Given the current economy and high unemployment rate, many recruiters, hiring managers, job seekers, networkers, and job placement firms are embracing social networking sites for help. LinkedIn and Twitter are seen as a great sites to get information quickly about potential new hires, companies, industry trends, job search tools, and late-breaking news.
I attended a very timely, well organized social media event recently that confirmed once again the expanding role that social networking is playing for recruiters, companies, job seekers, and networkers.
On Tuesday, March 30, SMCEDU-RVA (the Richmond, VA chapter of Social Media Club Education Connection) partnered with Virginia Commonwealth University to host a panel discussion entitled – “Social Media and the Job Hunt.”
The event was moderated by Nhat Pham (@Nhat Pham), of SUCCESSWERKS, and sponsored by RichmondJobNet. Also present was Sara Dunnigan (@RichmondJobNet), who posts many job openings on a daily basis via Twitter, and provides a huge benefit of all Richmond job seekers.
The panelists included were:
David Nour (@davidnour): Consultant, Professional Speaker, Author of RELATIONSHIP ECONOMICS
Candace Nicolls (@cjsn): Recruiting manager at Ironworks Consulting
Lauren Rinker (@lauren_rinker): Copywriter at Royall and Company
The audience enjoyed hearing about various social media sites – the differences, and value they bring, and some best practices to keep in mind for brand building as it relates to a job search. Insight was offered for the potential value that a blog can bring to differentiate oneself in today’s job market.
LinkedIn, Twitter, SlideShare, and YouTube were the social networking sites of choice. All panelists agreed that LinkedIn is probably the most widely used professional network, connecting professionals, job seekers, networkers, companies, recruiters, and hiring managers. Twitter can be a great resource for gathering valuable content on just about everything, from job seekers, career sites, companies, events, trends, late-breaking news, views, industry highlights, and recommendations.
Some takeaways were:
* Engage, listen, and interact. Share content, DON’T sell. Add value, avoid NEGATIVE comments.
* Go beyond social media — call contacts, follow-up, maintain relationships.
* Be prepared — use social media to research companies, hiring managers PRIOR to interview.
* Keep online presence consistent across social media sites — keep profiles current and accurate.
* Be an asset, a problem solver — help recruiters solve challenges, build relationships, and find ways to differentiate
yourself others.
* Research to learn about companies, job interviewers, and company personnel — use LinkedIn or Google to find as much
valuable information as possible to help prep for an interview.
For the complete Examiner article, click Social Media and the Job Hunt (SMCEDU-RVA event), for more details.
Posted in Social Media 4 Job Search by .
Have you ever wondered about the legal aspects of social networking? What about confidentiality, what are the best practices, and the Do’s and Don’ts for social media use?
At the February 18th meeting of SMCRVA (Social Media Club – Richmond VA), the featured speaker was Chris Gatewood, a lawyer from Hirschler Fleischer. He provided an excellent, thought-provoking presentation entitled, “The Legal of Social.” Mr. Gatewood’s timely, well researched presentation offered a legal view into the ever changing realm of social media that many companies are starting to embrace, but do not fully understand, especially from a legal perspective.
For companies venturing into the world of social networking or social media, some sound advice was offered by Mr. Gatewood. Any company stepping into the social media arena needs to understand the benefits, risks, and keep a few points in mind.
A highlight of his points to consider and recommendations are listed below:
A social media “to do” list
* Identify and manage risks
* Remove obstacles and objections
* Set parameters
* Have a policy and train your people
There does not seem to be anything to add here. Companies, who follow the above “best practices”, discuss social media with their employees, pro-actively manage social media expectations and usage, will probably fair better and be less likely to be “surprised” down the road, than companies who ignore social media, and the potential impact on their brand.
Mr. Gatewood’s final thoughts and company recommendations were:
Suggestions for your SM management to-do list:
* Define your own scope
* Who can speak for the organization?
* Get a policy in place, tailor it, and do training
* See socialmediagovernance.com/policies.php (tools and resources for leaders and managers)
Mr. Gatewood’s legal views on the usage of social networking were very enlightening, generated lively discussion, and were well received by everyone attending the February SMCRVA event.
For the complete Examiner article, click The Legal of Social (SMCRVA – Feb 2010 review), for more details.
Chris Gatewood gave permission to share his entire presentation. Click ‘The Legal of Social‘ to view.
Posted in Legal of Social by .
Do you leverage social media for brand building and to get the word out to help with your job search? After completing the previous article in January, 8 tips for creating a social networking plan for your job search, I gave this a little more thought and researched the three sites that I dubbed the social media ‘power trio’ – LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
Here are some article highlights:
Of all the social media sites, the ‘power trio’ of LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook can prove very beneficial for building a wide network to help with a job search. Having career professionals, industry leaders, and like-minded professionals in your ‘power trio’ network enables one to leverage their knowledge, stay on top of the latest industry trends, and better utilize social media in a job search.
Many industry leaders leverage these sites to post articles, share blog posts, and have guest writers on their sites that contribute quality career, job search, and branding information that benefit everyone.
The goal of any networking opportunity should be to build relationships and get face-to-face time with the contact, whenever possible, to strengthen the connection. Social media sites can be very useful in gathering online connections, and for supporting and recommending the work of others to encourage the sharing of information.
“Use online social networks to create offline business connections. Build a network of favors among contacts” – from Brent Peterson, of “InterviewAngel”
Brief description
* LinkedIn - world’s largest professional network, connects professionals, job seekers, networkers. You can research people / jobs / companies / groups, join groups of similar interest, and view status updates of contacts. Search Companies, People, Groups, and Jobs. Leverage the Groups – Jobs feature to search job openings daily.
* Twitter – think of a “headline” pointing to another link / website / blog, and a way to gather & share relevant career information. Quickly follow and attract “followers” of similar interest to build relationships, and expand job / career / business network connections. Twitter Search is a great tool to view job postings.
* Facebook – Of all the social media sites, the ‘power trio’ of LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook can prove very beneficial for building a wide network to help with a job search. Having career professionals, industry leaders, and like-minded professionals in your ‘power trio’ network enables one to leverage their knowledge, stay on top of the latest industry trends, and better utilize social media in a job search.
Many industry leaders leverage these sites to post articles, share blog posts, and have guest writers on their sites that contribute quality career, job search, and branding information that benefit everyone.
As stated in my previous article, 8 tips for creating a social networking plan for your job search, the goal of any networking opportunity should be to build relationships and get face-to-face time with the contact, whenever possible, to strengthen the connection. Social media sites can be very useful in gathering online connections, and for supporting and recommending the work of others to encourage the sharing of information.
“Use online social networks to create offline business connections. Build a network of favors among contacts” – from Brent Peterson, of “InterviewAngel”
Utilizing the social media ‘power trio’ network of LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook enables one to cast a wider net to acquire new contacts, attract new followers, and gather information that could prove helpful in a job search.
“Pay it forward” by sharing and recommending the work of career and branding professionals to other job seekers. It’s a good way to reward the industry leaders for their research, and share the latest social media tips for maximizing a job search. This is a win-win for the industry leaders and those in career transition. – from 8 tips for creating a social networking plan for your job search.
For the complete Examiner article, click 3 sites to help in your job search: the social media ‘power trio’, for more details.
Jan 10
25
Career Success Radio Show interview – ‘Creating a Social Networking Plan for Your Job Search’
I was interviewed on the Career Success Radio show Sunday, 1/24 (1/25 in Melbourne, Aus),
sharing my views on ‘Creating a Social Networking Plan for Your Job Search.’
Career Success Radio is co-hosted by multi award-winning Career Management, Personal Branding Strategist and Author of ’10 key steps to Ace that Interview’ — Annemarie Cross and Career Coach — Keith Keller. Annemarie and Keith amass an impressive 15+ years’ career and HR experience and harness their expertise to bring you empowering career-related topics so you can accelerate your level of success in the job market and the workplace.
During the interview, I was asked to share my recommendations on:
- What the best social networking sites are (i.e. LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter etc) and how to leverage these social media
platforms in your job search and career management
- How these social media platforms differ
- Whether you should focus on two or three major social media platforms or cast your job search ‘net’ wide and far
- Must-do advice on how to manage your social media strategy
I gladly shared my views on the topics, and thanked them once again for having me on the show once again.
(I first appeared on the show, Oct 4, 2009 – see Archive Blogs for details)
Melissa Martin and Colette Ellis were also interviewed, and shared their expert opinions on the subject.
Please click on Creating a Social Networking Plan for Your Job Search & Career Management to listen to the show.
Posted in Career Succes Radio (blogtalkradio) Social Media Discussion by .
Here are some highlights from my latest Examiner article, 8 tips for creating a social networking plan for your job search
Please feel free to read the article, or share with your friends, and as always, your comments are welcome.
I recently gathered my thoughts around the best way to use social networking in a job search in preparation for an upcoming Blog Talk Radio show. Are you leveraging the social networking to help with your job search? Are you using the social media ‘power trio’ – LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook to build your network, support others, and get your message out? If not
I came up with 8 tips, and want to share them with you:
1. Use social media ‘power trio’ (LinkedIn, Twitter, & Facebook) to build your network
Brief description
* LinkedIn - world’s largest professional network, connects professionals, job seekers, networkers. You can research people / jobs / companies / groups, join groups of similar interest, and view status updates of contacts. Run company, people, and job searches. Leverage groups – job feature to search job openings daily.
* Twitter - think of a “headline” pointing to another link / website / blog, and a way to gather and share relevant career information. Quickly follow and attract “followers” of similar interest to build relationships, and expand job / career / business network connections. Twitter search is a great tool to view job postings on a daily basis.
* Facebook – more a “social” network initially. Has seen a spike in business / professional use lately with recruiters / consulting firms posting jobs, and forming job / career related groups. Become ‘friends’ with career industry and personal branding professionals to get the latest job search, online branding, and social media tips.
2. Setup a Google profile
3. “Connect”, “follow”, or “friend” industry leaders and career professionals
4. Network, network, network
5. Take advantage of mentors, network contacts that can motivate and encourage you
6. “Pay it forward” – share and recommend the work of others
7. Leverage latest features of job search engines
8. Find a “Social Media Champion” to help you leverage social networking in your job search
The goal of any networking opportunity should be to get face-to-face time with the contact, whenever possible, to strengthen the connection. Social media sites can be very useful in quickly gathering online connections; the trick is to take the next step and land an in person meeting with the contact.
The purpose of any networking venture, as with social media networking, is find ways to be a “people connector”, help others with job leads, and refer them to someone who might be a connection for them. By helping others, you create a stronger relationship with your contacts. People are far more likely to help you “connect” in return, thereby, increasing your chances to get quality contacts, and possible informational interviews.
Social networking sites, especially Twitter, are great resources for career networking and information gathering. Twitter can serve as your primary source for keeping current with your field and with industry leaders, desired employers, and other “power contacts” you want to “follow”. Through the people you follow or “friend” on social networking sites, you are able to stay current on the latest industry trends, and job search tips. You are able to stay “connected” with career professionals who share valuable information, and you have an opportunity to share your own work – news, views, and articles to help others, and build your brand.
Social media is the new way that people connect, communicate, and build relationships on the internet. Those with vision understand this and are finding quicker, better ways to share information, late-breaking news, and reach a much larger audience through viral marketing made possible by social media networking.
Do you need a “Social Media Champion?” Maybe you should find one?
See Examiner article ‘Do you need a social media champion?’ for more details.
My article was too long to reproduce here, so please click on 8 tips for creating a social networking plan for your job search for the complete article. Thanks
Posted in Facebook LinkedIn Social Media 4 Job Search Twitter by .
I have been gathering my thoughts around all the benefits for blogging for some time now – from branding, telling your unique story, building a greater online presence, making a career move, or simply sharing your knowledge and expertise on what you are passionate about. Whatever the reason you decide to start a blog, there is much evidence to support that a blog is essential to support not only a unique brand, business, or career transition, but a great way to engage, connect, attract followers, and build relationships to expand a business network.
I put my thoughts down in a recent Examiner article, Are you using a blog to build your brand and build your business?
Click the link above to view the complete article; comments are always welcome.
Highlights from the article are below:
Blog to build your online brand and land your next job
Many recruiters and some hiring managers are keyword searching online for matches on blogs and social media sites for potential candidates.
Meg Guiseppi offered thoughts below from her recent article, ‘Executive Job Search and Blogging: Perfect Together‘
“I hear stories all the time from recruiters and other colleagues in the careers industry about executive job seekers who landed plum jobs as a result of blogging.
Their stories have a common theme. Recruiters and hiring decision makers found their blogs, or articles they guest-blogged on someone else’s site, when they were keyword searching online for viable candidates.
These hiring professionals were impressed by the writing skill and subject matter expertise of the bloggers. Some of these executive job seekers were offered opportunities in the “hidden job market” — positions not posted anywhere — because their blogging activity positioned them as a good fit for a company.”
Boost your career with a good blog and separate yourself from the pack
* Make yourself valuable & memorable and others will want to make you a part of their network
* Become a source of cutting edge information and share it with others
* Find a way to add value, help and support others, recommend industry leaders
Penelope Trunk’s ‘Blogging essential for a good career‘ article offers the insight below
“Blogging is good for your career. A well-executed blog sets you apart as an expert in your field.
Employers regularly Google prospective employees to learn more about them. Blogging gives you a way to control what employers see, because Google’s system works in such a way that blogs that are heavily networked with others come up high in Google searches.”
Blogging can help build a small business
A blog can have several benefits for a small business. It is a good vehicle for communicating, engaging, and maintaining customer loyalty with frequent posts offering valuable information, late-breaking news, free downloads, specials, or other items of value.
Think of blogging as a chance to help others and build your brand at the same time. As you create an online presence as someone who brings valuable information to the table, you will attract and engage new followers, build better relationships, and strengthen your connections.
To view this Examiner article and other articles that may be of interest, click here.
I have again been asked to be on the Career Success Radio show, aired by blogtalkradio on Jan. 25, 2010. I will be interviewed and sharing my recommendations for Creating a social media job search strategy.
Career Success Radio is co-hosted by Keith Keller and Annemarie Cross. Annemarie and Keith amass an impressive 15+ years’ career and HR experience and harness their expertise to bring you empowering career-related topics so you can accelerate your level of success in the job market and the workplace.
I connected with Keith Keller and Annemarie Cross a few months ago after listening to one of their social media webinars. We connected soon afterward on Twitter, and later on LinkedIn. Keith and I interactd quite a bit on Twitter over the next few months, and Annemarie and I follow each other regularly on Facebook
They invited me on the Oct. 4 Career Communiqué Radio show (now rebranded as Career Success Radio). I discussed Social media networking and career change transition on the “Career change is not only possible…it’s exciting” segment.
I highly recommend their expert career advice, and invite you to visit them on their Career Success Radio page. It has upcoming events, as well as podcasts of their weekly radio show - Career Success Radio.
Please mark your calendar for Jan. 25, 2010, and join me when I discuss Creating a social media job search strategy with Keith and Annemarie on the Career Success Radio show.
Posted in Career Succes Radio (blogtalkradio) Social Media 4 Job Search by .
Check out the latest social media news, views, tools, tips, links, and recommendations. Fans and comments are welcome.
Other websites, blogs, articles, late-breaking news, and information will be shared on a regular basis. Please check back for the latest updates.
Have you seen the difference in the new way Facebook is being used for professional networking lately? Facebook is becoming hugely popular as another way to brand, market, and create more visibility for a business or individual on the internet. For more information, visit the ASocialMediaChampion4U’s Facebook page. To view the complete Examiner article, click Professional networking with Facebook.
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