Recently, I was looking for work, and while I have found gainful employment in a relatively short period of time, I’ve learned quite a bit along the way.
I wish I could say this was a well thought out plan, but it wasn’t, it was an evolution—trial and error—and so this list is sequential:
1. Contact everyone you know.
The first thing I did was contact everyone I knew—by email and social media. This led to numerous phone conversations—perhaps 50—and I was truly surprised at just how many people were more than willing to help. I was also surprised by those who wouldn’t—and Jason Falls nails the reasons why. To those who helped me, hit me up anytime. What did I ask for?
An introduction to anyone in the Raleigh-Durham area that might be able to describe the employment environment, recommend networking organizations, or make an additional introduction. Complete strangers agreed to take a call from me merely as a result of an introduction, and with each call, I picked up a tip about the area and potential employers and was able to refine my pitch.
2. Edit your LinkedIn profile.
LinkedIn is incredibly important for a job-seeker. eMarketer reported recruiters are increasingly using LinkedIn to find talent. It’s obvious why: In a few clicks, prospective employers can see your work history, recommendations, network, and work samples—it’s a solid snapshot of a candidate. However, it works only if hiring managers can find you:
1. Edit the title and location. The title and locations are important parameters for searching LinkedIn. Originally, I had my last professional job (Director of PR) listed as the title, and my location was set as Washington, D.C., where I was living. The chances of a hiring manager in Raleigh searching for that specific job title are slim, so on the advice of a career consultant, I edited these. For the title, I chose key words that described what I wanted to do: PR, content marketing, and social media. In editing my location, I also explained in the first paragraph of the profile to explain that I lived in D.C., but was seeking to live and work in Raleigh.
2. Link to multimedia. LinkedIn has changed the profile formatting which means that video from YouTube and presentations from SlideShare are now added under the “Background” section. I culled YouTube to find video interviews, many of which were conversations I had forgotten about, and created SlideShare presentations to include here as demonstrations of my work. Add multimedia to LinkedIn by clicking on this icon in the “background” section of your profile.
1.Add publications. LinkedIn offers the chance to add published works to your profile. For this section I chose a set of links from contributed blog posts I had published, but a job-seeker could also include virtually anything published on the Web, a press release or media placement you pitched, for example. To add published works to your LinkedIn profile, look for the pencil icon on the “publications” section of your profile:
Ask for recommendations. There’s a lot of endorsements on LinkedIn, but one of the most powerful features is the recommendations section. Don’t shy from asking people to recommend you—this is a great point of validation of your talent and skills that will aid in a job search. After all, PR is about third-party validation.
Subscribe to LinkedIn. Rather than wait for jobs to be posted, I’d actively research companies I was interested in on LinkedIn and find decision-makers. Wherever possible, I’d ask someone in my network to make an introduction, but in the cases where I had no “link” to the targeted company, I’d use the InMail feature to send a note. Subscribing is expensive, but I do plan to deduct the cost on my taxes this year. The response rate was about 20 percent.
3. Edit all your social media profiles.
I edited every social media profile to describe myself as an experienced professional seeking work in PR, content marketing, or social media in the Raleigh-Durham area. Twitter proved to be the most important among these, and I received a number of inquiries from friends on social networks asking how they could help.
4. Create a landing page.
For the last couple years, I’ve diligently kept a running list of links to demonstrate the work I’ve done. I edited this page, including the title, to provide a brief introduction about goals and background. (I’ve since re-edited it to remove this.) Later, I got smarter about it and added a completely separate page to be used solely for content marketing purposes, and I ensured that no other page on my blog linked to this particular page. It’s a “dark site,” basically.
This is because I planned some social and PPC ads and linked to this page, so I wanted to be able to clearly distinguish in Google Analytics where the traffic was coming from—and whether those ads were effective. If I were still on the job market, I might consider writing yet another page—a “top 10 reasons to hire me” type of post—and then run A/B testing in social advertising to see which performed better.
5. Run social ads.
Social advertising is inexpensive, and some sites offer the ability to precisely target the audience. Because I’ve successfully used this form of paid media to earn media, I decided to run a campaign on myself that linked to the landing page mentioned in No. 4. I started with LinkedIn, and targeted people with HR, recruiting and C-suite titles that were based in the Raleigh-Durham area.
Initially I experimented with paying per click, but later determined that paying per 1,000 impressions provided better click results. In addition, I continually analyzed and tweaked the ad copy to improve performance. Next I created Facebook ads, again targeting the same demographics. In all cases I set limits to my spend keeping it to about $100 per month.
6. Run Google AdWords.
Though I’ve worked closely with a lot of really talented PPC professionals, I’m not a PPC expert by any means. But this was a chance to experiment with the medium, learn something new, and strive to drive targeted traffic to the landing page I had created. Unlike social ads, AdWords do not allow you to target by title, but rather by keyword and geography. The geography was obviously the Raleigh-Durham area, and keywords centered on related topics such as “Raleigh public relations” or terms I thought hiring managers might search for such as “human resource management.”
I also ran ads against searches for the names of 14 public relations firms in the area. My thinking was the opportunity was twofold: (a) executives at those firms might search for their own company to view results and see my ad, or (b) someone thinking about hiring a PR firm, might search for them, find my ad, and consider me as a potential hire or for freelance work.
What amazed me was that I discovered very few PR firms run PPC ads on their own companies, so it was cheap traffic, and my ad had a really good chance of showing up in related searches given the dearth of competition. In running these ads for a very short time, I could see in Google Analytics that my landing page earned 63 page views from traffic in North Carolina and visitors spent on average 43 seconds reviewing content. That’s 43 seconds with 60 potential employers I might not otherwise have earned.
In combination with social advertising and personal networking, I was working to ensure employers heard from me on multiple channels. I also learned that if I ever opened my own shop in Raleigh, I’d crush larger and more established firms in PPC—and have another service to sell in integrated communications.
Tracking referrals in Google Analytics told me my ads generated 60 views from potential employers.
7. Create Twitter lists.
Twitter lists are an effective way to study a target audience. After developing a list of tweeters in Raleigh-Durham, I turned it into a Paper.li that I could read every day to learn about new programs and initiatives and stay on top of topics of interest to the people I was trying to reach.
It was through this content curation tactic I learned that Ketchum had acquired Raleigh-based Capstrat, and because I’ve got considerable experience with acquisitions, I wrote a post reacting to the Raleigh-Durham PR acquisition news. There are several combinations in Google search that will put this post at the top of page one. Through my network, I later learned this post had been published on a Facebook group for PRSA’s counselor academy members—exactly the type of audience I’d wanted to reach.
8. Subscribe to blogs.
I culled through lists of “Best places to work in Raleigh” to identify prospective employers—the Triangle Business Journal’s “Book of Lists” also proved useful (thanks Glenn). Next I found companies—and their blogs—on the Web and subscribed to them via RSS using NetVibes. I monitored the blogs of companies and movers and shakers in the region where I was seeking employment and categorized them by (1) PR agencies, (2) corporations, and (3) people I felt were influential. Every day, I’d read and schedule tweets from posts I liked.
This wasn’t just about sucking up to a potential employer—there were a lot of poorly written blog posts (and blogs) I didn’t tweet—but it was also a chance to study the market: which of these companies really understood the Web and how it has changed PR. Should I wind up in an in-house gig again, I’d want to have a sense for which firms really “get it” and which do not.
9. Read and respond to HARO queries.
Anyone in PR who has not heard of Help a Reporter Out needs to get caught up. Yes, it’s owned by my former employer, but HARO is still free, and it’s still incredibly useful. If you have a solid answer to a reporter’s or a blogger’s inquiry, why wouldn’t you pitch it? The biggest challenge I had is reporters weren’t sure how to cite my role. I settled on “freelance PR consultant,” because I was, in fact, doing freelance work.
10. Ramp up your content.
I started posting three times per week, writing in-depth posts, and spending hours on them. It was incredibly liberating, and my blog has grown tremendously as a result—more than double the total traffic, the bounce rate plummeted, page views more than doubled, and time on page increased dramatically.
However, I also wanted to be sure to do guest posts—an earned-media effort to compliment my paid-media efforts—and so reduced the volume to two posts per week. In the process, I discovered I’d actually earn more visitors with just two posts than with three, which was more than enough to maintain audience interest. I’ve deduced that three posts per week was overwhelming for my readers, so they would just stop visiting. It’s likely when I return to working full-time, I’ll drop the frequency to just one per week, but I’ll do so knowing I can ramp it back up anytime.
Additional tips.
There are a few other more general tips I’d offer to job-seekers that were reinforced during this search:
Keep regular hours.
It’s imperative to keep a set schedule. Despite my military background, I’m not a morning person. I’m pretty grumpy, and it takes about an hour and a good strong cup of Starbucks to warm me up. However, I kept a set schedule, working at least eight hours per day on this marketing program to find a job. There is always something more I could do.
Don’t spend too much time on the job sites.
Yes, it’s important to be on job sites—here are 20 places to look for a PR job—but don’t spend too much time on them. Often jobs are never posted, and I discovered, there’s a whole lot more opportunities in DC than in Raleigh. I’d go two or three days before running through my list of bookmarked job sites, searching for open positions, and applying—and I’d be done in about two hours. Searching through job sites can be depressing, when there aren’t that many positions posted or you can see that 100 other people have applied. Instead, I focused my efforts on helping an employer find me.
Blog.
If there’s one thing PR pros can do to help their careers, it is to blog. If you are still in college, start now. If you’re an industry professional, get going. Blogging will help you to grow in so many ways—refine your thinking, sharpen your writing skills, and force you to learn basic Web marketing, HTML code, and technical details. It also gives you an appreciation for what content works and what doesn’t. I’m amazed at the lousy pitches blogs get—and from people that really ought to know better. Blogging will expand your portfolio, build relationships with other bloggers, and demonstrate dedication, a work ethic, and competency to potential employers for your chosen profession. Volunteer. One company in particular, a small business, needed some help. The people there didn’t ask; I volunteered. We chatted about ideas one day, and I offered to put them in writing. That 30-minute conversation turned into a nine-page content marketing plan that they can execute. I’m considering making the plan generic and posting it, because it’s good advice for a small-business content-marketing program. The process kept my skills sharp.
Read. Read. Read.
One of the best things a job-seeker can do is learn something new. I’ve long been a voracious reader, but much of my reading has migrated online, and the stack of books on the night table has grown. I’ve plowed through a dozen books in the three months I’ve been looking for a job. Titles have included books on child development, such as “What’s on your Toddler’s Mind?” because I have a 2-year-old daughter, and PR books such as “Rethinking Reputation,” and tomes about relationships, such as John Gray’s “Men are from Mars; Women are from Venus.” Certainly there’s personal gain by reading these titles, but there’s also an element of psychology to PR, so they also have professional merit. One other book I’d strongly recommend for anyone considering opening their own gig, is “Quitter: Closing the Gap between your Day Job and your Dream Job” by Jon Acuff. I couldn’t set the book down; it’s a must-read.
Experiment with other social sites.
With so many social sites, we often have limited time with which to experiment. Social networks have so many nuances, we might miss them until we really dive into testing. With the demise of Posterous, I spent a considerable amount of time on Google+, Tumblr, and Pinterest as part of a content-marketing program to help myself find gainful employment.
Know what you are worth.
Understanding what the market is willing to pay for your skills and experience is incredibly valuable once you get your foot in the door for an interview. Benchmark salary data for corporate communicators and PR agencies types can be found on these links. Have fun. Quite simply, I had fun running this little marketing program. I learned a lot, made productive use of my time, and achieved my goal.
Final thoughts: Relationships still matter
I’ve landed a new gig. I’ve resettled in Durham and am excited to start a new chapter in my life. Though I’ve learned a lot during this search—which was a huge risk—there’s one point that was really driven home: Relationships, above all else, still matter. I landed where I am because of a personal introduction to a person to whom I was connected like Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.
Our paths have crossed over the course of my career several times. This person knew of me but, more important, knew an employer I had worked for 10 years ago, and knew a colleague I have worked with at three different jobs. I came with recommendations. Certainly the work on this blog helped, but it was the total package—the combined effort that secured the position. It’s worth bearing in mind that each and every day, we are writing our résumés.
http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/14222.aspx
Showing posts with label Search. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Search. Show all posts
How helicopter parents can ruin kids' job prospects
Nicole Williams thought she had found the ideal job applicant -- until a phone call came from Mom. Only thing was it wasn't her mom; it was the potential employee's.
"She wanted to know everything from where [the job candidate] would be sitting to a review of her responsibilities," said Williams, the career expert for LinkedIn, the professional networking site.
"I withdrew the offer," she said.
This wasn't the only time Williams had encountered the parental presence of a young employee. She previously had a call from a parent who didn't agree with her son's performance proposal and asked if she could come into her office to discuss. In a presentation in front of new clients, Williams also witnessed a new graduate using the phrase "my dad thinks" as it pertained to the project.
As college students and graduates seek entry into the world of 9-to-5 this summer via internships and full-time jobs, parents that previously helped select their child's course load are turning their attention to their child's employer.
However, what these so-called helicopter parents might not realize is that their hovering ways can undermine their child's advancement, instead of making them soar. In 2012, University of Cincinnati senior Aubrey Ireland filed and won a civil stalking order against her parents after unannounced visits and cyber-monitoring, among other complaints.
"It's just been really embarrassing and upsetting to have my parents come to my university when I'm a grown adult and just basically slander my name and follow me around," Ireland said in a court hearing.
"She's an only child who was catered to all her life by loving parents," Julie Ireland, Aubrey's mom, fired back in court. "We're not bothering her. We're not a problem."
The term "helicopter parent" sealed its fate as part of the American lexicon when it was introduced into the Merriam-Webster Dictionary in 2011 as "a parent who is overly involved in the life of his or her child."
A spring 2013 survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that companies expect to hire approximately 2.1% more college graduates from the Class of 2013 than they did from the Class of 2012; a promising outlook that can only add fuel to a helicopter parent's engine.
But, when searching for that employment, first impressions should be left to the child, not the parent, said consultant and recruiter Stacy Pursell."My thought is if they are too busy to conduct their own job search, then I am too busy to help them find a position," Pursell said.
Parenting psychologists along with career experts like Williams and Pursell assert that hovering guardians are stalling their kids' hiring future by being hyper-present.
"You are not doing your kid any favors. Encourage them to share their fears, thoughts and ideas with you after hours and you can absolutely do the same," Williams said. "But make it clear that he/she has to form and express their own opinions and create their own experiences in order to build professional confidence and respect."
Williams says as much as parents would like to, they can't give their children a career -- their children have to earn it.
"When it comes down to it, as a parent you want to give your child the best and protect them from distress," she said. But being overprotective isn't helping them either.
Aaron Cooper, a clinical psychologist at The Family Institute at Northwestern University, says mollycoddling mothers and doting dads can become a child's crutch.
Cooper says children, for the most part, often experience too many advantages of their omnipresent parents by the time they reach their teen years, so they're not particularly inclined to tell mom and dad to back off. "They're more inclined to welcome the help because they are also seeing it as a cheerleader on their team pushing forward toward victory and success," Cooper said. But "it's almost like a soft disability in their lives," he added, meaning that children become super reliant on their parents and unable to stand on their own.
Cooper attributes the growing phenomenon of over-parenting to a variety of factors. The first commonality is feelings of guilt that parents may have short-changed their children.
This is particularly potent when the parents have had full-time careers and may feel that they never really spent enough time with the children as they grew up. Cooper says it's the "I'm-going-to-make-up-for-it mentality."
Cooper also says children have increasingly become an emblem of their parents' success. "It's part of our own resume as parents to indicate how accomplished our children are. Their resume is a kind of extension of our resume," Cooper says.
This wasn't the case 50 years ago, he asserts. Parents left their children alone a lot more, and they looked for signs of their own success in life. Today helicopter parenting, he says, is an increasing sign of the influence of the middle-class. With the median household income in the United States as $52,762, according to U.S. Census Bureau, parents might be able to focus less on their own day-to-day economic struggles and focus more on their children's day-to-day lives.
Not to mention, Cooper says, the 24/7 connectivity now makes it easier for kids and parents to trade resumes, job listings, even human resource contacts with the click of the mouse.
Williams and Pursell, like Cooper, say while parental advice is always valuable, certain areas of the job search should be considered a no-fly zone. "It is OK to do some online research to help their child find a job, but when it comes to actually contacting an employer or a recruiter, the applicant needs to make that inquiry themselves," Pursell said.
As for something solely left up to the parents? Learning how to step away.
Not doing so is "making it hard to develop resilience, self-sufficiency and autonomy," Cooper said. "If they [children] have not developed the resilience by their teenage years, we don't know if they will ever develop it." http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/02/living/cnn-parents-helicopter-parenting-job-search/index.html?hpt=hp_c4
"She wanted to know everything from where [the job candidate] would be sitting to a review of her responsibilities," said Williams, the career expert for LinkedIn, the professional networking site.
"I withdrew the offer," she said.
This wasn't the only time Williams had encountered the parental presence of a young employee. She previously had a call from a parent who didn't agree with her son's performance proposal and asked if she could come into her office to discuss. In a presentation in front of new clients, Williams also witnessed a new graduate using the phrase "my dad thinks" as it pertained to the project.
As college students and graduates seek entry into the world of 9-to-5 this summer via internships and full-time jobs, parents that previously helped select their child's course load are turning their attention to their child's employer.
However, what these so-called helicopter parents might not realize is that their hovering ways can undermine their child's advancement, instead of making them soar. In 2012, University of Cincinnati senior Aubrey Ireland filed and won a civil stalking order against her parents after unannounced visits and cyber-monitoring, among other complaints.
"It's just been really embarrassing and upsetting to have my parents come to my university when I'm a grown adult and just basically slander my name and follow me around," Ireland said in a court hearing.
"She's an only child who was catered to all her life by loving parents," Julie Ireland, Aubrey's mom, fired back in court. "We're not bothering her. We're not a problem."
The term "helicopter parent" sealed its fate as part of the American lexicon when it was introduced into the Merriam-Webster Dictionary in 2011 as "a parent who is overly involved in the life of his or her child."
A spring 2013 survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that companies expect to hire approximately 2.1% more college graduates from the Class of 2013 than they did from the Class of 2012; a promising outlook that can only add fuel to a helicopter parent's engine.
But, when searching for that employment, first impressions should be left to the child, not the parent, said consultant and recruiter Stacy Pursell."My thought is if they are too busy to conduct their own job search, then I am too busy to help them find a position," Pursell said.
Parenting psychologists along with career experts like Williams and Pursell assert that hovering guardians are stalling their kids' hiring future by being hyper-present.
"You are not doing your kid any favors. Encourage them to share their fears, thoughts and ideas with you after hours and you can absolutely do the same," Williams said. "But make it clear that he/she has to form and express their own opinions and create their own experiences in order to build professional confidence and respect."
Williams says as much as parents would like to, they can't give their children a career -- their children have to earn it.
"When it comes down to it, as a parent you want to give your child the best and protect them from distress," she said. But being overprotective isn't helping them either.
Aaron Cooper, a clinical psychologist at The Family Institute at Northwestern University, says mollycoddling mothers and doting dads can become a child's crutch.
Cooper says children, for the most part, often experience too many advantages of their omnipresent parents by the time they reach their teen years, so they're not particularly inclined to tell mom and dad to back off. "They're more inclined to welcome the help because they are also seeing it as a cheerleader on their team pushing forward toward victory and success," Cooper said. But "it's almost like a soft disability in their lives," he added, meaning that children become super reliant on their parents and unable to stand on their own.
Cooper attributes the growing phenomenon of over-parenting to a variety of factors. The first commonality is feelings of guilt that parents may have short-changed their children.
This is particularly potent when the parents have had full-time careers and may feel that they never really spent enough time with the children as they grew up. Cooper says it's the "I'm-going-to-make-up-for-it mentality."
Cooper also says children have increasingly become an emblem of their parents' success. "It's part of our own resume as parents to indicate how accomplished our children are. Their resume is a kind of extension of our resume," Cooper says.
This wasn't the case 50 years ago, he asserts. Parents left their children alone a lot more, and they looked for signs of their own success in life. Today helicopter parenting, he says, is an increasing sign of the influence of the middle-class. With the median household income in the United States as $52,762, according to U.S. Census Bureau, parents might be able to focus less on their own day-to-day economic struggles and focus more on their children's day-to-day lives.
Not to mention, Cooper says, the 24/7 connectivity now makes it easier for kids and parents to trade resumes, job listings, even human resource contacts with the click of the mouse.
Williams and Pursell, like Cooper, say while parental advice is always valuable, certain areas of the job search should be considered a no-fly zone. "It is OK to do some online research to help their child find a job, but when it comes to actually contacting an employer or a recruiter, the applicant needs to make that inquiry themselves," Pursell said.
As for something solely left up to the parents? Learning how to step away.
Not doing so is "making it hard to develop resilience, self-sufficiency and autonomy," Cooper said. "If they [children] have not developed the resilience by their teenage years, we don't know if they will ever develop it." http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/02/living/cnn-parents-helicopter-parenting-job-search/index.html?hpt=hp_c4
Didn't Get the Job? You'll Never Know Why
You aced the interview, your résumé sings, but in the end, you didn't get the job. Chances are, you'll never know why.
It is a painful conundrum of the job search process: Rejected candidates want to understand why they didn't get hired, but employers, fearing discrimination complaints, keep silent. And those who do speak up offer little more than platitudes.
Without specifics, candidates are left to repeat the same mistakes, while hiring managers complain they're swamped with applicants who miss the mark.
"You don't know how to adjust going forward," says technology professional Lisa Roberson. When she wasn't selected for a job in her field a few years ago, she emailed one of the people who had interviewed her to find out why.
The response: Someone "more suited" to the job had been hired. "Well, I could have guessed that," said Ms. Roberson, who works in health-care IT.
Such exchanges frustrate job seekers, especially those who have been searching for long periods and desperately want some insight into how they are viewed by hiring managers.
Providge Consulting, a Delaware-based consulting firm, has a policy to keep candidates apprised at every step of its hiring process and scores candidates on a range of criteria to keep its decisions as objective as possible.
But when the reasons for a rejection can't be boiled down to more clear-cut measures like experience or education, HR managers "attempt to minimize those conversations," said Tara Teaford, director of operations. That may mean offering a vague response, adding that the company will reach out if appropriate positions arise in the future.
"Most of it is trying to protect ourselves from potential litigation," says Ms. Teaford. "Once you cross the line between objective and subjective, it gets very, very challenging."
And many of the firms that want to provide feedback have their hands tied by company lawyers.
Employers were put on notice in late 2012 when the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission identified discrimination in hiring practices as one of its priorities for the next three years, partly out of a recognition that few job seekers have the resources to hire a lawyer and press their claims through civil courts, according to Amy Fratkin, an employment lawyer. That means individual complaints will be more likely to result in lawsuits brought by the EEOC if the agency establishes a pattern of discrimination by the employer.
Linda Jackson, a partner with employment law firm Littler Mendelson, says she advises her clients against offering specific feedback to job candidates. For instance, telling someone he has too much experience for a particular job might be interpreted as age discrimination, she said. "Is it the basis for a claim? It might or it might not be," she says.
Then there is the discomfort of relaying hard-to-hear information. Some hiring managers are so uncomfortable at the prospect of these conversations that they refuse to bring their business cards to interviews, says Amelia Merrill of Risk Management Solutions Inc., a risk-modeling firm in Silicon Valley.
Despite how awkward it can be, Ms. Merrill expects her recruiters to call finalists to let them know they weren't hired, giving those applicants a chance to ask for more information. She wants even rejected candidates to leave thinking they want to work there.
On rare occasions, she added, a rejected candidate will argue with the recruiter or insist he was the right pick for the job.
Of course, lots of candidates don't seek feedback: HR managers put the number of those who request it at around 10%. But of those who do, barely any get it. Only 4.4% of more than 2,000 job candidates surveyed in 2012 by the Talent Board, an organization dedicated to improving companies' recruiting practices, said they received specific feedback from hiring managers and recruiters.
But it raises the question, will the gap ever be bridged?
"If you want an efficient labor market, you have to have people understand where their talents are best used," says Elli Sharef, co-founder of HireArt, a website that matches job seekers and employers through video interviews and assessment tests.
After hearing from hundreds of frustrated job seekers, Ms. Sharef recently decided to try offering feedback, despite some trepidation from her lawyer.
In May, HireArt emailed 127 job seekers who had submitted video interviews for jobs in educational technology and offered the chance for a 15-minute personalized critique from Ms. Sharef herself. The 21 available slots were filled in less than 10 minutes.
Most appreciated the assistance, but overall, reactions to the feedback varied. One person complained that 15 minutes wasn't enough time for the session. Others admitted they hadn't given much thought to what they could contribute to the prospective employer, which was the most common criticism.
HireArt has since decided to offer a limited number of weekly feedback sessions. But as the company weighs scaling up the service to more users, it is also wrestling with questions about how people absorb and use constructive criticism. It can be difficult to hear "negative information about yourself, especially when you're already in a vulnerable position," says Ms. Sharef.
Companies' job-application software could provide another source of feedback, albeit automated, suggests John Sullivan, a management professor at San Francisco State University.
These applicant-tracking systems, which are used by almost every large employer, score candidates based on rough measures like the number of keyword matches between a job description and a résumé. Employers could theoretically send candidates their scores, says Mr. Sullivan.
"If you scored 90 out of 100, you might apply again later. But if you scored a 20, you know you applied for the wrong job," he said. So far, none of the companies for which he has recommended this, have adopted it. They fear it will generate additional questions from applicants or reveal too much about the keyword-matching process, he says.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324423904578523683173841190.html?mod=WSJ_Careers_CareerJournal_4
Job Review Sites
JOB-SEEKERS fear that recruiters trawling social-media sites will find reasons not to hire them (why do friends always bring cameras to “50-Shades”-themed parties?). But firms should also worry that their secrets will be revealed online: some job sites ask staff to dish the dirt on their employers.
Glassdoor, for example, boasts employee-penned reviews of around 130,000 workplaces. (“Intellectually stimulating,” writes a staffer at The Economist Group. “Worst job ever,” gripes another.) Indeed, which claims to be the world’s most popular job site, started collecting reviews last year. Its users have scribbled over 1m in 2012 and are adding 200,000 each month.
Careers sites have traditionally shunned employer reviews, for fear of upsetting advertisers. But newer ones act more like search engines than job boards, aggregating vacancies already listed elsewhere. That makes them thirsty for unique content to set them apart from competitors, says Mike Larsen, who runs an Australian job site called InsideTrak.
Though they make less cash than their older rivals, these aggregators look sprightlier. Indeed claims 85m monthly visitors; the Japanese firm that bought it in September is said to have paid almost $1 billion. Glassdoor has 14m registered users, and in October raised $20m to expand.
Glassdoor requires all reviewers to make positive comments as well as snarky ones. About two-thirds of users report that they are satisfied with their jobs, says Samantha Zupan, an executive there. Those happy vibes please recruiters. Glassdoor lets firms sponsor their own pages on the site, or promote vacancies on those of poorly reviewed competitors.
Keren Mitchell, founder of TheJobCrowd, which focuses on graduate careers, says warts-and-all reviews help companies by weeding out ill-fitting candidates. They also make for better rankings of graduate-recruitment schemes: the researchers of these rankings often interview students about their preferences, rather than interrogating those who have actually started a new job. This rewards companies that spend a lot on marketing, not those that give new hires interesting work.
If review sites are holding employers to account, they may one day spell trouble for shirking staff. KarmaFile, a site based in Pittsburgh, lets workers rate their colleagues online. Mitch Turck, its founder, promises users the power to reject unfair assessments, provided they explain why.
This will make his site tamer than Honestly, a franker peer-review platform which critics said helped disgruntled workers bad-mouth bosses without their knowledge. It closed in May, having already once changed its name, from Unvarnished. As social media drag office life online, mismanaged firms and disagreeable co-workers may need a rebrand, too.
http://www.economist.com/news/business/21567985-how-help-employees-spill-beans-and-make-money-it-honestly-unvarnished
Glassdoor, for example, boasts employee-penned reviews of around 130,000 workplaces. (“Intellectually stimulating,” writes a staffer at The Economist Group. “Worst job ever,” gripes another.) Indeed, which claims to be the world’s most popular job site, started collecting reviews last year. Its users have scribbled over 1m in 2012 and are adding 200,000 each month.
Careers sites have traditionally shunned employer reviews, for fear of upsetting advertisers. But newer ones act more like search engines than job boards, aggregating vacancies already listed elsewhere. That makes them thirsty for unique content to set them apart from competitors, says Mike Larsen, who runs an Australian job site called InsideTrak.
Though they make less cash than their older rivals, these aggregators look sprightlier. Indeed claims 85m monthly visitors; the Japanese firm that bought it in September is said to have paid almost $1 billion. Glassdoor has 14m registered users, and in October raised $20m to expand.
Glassdoor requires all reviewers to make positive comments as well as snarky ones. About two-thirds of users report that they are satisfied with their jobs, says Samantha Zupan, an executive there. Those happy vibes please recruiters. Glassdoor lets firms sponsor their own pages on the site, or promote vacancies on those of poorly reviewed competitors.
Keren Mitchell, founder of TheJobCrowd, which focuses on graduate careers, says warts-and-all reviews help companies by weeding out ill-fitting candidates. They also make for better rankings of graduate-recruitment schemes: the researchers of these rankings often interview students about their preferences, rather than interrogating those who have actually started a new job. This rewards companies that spend a lot on marketing, not those that give new hires interesting work.
If review sites are holding employers to account, they may one day spell trouble for shirking staff. KarmaFile, a site based in Pittsburgh, lets workers rate their colleagues online. Mitch Turck, its founder, promises users the power to reject unfair assessments, provided they explain why.
This will make his site tamer than Honestly, a franker peer-review platform which critics said helped disgruntled workers bad-mouth bosses without their knowledge. It closed in May, having already once changed its name, from Unvarnished. As social media drag office life online, mismanaged firms and disagreeable co-workers may need a rebrand, too.
http://www.economist.com/news/business/21567985-how-help-employees-spill-beans-and-make-money-it-honestly-unvarnished
College Graduates' Best Job Bet: Word of Mouth
Technology has had a somewhat perverse effect on job-hunting. The barriers to applying for work have fallen sharply: Once a résumé is created, job seekers can submit hundreds of applications online with zero or minimal extra cost. The problem is that companies have responded with crude filtering devices, so many of those résumés remain unread. “Technology allows [companies] to search for keywords. And if applicants don’t use the right keyword in their résumé, they won’t make the list,” says Susan Cantrell, a research fellow at the Accenture Institute for High Performance.
A large body of research shows that half or more of all jobs come through informal channels—connections to friends, families, and colleagues, according to Limited Network Connections and the Distribution of Wages, a study by economists Kenneth J. Arrow of Stanford and Ron Borzekowski of the Federal Reserve. What matters is a recommendation and personal assessment. Valuable recommendations come from what Stanford University sociologist Mark Granovetter calls “the strength of weak ties.” Acquaintances (weak ties) have networks that go beyond a job seeker’s immediate circle (strong ties). Yet the acquaintances know the applicant well enough to vouch for their character. “What all of the technological advancements have not done is to overcome the primary barrier to getting a job—which, from the employer’s standpoint, is being able to answer, ‘What type of worker will the applicant be?’ ” asks Wharton’s Cobb.
Laura Tiffany graduated from the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph, Minn., in December 2011. She quickly landed a job as a project director at Strategic Resource Partners, a planning, marketing, and research firm in Spring Park, Minn. At college she worked in the career center and watched people send out their résumés online and get nowhere. She met Jon McGee, vice president of planning and public affairs at the College of Saint Benedict & Saint John’s University, who ended up connecting her to a friend, Strategic Resource’s boss. “I know that networking is more important than shooting out résumés that end up in a black hole,” she says.
The online recruiting world is trying to replicate word-of-mouth networking. Jobvite, the social media recruiting platform, surveyed companies to find out what networks they used to identify job candidates. LinkedIn, (LNKD) the professional networking site, was the most widely used at 87 percent of the companies surveyed. LinkedIn does not disparage word of mouth, especially for recent college grads. “Referral is the No. 1 source of finding an opportunity. It comes down to who do you know,” says Nicole Williams, connection director at LinkedIn.
The folks at Monster.com (MWN), the online job clearinghouse, say their Web-based tools can be used more effectively if applicants tailor their résumés to a limited number of job openings rather than send their information off to as many employers as possible. At the same time human resource departments could reduce the flood of résumés by clarifying what sort of candidates they are seeking.
Monster is also embracing social networks. BeKnown, Facebook (FB)’s professional networking app, is fully integrated with Monster, automatically creating links to Facebook connections. “Hiring has always been based on reputation and who you know,” says Charles Purdy, senior editor at Monster Worldwide. “The new professional networking tools and social networking platforms allow everyone to build up a network.” For now, though, the old ways remain the best.
The bottom line: Even in the digital age, word of mouth and person-to-person networking play a critical role in landing that first significant job.
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-06-14/college-graduates-best-job-bet-word-of-mouth
A large body of research shows that half or more of all jobs come through informal channels—connections to friends, families, and colleagues, according to Limited Network Connections and the Distribution of Wages, a study by economists Kenneth J. Arrow of Stanford and Ron Borzekowski of the Federal Reserve. What matters is a recommendation and personal assessment. Valuable recommendations come from what Stanford University sociologist Mark Granovetter calls “the strength of weak ties.” Acquaintances (weak ties) have networks that go beyond a job seeker’s immediate circle (strong ties). Yet the acquaintances know the applicant well enough to vouch for their character. “What all of the technological advancements have not done is to overcome the primary barrier to getting a job—which, from the employer’s standpoint, is being able to answer, ‘What type of worker will the applicant be?’ ” asks Wharton’s Cobb.
Laura Tiffany graduated from the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph, Minn., in December 2011. She quickly landed a job as a project director at Strategic Resource Partners, a planning, marketing, and research firm in Spring Park, Minn. At college she worked in the career center and watched people send out their résumés online and get nowhere. She met Jon McGee, vice president of planning and public affairs at the College of Saint Benedict & Saint John’s University, who ended up connecting her to a friend, Strategic Resource’s boss. “I know that networking is more important than shooting out résumés that end up in a black hole,” she says.
The online recruiting world is trying to replicate word-of-mouth networking. Jobvite, the social media recruiting platform, surveyed companies to find out what networks they used to identify job candidates. LinkedIn, (LNKD) the professional networking site, was the most widely used at 87 percent of the companies surveyed. LinkedIn does not disparage word of mouth, especially for recent college grads. “Referral is the No. 1 source of finding an opportunity. It comes down to who do you know,” says Nicole Williams, connection director at LinkedIn.
The folks at Monster.com (MWN), the online job clearinghouse, say their Web-based tools can be used more effectively if applicants tailor their résumés to a limited number of job openings rather than send their information off to as many employers as possible. At the same time human resource departments could reduce the flood of résumés by clarifying what sort of candidates they are seeking.
Monster is also embracing social networks. BeKnown, Facebook (FB)’s professional networking app, is fully integrated with Monster, automatically creating links to Facebook connections. “Hiring has always been based on reputation and who you know,” says Charles Purdy, senior editor at Monster Worldwide. “The new professional networking tools and social networking platforms allow everyone to build up a network.” For now, though, the old ways remain the best.
The bottom line: Even in the digital age, word of mouth and person-to-person networking play a critical role in landing that first significant job.
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-06-14/college-graduates-best-job-bet-word-of-mouth
Six signs it's a job scam
"If it seems too good to be true, it probably is."
If nothing else, this age-old adage might be the most important piece of advice to remember in your job search, especially in today's market.
Though job scams are prevalent at any point in time, today's tough economic times have increased the amount of scammers looking to take advantage of people desperate to make money and find a job.
"With the economy sliding, people who might otherwise be skeptical want to find a silver lining and too often mistake the glitz and glamour promises of a scammer's ad for their path to financial security," says Christine Durst, co-founder and CEO of Staffcentrix, a training and development company that focuses on home-based work.
Watch how job scammers seek your information »
Durst says Staffcentrix researchers screen about 5,000 home jobs leads every week, and there is a "56-to-one scam ratio" among work-at-home job ads. Any opportunity where you can "make money fast," "no experience is necessary," or "work in your pajamas" is appealing to people, so they get thrown into the scam mix.
Mindy A. Bockstein, chairperson and executive director of the New York State Consumer Protection Board, agrees that people are trying to capitalize on the strong desire for work and income in different populations and communities.
"Don't fall for get-rich-quick schemes, work-at-home scams, pyramid schemes and numerous other approaches promising employment and wealth but being used to separate job seekers from their money," she says.
Who's the target of job scams?
Anyone seeking a better job opportunity or looking to earn some money -- even smart people -- can get sucked into scams, says Robin Giroir, regional vice president of Spherion Staffing Services. With the wide scope of the Internet, every bogus "job" can reach hundreds of thousands of people, she says.
Durst says victims of work-at-home scams are typically -- and unfortunately -- those who can least afford to part with their money. For one particular scam reviewed by Staffcentrix, the demographics were primarily female, between the ages of 18-49, with children, less affluent and who did not have a college education.
"We are also seeing a rise in the number of seniors and retirees falling prey to these cons, as many of them are now looking for ways to supplement their income due to the declining stock market," Durst says.
Spotting a scam
While identifying a scam seems like it would be easy, you must remember that the people who create them are practiced con artists. Many scams are linked to what seem like legitimate Web sites that have professional photos, testimonials, audio and video -- all the things that can convince someone that it must be real, Durst says.
Here are some things to keep in mind when spotting a job scam:
1. Hold tight to your cash
"No legitimate employer asks you for money. This is a foolproof tip off that something's not right," Giroir says. "There are a number of scams that work this way. You deposit your money in an offshore account and wait for your investment to make you wealthy, or you purchase a list of high-paying jobs you can do from home. Whatever the scam is, don't fall for it."
2. Make money while you sleep!
"Beware of ads that make outrageous claims, don't specify job duties and don't require that you send a résumé. Legitimate employers are seeking candidates with specific skills, knowledge and education. Watch for ads, even for entry-level jobs, that use the phrase 'no experience necessary,' especially when there is a promise of big money," Giroir says.
3. "Work at home" appears in the header
"'Work from home' is not a job title," Durst warns. "If it appears in the ad header, there's a good chance it's a come on. Scammers can rarely resist including it in the header -- it's the bait of their 'hook' as they fish for desperate people to reel in."
4. Miracles arrive in your inbox
"How could this man from Romania have known you were looking for home-based work? Miracles do happen, but not via SPAM," Durst says. "Move [the e-mail] to your trash file without using the 'remove me from this list' link you're likely to find at the bottom of the page. These links are often used to confirm that your -email address is active and using them can result in even more SPAM."
5. Palm trees, mansions, beaches and bikinis
"Successful scammers often bag their prey by dangling enticing things in front of them -- much like kidnappers do," Durst says. "'If you get into my car I'll give you this candy bar...'"
6. Put on your detective hat
There are essentially two ways to get listed with the Better Business Bureau: Buy a membership or get reported for bad business practices, Durst says.
"While the absence of a company's name in their listings is not unusual -- not every business is a paying member of the BBB -- a C, D or F rating and multiple complaints are a flashing warning signal."
Durst adds that you must be careful about ads that look legitimate and that contain the name and Web site of well-known companies but carry a "free" e-mail address for a reply.
"Reputable companies have been victimized by scammers using their company names and reputations to scam unwitting job seekers. Always take the time to stop by the company Web site before responding to a job ad," she suggests. "You may find a notice warning you of the scam. What you won't find, is a job listing for someone to accept checks and wire funds to someone."
Too little, too late
Unfortunately, many job seekers still fall victim to job scams, informed or not. So what happens when you realize that you're involved in something you probably shouldn't be?
Consequences include identity theft, loss of savings, unauthorized charges to your credit card or, at worst, a run-in with the law. At minimum, you lose some money and a little pride, but consider it a lesson learned, Durst says.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/worklife/07/15/cb.avoid.job.scams/
If nothing else, this age-old adage might be the most important piece of advice to remember in your job search, especially in today's market.
Though job scams are prevalent at any point in time, today's tough economic times have increased the amount of scammers looking to take advantage of people desperate to make money and find a job.
"With the economy sliding, people who might otherwise be skeptical want to find a silver lining and too often mistake the glitz and glamour promises of a scammer's ad for their path to financial security," says Christine Durst, co-founder and CEO of Staffcentrix, a training and development company that focuses on home-based work.
Watch how job scammers seek your information »Durst says Staffcentrix researchers screen about 5,000 home jobs leads every week, and there is a "56-to-one scam ratio" among work-at-home job ads. Any opportunity where you can "make money fast," "no experience is necessary," or "work in your pajamas" is appealing to people, so they get thrown into the scam mix.
Mindy A. Bockstein, chairperson and executive director of the New York State Consumer Protection Board, agrees that people are trying to capitalize on the strong desire for work and income in different populations and communities.
"Don't fall for get-rich-quick schemes, work-at-home scams, pyramid schemes and numerous other approaches promising employment and wealth but being used to separate job seekers from their money," she says.
Who's the target of job scams?
Anyone seeking a better job opportunity or looking to earn some money -- even smart people -- can get sucked into scams, says Robin Giroir, regional vice president of Spherion Staffing Services. With the wide scope of the Internet, every bogus "job" can reach hundreds of thousands of people, she says.
Durst says victims of work-at-home scams are typically -- and unfortunately -- those who can least afford to part with their money. For one particular scam reviewed by Staffcentrix, the demographics were primarily female, between the ages of 18-49, with children, less affluent and who did not have a college education.
"We are also seeing a rise in the number of seniors and retirees falling prey to these cons, as many of them are now looking for ways to supplement their income due to the declining stock market," Durst says.
Spotting a scam
While identifying a scam seems like it would be easy, you must remember that the people who create them are practiced con artists. Many scams are linked to what seem like legitimate Web sites that have professional photos, testimonials, audio and video -- all the things that can convince someone that it must be real, Durst says.
Here are some things to keep in mind when spotting a job scam:
1. Hold tight to your cash
"No legitimate employer asks you for money. This is a foolproof tip off that something's not right," Giroir says. "There are a number of scams that work this way. You deposit your money in an offshore account and wait for your investment to make you wealthy, or you purchase a list of high-paying jobs you can do from home. Whatever the scam is, don't fall for it."
2. Make money while you sleep!
"Beware of ads that make outrageous claims, don't specify job duties and don't require that you send a résumé. Legitimate employers are seeking candidates with specific skills, knowledge and education. Watch for ads, even for entry-level jobs, that use the phrase 'no experience necessary,' especially when there is a promise of big money," Giroir says.
3. "Work at home" appears in the header
"'Work from home' is not a job title," Durst warns. "If it appears in the ad header, there's a good chance it's a come on. Scammers can rarely resist including it in the header -- it's the bait of their 'hook' as they fish for desperate people to reel in."
4. Miracles arrive in your inbox
"How could this man from Romania have known you were looking for home-based work? Miracles do happen, but not via SPAM," Durst says. "Move [the e-mail] to your trash file without using the 'remove me from this list' link you're likely to find at the bottom of the page. These links are often used to confirm that your -email address is active and using them can result in even more SPAM."
5. Palm trees, mansions, beaches and bikinis
"Successful scammers often bag their prey by dangling enticing things in front of them -- much like kidnappers do," Durst says. "'If you get into my car I'll give you this candy bar...'"
6. Put on your detective hat
There are essentially two ways to get listed with the Better Business Bureau: Buy a membership or get reported for bad business practices, Durst says.
"While the absence of a company's name in their listings is not unusual -- not every business is a paying member of the BBB -- a C, D or F rating and multiple complaints are a flashing warning signal."
Durst adds that you must be careful about ads that look legitimate and that contain the name and Web site of well-known companies but carry a "free" e-mail address for a reply.
"Reputable companies have been victimized by scammers using their company names and reputations to scam unwitting job seekers. Always take the time to stop by the company Web site before responding to a job ad," she suggests. "You may find a notice warning you of the scam. What you won't find, is a job listing for someone to accept checks and wire funds to someone."
Too little, too late
Unfortunately, many job seekers still fall victim to job scams, informed or not. So what happens when you realize that you're involved in something you probably shouldn't be?
Consequences include identity theft, loss of savings, unauthorized charges to your credit card or, at worst, a run-in with the law. At minimum, you lose some money and a little pride, but consider it a lesson learned, Durst says.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/worklife/07/15/cb.avoid.job.scams/
The 10 Worst Mistakes of First-Time Job Hunters
If you're in your final year of college, be warned: the rumors about landing a job in this economy are true. You should be taking steps today, not next semester, to prepare yourself.
An April 2011 survey conducted by Braun Research on behalf of Adecco Staffing U.S. found that 71% of 500 recent four-year college graduates would have done something differently to prepare for the job market. While companies will hire 9.5% more graduates from the class of 2012 than they did from the 2011 graduating class, according to another poll, employers are still looking for the pick of the litter.
"When you're not familiar with the job market or job seeking, you really don't know how much effort it will take," said Kathy Kane, senior vice president of talent management for Adecco NA,
To find out what students can do to better prepare for the current job market, we spoke with career coaches, recruiters and recent graduates.
"I would have started looking for jobs earlier."
Putting off your job hunt isn't a wise move. Among the Adecco survey's respondents, 26% said they would have started looking for potential positions earlier.
"It's easy to fall into 'my weekend starts on Thursday' mode, rather than 'I've got to put my job search into full gear today' mode," said Kane, "but procrastinators will have fewer choices."
Most students don't start thinking about their careers until they have to, said Lindsey Pollak, a career expert who focuses on Generation Y in the workplace. "There's so much you can do that's not a lot of work and not overly time consuming."
"I would have actually networked."
For students and older professionals alike, networking can feel like the most dreaded part of a job hunt. Twenty-nine percent of respondents to the Adecco survey said they would have spent more time building a solid professional network.
"Networking can be scary," said Pollak, "but about 70% of jobs are found through networking." Students who spend their time trolling job boards should instead spend that time making solid connections with people who are respected and involved in the workforce, industry experts and alumni, and spend only 30% of their time looking at job listings.
For the most part, Pollak said, people love to help students. As long as you are gracious and thankful and not trying to hard-sell yourself right off the bat, potential connections are likely to be receptive.
"I would have taken on a job or an internship in addition to my courseload."
Bottom line: There's no substitute for experience.
Having some professional experience under your belt before entering the workforce has become a necessity for many employers.
"I don't know a company that doesn't want people with internship experience," said Pollak. "My advice is to get yourself through the recession any way you can, and come out with whatever experience you can."
Look for internships that provide college credit or are paid. Otherwise, gain work experience in a setting such as waiting tables -- and talk with people at each and every table. "There are CEOs who started networking while they were waiting tables," Pollak said.
If you can't find a full- or part-time position on- or off-campus, try going to the Internet for virtual work. "There are jobs you can get without even leaving your dorm room," Pollak said, including maintaining someone's social media outlets, working as a copyeditor or building a website for a small business. Many of these types of jobs have flexible hours, an added benefit for busy students.
"I would have gotten more involved in career-relevant extracurricular activities."
On-campus groups, clubs, events and activities are a great place to get experience that translates to the working world. Skills are skills. You can show you have gained relevant experience by planning concerts on campus or working as a freshman orientation assistant, for example.
"Everybody wants to hire people who understand how to manage projects, work alongside difficult people, and have built their communication skills," said Kane. If you were on the dance team, and choreographed a group performance, for example, you've developed creative, leadership and training abilities, all of which translate to the workplace.
Experts say it's a matter of framing the extracurricular experience you've had in a professional way. Try thinking of your biggest accomplishments as a member or leader of an extracurricular group, and using them to brainstorm resume bullet points.
"I would have applied to more jobs."
Many recent graduates regret not putting out more feelers. According to the Adecco survey, 26% of recent graduates would have applied to more jobs prior to finishing school.
Putting your hat in the ring is the only way to be considered for most opportunities. The trick is to keep track of the applications you send out. "Sending in your application for hundreds of jobs on Monster.com will work against you," said Dan Schawbel, a personal branding expert and author of Me 2.0. Not only is it difficult to remember what you applied for and when, but you're also likely to send out generic resumes.
Write your resume so it highlights your experience with each position's requirements. Not sure what your relatable skill-set is? Try creating a Venn diagram that illustrates all of the skills and experience you've developed. The overlap can indicate your primary strengths, and the remainder can help you see where you have specific skills related to your prospective industry.
"I would have focused more on becoming 'professional.'"
Save the sweatpants and fratty T-shirts for the weekend. Replace them with clothes that are fitted, pressed and at the very least casual-Friday appropriate even when you're going to class. You may think dressing well every day doesn't matter, but the professors you ask for recommendations will remember your style.
Another way to show your professionalism is to pick up the tab for networking coffees, and send thank-you notes for even a little bit of help. "If someone gives you advice, all you have to do is say thank you after the fact," Pollak said.
And, of course, monitor your online appearance. Clean up and privacy-protect your Facebook accounts, start Tweeting interesting news (instead of which class you're skipping), be careful where you "check-in" on your smartphone, and set up a solid LinkedIn profile, Pollak said. Add a signature line to your e-mail account and set up a professional voicemail message.
"I would have done more to figure out what my career goals were."
Your first job out of college is unlikely to be your dream position, if you even know what that is. Indecision can hold you back, so set up some informational interviews to try to narrow your focus.
"It's a rare gift at any age to know what your passion is," said Bruce Tulgan, CEO of Rainmaker Thinking, a New Haven, Conn.-based management consultancy that focuses on integrating generations in the workplace. "In 99 out of 100 cases, people start to learn about a career path, gain experience in something, and over time they become passionate about it."
Don't be afraid to try something that you're initially lukewarm about, said Pollak. "I don't believe in dead-end jobs when you're early in your career," she said, "because everything is experience."
"I would have gone to the career center."
This is what they call a "no-brainer." You might not think you need your university's services, but there's no reason to find out the hard way you did something wrong that could have been avoided.
"College students have an advantage other job seekers don't -- an on-campus career center staffed with people who have one purpose: to help students find jobs," said Kane of Adecco. "Most career centers aren't taken advantage of to their full extent."
Once you get to know the counselors and they know what you're looking for, they can tell you about new opportunities, Kane said. It's also a good place to practice your elevator pitch, draft introductory e-mails or cover letters, perfect your resume, or any other measures you don't want to run by friends or family members.
"I would have kept better track of my achievements."
Experts say that even on-campus accolades belong on your resume.
"Start creating tangible results with your name on them so you have evidence of your ability to add value," said Tulgan. "Save the tangible results, date them, and be prepared to present them."
Tracking how many donations you collected from calling alumni or that you created a new filing system for the admissions office are achievements that translate to everyday work activities. Don't forget to highlight your academic awards, such as making the dean's list or honor society.
"Any accomplishment matters," said Schawbel. " Track them in a public setting, like your LinkedIn profile." If it's not out there for people to find, those achievements won't be doing anything to help you, he said.
"I would have focused more on developing relevant skills."
Having an awareness of industry-specific skills as well as broad, transferable ones is a way to really stand out.
"Companies aren't investing as much in training, so companies are more likely to look for someone who can hit the ground running," said Kane. That isn't just familiarity with industry terminology, it's also having professional "street smarts."
"Show your understanding of chain-of-command issues, working with older, more experienced colleagues and working with people in parallel roles in other departments, or with vendors and customers," said Tulgan.
You should also have excellent customer service knowledge – not only to use as a professional, but also to use as a job seeker. That includes making yourself available, being fully prepared for interviews,and knowing how to problem-solve, Tulgan said. "Above all, develop self-management skills and the ability to work effectively with a manager," he said.
http://www.linkedin.com/news?actionBar=&articleID=850046505&ids=0Tc3sTdPkOdjwId3oTdzoQd3gUb3wVej4VcjgQe2MRc3kSd30MdjwIczsPcz4PejcU&aag=true&freq=weekly&trk=eml-tod-b-ttle-68&ut=3qy2gQFiDizAY1
An April 2011 survey conducted by Braun Research on behalf of Adecco Staffing U.S. found that 71% of 500 recent four-year college graduates would have done something differently to prepare for the job market. While companies will hire 9.5% more graduates from the class of 2012 than they did from the 2011 graduating class, according to another poll, employers are still looking for the pick of the litter.
"When you're not familiar with the job market or job seeking, you really don't know how much effort it will take," said Kathy Kane, senior vice president of talent management for Adecco NA,
To find out what students can do to better prepare for the current job market, we spoke with career coaches, recruiters and recent graduates.
"I would have started looking for jobs earlier."
Putting off your job hunt isn't a wise move. Among the Adecco survey's respondents, 26% said they would have started looking for potential positions earlier.
"It's easy to fall into 'my weekend starts on Thursday' mode, rather than 'I've got to put my job search into full gear today' mode," said Kane, "but procrastinators will have fewer choices."
Most students don't start thinking about their careers until they have to, said Lindsey Pollak, a career expert who focuses on Generation Y in the workplace. "There's so much you can do that's not a lot of work and not overly time consuming."
"I would have actually networked."
For students and older professionals alike, networking can feel like the most dreaded part of a job hunt. Twenty-nine percent of respondents to the Adecco survey said they would have spent more time building a solid professional network.
"Networking can be scary," said Pollak, "but about 70% of jobs are found through networking." Students who spend their time trolling job boards should instead spend that time making solid connections with people who are respected and involved in the workforce, industry experts and alumni, and spend only 30% of their time looking at job listings.
For the most part, Pollak said, people love to help students. As long as you are gracious and thankful and not trying to hard-sell yourself right off the bat, potential connections are likely to be receptive.
"I would have taken on a job or an internship in addition to my courseload."
Bottom line: There's no substitute for experience.
Having some professional experience under your belt before entering the workforce has become a necessity for many employers.
"I don't know a company that doesn't want people with internship experience," said Pollak. "My advice is to get yourself through the recession any way you can, and come out with whatever experience you can."
Look for internships that provide college credit or are paid. Otherwise, gain work experience in a setting such as waiting tables -- and talk with people at each and every table. "There are CEOs who started networking while they were waiting tables," Pollak said.
If you can't find a full- or part-time position on- or off-campus, try going to the Internet for virtual work. "There are jobs you can get without even leaving your dorm room," Pollak said, including maintaining someone's social media outlets, working as a copyeditor or building a website for a small business. Many of these types of jobs have flexible hours, an added benefit for busy students.
"I would have gotten more involved in career-relevant extracurricular activities."
On-campus groups, clubs, events and activities are a great place to get experience that translates to the working world. Skills are skills. You can show you have gained relevant experience by planning concerts on campus or working as a freshman orientation assistant, for example.
"Everybody wants to hire people who understand how to manage projects, work alongside difficult people, and have built their communication skills," said Kane. If you were on the dance team, and choreographed a group performance, for example, you've developed creative, leadership and training abilities, all of which translate to the workplace.
Experts say it's a matter of framing the extracurricular experience you've had in a professional way. Try thinking of your biggest accomplishments as a member or leader of an extracurricular group, and using them to brainstorm resume bullet points.
"I would have applied to more jobs."
Many recent graduates regret not putting out more feelers. According to the Adecco survey, 26% of recent graduates would have applied to more jobs prior to finishing school.
Putting your hat in the ring is the only way to be considered for most opportunities. The trick is to keep track of the applications you send out. "Sending in your application for hundreds of jobs on Monster.com will work against you," said Dan Schawbel, a personal branding expert and author of Me 2.0. Not only is it difficult to remember what you applied for and when, but you're also likely to send out generic resumes.
Write your resume so it highlights your experience with each position's requirements. Not sure what your relatable skill-set is? Try creating a Venn diagram that illustrates all of the skills and experience you've developed. The overlap can indicate your primary strengths, and the remainder can help you see where you have specific skills related to your prospective industry.
"I would have focused more on becoming 'professional.'"
Save the sweatpants and fratty T-shirts for the weekend. Replace them with clothes that are fitted, pressed and at the very least casual-Friday appropriate even when you're going to class. You may think dressing well every day doesn't matter, but the professors you ask for recommendations will remember your style.
Another way to show your professionalism is to pick up the tab for networking coffees, and send thank-you notes for even a little bit of help. "If someone gives you advice, all you have to do is say thank you after the fact," Pollak said.
And, of course, monitor your online appearance. Clean up and privacy-protect your Facebook accounts, start Tweeting interesting news (instead of which class you're skipping), be careful where you "check-in" on your smartphone, and set up a solid LinkedIn profile, Pollak said. Add a signature line to your e-mail account and set up a professional voicemail message.
"I would have done more to figure out what my career goals were."
Your first job out of college is unlikely to be your dream position, if you even know what that is. Indecision can hold you back, so set up some informational interviews to try to narrow your focus.
"It's a rare gift at any age to know what your passion is," said Bruce Tulgan, CEO of Rainmaker Thinking, a New Haven, Conn.-based management consultancy that focuses on integrating generations in the workplace. "In 99 out of 100 cases, people start to learn about a career path, gain experience in something, and over time they become passionate about it."
Don't be afraid to try something that you're initially lukewarm about, said Pollak. "I don't believe in dead-end jobs when you're early in your career," she said, "because everything is experience."
"I would have gone to the career center."
This is what they call a "no-brainer." You might not think you need your university's services, but there's no reason to find out the hard way you did something wrong that could have been avoided.
"College students have an advantage other job seekers don't -- an on-campus career center staffed with people who have one purpose: to help students find jobs," said Kane of Adecco. "Most career centers aren't taken advantage of to their full extent."
Once you get to know the counselors and they know what you're looking for, they can tell you about new opportunities, Kane said. It's also a good place to practice your elevator pitch, draft introductory e-mails or cover letters, perfect your resume, or any other measures you don't want to run by friends or family members.
"I would have kept better track of my achievements."
Experts say that even on-campus accolades belong on your resume.
"Start creating tangible results with your name on them so you have evidence of your ability to add value," said Tulgan. "Save the tangible results, date them, and be prepared to present them."
Tracking how many donations you collected from calling alumni or that you created a new filing system for the admissions office are achievements that translate to everyday work activities. Don't forget to highlight your academic awards, such as making the dean's list or honor society.
"Any accomplishment matters," said Schawbel. " Track them in a public setting, like your LinkedIn profile." If it's not out there for people to find, those achievements won't be doing anything to help you, he said.
"I would have focused more on developing relevant skills."
Having an awareness of industry-specific skills as well as broad, transferable ones is a way to really stand out.
"Companies aren't investing as much in training, so companies are more likely to look for someone who can hit the ground running," said Kane. That isn't just familiarity with industry terminology, it's also having professional "street smarts."
"Show your understanding of chain-of-command issues, working with older, more experienced colleagues and working with people in parallel roles in other departments, or with vendors and customers," said Tulgan.
You should also have excellent customer service knowledge – not only to use as a professional, but also to use as a job seeker. That includes making yourself available, being fully prepared for interviews,and knowing how to problem-solve, Tulgan said. "Above all, develop self-management skills and the ability to work effectively with a manager," he said.
http://www.linkedin.com/news?actionBar=&articleID=850046505&ids=0Tc3sTdPkOdjwId3oTdzoQd3gUb3wVej4VcjgQe2MRc3kSd30MdjwIczsPcz4PejcU&aag=true&freq=weekly&trk=eml-tod-b-ttle-68&ut=3qy2gQFiDizAY1
Introverts and the Job Search
There are a few things introverts can do when looking for that perfect job.
First, this is not the time for your usual self-effacement. In general, we don’t like bringing attention to ourselves. But as my mom always said, “If you don’t toot your own horn, nobody else will!” In other words, you have to tell the world how great you are in your resume.
Use strong action verbs like: create, manage, lead. My favorite new action verb is “pioneer.” At my last two jobs, I’ve been the one to create Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn profiles for the companies I worked for. So adding “Pioneered the use of social media” looks great on my resume.
Second, be sure to highlight some of those great introvert strengths:
We learn really fast. Many years ago, I took a job as a proofreader at an advertising agency. I started in early May; the only other proofreader was starting a maternity leave in September. So I had just a little over three months to learn the job; I was on my own until she returned from her maternity leave. You bet that went on my resume for several years.
We have great attention to detail. There are a lot of jobs where this will come in handy: working with numbers, engineering fields, etc. But it’s not hard to get that across in your resume, even if your job is not all about numbers. I’m the only employee for the small nonprofit I work for. I have to pay attention to the details, because if I don’t, nobody else will!
We excel at foresight. Because we think so much (and pay attention to detail), we often see things that others don’t. Did you help create a new product? Did you find a new process that saved your company money? Did you anticipate a trend before it started? Find these things in your work history and pay special attention to them in the resume. It’s a skill that not everyone has, but it’s highly valued by employers.
Third, prepare for the interview. For many introverts, this is the worst part of the job search process. There’s so much unknown: What is the personality of the person who will interview me? Will there be more than one person doing the interviewing? What will they ask me? What if my brain can’t find an answer fast enough?
To prepare, you must practice, practice and practice some more. Use your ability to learn quickly and absorb as much information as you can about the company you’re interviewing with. You may not need it all for the interview, but it will give you an enormous sense of comfort.
My all-time favorite prep technique is a book called 101 Great Answers to the Toughest Interview Questions (affiliate link). I’ve used a couple of different versions of the book throughout the years. It has worksheets and other strategies to help you discover your best points and how to talk about them. I usually go through and come up with an answer to each of the 101 questions just as an exercise. Again, it gives you a great sense of comfort when you’ve already answered just about any question you could get.
And last, but not least, stay positive! It’s tough, I’ll admit it. I’ve sent out several resumes in the last few months but I’ve only had one phone interview, and that went nowhere. But you just have to keep trying.
http://www.theconfidentintrovert.com/2011/04/07/introverts-and-the-job-search/
First, this is not the time for your usual self-effacement. In general, we don’t like bringing attention to ourselves. But as my mom always said, “If you don’t toot your own horn, nobody else will!” In other words, you have to tell the world how great you are in your resume.
Use strong action verbs like: create, manage, lead. My favorite new action verb is “pioneer.” At my last two jobs, I’ve been the one to create Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn profiles for the companies I worked for. So adding “Pioneered the use of social media” looks great on my resume.
Second, be sure to highlight some of those great introvert strengths:
We learn really fast. Many years ago, I took a job as a proofreader at an advertising agency. I started in early May; the only other proofreader was starting a maternity leave in September. So I had just a little over three months to learn the job; I was on my own until she returned from her maternity leave. You bet that went on my resume for several years.
We have great attention to detail. There are a lot of jobs where this will come in handy: working with numbers, engineering fields, etc. But it’s not hard to get that across in your resume, even if your job is not all about numbers. I’m the only employee for the small nonprofit I work for. I have to pay attention to the details, because if I don’t, nobody else will!
We excel at foresight. Because we think so much (and pay attention to detail), we often see things that others don’t. Did you help create a new product? Did you find a new process that saved your company money? Did you anticipate a trend before it started? Find these things in your work history and pay special attention to them in the resume. It’s a skill that not everyone has, but it’s highly valued by employers.
Third, prepare for the interview. For many introverts, this is the worst part of the job search process. There’s so much unknown: What is the personality of the person who will interview me? Will there be more than one person doing the interviewing? What will they ask me? What if my brain can’t find an answer fast enough?
To prepare, you must practice, practice and practice some more. Use your ability to learn quickly and absorb as much information as you can about the company you’re interviewing with. You may not need it all for the interview, but it will give you an enormous sense of comfort.
My all-time favorite prep technique is a book called 101 Great Answers to the Toughest Interview Questions (affiliate link). I’ve used a couple of different versions of the book throughout the years. It has worksheets and other strategies to help you discover your best points and how to talk about them. I usually go through and come up with an answer to each of the 101 questions just as an exercise. Again, it gives you a great sense of comfort when you’ve already answered just about any question you could get.
And last, but not least, stay positive! It’s tough, I’ll admit it. I’ve sent out several resumes in the last few months but I’ve only had one phone interview, and that went nowhere. But you just have to keep trying.
http://www.theconfidentintrovert.com/2011/04/07/introverts-and-the-job-search/
How to Read a Job Ad
Seth Rabinowitz was puzzled by a series of job ads that were sent to him for review by a client. He's a partner at Silicon Associates, a Tel Aviv, Israel-based management consulting firm that occasionally helps clients to fill job openings.
One ad: "Wanted: Sales agents who are able to stare intently into client eyes while describing what they are looking for."
"The company had issues with past sales agents that didn't pay enough attention to client demands," Mr. Rabinowitz says. While the company clearly needed to better manage its existing staff, he says the ad did provide useful insight for job applicants who were able to get past the odd wording and see the demand for greater sensitivity to clients: "I'd...address it smack dab in the middle of the cover letter. You'll also have at least a couple easy questions to ask about during the interview."
Although deciphering a job ad can be tricky -- especially when the ad writer isn't the person that's actually doing the hiring -- you need to be able to extract what hiring managers implicitly want so you can participate in an effective interview.
This requires you to read between the lines of job ads.
First, make sure you meet all of the hard requirements like "graduate degree required" or "minimum of 10 years experience."
These are non-negotiable in academic and public-sector jobs that have very specific job descriptions.
Peruse other job ads from the same employer. This can give you a better sense of the tone of a company, says Mathew Curtis, clinical assistant professor at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism in Los Angeles.
Mr. Curtis suggests mirroring the language of the company when crafting your replies to the ad. "Mimicry boosts the personal connection with people that you're talking to," he says. "If they use jargon, you should use jargon in your response to their ad. If they use multi-syllable words, you should, too."
Be aware of how the wording of job ads may affect your perception of the company and your attitude during interviews. Many employers still use gender-biased wording when describing typically male or female roles, finds a new study co-written by Aaron Kay, associate professor of management, psychology and neuroscience at Duke University in Durham, N.C.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903927204576577230493495482.html?mod=WSJ_Careers_CareerJournal_4
One ad: "Wanted: Sales agents who are able to stare intently into client eyes while describing what they are looking for."
"The company had issues with past sales agents that didn't pay enough attention to client demands," Mr. Rabinowitz says. While the company clearly needed to better manage its existing staff, he says the ad did provide useful insight for job applicants who were able to get past the odd wording and see the demand for greater sensitivity to clients: "I'd...address it smack dab in the middle of the cover letter. You'll also have at least a couple easy questions to ask about during the interview."
Although deciphering a job ad can be tricky -- especially when the ad writer isn't the person that's actually doing the hiring -- you need to be able to extract what hiring managers implicitly want so you can participate in an effective interview.
This requires you to read between the lines of job ads.
First, make sure you meet all of the hard requirements like "graduate degree required" or "minimum of 10 years experience."
These are non-negotiable in academic and public-sector jobs that have very specific job descriptions.
Peruse other job ads from the same employer. This can give you a better sense of the tone of a company, says Mathew Curtis, clinical assistant professor at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism in Los Angeles.
Mr. Curtis suggests mirroring the language of the company when crafting your replies to the ad. "Mimicry boosts the personal connection with people that you're talking to," he says. "If they use jargon, you should use jargon in your response to their ad. If they use multi-syllable words, you should, too."
Be aware of how the wording of job ads may affect your perception of the company and your attitude during interviews. Many employers still use gender-biased wording when describing typically male or female roles, finds a new study co-written by Aaron Kay, associate professor of management, psychology and neuroscience at Duke University in Durham, N.C.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903927204576577230493495482.html?mod=WSJ_Careers_CareerJournal_4
How do you apply to a company way out of your league?
Do something impressive to get noticed, such as create a really neat project online (or wherever it's relevant) or write contribute an article to a popular online blog/publication.
Introduce yourself in person and online.
Find a chain of connections between you and someone that works at the company (via facebook, or linkedin), through someone who knows you well enough to recommend you, and ask to be recommended.
Start a twitter conversation with someone at the company.
Go to a public, social, event that's attended by people from the company, and introduce yourself.
Find out who is responsible for hiring and give them your resume in person.
If you can't give a hiring manager your resume in person, do the next best thing: befriend their assistant, or any assistant at the company, or anyone at the company who can help you get your foot in the door. Many companies have referral incentives for their employees, and some employees will be willing to help regardless—if you're good.
At a previous job I had recently become friends with a woman in my apartment building who was a talented programmer but didn't have a ton of experience on paper. I could tell she was great so I recommended her to the company and fought for her, even though the company didn't think she was qualified enough. They hired her anyway, on my recommendation, and it worked out very well. I wasn't anyone's assistant or even on the development team. The point is, if you can convince someone to believe in you they can be a great asset in helping you get a job.
LifeHacker
Introduce yourself in person and online.
Find a chain of connections between you and someone that works at the company (via facebook, or linkedin), through someone who knows you well enough to recommend you, and ask to be recommended.
Start a twitter conversation with someone at the company.
Go to a public, social, event that's attended by people from the company, and introduce yourself.
Find out who is responsible for hiring and give them your resume in person.
If you can't give a hiring manager your resume in person, do the next best thing: befriend their assistant, or any assistant at the company, or anyone at the company who can help you get your foot in the door. Many companies have referral incentives for their employees, and some employees will be willing to help regardless—if you're good.
At a previous job I had recently become friends with a woman in my apartment building who was a talented programmer but didn't have a ton of experience on paper. I could tell she was great so I recommended her to the company and fought for her, even though the company didn't think she was qualified enough. They hired her anyway, on my recommendation, and it worked out very well. I wasn't anyone's assistant or even on the development team. The point is, if you can convince someone to believe in you they can be a great asset in helping you get a job.
LifeHacker
How Do I Get a Job When I Have No Relevant Experience?
Dear Lifehacker,
I have no relevant experience in the field in which I want to work and am having a hard time constructing a coherent plan applying for jobs. How can I convince an employer to hire me?
Sincerely,
No Experience, No Job
How Do I Get a Job When I Have No Relevant Experience? Photo by Ted Murphy
Dear No Experience,
With one exception, I don't think I've ever had relevant experience for any job that I've worked in the past 11 years. As a result, I've come to believe that the experience you do have is more relevant than you may think. Past jobs have always helped inform my choices at future jobs, and none of the experience was ever useless. If you have experience in something, that may be all you need. Here are my recommendations:
Find Relevant Experience You Didn't Realize You Had
How Do I Get a Job When I Have No Relevant Experience?First, figure out a way to use any experience you do have to seem more relevant to the job at hand. I once used a technical support job to get a job on a film set. It's possible to focus on certain aspects of a position while still being honest. Think about what you did at your past and/or current job and concentrate on the days you enjoyed the most. Chances are there's at least one project that you worked on that has some relevance. On your resume, and in your interview, be sure to focus on that. If you can make it a good story and speak passionately about the work, it will go a long way.
Create Your Own DIY Experience
Full size
If you have no official experience it's great if you've got sample work you've done on your own. If you've ever been to art school, you know that half the reason you go is to create a portfolio. If you want to get into graphic design, you need to have examples of your work. You don't need to be employed to design a web site, so mock up some relevant designs and use those as your work samples. If you want to write for a blog, create your own blog so you have writing samples. Even if the job you want isn't necessarily creative, you can still do work that can help you. You might think you can't, but let's pretend you want to be a tax accountant. While you technically could do a bunch of fake taxes, you could also do taxes for your friends and your parents. Not only will this give you real experience, but it'll demonstrate to your potential employer that you have enough passion for the job. If I were hiring an accountant to do my taxes and knew they enjoyed it so much that they were willing to do it for free, I'd be excited to have them on my team. The simple point is this: you can easily give yourself a leg up by practicing and creating experience. You don't need anyone's permission, and you don't have to be employed to do it.
(The portfolio depicted belongs to Irene Chan, one of my life-long favorite designers.)
Get an (Unpaid) Internship
Full size
If you can, I would recommend starting with an internship. Seek out companies you'd want to work for and try to become an intern even if they've never had an intern before. Offer to work unpaid for 3-6 months and then push for a job as soon as you feel they can't live without you. If you can't afford to work without pay right now, either save enough money until you can or just offer to work a few days a week and find a paying (and likely crappy) job to handle your bills. This can be a rough road and it will wear you down, but it's only temporary. If you're a great worker and they don't want to lose you, they'll find a way to keep you around.
Get an In-Person Interview and Be Charming
Full size
Finally, do whatever you can to get an in-person interview. Once you're in you need to think of your interview more like a first date. Be charming, be interesting, and be hopeful and idealistic. Smile often. Be kind. If they interviewer likes you and feels you're a hard worker, your experience is basically irrelevant. People make hiring decisions based on their gut and pretty much ignore what's on paper. If you can get into a room with someone and they like you, then you will have no trouble getting the job.
Love,
Lifehacker
http://lifehacker.com/#!5720706/how-do-i-get-a-job-when-i-have-no-relevant-experience
I have no relevant experience in the field in which I want to work and am having a hard time constructing a coherent plan applying for jobs. How can I convince an employer to hire me?
Sincerely,
No Experience, No Job
How Do I Get a Job When I Have No Relevant Experience? Photo by Ted Murphy
Dear No Experience,
With one exception, I don't think I've ever had relevant experience for any job that I've worked in the past 11 years. As a result, I've come to believe that the experience you do have is more relevant than you may think. Past jobs have always helped inform my choices at future jobs, and none of the experience was ever useless. If you have experience in something, that may be all you need. Here are my recommendations:
Find Relevant Experience You Didn't Realize You Had
How Do I Get a Job When I Have No Relevant Experience?First, figure out a way to use any experience you do have to seem more relevant to the job at hand. I once used a technical support job to get a job on a film set. It's possible to focus on certain aspects of a position while still being honest. Think about what you did at your past and/or current job and concentrate on the days you enjoyed the most. Chances are there's at least one project that you worked on that has some relevance. On your resume, and in your interview, be sure to focus on that. If you can make it a good story and speak passionately about the work, it will go a long way.
Create Your Own DIY Experience
Full size
If you have no official experience it's great if you've got sample work you've done on your own. If you've ever been to art school, you know that half the reason you go is to create a portfolio. If you want to get into graphic design, you need to have examples of your work. You don't need to be employed to design a web site, so mock up some relevant designs and use those as your work samples. If you want to write for a blog, create your own blog so you have writing samples. Even if the job you want isn't necessarily creative, you can still do work that can help you. You might think you can't, but let's pretend you want to be a tax accountant. While you technically could do a bunch of fake taxes, you could also do taxes for your friends and your parents. Not only will this give you real experience, but it'll demonstrate to your potential employer that you have enough passion for the job. If I were hiring an accountant to do my taxes and knew they enjoyed it so much that they were willing to do it for free, I'd be excited to have them on my team. The simple point is this: you can easily give yourself a leg up by practicing and creating experience. You don't need anyone's permission, and you don't have to be employed to do it.
(The portfolio depicted belongs to Irene Chan, one of my life-long favorite designers.)
Get an (Unpaid) Internship
Full size
If you can, I would recommend starting with an internship. Seek out companies you'd want to work for and try to become an intern even if they've never had an intern before. Offer to work unpaid for 3-6 months and then push for a job as soon as you feel they can't live without you. If you can't afford to work without pay right now, either save enough money until you can or just offer to work a few days a week and find a paying (and likely crappy) job to handle your bills. This can be a rough road and it will wear you down, but it's only temporary. If you're a great worker and they don't want to lose you, they'll find a way to keep you around.
Get an In-Person Interview and Be Charming
Full size
Finally, do whatever you can to get an in-person interview. Once you're in you need to think of your interview more like a first date. Be charming, be interesting, and be hopeful and idealistic. Smile often. Be kind. If they interviewer likes you and feels you're a hard worker, your experience is basically irrelevant. People make hiring decisions based on their gut and pretty much ignore what's on paper. If you can get into a room with someone and they like you, then you will have no trouble getting the job.
Love,
Lifehacker
http://lifehacker.com/#!5720706/how-do-i-get-a-job-when-i-have-no-relevant-experience
Jobs for Weathermen
Technology and the recession are threatening the cultural hegemony—and job security—of the TV weathercaster
The economy and the Internet are conspiring to diminish the position. The National Weather Assn., an organization of professional meteorologists, has seen a downturn in membership renewals over the past few years, from approximately 3,000 in 2006 to about 2,700 in 2010, according to NWA Executive Director Stephen W. Harned. Says Harned: "Anywhere from a third to half of people who graduate with degrees in meteorology this year won't be able to find a job."
The average annual salary of a weatherman, according to the Radio Television Digital News Assn., is $62,300. And they don't come to work with their own interactive maps. "We grew revenue by 56 percent last year," says Paul Douglas, co-founded WeatherNation, which he describes as an "outsourcing weather company" expects to turn a profit in 2011 and expand his staff of eight full-time anchors. Douglas is positioning his business to cash in on what he sees as the future of the industry: personalized weather. Soon, he claims, people will want weather information "tailored for our GPS locations, lifestyles, calendars, anticipating our needs in advance"—all without ever turning on the TV.
Read more at Business Week
The economy and the Internet are conspiring to diminish the position. The National Weather Assn., an organization of professional meteorologists, has seen a downturn in membership renewals over the past few years, from approximately 3,000 in 2006 to about 2,700 in 2010, according to NWA Executive Director Stephen W. Harned. Says Harned: "Anywhere from a third to half of people who graduate with degrees in meteorology this year won't be able to find a job."
The average annual salary of a weatherman, according to the Radio Television Digital News Assn., is $62,300. And they don't come to work with their own interactive maps. "We grew revenue by 56 percent last year," says Paul Douglas, co-founded WeatherNation, which he describes as an "outsourcing weather company" expects to turn a profit in 2011 and expand his staff of eight full-time anchors. Douglas is positioning his business to cash in on what he sees as the future of the industry: personalized weather. Soon, he claims, people will want weather information "tailored for our GPS locations, lifestyles, calendars, anticipating our needs in advance"—all without ever turning on the TV.
Read more at Business Week
Why It's a Great Time to Be a Journalism Major
Last week, I gave the commencement speech at the University of Missouri's School of Journalism, my alma mater.
I decided to share excerpts of the speech, which I think are particularly relevant to students who hope to major in journalism, as well as those who feel pressured to select a major that is perceived to be a money maker:
Selecting a path less chosen: The biggest percentage of college students today—21 percent—are graduating with business degrees. These graduates want to make money and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I'd suggest, however, that the key to succeeding financially and professionally in journalism, business, or any other career is to choose something that you are good at and passionate about.
Unfortunately, I don't think passion is given enough attention when students and parents talk about possible college majors and future career plans. I write a college blog for CBS MoneyWatch, and the two most popular posts that I wrote in 2010 focused on the 20 best-paying college degrees and the 20 worst-paying college degrees. Since this summer, when I wrote those posts, they've had close to a half-million hits. And this is no fluke. The most popular post that I wrote in 2009 was also on the same subject.
[Read U.S. News's take on the 50 best careers of 2011.]
If you read my blog posts, you'd discover that journalism isn't on the list of the best-paying or worst-paying degrees. Most of you probably assume that business must be near the top of the most lucrative degrees, but it isn't. It's 60th on the list. What's more, the salary that the typical business major makes in mid-career is close to what the typical journalist earns.
Research has shown that it's not the specific college major that matters once you're in the workforce, but rather the passion and talent you possess for what you end up doing.
Pursuing your passion: It's so much easier today for young journalists to pursue their passions than when I was in journalism school. And yet if you listen to my peers—journalists who are old enough to be your parents—you won't hear that story. Many of these journalists are depressed right now because the media worlds they knew are crumbling.
Journalism certainly is different. I was a young reporter at the Los Angeles Times during a period when journalists there routinely referred to the newspaper as a velvet coffin because it was such a cushy place to work. When reporters at the L.A. Times, for example, had to fly more than 500 miles, we were booked in first class. Imagine that. No one would ever call newspaper jobs cushy today.
Getting started in journalism: Despite the gloom, I think this is a grand time to be getting started in journalism because the Internet has made the field far more egalitarian today. You can become an expert on anything. You can share your opinions and what you know across the globe thanks to blogs, YouTube, Facebook, and a ton of other platforms.
Young journalists also don't have to deal with the ridiculously small number of gatekeepers that the profession used to have. When I was a newspaper reporter eager to break into better markets, there were typically just two newspapers in every major town. Of course, now there are fewer. If the editor reviewing résumés wasn't interested, you were out of luck. As a newspaper reporter, I lived in Memphis; Kansas City, [Mo.]; and Los Angeles, and I can tell you that I never would have chosen to live in any of those cities—but as a newspaper reporter I felt compelled to follow the opportunities.
Limitless professional connections: Thanks to the Internet, the number of professional connections you can make are limitless and so are the opportunities. Here are three of my favorite examples:
1. Joshua Fisher, a Dodger fan and law student at the University of Minnesota, has always been intrigued by the financial side of baseball. When the couple who owns the Los Angeles Dodgers became embattled in a nasty divorce fight, the student began covering the trial. Fisher created a blog called DodgerDivorce.com that went viral, and he has become a go-to-expert on the topic. ESPN has interviewed him and he's a frequent guest on L.A. sports talk radio. He has baseball executives following his commentaries.
2. Lauren Luke was a British taxi dispatcher when she decided to sell makeup on eBay. The young woman was passionate about makeup and she videotaped her beauty tips at her computer. Unlike the journalism graduates sitting here today, she didn't know how to edit her videos so she uploaded them to YouTube, mistakes and all. [Luke] became a monster hit on YouTube, which led to a cosmetics consulting job, a beauty columnist gig at the highly respected Guardian newspaper, a book contract, and her own makeup line.
3. Zac Bissonnette, who I happen to know, is an art history major at the University of Massachusetts—Amherst. He writes a financial blog for AOL, contributes to the The Daily Beast and is the bestselling author of Debt-Free U: How I Paid for an Outstanding College Education Without Loans, Scholarships, or Mooching Off My Parents. How did he manage to do all this? [Bissonnette] ... decided that it would be easier to succeed if he had mentors. He set about cultivating powerful people in the financial journalism world with a simple tool: E-mail. He started E-mailing some industry leaders with the hopes of networking. That's how he ended up knowing Andrew Tobias, a bestselling financial writer; Suze Orman, [the acclaimed personal finance expert]; and others. Zac's electronic networking has paid off—and he isn't even out of college yet.
Journalism is alive and kicking: What I'm trying to illustrate in sharing these examples of young people making their mark is this: journalism is alive and kicking, [but] it just looks different. Please don't let all the 'Debbie Downers' who are whining about the state of journalism today get you depressed. This is a fabulous time for 20-somethings to be in this profession.
Lynn O'Shaughnessy
http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/the-college-solution/2010/12/21/why-its-a-great-time-to-be-a-journalism-major.html
I decided to share excerpts of the speech, which I think are particularly relevant to students who hope to major in journalism, as well as those who feel pressured to select a major that is perceived to be a money maker:
Selecting a path less chosen: The biggest percentage of college students today—21 percent—are graduating with business degrees. These graduates want to make money and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I'd suggest, however, that the key to succeeding financially and professionally in journalism, business, or any other career is to choose something that you are good at and passionate about.
Unfortunately, I don't think passion is given enough attention when students and parents talk about possible college majors and future career plans. I write a college blog for CBS MoneyWatch, and the two most popular posts that I wrote in 2010 focused on the 20 best-paying college degrees and the 20 worst-paying college degrees. Since this summer, when I wrote those posts, they've had close to a half-million hits. And this is no fluke. The most popular post that I wrote in 2009 was also on the same subject.
[Read U.S. News's take on the 50 best careers of 2011.]
If you read my blog posts, you'd discover that journalism isn't on the list of the best-paying or worst-paying degrees. Most of you probably assume that business must be near the top of the most lucrative degrees, but it isn't. It's 60th on the list. What's more, the salary that the typical business major makes in mid-career is close to what the typical journalist earns.
Research has shown that it's not the specific college major that matters once you're in the workforce, but rather the passion and talent you possess for what you end up doing.
Pursuing your passion: It's so much easier today for young journalists to pursue their passions than when I was in journalism school. And yet if you listen to my peers—journalists who are old enough to be your parents—you won't hear that story. Many of these journalists are depressed right now because the media worlds they knew are crumbling.
Journalism certainly is different. I was a young reporter at the Los Angeles Times during a period when journalists there routinely referred to the newspaper as a velvet coffin because it was such a cushy place to work. When reporters at the L.A. Times, for example, had to fly more than 500 miles, we were booked in first class. Imagine that. No one would ever call newspaper jobs cushy today.
Getting started in journalism: Despite the gloom, I think this is a grand time to be getting started in journalism because the Internet has made the field far more egalitarian today. You can become an expert on anything. You can share your opinions and what you know across the globe thanks to blogs, YouTube, Facebook, and a ton of other platforms.
Young journalists also don't have to deal with the ridiculously small number of gatekeepers that the profession used to have. When I was a newspaper reporter eager to break into better markets, there were typically just two newspapers in every major town. Of course, now there are fewer. If the editor reviewing résumés wasn't interested, you were out of luck. As a newspaper reporter, I lived in Memphis; Kansas City, [Mo.]; and Los Angeles, and I can tell you that I never would have chosen to live in any of those cities—but as a newspaper reporter I felt compelled to follow the opportunities.
Limitless professional connections: Thanks to the Internet, the number of professional connections you can make are limitless and so are the opportunities. Here are three of my favorite examples:
1. Joshua Fisher, a Dodger fan and law student at the University of Minnesota, has always been intrigued by the financial side of baseball. When the couple who owns the Los Angeles Dodgers became embattled in a nasty divorce fight, the student began covering the trial. Fisher created a blog called DodgerDivorce.com that went viral, and he has become a go-to-expert on the topic. ESPN has interviewed him and he's a frequent guest on L.A. sports talk radio. He has baseball executives following his commentaries.
2. Lauren Luke was a British taxi dispatcher when she decided to sell makeup on eBay. The young woman was passionate about makeup and she videotaped her beauty tips at her computer. Unlike the journalism graduates sitting here today, she didn't know how to edit her videos so she uploaded them to YouTube, mistakes and all. [Luke] became a monster hit on YouTube, which led to a cosmetics consulting job, a beauty columnist gig at the highly respected Guardian newspaper, a book contract, and her own makeup line.
3. Zac Bissonnette, who I happen to know, is an art history major at the University of Massachusetts—Amherst. He writes a financial blog for AOL, contributes to the The Daily Beast and is the bestselling author of Debt-Free U: How I Paid for an Outstanding College Education Without Loans, Scholarships, or Mooching Off My Parents. How did he manage to do all this? [Bissonnette] ... decided that it would be easier to succeed if he had mentors. He set about cultivating powerful people in the financial journalism world with a simple tool: E-mail. He started E-mailing some industry leaders with the hopes of networking. That's how he ended up knowing Andrew Tobias, a bestselling financial writer; Suze Orman, [the acclaimed personal finance expert]; and others. Zac's electronic networking has paid off—and he isn't even out of college yet.
Journalism is alive and kicking: What I'm trying to illustrate in sharing these examples of young people making their mark is this: journalism is alive and kicking, [but] it just looks different. Please don't let all the 'Debbie Downers' who are whining about the state of journalism today get you depressed. This is a fabulous time for 20-somethings to be in this profession.
Lynn O'Shaughnessy
http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/the-college-solution/2010/12/21/why-its-a-great-time-to-be-a-journalism-major.html
Should you Reveal a Disability?
About 20% of the population has a disability of some kind, the Census Bureau reports. Of those with conditions categorized as "non-severe", 48% between the ages of 21 and 64 are working full-time, versus 63% without any disability who hold full-time jobs. The gap is smaller than you might expect, given that most employers -- 82%, according to a survey last month by the nonprofit Kessler Foundation -- have no programs in place for integrating people with disabilities into the workforce. Moreover, the poll found that 19% of companies have a specific person or department overseeing the hiring of the disabled. That's a big drop from the 40% rate that was recorded the last time the foundation surveyed employers on this question, in 1995.
It may not be coincidental that the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission says more people with disabilities filed discrimination charges against employers in 2009 than at any other time in the federal Americans with Disabilities Act's 20-year history. About 21,500 ADA-related complaints were filed with the agency last year.
The ADA prohibits hiring managers from asking job candidates any medical questions, and the consensus among legal experts in this field is that you're under no obligation to bring up the subject in an interview, unless you have reason to believe it could affect your ability to do your job.
And there's the rub. Since you managed to work around your condition in your last job, do you think you could do the same in a new position?
"You need to do a candid self-assessment," says Lori Golden, head of an extensive program at Ernst & Young called AccessAbilities, aimed at hiring and developing talented people who happen to have disabilities. "How often do the episodes of severe illness occur and, most important, what is their impact?
"The Americans with Disabilities Act requires employers to make a 'reasonable accommodation' for people with disabilities," Golden says. "But if you really believe you could not perform at a high level even if the employer is willing to work with you on it, then don't apply for that job."
Of course, making this determination requires that you understand exactly what the job will entail, so ask interviewers for as much detail as they can give you. Then, figure out what kinds of "reasonable accommodations" might be possible. If, for instance, it would help to be able to work from home occasionally, you can ask about that in an interview without going into detail about why you want to know.
"Flexibility about when and where you work is one of the most important tools for people with disabilities, so seek out employers who offer that," Golden suggests. The main emphasis of your job search should be "your skills and experience, and why you would be a great fit," she says. "Focus on your abilities, not your disability." Once you are hired, consider having a candid talk with your new boss about your condition.
"People tend to overlook the risks in not revealing the information. Bosses can't make a 'reasonable accommodation' if they don't know you need one. If you do get hired and your performance falters because of an illness you've kept secret, it can be hard to repair the damage," says Golden.
To help both employees and employers navigate this complex territory, Ernst & Young has written a free online guidebook called "Getting support, supporting others." You can read it here.
From Fortune.
It may not be coincidental that the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission says more people with disabilities filed discrimination charges against employers in 2009 than at any other time in the federal Americans with Disabilities Act's 20-year history. About 21,500 ADA-related complaints were filed with the agency last year.
The ADA prohibits hiring managers from asking job candidates any medical questions, and the consensus among legal experts in this field is that you're under no obligation to bring up the subject in an interview, unless you have reason to believe it could affect your ability to do your job.
And there's the rub. Since you managed to work around your condition in your last job, do you think you could do the same in a new position?
"You need to do a candid self-assessment," says Lori Golden, head of an extensive program at Ernst & Young called AccessAbilities, aimed at hiring and developing talented people who happen to have disabilities. "How often do the episodes of severe illness occur and, most important, what is their impact?
"The Americans with Disabilities Act requires employers to make a 'reasonable accommodation' for people with disabilities," Golden says. "But if you really believe you could not perform at a high level even if the employer is willing to work with you on it, then don't apply for that job."
Of course, making this determination requires that you understand exactly what the job will entail, so ask interviewers for as much detail as they can give you. Then, figure out what kinds of "reasonable accommodations" might be possible. If, for instance, it would help to be able to work from home occasionally, you can ask about that in an interview without going into detail about why you want to know.
"Flexibility about when and where you work is one of the most important tools for people with disabilities, so seek out employers who offer that," Golden suggests. The main emphasis of your job search should be "your skills and experience, and why you would be a great fit," she says. "Focus on your abilities, not your disability." Once you are hired, consider having a candid talk with your new boss about your condition.
"People tend to overlook the risks in not revealing the information. Bosses can't make a 'reasonable accommodation' if they don't know you need one. If you do get hired and your performance falters because of an illness you've kept secret, it can be hard to repair the damage," says Golden.
To help both employees and employers navigate this complex territory, Ernst & Young has written a free online guidebook called "Getting support, supporting others." You can read it here.
From Fortune.
5 Tips for Aspiring Digital Copywriters
So you’ve come to the conclusion that digital copywriting is the career for you, but where do you go from there?
Write a sparkling resume, pull together a stunning portfolio and craft some superlative cover letters — these should all be obvious entries on your find-a-job to-do list. We can offer some further assistance.
We’ve quizzed a select handful of top copywriters, creative directors and content executives from both the U.K. and U.S. for some behind-the-scenes career tips that could well give you the edge on your competition.
Have a read of the been-there-done-that professional advice below and good luck with the job hunting!
1. Write!
So you want to be a digital copywriter? Great! No doubt you’ve written your resume, organized your portfolio and are actively applying for positions. Don’t stop there.
“Being is a matter of doing. Runners run. Fighters fight. If you want to be a copywriter, do what a copywriter does,” advises Dylan Klymenko, junior copywriter at Mullen. “Concept ideas for this space you’re interested in. Write up scripts for video content and then shoot it, edit it and put it on YouTube (who knows? Maybe you can make being a viral celebrity your back-up career).”
“Or grab a buddy who knows code — concept and create a website that could win an FWA [Favourite Website Awards] award. The point is: don’t wait. No one is going to ask you to do it, and you don’t need anyone’s approval. Just jump right into the digital fray, get messy every single day and you’ll become through doing.”
These sentiments are echoed by Sara Williams, head of content at Made by Many, who implores those looking to get into the industry — “For God’s sake, write!”
“When you go for jobs, people are going to want to see your work and you’d better have work to show. No one hires a junior or even a mid-level writer on the basis of ideas, chat and banter. You’ve got to show you know how to write, and ideally show that you can do this across different tones and purposes. Write your own briefs if you have to, but for God’s sake, write,” says Williams.
“Once you’ve started writing, share your work, says Williams, “The web makes it ridiculously easy to showcase all your work — portfolio, long copy blog, short copy and image blog, micro blog –- in a pretty package. Don’t be shy about putting your work in front of people.”
Not sure how to improve your digital presence? Williams advises, “Comment on blogs, join conversations on TwitterTwitterTwitter, submit your work wherever you can. The web democratizes communication like nothing else. Want to be heard? Speak. Comment. Tweet. Be funny, be wise, be out there, be heard, be hired.”
2. Get Knowledge
It’s a cliche, but knowledge is power. Or in the case of a digital copywriter — fuel. In order to be successful, you need to know the product, your audience and the space which you’re writing for, intimately.
The only way you can do that as far as audience goes, says Trisha Brandon, a content strategist at iCrossing UK is to “get in there and be social to be relevant,” after all as she puts it “you’ll need more than the basics (age, gender, demographic) to really get it right.”
As far as knowing the product goes, George Tannenbaum, executive creative director at R/GA advises digital copywriters to “cultivate their curiosity.”
“Good writers know things. They find out interesting things out about products or services. Things that may be hidden on page 32 of a long brochure. Be curious about everything. Learn all you can about the product you’re working on. Go to the supermarket and talk to people who buy the product. Read the buff books. Use the product. Learn the language of the product,” says Tannenbaum.
Keeping up with what’s new online can be a challenge (may we suggest regularly reading MashableMashableMashable as a potential solution?), but it’s essential that you understand the current zeitgeist if you’re going to mastermind the next big meme.
“There’s always something new happening online: be it the next big social idea or a funny cat video. It’s your responsibility to be up-to-date on memes and internet pop-culture as much as business developments and technological advancements,” states Klymenko.
“Why do people love FarmVille so much? How do they use it? Stop asking questions and learn. Play it for a little bit. How about Chatroulette? Same deal. Let’s talk technology that could be a relevant channel for your brand. Geolocation is all the buzz lately. First you had FoursquareFoursquareFoursquare and GowallaGowallaGowalla tapping into it, then Twitter jumped on, now FacebookFacebookFacebook is doing it through ‘Places.’ But you wouldn’t know about any of that if you weren’t paying attention. Read up. Do it up. Know where you live.”
And even though you may be writing for the web, don’t forget the offline world. Many lessons can be learned from looking back to a time before online social media.
“Today, if you want to get employed and stay employed, you have to be aware of, into and willing to explore every type of media — digital or analog — and maybe even make up a few types of media along the way,” says Tannenbaum.
3. Deal with Rejection
If you’re just starting out in your copywriting career and trying to find your first position, then you’re going to have to deal with a certain amount of rejection letters. The simple answer is to grit your teeth and persevere.
“Writing is an awesome job that will take you a million brilliant places,” says Williams. “Sure, lots of people want to be writers, but if you’re talented and dedicated to crafting your skills and developing your online brand, there’s no reason you can’t be one of them.”
Be prepared for the rejection theme to continue. Once you find your feet on the first rung of the copywriting career ladder, then the next round of rejection starts when your ideas, or copy — or both — will be rejected, either by colleagues, or clients, or both.
Knowing when to ditch an idea and when to push it further is something that will come with experience, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take on board advice on the topic.
“Don’t fall in love with your own copy,” suggests Tannenbaum. “It’s better to throw your work out and start over than to do what many writers do, which is ‘fix things to death.’ If the client is being difficult about approving your copy, keep coming back with better, fresher work. The best revenge is always a better ad.”
However, particularly in the digital space, remember that some more traditional clients may need encouragement to take a risk, try something new and be bold online.
“While some clients may be less open than others, you, as copywriters, should continually try to challenge them,” says Brandon. “Increasingly, it’s what digital audiences expect.”
And finally, when you find yourself in a junior position, be humble, take your lumps and listen to feedback, but know the difference between being a lowly staffer with a lot to learn and finding yourself the whipping boy at the mercy of other people’s egos.
“Harsh but fair feedback is part of the game, and so, unfortunately, are sadistic creative directors,” says Williams. “Spot the difference and do everything you can to learn from the former and limit exposure to the latter. A harridan partner once told me that copywriters were hired to be clever and creative, but I was ‘neither clever nor creative.’ I got the hell out of there. Even as a lowly junior, these people are not worth your time or your talent.”
4. Less is More
Crucial advice as far as your copy goes is the old adage “less is more,” especially in the online world where attention spans are ever-decreasing.
“‘Less is always more’ is good advice for pretty much any writing, but I think it’s particularly apposite when talking about digital copy,” says Lewis Raven, associate creative director at glue Isobar, an advertising agency specialising in digital creative work.
“It’s so, so easy for readers to get distracted online. If you make your point with precision and originality your reader will appreciate it. They might even follow your instruction to ‘click here’, ‘roll over’, or ‘buy now!’ Go on too long and they will be straight off to to watch skateboarding dogs on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube. I know I would be.”
“Remember, if people want to, there are lots of places they can go to read really good, long copy. It might be a newspaper or a favorite blog,” continues Raven. “It almost definitely won’t be a brand website.”
Eloise Smith, creative director at Euro RSCG London takes the less-is-more-online wisdom a step further by suggesting that people read copy differently online than they do offline, so advises “writing visually” as something to take into consideration when writing for the web.
“Online users view text rather than read it,” says Smith. “They scan, skim and scroll. Normally at high speed. Online text behaves differently from print – it’s clickable, scrollable, copyable and searchable. So part of a digital copywriter’s job is to visually guide the user through text.”
While Smith suggests tactics such as indents, sub-headings, super-short paragraphs, bold captions, bullet points and numbered lists, “write less and communicate more” is her main advice:
“A digital copywriter’s portfolio doesn’t need to contain reams of copy, enigmatic headlines, complex sub-clauses and atmospheric intros. The digital copywriter writes for a notoriously distracted, impatient
audience. So the skill is to be able to write succinctly and informatively without losing charm.”
“Limit your word count,” Tannenbaum suggests. “Copywriters who grew up writing in TV and print grew up with strictures around copy length. So they became parsimonious with words. They learned to make every one count. Writing in digital media doesn’t impose those important limitations on writers. So, frankly, they tend to ramble, rather than say things quickly and succinctly.”
5. Write Well
“The principles of good writing remain the same, whatever sort of copywriter you are. Cliched metaphors, misplaced apostrophes and unnecessary jargon are just as depressing online as offline. Writing in a way your audience relates to is key to any good writing. If that means writing in a familiar, conversational manner and using the word ‘awesome’ a lot, so be it. Ultimately, to be a successful digital copywriter, you need to be a good copywriter in the first place,” concludes Smith.
“And finally — always proofread. Especially your C.V. A C.V. with typos is embarrassing for everyone.”
http://mashable.com/2010/09/11/job-search-digital-copywriters/
Write a sparkling resume, pull together a stunning portfolio and craft some superlative cover letters — these should all be obvious entries on your find-a-job to-do list. We can offer some further assistance.
We’ve quizzed a select handful of top copywriters, creative directors and content executives from both the U.K. and U.S. for some behind-the-scenes career tips that could well give you the edge on your competition.
Have a read of the been-there-done-that professional advice below and good luck with the job hunting!
1. Write!
So you want to be a digital copywriter? Great! No doubt you’ve written your resume, organized your portfolio and are actively applying for positions. Don’t stop there.
“Being is a matter of doing. Runners run. Fighters fight. If you want to be a copywriter, do what a copywriter does,” advises Dylan Klymenko, junior copywriter at Mullen. “Concept ideas for this space you’re interested in. Write up scripts for video content and then shoot it, edit it and put it on YouTube (who knows? Maybe you can make being a viral celebrity your back-up career).”
“Or grab a buddy who knows code — concept and create a website that could win an FWA [Favourite Website Awards] award. The point is: don’t wait. No one is going to ask you to do it, and you don’t need anyone’s approval. Just jump right into the digital fray, get messy every single day and you’ll become through doing.”
These sentiments are echoed by Sara Williams, head of content at Made by Many, who implores those looking to get into the industry — “For God’s sake, write!”
“When you go for jobs, people are going to want to see your work and you’d better have work to show. No one hires a junior or even a mid-level writer on the basis of ideas, chat and banter. You’ve got to show you know how to write, and ideally show that you can do this across different tones and purposes. Write your own briefs if you have to, but for God’s sake, write,” says Williams.
“Once you’ve started writing, share your work, says Williams, “The web makes it ridiculously easy to showcase all your work — portfolio, long copy blog, short copy and image blog, micro blog –- in a pretty package. Don’t be shy about putting your work in front of people.”
Not sure how to improve your digital presence? Williams advises, “Comment on blogs, join conversations on TwitterTwitterTwitter, submit your work wherever you can. The web democratizes communication like nothing else. Want to be heard? Speak. Comment. Tweet. Be funny, be wise, be out there, be heard, be hired.”
2. Get Knowledge
It’s a cliche, but knowledge is power. Or in the case of a digital copywriter — fuel. In order to be successful, you need to know the product, your audience and the space which you’re writing for, intimately.
The only way you can do that as far as audience goes, says Trisha Brandon, a content strategist at iCrossing UK is to “get in there and be social to be relevant,” after all as she puts it “you’ll need more than the basics (age, gender, demographic) to really get it right.”
As far as knowing the product goes, George Tannenbaum, executive creative director at R/GA advises digital copywriters to “cultivate their curiosity.”
“Good writers know things. They find out interesting things out about products or services. Things that may be hidden on page 32 of a long brochure. Be curious about everything. Learn all you can about the product you’re working on. Go to the supermarket and talk to people who buy the product. Read the buff books. Use the product. Learn the language of the product,” says Tannenbaum.
Keeping up with what’s new online can be a challenge (may we suggest regularly reading MashableMashableMashable as a potential solution?), but it’s essential that you understand the current zeitgeist if you’re going to mastermind the next big meme.
“There’s always something new happening online: be it the next big social idea or a funny cat video. It’s your responsibility to be up-to-date on memes and internet pop-culture as much as business developments and technological advancements,” states Klymenko.
“Why do people love FarmVille so much? How do they use it? Stop asking questions and learn. Play it for a little bit. How about Chatroulette? Same deal. Let’s talk technology that could be a relevant channel for your brand. Geolocation is all the buzz lately. First you had FoursquareFoursquareFoursquare and GowallaGowallaGowalla tapping into it, then Twitter jumped on, now FacebookFacebookFacebook is doing it through ‘Places.’ But you wouldn’t know about any of that if you weren’t paying attention. Read up. Do it up. Know where you live.”
And even though you may be writing for the web, don’t forget the offline world. Many lessons can be learned from looking back to a time before online social media.
“Today, if you want to get employed and stay employed, you have to be aware of, into and willing to explore every type of media — digital or analog — and maybe even make up a few types of media along the way,” says Tannenbaum.
3. Deal with Rejection
If you’re just starting out in your copywriting career and trying to find your first position, then you’re going to have to deal with a certain amount of rejection letters. The simple answer is to grit your teeth and persevere.
“Writing is an awesome job that will take you a million brilliant places,” says Williams. “Sure, lots of people want to be writers, but if you’re talented and dedicated to crafting your skills and developing your online brand, there’s no reason you can’t be one of them.”
Be prepared for the rejection theme to continue. Once you find your feet on the first rung of the copywriting career ladder, then the next round of rejection starts when your ideas, or copy — or both — will be rejected, either by colleagues, or clients, or both.
Knowing when to ditch an idea and when to push it further is something that will come with experience, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take on board advice on the topic.
“Don’t fall in love with your own copy,” suggests Tannenbaum. “It’s better to throw your work out and start over than to do what many writers do, which is ‘fix things to death.’ If the client is being difficult about approving your copy, keep coming back with better, fresher work. The best revenge is always a better ad.”
However, particularly in the digital space, remember that some more traditional clients may need encouragement to take a risk, try something new and be bold online.
“While some clients may be less open than others, you, as copywriters, should continually try to challenge them,” says Brandon. “Increasingly, it’s what digital audiences expect.”
And finally, when you find yourself in a junior position, be humble, take your lumps and listen to feedback, but know the difference between being a lowly staffer with a lot to learn and finding yourself the whipping boy at the mercy of other people’s egos.
“Harsh but fair feedback is part of the game, and so, unfortunately, are sadistic creative directors,” says Williams. “Spot the difference and do everything you can to learn from the former and limit exposure to the latter. A harridan partner once told me that copywriters were hired to be clever and creative, but I was ‘neither clever nor creative.’ I got the hell out of there. Even as a lowly junior, these people are not worth your time or your talent.”
4. Less is More
Crucial advice as far as your copy goes is the old adage “less is more,” especially in the online world where attention spans are ever-decreasing.
“‘Less is always more’ is good advice for pretty much any writing, but I think it’s particularly apposite when talking about digital copy,” says Lewis Raven, associate creative director at glue Isobar, an advertising agency specialising in digital creative work.
“It’s so, so easy for readers to get distracted online. If you make your point with precision and originality your reader will appreciate it. They might even follow your instruction to ‘click here’, ‘roll over’, or ‘buy now!’ Go on too long and they will be straight off to to watch skateboarding dogs on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube. I know I would be.”
“Remember, if people want to, there are lots of places they can go to read really good, long copy. It might be a newspaper or a favorite blog,” continues Raven. “It almost definitely won’t be a brand website.”
Eloise Smith, creative director at Euro RSCG London takes the less-is-more-online wisdom a step further by suggesting that people read copy differently online than they do offline, so advises “writing visually” as something to take into consideration when writing for the web.
“Online users view text rather than read it,” says Smith. “They scan, skim and scroll. Normally at high speed. Online text behaves differently from print – it’s clickable, scrollable, copyable and searchable. So part of a digital copywriter’s job is to visually guide the user through text.”
While Smith suggests tactics such as indents, sub-headings, super-short paragraphs, bold captions, bullet points and numbered lists, “write less and communicate more” is her main advice:
“A digital copywriter’s portfolio doesn’t need to contain reams of copy, enigmatic headlines, complex sub-clauses and atmospheric intros. The digital copywriter writes for a notoriously distracted, impatient
audience. So the skill is to be able to write succinctly and informatively without losing charm.”
“Limit your word count,” Tannenbaum suggests. “Copywriters who grew up writing in TV and print grew up with strictures around copy length. So they became parsimonious with words. They learned to make every one count. Writing in digital media doesn’t impose those important limitations on writers. So, frankly, they tend to ramble, rather than say things quickly and succinctly.”
5. Write Well
“The principles of good writing remain the same, whatever sort of copywriter you are. Cliched metaphors, misplaced apostrophes and unnecessary jargon are just as depressing online as offline. Writing in a way your audience relates to is key to any good writing. If that means writing in a familiar, conversational manner and using the word ‘awesome’ a lot, so be it. Ultimately, to be a successful digital copywriter, you need to be a good copywriter in the first place,” concludes Smith.
“And finally — always proofread. Especially your C.V. A C.V. with typos is embarrassing for everyone.”
http://mashable.com/2010/09/11/job-search-digital-copywriters/
Use Twitter Hashtags to Boost Your Job Search
About 300 to 500 jobs are posted on Twitter per minute, according to Carmen Hudson, CEO and co-founder of Tweetajob. With that many shared opportunities, the task of filtering information becomes daunting — that’s why we have hashtags. They can help you focus on the tweets you want to see along with the ones you didn’t even know existed.
Hudson, whose company sends job tweets that match a job seeker’s location and career interests, says the numbers are true but come with a caveat. “Many of these jobs are duplicates, or from aggregators. It’s likely the number of real opportunities could be much lower. There is quite a bit of ‘job pollution’ on TwitterTwitterTwitter, because the job boards and many employers don’t target their job tweets.”
Nonetheless, the jobs are still there. The key is finding them. As a way to filter through the noise, Hudson recommends job seekers use hashtags to take full advantage of Twitter’s search functionality.
Here are six hashtag categories that might be useful in a job search, along with some examples of what you could look for. For those who are new to Twitter or just need a refresher, check out this overview of hashtags.
General Job Search
Hashtags such as #jobs, #jobadvice, #jobhunt and #jobsearch offer both job openings and general job search advice. If you’re looking for high-level information about how to conduct a job search, this could be a great place to start.
Job Postings
You can take your search one level further by using hashtags for specific jobs like #greenjobs, #jobposting, #telecom or #salesjobs just to name a few.
Chats
Since social media is all about conversation, why not engage in chats about job search? There are a few hashtags for chats, including #jobhuntchat, #careerchat, #internchat, and #hirefriday.
Rich DeMatteo, recruiting consultant and author of the blog Corn on the Job, is the founder of the #jobhuntchat group. This “first of its kind” Twitter chat takes place every Monday night from 10-11 p.m. ET. The audience consists of recruiters, resume writers, HR pros, working professionals, job seekers, interns and college students talking about job search. DeMatteo shared that they’ve had up to 300 participants in a single session and the format is working.
Lindsay Goldner shared her experience:
“Finding #jobhuntchat catapulted me into the world of online networking. As a college senior, I’d barely built up a network and had zero connections in the industries I was interested in. #Jobhuntchat — along with its amazing moderators and participants — taught me that it was imperative for me to put myself out there, both in person and online. Connections I’ve made with people online and at networking events have led to great relationships and multiple job offers!”
Resumes
Once you find the job, then you have to send over the resume. Searching hashtags like #resume, #resumewriting and #CV can give you valuable tips to keep your resume current as well as view other job seekers’ digital resumes for inspiration.
Industry Conferences
Hudson suggests following professional conference events via hashtags:
“Conference hashtags are one of the best ways for jobseekers to find industry colleagues with whom they can network. For example, the HR Technology conference just took place. If I were looking for a job in enterprise software or talent management systems, I would certainly search the #HRTechConf hashtag and follow participants who might be helpful in my job search.”
Even if you’re not attending industry conferences, keep up-to-date with them via the web and follow along on their hashtags before, during and after the conferences to tweet along with attendees and other interested professionals in your field. The conversations that you start via Twitter could translate into future opportunities or even long-lasting business or personal relationships.
Career Advice
The learning doesn’t (or shouldn’t) stop once we land a job. Managing our careers is a constant process. Hashtags such as #career, #careers and #employment can help us with the questions and challenges we deal with every day.
And while this piece is focused on hashtags, don’t forget that there are several companies and recruiters with dedicated career accounts on Twitter. The list includes GoogleGoogleGoogle, MTV, Starbucks and more. You can check out the complete list at Listorious.
There’s no denying that the job search takes time. When using hashtags as part of your job search, there is a process to reviewing what exists, identifying the right ones for your own situation and sifting through the information. But it certainly beats doing it the hard way.
http://mashable.com/2010/10/16/twitter-hashtags-job-search/
Hudson, whose company sends job tweets that match a job seeker’s location and career interests, says the numbers are true but come with a caveat. “Many of these jobs are duplicates, or from aggregators. It’s likely the number of real opportunities could be much lower. There is quite a bit of ‘job pollution’ on TwitterTwitterTwitter, because the job boards and many employers don’t target their job tweets.”
Nonetheless, the jobs are still there. The key is finding them. As a way to filter through the noise, Hudson recommends job seekers use hashtags to take full advantage of Twitter’s search functionality.
Here are six hashtag categories that might be useful in a job search, along with some examples of what you could look for. For those who are new to Twitter or just need a refresher, check out this overview of hashtags.
General Job Search
Hashtags such as #jobs, #jobadvice, #jobhunt and #jobsearch offer both job openings and general job search advice. If you’re looking for high-level information about how to conduct a job search, this could be a great place to start.
Job Postings
You can take your search one level further by using hashtags for specific jobs like #greenjobs, #jobposting, #telecom or #salesjobs just to name a few.
Chats
Since social media is all about conversation, why not engage in chats about job search? There are a few hashtags for chats, including #jobhuntchat, #careerchat, #internchat, and #hirefriday.
Rich DeMatteo, recruiting consultant and author of the blog Corn on the Job, is the founder of the #jobhuntchat group. This “first of its kind” Twitter chat takes place every Monday night from 10-11 p.m. ET. The audience consists of recruiters, resume writers, HR pros, working professionals, job seekers, interns and college students talking about job search. DeMatteo shared that they’ve had up to 300 participants in a single session and the format is working.
Lindsay Goldner shared her experience:
“Finding #jobhuntchat catapulted me into the world of online networking. As a college senior, I’d barely built up a network and had zero connections in the industries I was interested in. #Jobhuntchat — along with its amazing moderators and participants — taught me that it was imperative for me to put myself out there, both in person and online. Connections I’ve made with people online and at networking events have led to great relationships and multiple job offers!”
Resumes
Once you find the job, then you have to send over the resume. Searching hashtags like #resume, #resumewriting and #CV can give you valuable tips to keep your resume current as well as view other job seekers’ digital resumes for inspiration.
Industry Conferences
Hudson suggests following professional conference events via hashtags:
“Conference hashtags are one of the best ways for jobseekers to find industry colleagues with whom they can network. For example, the HR Technology conference just took place. If I were looking for a job in enterprise software or talent management systems, I would certainly search the #HRTechConf hashtag and follow participants who might be helpful in my job search.”
Even if you’re not attending industry conferences, keep up-to-date with them via the web and follow along on their hashtags before, during and after the conferences to tweet along with attendees and other interested professionals in your field. The conversations that you start via Twitter could translate into future opportunities or even long-lasting business or personal relationships.
Career Advice
The learning doesn’t (or shouldn’t) stop once we land a job. Managing our careers is a constant process. Hashtags such as #career, #careers and #employment can help us with the questions and challenges we deal with every day.
And while this piece is focused on hashtags, don’t forget that there are several companies and recruiters with dedicated career accounts on Twitter. The list includes GoogleGoogleGoogle, MTV, Starbucks and more. You can check out the complete list at Listorious.
There’s no denying that the job search takes time. When using hashtags as part of your job search, there is a process to reviewing what exists, identifying the right ones for your own situation and sifting through the information. But it certainly beats doing it the hard way.
http://mashable.com/2010/10/16/twitter-hashtags-job-search/
Score a Job Through Facebook
If you’re looking for a job, ask yourself if you’ve tapped every possible resource. Have you scoured Craigslist and made Monster your homepage? Have you set Google Alerts for every possible word combination that could land you a job? Have you checked Facebook? And I’m not talking about Facebook’s rather useless Marketplace.
While Facebook is better known for helping people lose their jobs, it’s largely an untapped resource when it comes to job hunting. With 500 million users, it has the potential to be one of the largest. But finding a job through Facebook isn’t about pestering your friends and junking up their news feeds with status updates like “Unemployed and Looking For Work — Help A Dude Out.” It’s about making the most of your network in a positive way, not by being a nuisance.
By joining groups, keeping track of your friends’ updates and just keeping in touch with your network, you can turn Facebook into a site that does so much more for you than just keep tabs on your exes. Here are five ways to turn Facebook into another resource that can help you land a job. If you’ve scored a job through Facebook, we want to hear your story, so leave us some tips in the comments below.
1. Read Your News Feed
Amanda Flahive is known as the Diva of the Details at Sevans Strategy, a Chicago-based public relations and new media consultancy. She wears many hats in her job working with social media maven Sarah Evans. But Flahive landed the gig just from reading her Facebook feed.
Both Flahive and Evans attended the same college but were in different programs — while they knew of each other, they didn’t know each other well. About a year and a half ago, they were brought back together by a mutual friend’s wedding. Evans threw an engagement party, and the two reconnected. “At that time Sevans wasn’t in existence,” says Flahive. “[Sarah] was still at her old position as the director of communications at a community college. We talked about what we were both doing, but the conversation wasn’t too serious. Sevans might have been something in the back of her brain at the time, but it wasn’t something we discussed that night.”
Since they were both going to be in the same wedding, they decided to keep in touch on Facebook, the way many old acquaintances re-connect.
“I’m a person who pretty regularly reads my Facebook news feed. If it’s not something regarding Farmville or Mafia Wars, then I most likely read it,” she says. “So I was reading through updates on a random day, and had been in one sales and marketing position, and moved to another, and I was OK, but wasn’t loving it.”
Flahive was keeping an eye out — looking on Monster, looking on Career Builder, but wasn’t really hitting anything. “Those sites are quite often so flooded with people that are looking for jobs, that it was my experience that you don’t get very far on those sites. I would send a resume in and either not have it go anywhere or in a direction that wasn’t right for me,” she says.
So on a random day, Flahive saw that Evans had posted that she was looking for a three-quarter time assistant. “From the exact Facebook post: Live in Chicago and love details? Looking for someone to work about 30 hours a week, checking e-mail, booking travel etc. E-mail Jen (her then assistant) for more details.”
Flahive didn’t respond right away, but figured she had nothing to lose since she knew Evans on both a personal and professional level. Evans called her for an interview, and they had a good laugh about it. “I said, I can’t believe we are having this phone call, but if it weren’t for Facebook, we wouldn’t be having it.”
In fact, Evans didn’t post the job anywhere else other than Facebook and TwitterTwitterTwitter (also the method that Sevans uses to hire its interns). The two had a conversation about the position and Evans ultimately offered Flahive the job through a direct message on Facebook.
“It’s not what I expected to get out of Facebook,” says Flahive who says it’s typically used to catch up with friends and look at baby photos. “I never thought I’d get a job out of it. But now that I have, it makes all the sense in the world. And what’s more, my job got a whole lot bigger after I accepted via Facebook. Now it’s full time, I’m doing development and marketing; it led to a much bigger job.”
2. Get Active in a Group
Web developer Enrico Bianco works at Post Rank but found his previous job creating web applications for the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants, just by joining a Facebook group.
Bianco was in the middle of job search, looking to switch gears. At the time, he’d been doing mostly Java enterprise development and wanted to get into Ruby on Rails instead. “I started doing rather vigorous networking, and other job searching stuff. I used to answer posts on CraigslistCraigslistCraigslist, go to professional networking events for social media and Ruby on Rails.” On a whim, he says, he found a Facebook group for the Toronto Ruby on Rails community and left a message in the discussion board saying that he had something to offer, if anyone was looking for someone to do some Ruby on Rails development.
Lo and behold, he got a message back from the systems manager at CSIC, who asked for his resume, which in turn lead to an interview, and Bianco landed the job. “So it was really, very much a fluke, but a fortunate one,” he says. “She ended up telling me later that one of the key reasons she hired me was that she saw I was active in the community, and that I was engaging with others on the InternetInternetInternet.”
But Bianco casts it off as a fluke, and he admits it cost him nothing to do. “I wouldn’t use it as a primary tool for job searching, but at the time I was willing to use any resource I could.”
3. “Like” or “Friend” Companies You Want to Work For
Sandra Aaron is a Toronto-based event planner who was looking to expand her knowledge of the destination wedding scene, but she found it a difficult prospect. “It’s really hard to properly plan destination weddings without full knowledge of the travel industry,” she writes via e-mail. “So I decided I wanted to find a side job with a travel agency.”
Aaron spoke with many companies in her search to break into the industry, but the one company she really wanted to align herself with was difficult to get into, as their average new hire had 20 years of experience in the travel industry — something Aaron didn’t have.
Aaron says she spent a few months trying to find her way in, asking everyone she knew if they knew anyone with the company. Then one day, she saw a status update from the company’s Facebook Page that they were seeking experienced travel advisers. “With nothing to lose I commented, asking if they ever hired destination wedding planners. A couple of weeks later their marketing guy sent me a note on Facebook, saying he would be happy to pass on my resume to the right person.” Aaron’s resume ended up in the hands of the general manager who was so impressed with it, that within a few weeks, Aaron scored an interview.
Today, she’s an independent contractor for the company. She works from their offices, and says it’s a great situation. “I have access to their resources, and their staff has access to my knowledge and resources within the wedding industry. I would have never gotten the meeting if it weren’t for Facebook.”
4. Participate in a Contest
Andrew Miller scored his internship at Fast Horse, a Minneapolis marketing firm through a contest on FacebookFacebookFacebook. The company announced that its newest intern would be the candidate who could gain the most “Likes” in a week. Miller was tipped off to the contest by a college professor and quickly went to work on his campaign.
“I tried to tap into every single social network I had ever been a part of,” he said. “And just send out messages that said, hey if you have a few minutes can you help me win this dream internship? All it takes is liking my Page.”
Miller says he didn’t even start out with the most Facebook friends, but he was able to mobilize people by giving them simple directions to vote. That strategy won him 725 “Likes” and the internship.
“Having to market myself in this process has helped me in thinking about how to market actual products. The mobilization that I was able to accomplish is something I do all the time now, contacting blogs and newspapers, trying to get them to run stories,” he said.
Miller, who moved 1,700 miles from Portland, has completed his three month internship and it was extended another three months, which he says is a typical track to full-employment.
“If there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that social media can be such a powerful tool for establishing those relationships. There is something so hollow about submitting your standard application, resume and cover letter. With this I was able to be in communication with the decision makers and be sure this was going to be a good fit for me. I would absolutely use social media again to engage with those decision makers.”
5. Start a Dialogue
Fast Horse, the company that hired Andrew Miller as an intern, is a big believer in the Facebook hiring process, according to its creative director and founder Jorg Pierach.
When Fast Horse launched its Facebook Page, it didn’t want the campaign to just be a megaphone for the work they were doing, but rather they wanted to use it as a place to interact with job candidates, sort of a digital informational interview, says Pierach. The company directs job seekers to its Facebook Page so its employees have a place to share information about the company, their culture and what they do.
“So instead of a resume disappearing into a file somewhere, we have a way to keep in touch, and the Fast Horse experience is the way to do that,” he said. “We started this about a year and half ago and we’ve hired about four or five people this way. They started a dialogue, and when a position opened up we already had a good idea of what that [person] was about.”
Pierach says that the intern search was about more than just finding candidates; it was a way to assess them as well, so the candidates could show off their marketing chops. The company asked for video introductions and interviewed 15 candidates before narrowing it down to three finalists who competed for the most “Likes.”
“In a sense it wasn’t about hiring one candidate, but seeing three strong people and their talents. As our needs continue to grow, we know that there are people out there that we liked. It’s about talent cultivation and about them showing us what they can do. But ultimately [it's] about keeping in touch with really talented people.”
Pierach looks at it as a different kind of interview — one that requires people to take the initiative to weigh in with their own thoughts. It’s also a method that saves the company a lot of time when looking to fill a spot. “We have a pre-qualified group of people we can turn to very quickly,” he said, noting that the company saves itself from having to post on job boards and slug through cover letters. They can bring in candidates they know are going to rise to the top, because they have been watching each other on Facebook.
“We recently had a new opportunity that was a very, very quick turn around. We needed a designer the next day. We turned to our Facebook Page and within a couple of hours we had six or seven people who raised their hands, all people we knew, to say they were available. We were able to get them in the next day and keep moving.”
In the future, you can expect to see more companies looking at the hiring process this way, and Pierach suggests that people coming out of college would do well to be aggressive in identifying the companies they want to work with and start the dialogue.
http://mashable.com/2010/10/30/facebook-jobs/
While Facebook is better known for helping people lose their jobs, it’s largely an untapped resource when it comes to job hunting. With 500 million users, it has the potential to be one of the largest. But finding a job through Facebook isn’t about pestering your friends and junking up their news feeds with status updates like “Unemployed and Looking For Work — Help A Dude Out.” It’s about making the most of your network in a positive way, not by being a nuisance.
By joining groups, keeping track of your friends’ updates and just keeping in touch with your network, you can turn Facebook into a site that does so much more for you than just keep tabs on your exes. Here are five ways to turn Facebook into another resource that can help you land a job. If you’ve scored a job through Facebook, we want to hear your story, so leave us some tips in the comments below.
1. Read Your News Feed
Amanda Flahive is known as the Diva of the Details at Sevans Strategy, a Chicago-based public relations and new media consultancy. She wears many hats in her job working with social media maven Sarah Evans. But Flahive landed the gig just from reading her Facebook feed.
Both Flahive and Evans attended the same college but were in different programs — while they knew of each other, they didn’t know each other well. About a year and a half ago, they were brought back together by a mutual friend’s wedding. Evans threw an engagement party, and the two reconnected. “At that time Sevans wasn’t in existence,” says Flahive. “[Sarah] was still at her old position as the director of communications at a community college. We talked about what we were both doing, but the conversation wasn’t too serious. Sevans might have been something in the back of her brain at the time, but it wasn’t something we discussed that night.”
Since they were both going to be in the same wedding, they decided to keep in touch on Facebook, the way many old acquaintances re-connect.
“I’m a person who pretty regularly reads my Facebook news feed. If it’s not something regarding Farmville or Mafia Wars, then I most likely read it,” she says. “So I was reading through updates on a random day, and had been in one sales and marketing position, and moved to another, and I was OK, but wasn’t loving it.”
Flahive was keeping an eye out — looking on Monster, looking on Career Builder, but wasn’t really hitting anything. “Those sites are quite often so flooded with people that are looking for jobs, that it was my experience that you don’t get very far on those sites. I would send a resume in and either not have it go anywhere or in a direction that wasn’t right for me,” she says.
So on a random day, Flahive saw that Evans had posted that she was looking for a three-quarter time assistant. “From the exact Facebook post: Live in Chicago and love details? Looking for someone to work about 30 hours a week, checking e-mail, booking travel etc. E-mail Jen (her then assistant) for more details.”
Flahive didn’t respond right away, but figured she had nothing to lose since she knew Evans on both a personal and professional level. Evans called her for an interview, and they had a good laugh about it. “I said, I can’t believe we are having this phone call, but if it weren’t for Facebook, we wouldn’t be having it.”
In fact, Evans didn’t post the job anywhere else other than Facebook and TwitterTwitterTwitter (also the method that Sevans uses to hire its interns). The two had a conversation about the position and Evans ultimately offered Flahive the job through a direct message on Facebook.
“It’s not what I expected to get out of Facebook,” says Flahive who says it’s typically used to catch up with friends and look at baby photos. “I never thought I’d get a job out of it. But now that I have, it makes all the sense in the world. And what’s more, my job got a whole lot bigger after I accepted via Facebook. Now it’s full time, I’m doing development and marketing; it led to a much bigger job.”
2. Get Active in a Group
Web developer Enrico Bianco works at Post Rank but found his previous job creating web applications for the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants, just by joining a Facebook group.
Bianco was in the middle of job search, looking to switch gears. At the time, he’d been doing mostly Java enterprise development and wanted to get into Ruby on Rails instead. “I started doing rather vigorous networking, and other job searching stuff. I used to answer posts on CraigslistCraigslistCraigslist, go to professional networking events for social media and Ruby on Rails.” On a whim, he says, he found a Facebook group for the Toronto Ruby on Rails community and left a message in the discussion board saying that he had something to offer, if anyone was looking for someone to do some Ruby on Rails development.
Lo and behold, he got a message back from the systems manager at CSIC, who asked for his resume, which in turn lead to an interview, and Bianco landed the job. “So it was really, very much a fluke, but a fortunate one,” he says. “She ended up telling me later that one of the key reasons she hired me was that she saw I was active in the community, and that I was engaging with others on the InternetInternetInternet.”
But Bianco casts it off as a fluke, and he admits it cost him nothing to do. “I wouldn’t use it as a primary tool for job searching, but at the time I was willing to use any resource I could.”
3. “Like” or “Friend” Companies You Want to Work For
Sandra Aaron is a Toronto-based event planner who was looking to expand her knowledge of the destination wedding scene, but she found it a difficult prospect. “It’s really hard to properly plan destination weddings without full knowledge of the travel industry,” she writes via e-mail. “So I decided I wanted to find a side job with a travel agency.”
Aaron spoke with many companies in her search to break into the industry, but the one company she really wanted to align herself with was difficult to get into, as their average new hire had 20 years of experience in the travel industry — something Aaron didn’t have.
Aaron says she spent a few months trying to find her way in, asking everyone she knew if they knew anyone with the company. Then one day, she saw a status update from the company’s Facebook Page that they were seeking experienced travel advisers. “With nothing to lose I commented, asking if they ever hired destination wedding planners. A couple of weeks later their marketing guy sent me a note on Facebook, saying he would be happy to pass on my resume to the right person.” Aaron’s resume ended up in the hands of the general manager who was so impressed with it, that within a few weeks, Aaron scored an interview.
Today, she’s an independent contractor for the company. She works from their offices, and says it’s a great situation. “I have access to their resources, and their staff has access to my knowledge and resources within the wedding industry. I would have never gotten the meeting if it weren’t for Facebook.”
4. Participate in a Contest
Andrew Miller scored his internship at Fast Horse, a Minneapolis marketing firm through a contest on FacebookFacebookFacebook. The company announced that its newest intern would be the candidate who could gain the most “Likes” in a week. Miller was tipped off to the contest by a college professor and quickly went to work on his campaign.
“I tried to tap into every single social network I had ever been a part of,” he said. “And just send out messages that said, hey if you have a few minutes can you help me win this dream internship? All it takes is liking my Page.”
Miller says he didn’t even start out with the most Facebook friends, but he was able to mobilize people by giving them simple directions to vote. That strategy won him 725 “Likes” and the internship.
“Having to market myself in this process has helped me in thinking about how to market actual products. The mobilization that I was able to accomplish is something I do all the time now, contacting blogs and newspapers, trying to get them to run stories,” he said.
Miller, who moved 1,700 miles from Portland, has completed his three month internship and it was extended another three months, which he says is a typical track to full-employment.
“If there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that social media can be such a powerful tool for establishing those relationships. There is something so hollow about submitting your standard application, resume and cover letter. With this I was able to be in communication with the decision makers and be sure this was going to be a good fit for me. I would absolutely use social media again to engage with those decision makers.”
5. Start a Dialogue
Fast Horse, the company that hired Andrew Miller as an intern, is a big believer in the Facebook hiring process, according to its creative director and founder Jorg Pierach.
When Fast Horse launched its Facebook Page, it didn’t want the campaign to just be a megaphone for the work they were doing, but rather they wanted to use it as a place to interact with job candidates, sort of a digital informational interview, says Pierach. The company directs job seekers to its Facebook Page so its employees have a place to share information about the company, their culture and what they do.
“So instead of a resume disappearing into a file somewhere, we have a way to keep in touch, and the Fast Horse experience is the way to do that,” he said. “We started this about a year and half ago and we’ve hired about four or five people this way. They started a dialogue, and when a position opened up we already had a good idea of what that [person] was about.”
Pierach says that the intern search was about more than just finding candidates; it was a way to assess them as well, so the candidates could show off their marketing chops. The company asked for video introductions and interviewed 15 candidates before narrowing it down to three finalists who competed for the most “Likes.”
“In a sense it wasn’t about hiring one candidate, but seeing three strong people and their talents. As our needs continue to grow, we know that there are people out there that we liked. It’s about talent cultivation and about them showing us what they can do. But ultimately [it's] about keeping in touch with really talented people.”
Pierach looks at it as a different kind of interview — one that requires people to take the initiative to weigh in with their own thoughts. It’s also a method that saves the company a lot of time when looking to fill a spot. “We have a pre-qualified group of people we can turn to very quickly,” he said, noting that the company saves itself from having to post on job boards and slug through cover letters. They can bring in candidates they know are going to rise to the top, because they have been watching each other on Facebook.
“We recently had a new opportunity that was a very, very quick turn around. We needed a designer the next day. We turned to our Facebook Page and within a couple of hours we had six or seven people who raised their hands, all people we knew, to say they were available. We were able to get them in the next day and keep moving.”
In the future, you can expect to see more companies looking at the hiring process this way, and Pierach suggests that people coming out of college would do well to be aggressive in identifying the companies they want to work with and start the dialogue.
http://mashable.com/2010/10/30/facebook-jobs/
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