Tapping into the Hidden Job Market

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One of the biggest frustrations expressed by my job-seeking clients is how to convince employers to consider them for jobs for which their experience and skills are not a perfect match (“I know I don’t have every qualification listed on that job posting, but why can’t the employer just give me a chance? I learn quickly and am very motivated!”).  Many talented candidates tell me that trying to match their background to the qualifications listed on jobs posted online is a very frustrating exercise, often resulting in them being either over- or under-qualified for most positions.

Employers also express such a frustration — saying that despite the high unemployment levels and the reports of many highly qualified candidates — they often struggle to fill their open positions with suitably qualified candidates. Last year, the Wall Street Journal reported that as many as 40% of the companies they surveyed struggle to fill positions with suitable candidates. One employer admitted that “In some cases, like an open administrative assistant position, many applicants are overqualified”, expressing reluctance to hire such candidates because he believes they “won’t like the job—at least for very long.”.

In a recent article, Lou Adler, a Headhunter and Author, argued that the job market is divided into two markets — one that is effective at building careers and filling job needs, and one that does not work at all. The ineffective market is the one job seekers often look at first — where jobs are posted and qualifications are listed. The effective job market — the one that works — is hidden. Hidden, but “in plain sight”, he says.

 

What is the Hidden Job Market?

Even in this age of the Internet, when posting jobs on a company website is easy and does not have to cost much, most meaningful career moves happen away from public sight, through what Adler describes as “internal moves and networking”. In fact, he suggests that most candidates (almost 60%) find work through networks and recommendations from people who know them.

This means that job seekers who spend all of their job search reading through online job postings, and submitting their carefully composed cover letters and suitably targeted resumes, are missing out on the most efficient and effective way of finding meaningful work: networking.

The fact is that many jobs become available and are quickly filled, even before getting to the stage of being described and posted online. So much so, that these jobs do not even get counted in unemployment figures (which often rely only on counting advertised positions).

 

Where are these “hidden” jobs?

The truth about the job market is that employers also prefer candidates who are highly motivated and have potential to contribute to their company in the long-term. The problem is, that unless a personal recommendation can be made about these qualities in a candidate, employers do not have any objective way to assess motivation and future potential. The best they can do is ask staff, colleagues or friends if they know someone who might be suitable, based on their past performance.

When a position becomes available in a company, employers tend to go through the following steps, according to Lou Adler:

They start by considering past and present employees. They may informally ask around, to find out if any staff would like to take on the new opportunity, or whether they can recommend someone who might be interested, using “general criteria”, which are not rigid, and may be even be adaptable to the candidate’s fit to the position. If this is unsuccessful, employers will begin to network and ask around for suggested candidates from people whom they trust, still being flexible in terms of the criteria and nature of the job, depending on the potential of the candidate.

Only if the networking is unsuccessful, hiring managers will feel obligated to prepare a formal job description and advertise the job. The process of detailing skills and qualifications forced employers into becoming less flexible in deciding who they will have to hire. It also makes the process cumbersome and expensive, for both the job seeker and the employer.

Most job seekers have already experienced this in their work history. When I survey my clients about their previous jobs, most have stories of finding jobs — often the best, and most important jobs in their work history — informally, or through someone they knew.

 

How to access the ‘Hidden Job Market’

Throughout this blog, we have shared ideas about ways of networking so that job seekers can become known by as many influential people as possible. These include volunteering, as well as using LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to meet new potential employment contacts. I have also listed strategies for becoming the person who others think of when they have a job opening.

Most importantly, job seekers need to invest job search time to meet people and build trusting relationships which result in potential employers thinking of them when a job comes their way. This requires an investment of time and effort, and a rethinking of what many job seekers consider the usual ways of looking for work, to favour networking.

After LinkedIn: In-person Networking

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Despite all the on-line chatter about the importance of LinkedIn and social media for job seekers, face to face contact remains the most effective job search activity. If an employer knows a candidate, or they have been referred by someone they know, the likelihood of that candidate being hired is much higher. A recent New York Times article stated that referrals are important both for being called for interviews as well as in making the ultimate hiring decision, suggesting that “Referred candidates are twice as likely to land an interview as other applicants (…) For those who make it to the interview stage, the referred candidates had a 40 percent better chance of being hired than other applicants.”

WHY Network in Person

Having hundreds of LinkedIn contacts is just the first step in this process. It isn’t effective to simply inbox one of those contacts (whom you probably have never met in person) and ask for a referral. Most people will not refer a person who they do not know, even if they are connected on a network such as LinkedIn. Referrals occur when the job seeker is known, liked and respected, and when the referring person feels confident that their reputation will not be negatively impacted by the referral.

The challenge for job searchers, then, is to establish a personal connection with those people who are well positioned to refer them. The most effective way to establish such a connection, is to meet in person, leave a positive impression and continue to work on maintaining the relationship on an ongoing basis.

HOW to Network in Person

Ultimately, the only way a job seeker can begin to establish a personal connection is to meet face-to-face, even if it is only briefly. It does not need to be a lengthy meeting, and should be regarded as the first step in a long-term process of forging a meaningful connection. The first meeting is simply an opportunity to gather information and develop rapport, with no pressure for a job.

1.  Identify your target. Remember that an effective referral does not have to come from someone in the Human Resources Department. Often, the best referrals come from the person who does the job you would like to do (i.e. a potential colleague) or a manager. LinkedIn’s company pages, or the contact lists of your contacts maybe can be useful to identify your target person. If you don’t have any connection and cannot get an introduction, try joining those LinkedIn groups whose members may be worth meeting.

2. Connect on LinkedIn, if possible.  Try to connect via LinkedIn with your target person. Make sure to send personalised note with your invitation to connect, and thank them, once they agree. Work on establishing rapport, through commenting on their updates once in a while (not too often).

3. Plan your meeting. Think through what you want to discuss. You might want to look through their profile and think about questions regarding their job, company, education or career. Think through how you will introduce yourself and your career path. Prepare a script of your self introduction.

4. Set up the information interview – by Telephone, Inbox or Email:

• Introduce yourself briefly.
• State the purpose of the phone call (or email) – i.e. you are currently researching careers and would like to set a date for a short meeting.
• Explain your reasons for wanting to meet: to gain information about the person’s occupation and benefit from their insights and advice.  State clearly that you do not expect them to have a job for you or to know of any job openings, rather you want to be in a more informed position before you pursue a career direction.
• Ask for 15-20 minutes of their time within the next week for the interview.
• Set a date, time and location of the meeting. (Should the person decline to meet with you, check if he/she has time for some questions on the phone either now or at a later date and ask for additional names you could contact).

5.  Conduct the Meeting

• Arrive ahead of time, dressed neatly (although it does not need to be quite as formal as an interview).
• Bring a folder containing a list of questions and information you have already gathered.
• Have your business card available (if you have one), as well as a copy of your resume. DON’T offer your resume — you may want to ask for feedback about it, if appropriate, as well as provide it IF they request a copy.
• Express appreciation for their time and remind them that 15-20 minutes is all you expect.
• Re-state the purpose of the meeting – information, advice, no expectation of a job.
• Introduce yourself: describe your background, experience, skills, interests, objective.
• Bring the person up to date on your research so far – concisely so that new information will be added.
• Ask three or four essential questions that you have prepared and take notes.
• Ask for suggestions and other areas to be explored.
• Ask for referrals to other persons in specific occupations in the other areas suggested; ask about their background, and request permission to use the referring person’s name when calling.
• Thank them and express your appreciation for their time.

6. Follow up

Send a thank you letter as soon as possible. In the letter, refer to a point of interest from your discussion. Inform them of your next steps.

In the long term, keep in touch with those with whom you connected. Send a holiday greeting card, comment on LinkedIn and update them about your progress.

Developing a life-long practice of networking is useful for all those involved. Successful networkers know that in addition to the rewarding feeling of making a positive impact on others’ careers, the time and effort spent on helping another person will surely benefit them in the future, in return.

Maximize your LinkedIn Profile for Job Search

When I talk to participants at my Social Media Skills for Employment workshops at JVS Toronto, it seems that more and more job searchers have already signed up with LinkedIn and have begun to set up a profile. This observation is borne out in the data offered by LinkedIn, who report that they presently have 175 million worldwide members, with two new members signing up per second. However, when I ask job searchers about whether LinkedIn has made a difference to their job search, some complain that even though they created a profile, ”nothing is happening”. When I evaluate their profiles, it is clear that certain common mistakes are made, many of which are easily corrected. After correcting these and learning to use the tool properly, many have reported a huge difference in the effectiveness of LinkedIn, leading to increased attention to their profile, and — even more importantly — job leads and even invitations to interviews and offers of employment.

The common mistakes made by job searchers on LinkedIn can be divided into those related to profile completeness and mistakes related to the ways the profiles are used:

Complete your profile:

LinkedIn emphasizes the importance of a complete profile as a way to maximize visibility and make users more easily found by others. If you have an up-to-date resume, a simple professional photo and a few people with whom to connect, 100% completeness is relatively easy complete.

I have outlined the criteria for profile completeness on our blog, which can be summarised as:

• A current position, with a description
• Two more positions
• A photo
• Education
• 5 skills, at least
• A profile summary
• 50 connections, at least
• Industry and postal code

The challenge for unemployed job searchers is the expectation of a current position. One good way to address this issue is to include a volunteer position (make sure to clearly indicate in the job title that it is volunteer work, though). Job searchers could also include freelance or an interim survival job, by way of completing this requirement.

Another challenge for the unemployed job searcher is finding 50 connections. The best strategy for maximizing connections is to connect with all of the people you know on LinkedIn, as well as begin actively identifying new possible contacts through groups and networks of previous employers and schools. Try to personalize each invitation and don’t be shy to reach out broadly. You’ll be surprised to find that most people are happy to connect.

Be an active user:

Whether a profile is complete or not, there are many ways job searchers can use LinkedIn to raise their profile, meet new contacts and maximise their existing network. This includes (but is not limited to) joining Groups, searching through the Jobs, following Companies, and providing Answers to questions:

1. LinkedIn reports more than one million Groups of various sizes, from two members to over a quarter of a million. It is worth joining a few, to start. Usefully, LinkedIn actually recommends groups that match your profile (“Groups You May Like“). Read the comments and questions, offer your own feedback and ask intelligent questions. Keep in mind that LinkedIn is designed so that you can more easily connect with a person with whom you share a group.
2. Job search is quite easy on LinkedIn. It follows the same process as many job boards, and allows candidates to save a search, narrow the criteria and even receive emails that alert job searchers about jobs that match their requirements. It also recommends “Jobs you may be interested in“, based on the content of your profile. Jobs are often described in great detail, and job searchers may be able to apply directly on the site, using their profile.
3. The number of company pages on LinkedIn has grown, with over two million recently reported. Follow local employers for whom you would like to work. This is an excellent source of data for job searchers, as well as an opportunity to interact with companies, as well as receive notification whenever they post a job on the site.
4. Answering questions is an excellent opportunity to raise your profile and show off your expertise; this option is not used by enough LinkedIn members (which is exactly why YOU should take on this opportunity!). You can answer questions posed on the site, share your ideas or ask your own (thoughtful) questions. You will find this section on the “More” section of the main menu, under ”Answers”.

If you face any difficulties implementing these suggestions, check with the LinkedIn Help Centre, which be found on the “More” section of the menu, under ”Help Centre”.

I recommend to job searchers to spend at least a third of their job search time (2 hours per day, perhaps) on LinkedIn, to job search, follow companies, network in groups, share their expertise and to expand their contacts.

Of course, take any opportunity you can to meet new contacts in real life and strengthen your existing relationships. This always has been the key to a successful job search, and will continue to be so, as long as hiring is done by people rather than computers.

Lessons from the LinkedIn hack — learn to protect your password

Recently, a startling announcement on Twitter raised the concern of LinkedIn’s millions of users that their personal information was at risk:

Reports suggested that over 6 million passwords of the 161 million registered users had been potentially stolen by a hacker, who posted them online. LinkedIn quickly responded with promises to inform affected users and guide them through the process of setting new passwords. Included in LinkedIn’s response was a recommendation that all users update their passwords and consider other best practices to ensure their security.

Unfortunately, this event is not uncommon among sites such as LinkedIn and has been followed by more account compromises, such as Last.fm and eHarmony, both of whom are believed to have been done by the same hacker.

Password theft is a serious risk to all of us. Think of a password as a key to your home. Just as you take care not to let uninvited people enter your home, invade your privacy, misplace or mess up your possessions, or worse – steal your valuables, you need to take the same care with your online information. Once hackers access your accounts, they could get into your email, take your contact list (for spam), get banking information, find enough personal data to steal your identity, change or delete your files, or even use hijack your computer so to use it to send mass spam.

The question for users is how to best secure their passwords. Here are some tips:

Most importantly, make the effort to create passwords that are:

1. complex,
2. changed often,
3. not used repeatedly in multiple sites, and
4. kept securely

Make an effort to create complex or strong passwords:

Probably the most important aspect of password security is to use words that are not simple or obvious. Mashable (who are always an excellent source of social media news, tips and “how to”) posted an infographic that listed the 30 hacked passwords most often chosen by LinkedIn users. They noted that:

“Link” was the number one hacked password, according to Rapid7. But many other LinkedIn users also picked passwords — “work” and “job” for example — that were associated with the career site’s content.

Religion was also a popular password topic — “god,” “angel” and “jesus” also made the top 15. Number sequences such as “1234″ and “12345″ also made the list.

Bottom line: choose a less obvious password, preferably one that is:

• Over 8 characters
• Not simple enough to be found in the dictionary
• Has a mixture of characters (e.g. $,#,%), numbers and letters (lower case and capitals) — a useful tip is to use numbers to replace letters, for example – use 3 for E, 2 for Z,  0 for o, and l for 1 (that way “hello” would become “h3110”)

If you’d like to be sure your password is strong enough, test it on Microsoft’s secure Password Checker.

Change your passwords regularly and frequently:

The same way you change the batteries in your smoke alarms regularly, passwords are most safe if changed every 3 months or so.

Do not use the same passwords across various sites:

As tempting as it may be, make sure that you don’t use the same password for all the sites you visit, as this makes you even more vulnerable to losing a lot of data, after one site is hacked. In particular, this increases your risk of identity theft.

Keep your passwords in a secure way:

Make sure your passwords cannot be easily found by not sharing them with anyone, as well as not writing them down where they can be found (such as stickies on your keyboard!).

Some final tips:

• Obviously, many people do not follow these rules because of the challenge of remembering complicated, ever-changing words. One excellent tip is to create little memory tricks such as mnemonics, where you chose a sentence such as an expression, favourite song, book or poem title/line, and use the first letter of each word. For example “If You’re Happy And You Know It” could be IYHAYKI and if you mix capitals and lower case letters and add numbers and symbols, that could become 1yH&yK1@$.
• Also, there are some secure services to help our aging, ever challenged brains. LastPass comes highly recommended as a safe, easy to use, free service which will help you generate secure passwords, as well as keep them in a single password protected place.

The challenge of networking: it’s not who you know – it’s WHO KNOWS YOU (and WHAT they know)

So, you have written your resume, prepared a cover letter, identified job search sites, and even set up a complete profile on LinkedIn. Now, all that’s needed is for you to begin sending your resume out to the hundreds of suitable jobs out there, right? Wrong; as job searchers quickly discover, job search is much more complicated than simply sitting behind a computer screen and sending out resumes. Job search is complicated by the fact that our present economy is what employment professionals describe a ‘buyers’ market’, where employers (who we could call the purchasers of skills) have many well qualified candidates from whom to ‘buy’, whereas the job searchers (i.e. those with skills to sell) have fewer jobs from which to choose.

This means that job searchers have to do more to be noticed: you have to know more people, or more accurately – be known by the right people. Becoming known by others results from active initiatives to meet the appropriate people who are in a position to hire, or may be connected to such people, and — even more importantly — to build relationships with them.

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Social media is an excellent tool to enable job searchers to take the first step of connecting with people they know. Sites such as LinkedIn will enable you to make connections and invite others to get to know your professional profile better. But, this is only a first step; job searchers who simply link up with people are often disappointed to find that simply having connections and an online profile is NOT enough to lead to jobs. The next step is to create strong ties, which result in a contact knowing who you are and what makes you unique, as well as being invested in helping you achieve your career goals.

Some of the best networking advice out there comes directly from the source: the co-founder of LinkedIn, Reid Hoffman, who offered his advice, when discussing a recent book on this topic he co-authored, titled The Start-Up of You.

Hoffman recommends that networkers set out to actively cultivate existing relationships with specific connections into “active alliances” through:

1. Consulting them for advice,
2. collaborating and sharing with them on issues of interest to them,
3. promoting and supporting their causes/brands, and
4. defending their cause or reputation — if necessary.

This is a very deliberate and active process which takes an investment of time and effort. It means that you have to carefully choose the contacts you want to develop, and setting aside time and effort to cultivate the relationship.  It demands patience, time and careful planning.

Here are some tips to begin the process of relationship building, or strengthening ties:

1. To begin, make sure each contact you make is individualized: don’t send out general spam-like invitations on sites such as LinkedIn.  Each person with whom you connect, should get a personalised note which reminds them how you know them and why you want to connect
2. Make an effort to get to know your connections – read their LinkedIn profile, blog or company webpage and take note of their interests and passions; consider carefully whether they would be in a position to support your career AND whether you can do the same for them
3. Take advantage of opportunities to meet the people whom you have decided to focus on – in person at conferences, meetings, volunteer work or virtually in LinkedIn groups
4. Offer your chosen contacts information which may be of use to them, such as a current article about a relevant topic or a useful website or service; offer a LinkedIn Recommendation, if appropriate
5. Offer your time to volunteer at their company or at an event they are organising
6. Introduce them to people who you know who may benefit their cause, product or company
7. Make sure to be appropriate – don’t offer too much, or more than you can afford to give (both time and money-wise) and make sure to be of genuine use and help
8. Be gracious — thank people they accept your request to connect, or when they connect with you; thank them any time they go out of their way to be helpful – possibly in a public way, such as posting a review on a website, Facebook page or a letter to a newspaper

The more you work on a relationship, the more it will work FOR you. It requires planning and ongoing effort. As Reid Hoffman suggests in the article: “Relationships are living, breathing things. Feed, nurture, and care about them; they grow. Neglect them; they die.”

The bottom line is that in today’s job market where employers have the advantage, you need to connect with people who are in a position to support and promote your career. The way you can achieve this goal is to establish connections, and invest care, time and planning into building strong tie relationships with a select few people in your network.

Do you have mentors or friends who have supported your career and helped you move forward? Maybe you have played that role for others. We would love to hear how this has worked for you!

NEW updates to LinkedIn profile completeness criteria

In a February 2012 blog,  LinkedIn announced changes to the criteria for Profile completeness, with the specific goal of making it easier for users to complete their profiles. 

The main function of profile completeness is to increase “search optimisation” – that is, to increase the likelihood of being found in searches, both on Google and within LinkedIn, thus resulting in “Users with complete profiles (…)  40 times more likely to receive opportunities through LinkedIn”.

 

 

A LinkedIn profile is most likely to appear in the top of a search, if:

-          it is 100% complete

-          it shares more connections with the searcher

-          it shares more groups with the searcher

 

 

According to the recent changes, LinkedIn users should complete the following, in order to achieve the completeness goal:

1)       Add a profile photo (which makes the profile seven times more likely to be found)

2)       List two jobs  (making the profile twelve times more likely to be found)

3)       Include a description of the jobs

4)       Have 5 or more skills on the profile

5)       Write a summary about themselves

6)       Fill out their industry and postal code

7)       Add the school/university they attended

8)       Have 50 or more connections

9)       Frequently update their status (“profile freshness”)

Most notably, it appears that Recommendations are no longer required for completeness.  The main reason this was dropped seems to be that users do not always have control over this aspect of their profile, and so LinkedIn wanted to make it easier for them to complete their profile without having to rely on others. Despite this change, I would caution users to not neglect Recommendations, as many employers do look for this on the profiles of potential hires.

With these new changes to profile completeness, many LinkedIn users will log on to find that their profiles are no longer complete. But, it also means that many more users will be able to complete their profiles and thus, with a bit of effort, ensure that they are easily found by potential employers.

 

New Year’s Resolutions for Your Job Search

It’s that time of year again where people make resolutions that they intend to adhere to for the rest of the year. “Lose weight, exercise, be a better person, take up a hobby or reconnect with family/friends” are a few of the more common ones.

Why not take this re-focus opportunity and make some resolutions towards your job search? There are always ways to fine tune your search, even if you don’t think it’s broke (you wouldn’t be reading these blogs if things were peachy and the job opportunities were pouring in – would you?).

Here are a couple of ways to get back on track and start 2012 on a solid footing.

1) Review your resume - If you have been sending out your resume to anything that remotely resembled what you are looking for, but didn’t receive any calls, it’s time for a resume revamp. Firstly, your resume should be an ever-changing document, as one size does not fit all ESPECIALLY when you are applying for different jobs. The resume you used to apply at Burger King should not be the same one you send for the IT help desk position.

It is more efficient if you focus your job search within one field. You can use the same resume as a template, but even then, you MUST  fine tune it to match the job you are applying for. Show the employer where your skills and experience match what they are looking for. If you are applying in different sectors for different roles then you should have a separate resume for each sector or role. Don’t cut corners here, as the easiest way to get your resume into the circular “G” file is to send it for a job that it doesn’t match.

2) Review your interview skills - If you seem to be able to get interviews but always come second, there is something turning off the employers from what they see on paper (your resume) to when the meet you and speak with you in person. A good remedy for this is to take advantage of Interview Workshops offered by many of the community organizations like JVS. They can help you identify potential areas of concern like body language, tone of voice, quality of answers and follow-up. Most of these services are free so why not see if these programs can make you an employer’s first choice? Also, check out our past blogs on this topic, and rethink how and what you say in interviews.

3) Training for new skills –  This is probably the toughest area to decide on what to do. Most people are limited by financial resources, time constraints, family obligations and so on. If you are eligible for training through a government assistance program (provincial, federal, Student Scholarships and even municipal) then that will ease some of the burden, but not everyone is eligible for the specific skills training they need.

Here’s how I look at this situation. The only person that will decide of the training you take is valuable, necessary or makes a difference is the EMPLOYER. The opinions of a salesperson at a private college, a job developer like myself, a friend, or even your parents do not matter. The employer is the one who is going to hire you and they will be the ones to decide if your new skills are what they are looking for.

Points to remember:

• Not all training is created equal. Taking a program through a Community College will have more of an impact than cheaping out and taking the same program off a matchbook from Chris’s Private College, Tattoo Parlour and Burger Emporium. Visit at least 3 people in the field or role you want to be in and ask what education or skills are needed, where they got their education and what institutions they recognize as legitimate. Don’t waste your time, money and energy on training that won’t get you ahead and is not recognized in the real world.
• Take training that will add to your skills and not start you from scratch. With the Second Careers program, many people took advantage of the funding to get trained in a different career. I have heard of successes and challenges from different people who enrolled in the program. If I was to enroll in such a program I would look for skills that would enhance what I already had. Why start totally from scratch as that would make me “new” to the industry?

Here’s an example of what a successful client of mine did –  he had 10 years experience as a Tool & Die Operator. His company went bankrupt and he was out of work. After trying to find a job for several months he decided to apply for Second Careers. The training he applied for was Industrial Design. Coupling that with his experience as a Tool & Die Operator made him a much stronger candidate then he was before the training. He did get a job with his new skills.

My point is to be applying for jobs from a position of strength. Why get into a totally different field only to be at the bottom of the ladder again? Enhance the great skills you do have with the proper training (with input from the employers) and you will become a stronger candidate. Starting off at the bottom of the food chain again means less money too.

• Keep in mind that employers do offer professional development/tuition assistance programs to their employees. Let’s say you have identified the company that you want to work at but the job you want needs further training. Being unemployed,you don’t have money or the ability to take time off for school – bills have to be paid. Why not apply for a job you are suitable for and then take the training through the company – on their dime?? Many companies have tuition assistance programs that are fairly generous for their staff. They are interested in growing talent from within so these programs are a great way to get your training and to get paid at the same time.

4) Increase your Social Media presence – Utilize LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and so on to gather information, connect with employers and get the inside scoop on potential job opportunities. The availability of information, ease of connecting with people is staggering. Just remember to mind your manners. Being unprofessional online can harm your reputation very quickly. People don’t owe you anything and if they choose not to respond then move on. You will meet some fantastic people out there that are willing to give advice, lend a hand or even just listen. Sometimes that is all you need to get you over the hurdle that is in front of you.

So, for 2012, I challenge you to do the following:

• Invite one person a day from the field you are looking to work in, to connect on LinkedIn.
• Join one new LinkedIn Group a week, and PARTICIPATE. Start a discussion so they can see you.
• Pass on a job opportunity that you have seen to someone in your network.
• Be open, to try different tactics and new approaches to your job search.

Best of luck in 2012,

Chris

HOW TO: Impress employers online

In my work with job searchers, I am often surprised to find that many have not considered the possibility that it is very likely that employers will search for them on Google.  Many job seekers admit to have never Googled themselves, to find out what they look like, and seem almost offended by the notion that employers might be seeking information about candidates beyond that which has been supplied in resumes and references.

In our daily lives, when faced with a decision about a new product/service, most of us turn to Google or other search engines to gain information. We are curious to see how it is portrayed and what others might say about it; we don’t necessarily trust the advertising and want to make an independent and informed decision about what is best for us.

Job searchers are encouraged to look up employers before applying for a job or attending an interview. A search on Google can produce interesting information about a company – perhaps a newspaper report about problems with the company, or, on the positive side – inclusion in a “best employers” list. If the company cannot be found online, or if their website looks weak, job searchers might conclude that the company is outdated, out of touch with customers, or struggling financially.

It would be reasonable, then, to assume that employers would do the same. In a survey of employers, Reppler, a social media monitoring service, found that more than 90% of employers turn to the Internet to find more information about candidates, at all stages of the hiring process, and that their decisions are significantly influenced by what they find online, good and bad.

© David Castillo Dominici | Dreamstime.com

Do you know what employers might find, when they search for you online? Google yourself, and look through the results carefully – check through the images, websites, blogs that appear, and identify which of these scenarios best describes what you find:

a.  You are not easy to find. There are some images and links of people who share your name, and not all are respectable, and it is hard to tell whether the person who is found is actually you.

b.  You are nowhere to be found. At most, there’s a Facebook page which is completely private, but otherwise, you seem invisible online.

c.  You ARE easy to find, but it doesn’t look so good.  There are uncomplimentary or even embarrassing photos, Facebook/YouTube/blog comments, tweets, mentions, karaoke videos or mentions in less than professional contexts.

d. It is easy to find you, and you look impressive. Your LinkedIn profile appears at the top of the search, as well as your membership in a professional association, there’s possibly a video of you participating in an athletic event, an image of you in a graduating class photo from 5 years ago, or a mention of you in a fundraising event.

If you found a, b or c, your challenge is to work on carefully crafting your own online image, through thoughtful and informed use the many free social media tools available on the Internet. In previous blog posts, we have outlined how LinkedIn and Twitter may be used to create a professional image, which will convey the best and most suitable message for employers to find. Even Facebook, which has developed a reputation as a job killer, can be used as a very effective self marketing tool, if the content and privacy settings are carefully controlled.

When using social media, remember that employers might be unforgiving. Be careful about what you say and do online; keep in mind that potential employers will judge your:

• language (swearing, being negative or mean, bullying)
• spelling and grammar
• photos, including the profile image
• friends and associations
• activities (too much drinking or partying?)

Most effectively, make sure that you have something positive and impressive to show to those who are searching for you online. If you are not working right now, engage in activities which you can show off, such as volunteering, taking a course and hobbies, such as athletics or the creative arts. Don’t be shy to share your achievements, past and present — seek out recommendations on LinkedIn from those who can speak well about you and your work. Use social media to share interesting thoughts, ideas and insights, and link up with friends and organisations that reflect well on you and your professional interests.

Bottom line:

1. Search for yourself online regularly and become familiar with what employers might find.
2. Influence what people will find online about you, through careful use of social media.
3. Watch your language and behaviour online, as well as that of people with whom you are associated.
4. Involve yourself in positive activities, and make sure to share them online.

With so much of the discussion online focusing on the drawbacks and risks of social media, it isn’t surprising that you may be nervous to get online. The fact is, though, that with the risks, there are also some exciting opportunities for job seekers to create and project a positive online image, which could go a long way to persuade potential employers that you might just be that perfect next employee which they seek.

Job Searching During the Holidays – Should I Stay or Should I Go?

This indecision’s bugging me
If you don’t want me, set me free
~The Clash

The malls and stores have been decorated for over a month now, and you know the words to all of the new Christmas songs, since you have heard them a million times. You are waiting for a reply from a previous interview and wondering if it is time to shut down your job search, as nobody hires during the holidays.

You are partly right.

As referenced in my previous article, Tips for finding Seasonal Work – there are employment opportunities leading up to Christmas. But what about the month of December? Is it worth the effort to keep plugging away at finding a job?

While it is true that most employers will slow down or freeze hiring during December, there are still fantastic opportunities to network and put yourself in a more strategic position for the New Year. Think of it as an early New Year’s resolution.

During this time of year people are wrapping up things for year-end. Their focus is not completely on work, but on the holidays, friends and family. Moods are more positive and people are more receptive to chatting about what the next year may bring. Use this opportunity to connect with your targeted employers to gather information about the company, upcoming job opportunities and their hiring process.

Having this information before jobs are posted in the New Year gives you an edge over the rest of the job seekers. You will know what jobs are coming up, when they are accepting applications, the hiring process and who is doing the hiring. If you are lucky and resourceful, you may even have secured someone on the inside who can pass your resume on for you.

It’s also a good time to follow-up on previous interviews where a decision has not been made. Most companies will want hiring wrapped up before the end of the year so they can complete any paperwork, finish budgets and project future headcount. People have a little more time to chat and may be more open to longer discussions on the decision and potential upcoming opportunities. Don’t go into the New Year thinking “what if” and “I wonder if they will call” – find out now. You can then start with a clean slate in 2012.

To be prepared for the potential opportunity of marketing yourself to employers, try this exercise:  in seven words or less – describe what you do or what you can offer an employer. Think of this as your sales pitch, calling card or your brand. It’s a way to become more memorable. What I currently use for employers is “Helping employers land their next great employee”.  I couple that with a profile picture on LinkedIn of me holding a large fish (yes it’s real and I did catch it! released it too).

You can choose to stop your job search over the holidays or keep plugging away to secure your next job.  I’m not suggesting that you continue at 100%. Everyone needs some time off to relax, regroup and recharge. Just don’t completely stop, as you would be missing out on some great opportunities.

The benefits of job searching in December include:

• employers have more time to talk about current or upcoming hiring opportunities
• there is less competition, as some job seekers have given up their search until the New Year
• some companies could be hiring to use up $$ left in the budget
• the down time can be used to research employers and lay the groundwork for networking (using LinkedIn), as well as review your resume and adjust it, if you haven’t been getting interviews
• companies have a skeleton staff on over the holidays, so the odds of making a connection are higher
• besides, what else are you going to do??

So, use this time of year to your advantage. Don’t give up; keep plugging away. After all, this is your job search and you will get out of it what you put into it. Good luck in 2012. Don’t stop “taking care of business”.

And I’ll be…

Taking care of business every day
Taking care of business every way
I’ve been taking care of business, it’s all mine
Taking care of business and working overtime
Work out
~(Bachman-Turner Overdrive)

Learn to use Twitter, and use it to help find a job

When I survey job searchers about the social media tools they use,  consistently Twitter appears to be the least used and most misunderstood site of all.  This is unfortunate, since of all the sites commonly used by job searchers, it could be true to say that Twitter provides one of the most immediate and rich source of jobs and opportunities to connect with potential employers.

What is Twitter?  It is simply a social site where people share ideas, opinions and news in 140 character Tweets, which may contain simple statements, links to photos or other online content. Twitter is a public space which allows users to ”follow” interesting people or organisations, so to track their Tweets, as well as comment, share or start a conversation.

Here is a good, simple video which introduces new users to Twitter:

For more info about how it works, have a look at this video, offered by Twitter when they recently enhanced their site:

Here are some simple instructions for setting up a Twitter account, specifically for the purpose of using it to job search:

1.   Sign up for Twitter and set up your account:

• Use a USERNAME that identifies you – the closer to your own name, the better. Remember — you are going to be targeting potential employers
• Put up a professional photo, preferably the same one you use for LinkedIn.
• Put up a brief bio that describes you as a professional (refer to the previous blog post where we discussed Introducing Yourself).
• If you feel like getting fancy, you can create a background that shows some of your skills
• Add a link in your profile to your LinkedIn account

2.  Follow interesting and relevant people and companies  

• Focusing on your job search goal, find people to follow: target companies, recruiters, respected authorities in your field (try Twellow).  Follow job search experts (Here’s an excellent list of recommended job search experts on Twitter)
• When someone follows you or you follow them, read their profiles and connect with them. See who they know and who interests them. Seek out people you would LIKE to know and follow them.
• Take time to listen, watch and learn how people use it

3.  Search for jobs, and sign up with some of the Twitter Job Search sites; try:

• TweetMyJobs
• Twit Job Search

4.  Strike a conversation

•  Don’t be shy to initiate conversation with people. Note the use of hashtags (#) to identify key words; here are a good listing of job search hashtags to start.
• Join conversations, tweet and retweet.
• Focus on your industry and on your knowledge area.
• Share others’ updates and create your own.
• Thank people when they follow you.

The bottom line with Twitter is that it is a very useful tool to attract the attention of employers, as well as an excellent source of up to date information about jobs and trends.  If you use it with a clear focus on job search and professional self marketing, it can become another excellent tool in your job search toolbox.