Category Archives: Personal Branding and Job Search

Connecting with Online Influencers takes Bawls!

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Fueled-By-BawlsEveryone’s talking about “Building your Online Community” and influence all over creation. I’ve talked about it myself. But does anyone ever tell you the HOW TO’s? How does that work if you are naturally shy? Good of you to ask!

It actually is great if you’re a little on the shy side because though networking online or off may be similar, you can sort of hide behind the computer and talk to folks through the keyboard as opposed to a little face-to-face action (unless you’re Skying or hanging out on Google+).

In fact, I prefer it. I always feel so uncomfortable networking IRL (in real life) because I tend to be a little on the timid side when first meeting and blow that outta the water after we’ve conversed awhile. I know, you find that hard to believe but it’s the gosh dang truth. However, both networking IRL and online are needed to build your community, further your business and get the word out or to help others do the same. It takes interacting with others and it makes the world go round as apposed to playing jacks in a corner somewhere by yourself.

When working your way through the online world and connecting with others it’s a good rule of thumb to follow others and especially influencers in your space who have been plowing ground and making headway. And sometimes following those influencers, connecting with them on Facebook and across different social platforms can be a little intimidating to say the least. Sometimes it takes bawls of steel to hit the “friend button” on Facebook for fear of rejection or whatever.

Here’s how I developed my strategy.

  1. Follow the experts – I researched who the influencers were in my space. I studied where were they writing, who were they connected with, how were they connecting, what were they talking about? If there are folks doing it right, figure out what they’re doing that’s working. Now, apply that to your strategy – and I don’t necessarily mean copy them. But you can learn from them, follow some of the same folks they follow and who follow them and go from there to find your own voice.
  2. Find one platform, do that well! – I started with Twitter. I read every book I could find on Twitter, figured out the ins and outs and then began to start practicing what I learned. I searched hashtags and sat in on Twitter chats and watched what was going on. Then I connected with those folks who were “experts” for lack of a better word, and followed them, following their followers etc, etc. I started reading their blogs, commenting on them, showing my face in their world while sharing my own blog and my area of expertise.
  3. Cross-pollinate – I love the word cross-pollinate because to me that represents the best way to take your connections on one platform over to another platform. I began with my connections on Twitter that I was following, engaging with and learning from and finding them on Linked In and sending a short intro like “I’m bringing this on over from Twitter and would love to link up!” And most of them accepted my request.  I built my Linked In with several these same folks from Twitter. Then I started doing the same with Facebook. All of these platforms have their own feel and what I found was Facebook was very laid back where Linked In was more business chatter. I started learning about their kids, families, what they loved doing through Facebook and it created a great way to connect on a more personal basis. Twitter was a land all it’s own but very short, sweet and to the point and definitely serves a purpose. (NOTE: if you don’t want to mix personal and professional you don’t have to, but it can be a great way to dive deeper into these relationships you’re trying to build).

I will say I had some major kahuna’s to connect with the folks I’ve connected with – but I’ve always had those (not literally). But you never know until you try and reach out and touch someone, right?

What happens when you do this? You become part of some really amazing communities. You have the chance to perhaps even be considered a thought leader yourself and have the opportunity to advance your business, find a new career and help others do the same.

So grow some bawls, reach and connect with others. Learn from them and give back by liking their posts, commenting on their blogs, and simply engaging with them. There are some fantastic folks out there just waiting to show you the ropes!

Photo Credit: BevNet

What does your Company Culture say about your Future?

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Culture-is-the-wayToday, job seekers not only want to know what jobs are available, or what kind of salary they’ll earn or even what the company culture is like, they also want to know how rosy the outlook is for the company’s future. While most often business outlook is an important topic to investors, shareholders and others focusing on finance, it’s increasingly becoming HR’s employment brand issue too.

Have you asked employees their opinion of your company’s business outlook? If not, you may want to take a look at your company reviews on Glassdoor where you can find candid employee feedback.  As part of Glassdoor’s ongoing online company review survey, employees voluntarily and anonymously share their perspective about the work environment, the culture, their satisfaction with key factors like compensation and benefits, and they share their opinion on the following question: Do you believe your company’s business outlook will get better, stay the same or get worse in the next six months? 

Just think about the signals this sends your candidates that are deciding to come work for you.

To see what employees at your company think, you’ll need a free employer account. This will allow you to read all of your company’s reviews and be able to see their take on the company’s future business outlook. Below is a  recent company review from a Google Sales Executive that shows where, if provided, in each company review you can find sentiment on business outlook.

For susan

Curious to see what companies do stand out in terms of business outlook in the eyes of employees? Glassdoor recently released a new report that looks at Top 10 Companies with the Best Business Outlook based on company reviews shared in April. At the top of the list is Google – 86% of employees believe the company’s business outlook will improve in the next six months. See the complete list and how employee satisfaction stacks up at the top-rated companies:

Top 10 Companies with the Best Business Outlook

This report is a good reminder that employment brand isn’t just a reflection of what a company has done, but it’s also a promise of what the company can do.

Photo Credit: Noozmag

About the Author:

Samantha ZupanToday’s guest post comes from my pal Samantha Zupan who is Glassdoor’s Corporate Communications Director. Glassdoor is a jobs and career community that is changing the way people find jobs and companies recruit top talent. Follow Samantha on Twitter @SamanthaZupan.

Your Application Process Sucks! 3 Ways to a Much Better Approach

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Heinz_Sees_A_Huge_Stack_Of_PaperworkToday’s job application processes are insulting. You would think we are still in the 80’s. Some career sites take an applicant an hour to apply and are strategically created to do so, as to “weed” out the misfits. That’s absurd. And employers wonder why they can’t fill jobs?

80% of companies are using archaic software and processes from the dinosaur age – here’s what that looks like:

  • We waste 45 minutes having applicants fill out a cumbersome, 1999-vintage online application form.
  • They’re asked to remember and write down every hiring date (year AND month) and departure date (ditto) for every job they have ever held; AND remember every salary and every supervisor’s name plus their phone number (gross).
  • We want them to agree upfront to a background check, drug test, credit check, and reference check before they have even received so much as the courtesy of a return email message.
  • They’re required to send all their personal information into the abyss, on the off chance that the employer might stop to respond with a phone call, an email message or an off-handed auto-responder that says “Don’t call us; we’ll call you – or else we won’t.”

What self-respecting person is willing to put up with this demeaning routine? We’re treating potential candidates like  two-year-olds. If employers can’t show more respect to the talented people applying for work in their companies, why would any job seeker with other options sign up for this kind of treatment?

My suggestion would be that every recruiter or hiring manager take one day, put themselves in the shoes of the applicant and go through their own company’s application process to get a feel of what their applicants are experiencing.

So, what should the current hiring process look like? I don’t have that down pat but I do have a few suggestions. Here we go:

  1. Keep it simple, stupid. Stop asking dumb questions like “What is your greatest weakness?” or “How do you feel about working in a team environment?” Instead, allow the applicant to either upload their resume, answer a few questions related to the position and be done with it. Better yet, develop a mobile app that quickly allows candidates to find and apply from their mobile devices. Ain’t nobody got time for that other stuff.
  2. Stop requiring double work. If you ask for an attached resume and then have me type in the same information throughout the remainder of the online application process – you’re wasting my time. I’m gonna say “forget it – it’s not worth it” and hit the escape key. Don’t be redundant.
  3. Make it interesting. Get creative. Have your intern build a short game where your applicant can hit a green frog or a yellow umbrella in answer to a question. Okay, I kid (kinda) – but think outside the norm in ways you can get creative with your ATS. Is that possible? I think so. If this isn’t an option, how about incorporating social media into the mix? How cool would your company look if you were to do that?

Let’s review: Short, sweet, to the point, interesting, social, creative and non-redundant. How hard could that be?

For a few great tips on tools that could replace the interview check this post!

This post originally aired over at DiscoveringSocial.

Check out this hangout with the @Gozaik team discussing the new Twitter Resume and Job Posting product Gozaik

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gozaikA few weeks ago I came across a new product for both sides of the hiring line – job seekers looking to find jobs and connect with recruiters online and for the recruiter and companies looking for prime candidates! I’m talking about a new kind of Google filtering within Twitter that narrows the job search for the above mentioned folks.

I immediately connected with the founder Joe Budzienski and asked if he would join me in a hangout to discuss it further, which we did. Here is the recording – it’s only around 30 mins!

I love anything that has to do with social and new technology! Check out the cool ways this is going to help you as Employers, Recruiters and Hiring Managers:

Promote Your Job Tweets

  • Gozaik job search displays job tweets to job seekers. Sign up now to validate your Twitter handle and drive more traffic to your Twitter job posts.

Search Candidates (COMING SOON!)

  • Identify active job seekers that meet your criteria. Review rich multimedia resumes. Watch video introductions.

Spot Trending Talent (COMING SOON!)

  • We spotlight ‘trending’ job seekers. Individuals with the most activity trend within your dashboard, highlighting job seekers you may be interested in.

Tweet Job Announcements (COMING SOON!)

  • Increase your job tweet response by delivering your job announcements through our ‘Job Announcement’ service. We structure tweets to optimize candidate response.

If you’re a job seeker or someone wanting to hire the best talent – do yourself a favor and check out Gozaik. Make sure to connect with them online. Get in on the ground floor!

 

Social Media ROI – Perhaps it’s not what we Thought

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yomamaI recently came across a fantastic article titled “The New ROI for Social Media Recruiting” which not only gave great insight into this year’s ERE Recruiting Conference & Expo but shared a little of why folks still are not jumping on the social media bandwagaon, especially executives. Perhaps we are trying to measure the wrong things.

This article talks of discussions that took place at the Conference that even big named brand representatives are still having a hard time getting their senior corporate managers and leaders involved or even understanding the ROI of social media and how it affects their organizations. We’re still looking at it as an end all, cure all as opposed to a valuable tool and channel of influence to our overall efforts. Perhaps that’s because of how it’s been presented to us.

Social is a grand tool for getting your brand out there and as this article surmises you can’t not be there.

You can’t not be on social because candidates, potential candidates, and those whom you hope to attract and someday hire will see your absence from the social media landscape as a negative. Doing it poorly is equally negative.

When a company fails to post regularly, and especially when comments and questions go unanswered for days or never, or when a company indiscriminately dumps all its job postings into Facebook’s news feed, it says, in the words of one recruiter, “This is a lame company that has no idea what social media is all about. Who wants to work for a company people think is lame?

The great thing that social enables us to do, and especially for brands and organizations, is telling the employer story and building its brand. Things such as the culture of the organization and what to expect in the hiring process on through to the day to day “what it’s like to work there” kind of things. These are the very particulars potential candidates are looking for when deciding whether or not to even begin the hiring process.

We may never be able to obtain ROI in how many folks we’ve hired through Facebook or Twitter (social in general). Instead, we should be looking at the value in branding and reputation building.

What does your company brand look like online? Are you a ghost town?

If you’re looking into a few easy ways to start, check out Glassdoor’s free resources.

Looking for a Job is like looking for your Soul Mate

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Hey guys and gals – I’m on vacation still, in sunny California. Here’s a great post (or so I thought) from the archives. Enjoy and see you next week!

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Many years ago I dated this fantastic guy.  He was funny, charming, said all the right things, wined and dined me. We dated for several months.

The great thing was that he lived about 12 hours from me and we would see one another when he was in town for business, we’d meet in Orlando for a fun weekend or I would fly to see him. It seemed like the perfect match.

Then things started getting a little serious and I found myself saying “This sh#$ just got real.”

I found myself babysitting his five-year-old while he went darting off to work leaving me to cook, clean and babysit. As if that wasn’t enough to make me run he started asking questions like “Whose car was that at your house on such and such night?” And saying things like “My Mom doesn’t even know where I live. You can never tell anyone where I live.”

It wound up that we had a little sit down conversation and it came to a head that he worked for some secret government agency and that was why no one was to know where he lived – not even my parents if we were to marry. And then he started talking about me becoming his five-year-old’s mother and I was all….”Wait now, lets back up.”

Here’s the thing – I had only been divorced two years and was enjoying time by myself and taking care of  my daughter who was around 17 years of age. I did not want to get into a relationship where I was now taking care of a five-year-old and having to parent all over again when my kid was about to turn 18, graduate and fly the coop.

I know, that sounds horrible. But it’s just a fact and a frame of mind I was in. And I was not ready to settle and / or compromise.  And I shouldn’t have to, no one should unless they choose to.

Now stay with me ………

My point in all this is that sometimes we don’t look into the culture of an organization and we rush into something because it “appears” to be the perfect fit. It’s not until after a little time that we realize we’ve screwed the pooch! Then we feel stuck and feel as if there is no way out. Just like we do in our relationships.

Sometimes it just makes sense to find out about an organization (Google them if you have to), look them up on Glassdoor.com. Find out what employees are saying about their culture and take some time to really determine if it’s really a good fit for you. If it’s where you want to burn the midnight oil.

And lastly, go with your gut. If you feel weird vibrations during an interview just be bold enough to say “You know what? I’m not ready to take care of your five-year-old” and walk away.

It’s always better in the long run to do what’s right for you. Heck, they’re doing it about you!

Photo Credit: Creativity4Us

Building a Brand in the Social Media Era

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brandingThanks to smart phones, social media and the 24/7 news cycle, we are now in the era of Social Business.  Every human contact with a brand is amplified.  Some brands have embraced Social Business (UnderArmour, SalesForce), while others have learned a lesson the hard way (Rutgers University, Target).

My friends at SlideKlowd and the co-founder and Brand Strategist Justin Foster know a lot about building a brand in the “fishbowl”.  Justin is a master at this and when he speaks covers a wide range of topics including:

·       How a positive internal culture can be your #1 brand differentiator

·       The first 10 seconds and last 10 seconds of first impressions

·       Adjusting your business and marketing strategy to harness transparency

·       3 emerging business tech trends – and what to do about them.

·       The role in personal branding for professionals and executives

Tomorrow, April 25th from 10:00 am – 11:00 am Central time, Justin will be a guest host on a WEBINAR that will dive into the above topics. You won’t want to miss it folks, I guarantee it! I’ll be there with bells on.

Head on over and Reserve your Webinar seat now at:

slideklowd webinar

FYI, we’ll be using the Slideklowd app during the presentation. Come on, you know you wanna join in on the action.

Trying to be hip and lying to get a job is never a good idea! (Video)

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old hipsterWhile watching TV this past week I saw a perfect example of a Gen X’er trying to get a job that they were not qualified to do from the show Suburgatory. This dude was trying to be a hipster (which he wasn’t) and shows how dumb it makes you look when you aren’t being true to yourself.

Although the video is so far out there and funny as heck – it’s never a good idea to pretend you have the skills for the job you are applying for. Take a look >

video jpg

Click the link to watch video:

Take Away’s:

  • Never apply to a job where you don’t hold the skills, qualifications and experience – it will come back to bite you.
  • Be yourself – or you’ll come off looking like a douche-bag.
  • There are no social media gurus and if you really don’t do social – don’t act or talk like you do.
  • Act your age – they’re going to know you’re old when they see you. Playing hip only gets you so far.
  • It’s never good to lie to get a job or anything else, for that matter

Can you add any more? I’m sure there are plenty.

Glassdoor’s New Social Recruiting Tools for Hiring and Employment Branding

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glassdoor logoI love discussing new technology especially as it relates to the world of work.

Just this week one of my favorite’s Glassdoor added some snazzy services to aid companies in their Employment Branding and Recruiting efforts with their Self Service Online Employer Center. These are FREE tools to assists companies in having a hand in their own company branding and if I do say so myself, a brilliant move by my friends at Glassdoor.

I’ve been singing the praises of Glassdoor for a few years now and just in case you missed it they are one of the main social job and career communities that are changing the way people find jobs and the way companies recruit top talent.

glassdoor ratings

These guys came on the scene in 2007 and here are a few of the items offered to job seekers:

  • Access to the latest job listings
  • The ability to see Inside Connections via their Facebook network
  • Access to company-specific salary reports, ratings and reviews of said company
  • CEO approval ratings
  • Interview questions to expect and what it’s like to work at said company (What to expect)

On the Employer End

Employers can also get involved in the conversation through Glassdoor’s suite of social recruiting solutions to reach target job candidates when they’re making career decisions

This new exciting add-on called the Employer Center is an easy-to-use self-service tool currently in beta that helps companies make social recruiting decisions based on job seeker activity and authentic workplace insights. Take a look at PepsiCo’s page:

Pepsi-Profile.-Short-Version-w.-highlights

With the Employer Center, companies can get access to information about job seeker engagement and demographics, understand what jobs attract the most candidates and when, track employee satisfaction ratings trends, and benchmark their brand’s reputation against competitors.

As a company representative with this account, you can:

  • Update your company’s profile with basic information (i.e. website address, headquarter location, employee count, year founded and more)
  • Provide a company description and mission statement
  • Respond to your company reviews and interview reviews
  • Add awards and photos
  • Request updates to your stock ticker, CEO and list of competitors
  • Flag reviews that may be inappropriate

The amount of insight and data a Brand Manager can obtain from this is unbelievable. I saw this in action in a private Webinar and was astounded!

I’m telling you, there’s no other jobs site or professional network that combines this level of employee feedback and job seeker activity to help companies make more informed recruiting decisions while allowing them to manage their employer brand.

Click HERE for a free Employer Account. If  you don’t check this you’re totally missing out!