The Career Catalyst Show – “How to Supercharge Your Job Search”
This week I had a chance to be on The Career Catalyst with Kenrick Chatman. He has had some great guests in the past, so it was quite an honor. The topic Kenrick chose was “How to Supercharge Your Job Search.” Listen in as we cover:
- The important keys to achieving job search success
- Turning rejection into opportunity during your job search
- Increasing your job search efficiency and minimize stress
- Finding the “open door” in the job market
- Positioning yourself as the most viable next hire
Plus, there was a Q&A session at the end. As always, please share your feedback by leaving a comment below!
Finding the “Open Door” in the Job Market
Given the current economic climate, I thought discussing how the job market looks opportunity-wise might be timely. My answer is likely going to surprise you. I see a lot of opportunity out there. There’s gold in them thar hills folks!
The reality is that there are a lot of examples of failure right now. The ability to shine when the economy is rolling – to be the king or queen of “low hanging fruit” – is rather easy. But challenging times require a different skill set – more leadership, more resourcefulness and more creativity. As I work with clients, these are some of the areas we focus on to develop opportunities:
- Leadership, leadership, leadership – Poor leadership is what got us into many of these messes and strong leadership is what is needed to correct the course. In the Infantry we used to say, “There are no bad soldiers, only bad leaders.”
- Show Me the Money – If you have a track record of success and can quantify and qualify those accomplishments (saving money, making money, creating efficiencies), wayward companies who realize they are in bad shape need your expertise.
- Be MacGyver, not MacGruber – Along those same lines, experience with companies where you had to do more with less is key right now. Every company is aiming to be as efficient as possible. You can highlight your success (I refer to this as “Your Solution”) here with a small company and leverage it into a larger one where they need creative thinking.
- Free Agent Status - Consulting is a very viable option for many – companies and job seekers alike – right now(we discussed this last week). Many companies need change agents for the interim which they transition. This can be both a lucrative and rewarding avenue if you are unemployed and position “Your Solution” to address a key pain that a company is experiencing. Keep your options open here.
No doubt, the economy has presented some unique challenges. But, in keeping with economics, the terms of supply and demand come to mind. Most make reference here to the talent pool being high on the supply side. But, look at it another way. For those with the skill sets outlined above, the demand is high but the supply (or your competition) is low. “When one door closes, another one opens.” I think that is very fitting here.
Having trouble finding opportunities in this difficult job market? Want to learn how to uncover the “hidden” job market? Join me for a free webinar hosted by MedCareerVillage on Thursday, February 25 at 12:00pmEST – 5 Secrets to the Perfect Job Search. Not sure you can make it? No worries…I will send you a recording. But, you must register for the call.
____________________________________________________________________
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE, BLOG OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Kevin Kermes publishes the ‘Build the Career Your Deserve’ e-zine with over 21,000+ subscribers. If you are ready to empower yourself with the vital tools and information necessary to find the job you want and build the successful career you deserve, visit him now www.kevinkermes.com
about
Kevin is the Founder of Build the Career You Deserve, a company devoted to empowering professionals with the vital tools and information necessary to find the job they want and build the successful career they deserve. Sign up for his free e-zine – Build the Career You Deserve – for insider tips on how to do just that!
Making You the Most Viable Next Hire
Being flexible, creative and adaptable in today’s economy is the cornerstone to survival. The job search is no different and, with unemployment rising, requires just as much vigilance. One way you can keep your options open and make yourself even more marketable is by considering Consulting in addition to your quest for full-time employment. Often perceived as an “either-or” scenario, Consulting offers you just as many benefits as it does your “would be” employer:
· Track record of Fixing Problems? Career-wise, people typically fall into one of two categories: those who thrive on problem solving and the prospect of a new challenge –or- someone who is exceptionally good at steering the ship once it is on course. If the thought of fixing something that is broken appeals to you (versus has you thinking about reaching for the Tylenol), then Consulting might be an avenue to explore.
· A More Flexible Interview – Quite often, what a company needs is someone to tackle a specific problem, not a new full-time employee. Identifying this in the interview and being able to present yourself as the solution to their problem (at a lower cost), can ultimately create a job tailor made for you and your skill set. No one can compete against that.
· Dating Before Marriage – A consulting engagement can give you the opportunity to see if this company is a nice place to visit or a great place to live. The only thing worse than a prolonged job search, is ending up in a position that results in you being unemployed again in 6-12 months. Consulting lets you do more due diligence than you could ever accomplish in an interview.
· “Consulting” on Your Resume – To many recruiters, seeing “consulting” as your current role without any clients/engagements is just a way to dress up being out of work. But, with a list of key accomplishments at those engagements, you show that you are in demand, have more control over your search and are broadening your experience. The latter is extremely important if you are looking to transition industries.
· Change Agent – For companies looking to make some sort of change internally (and you should like this if you have a track record of fixing problems), consulting is a more preferred approach versus hiring a permanent employee. It is much easier to come in as a consultant, effect the course correction and then hand it off to the internal leadership.
· Money – Besides the obvious benefit of having income during your search, it also gives you breathing room to be more objective in selecting your next job.
· It’s Easier to Find a Job When You Already Have One – So much of what makes this true is that fact that when you are employed, you tend to be a bit more objective because you have a “bird in hand.” Consulting (in addition to easing that financial strain, which helps here) can provide the self-assurance that comes along with being employed, which can get whittled away while unemployed.
Presenting yourself as a viable consultant or full time employee isn’t mutually exclusive. Rather, they are simply two sides to the same coin. For the companies where you interview, this will only make you more viable and versatile in your eyes. For you, there is nothing to lose. The worst thing that happens here is you generate some income to inevitable financial strain of your job search. On the other hand, you might just find through this process that you discover your next career move.
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE, BLOG OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Kevin Kermes publishes the ‘Build the Career Your Deserve’ e-zine with over 21,000+ subscribers. If you are ready to empower yourself with the vital tools and information necessary to find the job you want and build the successful career you deserve, visit him now www.kevinkermes.com
about kevin
Kevin is the Founder of Build the Career You Deserve, a company devoted to empowering professionals with the vital tools and information necessary to find the job they want and build the successful career they deserve. Sign up for his free e-zine – Build the Career You Deserve – for insider tips on how to do just that!
SME Mastermind Call: Marci Reynolds – “Twitter and Your Job Search: The Secrets to Harnessing this Tool for Maximum Success
Our next Subject Matter Expert (SME) Mastermind Call is January 19th at 12:00pm:
Twitter and Your Job Search: The Secrets to Harnessing this Tool for Maximum Success
If you’re not using Twitter for your job search, then you are missing out on one of the most valuable and fastest growing internet tools available to you. It is easy to learn and it is free!
According to a recent survey by Jobvite.com, 80% of employers use or are planning to use social networking to find and attract candidates. Hiring managers, human resources staffers and recruiters covering every industry, profession and geographic area are using or plan to use Twitter. And, you want to be found!
Marci Reynolds is the CEO of J2B Marketing, a “Job Seeker 2 Business”™ Internet Marketing & Online Copywriting Services Firm based in Boston, MA and the author of the new ebook, “How To Use Twitter For Your Job Search.” In this informative session, Marci will cover the three, most frequently asked questions from job seekers about Twitter, which are:
- Do I have to use Twitter? Why? How will it benefit my job search?
- Who should I follow?
- What should I Tweet about?
In addition, she will cover these bonus areas…
- How to use Twitter as a job board
- How to find expert job search advice on Twitter
- How to network within the Twitter community for your job search
- Quick overview of Twitter tools
This call is ONLY for Career Mastermind Group members. Not a member yet? Join now to access this call (as well as the archived calls and training materials) with Kevin’s special F.R.E.E. 1 month Membership trial.
By joining you also get access to past SME Calls (Ilona Vanderwoude on Resumes, Chuck Csizmar on Compensation Negotiation, Wendy Weiss on Cold Calling Hiring Managers, Katherine Moody on Networking, Lorena Stanley on Interviewing and numerous Q&A calls with Kevin) plus everything else the program has to offer. Learn more about the Mastermind Program and take advantage of a one month F.R.E.E. trial.
How to Use Twitter and Hootsuite in Your Job Search
A video straight from my Job Search 2.0 Bootcamp System and Career Mastermind Program – I share the techniques I give my clients to use Twitter (via the Hootsuite Platform) to begin networking, building relationships and uncovering the "hidden" job market. Let me know what you think!
If you want to know how you can get started now using these techniques and more to:
- stand out in a crowded market place
- establish yourself as a Subject Matter Expert
- uncover the "hidden" job market
- drive opportunities to you without recruiters or the job boards
- cut significant time off your job search…
Learn more about my Job Search 2.0 Bootcamp System and Career Mastermind Program
7 Categories of Who to Follow on Twitter for Your Job Search (guest blogger and SME Marci Reynolds)
When you first join Twitter, one of the challenges you may experience is trying to determine who you should follow to maximize the success of your job search. This blog post will discuss the goals, the seven categories and the “how to” of who to follow on Twitter for your job search.
What are your job search Twitter follow strategy goals? By following the right mix of Twitter users, you will reap many job search benefits; It will help you stay current with industry knowledge and trends. You will get access to up to the minute information about and connect directly with leaders at the companies you may want to work for. You will get expert job search advice and links to helpful tips and articles. You will get access to real time job postings and recruiters that specialize in the jobs you are interested in. And, it opens up another audience for networking.
Ultimately, you have the ability to fast track your job search by increasing your knowledge, skills and targeted connections via Twitter.
There are seven specific categories of Twitter users that I recommend you follow on Twitter to maximize your job search success:
- Experts, Top Bloggers & Thought Leaders: For example: David Meerman Scott @dmscott is a well known expert in Social Media Marketing, Jill Konrath @jillkonrath is a well known expert in Sales and Guy Kawaski @guykawaski is well known for his technology and entrepeneurial advice.
- Industry News Alerts & Industry Magazines: For example, technologists may want to follow CIO Magazine and fitness professionals may want to follow Fitness Magazine. (Check out this Magazine list on Twellow.)
- Recruiters: There are thousands of recruiters on Twitter, some working for specific companies and many working for independent staffing firms. For example, Peggy McFee, aka @salesrecruiter, is considered the “medical sales recruiter” and Harry Joiner, aka @ecommercejobs is an (you guessed it) ecommerce jobs recruiter.
- Job Boards: Every major job board, ex. Monster, Careerbuilder and many niche boards, ex. GreenJobs, Tweet on Twitter. Their content includes a mix of job search advice, info about events and specific job postings.
- Career Coaches: It’s amazing how much job search advice you can find on Twitter on topics that include interviewing, resumes, social media, career fairs, personal branding and much more. Some of the most popular career experts include: Alison Doyle from About.com, Susan Joyce of job-hunt.org and JT O’Donnel, founder of CareerRealism.com and, of course, Kevin Kermes, founder of Build the Career You Deserve.
- Alumni Associations: Most alumni associations have a presence on Twitter and provide a conduit to learn about networking and career related events, and may give you direct access to other Alumni in your area. Your Alma mater wants to help in your job search success.
- Companies: Hand picked by you- these may include companies you want to work for, Senior Leaders within a company you want to learn more about, ex. CEO or CMO, or even competitors of companies you’re targeting.
How do you find all these Twitter users? There are several different options: Leverage the Twitter “Find People” search function. Use Twitter search and enter job search related hashtags including #career, #jobs, #interview. (Click here to learn more about Hashtags.) Use directories like TweepSearch and Twellow. Use Twitter “who to follow” lists posted on TweepML and Twibes. And, you can Google “Top Twitter users to follow for XX” and insert the topic of your choice. Many bloggers have posted their recommendations for who to follow.
To make this process even easier for job seekers, J2B Marketing did extensive research on items 1 through 5 above and has created a series of Twitter Follower lists on TweepML. To learn more, simply click on the link next to the list description.
Jump start your marketing job search on Twitter by following this powerful mix of Marketing Recruiters, Marketing Industry Thought Leaders, Job Search & Branding Experts & Online Job Boards.
Jump start your sales job search on Twitter by following this powerful mix of Sales Recruiters, Sales Industry Gurus, Sales Trainers, Job Search & Branding Experts & Online Job Boards.
Jump start your Green job search on Twitter by following this powerful mix of Green Recruiters, Green News Tweets, Green Experts, Green Job Tweets, Career Experts & Online Job Boards. (Sustainable Energy, Clean Tech )
Jump start your Technology job search on Twitter by following this powerful mix of Tech Recruiters, Technology Thought Leaders, Tech Magazines, Job Search & Branding Experts & Online Job Boards.
Want to learn more? Marci is not only this week’s guest blogger, but my Subject Matter Expert (SME) Webinar for the Career Mastermind Group on January 19th. Her topic – “Twitter and Your Job Search: The Secrets to Harnessing this Tool for Maximum Success” Read more about how you can join this call and the Mastermind Group for free.
Marci Reynolds is the CEO of J2B Marketing, a “Job Seeker 2 Business”™ Internet Marketing & Online Copywriting Services Firm based in Boston, MA. She is also the author of the new ebook, “How To Use Twitter For Your Job Search” and the “social media for job search” expert blogger on the award winning website Job-Hunt.org. Previously, Marci was the VP, North America Sales Operations at Monster.com, the leading online careers website. Learn more at www.j2bmarketing.com, on Twitter @j2bmarketing.
5 Ways to Use Twitter in Your Job Search (guest blogger Marci Reynolds)
There are many ways that using Twitter can help job seekers with their job search strategy and online branding. I will cover five in today’s blog post.
It’s Not Just A LinkedIn World
I recently surveyed job seekers in the Massachusetts area about their online presence and found that while most job seekers had set up a LinkedIn profile, very few were using Twitter.
As you probably know, Twitter is one of the most popular, social networking websites on the internet and more than 20 million people visit Twitter every month.
These visitors include hiring managers, human resources staffers and recruiters that work for the companies that you want to work for. So, I recommend that every Job Seeker uses Twitter. Here are some specifics..
1) Using Twitter can expand and reinforce your online brand
By writing a compelling, keyword rich profile AND publishing high quality, targeted Tweets you will promote and demonstrate your skills, abilities, knowledge… and differentiate yourself from the competition. (FYI- Here’s more info on a Tweet Content Strategy for your job search.)
2) Your profile and your tweets can help with search engine optimization
Similar to how Google indexes your LinkedIn profile and Blogs, Google also indexes your Twitter profile and your Tweets.
If someone searches for you via Google or other search engines, your Twitter activity will be displayed in search results. This helps recruiters and hiring managers find out more about you.
3) You can find Real Time job postings on Twitter
Twitter now serves as a mini job board and recruiters and hiring managers across the globe are posting jobs there. (Similar to postings on Monster, Careerbuilder or Dice.) For example, if you go to the Twitter search box and type in VP Sales Boston, you will find Tweets specific to VP Sales jobs in Boston.
- Search for the roles you are interested in
- Find the relevant Tweets
- Then follow the links provided to learn more about the open positions
- Check out a new Twitter App: http://www.twitterjobsearch.com/
You can also find and follow recruiters in your geographic area and industry, to automatically get their Tweets- real time.
4) You can find great job search advice on Twitter
There are hundreds of Career Experts who continually provide advice and links to job search resources on Twitter.
The quickest way to find these experts is to use the Twitter Search function and enter the hashtag #jobsearch, #career or #jobseeker. You will see page after page of posts from career gurus that you may find very helpful… and users that you may want to follow on a regular basis. (You may want to read “The top 100 job search hashtags list“, compiled by Career Rocketeer.)
Here are a few of J2B’s favorites: @alisondoyle, @megguiseppi, @jobhuntorg and, of course, @kevinkermes!
5) You can directly connect with companies and people that you may want to work for, through your Twitter follower strategy
- Use the Find People, Twitter Search or tools like Tweepsearch to find them
- Follow them
- Read their Tweets, Read their blogs and learn more about them.
- Knowledge is power
If you eventually get an interview with one of the companies that you are following, you will be much more prepared for the discussions.
And.. they may start following you and perhaps it will be the start of an online relationship- that could lead to more.
Want to learn more? Marci is not only this week’s guest blogger, but my Subject Matter Expert (SME) Webinar for the Career Mastermind Group on January 19th. Her topic – “Twitter and Your Job Search: The Secrets to Harnessing this Tool for Maximum Success” Read more about how you can join this call and the Mastermind Group for free.
Marci Reynolds is the CEO of J2B Marketing, a “Job Seeker 2 Business”™ Internet Marketing & Online Copywriting Services Firm based in Boston, MA. She is also the author of the new ebook, “How To Use Twitter For Your Job Search” and the “social media for job search” expert blogger on the award winning website Job-Hunt.org. Previously, Marci was the VP, North America Sales Operations at Monster.com, the leading online careers website. Learn more at www.j2bmarketing.com, on Twitter @j2bmarketing.