“Are you on Facebook? What’s your Twitter handle? Send me the link to your LinkedIn profile.”
Thousands of social network accounts are created every month. And a large percentage of those new networkers become easily frustrated because it doesn’t seem to be working for them. It’s what I like to call the “Field of Dreams” approach: if you build a profile, thousands of people will find you, become your friend, buying your products, offering you jobs, and anything else you need to become wildly successful.
If you’ve been toying around with social networking for a few months you know it’s not that simple. Before you write off social networking as a waste of time, consider these five reasons social networking isn’t working for you:
1. You Don’t Have Anything Interesting To Say
In this day and age things move fast. And information travels at light speed thanks to web and mobile technology. Are you providing outdated information? Talking about last year’s trends with no new insights and observations? Or are you offering a unique perspective based on your personal and professional experience?
This isn’t about creating everything from scratch, but it is about being able to offer more than rehashed content and links to your network. This doesn’t help you grow, nor does it help anyone else grow. True networking works because you bring a distinct flavor or brand to the party. With all the social networking opportunities and fellow networkers competing for my time – how are you going to capture my attention so I want to connect with you on a regular basis?
2. You Don’t Have A Clear Message About Who You Are
One thing that interests me when I search for people to connect with is they are clear about who they are, what they love, and what they do. Take the time to develop a social presence just like you would take the time to make sure your physical presence commands a certain level of attention in a live networking event.
In the beginning it may be a little sloppy – that’s to be expected when you are just learning. But you have to learn fast and make the transition from sloppy messaging and style to confident, savvy, smartly branded communication. If you find someone with a style you like – learn from them. I didn’t say stalk them or copy them. But do observe, take notes and find ways to let their savvy influence your own style.
3. You Don’t Have A Fan Club
People talk about people who are talked about. So how do you get people to talk about you? Start with a small group of friends or colleagues and become fans of each other. To do that, it means you have to invite your friends and colleagues to the party. Not only will you build up your list of contacts, but you get insight into who has connections to someone you may need to be introduced to.
Tip: Always create a smaller inner circle of people who are willing to promote each other’s content, events and ideas. This inner circle should also be willing to share insights and resources.
Once you’ve built that inner and outer layer of your network, become a fan of other people. Do some research, checking out profiles and connections of people that interest you and extend them an invitation to join your network. I guarantee the person on Facebook with 1,000+ friends didn’t get those friends by sitting around waiting for someone to discover their profile. Start with people who are in the same industry as you, or people who have joined the same sub-group you have.
4. You’re All Take And No Give
You're all about your product, your service, or your group, and not enough about people and genuine connections. You are so focused on your product or service you forget the real reason people are looking for you is because they have a problem. Find out what it is. And if you don’t have an answer, refer them to someone or somewhere they can get help from. If you can’t refer the people in your network to resources and information, then you need to step up your game so you have something to contribute.
The social networking relationships I invest the most in are those that help me solve my problems whether or not they can sell me something. I avoid like the plague, the social networker who is out for the hard-sell from the gate because they need to make money.
5. You’re Looking For 15 Minutes Instead Of 60 Minutes
Despite the apparent fascination with having high numbers of connections, social networking is not merely a popularity contest. At first glance it might seem that way – take Twitter for example: Everyone wants to connect with Guy Kawasaki or Chris Brogan, or some other social media thought leader with thousands of followers. But at the end of the day your network is really about who you’ve helped and who has helped you, not who has linked to you.
If all you are concerned about is getting 1,000 friends or followers you miss the point. You are looking for 15 minutes of fame, and eventually you’ll get it. But then it will be over and you still won’t have the critical connections you need to make things happen. What you want is the 60 minutes interview: There’s a different level of depth and buzz associated with 60 minutes and that’s where you want to be.
Remember – at some point what’s hot has to cool down. The trick is to create cycles of 60 minute waves that keep you at the forefront, rather than 15 minute peaks that are over in a flash.
So, before you write off social networking, try approaching it with the five considerations listed in this article. And keep in mind nothing happens over night. Just like it takes time to build rapport in face-to face networking, it takes time, and sometimes more time to build a level of trust and genuine interest in someone.
If you are looking to build a network without investing the time to really connect with people then social networking probably isn’t for you. However, if you are ready to build relationships and willing to do the work, this list should help jump-start creating a valuable network.
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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