With competition at a feverish pitch, job seekers and business owners need to distinguish themselves from everyone else to get ahead. Statistics show many jobs are filled via networking; successful applicants had an advocate inside the company.
Networking well requires two things: 1) making sure as many people as possible know about the candidate and 2) convincing those people the job seeker is the best candidate to get the job done. It’s important to establish a community of people willing to facilitate an introduction, set up an informational meeting or hand-deliver a resume to a hiring manager.
Social networking addresses these problems; it helps job hunters demonstrate their subject matter expertise and unique value to a broad audience while growing a community of contacts willing to refer them for opportunities. In my new book, Social Networking for Career Success, I teach readers how to use social media efficiently to demonstrate their expertise and illustrates how to get the word out about a job search without specifically asking for help.
While millions use social networking sites, such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook and hundreds of thousands own blogs, many don’t understand exactly how to leverage these networks to improve their chances to land jobs and build career visibility.
Here are some tips for anyone considering using social networking to get ahead professionally:Don’t expect social networking to be a magic career wand. Job seekers must have expertise, and be willing to listen first and learn the rules of engagement. Just as approaching a stranger on the street to ask for a job isn’t socially acceptable, no one should expect strangers online to flock to help until there’s a viable connection.
Do present a consistent, professional profile in social networking bios. Pick keywords people would use to identify the job or role of interest. For example, I incorporate “job search/social media coach” and “resume writer” in my profiles. Use job descriptions, company and industry websites and blogs and information from professional conference materials to identify your field’s keywords. Include them in your online bios.
Use Alltop.com to find other niche bloggers. Regularly read and leave useful and meaningful comments on their blogs. Bloggers should generously link to and refer to colleagues in articles. Share those posts via Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Be sure to include colleagues’ Twitter names and/or tag them on Facebook.
Use WeFollow.com or Listorious.com to find people on Twitter who share professional interests. Search via keywords and follow selected colleagues, potential mentors and superstars. Review their Twitter streams, retweet their posts, respond to their questions and ask for clarification when appropriate. You may be surprised how a few casual tweets can result in a strong online relationship. I’ve even seen people build business relationships as a result of casual tweets about television shows, restaurant recommendations and sports. In fact, that’s happened to me! Don’t be afraid to show your personality online! Once there is an established connection, it’s okay to ask for an introduction or advice. However, don’t jump into asking for a favor the minute the person follows you back. It’s better to focus on what you can give.
Use online platforms to pass along useful professional advice and information. For example, post links and insightful comments on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Remind friends, fans and followers about professional goals and skills by consistently including updates illustrating key knowledge, skills and abilities.
Social Networking for Career Successis full of other tips, tricks, insights, success stories and advice from me and over 100 career and hiring professionals to illustrate how social networking impacts professional and career goals. Learn more at the book’s updated site: www.socialnetworkingforcareersuccess.com.
Miriam Salpeter is owner and founder of Keppie Careers, a coaching and consulting firm helping job seekers and entrepreneurs leverage social media and other tools to achieve their goals.Photo credit: Shutterstock
The leaves are changing, the kids are back in school, and that familiar chill is in the air. You think it's the perfect time to look for a job, and it is! But are your job search fears preventing you from making that leap?
It's not uncommon to feel lost when embarking on your job search journey. After all, school teaches us everything except how to get a job. What should you put on your resume? What questions should you ask in an interview? How can you stand out in the hiring process when there's so much competition?
Are you feeling spooked yet?
Believe it or not, there's no need to be afraid of the job search process! You can land your dream job with the right tools and strategy. You can find a job that won't give you nightmares. Here are three spooky secrets every job seeker should know as they look for a job this fall.
1. An Effective Job Search Starts With An Interview Bucket List
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Despite your fears, you've decided to take the plunge and look for a new job. You might be asking yourself, "Where do I start?" The answer is simple: start by creating an interview bucket list.
An interview bucket list is a list of 10-20 companies you'd love to work for. Are you passionate about a company's products or services? Do you feel connected to its mission? Can you relate to its values and beliefs as an organization? If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, that company probably belongs on your interview bucket list.
Once you create an interview bucket list, you'll be able to conduct a targeted job search, one with direction and a foundation upon which everything else will be built. An interview bucket list helps you focus your job search and networking strategies on the right opportunities, making it easier to get your foot in the door at one of your dream companies.
2. Your Job Application Needs To Disrupt Hiring Managers
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In order to stand out in the hiring process, you need to disrupt recruiters and hiring managers. You accomplish this by doing two things: optimizing your resume and writing a disruptive cover letter.
A well-optimized resume includes keywords from the job description. This ensures your resume gets past the ATS and into the hands of the hiring manager. Once it's in front of the hiring manager, it needs to grab and keep their attention. Quantifying your work experience—adding numbers to your bullet points—will make you stand out from other applicants. Hiring managers will want to know more about you and your accomplishments, and that's how you land a phone interview.
Before that, though, a hiring manager will read your cover letter. To disrupt them, you need to write a disruptive cover letter (obviously!). A disruptive cover letter gives you the opportunity to tell a story about why you feel connected to the company you're applying for. It's that storytelling aspect that will stand out to hiring managers and compel them to pick up the phone and give you a call.
3. Employers Hire You Based On 3 Things
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You can't get hired unless you know what employers are assessing you on in the interview process. While your skills and expertise matter, companies actually hire for three things: personality, aptitude, and experience (in that order).
Most job seekers don't realize how important it is to demonstrate their personality, aptitude, and experience in an interview. You could have the right experience for a job, but if the hiring manager doesn't think your personality is a good fit for the company culture, you probably won't get a job offer.
Make sure you demonstrate your soft skills and learn how to answer behavioral interview questions to prove you're the best candidate for the job you're applying for, not just the most qualified.
Want To Learn More Job Search Secrets?
As you look for a job this fall, it might be helpful to know some more spooky secrets so you can get over your job search fears and finally take control of your career.
We know the job search process can be scary. However, it's important to get clear on what you want to do next and focus on conducting a strategic job search, or what we refer to at Work It DAILY as job shopping. This is the only way to effectively market yourself to employers. If they can't see exactly where and how you add value, then that's going to decrease your chances of landing the job.
The competition is fierce, and there are a lot of factors that are out of your control. But the one factor you can control is your job search strategy, the tools and tactics you use to land a job.
If you want to learn the secrets to conducting a strategic job search, sign up for our Job Search Bootcamp, a two-hour, on-demand video workshop that comes with a free workbook.
In this video workshop, you'll learn:
How to use backchanneling to get directly to hiring managers.
The secret to using a connection story to stand out against the competition.
How social media can be your secret weapon to get job interviews.
The resume format that is getting job seekers more job interviews.
With competition at a feverish pitch, job seekers and business owners need to distinguish themselves from everyone else to get ahead. Statistics show many jobs are filled via networking; successful applicants had an advocate inside the company.
Networking well requires two things: 1) making sure as many people as possible know about the candidate and 2) convincing those people the job seeker is the best candidate to get the job done. It’s important to establish a community of people willing to facilitate an introduction, set up an informational meeting or hand-deliver a resume to a hiring manager.
Social networking addresses these problems; it helps job hunters demonstrate their subject matter expertise and unique value to a broad audience while growing a community of contacts willing to refer them for opportunities. In my new book, Social Networking for Career Success, I teach readers how to use social media efficiently to demonstrate their expertise and illustrates how to get the word out about a job search without specifically asking for help.
While millions use social networking sites, such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook and hundreds of thousands own blogs, many don’t understand exactly how to leverage these networks to improve their chances to land jobs and build career visibility.
Here are some tips for anyone considering using social networking to get ahead professionally: Don’t expect social networking to be a magic career wand. Job seekers must have expertise, and be willing to listen first and learn the rules of engagement. Just as approaching a stranger on the street to ask for a job isn’t socially acceptable, no one should expect strangers online to flock to help until there’s a viable connection.
Do present a consistent, professional profile in social networking bios. Pick keywords people would use to identify the job or role of interest. For example, I incorporate “job search/social media coach” and “resume writer” in my profiles. Use job descriptions, company and industry websites and blogs and information from professional conference materials to identify your field’s keywords. Include them in your online bios.
Use Alltop.com to find other niche bloggers. Regularly read and leave useful and meaningful comments on their blogs. Bloggers should generously link to and refer to colleagues in articles. Share those posts via Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Be sure to include colleagues’ Twitter names and/or tag them on Facebook.
Use WeFollow.com or Listorious.com to find people on Twitter who share professional interests. Search via keywords and follow selected colleagues, potential mentors and superstars. Review their Twitter streams, retweet their posts, respond to their questions and ask for clarification when appropriate. You may be surprised how a few casual tweets can result in a strong online relationship. I’ve even seen people build business relationships as a result of casual tweets about television shows, restaurant recommendations and sports. In fact, that’s happened to me! Don’t be afraid to show your personality online! Once there is an established connection, it’s okay to ask for an introduction or advice. However, don’t jump into asking for a favor the minute the person follows you back. It’s better to focus on what you can give.
Use online platforms to pass along useful professional advice and information. For example, post links and insightful comments on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Remind friends, fans and followers about professional goals and skills by consistently including updates illustrating key knowledge, skills and abilities.
Social Networking for Career Successis full of other tips, tricks, insights, success stories and advice from me and over 100 career and hiring professionals to illustrate how social networking impacts professional and career goals. Learn more at the book’s updated site: www.socialnetworkingforcareersuccess.com.
Miriam Salpeter is owner and founder of Keppie Careers, a coaching and consulting firm helping job seekers and entrepreneurs leverage social media and other tools to achieve their goals.Photo credit: Shutterstock
