whether recruiters do enough homework on their applicants as we do when we apply. Graduates put a lot of trust in the recruiters to make the right decision in whether to accept their application and I would imagine most graduates would expect the recruiter to have some understanding of their discipline. I believe a good number of graduates would believe they should not have their degrees discriminated against if the discipline has a bad or unusual reputation. Philosophy seems to be one of those subjects where the air hasn’t been completely cleared and I fear recruiters might not look deep enough to see what valuable employees we could be.

[i] http://philosophycompass.wordpress.com/2010/07/08/advice-for-philosophy-graduates/

In response to: How to Beat Stress if you’re a Philosophy Graduate http://philosophycompass.wordpress.com/2010/06/22/how-to-beat-stress-if-you%E2%80%99re-a-philosophy-graduate/

7 Lessons To Better Networking With Social Media

2010-08-10T10:14:00.000+01:00

Social media allows us to discover, connect, and engage with new people of interest. While most people are open to new connections and receiving messages from people they don’t know, there is a fine line between reaching out and “spamming.” The challenge is to make a connection clearly and effectively without wasting people’s time.

Many of us are on both sides of this relationship — sometimes making the connection, sometimes receiving the invitation. To help navigate these waters a little better, I’ve outlined seven key lessons for improving your social networking skills.

1. Find a Person’s Preferred Communication Channel

If you want to contact someone you have never communicated with before, do some research. Find the person’s preferred communication channel. If they have a website, check out their contact page and see if they encourage people to contact them in a particular way, and follow their suggestion.

It also helps to discover what level of participation they have on various social networks (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube) to see which places may be best to engage them. When is the last time they posted on Twitter or Facebook? Do they respond to the @replies they receive on Twitter or comments on a Facebook page? Get a sense of their preferred means of communication, and make contact where they are.

Lesson: Go where they are.

2. Say Just Enough

This cannot be emphasized enough, and it is probably my toughest challenge. In the age of social media, we may be able to get the attention of more people, but we get it for a much shorter amount of time. One of the biggest mistakes I see people make, is that they send long e-mails or social media messages explaining all the reasons they want to connect. You are likely have not earned not earned the five minutes of the recipient’s time that it will take to read that message.

Brevity is built right into Twitter, making it a great platform for making a first connection. However, if you use other channels, keep it simple. If there are 700 words you eventually want to get across, include only 50 in the first contact. Let the person choose if he or she would like more. You can fill in the rest later. I prefer a less complete 50 words than 700 words that tell me more than I need to know.

Lesson: Less is more.

3. Don’t Expect a Response

I often see e-mails with phrases like “Please respond,” or “please get back to me.” Unless it is an old friend or a colleague, if you are contacting someone new, you are not entitled to a response. If the person wants to get back to you, he or she will. It is much better to say “If this is not of interest, feel no need to get back to me.”

At times I hear people complain because they reached out to someone and never heard back. The fact is most people do not have the time to get back to everyone who contacts them to say, “not interested.” Open a door without adding pressure. There may be times to follow-up, of course, but don’t do so with resentment or frustration.

Lesson: Say what you need to and then let it go.

4. Clarify Early

This may seem like common sense, but don’t wait for the last line of your message to say that you want to meet for lunch, or ask your contact if he’d like to speak at an event. Put it right up front. If he cannot provide what you’re looking for, he’ll know sooner rather than later, and will appreciate you for it.

Lesson: Say it up front.

5. What You Want is Not the Point

You may think that what you want is a phone call or lunch meeting to discuss your big idea. But communication is more than any one project or meeting. What you really want is an authentic connection.

In a very real way, it doesn’t necessarily matter if the person is interested in discussing your project idea. What matters is whether you are making a connection.

If you focus on the relationship more than the specific request, and the person has a pleasant experience reading your opening communication, it is likely the door will remain open for possible collaboration in the future, and the next e-mail you send will more likely be fruitful.

Lesson: No one knows what the future may hold, so make the moment count. Ensure the door stays open, even if no one is walking through it right now.

6. Be Open Without Needing

Needy never goes over well. Statements like “I really need to talk to you,” or “it is essential that we speak,” show your general insecurity. There is a huge difference between being open to collaboration and “needing” it.

Do not make contact until you find that place in yourself that is totally comfortable with any outcome, including a strong “no” or no response at all. Only then can you make authentic contact. When you do, openness rather than need will come through in your words.

Lesson: Speak from openness rather than need.

7. Give Space

The key questions people have when someone new reaches out to them, particularly those who are quite busy, are “Do I have time to bring this person into my network? How much time will they take?”

Therefore, it is generally not helpful to send too many e-mails. Doing this may send the signal that you are going to take a lot of the recipient’s time and send numerous e-mails every day, and communicating with you will take great effort.

Instead, give communication some space. Unless something is very timely, let a bit of time pass before sending a response. Let communication have some breathing room. Once there is some level of trust, you can experiment with more immediate information exchange.

Lesson: Focus on thoughtful instead of continual contact.

Soren Gordhamer - Better Social Networking

http://TwitJobs.net The Job Community

Know Your Buyer

2010-08-10T06:02:00.000+01:00

At a start-up firm all of the processes, formalities, etc. simply don’t exist yet, so your sole focus is on finding and convincing clients to pay you something (also, you need the money!).

To do this, you identify the clients’s need, what gets them to act and where to tell them. You also must understand how the same product can be used by different types of clients.

Take the mobile phone: Adults talk. Teens text. Listen to the ads sometime, same device, very different messages about what the mobile phone does for each group.

Take the CFO position: No two companies define the role exactly the same (different boards, CEO, philosophy, etc.). This is true for all positions: Same skill set, just applied differently for each company.
That said most of us miss the opportunity to differentiate ourselves because of the resume submitted.

I used the same resume for every role until I realized that someone else was translating how my accomplishments and experiences would fit their company needs. It just was not happening, so I needed to.

The best person does not always get the job. It’s the person who can best tell their story who gets the job. This is not a parlor trick, but comes from someone taking the time to review the company needs and matching up their experience. This enables them to write and talk in depth about both sides.

GOOD IDEA #1: Create different resumes for different roles.

IMPLEMENTATION ROADBLOCK FOR GOOD IDEA #1: Too many edits. A common risk of continuous rewrites is that new ideas get edited in after application. So your resume loses clarity.

SOLUTION FOR ROADBLOCK FOR GOOD IDEA #1: Write a resume for each role you seek. Start by writing down the company needs each role fulfills. Then write down the duties of the role. Lastly, write down what skills needed to perform those duties.

I have four resumes: Mid-size private (CFO), Family-owned (CFO), Large public firm (Divisional VP) and start-up firm (CFO).

The benefit of having the four versions is that I’ve identified the majority of what’s important to each company. It is much easier to create a version that matches what the company is seeking.

You will get in a situation where you don’t know what the company is seeking, so pick the version you feel best matches.

Good luck this week.

Mark

www.candidateschair.com – Tools and Advice from a Candidate’s viewpoint to help get past job search roadblocks and keep your spirit strong. Please take a visit.

http://TwitJobs.net The Career Community

10 Tips For Getting A Job In Social Media

2010-08-02T09:12:00.001+01:00

A recent Forrester Research report suggests that career opportunities in Internet and Social Media Marketing could be opening up in the next few years. With job opportunities opening up and with people in need of work, we thought we’d take the time to highlight how to get your own job in the social media space.

With Forrester’s 5-year forecast predicting that B2B interactive marketing budgets are expected to reach nearly US$5B in 2014, that suggests a near-500% increase in social media spending. While that only amounts to a bit under $55M — which seems a bit small if you’re considering a career in SMM — there are other areas in Internet marketing that will enjoy increased spending. This includes the Mobile, Email, Display, SEO, and Paid Search niches. If you’re interested in a career in Social Media Marketing — aka SMM — here are some tips that might help you.

Take your network pick. Choose which social networks to use. You do not have to use every single social network. Pick a few that are suited to your objectives. For example, I focus on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, though I used to have small but thriving networks in the social sharing (voting/ bookmarking) space (e.g., Sphinn, Digg, Stumbleupon, Propeller, Mixx, etc.). Social networks and social sharing have two different purposes, of course. I don’t use my MySpace account, but that may or may not change. For some of my new objectives, I’ll be expanding my LinkedIn and Facebook networks — though my Twitter network grows the fastest.
Keep networking. Constantly network, online and offline, to build your online social networks. While just having a big following on, say, Twitter, isn’t necessarily proof of expertise. But it might be, if you can leverage it as necessary for your work.
Build your expertise. It may not bring you overnight success, but New Media School, has a social media marketing program that might help you on your way to becoming an expert.
Keep up. To continue being an expert, you have to stay on top of the industry – probably not just for SMM but for Internet Marketing in general. There are many dozens of great blogs to read and important conferences to attend. It gets increasingly hard to read all the posts, and expensive to attend the conferences, but you have to do what you can. For reading websites and blogs, some people prefer tools such as RSS feed readers, though I prefer AllTop and YourVersion. (Disclosure: I’m an unpaid tech evangelist for YourVersion.) If you’re self-employed, you can write off some or all of the costs. If you’re a salaried employee, make a case for why your employer should send you. What’s their bottom line?
Share for free. Share your knowledge on your own website/ blog. Publish regular articles, give away ebooks, and encourage others to republish on their sites (your link & copyright will be present). What does this do? If what you offer is valuable content to enough people, you might get asked to share your knowledge for pay.
Share for pay. Share your knowledge and get paid for it, in the form of articles, blog posts, ebooks, whitepapers, reports. The latter three can be particularly lucrative, if you have a head for research and skills for presentation. Do workshops or conferences. If you establish your name as an “expert” in SMM, then it’s easier to pay for all those conferences by giving talks. You might receive comp tickets, get your expenses paid for, and possibly a speaking fee.
Don’t focus on just SMM consulting. There numerous areas in Internet Marketing, as mentioned above, that you can be involed in to supplement your career. Just don’t pick too many niches and be mediocre in all of them.
Go wider. Consider tangential careers, such as in Social Science combined with media. A family friend of mine — a professor at UCLA – studies and talks about the intersection of ethnography and technology. This allows him to get grants and travel to many exotic destinations, talk to tribes people and holy men who carry cellphones, and more.
Eat your own social media dog food. You’re not just going to tell everyone else how to use social media, you’re going to have to use it too.
1. Use LinkedIn to make connections and expand your potential client/ employer base. Get recommended for a job by someone who knows someone who knows …
2. Follow people on Twitter who are in the SMM space, and Internet Marketing in general. Build your connections there. You never when you’ll get business leads — or a spark of inspiration — from someone’s tweet. Get people to follow you back by retweeting them and responding sincerely to their words.
3. Facebook doesn’t have to be just for personal friends. I use it for professional connections whom I’ve sustained some sort of online or offline relationship with, beyond a single email or encounter. Use the “Friend list” feature to partition your connections into logical groups so that you can easily control who sees what of your Wall, photos, etc.
Promote yourself. Have a social resume and publish it on your website, whether as media-rich web pages or a downloadable PDF document. Every time you do something significant in your career, update your social resume.

Raj Dash

http://TwitJobs.net

New e-mail scam targets job seekers

2010-07-30T11:54:00.002+01:00

A slick, new e-mail scam is putting well-intentioned job seekers at risk of losing $3,000 -- and being arrested for check fraud, an investigator revealed at the Black Hat security conference Wednesday.

A cybercriminal gang based in Russia is sending e-mail directly to thousands of job seekers who've posted resumes on popular job websites, according to Joe Stewart a senior researcher at SecureWorks.

The job offer: the recruit can earn more than $300 for cashing a commercial business check, made out to him or her, and wiring the proceeds to a contact in St. Petersburg, Russia.

If the person agrees, a professionally printed business check arrives the next day by a shipping service. To earn the $300, the victim is required to cash the check and execute the wire transfer within 24 hours.

Stewart has discovered digital images of some $9 million worth of high-quality fake checks, each in amounts of slightly less than $3,000, written against some 1,200 business accounts. Many of the accounts are for contractors who often pay individual subcontractors with such checks.

The checks are so good because the cyber gang hacked into the databases of three firms that archive images of legit commercial business checks.

The criminals downloaded all the images they could find, grabbing bank routing numbers, names and addresses and even signatures of legitimate account holders. They used the information to create their own checks using easy-to-acquire software and printers.

"Presumably this scam has been working because they've been doing it for at lest a year and they wouldn't be doing it this long if it were not making them money," says Stewart.

SecureWorks says it is working with the FBI and says the hackers have not been caught.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/2010/07/28/20100728New-e-mail-scam-targets-job-seekers.html?source=nletter-business#ixzz0vA635uZU

http://TwitJobs.net The Career Community

How to get any Job you want using Social Media

2010-07-30T09:04:00.001+01:00

Let’s face it. Job-hunting today is tougher than it’s ever been before. Not to mention just getting an interview can be a chore once you’ve found a job of semi-interest. So how do you find a job? How do you get an interview once a potential job is found? Believe it or not you can get any job you want by using Facebook, Twitter and by blogging. I should also mention there is a lot more work involved than just setting up an account. If you really want to use social media to get a job, there is some serious commitment and work involved.

Getting control of your name

Most HR managers today typically are more likely to search your name to see what pops up first, and then go over the paper resume. Even if it’s vise versa, they will perform a search on your name. If you don’t agree then I say it’s better to prepare as if they are looking. So the question now becomes, what will show up? What is the first impression a potential employer will get of you before even meeting you? Go ahead and search for your name to see what pops up. If you have some social media accounts most likely those will appear first, and if you have a website that may also appear. But if not, I would check it out. Things like winning a pie contest at the local county fair could show up or in some cases, something a little less flattering like a mention in an article about ‘Your name here’ being a drunk driver in a hit and run.

Author is on the far right (note bottles of IBC Rootbeer)

Let’s start with the profiles you’ve already got up and running. What photo do you have in the profile? One of you and some buddies chilling at Mardi Gras or something your mother would be proud of? I’ll be the first to say, if it’s the right job keep the photo of Mardi Gras up. This is where knowing what field your going into comes into play. You want to present yourself as an individual ready to work in the desired arena. So if it means you want to be a social worker, get a photo up of you playing with kids, if you want to be a rodeo clown, think Ronald McDonald. The point is to portray the role you want to have.

A last point on this section is that if someone else with the same name as you is showing up in the results it can be pretty tough to jump ahead of them. But a way to do this is to either buy your domain, www.firstnamelastname.com, or if you need a cheap way start a blog at either wordpress or blogger. Then link to your social media profiles from there so whoever finds it knows which profiles to pay attention to.

Keeping privacy private & publicity public

I’ll start off this section with plugging a post from a pretty smart guy I stumbled across on twitter. Mike Halvorson wrote a great post about social media tips for his unemployed friends. Pay close attention to the section about setting Facebook privacy settings. When an account is set up you need to determine what information is made public to those you aren’t friends with. Any inappropriate photos, or other information you don’t want potential employers to see just yet should be blocked. This demonstrates two things:
1. You are aware of what is being presented to the public about you.
2. You are telling the potential employer what areas to pay attention to.
Twitter and blogs can be a little more difficult to control as to who looks at what information. I mean come on, the reason employers are searching your name online is so they can get to know you without alerting you they are looking. If nothing inappropriate is being tweeted, leave the account un-protected, if you don’t think information on the blog will hurt your chances, let the pages get crawled by the search engines.

To keep it simple, only post online what you want to be seen.

Optimizing current social media profiles

This is surprisingly easy, or it should be anyway. If you’ve sent out the resume already then take a quick pick at the copy you should have to see what name you placed on it. Sounds funny, but my resume has my name as Joshua Titsworth, and my profiles have either Josh or JT those profiles might not appear where I want them to in the searches. It’s all about keeping it consistent. Don’t just stop there; if possible change any screen-names you can to ‘firstnamelastname’ as it appears on the resume. Only change the profiles you want found and don’t edit what needs to be kept private to the potential employer.

As with normal SEO, changes in the search results will take some time. So be patient. In the mean time I’ve got some homework for those who don’t have a blog just yet.

Setting up a blog

GET A BLOG UP AND GOING. All caps excessive? Perhaps, but I hope you got the message. But what better way for an employer to get a great first impression of a candidate than by reading his/her thoughts and opinions. When writing a blog to get a job there is a right and wrong way to go about it.

A wrong way to blog is by writing about only personal thoughts, ranting on and on about how much you want a job in a certain industry. Also avoid writing about anything inappropriate or extremely controversial. Lisa Barone recently updated a few blogging rules one of which used to be, “You must blog every day”. For the type of blog you are setting up I’d say 1-2 times a week is plenty. But keep it consistent.

A right way to begin blogging for a job is to mix up your posts with industry opinions and personal thoughts. Show the readers (potential employers) you are actively researching and learning more about the industry in question by writing about it. I’d also add a page devoted to your resume, while browsing the posts he/she may decide to read over the resume again and what do you know? There it is at their convenience to read.

Don’t stop at just posting on your blog, find other blogs/publications in the industry you are seeking employment in and participate. Check out the guidelines about contributing and contribute if you can. If you do post elsewhere on the net keep an archive listed on your blog for others to check out.

Lastly and most importantly let your passion shine through in the blog posts. And if you get called in for an interview, bring that same passion and personality to the interview. They don’t want to get mixed signals from reading about a bright confident person and before them is someone shy and intimidated. The blog and all other social media networks you are using are to compliment your efforts in getting a job, you still need to bring it.

In closing, I’d like to mention don’t stop at just regular social media accounts. Search for online communities within the desired industry to start networking online. Resources like that can be invaluable when looking for a job. Again, using social media to get a job is only part of the equation. Have a good resume to hand in so they go look for you online, if you are exhibiting confidence and intelligence online show it at the interview.

I hope you found this informative, if you have anything to add to it I’d love to hear it. Thanks for reading, good luck and happy hunting!

Joshua Titsworth

"Job boards launched a revolution in recruiting more than 15 years ago. And now, social networks are doing the same -- but in a targeted way. Through social recruiting, companies are learning they can find the best talent efficiently, without making a major investment."

*92 percent of those actively hiring in 2010 currently use or plan to recruit via social networks.

*Among this group, 86 percent use LinkedIn, 60 percent use Facebook and 50 percent use Twitter for recruiting.

*In addition, 50% of hiring companies plan to invest more in social recruiting while only 17% will spend more on job boards and 36% will spend less.

http://TwitJobs.net

What is pre employment screening?

2010-07-28T08:58:00.000+01:00

Pre employment screening is the process of carrying out background checks on potential candidates (ie, you the job seeker). It is considered (by employers, but more so by those promoting pre employment screening services) to be necessary in this day and age.

Why? Well it's like insurance.

Employers pay out a lot of money to hire employees and a bad decision can really burn a hole in their pocket. So, it's argued that by pre screening candidates, they can deter those who would try to falsify their application (with a fake background or education for example).

So what does pre employment screening involve then?

Presumably it varies from country to country (and within the US, from state to state). I had a look at a few US firms offering pre employment screening services and they included:

Search of multiple sources including, public and private records, schools, licensing bodies and former employers.
Criminal history search.
Addresses history.
Credit report.
Driving history.
Quite a lot of other stuff too!

So it seems that employers can gain quite a lot of information about candidates for a relatively low price (prices from $15).

Surely that's a good thing then - better for everyone?

Having never been submitted to pre employment screening (to my knowledge!!), I'm hesitant to comment on the issue. I do fully appreciate an employers wish to protect their investment as it were, but I am concerned that pre employment screening can lead to a form of discrimination.

Indeed, in researching this article I found a company offering pre employment screening who stated on their site that one of the benefits of it is that it deters people applying if they have a criminal record. It goes on to claim that "regular" job seekers are anxious to work in a safe environment, so pre employment screening is in everyone's best interest.

Not being too familiar with the legal system, I will assume that this is all perfectly acceptable business practice. It just seems to me to exclude certain groups of people unfairly.

However, I should note that I don't know how this information is dealt with. It could very well be the case that employers don't exclude those with criminal records unless it could directly affect their business.

What to do if you are asked to submit to pre employment screening?

Have a look at this article on about.com, "Background check". It covers your rights and related information so there is no real need for me to repeat it all here.

As with all areas of your job search, it's best to go in prepared and sites like this (and other career advice sites out there) can help you do that! We don't have all the answers, but we can certainly help point you in the right direction.

http://TwitJobs.net

How To Re-Invent Yourself Through Social

2010-07-19T08:45:00.000+01:00

The last few years have been hard for a lot of people. The Great Recession, the Great Reset, whatever you want to call it. Times like these cause a lot of change, at a macro and micro level. We’ve watched whole industries radically change. And I love talking about that change here on this blog. But it’s easy to overlook or forget the impact that change has on the individual.

I’ve had an interesting career path. This was just the last 10 years:

Retail Manager >> Restaurant general manager >> Mountain bike tour guide >> Skateboard shop owner >> PR intern >> Partner at a grassroots marketing agency >> MBA student/graduate >> Launching a startup >> Social media manager at HP >> EIR at a VC firm >> Social media consultant

I’ve learned a lot over the years but one of the most valuable skills I’ve learned is how to reinvent yourself. I’m not just talking about evolutionary career changes but revolutionary, disruptive, life altering career changes.

Big changes can be scary and very difficult. You have to learn a whole new field. Your livelihood and identity are tied to your job. When I was at HP I watched a lot of my coworkers get laid off. These were employees who started working for HP right out of college and spent the next 30 years working on nothing but LaserJet printers. When they were laid off they had almost no marketable job skills.

I don’t blame HP or any of the other companies who make the same decisions everyday. Blaming a big company for laying people off is like blaming a restaurant for going out of business. To me “job security” means being able to find employement or employ yourself. The illusion that your employer is responsible for your career no longer exists.

So for those of you who find yourself in the need for a little reinvention I thought I would share with you my three tips for reinventing yourself. There simple but not easy.

Go Native

Going native means you go all in. This is not a spectator sport. You don’t get to watch from the sidelines. You don’t get to pretend.

Anthropologists (of which I often count myself) know that it’s all about sub-cultures. Every career is really just a different sub-culture. You need to completely submerge yourself in the culture of that profession. Read everything you can get your hands on. You don’t have to understand it all but you have to learn the vocabulary.

I hated vocabulary in school. I hated it because it was always presented as route memorization completely out of context. There is very little difference between almost any profession, it’s 90% vocabulary. We’re almost always talking about the same things, we just use different vocabulary. Vocabulary is one of the defining tools of a culture. It’s how we know who’s in and who’s faking it.

When I bought the skateboard shop I read every skate mag I could get my hands on and watched every video I could. I made a point to learn the names of every trick – which is not easy to do from those videos, good thing slow motion is so popular in those videos.

When I started in “new media” six tears ago I made sure to read as many blogs as I could and always stay up on the vocabulary. Even if a lot of it is BS.

Follow Your Passions

Life is way to short. If you’re reading this you most likely live in the developed World and there is no reason to do something you are not passionate about. You either need to find something about your job you can be passionate about or find a new job. You cannot reinvent yourslef unless you are passionate about what you will become.

Don’t chase money or opportunity. Chase your passions and money and opportunity will present itself. This will also lead you to proactive reinvention not reactionary reinvention.

Be the Best in the World

Being the best is not a 9-5 job. 40 hours a week is part time. Being the best is a choice you have to make everyday. But being the best in the world means creating your world. You can’t be the best of someone else’s world. Be the best in the World at being you. When I was at HP and the layoff were starting people used to ask me if I was afraid. When I very confidently laughed off the question and people questioned me further, my answer probably wasn’t reassuring to my coworkers:

“If you don’t think you could go out there today and find a job, why would your current employer want to keep you?”

The trick of it is, you get to define the “world” but you don’t get to define “best.” You get to define exactly what you want to be (your world) but your customers, coworkers, employees, friends and family (your mom doesn’t count) get to define whats best.

The New You

That’s it really. To summarize this entire post in one sentence: If you want to reinvent yourself you have to submerge yourself in something you care deeply about with the single goal of being the very best at it.

http://SocialBusinessToday.net - The Best in Social Business

http://TwitJobs.net

A Job Search’s Most Valuable Asset

2010-07-19T04:18:00.000+01:00

It’s one of the most difficult perspectives you and I must adopt in job search: Time is your most valuable asset.

It sounds crazy, as it feels completely the opposite; given the long days you have during search.

Let me share a few observations about time, from my own search, and how not managing this valuable asset will impact the time you spend in search.

3 - 4 Hours: Time dedicated per ineffective networking meeting. Add up the time for the following actions: Get the contact, set up the meeting, prepare to meet, travel to meeting, meeting, travel home and follow-up.

These hours were ineffective, when I allowed myself to ‘just’ network and not really have a good plan on how we could mutually benefit from meeting. I know there is always the ‘wild card’ that the person will have a good connection, but generally this is not the case.

15 - 20 Hours: Time dedicated per chasing job opportunity where I had limited chance. Time used: Researching the opportunity, preparing your submission, finding contacts in the company, preparing for the interview, travel to interview, interview(s), travel back home, and follow-up.

Before investing in time to pursue a role where you partially match the company’s needs, try to figure out if you have a realistic chance (use your network to help). Due to connection, I made the final round on a couple roles, but from the start I had a limited chance. Yet, I dedicated time as though I did, because I did not assess the opportunity due to have a good connection.

The ugly math: Chasing three clunker networking meetings and a ‘poor fit’ role will cost you 24 – 32 hours of time that could be used toward finding a job. The amount of time could be easily more, especially with interviews.

The simple solution: Make a plan for every week (See http://candidateschair.com/tools/ - for “Organizing Your Search Week”) and then rate the value of each meeting (See “Daily Point System”). Even if you don’t want to track points, use the tool to help you judge the value of a meeting.

Time is your primary investment during search. Invest wisely.

Good luck this week.

Mark
www.candidateschair.com – Tools and Advice from a Candidate’s viewpoint to help get past job search roadblocks and keep your spirit strong. Please take a visit.

http://TwitJobs.net

When the “Truth” Seems Elusive During a Job Search

2010-07-06T23:02:00.000+01:00

Do you know the ‘truth’ during your search?

No? Then you have some company! In the past three weeks, I’ve launched a new search (Yes! I’m back in the Candidates Chair). My first refresher lesson: Reset my expectations around the ‘truth’.

To date, I received in response to jobs applied to, inquiries to open positions and requests to network

The ‘Dear John’ letter: ‘You were one of our top candidates to choose from, however, …”.

Cliché-Fiesta: Responses which filled an e-mail but said very little.

In Vague: Responses using terms like “new events internally”, “other factors”

No Response: Silence is the new ‘no’.

For each there was little true feedback to act upon to improve my pitch or understand why there was not a fit or interest. To keep my frustration in check, I’ve adopted the following practices when this happens.

Philosophy: “There are opportunities out there for me; this is just not one of them”. Move on and not waste time on speculating over what happened (or not) did little to give me actionable information.

Document misunderstandings: If I ever had to address a misunderstanding of my background, etc. it was generally due to not delivering it correctly (not concise, vague description, etc.)

Review of my document: I find people that would give me direct (and sometimes ruthless) feedback. I would also review other candidates’ documents for presentation, excellent explanations of duties, etc.

Interviewing skills: Immediately following every interview, I would write down what went well and what fell flat (did the same for networking meetings that yielded great results.) This running list of items helped me when practicing answers.

In short, no one is going to fill your ‘Truth’ bucket. So best do it yourself.

As always, make this work for you and hope this helps.

Good luck today!

Mark Richards

www.candidateschair.com – Tools and Advice from a Candidate’s viewpoint to help get past job search roadblocks and keep your spirit strong. Please take a visit.

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Never Justify "Just" Networking

2010-06-28T04:33:00.001+01:00

Before my networking meetings, my wife usually asks me “Why are you meeting them?” You should be asking yourself that same question. In fact, you should have a three part answer.

ONE: How can you build a relationship with the person

TWO: How do they move you closer to a hiring manager or help you prep for an interview

THREE: What commitment(s) are you seeking from them (contact names, an introduction, advice, insight into a company, etc.)

If you don’t’ have a compelling answer, then seriously reconsider rescheduling the meeting until you can. My advice is to never justify networking for networking’s sake. Justify it because of what you can achieve from the meeting.

Why? Here are three reasons to reschedule if you are not ready.

ONE: The person did not agree to meet you, they agree to help you.

TWO: You are one of many people this person is meeting, so you only get one chance to impress

THREE: The best time ask for help is during the meeting, not in a follow-up e-mail.

In the midst of networking, especially after several months, it is easy to fall into a routine and treat each meeting the same. I can vouch for this with personal experience from both sides of the table.

So always remember to ask and answer “Why are you meeting them?” – it’s a great start to make sure you have a great meeting.

Good luck today!

Mark Richards

www.candidateschair.com – Tools and Advice from a Candidate’s viewpoint to help get past job search roadblocks and keep your spirit strong. Please take a visit.

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Personal Brand – A simple definition

2010-06-18T04:34:00.000+01:00

After I started my search, “personal brand’ was one of the most bandied about terms that I heard. From what I read or heard, I clearly understood I needed one, but they were a bit light or esoteric on the details.

The best definition of ‘brand’ that I have heard: A brand represents a promise.

When my colleague, Rich Faber, used this definition it really struck me how well it applies to hiring someone: The decision to hire someone is based upon on what you promise to bring.

Your promise: What you offer to deliver to the company, its clients, your colleagues, community and yourself.

Take the brands you use regularly:
• They defined a brand promise that is appealing to a specific audience’s need (e.g. minivans appeal to families who need space to haul more stuff than they care to admit).
• You know the brand promise (reliability, taste, quality, etc.), because they promote it where their target audience goes (e.g. on football games, websites, etc).
• You continue to buy the brand because the delivery matches both you need and what is promoted.

Now let’s apply this to your brand:
• Your brand promise is appealing to the companies where you seek employment because you fulfill a need
• They know your brand through your promotion via your network, professional groups and social media.
• They know your delivery matches the brand through your experience (resume), network (referrals) and content provided in social media.

In looking it at in this manner demystified much of the ‘personal brand’ talk and made it much clearer: Create a simple message on how you fulfill a role then make sure message comes out in your resume and what you tell people in the company.

I’m sure that personal brand coaches can add much more, but I hope this gives you a starting point.

Good luck today!

Mark Richards

www.candidateschair.com – Tools and Advice from a Candidate’s viewpoint to help get past job search roadblocks and keep your spirit strong. Please take a visit.

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Hiring Decisions – What the Heck is Taking so Long?

2010-06-11T02:04:00.000+01:00

What candidate has not asked the question “What’s taking them so long to make a decision?”

We all have been in the situation where you (and other candidates) have the skills to fill a role and the company has expressed a need to find someone with your skills.

So what’s going on when days, weeks and months go by and the decision is still pending (the word ‘pending’ is important, not hearing right away does not mean the role will not be filled – I had a 6 month delay for a job).

I believe that in every hire there are a series of questions that each company needs to answer. If they skip a question, then the hiring process goes on hold, until it is answered.

The link below has a full summary, but in short, here is what I have learned from being on both sides of the hiring decision as to what questions need to be asked:

ONE: Who needs to be involved in the decision? (The office politics wheels spinning on this one!)

TWO: Do we need this position?

THREE: Who should manage the role?

FOUR: Can we reorganize instead of hiring? (Again, the office politics wheels spin)

FIVE: What duties will the position cover? (Never assume it’s the same as before)

SIX: What skills are needed for the role?

SEVEN: Do we have the budget/how are our current financials? (Poor quarterly results may delay a hiring)

EIGHT: Who do we know that can fill the role – internal or external?

NINE: Do we use a recruiter or job board?

TEN: Who needs to interview the candidates?

ELEVEN: Who makes the final hiring decision?
I don’t write these questions to discourage you, but instead to help set your expectations. If you listen to the comments from the company and/or their recruiter, you will get a good sense of how far they have worked through this list of questions. The closer to the bottom of this list, the sooner you should expect a decision.

Every company works at their own pace and style, so when you network try to understand their hiring process – it will help you avoid some frustration and anxiety.

http://candidateschair.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/candidates-chair-hiring-process-questions.pdf

Good luck this week!

Mark Richards

www.candidateschair.com – Tools and Advice from a Candidate’s viewpoint to help get past job search roadblocks and keep your spirit strong. Please take a visit.

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What I Believe, What I Need to Believe - After Reading Your Resume

2010-06-02T04:46:00.000+01:00

As a CFO/Finance executive, I’ve looked at and/or produced a couple hundred business cases. To determine the validity of a business case, I’ve developed a simple system to figure out where to ask more questions. I ask myself “What do I believe and what do I need to believe”.

For example, if our company was expanding an existing product line. I would believe they can do that. If they are going to sell it to an entirely new customer set. I would say I need to believe it. So I would spend trying to determine if we understood the new customers’ needs, if the product fit, etc.

Now take your resume and ask the same questions of believe and need to believe, but from a prospective recruiter, HR, or hiring manager viewpoint (or chair).

Most people who read a resume can figure out by a title and company size if the bullet points generally fit the role a person had. They can establish the ‘what they believe’ based on your resume and knowledge of the industry, profession and role.

Generally, what they ‘need to believe’ are the results claimed (e.g. ‘Saved $5 million annually from ….), because unless they were at the same firm, it is tough to validate. But just imagine the power those statements would have if they were validated.

So whether through your referrals, non-confidential copies of past work, 3rd party references, awards, etc. try to line up as much of what needs to be believed as possible. Actions do speak louder than words, so help prove it!

A quick author aside, I have been tremendously humbled by the success of the Candidates Chair site – with over 20,000 visitors from 75 countries, as it has been fellow candidates sharing with one another that have been a major part of the success. So please know you have my thanks and keeping the sharing.

Good luck this week!

Mark Richards

www.candidateschair.com – Tools and Advice from a Candidate’s viewpoint to help get past job search roadblocks and keep your spirit strong. Please take a visit.

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JobSeekers Tips for Making Good Impressions

2010-05-28T12:14:00.001+01:00

Life is all about making good first impressions with the people we meet. This article provides tips for making good first impressions in business and networking situations; with business cards, cover letters, and resumes; in job interviews; and when you are starting a new job.

In Business and Networking Situations
When meeting people for the first time, whether for career networking or client meetings, it's essential that you look the part. In other words, you must dress for the specific occasion. Conduct a little research or contact the organization responsible for the event to uncover the proper attire. In a pinch, it's always better to be overdressed than underdressed. And it's not just what you are wearing but how you're wearing it, so make sure your clothing is clean and well-pressed.

Grooming is also an important part of first impressions. Hair should be neat and certainly not the wind-tunnel look. For men, facial hair should be either non-existent or well-maintained. For women, less make-up is always better than too much. A light perfume or cologne is acceptable, but be careful of overwhelming the people in the room. Finally, a minimal amount of tasteful jewelry is best.

A small, but relatively unknown fact about name tags they should be worn on the person's right shoulder area so that when someone approaches to greet and shake his/her hand, the person's eyes follow the arm right up to the name tag, making it much easier to greet the person rather than looking all the way over to the other side of the person or worse, toward the cleavage for a woman.

Next up for first impressions are the handshake and greeting. Handshakes should be simple extend right hand and grasp gently but firmly. No bone-crushers and no four-handed, one-hand over the other shakes. And no sweaty, clammy, or wimpy handshakes. If your nerves cause you to get wet palms, carry a handkerchief in your pocket and wipe your hand before you do the meet and greet. The greeting should be short and simple, making certain you listen for the other person's name. For example, I might greet someone in a business setting as, "Hi. I'm Dr. Randall Hansen, founder of Quintessential Careers." Be certain to speak clearly and enunciate.

To nail the good impression you're trying to make, the last tip when you're in this setting is not to make the conversation all about you. You want to engage the other person in conversation, making certain to use his/her name for emphasis. You can, of course, talk about yourself, but don't make the whole conversation about you and keep stories short. Look for common ground with the person you're talking to, and share stories about that common interest. And, of course, avoid talking about controversial subjects, such as religion, politics, and sex. If you're naturally funny, use humor, but nothing off-color, and show your serious side also.

Learn more about the power of networking, how to develop and grow your network, and much more in the Career and Job-Search Networking section.

With Business Cards, Cover Letters, and Resumes
For first impressions, the most important element here is the design and format. Except in very creative professions, colors of the paper and the text should be conservative. The same holds true with the typeface, use normal, readable fonts.

Business or networking cards should be simple and tastefully designed, and include key contact information. For some professions, such as sales, you can use a picture, but make certain it is a good photo.

Keep cover letters to no more than five short paragraphs, though four is better. The letterhead should match your resume, as should the paper and font(s). The way to make the strongest first impression is to address the letter to the recipient by name. The worst thing you can do is misspell the person's name. The second best way to make a good impression is to have a dynamic and powerful first paragraph that explains why you are writing. (Many job-seekers waste the first paragraph by writing a dull first paragraph.)

Your resume format should be original and inviting to the reader. Don't cram every single detail into a resume with no margins and tiny type. Use white space and go to additional pages or cut material. I have a true "rule of thumb." If my thumbs cover parts of your resume when I am holding it, then the margins are too narrow and I immediately have a negative impression of the resume. You should also know what is trendy in resumes and include those things in yours. For example, an accomplishments summary that highlights your 3 to 4 best attributes specific to the job at hand.

In Job Interviews
Because the job interview is usually your first face-to-face with the employers, first impressions are especially crucial. Arrive about 15 minutes early so you have time to find the exact office, perhaps with a stop at a restroom to conduct a final grooming check as well as possibly complete some paperwork before the interview starts. Always be polite to the support staff, as the impression you make with them will often be factored into the hiring decision. Of course, dressing for success and proper grooming are essential. Never arrive with any kind of food in your mouth or on your teeth, and try not to smoke right before the interview. Turn off your cell phone on the way to the interview. In the interview, smiling and making strong eye contact are important elements to establishing a good impression. Answering interview questions with ease (showcasing your interview preparation) and asking questions of the interviewer are vital to making a good impression. A great way to cement a strong first impression is writing a thank-you note after the interview. Visit our 200 Interviewing Questions.

When Starting a New Job
The first impressions you make with your co-workers and supervisor will go a long way to building a solid reputation for yourself. In those first days and weeks, you'll want to arrive a bit early, take no more than your allotted breaks during the day, leave no earlier than when the majority of the others in your area leave, and avoid calling in sick or taking personal days. In terms of actual work, you'll want to show your team spirit by supporting the team, perhaps even offering to take on a bit more than usual if the team needs it. Listen more than talk in those early days, and certainly do not showboat until you have firmly established your reputation as a solid worker and team player. And it should go without saying, but stay clear of all office politics and gossip. Finally, remember to keep your personal communications email, IM, and phone to a minimal while at work.

Final Thoughts
You might think that making a good first impression is really about using common sense and you would be correct. At the same time, we constantly hear horror stories from recruiters and employers about the unfortunate things job-seekers do, resulting in extremely poor first (and often last) impressions. Use your common sense and follow the tips in this article and you will go far in making a good first impression.

by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.

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Moving to a smaller firm – getting ready for success

2010-05-18T04:35:00.002+01:00

A frequent conversation I have with fellow candidates is the desire to seek employment in a smaller firm due to expected greater, ability to influence the outcome and generally less office politics. (Bonus: If you are in a start-up, you can add the expectations to wear jeans and use an Mac vs. a pc).

Having myself both worked in a 60,000 employee firm and a 4 person firm, there is truth in that you have more influence on the outcome.
To help you get prepared for possible networking/interviews, here’s a few of my lessons.

One: You have to be honest about your strengths and weaknesses. My colleagues learned what I was good at and what I was not in quick fashion, and I did the same with them. The sign of a good team is that you figure out how to compensate for one another.

Two: You do not have a big team to back you up. As CFO, I have gone from designing our chart of accounts to pitching for $2 million of investment in the same afternoon. I’ve also designed pages on our website and developed our initial social media strategy. You just need to be ready to work above, at, below and alongside your title.

Three: You need to think like an owner. In a small firm, business gets down to the bare essentials: Client needs, sales levels, spending and available cash/capital. You have to watch each like a hawk and understand what drives each one.

Four: The good news: A small team that talks often. The bad news: You talk often. You need to keep up your outside network to make sure you get an unbiased opinion of your strategy, etc.

Like all my posts, consider my ideas as a place to start. If you start looking at a smaller firm, sit down with a few colleagues who have made the transition to help you prepare.

Good luck this week.

Mark Richards

www.candidateschair.com – Tools and Advice from a Candidate’s viewpoint to help get past job search roadblocks and keep your spirit strong. Please take a visit.

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What to do when reality seems suspended

2010-05-12T05:07:00.000+01:00

Here’s a short excerpt of an interview between a Human Resources team member (HR) and myself (MR) regarding a finance role:

HR: “Tell me how you collaborated with operations.”

MR: “I spent 30% of my time in the field at our branch locations, with Account Management or on sales calls. The more time I spent in the field, the better I knew how to support them.”

HR: “You did not use the word ‘collaborate’ in your answer.”

MR: “I know, the answer explaining my actions of collaboration with the operations team.”

HR: “Yes, but I was hoping you used the word ‘collaborate’.”

This enjoyable banter on ‘collaboration’ continued for a few more
minutes. I was told that implying a word was not as powerful as using the word.

As we finally moved on, I remember thinking, “It’s better to imply you’re a knucklehead, then to make it more powerful by proving it”.

I was thinking about myself, as I had just fallen for the oldest and biggest interview temptation: Trying to prove your point, or better said, disprove theirs.

It’s at the moment when the other person seems to suspend reality with a ridiculous argument or statements that can make or break your ability to keep your odds of impressing them remain high.

If the statement misstates your skill or experience, offer a single statement of correction. If they are simply off-base on an issue, then let it go. In either case, just get the conversations moving onto a new topic.

My lesson: No use trying to defuse the bomb that’s gone off – especially if you are the one who set it off.

Hope you have a good week.

Mark Richards

www.candidateschair.com – Tools and Advice from a Candidate’s viewpoint to help get past job search roadblocks and keep your spirit strong. Please take a visit.

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A bit of insight when trying to switch industries

2010-05-03T04:54:00.003+01:00

I have had three distinct industries shifts in my career: commercial travel, financial services and telecommunications provider. So take heart for anyone hearing “you don’t have industry experience”, it can happen.

We all believe we can succeed because our skill set will transfer intact. As each of my industries have been very different in size, scope, regulatory, competition and technology, let me share what I believe transfers well.

ONE: Understanding the business model - Most people figure out how a business makes money pretty quick. Generally speaking, each area of the business has 3-4 key items.

TWO: Technical skills - While the application of the skills may differ, the understanding of the technical skills (e.g. marketing, accounting, etc.) for your professional move across.

THREE: Communication and Personal skills - These are the skills and experiences that make you truly unique from other candidates, so they transfer very well. Again, how you apply them will be different, but usually it’s these skills on what seals the deal when getting hired.

Okay, so you read that and think “So what’s the big deal? Why are people hung up on experience?”

Here it is: A intuitive sense of the business.

When switching industries you must learn the language, trends, competitive forces, etc. When someone says “ABC Company just raised their price 2%” – you will not know how to react, because you need to learn what the price change means. Within your first year, you’ll encounter this dozens of times (if not more).

While a new perspective or outside view is always a benefit, you need to recognize that it is difficult to be as efficient as others until you learn the industry. Also, people feel more comfortable with those who understand the business already, especially if the business is in trouble and they need to act fast.

When looking at a new industry, the skills to emphasize are living through a major industry shift, launching a new business, working in different geographies – basically, anything that shows you understand the challenges of making a change and have been successful in doing so.

Also, have a plan of how to learn the industry. The best way to do that is to spend time with someone currently in the business.

Good luck this upcoming week.

Mark Richards

www.candidateschair.com – Tools and Advice from a Candidate’s viewpoint to help get past job search roadblocks and keep your spirit strong. Please take a visit.

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What an employer wants from your covering letter

2010-04-29T11:49:00.002+01:00

If you want to stand out from the pile, ensure your covering letter meets the requirements of recruiters

Too often the covering letter is a job seeker's Achilles' Heel. That's because the candidate has often lavished hours on crafting their CV to make it as perfect as they can, only to produce the covering letter as an afterthought. The thinking behind this is that the CV will do all the hard work for you and the covering letter will just play a supporting role. Wrong.

Let's begin with probably the most common error I see time and time again. The covering letter that goes something like this:

Dear Mr Matthews,

I wish to apply for the (job title) vacancy, as advertised in (publication, date). Please find enclosed my CV, which I hope you will study with interest.

If you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours faithfully,

Steve Szita

This is all very nice — it's a clear and polite statement of intent. But why waste a entire sheet of A4 just to inform the employer you are applying and have attached your CV? In today's extremely competitive job market, employers don't have to waste time on those who are just going to state the obvious and not use an opportunity to highlight their skills and strengths.

Perhaps its name tag "the covering letter" is the root of this problem? Indeed, to many, this name might suggest it's not very important, that it's just a note, merely attached to the all-powerful CV for a bit of casual clarification. Whatever the excuse, it's no longer the way to go.

With the current CV mantra being "stick to two sides of A4", space is at a premium. So, if you're going to add a third page in the shape of a covering letter, make sure it justifies its existence, seizes the recruiter's attention and keeps them reading.

One thing that is paramount when it comes to your CV and covering letter is that they should work together and complement each other. The covering letter should draw attention to your key skills relevant to the job and then the CV should expand on them. Very often, people make the mistake of writing the two in isolation.

From your covering letter, the employer wants to know:

Who you are and what job you want

Begin with a clear indication of the job you're applying for and where you heard about it. If you have the name of a direct contact or referral, this is the place to mention it. Dropping a familiar name is going to be an effective way of catching someone's eye.

What relevant skills you have and how you'll apply them

In paragraphs two (and three, if needed), you should then outline key aspects of the job and make direct comparisons with skills and experience you have. "I see that this role demands the ability to reduce costs. As commercial manager at XYZ Ltd. I made real savings of almost 20% (£100,000) in my first full year" — for example.

That you really understand what's required of you

Ensure you focus on the most important aspects of the role and make sure you relate them directly to recent and relevant experience. Remember, though this is your individual application for the job, do not attempt to write an application letter directly from the job advert.

If you have any additional skills over and above the job advert

In the next paragraph add any supporting information you feel is necessary, such as applied aspects of the role or what additional skills you can bring over and above the job specification.

Have a positive and professional attitude

Ensure your tone is confident and positive but don't overdo it otherwise you may come across as arrogant or pushy. Remember you're trying to get an interview, so you want to come across as a personable individual. Here's a positive example:

Dear Mr Matthews,
I wish to apply for the post of accounts manager as advertised in the November issue of People Management. As you can see from my enclosed CV, I have more than 15 years experience in company accounts, the last six of which have been in management roles. Together with my professional qualifications, proven track record and desire to advance further, I feel I am more than ready for the challenges your position offers.

Have taken time to get to know their business

Try to find out the name of the person responsible for recruiting the role and some key company information can also show that you've done your homework.

I understand from your recent annual report (2009) that you have rapidly developed your operations across the European Union. Having spent the best part of a decade working in different EU countries, I am very experienced in the various working methods of each member state.

Are concise, businesslike and to the point

Make sure your cover letter does not exceed one page. It should really only be about four or five paragraphs. It should also be in the same font and the same point size as your CV.

That you really, really want this job

Finally, you should sum up. Reaffirm you interest in the role, the company and the challenges ahead. Thank the recruiter for taking the time to consider your application.

Remember then to sign off "yours sincerely" opposed to "yours faithfully".

This article was first published in Guardian Careers on 22nd April by Steve Szita who is director of Dazzling CVs

www.dazzlingcvs.co.uk

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2010-04-22T16:06:00.001+01:00

There's no need to lie on your CV

An NHS worker was jailed this month for lying on her CV. But there's no need to stretch the truth when applying for jobs — the key to success is accentuating your real skills and abilities

You may have seen the story of Rhiannon Mackay, who was jailed for six months this month. Her crime? She lied on her CV.

To get the job of capital projects administrator with Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, she falsely claimed to have two A levels and also forged a letter of recommendation. She used the same false CV to apply for 11 other jobs. It was only when her performance was deemed to be below par that managers at the Trust looked closer at her background and she was ultimately convicted using the Fraud Act 2006, making her the first woman to go to jail for CV falsification.

Should she have gone to prison? Was her crime so great? After all, survey after survey has shown that most people confess to having a CV that's not, shall we say, 100% truthful. This bending of the truth seems to be fair game and was even, you could argue, vindicated by Alan Sugar when the 2008 winner of The Apprentice, Lee McQueen, was caught red-handed lying (or at least exaggerating) on his CV yet still walked away with the big prize.

So why do people lie on their CV? After all, who's going to know if, for example, I nudge my grade C in GCSE maths to a B or say that I've five years experience in management when I've only got four?

The old adage that says "it's harder to get the job than actually carry it out" has much to answer for. You may think you can blag your way through the job in the early days until you get to know the ropes but, as Rhiannon Mackay found, this tactic can blow up in your face in spectacular fashion.

I highly doubt her conviction will change very much, especially outside the public sector. People will continue to subtly round-up qualifications and experience and, probably, continue to get away with it, providing they don't overplay their hands. These are difficult economic times and desperate times often lead to desperate CV writing — but it really doesn't have to come to exaggerating (or even telling barefaced lies) on your CV.

Here's my nine-point plan to help you stay on the path of CV righteousness.

· Although CV stands for Curriculum Vitae — 'the course of life' — it's really a sales tool, not an autobiography. Write with your goal and intended audience in mind. Don't write it as a memoir. Also, writing actively is more engaging than writing passively. For example, "I completed the project in under six weeks" opposed to "The project was completed in under six weeks by me".

· Open with a strong profile that's intelligently, confidently and attractively written. Make sure it clearly highlights your skills and experience in relation to the post you're applying for.

· One CV is not enough. If you're sending out identical CV's to every job you apply for, then you need to stop now. No two jobs are identical. Your CV should reflect this. Keep a master copy and adapt it accordingly.

· Don't send a CV out by itself. Your covering letter is equally important, as you will use it to focus the recruiter's mind on the job in question and how your skills and abilities meet his/her requirements. Clearly flag up your key qualities and illustrate with strong action words such as "achieved", ''enhanced" and "accomplished".

· Emphasise your current/relevant skills and experience. Most of the focus should be on the last five years. To help keep the CV short, sharp and arresting, don't be afraid to delete (or at least drastically cut) job information and skills that are not relevant. This is especially true if you have a history of temporary jobs or have undergone a career change. Of course, account for the time (don't leave gaps) but don't spend ages talking about it.

· If you make a claim about yourself (creative, team player, proactive) make sure you back it up with a real example which quantifies the claim. For example, "An accomplished team manager. When ABC Ltd and XYZ Ltd merged, I successfully led and integrated the two companies' accounts departments". And be ready to expand on it at the interview stage.

· When writing your CV, make sure it's well organised and clearly laid out, with well-defined headings and sections. It should be immediately obvious what each is about; career summary, professional qualifications, career objective and so on. The average recruiter will only spend a few seconds scanning your CV and won't waste time hunting around for the relevant information.

· With so much CV sifting and sorting now being performed electronically, it pays to work keywords into your CV. Make sure that they address areas including your industry, job titles, expertise, specialist skills, technical qualifications and the key companies you've worked for. This is not, however, a substitute for intelligent and professional CV writing where you describe and back up your achievements properly, more of an added dimension to the document.

· Finally, don't claim to have skills you clearly don't possess. If you do get the job, being unable to fully operate PowerPoint or Excel, for example, having claimed you're an expert, will create a terrible first impression.

It's possible to impress without stretching the truth — knowing how to make the most of your skills and abilities will do the job.

This article was first published in Guardian Careers on 1^st April by Steve Szita who is director of Dazzling CVs

www.dazzlingcvs.co.uk

http://TwitJobs.net

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Calming the Pre-Interview Nerves

2010-04-17T04:14:00.000+01:00

A fellow member of the Candidates Chair LinkedIn group and friend, Lisa Yoon, called me about an article she was writing on this topic and asked what I did in the hour before an interview.

Good or bad, I’ve had a fair amount of practice at this. I kept it to three things to build my confidence.

First, I ignored any thoughts of what I did not know. Just like cramming for a test in school, if you don’t know an hour beforehand, you will not learn it adequately in an hour.

Second, I wrote down the top 3 messages/themes I wanted to deliver. I find that most people recall 2-3 things following an interview. So make your know the most important ones to deliver a few times.

Third, I selected the five questions I felt were most likely to be asked. Then I practiced the answer aloud five times to help me sound more natural and comfortable that I worked my top messages/themes. This was my mantra, with each repeat of the answer, I felt more confident and relaxed.

Confidence in yourself cannot be underestimated when it comes to settling your nerves. If I’ve learned one thing, it’s often as important on ‘how’ you deliver the message, not just its content, that leaves a lasting impression.

Good luck this upcoming week.

Mark

www.candidateschair.com
With two transitions and running a job transition group under my belt, I have put my tools and advice on www.candidateschair.com - the site is all written from a Candidate's viewpoint.

http://TwitJobs.net

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The Interview Moment of Truth – Learning from my mistakes

2010-03-20T04:11:00.000Z

After two job searches, I’ve been through loads of interviews. Here’s a few of the big mistakes I made, they may seem obvious, but often this is what we overlook.

One: Too much prep, Too little practice
It’s all in the delivery. I would figure out the key questions I expected to get and write out my answers. That is good. However, I never practiced saying the answers aloud – so when the time came, I just rambled or sounded mechanical. The solution: Practice saying your answers aloud 5 or 6 times. You will feel more confident, cut out the clutter in your answers and sound natural.

Two: Talking to an insider
There are loads of ways to learn about a company, but the best way is to meet a current employee. Spend a coffee with someone and you’ll be amazed at what you did not know. You get a good feel for the culture, common language used and issues facing the firm.

Three: Build the brand in advance
Sometimes it’s not the best skill, but the best brand. The more people that know your story inside a company, the better the chances you advance in the process. Work your network like crazy to either meet people inside the firm or have your network call on your behalf. Don’t try to sell yourself, just reach out to connect.

Four: Let the story build
I felt compelled to share my amazing story in its full glory… well, it seemed amazing to me. Think of your answers like a commercial – short, informative and compelling. If the person interviewing wants to learn more, then they will ask. If they don’t ask, then perhaps they heard enough or it’s not a key decision point for the position. Either way, just be patient and build your story.

Five: Being able to answer “Do You Have Any Questions for Me?”
This is an easy one to miss, because we focus so heavily on what to say about ourselves. It only took me once of answering this question with “Ummm, let’s see…” to know I needed a change. I prepared a written set of questions for every interview and brought copies to share. Many questions got answered during the interview, but there several that did not about the position, business model, peers, current staff, etc. I highly recommend, “201 Best Questions To Ask On Your Interview” by John Kador – a great resource.

As always, hope this helps!

Good luck today!

Mark Richards

www.candidateschair.com – Tools and Advice from a Candidate’s viewpoint to help get past job search roadblocks and keep your spirit strong. Please take a visit.

http://TwitJobs.net

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5 Tips to Posting Jobs on Twitter...

2010-03-15T10:43:00.000Z

If you're reading this and thinking about making a twitter account to post jobs, or already have a twitter account and want to get the most out of posting jobs here are 5 tips to posting jobs on twitter.

1) Measure. Using services like http://bit.ly you can track the short urls that you post, this is just one way of measure the click throughs to your jobs and having a service such as google analytics you can track the 'journey' of your users.

2) Tag. Using hashtags such as #jobs are useful for people to find the latest opportunities that are posted. Make sure you use tags that are relevant for your job postings, and don't over tag. Usually, 2 or 3 is enough.

3) Conversation. Depending on how serious you want your twitter presence to become, conversation is vital in providing the best possible service. Services such as best buy's 'twelp force', 'BT' and '02' have made their channels a great route for customers to give feedback and ask for help. Replying and getting back to people is important to show how you take your business seriously.

4) Listen. Monitor your updates and what people are saying about you. Services such as SocialMention give you indepth analysis on all your social media landscape, but also hootsuite and splitweet are great for monitoring conversations.

5) Dedication. With using all these tips, it takes time. Think about how much time you can allocate to your social media recruitment campaign and use every available moment to repeat the 4 tips above. Doing so will give you a greater return in the long run.

Have fun! - and get those jobs out there!

http://TwitJobs.net

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The Art of Managing Downtime

2010-03-10T05:03:00.001Z

A last minute call cancels a networking meeting. You have an extra hour on your hand. Now what?

When we are employed, there is generally a well-stocked backlog for any extra time. When unemployed, we can adopt a less urgent focus on time, as we seem to have all day.

A colleague of mine, Tom Kulikowski, once remarked “He stayed ruthlessly organized” during his search.

The ruthless organization was as much for eliminating unnecessary work as it was for keeping your weekly search time under 40 hours a week. It is easy to occupy 60+ hours a week, but after 40 hours, both your productivity and effectiveness drop off like a rock (trust me, I know).

These extra hours happen. In fact, they happen more than you like. So use them to your advantage. Time is your most precious resource in search.

Here were my most effective ways to use that extra hour. My primary tools were my calendar for the last month and upcoming two weeks and my Targeted Company list – which I always carried with me.

One: Upcoming meetings – Have you determined what you want from the meeting and how you can offer your contact something to make you memorable? Try this networking meeting checklist: http://candidateschair.com/?attachment_id=604

Two: Empty Spots in Your Calendar – Using my Targeted Company list, I would figure out who I needed to meet either within the company or to get me in the company – then started to get out invites to meet. Here is an example of a Targeted Company list if you don’t have one: http://candidateschair.com/?attachment_id=402

Three: Follow-up to past networking meetings – Follow-up is what takes networking meetings from interesting to relevant. Your follow-up on commitments and reminders of theirs is critical – especially demonstrating action on your part.

These three were generally enough to fill an hour. On that occasion you are caught up, then I recommend enjoying a large coffee and get ready for your next meeting.

Good luck today!

Mark Richards

Please feel free to visit my site - www.candidateschair.com – built on my own experiences from being in transition. It’s job search, from a candidate’s viewpoint.

Candidates Chair LinkedIn Group:
http://www.linkedin.com/groupRegistration?gid=2328268

http://TwitJobs.net

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Five Ways to help a fellow Candidate

2010-03-04T03:08:00.000Z

Here are five ways to help a colleague in job search – you can pick as many as you like. Anything you provide will be appreciated as insight from fellow candidates is often the most valuable.
1. Listen to their story - Do their documents match their story? Are they underselling themselves?

2. Listen to their pitch - Is it clear and crisp? Do you know what role they want? What are the 2-3 skills that make them unique? If not, help them rework their pitch.

3. State of networking - Are they effectively using all the tools available to locate opportunities or networking?

4. 2-3 Contacts - Start them off with 2-3 contacts to see how they perform. Call your contacts to see how it went. You can give them valuable feedback.

5. Follow-up - Drop them an e-mail or call every 45 days or so. A friendly call can go a long way (for both of you)!

Many people may not feel comfortable in asking for help – so reach out and offer!

Good luck today!
Mark Richards

www.candidateschair.com
Please feel free to visit my site for 24 tools and tips - from a candidate's perspective on job search

http://TwitJobs.net

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TwitJobs Live Web Chat With Guardian Careers

2010-02-23T13:13:00.000Z

Here is a date for your diary, Wednesday 24th February 2010 we'll be co-hosting a special web chat talking all about using social media in the recruitment space with The Guardian.

The Event is entitled "How to use social media to find work" and takes place between 1pm and 4pm (GMT) on Wednesday 24th Feb 2010.

If you would like to post a question to the panel, or have a burning issue you would like to discuss you can find out all the information and register for the event here -> http://tinyurl.com/ygcx9vx

We are very excited about having the opportunity to discuss in depth social media platforms, good and bad practices and many more questions we haven't thought of yet! ...hope to hear from you tomorrow!

http://TwitJobs.net

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Is our LinkedIn group the most important group you could join?

2010-02-22T09:42:00.000Z

Lets face it although the job market seems to be picking up, still, in a lot of cases people are worried about their current employment.

Wherever you are in the world, it's no different. Job security has been in question for years, but for many they have had to start all over again applying for jobs for the first time in many years.

Our LinkedIn group was designed to help people get back to work. Just a few months old we already have over 1200 members from around the world and attract many more every single day. Why? well theres a few reasons.

1) - You can post jobs in the job section for free.
2) - Its an open group. That means people that join can connect and network with each other in a space designed to help you build your professional network.
3) - Recruiters - You can source the right people for the roles you're trying to fill
4) - Jobseekers - You can connect with hiring managers in the companies and agencies that are right for you.
5) - We post selected jobs from TwitJobs updates directly in the group, some are exclusive and don't get seen anywhere else!
6) - For February 2010 hiring managers can post jobs to TwitJobs using the discount codes in our Linkedin Group and get 50% OFF JOB POSTINGS!
7) - Its all 100% free to use.

Join today, and invite your contacts - you're one click away from new opportunities - TwitJobs LinkedIn Group

http://TwitJobs.net

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TwitJobs Live Web Chat - This Week...

2010-02-22T00:09:00.000Z

Some fantastic news for job seekers - TwitJobs will be answering your questions about social media recruiting and all things job related this week on "The Guardian" career site.
We'll be posting the link and more details as soon as we have them....Stay tuned....

http://TwitJobs.net

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TwitJobs Comparison

2010-02-17T14:10:00.000Z

Although we have always been different, people still make immediate judgments based on follower count alone. We have pulled together a little graph showing 3 of twitters main job sites, and where we compare against their follower count, today.

We thought it was fair to find the top profiles for each organisation, and compare against current follower numbers, along with growth over the past 3 months.

You can see from these results there are some interesting stats.

First, the obvious, you can see TwitJobs in red, quite clearly has almost 10,000 followers than our nearest competitor. The other interesting facts include the growth of TwitJobs over the past 3 months, we have grown from 21,695 to 24,100 today. Thats a total increase of 2,405 followers to one account in the last 3 months.

OK...
So, next, Twitter Job Search (in green) grew by just 957 followers over the same time period.

Then, TweetMyJobs (in blue) grew by 8,231! - Although its important to point out, that they have over 7,700 profiles on twitter, and increased this (quite obviously) in January - they then had all the accounts follow this profile. Once you take those 7,700 out of the equation then their growth was just 531.

We have 30 accounts that run on Twitter - and post across an additional 9 social networks (unlike any other).

We don't spend time making sure we are following ourselves, whats the point in that? We spend time talking to people, answering questions and helping them back to work. Not just through this @TwitJobsUK profile, but many others, several that have more followers on Twitter than these "competitors".

We'll just continue helping more people than anyone, treating people as individuals and helping 1000's of people back to work.

http://TwitJobs.net

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10 Golden Rules of Reputation Management

2010-02-17T05:22:00.000Z

10 Golden Rules of Reputation Management

by Jane Herbert, managing director, Pilotmax

1. Tell the truth. A customer who discovers that you have lied disappears, never to return. If you lie to a journalist, the best you can hope for is for them never to mention you again. More likely, you will be publicly pilloried as a company which cannot be trusted.

2. Deliver. The easiest way to build and keep a good reputation is to promise a high-quality product or service and then to produce the goods consistently well.

3. Build up your goodwill bank. In times of crisis, your public will forgive a surprising amount if you have previously invested sufficiently in establishing a good reputation. All reputations are vulnerable, but the stronger your foundations, the tougher it is to knock you down.

4. Know your messages. Agree them, prioritise them, ensure that everybody knows them and be certain that they pervade every communication with the outside world.

5. Be led from the top. It is not enough that the most senior management are simply aware of your reputation management strategy and planning. Unless they buy into it completely and with conviction, it will not work.

6. Plan. Reputation management is both easier and more cost-effective if carried out in an organised fashion, according to a pre-determined strategy.

7. Plan - for the worst. The easiest way to turn a minor crisis into a major disaster is not to know how to handle it. In every area of your operation, ask what could happen that would be most damaging to your reputation. Then, plan for that worst case scenario (and any other less fatal but still damaging possibility).

8. Test, rehearse and revise. Test every area of your crisis plan thoroughly. Ensure that everyone knows what their role is and is comfortable in putting the plan into practice. Keep revising the plan in the light of your rehearsal findings until you know that it will work. Re-test and update the plan as frequently as is sensible, but never less than annually.

9. Own your crisis plan. Somebody has to be in charge and they have to be recognised and accepted as such from the outset. If the chief executive is unhappy to follow your lead, the worst time to find out is when your reputation depends upon their immediately following your guidance.

10. Know your limitations. If you are not an expert in reputation management, hire somebody who is. You would not entrust the company’s financial or legal affairs to a well-meaning amateur and a damaged reputation will kill a company faster than any court battle or financial crisis.

Jane Herbert

www.pilotmax.co.uk

http://TwitJobs.net

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Everyone is suddenly a Social Media expert!

2010-02-15T13:38:00.001Z

If you've been following TwitJobs since we launched in March of 2009, you'd have noticed lots of other social job sites.

Thats good - it gives more people more opportunities across social media platforms. But, there are some things to remember, that separate TwitJobs from everyone else, even almost a year after our incredible launch.

1) We are the only job site in the world that posts across multiple social media platforms. That means we have more jobs going into more social networks than anyone else.
2) We have more followers per profile than anyone else. How?
3) We talk to people. Rather than relying purely on feeds and automation, people can ask us questions about their specific ideal job, and we'll reply. Nobody else bothers to have this level of interaction.
4) We are Social Media Professionals. Our background is from years involved in consulting major brands and businesses on social media campaigns. The people involved behind the scenes work in various consulting roles now, and help businesses understand the need for social media campaigns, interaction and the all important word - "engagement".
5) We have more jobs! - Our worldwide database holds over 10 million live jobs available right now. From work at home opportunities, to part time, contract, freelance, full time and permanent. This gives our users the best possible options.

Other businesses and services continue to innovate and create valuable tools on social networks - which we applaud, but we also continue to create more services for our users too. We have some fantastic plans for March 2010 - and you will start to see these role out very soon indeed.

All our services focus on providing the best results for users of TwitJobs, now and into the future!

http://TwitJobs.net

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Polish Still Matters

2010-02-15T04:06:00.001Z

I recently met with two professionals; both are incredibly competent in their fields and offered excellent advice.

The first professional has truly worked on their delivery – sitting up straight, punctuation, self-confidence and keep remarks to the point. As you might expect, the second professional was less so.

Here’s why it matters.

ONE: Effectiveness - The meeting subject was similar in complexity, yet the second meeting took nearly twice as long and only completed 50% of what we set out to complete. I found myself pulling the meeting back on course or clarifying points because of meandering answers.

TWO: My focus – I was so distracted by their behavior, that I found myself thinking of the next meeting, even thought I needed to complete this topic.

THREE: Time – Had it not been mandatory, I would have moved on.

In job search, we focus a good deal of time on the message and content. So simply make sure you are matching that content with delivery.

Delivery is more than words, but the entire package of how you present yourself. This is why I pointed out the different elements above; because each has an effect on the person you meet.

Working on your delivery is where a good friend will come in handy. Just go to coffee, don’t tell them the intent, after a half-hour ask them how you are doing.

Sure, chances are you’ll be on best behavior, but consider it practice. Trust me; having done this exercise, you’ll get some good feedback.

Good luck today!

Mark Richards

www.candidateschair.com
Job Search from a Candidate's Perspective - Advice and tools for search organization and networking

Candidates Chair LinkedIn Group:http://www.linkedin.com/groupRegistration?gid=2328268

http://TwitJobs.net

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This Month On TwitJobs

2010-02-14T13:38:00.000Z

Its hard to believe we are just a couple of weeks away from March 2010! It seems like 5 minutes ago it was Christmas, but for most of us the #Snow has stopped and things are starting to brighten up.

This year so far has certainly felt a lot brighter on the employment front too, with employers starting to see the need for more of the staff they may have laid off last year. Especially roles such as marketing, promotions, social media and more roles are getting many more opportunities posted this year already.

This is great news for jobseekers not just in the UK but around the world as business seems to continue to pick up across many different industries.

Our job search provides 1000's of new opportunities added daily, and many of which you won't find anywhere else. Unlike other job sites our featured jobs are exclusive opportunities to TwitJobs users - we don't sell these listings on to other job sites, so when searching our jobs you can be sure that you're not applying for the same job over and over again.

Happy job hunting - and hope you benefit from the up-surge in job opportunities!

http://TwitJobs.net

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LinkedIn vs Twitter for Job Search

2010-02-09T04:30:00.001Z

I gave a presentation last week on using Twitter for Job Search.

I've used both Twitter and LinkedIn to help people find my Candidates Chair site and job search networking. When it comes to allocating your time for job search - I'd go with LinkedIn before Twitter.

Here's how I think of the two: Twitter is a raging river that's wide, fast and crowded. LinkedIn is also crowded, but it's a slower river with lots of small ponds to pull off along the way.

While I've made a number of good connections via Twitter, it is much more work than LinkedIn. More work because it's tougher to stand out (unless you are a celebrity) simply due to the pace of Twitter and fewer ways to stand out.

LinkedIn on the other hand has so many ways to stand out. Putting aside the most obvious of a mutual connection. My favorite are answering questions and participating in groups.

If you look at a typical question on LinkedIn - if it has more than a dozen answers, that's quite a few.

Yet these questions get lots of people looking at them - with 70 million people on LinkedIn, here's a perfect opportunity to show off your skill when you are only one of a dozen people answering a question. Careful thought in a brief answer can go a long way.

The same issue holds true for group discussions.

Over 40% of the traffic to my Candidates Chair came from answering questions or group discussions on LinkedIn. 5% via Twitter.

LinkedIn truly rules the roost when it comes to making connections and getting exposure of your 'brand'.

Twitter is no slacker when it comes to content - which is one of my favorite aspects of Twitter. The amount of articles, advice, etc. on job search is stunning. Anything from resume writing, interviewing, on-line applications, career coaching, etc.

Networking will always be king and LinkedIn will give you more opportunities to both find people, but also inspire them to help you out.

Cheers,

Mark

www.candidateschair.com
Job Search from a Candidate's Perspective - Advice and tools for search organization and networking

Candidates Chair LinkedIn Group:
http://www.linkedin.com/groupRegistration?gid=2328268

http://TwitJobs.net

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How many social networking sites should I belong to?

2010-02-01T03:49:00.002Z

There are a number of excellent social networking sites. Not having been in every industry or country, I cannot comment which sites are best for a particular industry or profession (but feel free to post a comment here to share you insights with others).

Here’s my advice: Start with one network, figure out how it works, and use its potential. It’s how you use the site that matters.

How many tweets, followers, fans, friends, connections, posts, etc. that you have is interesting. What you inspire those people to do on your behalf is relevant.

Time is your most precious commodity in search - so figure out how a particular social network will help you move closer to finding a new role.

When I first joined LinkedIn, I built a profile and got connected to people. Then that was it. Can’t say I did much more. That’s been a common theme in my discussions with other candidates “I’m on LinkedIn. Now what?”

I was missing two elements: A plan of what I wanted to inspire people to do for me. Dedicated time to work.

After dedicating more time to work with different functions, (see the Toolkit on Candidates Chair for the “Using LinkedIn for Networking” or do a Google Search), I now run four groups, and have really made LinkedIn one of the primary networking tools for myself. (p.s. I still have loads to learn.)

If you start with the notion that social networking is a means to an end, not an end to itself - then you are one the right track. Now ask yourself what you want and what you need to do to accomplish it through others in the social network.

A quick aside: I wanted to congratulate Jason and the TwitJob team for an amazing run of making TwitJobs so widespread and useful for so many people. There's not been a time when so many people could use a bit of a help - so my hat's off to the team for doing so day in and day out.

Good luck today!

Mark Richards

www.candidateschair.com
Job Search from a Candidate's Perspective - Advice and tools for search organization and networking

Candidates Chair LinkedIn Group:
http://www.linkedin.com/groupRegistration?gid=2328268

http://TwitJobs.net

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It Does Not Cost Anything to be Polite

2010-01-29T03:42:00.002Z

I heard Tubby Smith, the University of Minnesota’s head basketball coach, tell a story about his upbringing which included his parents’ advice: “It does not cost anything to be polite”.

That’s a saying you should take to heart when networking for a new job.

Here’s my rule: Besides feeling good about yourself – in networking you never know who knows who – so just be polite to everyone.

This is not to say you’ll be tempted. I experienced people who were pretty rude, to which I simply closed down the meeting quickly and moved on. For the really bad ones, I cursed when I got into the car (windows rolled up, of course).

I know this seems like a basic topic and most people take their behavior for granted. However, I hear a 'horror story' every week about how bad a candidate was in their networking: showing up late, cutting answers short, being quick as a whip to dismiss ideas, etc.

Many times the behavior can be chalked up to cramming too much in a day and being eager to get their story out.

But I still hear the stories and if I hear about it - assume that dozens other have heard it as well.

The punchline: Do yourself a favor and just pay attention at a few meetings to make sure you are good to go.

Good luck today!

Mark Richards

www.candidateschair.com
Job Search from a Candidate's Perspective - Advice and tools for search organization and networking

Candidates Chair LinkedIn Group:
http://www.linkedin.com/groupRegistration?gid=2328268

http://TwitJobs.net

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