Hannah Morgan

Web cam Interviews...are you ready?

3, 2, 1, ACTION!

Technology is advancing so quickly.  Just as you've become a master of email, you need to learn social media, now, are you ready for web cam technology?

There are not a lot of employers using this right now, but it is something worth talking about.  Colleges are using it for their student recruitment too!

FIrst, why would an employer use web cam technology (Skype or Google Talk are the biggest right now)?  They are free and save the recruiter time which saves money!  Reason two: recordable so they can keep it on file if they chose.

Tim Tyrell-Smith wrote a post on web cam interviews and he lays out some great tips!  You can see his post here:  10 Ways to Survive a web cam interview.

Netshare wrote a post:  Smile you are on interview camera which also lists some basic advice.

Career Pro Talk also addresses the topic in his post:  Treat phone interviews seriously (including iPhone facetime and and Skype screening. 

All you need is a webcam.  You can purchase one for under $50. 

If you are looking for more info on Skype here's a link to their site.  If you would like more information about Google Talk, you can follow this link. 

Where to Find Job Search Help

There is so much to learn about job search and so little time. Everyday you ask yourself questions

"how long should I wait before I follow up?"

"should I take the time to find the hiring manager's name?"

"should I be working with a recruiter?  What do they do anyway?"

This is just the tip of the iceberg.  I am pretty sure you have hundreds of other questions too. You are not alone.  Every job seeker has questions.  Most of them are the same.  In other words, there are predictable themes of questions that job seekers frequently ask.  How do you get your questions answered? 

• Join a job seeker networking group
• Read books and blogs
• Take part in workshops/seminars (online and in person)

More and more, coaches and experts are taking their expertise online.  It is easier than ever.  You just need to find them.  Allow me to help.

Every Sunday at 9 pm, there is a fantastic webshow hosted by Blogging4jobs' Jessica Miller-Merrell   "Job Search Secrets"  Once a month, Jessica also hosts a free webinar on social media.  Visit her website for more information.  

There are web radio shows, twitter chats and many other no-cost job search resources for help and getting your questions answered.  No excuses! 

Marketing Your On-Line Presence

Part of my personal mission is to share information.  Why?  Because I like finding information to share and I believe that once you've shared it, it can grow into something bigger and better.

I shared an invitation to create a Google/YouTube ShareStory on my  Career Sherpa Facebook page 

and on Twitter,

Why create a sharestory?  Because it is a form of marketing and self promotion. And it forces you to examine your online presence.  Plus...it may take you out of your comfort zone. 

Creating a ShareStory is simple.

Follow this link. 

Then begin entering keywords in Google that will find you on the internet. 

It will walk you through the rest of the steps.

Here is what mine looks like. 

Bill Griffin used his to tell the story of how he landed his job.  You can watch it here. 

Mike Lally used it to create awareness of his presence on the web. Here is his link.

I am pretty sure you all can get pretty creative.  Please, share your link either in a comment here or on my Career Sherpa Facebook page.  

Feel free to follow me on Twitter and/or "like" my Facebook page! 

I look forward to seeing your videos!

Managing Your Personal CRM and Network

Are you looking to improve how you manage your network?  How are you:

• keeping up to date with what's going on
• sourcing information on target companies and hiring managers
• reminding people about your talents

In the world of sales, they've developed tools to track "leads".  CRM (customer relationship management) databases are important.  But with all databases, garbage in, garbage out.  As the owner of this database, you will want to do a thorough job of collecting and categorizing your contacts.

Many of us use the good old Excel spreadsheet.  That's great.  But, given the fact that you seldom sit behind your computer, you may want to have mobile access to your network.  Blackberry, Droid, whatever Smart phone you may be using has wonderful apps to make this easier.  Is there a way to improve upon this?

I just signed up for Gist.  I think this free tool might actually be very helpful to job seekers.

Videos on how to use and maximize these tools!

Gist

Use Gist to Organize Your Job Hunting Contacts from Career Enlightenment

Gist helps build stronger relationships by connecting the inbox to the web to provide business-critical information about the people and companies that matter most. (from their website)

What is Gist? 

Gist is probably best if you are using social media and are active on the internet. You can see what your network is up to real time by their Twitter stream, and other activities posted on the internet.

JibberJobber

JibberJobber  from Jibberjobber and Jason Alba (watch the video)

JibberJobber allows you to keep track of the information you collect during a job search. Track the companies that you apply to (Target Companies). Track each job that you apply for, and log the status of each application (date of first interview, date thank you letter sent, etc.). Want to know where you sent your different resumes? Use JibberJobber to keep track of it! (from their website)

What is JibberJobber?

Here is the Quick Start Guide

JibberJobber is highly intuitive. If you are already using an spreadsheet to track your contacts and target companies, this might be easier to transfer over to.  The benefits to using Jibberjobber include a free lifetime membership, in other words, you will always have access to your account!  The other benefit is that no matter where you are, you just need to log into your account to see your information.  No more carrying around your spreadsheets, unless you like doing that.

LinkedIn

What Is LinkedIn (watch the video)

LinkedIn is simpler still.  Find your connections and invite them to connect with you.  You can watch their updates on LinkedIn.  If you still aren't using this tool to manage your network, please, get going.

Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better

We have always believed that the employer has the upper hand.  They have the jobs and we want the jobs.  They have the money and resources to promote their brand or product, or service, we don't.  Both of these statements are false.

Let's make the job search process the launch of a business.  Tom Peter's wrote about Me Inc long before it was "cool" to talk about personal branding.  (Here's the FastCompany article if you haven't read it yet.)  As a business, you are looking for potential business opportunities.  These opportunities might include providing a service. This service would be conducted within a company.  This logic puts the power back in your hands.  And this continues through out the interviewing process.  View the interview as an exchange.  It is a two way street!  You want to see if this is the "right" opportunity for your business and they want to know if you are a good fit for their company.

The other way you can level the playing field is to use the same tactics employers are using today to attract talent.  They develop an on-line reputation for being an employer of choice.  They tout their press releases, news and events on their corporate websites.  They list their features and benefits.  They are developing their brand.

It costs very little, and sometimes nothing, to develop your own on-line presence.  Now you can begin to manage your on-line brand and become an service provider of choice for a company.   Google, BING, Yahoo, any search engine, should point to you.  Employers are searching for information about you in various places in various ways.  Make it easy for them to find your service!

The Blog is the New Resume, from The Underground Job Network has summarized why having a blog is a wise move for managing Me Inc.  An article by Forbes is referenced in this post and it explains the Four New Job-Search Trends. 

You deserve to feel in control.  You deserve to re-gain some of the lost power.  Start today by managing your company!

How Are You Communicating?

Communication is crucial.  A message is mostly interpreted by non-verbal cues, not the actual words we use.  However, for the last few years there has been a huge movement towards social networks and the conversations are happening virtually (in writing).  Well, some would ask if they are really conversations or just narcissistic junk.  The point I am trying to make is that the traditional definitions of communication are broadening.

Thomas Stone, of Element K, speaker and authority on eLearning presented at the local chapter of American Society for Training and Development (ASTD).  He spoke about using technology as a supplement to traditional learning methods. 

The technology he spoke of included:  blogs, wikis, twitter, and social networks (these are the big ones right now).

I believe Tom's point is that formal learning alone is not as effective as formal learning combined with these technologies.  There is a greater rate of retention if the learning is blended.

Job search is a learning process.  It has changed a lot since you've last had to look for a job.  How will you learn about these new changes?  As students of this new world of job search, you have probably attended workshops, watched webinars and read a book or two.  Where else can you go to add these technology components to your learning and retention?  Obviously, you read this blog, however, there are literally thousands more. 

BLOG SOURCES

AllTop is a collection of blogs by topic.  I've selected some of my favorites in my AllTop page careersherpa (follow the link) 

RiseSmart Career 100 ranks the top career related blogs.

Blogrolls of favorite blogs is another way to find more blogs.

Social Networks

Secrets of the Job Hunt is a great example of a social network.  It is focused on job search information sharing.

Locally, there are some usergroups on yahoo that are very helpful. 

Don't forget about Groups on LinkedIn.  Remember, you can belong to up to 50 groups.  Here are just a couple...

• Twitterjobsearch.com
• About.com Job Search and Careers

And don't forget to select some professional groups that will enlighten you on industry and occupational trends. 

WIKIs

I don't know of any yet...help me out here!  Are there wikis for job search education and discussion?  Certainly there must be.

TWITTER

There are some great tweeters out there!  To find lists of great content generators, you can view the new function "lists" of people you respect and value. 

Where to find your job on Twitter(by CareerRocketeer)

(There are many more lists out there too, add your favorite lists of people to follow for job search advice in the comments)

It is about sharing.  It is free.  It is a new way of communicating.

How Quickly Things Change

Many of you may have seen this video before, but it certainly gets you thinking...

How does this impact you? 
How does this impact your work?
What changes can you make?

Using Technology to Manage Your Search

Yesterday I re-tweeted a posting about using iGoogle to start managing your search.  The more I think about it, the more I feel the need to share that information here and add some thoughts.  

Here is the link to the posting.  Please do read it.  It is easy to do and won't take much time.  How to Build the Ultimate Job Finding Dashboard by FreelanceFolder.com. (I need to give credit to The Underground Job Network for posting on their website)

What this article talks about is how to add information from job boards.  I would take it one step further.  I recommend adding feeds from professional associations or newspapers too.  (By the way, if you are not comfortable finding feeds, this article does a good job explaining how). 

Smartbrief is a resource that I recommend adding. Find the industry you are interested in keeping up with and find the feed!

There may also be blogs you like to read, you can add them to iGoogle too.  Plus there are a host of time management tools available.  Here is a posting that talks about some of them.  I like Todoist (but I am not using it yet).

15 iGoogle Gadgets for Web Worker Productivity 

Another hugely popular and effective tool (and it is free) is JibberJobber.  This is a comprehensive tool developed by Jason Alba, who developed it out of necessity as a job seeker himself. 

I wrote about using Google Reader several months ago (Recommended Reading).  I find it really effective in organizing and collecting all the blogs I read. 

If you have other tricks and tips for managing your job search, please, share with us!

Social Networks Are About Sharing and Giving Back

In the most simple terms, the great social networkers are not self promoting, they are sharing and giving back.  Social networks are LinkedIn, Twitter, Blogs, Facebook, Stumble, Digg, Wikis, etc...

I am still trying to figure some of them out, such as Stumble.  You see, Stumble is about sharing "good finds".  You write a brief summary of the website/blog post and share it on Stumble.  While I am sure there are people Stumbling their own content, the great users of Stumble share content of others.  They become known as "Great Sharers" and therefore build their value that way. My great appreciation goes to Jacob Share of JobMob.  He Stumbled one of my posts and I have seen huge traffic on my blog, and that is incredibly valuable to me.  

Twitter works the same way.  The people I follow, I follow because they share great info or develop great info.  At least in my opinion.  I learn from them.  While I do Tweet my own info and content, it is rewarding to be recognized by having anything I Tweet re-tweeted. 

Comments on blogs mean people are reading.  If they are reading and commenting, that means they are listening.

Most of the popular bloggers regularly share links.  They turnover the spot light to others and create an awareness. 

In that vein, I want to shine the spot light on several Rochester bloggers who are helping the Rochester community.

Rob Ewanow

Chris Bigelow Disparate Thoughts and Musings

Deborah Mourey Hell in the Hallway

Sir Linked Alot

Billy's Bloggin Blast

Fixitology

Bigger Impact Weekly

All of these folks I follow on Twitter.  You can too.  Visit their blogs, sign up to receive their blog posts via email or subscribe to them in a reader like Google.  Comment on their content, ask questions, be a thinker and a sharer.

Practice What You Preach

When I stand in the front of the room, sit in a coffee shop, type on my blog, and talk about the importance of meeting new people, I 100% believe this to be important and I practice this myself.  There are no excuses not to meet new people every day.  Any one can do it if they try.  I've said it before, I'll say it again, I am an introvert.  I generally do not like following this advice, but do it anyway because I know how important it is.

Last night, I had the opportunity to sit with 5 people who are practicing and preaching this as well.  (More about why I sat with these people in a future post, because it is a work-in-progress).

Dr. Neil Hair is an Associate Professor of Marketing at the Saunders School of Business at RIT.  I confessed to him last night that he was the first person I followed on Twitter.  Dr. Hair teaches Marketing...he actually lives and breaths it too.  He is talented, engaging and on the cutting edge of what personal and professional marketing is all about.  He maintains a website worthy of visiting: http://www.neilhair.com/ and you too, can follow him on Twitter @neilhair

Steven Tylock is the author of the first book on LinkedIn, The LinkedIn Personal Trainer.  Steve speaks at various venues around Rochester.  One of Steve's missions is to get people to use LinkedIn while employed to grow and nurture their contacts and network.  Help Steve spread this important message, because developing your network from scratch after a layoff is plain old difficult.  http://www.linkedinpersonaltrainer.com/. 

Deborah Mourey is a marketing professional with years of experience and now she's added social media to her arsenal of marketing expertise.  Deborah speaks and writes on the use of social media. These tools help grow personal and professional networks.  I loved Deborah's use of the analogy (and I hope I get it right):  "If LinkedIn is like a Professional Conference and Facebook is like a backyard barbe que, then Twitter is like a cocktail party".  Deborah is the Social Media Sherpa.  Her blog which provides advice to jobs seekers is http://www.hellinthehallway.net/.  Follow Deborah on Twitter @dmourey

David Pope, AKA, The PDA Teacher, has been training people for years on the use of hand held devices.  Obviously, the advancement of technology has taken David's courses on to smart phones.  David is savvy and a talented presenter.  He is an advocate of Toastmasters and a poster child of how Toastmasters can help develop professional communication skills.  David credits most of his success in growing his business activities to LinkedIn and Facebook.  Read his website http://www.thepdaschool.com/index.html and follow him on Twitter @pdateacher

Last but not least, Carol White-Llewellyn is a creative genius.  She is a marketer, promoter, writer and more.  Carol's network is vast and she nurtures it well.  I enjoy learning from Carol in every conversation I have with her.  Carol has several careers she's masterfully juggling right now. To see her work in action, you can visit http://travelmaven.wordpress.com/ and follow Carol on Twitter @TheTravelmaven

Meet new people every day.  You never know what will happen or where it might take you!

How to Use Twitter

If I were a job seeker (and I am, because we all should be looking for our next job), this is how I would use Twitter.

IDENTIFY YOUR STRATEGY

Before you even create your Twitter log-in, define what your mission is for using Twitter.  Hint, to meet new people.  So who are the people you would want to meet? 

• The movers and shakers in your industry.
• People who share a common interest or passion
• People in your city/town
• Recruiters
• Target company employees

If you are going to be meeting people, what do you want them to know about you?  It has to be somewhat interesting and insightful.  Awhile back I wrote a post about your 6 word memoir, perhaps that would be a good statement.

LOG IN AND GET STARTED

• Use your name for your Twitter account. You want to be remembered and found.
• Complete your Bio. In 2-3 sentences, how will you brand your message? It is OK to have fragmented sentences in your bio.
• Find several relevant articles and Tweet them. 

FIND PEOPLE TO FOLLOW

Twellow.com is a helpful tool that lets you find people by specialty and location. (There are many others, feel free to comment on some of the resources you have found to be helpful). Once you are logged into Twellow, create your profile and register yourself there. This is optional, yet, part of your strategy is to let people know who you are. 

Twellow also has a search feature called Twellowhood.  See who's tweeting in your Twellowhood and follow those who are actively Tweeting and have larger followings.  They must be saying something of value.

Once you begin to find people to follow, view who they follow and you can add them to yours. Be selective.

START RT (Retweeting)

The nicest way to begin a connection is by RT the tweets of others.  They will usually thank you.  Consider what your come-back tweet will be, something complementary to warm up the connection.

KEEP YOUR FOCUS

It is easy to get side tracked by posting "too personal" or unrelated Tweets.  Keep it professional.  Nobody really cares what you are making for dinner.  However, if you've had a great customer service experience or a really great dinner, do give credit to the store/person/establishment.  Positive nets positive, never, ever complain.

Ask questions about your profession, industry, trends...See who is listening/responding.

ON-GOING STRATEGY

Each time you log into Twitter, consider it a challenge to Tweet, RT and Thank anyone who has RT'ed you.

Add new people to your following every time you log in

When you read an article or blog you like, see who wrote it and see if they are on Twitter.

JOB SEARCH?

So are you wondering where the jobs are on Twitter?  Well, I am not going to go there.  Focusing on job opportunities is putting the emphasis on the wrong part of your mission in my opinion.  Your mission is to meet new people, first and foremost.

There are literally thousands of people out there using this tool.  Be discerning.  Be cautious.  Be aware.  

Everyone Needs a VisualCV

  Have you seen this before?  Do you have one?  Even if you are employed, have your own business or unemployed, this is a phenomenal tool to use to showcase your message.  It is 1) a portable portfolio and 2) conveys the message that you are somewhat technically savvy.

If you do have one, have you taken the time to really make it sing?  I've seen some that are truly well constructed.  Though this tool has been around for awhile, it is definitely worth referencing again.  To see a collection of examples, click here.

Meg Guiseppi,Executive Resume Branding, and a branding strategist, was one of the first to become "certified" as VisualCV Creator in 2008 (see, this has been around for awhile). She has several posts on her blog about the VisualCV. If you are new to this tool, this post will help you understand the WHYs of having one.  

Chandlee Bryan, Best Fit Forward, wrote a post about "web-based resumes".  There are a couple of ways to do this as she points out.  One of which is VisualCV (with a smashing sample).

Louise Fletcher, Blue Sky Resumes, also wrote about your on-line footprint and the VisualCV is obviously a component of this.

Here are the simple steps to follow to build and use your VisualCV.

1. Get one, if you don't have one already, it is free.  VisualCV
2. Plan your strategy for what your message will be and how you will support that message. 
3. Build it.  Look at what others have done and re-purpose for you.
4. Use it!  If you have a blog or website, post it.  Use it in the signature of your emails (Great work, Tony O.)  Place it on your LinkedIn profile.

Why use this tool? 

• It makes it easy for you to share up-to date, multimedia information about you.
• It is easy for others to forward/circulate. You never know who might need your services, this is a truly portable business card plus portfolio.

Having completed this post, I am now off to update my own VisualCV to make it a stronger representation of what I do!  Remember, it is more than just an electronic resume!

Technology isn't Just for Geeks

It occurred to me last night as I was organizing ideas from a brainstorming meeting that "technology" isn't its own category any longer.  It is incorporated into every function and every aspect of work today. We shouldn't look at technology as its own department or category.

The US workforce is aging.  Many of these baby boomers folks didn't grow up with technology (aka computers).  If they were lucky, they worked for a company that integrated computers and provided training and education.

Kids in preschools today have computers in their playrooms.  They know how to use a mouse and click icons and use a keyboard.  They have figured out how to use computers to play and learn.

There is a big divide in people's comfort level with computers and technology. So I say, technology is no longer just for the IT department to figure out.  Technology is a component of every company and every job at every level.

You will find it very hard to apply for a job today without filling out an online application.  We may find it very hard in the future to interview without Skype.    

As a job seeker, have you incorporated technology as part of your search?  I'm not just talking about an electronic version of your resume.  Companies are using "technology based sourcing" in their quest for applicants.  What this can mean is that there will be a learning curve beyond just "job search skills" you will also need to learn the technology associated with job search. Don't fall behind, begin bridging the divide today by taking on the challenge of learning about LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.  One at a time.  These don't replace job search skills, they are a part of job search.  You'll use them to begin networking, they are simply tools used, not a replacement of the core skill of networking.

Let's take this into the job. Is there technology being used in your occupation today you are unfamiliar with?  In most companies, it is a basic requirement of the job to know how to use it. Don't let this technology divide prevent you from being a candidate.  Learn how to use all the technology associated with your profession.  You could even go one step further and be on the cutting edge by learning about what's predicted to be the new trend for technology.  You know some advancements will be coming soon.

It used to be that technology and computers were the responsibility of IT departments.  Today, we are reguired to be our own IT department and must learn how to leverage technology in what we do every day.

You Can Have An Online Presence, Really

BRANDING and SOCIAL MEDIA

I found this slide show as well as some other very helpful links on understanding personal branding and social media.  I've always believed if you understand the "WHY", implementation will be better and stronger. 

This slide show was created in 2008 but the information is still relevant.  There is one slide that lists the 5 steps to creating your brand:

1. Define who you are
2. Go where the people are
3. Publish your content
4. Connect to the right people
5. Display your activity

The other interesting observation made about social networks on-line is that weak links or social ties result in less network overlap, thereby increasing the scope of awareness.  Without the internet, this would be very difficult to do.

Thanks to Alex de Carvalho for creating this!

You, the online brand

View more documents from Alex de Carvalho.

The Social Media Biz Buzz link has several links and articles for businesses to understand the trends.  Think about yourself as a business and how you might be able to use these tools. 

The last reminder is that social media is the tool to use in making better and stronger personal ties, it is not a replacement for face to face or in person networking!

When is a slide show more than just a slide show?

I get tired of reading the hundreds of new posts on job search sometimes, do you?  I also don't have time to sit and listen to an interview with a leading expert on interviewing or job search (however, I did listen to some of Liz Lynch's interview with Jason Alba).  Video's are too long sometimes, I want them to get to the point. 

I've known about Slideshare and I've heard that it could be a nice addition to your LinkedIn profile. It wasn't until I came across this post, 7 Must Read SlideShare Presentations For Job Seekers that I became convinced there's a lot to be said for slideshows.  I can scroll through them at my own pace. They are designed to be snippets of information to learn from.  This makes them a nice alternative to the paragraphs of text that overwhelm me sometimes. 

What amazes me is that people are willing to share their hard work and knowledge for free.  So who says we're a selfish society?  Oh, maybe these slides demonstrate knowledge and expertise?  Maybe they are a form of branding?  Or maybe, they just are.

Are you using Slideshare on your LinkedIn profile?  What is the show about?  What do you want people to know about your skills, knowledge, abilities from viewing it?

How to Get Your Name and Message Out There

It has occurred to me that networking gets a bad rap and that perhaps twitter and blogs and Facebook are the solutions people are looking for to make networking easier. 

If you don't believe in networking, that's too bad. 

For the rest, networking is about building relationships. It all starts with finding a common bond.  That bond can be personal and that bond can be professional.  We won't and don't "click" with everyone and I suppose that's ok. 

If you have a business, you are always looking for new ways to get your name out there.  Advertising, articles, press releases, TV and radio, personal appearances, the list was fairly limited years ago.  Today, there are unlimited avenues to spread the word.  We have the internet to thank for that.

That's where social media comes in.  It can provide you with access to thousands more people than you would be able to meet otherwise.  I follow people on twitter I consider to be good at what they do and the only way I can measure that is by reading their tweets and advice on their blogs.  I learn from them and connect virtually with some of them.   

There is a huge element of narcissism in all of this and could it be, that has always been true, even with Ben Franklin?  Do you suppose he was flattered by the nominations to positions and posts he received, to be asked to be on a committee of five who drafted the Declaration of Independence, to receive honorary degrees from Harvard, Yale and University of St. Andrews?  Maybe he was humble, and maybe it fed his ego a bit too.

My point is that being known for offering something credible and of value isn't all bad.  In fact, it is quite good.

Personally and professionally, I think we each want to be known for having something of value to offer.  We can spread the word through face to face contact AND virtually.  That is, of course, if our audience is playing in the virtual world. 

Can You Be Found Online?

You don't have to be an avid blogger.  You don't even need to have your own website (though it might help).  If an employer receives your resume and they have some level of interest in you, chances are, they will google your name.  The question you want to know the answer to is "what will they see?".  "Nothing" is not a good answer. 

I read a blog post by Career Goddessabout online identity management which led me to an assessment to check out my online identity level.  I scored well using Career Sherpa.  I'm not so sure how well I would have scored using my name- it is pretty common. 

The online identity assessment started by asking me to google my name so I did :  "Career Sherpa".  (Use quotation marks).  How many results did you get?  How many are actually YOU?  How many are on the first page? 

There are several ways to increase being found on page 1.

• Make sure you have a LinkedIn profile
• Create a VisualCV
• Comment on blog posts relating to your industry (industry related is key)
• Create a Twitter account and use it professionally

If you want to blog, rather than start your own, which isn't hard, however, can be time consuming, try and find a users group or Ning site dedicated to your profession or industry.  You can sometimes have a mini blog which is hosted by the larger group.

The other way you can become recognized as a thought leader in your field is to submit articles to industry publications.

This can all take time. It is an investment in your future.  You can either jump on the bus now or...

Good-Bye Job Boards?

As a job seeker, you already know this, I'm sure.  Not all jobs get posted on-line.  In fact, the good ones are filled through referrals and never make the job boards.  So why are they being used to measure the health of the job market by The Conference Board, Inc?

(FYI, The help-wanted on-line data series measures the number of first-time on-line job ads and unduplicated on-line ads in nine census regions and 52 metropolitan Internet job boards and job boards serving smaller geographic areas)

Hot off the press of RBJ which reported Conference Board findings for the month:

• "Rochester-area businesses posted fewer total ads than each of the largest MSAs surveyed nationally".

This is an interested finding and I am don't know how to explain the root cause of this lag. (We entered into the recession later than some regions, not all of them.) 

• June 2008  4.63 million jobs posted nationally
• June 2009  3.29 million jobs posted nationally

Net change  1.34 million fewer jobs posted nationally.  Where did they all go?

I don't think you can blame all of this on the economy. There may be fewer companies hiring because they are watching expenses after their decline in profits.  It could also be that with so many people out and looking, employers don't want to be overwhelmed by resumes and applicants. They may, in fact, be hiring.  Perhaps they are using methods the Conference Board hasn't found a way to track yet- referrals and social network platforms.

Dan Schwabel's been conducting his own research and predicts the end is near for job boards. Read his full post! He has only 220 respondents so far and will continue the study longer, however, initial findings are:

 

There are some key points here:

1. We are living in rapidly changing times

2. The way we used to do things is changing
3. Network now and always to manage your career!

Get Your News

How are you getting your daily dose of news?  I don't mean sports and weather news.  I mean the news that impacts your job search, career, industry?

One of my favorite weekly sources of news is a magazine called "The Week".  It arrives on Fridays and I can't wait to read it cover to cover.  It is well written and covers both sides of the story. 

If you want another weekly digest sent to your inbox, try Smartbrief.  It covers the key stories within industries.  Free! Here's what the homepage looks like, the email digest looks a bit different, but you get the drift.

 

If you are looking for a collection of blogs to read about a particular topic, my friend, Mike Lally recommended Alltop in a recent comment. I agree.  Great collection of some of the best blogs on a topic.  You can even build your own page to read with all the information in one spot based on your interests.

Become an information sponge.  Learn  as much as you can about current events and new trends.  It makes it so much easier to have great discussions with people while networking. 

Read and learn!

Recommended Reading

There are thousands of blogs out there.  New ones are emerging every day.  Are you reading blogs? 

WHY YOU SHOULD:  They are discussing (key word discussing) issues in the present moment.  This means you're reading ideas and comments of today.  You are also getting different viewpoints (usually). 

While not a technical expert, I have set up a simple listing of blogs to read in Google Reader.  When I open up my reader, I see a digest of new posts.  If the heading grabs me, I open it. 

Here's what it looks like.

 

Job Search Advise Blogs, some are on my sidebar:

Ask The HeadHunter

Blue Sky Resumes

Career Advice Blogs Aggregator

Career Rocketeer

Careerealism

Fistful of Talent

Keppie Careers

What Would Dad Say

I'll stop there.  Once I've decided it is a blog I like, I see if I can follow any of these bloggers on Twitter to find out what else they are saying.  Conversly, from Twitter, I find a great Tweeter and add their blog to my Google Reader. 

In the job seeking world, you will also want to add to your list "industry and company specific" blogs.  Use Google Blog search to find some of these.  I am keeping it simple here, because technically, there are lots of better ways to find good blogs by company or industry.  (I guess I just created a new blog post idea).  Then you can use the same approach to finding these bloggers/companies on Twitter and follow them there.

Always check the blogroll on the sidebar of your favorite blogger to learn who they recommend!

I am again confessing that I am not the most savvy user of technology.  If there are tech gurus out there doing it better, I am willing to learn and please share/comment!

Eureka! Strategy for On-line Presence Explained

Chris Brogan did it.  He defined how to build a platform in which to be seen and heard. Trusted too. You may have heard how important it is to have an on-line presence.  As a job seeker, you want to stand out from the crowd.  You want to be known for having something valuable to offer.  You want to know what the trends are in your industry and occupation.  There should be a strategy.

Read the full post, A Simple Presence Framework, for his explanation.

First:

Listening:  Understand what is being said about your occupation, industry, niche.  Chris recommends checking out "Alltop and Google Blogsearch to find existing blogs on the topic. Subscribe. Get ready to start commenting there."

Then build a home base, outposts and pasports:

"A home base is the eventual site where you hope people come to interact the most with you. Outposts are places of presence that you maintain for interaction and promotion purposes. Passports are profiles to use on various social sites, meaning that it’s important to have an account/profile there, but you might not necessarily have to participate as a full-fledged community member."

For even more about outposts, read this post.

How does this apply to job seekers?  I hope you are seeing the connection.

Your home base would be a specialty blog where you share expertise and knowledge of your industry, occupation, or niche.

Outposts are places where you promote your message.  They could be email accounts, or social news or recommendation sites like digg.com, stumbleupon.com, delicious.com or disqus.com.

Passports are your LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter accounts.

You are sharing information, not about what you are doing, but, information relevant to what you do.  Trends, research, factoids. 

Ode to Technology

Technology, technology.  Who cares, right?  It is all changing so quickly, how can we keep up with it all.  Maybe that's what makes it fun.

I recently saw a new way to view the news on Twitter.  Here is the link:

 

 All you need to do is hover over a box and see a snippet more info and click on the box for a link to the source of the story.

Then, again from Twitter, I saw news about Google's "Wave".  Not yet released, but coming this year. 

Google says:

"A wave is equal parts conversation and document. People can communicate and work together with richly formatted text, photos, videos, maps, and more".

Wave seems like part blog, part email, part IM, part Twitter, part Facebook all wrapped into one. 

These tools help us share information faster and farther.  They enlighten and de-burden.

Thomas Friedman's book, The World is Flat, talks about how the internet has flattened the world by providing more equal access to information. 

We should understand how technology impacts our world and our lives so we can better prepare for the future.  With all this flattening, there are so many more opportunities for everyone to find creative ways to make money.  You no longer need to have a store front to sell things or a large budget to promote your business.  You can sell almost anything on-line with the thousands of tools available.

Keep learning and following!

It Is Going to Take More Than A Slick Resume

What else will you need to stay marketable in the future? That's fun to think about.  The resume is so static and employers don't even really like looking at them.

That's why LinkedIn is so helpful to employers.  It allows them to see who you are more fully.  Of course they only want to find people who will fit in their company and who have the talent they think they are looking for.

Once part of LinkedIn, join groups, comment, share information and get recommendations!

Don't stop there.  Have you googled yourself?  What comes up?  Anything?  What can you do to change this?  Comment on blogs- add your expertise (carefully of course).  If you want, you could start blogging.

Do you have a website?  A domain with your name?  This can also make you easier to find.  What would you put on your website?

LinkedIn profile link, resume, sample work, links to articles you've written or presentations you've made, links to articles written about your work.  Video of you in action.  There are tons of options.   Louise Fletcher at Blue Sky Resumes posted this over the top, yet funny post related to this.

As technology changes, we also need to think about how we need to change with it to maximize our self-promotion.

Hop on the Social Media Bus?

Could it be as simple as it seems?  Joining free virtual networks to share information with people you have something in common with?

A while back I read an article I saw tweeted on Twitter.  10 Ways Social Media Will Change in 2009.  It is an interesting review of what needs to change.

The author, Ravit Lichtenberg, makes a couple of observations:

"Meaning and connection -- two key anchors of all things social media -- are corroding by the day as people's ability to organize their experiences and find the relevance of their networks declines. Social media, in essence, is bumping up against its own ceiling, no longer able to serve the needs of those living within its walls; and for these reasons, social media as we know it is changing course."

"Social media has forever changed the way people use technology to interact with others, but it can no longer satisfy people's needs in its current form and must change course".

We will surely see some interesting changes over the next year as companies and individuals do more than just do it, but implement strategies and truly usable interfaces.

As egocentric as we are, these social networks offer learning opportunities as well. And remember, you don't know what you don't know.  It isn't too late or too early to take a ride. 

Use Every Resource Available to Find Your Next Job

The next time you poo-poo technology (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or others), think about how they may actually be able to help you instead of waste your time.

I read a great post about using Twitter to find jobs, Twittering for Jobs (which I found on Twitter, by-the-way).

There were a couple of good take aways for me:

One, use all media forms for your search: print, web, radio, TV, mobile, RSS, newsletters, podcasts (both in searching for jobs and promoting YOU). You will want to cover all the bases, because, you just never know. 

Two, leaving out technology-based resources would be like omitting recruiters from your search options.  So if you aren't using all the available technology, you are missing jobs.  It is about balancing ROI (your return on investment).

Just because you can diversify what you are doing in your search, doesn't mean you are ready. I met with a woman yesterday who understood the logic of diversifying her search.  She believed she was doing a good job networking and applying via the job boards.   Her next goal was to leverage recruiters.  After discussing this for awhile, we went back to discussing her use of technology.  She had just started using LinkedIn last week. Good start.  But she has a long way to go. Then we reviewed her resume.  It needed a lot of work.  It just didn't convey her message.  It wasn't focused and there weren't any accomplishments.  

Before anyone diversifies their search, make sure you have a clear message to send.  Send this message consistently with everyone you are communicating with. Don't confuse people or leave them wondering.   

Technology Changes Everything

We don't do many things the way we did 10 years ago.  Did you pay your bills on-line?  Didyou have Tevo or DVR?  How often did you use your cell phone?  Were you still using a digital camera? Were you on Facebook or LinkedIn?  I know I wasn't using/doing any. In fact, most weren't even around. 

I am not really an early adapter of new technology, but I do find it fascinating to keep up with the fads.  

As a job seeker, there is so much new technology out there that can really make a job search different and sometimes easier.  I keep reading about VisualCV. It is slick and may increase your search-ability/find-ability.

What we do know is that a huge number of employers are googling candidates.  Make sure your web presence is clean. Also make sure you can be found. 

LinkedIn is probably the best investment of your time.  Not just for search, but once in a new job too.  This leads to the whole "social media" thing, which seems a bit exaggerated, but that might be just my take.  I've said it before, there is no magic bullet that will ensure getting a job.  Using a diversified approach is best.

If tracking your search efforts is overwhelming and you are looking for a solution, try jibberjobber.  It's an integrated contact management system for job search.

Years ago, your only choices for job boards were the big 4, now there are search engines that search hundreds of boards and company websites for you.  My recommendation would be to practically ditch the big 4 and use www.indeed.com.  However, there are tons of aggregate boards now.  I recently tweeted a listing of the top 20 boards from PC magazine and many of them are like indeed. 

From the employer side of the process there are also new advances.  Many are using on-line applications from their own website now, in place of the big 4 and sometimes along with using the big 4.  Additionally, big box retail stores have mostly eliminated paper applications. You have to complete them on-line.

The newest use of technology by employers is IMing (instant messaging).  I spoke with a job seeker this week who received an IM while he was completing the application on-line. The position he was applying for required data entry skills. What better way for the employer to test and assess typing speed and accuracy.  It also evaluates candidates "thinking on their feet". 

I am sure we will continue to see more innovative uses of technology too as we move forward in this fast paced world.  Make sure you are keeping up and have an understanding and working knowledge of the technology being used!

Twitterific

You may not know how to use Twitter, but certainly you have heard about it, right?

For all those who say they don't know enough people, don't know the right people, don't like networking, what are you waiting for, Twitter makes it easy.

First, start by creating a Twitter account, it takes literally 2 minutes.  You don't have to post a picture if you don't want to.

Next, allow it to search your web-mail account to find people to follow.  Or you can manually enter the email addresses of your contacts to see if they are using Twitter. 

Once you have found people you know, click on their picture or the link that says "follow me". When you are following someone, you can see the tweets they make on Twitter. Which means you can see what they are "talking about" and what they are doing and reading, whatever.

Now you need to expand who you are following.  Check out who your contacts are following.  If someone looks interesting, then you can follow them too.  As you go about this you should be asking yourself, what are the names of the movers and shakers in my industry, business, Rochester?  Find them on Twitter and begin to follow them.  You really don't need to know them, it isn't like being a friend on Facebook or a link on LinkedIn.  People are more open in accepting followers on Twitter. 

You can also build your list of people you follow by reading their tweets.  If they have said something you agree with or what to discuss, you can send them a tweet and begin tweeting directly with them.  This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Regularly add to the names of people you want to track and follow.  You will also want to tweet about you.  Share an interesting article.  Make a profound, professional statement, ask a question. 

You can also find niche recruiters to follow and see what they are working on and sometimes even the jobs they are trying to fill.

By following the right people, you will be privy to the right information,  not all the time, but much of the time.

Networking is about building relationships too.  As you read other people's tweets, you begin to learn about them.  You can virtually contact them, more comfortably.

I am not suggesting that Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn replace face-to-face networking, but that these tools be used to expand your network.

Need a good blog?

If you are looking for a blog to stimulate your brain activity, you have to read Seth Godin. He writes on timely topics and has some great knowledge to share.  

There are thousands of blogs out there and it is hard to find the time to check them all out.  Ask around and see what your friends or co-workers are reading.  Read the blogrolls on blogs you visit.  Subscribe to Google news.

I have said this before- knowledge is power!