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Posts Tagged ‘Twitter’

5 online job search tricks

Wednesday, April 4th, 2012

Tricks for finding jobs online – new online search techniques

It’s true, so much of the job search process happens online… the most common complaint – as you know – is the “black hole” — that mysterious place to which resumes seem to travel from the moment an applicant hits the “send” key.  If you’re involved in a job search where you feel like you repeatedly send out resumes in response to ads and rarely hear back, then it might be time for some new online search techniques.

Here are the 5 tricks to shake things up for you:

Answer questions on Linkedin
Your strongest chance of being hired is to find ways to show off your expertise and build relationships in your field. One easy way to do this is to troll the “Answers” section on LinkedIn and start responding to questions where you think you can be helpful. People whose answers get high ratings show up on a list of experts. Nabbing one of those spots is a terrific way to ensure that people using the site to fill a position will find your profile.

In addition, use LinkedIn for research, not just reaching out to people. You can search for people who have the job you want or who are at the company you want and view their profile to get a sense for their background and skills.  For smaller companies who may not have a lot of published news about them, learning about who works there may give you a window into the projects they do and the backgrounds they hire

Play around on Twitter
Twitter offers a huge way to search for job postings, interact with recruiters in particular fields or geographic locales, and respond to listings. The beauty of job searching on Twitter is that there is a live person on the other end of a Twitter account and you just might be able to attract that person’s attention and engage in conversation.  Job activity tends to be heaviest in web-related fields, but now that Twitter has gone mainstream, jobs are being posted because companies realize that all kinds of people are showing up on the service.

Find jobs on employer websites
Ever hunt around a web site unable to find the job listings even though it seems like they should be easy to find? Try this method, which should work with nearly any search engine.

Make sure you are looking in the right place
The Web is so big and fluid that it’s easy to get lost.  Alltop.com is a comprehensive blog directory that makes it simple to find scores of blogs on a particular topic. Scan the “careers” and “jobs” categories, where you’ll be able to decide if a blog is relevant to your search based on its 5 most recent posts; you can also look for blogs that cover your industry.

“Key word” your resume
I’m not a big believer in getting jobs through the blind submission of resumes. Still, if you are going to send yours out for any postings where you don’t also have a personal relationship, you’ll want to give yourself the best chance of being noticed. And since most resumes are digitized and scanned by software for screening, it is vital that your resume contain the key words an employer will be searching for in a given job search.

As a starting point, figure out the words your resume should contain by looking at the job description and title given in the posting. But there’s more to it than just plugging in those words. Here’s some additional things to consider to make sure that you are key word optimized. Keep in mind that it’s not just your resume that should pay attention to key words. The same thinking should go into all of your online profiles.

Source: Marci Alboher, Working the New Economy

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Social Networking Strategy in Your Job Search

Monday, March 7th, 2011

4 Questions posed by Melissa C. Martin

Social Media

Social Media

Find out about social networking for your job searching … Melissa says to begin with your goals.  What do you want to achieve by using social networks? Job leads? Connecting with industry experts? Building relationships gradually?

Then try a leading social media application – Twitter

* Find other Twitter users who tweet about the same topics you’re interested in, such as career change, résumé writing, interviewing, etc.
* Use Twellow to search for experts in your desired field.
* Ask for leads from contacts on Twitter.
* Join Twitter lists.
* Use hashtags (#) to funnel down your area of interest. Some examples include: #careers #resumes #hiring #jobhunt #jobhuntchat #careercollective.

Here are the 4 questions:

1. What are the best social networking sites to use for your job search and career management?
2. How do social media sites (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook) differ?
3. Should job seekers focus on two or three main sites or “cast a wide net?”
4. What advice would you give to job seekers and career builders for managing their social media strategy?

Read on at:    http://www.careerealism.com/social-networking-job-search-strategy/

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How to “Stay Current” while out of work

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

With so many folks out of work these days (for Sept. 2009 – 9.2 % unemployment in the San Francisco, San Mateo region), I have noticed that it is very easy to get caught up in the day-to-day, month-to-month job search process, and forget to stay current in your industry.

Staying current is not only important to be on ready to be in top shape for your future employer, but given your weekly, variable schedule, you may be in an even better position to be able to step right into a new position, refreshed, knowledgeable and posed for a new opportunity.

What can you be doing now?


PARTICIPATING IN social networking

* Twitter – Follow people in your industry and you will find more links to articles and information than you can ask for.
* LinkedIn – Join groups, ask questions and answer questions.
* Blogs – Write, read and comment on blogs – it’s fast and an easy way to learn
* Other social networking sites and communities – Seek out other relevant sites based on your industry.


READING books, industry newsletters, magazines and blog posts (use Google Reader to assemble your RSS feeds in one place.  With the internet continuing to explode, finding websites with good, relevant information is easy.  I subscribe to over 30 industry blogs and have read a few social media books.  In addition, Slideshare is a website that allows individuals to post presentations, so searching the site can provide you with a lot of relevant content to learn from.

WATCHING online webinars

Ultimately, companies create webinars to get potential customers familiar with who they are and establish themselves as experts.  Lucky for us, they are usually incredibly informative and can easily fit into a busy schedule, as they are typically only an hour long.


VOLUNTEERING

I am volunteering at the California Academy of Sciences museum and at Taproot Foundation – to help the HR department select an applicant tracking system.  I am not getting paid for these engagements, but they provide me an opportunity to put something new on my resume, and keep my skill set current.

Overall, there are a multitude of opportunities to stay current while you’re out of work.  Doing so, could make the difference between getting a job or remaining unemployed and getting “rusty”.

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Job Search with Twitter Hashtags

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009

For Twitter newbies … a Twitter hashtag is essentially a keyword or label following a “#” symbol that people post in their tweets to “tag” their messages in specific categories and/or make it more search-able for those seeking tweets on specific topics.

For job seekers, this is an excellent way to find job opportunities and job search tips for your resume, interviews, company contacts, etc.  Whether you are seeking career advice or job opportunities, developing your personal brand, taking the next step in your career or simply just want to keep track of news and updates from the career industry – use the hashtag method of searching on Twitter.

A couple of key points about hashtags before the list of 90 hashtags:

  • A hashtag is not a source of tweets; it is a way to label (tag) tweets so they can be easily pulled together.
  • It is important to use hashtags only when you add value to the topic; the the point in a hashtag is that Tweets are supposed to be more informative and relevant.
  • A hashtag is nothing more than a character string inserted into a tweet, it’s something that you can search on – in Twitter:
  1. Go to Twitter Search.
  2. Search for a hashtag you want to track. Include the “#” in your search query. Here’s a search for #jobhunt
  3. Keep that page open in a browser tab, and refresh it periodically to see the latest results. Or subscribe to the feed for your search in your feed reader, and check there occasionally for updates.

I use hashtags in my Twitter account;  while I have picked out a few from this list to use, here are 90 hashtags specific to job searching:

  1. #areallygoodejob
  2. #avoidthisjob
  3. #benefits
  4. #business
  5. #candidate
  6. #career_change
  7. #career_coach
  8. #career_evolution
  9. #career_fair
  10. #career_suicide
  11. #careerchange
  12. #careering
  13. #careerism
  14. #careers
  15. #coaching
  16. #compensation
  17. #Consultant
  18. #crealism
  19. #creative
  20. #CV
  21. #dreamjob
  22. #employee
  23. #employer
  24. #employer-branding
  25. #employers
  26. #employment
  27. #employment_trends
  28. #employment-counselor
  29. #employments
  30. #entrepreneur
  31. #exec
  32. #executive
  33. #finance
  34. #franchise
  35. #freelance
  36. #gettingthegig
  37. #greenjobs
  38. #happy_2_be_employed
  39. #hireme
  40. #hiring
  41. #hired
  42. #home-employment
  43. #hotjobs
  44. #hr
  45. #humanresources
  46. #internship
  47. #interview
  48. #interviews
  49. #interviewing
  50. #interviewmistake
  51. #jobadvice
  52. #jobangels
  53. #jobhunt
  54. #jobless
  55. #joblisting
  56. #jobposting
  57. #jobposting
  58. #jobs
  59. #jobsearch
  60. #jobsearching
  61. #jobshouts
  62. #jobtips
  63. #laidoff
  64. #management
  65. #marketing
  66. #needajob
  67. #norestfortheself-employed
  68. #pay
  69. #personalbranding
  70. #pre-employment
  71. #recruiter
  72. #recruiting
  73. #recruitment
  74. #resume
  75. #resumes
  76. #rtjobs
  77. #sales
  78. #salesjobs
  79. #self-employed
  80. #sustainable-employment
  81. #thejobsguy
  82. #too_much_work
  83. #training
  84. #tweetmyjobs
  85. #unemployed
  86. #unemployment
  87. #wirelessjobs
  88. #work-life
  89. #work-life-balance
  90. #WSJcareers

Where you can find about what hashtags people are using:

#hashtags.org is the first place to find most recent / popular hashtags.  The link also shows each hashtag popularity trend when you hover over.

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Social Media and Web 2.0 Explained

Sunday, September 13th, 2009

Everyone seems to be talking about the new phenomenon called social media, but few attempt to define it.

Many people outside of the online marketing realm, unless they are under 25 years old, have difficultly understanding the concept.

In a nutshell, Social media is Web 2.0, or interacting with others online.  Web 1.0 was all about showcasing oneself, while Web 2.0 involves a sense of community and openness in which the line between author and reader is blurred.

Savvy businesses and organizations are beginning to utilize social networks to interact with current and prospective clients or customers, introduce new products and services, and launch viral campaigns to involve its market.  Businesses are able to communicate directly with target markets and monitor what others are communicating about its brand or service.

Most organizations are recognizing the value of social media but clueless how to use it.  A job seeker who understands Web 2.0 automatically can have an edge over the competition.  If a company is on Twitter or Facebook, job seekers can get a pulse on what that company values.

To understand what social media is, consider the six main categories:

  • Social Networks. In general, these sites allow users to build a profile, connect with friends, and interact with others who have similar interests on the site.  The most popular social networks are MySpace and Facebook.  For business use, LinkedIn is a rapidly growing network of professionals.
  • Blogs and Micro-blogs. Blogs are probably the most popular form of social media because they existed before Web 2.0.  Many people write blogs to convey their expertise on a subject, review products, report news, or simply as a diary for all to see.  On the flip side, blogs have become a recognized news source.  The social aspect of blogs involves reader comments and sharing.  Micro-blogs, like Twitter, allow for immediate posting and more interaction.
  • Social Bookmarking. Social bookmarking sites such as Delicious, Digg, StumbleUpon and Diigo, allow users to access their bookmarks from any computer and share them with others.  Rather than bookmarking a Web page in your Internet browser, you can save it on Delicious to access it from anywhere and give your network access to your favorite articles and Web sites.
  • Video Sharing. Popular video site, YouTube, has become almost synonymous with online videos.  Not only are videos entertaining, they are also highly searchable.  Other video sharing networks include Blip.tv, Dailymotion, Hulu and Yahoo! video.
  • Podcasts. These include audio or visual files that are available through subscriptions.  Podcasts can be live presentations, webinars, teleseminars, radio shows or anything that contains and audio or video file.  iTunes is a hub for all genres of podcasts and anyone can submit a file to be heard around the world.
  • Wikis. These websites contain user-generated content and allow people to add or revise information about a given subject.  Pages become communal documents in an online database.  The best know wiki is Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia that anyone can edit.  Other wikis include About.com and Squidoo.

The common thread in each of these social mediums is content creation and distribution.  New media users are not selfish with their ideas or work, instead they share their work with all of their networks through syndication.   Applications like Ping.fm make the distribution process simple, so that content can be disseminated to a number of networks at once.

You can become new media savvy if you remember the following steps: Create, Syndicate, Comment, Repeat.  Use this to your advantage during the job hunt to connect directly with your prospective employers or blow them away with your knowledge during an interview.

Source: Anne Carr, Account and Social Media Director at Bolt Public Relations

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Your Online “IMAGE”

Saturday, August 15th, 2009

Have you thought about your online image?

The Internet is a highly public medium, and personal information in cyberspace could unfortunately work against you. Business Week reported that 35 percent of surveyed employers have eliminated candidates based on online information.

Social-networking sites are everywhere – sites like Zoominfo, Linkedin, Flicker, Twitter, Facebook etc. (see Wikipedia – it lists more than 100 social-networking sites!).  Did you know that recruiters are using these sites to find candidates? And you, the job seeker, are using some of the sites to get “found.”

The search engine leader – Google

Recruiters will use Google to find out all they can about a candidate.  And in the professional arena, having a LinkedIn profile is becoming as expected as being searched on Google.  Linkedin is used not only to seek connections, but to find information.  Your LinkedIn profile is must be and look great – even if you are working and successful. Be discriminating and emulate a profile that clearly that is a “head above the rest.”

Keep in mind, though, that employers and recruiters aren’t just looking for your “Googlability” – how many times your name pops up in a search. They’re also interested in how positive your online image is. Thus, be very careful about how you project your story online.

Twitter for Short Messages

Another key trend is the use of Twitter as a “micro-blogging” phenomena where users are communicating in no more than 140 characters (there is usually a spillover of text, and normally a link to a website using a shortened URL).

This post was written August, 2009 when relatively few recruiters actually source from social networks. But, according to Kevin Wheeler of the Electronic Recruiting Exchange, “Recruiting is moving rapidly from a find ‘em and screen ‘em, to a court ‘em, stay in touch with them, and sell them profession. These networks (Linkedin, Flicker, Twitter, Facebook ) will power that charge.”

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Twitter – Tool for Your Job Search

Tuesday, July 28th, 2009

Include Twitter as a key tool in your on-line, social media job search!

Like LinkedIn, Twitter is rapidly becoming a must-do social networking tool. And also like LinkedIn, it is rapidly becoming a popular hangout for job seekers. Unlike LinkedIn, however, Twitter is not just about adding contacts … it is mostly about making new (out of work) friends, be it socially, professionally, or both.

Twitter is a great tool to use for your job searching, but remember that it won’t happen the day you begin to tweet, but over time, as you build up your “Followers” and those who “Follow You” – you will have something going for yourself. You can raise visibility with recruiters in your geographic search area by sending out your “brand” statement or “elevator speech“; or, you can post comments on current marketplace issues, deliver subject matter expertise, and show that you are on top of current trends by linking to your blog site.

As those who follow you on Twitter become interested in your content, when employers are looking at you, you’ll have more than just your resume to back up your knowledge and experience. But don’t limit your job search to just Twitter. Personal/professional networking is still the best approach for job seekers. Face-to-face interaction always works best, and no matter how great social networking is, it can’t replace that type of connection.

For the non-user, Twitter can be confusing .. you are limited to just 140 characters and are bombarded with “tweets” and “retweets”. Where to begin?

Tips for using Twitter for your job search:

Twitter Account Settings

At the Twitter main page, look for the menu bar for Settings >> Account .. This is where you set up a One Line Bio; put a link to your blog (if available), include your e-mail address, and include the city you reside in.

In your 160 characters of bio – note the position you are seeking, the more targeted the better. Be as specific as you can within the 160 character limitation.

Start your “Tweeting”

Many times job seekers will tweet out little blurbs in the hopes that someone will notice them. An example might be: “I need a job, can someone help me?”

Since you are looking for work, forget about tweeting to rant or rave … especially a bad idea if you want hiring managers and recruiters to contact you.

Note that a good recruiter will search for a job seeker on Twitter and then look at the quality of the tweets he or she has posted. Remember, your “tweets” are public.  Unlike LinkedIn, more folks than just your followers can read them.

“Follow” Job Search / Career Professionals

Twitter has many career professionals, from resume writers to recruiters to staffing agencies to placement firms. Niche sites are frequent users of Twitter as well. Looking for Human Resource jobs, Marketing, or IT jobs? You can find several specialty job boards on Twitter to follow, and check the Twitter job board ( www.twitterjobsearch.com )

As examples of who you may want to “follow” in the San Francisco Bay Area:

Key point: Take advantage of hash tags like #jobangels, #jobseekers, #jobseach #jobs #employment #unemployed #needajob #jobseekers. You can post the type of job you are seeking and then use one or all of these hash tags. Your post will then be read by everyone who follows those tags.

Search for interview subjects for that next article (examples: Twellow or Twitter Search). There is a world of wisdom in cyberspace – just waiting for you to find it!

Help your fellow Job Seekers

Twitter has many job seekers during this economic downturn / recession. You are advised to look for job advice, postings, etc. You will see many opportunities that may not be right for you, but they might be a good fit for someone else. If this is the case, then you may “retweet” or pass along those leads to a colleague, a fellow job seeker. Remember that real networking works – especially with Twitter. So. if you want to make friends, it’s a give-and-take relationship.

Twitter Profile

Twitter is a “branded online exposure” for your professional online presence; for searching for work. The key message is to promote your Twitter presence with an “employer-friendly” background. Your Twitter profile should operate like you would with a business card. Craft a well-written professional description in the spot meant for your bio. Personalize the background also!

There’s lots of space you can use to promote yourself. Use this link http://www.twitterbacks.com for ideas on creating a professional-looking Twitter background, including side bar identification information. You may also want your online resume or blog to be listed as a link on your Twitter Profile.

Twitterbacks.com has templates you can use to create your very own Twitter brand / background. Twitbacks.com is another solution that also lets you promote your Twitter profile / brand.

Twitter Tools

It is hard to “Tweet” when you are following many folks and sending and receiving replies and direct messages. A cool solution is to manage your “Twittering” with a free desktop client.

Desktop clients are software built specifically to utilize Twitter. Clients for the desktop generally do very helpful things, like let you put the people you’re following into groups, so you can be sure you won’t miss a tweet from those you care about the most, alert you when you get a new direct message or @reply, search Twitter without having to visit a separate page, or help you share images or videos. In other words, they help you get the most out of Twitter and not miss anything important.

As a job seeker, I recommend using TwitterJobSearch: http://www.twitterjobsearch.com/

TwitterJobSearch-ScreenPrint

TwitterJobSearch is a search engine that searches Twitter for jobs that match key words you enter; they claim to do the following:

  • We’re looking at context.
  • We use semantic tools to look at what was said.
  • We then look at what they’ve said before.
  • We then look at who was saying it.
  • If we do this right, we can figure out why they’re saying anything at all.

This search engine pull in additional details such as location or job title to add more context than just links to a web page.  So, the results are not only job-related but you get a link to the actual job posting (a link to another job site like CareerBuilder).  With TwitterJobSearch, you search across all of them, and results are ranked by both relevance and by how recently they’ve been posted.

Another option; look at 2 other Twitter APIs for job seeking:

Twhirl and Tweetdeck are popular ones that help you organize the tweets of your followers by making groups and help you search on specific topics, just as “job search.” They also help you see when someone has specifically spoken to you even while you were away.

And there is TweetDeck to organize your results:

Tweetdeck shows your Twitter feed in columns of information based on your preferences, rather than one long stream. As an example, you might set up columns with headers such as:

  • All tweets, jobseeker, direct messages, friends, thought leaders, and jobs.

You can click to see anyone’s profile, and from there add them to a particular column. It has a URL shortener build in, which is invaluable.

TweetDeck allows you to set up search columns so you can stay up to date with topics or brands you’re interested in. Search columns auto-update every minute using data from the Twitter Search API.

Still another option for job seekers; Twello and WeFollow:

Twitter directories Twellow and WeFollow organize Twitter users based on topic, and are great places to find other users who will regularly tweet about things you’re interested in.

You should also look into third party sites like Twubble and Twitterel, which attempt to give people friend suggestions on Twitter, based on the friends of your friends and the things you’re interested in.

One tool new Twitterers can use to find like-minded users is Twitter Search. Twitter’s own built-in search engine lets users search for others who are job seekers like you – just pick out some keywords.

BONUS: A Twitter Guide Book

Twitter can be very daunting for new users. It has its own set of jargon (#hashtags, @replies, retweets, direct messages, etc.), its own set of commands, confusing rules about who sees your tweets, and a sea of third party clients to navigate. That can be overwhelming for someone new to get into.

One place to start learning about Twitter, is the site’s own help portal and Getting Started forum aimed at new users. They’re not the most user friendly site, though, and might raise more questions than they answer for some users.

In addition, spend time on Mashable (http://mashable.com/) and look for the Twitter section to find a cool Twitter Guide. Too many people join Twitter and just start following as many people as they can without any thought to whether it makes sense to do so. The Twitter Guide Book should help both new and experienced users learn how to use the service and get the most out of it.

Final Notes

You should maintain your Twitter presence with regularity. There is no hard and fast rule, but lots of companies and non-profits try to post and tweet at least once a day, no more than five times a day.

You need to integrate your social media with other efforts, like linking to a site or a blog post in a tweet, coordinating with a newsletter, plan ahead as part of a marketing campaign, etc. Being a personality without tying back to your real-life business efforts is a great way to waste time.

Twitter’s value lies in two aspects: content and immediacy.

Content has to provide value to users (in no particular order):

  • entertainment
  • access to information otherwise unavailable
  • feeling of inclusion into a desired group
  • reciprocity with their own personal/business social media agenda

Immediacy factor engages user with time-based opportunities:

  • breaking news (being the first to know/share, accessing info traditional media doesn’t have or won’t share, firsthand reporting…”unmediated” media)
  • instant actions (flash mobs, political protests, emergency responses, calls for help, etc…often with a geolocative aspect)
  • immediate input/feedback (user reviews, customer service issues)

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Career Identity, Branding

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009

How do you create and/or improve your online career identity?

Branding yourself is the method … see what workplace consultant and author J.T O’Donnell writes about career identity online and recommends that you brand or be branded.

You can either make sure people ‘hear what they see’ in a way that boosts your credibility… or, you can ignore your online presence and be seen as,

A) non-existent and unimportant, or perhaps even worse,

B) the Dennis Rodman of the net.

So… consider these 4 steps to create and/or improve your online career identity:

Step 1: Identify Your Brand’s Keywords

Do a search on yourself and see what comes up. You may find someone with your name has coveted the top fold. From there, identify what keywords you can use to differentiate yourself from this person. Should you be using your full name? Your middle initial? Your affiliation with an organization or a type of work? Figure out how you want people to find you so you can build your brand around these keywords.

Step 2:   Become a Blog Reader & Commenter

Begin reading career-related content on blogs for 10 minutes daily. This will help you stay-up-to date and in-the-know. Then, start posting thoughtful, well-written, professional comments on these blogs related to your field of interest.

Don’t know where to find these blogs? Go to www.AllTop.com – they are like a magazine rack of online blogs. There, you’ll be able to find dozens of blogs related to your career aspirations so that you can post comments to enhance your credibility as a knowledgeable member of your field/industry.

The power of blogs is enormous when it comes to getting better educated on a subject. Your perspective and knowledge of a situation can be enhanced daily by reading blogs … especially, if you choose blogs that are both well-written and designed for easy navigation.

Here are three examples of blogs

The Work Buzz – Careerbuilder.com’s newly renovated workplace blog is easy-to-read and the perfect way to get acquainted with blogging. The content is fresh and the site navigation is simple.

Brazen Careerist – Showcases a huge crew (200+) of 20-something bloggers, making it one of the most comprehensive on the web.

Career Journal – The Wall St. Journal’s career blog is a good read simply because their newspaper is standard reading material for most executives. The advice is always solid and takes into consideration management’s viewpoints – a great way for you to learn how to start managing up.

Step 3: Ask to Guest Post & Become a Subject-Matter Expert

Once you’ve got commenting down, it’s time to consider writing a guest blog post on a subject related to your career. After you’ve become a regular commenter on a particular site and feel you relate to their readership, contact them and ask if they would accept a guest post from you. Give them an overview of the topic you would write about. If they are interested, you can write the whole article, submit it, and voila – you are a published author on the net.

Step 4: Get Your Twitter Brand Up and Running

Finally, get a Twitter account and learn the 3 key phases for leveraging its power for your career.  Twittering is micro-blogging. Better still, it’s like instant messaging for professionals. It is an easy, fast way to connect with hundreds of like-minded people in a short period of time. You can be connected to 1000’s of people in a matter of weeks.

Better still, you can ‘tweet’ (post short 140 character comments) to them which a hiring manager can read if they do a search on your Twitter account name.

So, it’s like inviting an employer to see what you are like to converse with. A great way to brand yourself!

Recommended career experts to “follow“:

@careerealism – sponsors of the Twitter Advice Project (T.A.P. into CAREEREALISM) – Get FREE Advice

@tmonhollon – a PR specialist working in the staffing industry – also the founder of a Career 100 top blog.

@debrawheatman -  a passionate career strategist and regular contributor to some major online career resources.

@dawnbugni – a resume specialist and guest blogger whose resume tips helped 1000’s on our site.

@AskaManager – nationally syndicated career expert for US News & World Report, HR Specialist, and author of the very popular Ask A Manager blog.

@juliaerickson – a career coach that specializes in career transformations.

@haroldmellor – Recruiter for Boston Globe Media and veteran of the staffing industry.

@resumesrevealed – 15+ years of positioning job seekers for success with resumes & job search strategies

@jobhuntorg – Editor of Job-Hunt.org with 18+years helping job seekers with online job search

@kgrantcareers – Career specialist for adult learners at Kaplan University

@louise_fletcher – Resume writer, blogger, author & co-founder of Career Hub.

@valueintowords – master resume writer & career strategist helping job seekers with career transitions

@heatherhuhman – journalist/career expert to students and young professionals via daily advice column

@glhoffman – author of the extremely successful career blog that runs in the U.S. News & World Report

@sweetcareers – campus career counselor with years of experience and a killer resource blog

@Keppie_Careers – a professional career coach and columnist with years of experience in corporate America

Summary

As stated by J.T. O’Donnel stated above…brand or be branded.   Why risk having a lack of any career identity or a bad online presence just because you didn’t take control of the situation?   Yes, getting your BRAND to look good takes a little effort, but it can provide an incredible return on your time and energy investment.

Source: J.T. O’Donnell, career strategy and workplace consultant
www.jtodonnell.com

More on Branding >>

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Tips, Tools, and Resources

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009

Social Media tips, tools and resources

It is clear by now that finding a new job is tough in this environment.  I want to provide you with a posting which has a collection of tips, weblinks and ideas…

Check this Social Media Website-  the Interactive Insights Group has some great content.  Their chief Internet and social media strategist, Robin Broitman, has compiled a wide range of resources, advice and tools to help you build and manage your social media brand identity more effectively.

Check out this site for all you wanted to know (and more about how to build your brand on your personal website.  How-To: Build & Manage Your Brand Identity with Social Media

Robin has been using LinkedIn for years and has found it to be one of the most useful professional networking sites online.   It can help you build your professional network, establish your brand/image, and market your services.  She has found LinkedIn’s group feature to be a helpful tool for driving traffic to her blog.  Check LinkedIn SuperGuide -Tutorials, Tips and Tools

The Interactive Insights Group has a You Tube channel: Videos on Social Media and Web2.0 hand-selected by IIG/Interactive Insights Group, Inc.

The Interactive Insights Group has a Delicious link

Videos

Cheezhead is dedicated to issues pertaining to search engine optimization, Internet recruiting, human resources, employment branding, technology and marketing.

Cheezhead founder Joel Cheesman is one of the most widely-read bloggers on emerging recruitment issues in the world.  Joel’s blog is a daily chronicle of how the Internet and technology are shaping human resources and how organizations can attract the talent needed to thrive in tomorrow’s economy.

Here are a sampling of Cheezhead’s Bi-Monthly HR / Recruiting -  specific news and noteworthy items (such as Glassdoor and Mjob) -  all of which may assist you in your job searching:

YouTube Preview Image YouTube Preview Image YouTube Preview Image YouTube Preview Image

See more videos here Recent video topics:  get away from online job databases, monster job hunter, mobile past, present and future, unemployed, a video, tech ticker interviews linkedin ceo, climber’s resume carousel looks time-consuming, michael spafferty’s video resume; plus more.

Job Search Tips

TIP: Here’s a contrarian networking idea: Stop thinking about networking and start trying to be useful to other people. That’s the advice of Dan Sullivan, founder of The Strategic Coach, a focusing program for entrepreneurs worldwide.

According to Sullivan, if you can bring confidence and clarity to people in your network by researching their needs and then offering something useful — in the form of product news, information about their customers, contacts, expertise, etc. — people will make time to talk to you. Because you will be seen as an oasis in today’s desert of bad economic news.

One thing is certain: If you keep doing what you’ve been doing in your job search, you’ll keep getting what you’ve been getting. And if you’re not getting calls from employers, why not try being useful to as many people as possible for one week and see where it leads you?

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TIP: Update your LinkedIn profile at least once a week. Add an article or presentation you’ve done. Change the information in your summary, update what you’re working on, add a book to the list of books you’re reading. You get the idea.

What to add? Add information that reflects your brand as a candidate. What would make you stand out to a hiring manager and/or recruiter? Be very strategic here—make sure everything supports and reinforces the brand you’re creating.

What does this get you? Your update will be sent to all your contacts in that weekly email LinkedIn sends out. Your name will keep coming up week after week with yet something else that brands you. A lot of visibility for just a few keystrokes.

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TIP:    Responding to a network contact with an article or summary of key points from a recent seminar can also help to remind them of your presence and also provides valuable information that they may not have seen during their busy week.

First, they know you thought of them and secondly, you went the extra step of giving them the main points in the article.  Most of us who receive articles love that considerate touch. Means we don’t have to feel guilty if we just don’t get around to the pile of articles we really mean to read someday.

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TIP: For going to a MEET UP, how do you feel about going to a meeting? What is the real reason you’re going? Did that reason get met? Do you like what happens and what you learn there? If you leave with one or two solid referrals and feeling energized by new information and/or new contacts, that may be a good meeting to keep attending.

With all the other things we’re talking about here that are essential job search components, if you feel like cutting back or cutting out these kinds of meetings, then do what seems to make sense for you.

Job search today requires creating a strategy that works for you. Test what you hear to see if it’s right for you–even the things we discuss here. Break out of your comfort zone (or perhaps it seems like you already left that far behind). Be creative and be yourself.

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TIP: Consider the Recruiter Side of the equation..  It may be tempting but so often a waste of your time to send a resume for a position where the key requirements don’t match your experience. If it’s a stretch to tie your experience to the absolute requirements, it’s unlikely anyone at the company will have the time, inclination or ability to make that leap.

Remember that recruiters have to present candidates to the hiring manager with a good reason for doing so. If they present candidates who don’t come close to the basic requirements, the hiring manager questions if the recruiter knows what they are doing. Recruiters rarely want to look stupid to their clients. So no matter how you try to spin it, they won’t be able (or willing) to sell it.

If you’ve got a resume that is oriented to how the hiring manager views the world, if you know how to position yourself and your experience in an interview, and you’ve got a clear, concise and very brief statement (sound bites can differentiate you) of what you bring to the table, you won’t need to send resumes off and hope the recipient can make the leap.

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TIP: What gets you to the strategic table is seeing (and being able to articulate) how HR value-add efforts impact the Profit and Loss.  It is essential for HR Executives to make that connection and use the language of business. CEO is only interested in one thing– “increasing shareholder value”.  HR must connect to that strategy in real ways they can articulate. They need to show the organization how their work impacts the P&L. If they do not, they may not be long at the strategic table.

All of HR, not just the executive leader, should know the Profit and Loss and annual report and know how to tie back the HR initiatives to those results. Read the annual report. Make an effort to understand the financial operations and financial results of the organization. Take your rightful place at the table. We need you!

So perhaps as part of your job search strategy, you might listen to CEO shareholder calls, network with CFO’s, learn the key financial terms and concepts. Translate your accomplishments into P&L impact. Talk about EBITDA in your next interview if you really want to differentiate yourself with a CEO or CFO.

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Niche Job Search Sites

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

Specific, targeted Job Search web links

There are specific job search sites (besides Linkedin and Twitter).  These sites, known as “Niche Job Search Sites” may be useful to you in your job searhing.  The “niche” websites listed on this posting are lesser-known job-search sites.  I was surprised to see the magnitude of the available jobs listed on these sites.

Check for yourself to see if you can use any of these.  Be advised that only 40% of available jobs are posted on jobboards.  There are 40% for those jobs listed internally within an organization – for employees to make referrals to.  And the remaining 20% of possible jobs are in the minds of hiring managers – your actual target for job searching (even though talking to a hiring manager is the most difficult method to get noticed in this job market, it tends to be the most lucrative).

By the way, niche is defined as:  A situation or activity specially suited to a person’s interests, abilities, or nature!!

Go at this list of job search sites (listed in no particular order) to see what you can come up with!

1. Dice.com: This is the go-to site for jobs in technology. Companies like Dell, NVIDIA and Apple post jobs to the site regularly, along with non-technology companies looking for IT workers. Apply online or upload a resume for recruiters to view. For $29.99 per month you can see who has viewed your resume and be sure your resume places high when your area of expertise is searched.

2.  IT Job Board:  This site is the #2 computer/IT careers niche site.  It works with the UK and Europe’s leading businesses and IT recruitment agencies to offer thousands and thousands of live permanent and contract IT jobs throughout the UK and Europe everyday

3.  Jobsinthemoney:   This #2 financial careers niche site features targeted job postings available in the JobsintheMoney.com database from companies across many industries and locations throughout the United States and cover a variety of positions for tax accountants, auditors, fraud examiners, analysts, controllers and CFOs, as well as many other finance and accounting professionals.

4.  ComputerJobs.com:  The #3 computer/IT careers niche site.  This job board focuses solely on the IT professional. Founded in 1995 by IT professionals who saw a need for an effective way for job seekers and companies to connect, ComputerJobs.com has over thirteen years experience connecting thousands of high-tech employers with millions of qualified job seekers.

5. GovernmentJobs.com:   The influx of cash from President Obama’s economic stimulus plan will lead to a host of new job opportunities in state and local government. Use this site to search for jobs in government offices throughout the U.S.

6. eFinancialCareers.com:  The financial sector has been hit hard, but the surviving companies are still hiring. This site features jobs in areas such as accounting, finance and insurance. Check out the “emergency career toolkit” full of tips for keeping your career in gear, even during the downturn.

7. Medzilla.com:   Healthcare and pharma remain strong industries, even during the recession. This site features jobs from biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies like Amgen, Teva and Baxter. Jobs range from entry-level drug sales reps to full-fledged medical and engineering positions.

8. SchoolSpring.com:  This site saves educators the task of scouring the Internet for jobs in each individual school district. Executive, administrative and teaching jobs from around the country are aggregated here. Applicants can narrow searches based on subjects and grade levels taught. For an even more targeted search, try state-specific sites like EdJoin.org in California or NYEdJobs.org in New York.

9. HCareers.com:  Head to this site for jobs in food service, hotels and tourist attractions. In addition to listings, there are free features like tips on writing cover letters, continuing education resources and a salary and cost of living calculator with advice on negotiating a raise.

10. MarketingJobs.com:  Job seekers with backgrounds in marketing, advertising or sales come to this site to check out offerings from employers including The Walt Disney Company (Stock Quote: DIS) and the blueberry division of Driscolls Berries. Posting a resume is free, as are downloadable resources like industry magazines and more than 350 informational videos about various sales careers.

11. MediaBistro.com:  This site is for anyone involved in the production of creative content, including editorial assistants, journalists and editors as well as those in media sales and advertising. In addition to the free job listings, there is a place to advertise availability for freelancing as well as career-related online courses and seminars.

12. Guru.com:  This site plays the middleman for freelancers looking for contract work in industries like business consulting, graphic design and law. Job seekers can upload resumes and search and bid on jobs. Guru.com helps project managers award bids and even provides a safe online payment method to help guarantee a smooth delivery.

13. Startuply:  This site will list small company posting site; majority tech jobs, but not all

14. Start-up jobs:  This site is a also small company posting site

15. Venture Loop:   Check here for VC-backed company jobs

16. NPost – Mostly tech and start-ups

17. Retirement Jobs:  This is the #1 retirement careers niche site

In Summary, you may also want to check the world’s largest network of niche career communities, powering thousands of local and industry-specific sites. The Beyond.com network is comprised of many distinct channels, each represented by a premier career destination and backed by a powerful group of associated communities.  Link:  http://www.beyond.com/channels/

Beyond’s Motto: “The Focus of One, the Power of Many”

Beyond’s Mission: For community members to experience the targeted exposure of a niche job board, reinforced by the power and volume of their entire network.  Jobs posted to one of their communities are automatically distributed and visible across all relevant network sites, providing for maximum exposure and targeted connections with high-quality candidates.

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Take control of your job search: Network

Saturday, May 9th, 2009

Networking Works!

It’s time to unleash the single most powerful and proven tool in your job-search tool kit—networking. Survey results vary, but it appears that about 40 to 50 percent of the time, networking plays a major role in helping people land new jobs. That would make networking the single most-effective way to find out about job openings and to succeed at getting a new job.

So What Is Networking?

Networking is simply involving others in your job search and becoming involved in the job-search efforts of others. It can take place one-on-one, in small groups, large groups, formal groups, informal groups, and even online.

If you establish a communication network with 20 people, you dramatically increase the likelihood that you will learn about employment opportunities and contacts you may never have found on your own.

Where Do I Start?

Online social networking platforms are a growing vehicle that people are using for networking. One of the leading online professional networks is LinkedIn, and there are several others (e.g. Plaxo, hi5). On these platforms, you identify your contacts and invite them via e-mail to connect with you. Then you become connected to them and can view their connections and contacts. If there is someone on the profile of one of your contacts whom you would like to meet, you can ask to be introduced to that person. This “gated-access approach” ensures that the expanding network of contacts is comprised of “trusted” individuals.

You can also join special interest groups at LinkedIn to rapidly expand your number of connections. You can search by individual’s names, employers, names of hiring managers, and professional affiliations. These groups can become a meeting place where you can ask questions. Developing your personal network on LinkedIn may take time, but it will probably require less time than trying to build a network in person or by phone.

You can also follow people in your field on Twitter, a social networking site. Once you set up an account on Twitter, you can respond to or comment on “tweets,” or short posts by others. Some people use Twitter to post links to personal or industry blogs or news items. You can search Twitter for people you know or by subjects you want to research. For example, a search on “résumé help” brought up more than 15 tweets of people discussing résumés or asking for advice. You can then decide to follow people on Twitter, and that way, you will regularly see their updates.

You can also type in hash tags (for example, “#resume”) and search for tweets by topic. Some professional organizations are posting updates from conferences and workshops using hash tags.

In addition to your online efforts, you should still explore the traditional networking vehicles:

1. Family and Neighborhood Gatherings – Have your “elevator speech” prepared, and try it out. In case anyone offers help, be ready to elaborate on your job-search plans and on your targeted employers.

2. Social and Religious Organizations – These groups sometimes sponsor job-search networking meetings. If not, just start talking to people to people before or after meetings and services. If you meet someone who is willing to help, try to get a business card or ask for an e-mail and a phone number.

3. Professional, Trade, or Business Groups – Join professional and trade associations. Attend their conferences and offer to work on committees. You’ll be quite surprised to find that many who attend are looking for jobs. Some of these organizations sponsor job-networking sessions.

4. School or Work “Alumni” Groups – Many colleges and major employers establish alumni networks to help their members search for jobs, make contacts, or develop business. For a list of such corporate alumni groups, visit www.corporatealumni.com. You can also find some of these groups online, via Facebook or LinkedIn.


The biggest obstacle to successful networking may be overcoming your nervousness over asking for help and admitting you’re out of a job.

One idea to get started is to open conversations with previous coworkers or acquaintances by saying, “I’m new to networking. What’s your experience, and do you have any suggestions for me about how to get started?”

Don’t discount the impact of networking. And don’t make these excuses:

1. “I’ll be competing directly with the people I share information with.” Not so. It will be rare that you are searching for the same job, in the same industry or employer, as someone in your support network.

2. “I can’t imagine begging people for help. It’s too humiliating.” Get over it. Networking is common practice, and you’re not begging for help. You’re asking for, and offering help, to many people in your network. Being unemployed no longer has the stigma it did 20 years ago.

Losing a job these days doesn’t mean you failed and are unemployable. You’ve simply lost your job and you’re looking for a better one.  Unlike the generation before yours, you will likely work for several employers over the course of your career. It is rare to spend your entire career with one company.

3.  “I don’t know how to network.” Learning to network starts with developing your “elevator speech.” In one minute, you should to be able to summarize what type of job you want, what you do best, and how the person you are talking to can help. Rehearse this with your family and friends. Be direct, polite, and confident. Most people will be flattered to be asked for help. Now, get out there and meet people.

So maybe networking is something new for you.

But get excited about learning a new job-search skill, or to put it more bluntly, adapt or give up!

Take control of your job search.

Be proud of your efforts. You will find a new job, because you know you have to.

So stop creating obstacles for yourself and give it a try.

Source: Bob Skladany, chief career counselor for RetirementJobs.com

More on Networking >>

Social networking websites should be treated as an on-line tool to support traditional networking methods. Its focus is to expand the number of your business and/or social contacts in your network by making connections through individuals you already know. It is a powerful concept when applied to careers and job search because it has the potential to connect you rather quickly to people in your target markets.

Recruiters and employers also search social networking sites to find candidates, and most sites host job listings.

When using a social networking site for job search, you look for other members who are insiders at your target companies. Then you look to see which people you already know can introduce you to those new people, just as you would in traditional networking. You can also tap into your connections at past companies, schools or associations and talk to those people about your targeted organizations.

One of the best uses of social networks is to build up a list of contacts — and potentially connect with someone in a target company. Unlike regular employment sites, which mainly list want ads and applicants’ resumes, social networks are designed for professionals to meet peers and make career contacts.

Social network connections can give you access to:

  • contacts by a particular company, industry or interest
  • jobs that don’t show up anywhere else
  • people that you have not met, including hiring managers and recruiters

Getting Started

In general, here’s how it works: you join one of the social networking sites (such as LinkedIn.com) and invite people you know to join as well.

Those people invite their contacts to join, who in turn invite their contacts to join, and the process repeats for each person. In theory, any individual can make contact through anyone they have a connection to any of the people that person has a connection to, and so on.

In the process of joining a social networking site, you create a profile. Your profile is:

  • Your online resume
  • An advertisement
  • A web page

This profile is your personal presentation to the community of people in your industry and profession.

Most social networking sites have features that allow you to post recommendations from your network. This can work to your advantage if your profile includes recommendations from well-placed connections who say favorable things about your abilities that are relevant to the work you are now looking for. Make sure that your online profile reflects who you are and what you want.

Searching for Contacts

Once you join the network, there are two basic ways to search for contacts:

  • Get a referral from a third party to a person you want to meet. You look around for people you know on the network and send out invitations to “connect” to them. The friend who gets the invitation clicks on a link that confirms that he or she knows the you. As soon as that happens, you can easily request contact with all of the friend’s friends.
  • Search for people based on a host of factors, such as name, industry location, employers or schools attended. When you spot a likely profile, look to see who can introduce you to the new person you found.

How do employers and recruiters use social networks?

Employers and recruiters use popular social networking sites to:

  • hunt for talent
  • do informal reference checking by viewing information about you posted by you or others
  • look for mutual connections before personally interviewing a candidate

There are numerous other social networking sites on the Internet;  the sites that work and are career-related are easier to use in job search than the purely social sites, but both can be very useful.

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Use Twitter to Find a Job

Monday, May 4th, 2009

Introduction to Twitter

Twitter has become a phenomena alright and it is not just for geeks, those social networking types and tech savvy enthusiasts.  Everyone is Twittering now – especially job seekers.  Forget about the update feature – and do not be concerned about needing to “Tweet” when using Twitter.

Twitter is much more than updating “what you are doing.”  …. Twitter has many uses for both personal and business reasons.   It’s a great way to keep in touch with your friends and quickly broadcast information about anything from where you are and what you’re up to.

This is a networking tool that has completely changed the rules by instantly connecting you with a large group of people.  You can ask questions, gain information, follow people in your field, look for work, post a job, share news, share thoughts, post photos, tell jokes, speak your mind, and just about anything else you want. All in one stop!

When you first join Twitter you can choose to “follow people“.  You can follow the news world; photography, movies/TV, whatever interests you … but you are looking for a job right?

So why don’t you “follow” the San Francisco Business Times, or the recruiter from Hotwire?  Yes, you can get people to reply to your messages / updates; but why not use Twitter to network into your next job?

Check this short video from Commoncraft: Twitter in Plain English

YouTube Preview Image

Twitter as a key social medial tool for job seekers.  It is a phenomenon of real time search and the ability to capture this stream of ‘tweet’ discussions is an important development for job seekers – largely because folks can seek information on job opportunities that might not be available in traditional job search sites.

I advise you to consider using Twitter to build relationships, exchange information, uncover job opportunities, and all within the posting and receiving of concise 140 character messages.

Twitter is a “branded online exposure” for your professional online presence; for searching for work, make your Twitter presence “employer-friendly” by:

  • Put your job pitch in your Twitter bio (which is 160 characters)
  • Use a professional looking picture (also known as an “avatar”)
  • Tweet about your job searching

Use Twitter just like you would use instant messaging.  Your Twitter messages (know as a “Tweet”) will be sent to professionals (and recruiters) whom you may or may not know.

Job Searching on Twitter ( Overview)
Twitter is a great place to start your job searching – remember that  it won’t happen the day you begin to tweet, but over time, as you build up your “Followers” and those who “Follow You” – you will have something going for yourself.

You can raise visibility with recruiters in your geographic search area by sending out your “brand” statement or “elevator speech“; or, you can post comments on current marketplace issues, deliver subject matter expertise, and show that you are on top of current trends by linking to your blog site.

As those who follow you on Twitter become interested in your content, when employers are looking at you, you’ll have more than just your resume to back up your knowledge and experience.

Utilize your Twitter background screen to promote yourself
There’s lots of space you can use to promote yourself.  Use this link  http://www.twitterbacks.com for ideas on creating a professional-looking Twitter background, including side bar identification information.  You may also want your online resume or blog to be listed as a link.

Job search accounts for search tools & resources
There are many new Twitter tools and applications to assist with a proactive job search.  A variety of Twitter accounts are dedicated to providing job listings by field, company, region, and more. See what works for you to obtain a match for your job searching.

TweetMyJobs – this is a tool for Twitter job seekers and recruiters. Follow the hashtag #Tweetmyjobs and visit the website. This is a very simple (and free) tool for job seekers. You can subscribe to desired job channels and even have new openings automatically sent to your mobile phone. Even better? You can specify which cities you want notifications from.

TwitterJobSearch.com -  a job search tool that matches context with semantic tools to look at what was said; then it looks at what was said before; then it looks at who was saying it.  Its a very clever approach to searching and is recommended for getting started with job searching on Twitter.

Recruiters on Twitter
Recruiters use Twitter also to look for potential candidates. Use the #recruiting tag; or follow sfbayjobs   Before contacting a recruiter via Twitter, check out:

• Their background on Twitter
• Their Follower/Following ratio (Have they been around a while? Do they follow people back?)
• Check the link to their website – are they connected to their company website?
• You may inquire around to determine if the recruiter is a credible source for leads

Post a Job Tweet – used by Recruiters
TwitHire – free job board service for Twitter
This site is a free job listing service whose mission is to help employers promote job opportunities and reach out to candidates by simply tweeting.
http://www.twithire.com/

Twitter – The Home Page of Twitter has a Search box;  merely enter one of these classifications into the window and observe the results.  Just type in a few keywords such as  “job openings,” “looking for a job,” or “health care career.”

Or, use these hyperlinks below to go directly to the Tweeter:

By company
@attjobs – Jobs at AT&T
@salesforce – Jobs at Sales Force

By field
@alldevjobs – Developer jobs
@ArtDirectorJobs – Art director jobs
@cwjobs – Copywriter jobs
@journalism_jobs – Jobs in journalism
@medical_jobs – Medical jobs
@media_pros – Jobs for media professionals
@narmsjobs – Retail marketing jobs
@reflectx – Physical Therapy jobs
@socialmediajob – Jobs in social media
@travelmaxallied – Healthcare jobs

By job type
@findinternships – Internships and entry level jobs for college students
@freelance_jobs – Freelance jobs
@heatherhuhman – Entry level jobs and internships
@Project4Hire – Freelance and temporary jobs


By region
@chicagowebjobs – Web-related jobs in Chicago
@ChicagoTechJobs – Technology jobs in the greater Chicago area
@ITJobsLondon – IT jobs in London
@ITJobsSydney – IT jobs in Sydney, Australia
@JobsBoston – Jobs in the greater Boston area

General
@JobAngels – Helping the unemployed find jobs
@indeed – One search. All jobs
@jobshouts – General job postings
@simplyhired – Job search site
@StartUpHire – Jobs at VC backed companies

Check these Twitter job-hunting applications too

Twellow the Twitter Yellow Pages
Just tweet it find other Twitter users, just like you
TwitterTroll the coolest real-time Twitter search engine!

Your next job could be just a tweet away.

Reference: Sarah Evans is the director of communications at Elgin Community College (ECC) in Elgin, Illinois. She also authors a PR and social media blog and is the founder of #journchat

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Still not convinced?  …then check these links:

15 Twitter Applications for Your Job Search
http://blog.bincsearch.com/?p=1258

20 tips to Twitter job search success
http://jobmob.co.il/blog/beginners-guide-find-a-job-with-twitter/

Using Twitter to Network and Find a Job
http://thetalentbuzz.com/2009/02/find-a-job-using-twitter-and-networking-twitter-job-search-strategies/

Use Twitter for Your Job Search
http://www.keppiecareers.com/2008/11/23/use-twitter-for-your-job-search/?0414ace0

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More about….. TweetMyJobs

Interview with the Founder of TweetMyJobs – Gary Zukowski.  He created a service that connects employers and job seekers in real-time using the real-time text messaging service Twitter. Employers can immediately notify job seekers of any new openings, thereby speeding up the recruiting and hiring.

What is TweetMyJobs?
It’s a service that connects employers and job seekers in real-time using the real-time text messaging service Twitter. Employers can immediately notify job seekers of any new openings, thereby speeding up the recruiting and hiring process. There is no cost to job seekers to use this service.

What was the genesis for TweetMyJOBS, and what kind of background do you come from?
I am a 21–year technology veteran of corporate America. I have worked as a developer, manager and consultant in IT organizations such as MITRE, GE and SeaLand, and has been following Twitter’s tremendous growth over the last couple years. Having read about Twitter assisting doctors in hospital operating rooms and even being a valuable communication tool during the Mumbai terrorist bombings, I realized that in this down economy there was a great opportunity for yet another creative use of Twitter.

I also owned an IT consulting firm, EasySoft Solutions, Inc., for the last 13 years, so the business of bringing job seekers and employers together is something I’m very fluent with.

How does the application work?
It is very easy. First, a person signs up for a free Twitter account or uses his or her existing Twitter account. Then, the person goes to TweetMyJOBS.com and signs up for our free service.

Once the account is established TweetMyJOBS job seekers subscribe to “job channels” for the cities and job types they have an interest. Instantly they can begin receiving text messages when positions become available on the job channels they have signed up for. In less than 4 minutes, a user can be getting new job postings on his or her cell phone. In addition, a job seeker can upload a resume and profile onto TweetMyJOBS, and we will tweet it for potential employers to find.

From an employer or sourcing approach, the process is very similar to many other boards. The difference is that the job posting is not only available on TweetMyJOBS for searching, but is sent out on a Job Channel on Twitter, which is then available for anyone on Twitter to see. We also use hashtags for each posting, which helps for searching. Employers can even re-tweet their job postings, which will refresh the listing on Twitter.

What has the response been so far?
Without any advertising, we already have over 4000 members, and close to 50,000 job postings. The jobs being posted on Twitter are getting view traffic, and we’ve even heard from a customer who actually found a job in an hour on TweetMyJOBS, after being unemployed for 6 months and exhausting all the traditional hiring avenues.

We’ve also gotten requests for international job channels, so we’ve turned on Canada, UK, Irelena, and India. We’ll keep expanding as the demand grows.

Why would a job seeker use TweetMyJOBS instead of other job posting services like Monster.com or Hotjobs?
As opposed to sites like Monster.com and Hotjobs where people can sign up to receive email notifications for jobs on a daily basis, TweetMyJOBS subscribers receive notification of a posting immediately. In this economy that could be the difference between getting a job or remaining unemployed. Also, we’re a lot more affordable. Our posting prices range from $.99 to $9.99 per job, depending on the duration, compared to $395 for a 30-day Monster posting.

Most sourcing specialists are very budget conscious today, which makes this type of package even more attractive.

There is a revolution going on in the employment marketplace moving more and more towards social media to source candidates, not only from a financial perspective, but from a quality perspective as well. Social networking sites such as Twitter makes it very easy to refer jobs openings to friends and collaborate about current employment opportunities. Why not integrate the function of job searching to their platforms of choice, rather than make them go to a separate site? This revolution should be putting companies like Monster and CareerBuilder on notice, because I see this trend continuing.

What are the plans for the future and what are the company’s long term goals?
Our immediate plan is to continue expanding the functionality of TweetMyJobs to further enhance the experience for job seekers and job posters.

Our goal is to become the number one social media job site in the world. We want to revolutionize the way employers and candidates connect the same way more traditional web based services transformed this process in the 1990’s. We are confident that based on the tremendous growth of Twitter, coupled with our proprietary software application, we are well positioned to be the market leader.

Source: Gary Zukowski, the founder of a new Twitter application called TweetMyJobs.com

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7 ways to use twitter

Here are 7 ways to use twitter to network your way to an interview or to land your next job.

  • First things first! Be creative and selective with the 160 characters you use in your bio.  People find you this way, and Recruiters search using keywords.
  • Follow @JobAngels. What started just 3 days ago is quickly gaining traction.  What is it? Job Angels is a grass-roots movement to help people find work.
  • Connect with Recruiters. Look for those within your industry and with connections.  You can use sites like TweepSearch that searches twitter profiles – which currently lists over 350 HR Professionals and over 900 Recruiters.  Use other key words (talent acquisition, sourcing, executive search, etc.).    TweepSearch also shows when their last status update was in the search details so you can get a quick feel how active they are before making a decision to follow.  Another recommended tool to search profiles and locations is Twellow.
  • Get listed in justtweetit. After listing yourself, search for other tweeps that might be in the same industry or share the same interests.  Look for additional ways to broaden your network.
  • Follow @jobshouts and @TwitHire. Visit their sites, and job listings that are published on twitter – or sign up for a RSS feed.
  • Think like a detective. Use Summize to search terms / hashes like job, hiring, employment, haj (have a job), or naj (need a job).
  • Tweet appropriately, and be yourself. When you start following Recruiters and others within your industry and get followed back, remember you are building your brand.  A tweet like “Looking for an opportunity in SEO and open to relocation” might go over better than “Being lactose intolerant just sucks”.

Whether or not you get an interview or land that next job via twitter depends on a variety of factors including how much time you invest in it, who you connect with, the content of your tweets, and more.  A multi-faceted networking and job search strategy that includes elements of social media and networking is key.

NOTE: It has been said the finding a job with social networking is simple if you are already living the web 2.0 lifestyle

Source: Jason Buss, a Talent Management executive and strategist

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The Ultimate Guide for Everything Twitter

I found that this site  http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/03/the-ultimate-guide-for-everything-twitter/ has an alphabetized glossary of everything you need (or did not know) about Twitter.

I recommend you check this link t to see a listing of the most popular Twitter applications and instructions for incorporating Twitter into your website and blogs.

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Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule) for Job Searching

Saturday, April 11th, 2009

The Pareto Principle

Ccommonly referred to as the 80/20 rule,  the Pareto Principle states that 80% of any result will be accomplished with 20% of the effort.

Popular culture has simplified this into what is commonly known as the “80:20 Law” which proposes that 80% of the time expended on a task produces 20% of the results, and 20% of the time expended produces 80% of the results. 20% of a study population accounts for 80 percent of the measure under consideration.

Most job seekers are following the wrong part of the Pareto Principle – 80% of their time is spent on  lower-impact activities — “web surfing” and responding to job board opportunities, posting their resume on line and connecting with executive search professionals; and only 20% of their time on high impact activities — networking and reaching out directly to leads and potential employers.

You will be more effective at getting results if you – the Job Seeker -  will use the 80/20 rule to your advantage:  to spend 80% (or more) of their time on the high-impact, “human interaction” oriented activities, including:

  • Talking to and meeting with their network contacts
  • Attending and participating in networking functions
  • Aggressively utilizing social media applications for network communication purposes (LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, among others)
  • Identifying target companies and aggressively contacting those companies directly or through a referral from their network
  • Scheduling daily phone calls, daily meetings and getting out and “shaking hands”

Are you achieving the level of results you desire in your job search campaign?

If you are not seeing results then you are either: NOT spending sufficient time and/or are NOT focusing the time required for the highest impact. The job search process simply CANNOT be “Short-Cut” in the current market environment — neither short-cut in terms of time spent nor short-cut in terms of focus on the right things (and usually the “tougher” and more “involved” things).

Time Commitment. An effective job search campaign should be considered “a full time job.”  If you are currently unemployed, then the 40 hours or so you’d normally spend working should be devoted to your job search.  At a minimum, you should follow an “80/20″ approach to your time commitment — with 80% of your available time during the week devoted directly to your job search, and 20% focused on other important activities — personal time, community activities, training, education, professional development, etc.  Rest assured that your top competition in the job market is taking this approach — without question.

Source:  Andy Robinson; Exectuive Coach, Career Transition Coach
http://twitter.com/AndyInNaples

More on Pareto:

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