Career

Get Personal: Take Your Social Network Offline

Wendy Terwelp Leave a comment

Courtesy of Springwise.com

Long gone are the days when “online” was synonymous with social isolation. In fact, we’re now witnessing the opposite: technology is driving people to connect and meet up with others in the “real world”. This mass mingling makes for an interesting trend, begging to be turned into new services for consumers. Here are five such services:

1. MEETUP EVERYWHERE — Meetup’s new service, Meetup Everywhere, is an open and free platform that helps people build communities based on a common interest. Organisers can map offline gatherings and share announcements and updates through Facebook and Twitter accounts. One recent initiative: ReadyMade magazine partnering with Etsy.com to encourage DIY crafters to host local “craft-ups”.

2. GATSBY — Gatsby is a mobile app that introduces people according to shared interests and locations, using Foursquare. Users tell Gatsby their Foursquare account details and describe their interests. Gatsby then searches for like-minded people locally and texts them with first names and what they have in common.

3. LOOPT MIX — Loopt Mix is a free iPhone app for finding and chatting to other users nearby. Users identify shared interests by means of tags and preferences on their personal profiles. There’s also a set of search filters for ad hoc link-ups. Favoured contacts can be flagged to provide users with quick access to their core social circle.

4. STREETSPARK — Another iPhone app using location to get people in touch, StreetSpark has a specifically romantic intent. Users describe themselves and the kind of person they hope to meet. The app then informs them when a possible match is nearby. No contact information is divulged automatically; people can chat and choose whether or not to identify themselves.

5. LOVESTRUCK — Also in the match-making business, UK-based Lovestruck is aimed at single professionals. The website and mobile apps use work locations as a base to link potential lovers. Customers can display their availability through status updates, and iPhone owners can also see if other users are in their current vicinity when they’re on the move.

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Time to take your social network offline and get personal – that is, meet those in your network in person. The above are several resources for you to connect with them. The goal is to build your networking relationships. It’s a two-way street.

Want more help building your network? Check out Rock Your Network® Online.

iPhone 4, Personal Branding, and Your Job Search

Wendy Terwelp Leave a comment

Apple has raving fans, do you?

Here’s an excerpt from today’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “As long as Apple continues to be innovative, as long as they stay ahead of the curve, people are going to stand in line and want the phone,” Cutler said. “If they keep putting in these great features, I’ll keep buying.”

Check out the key words here – “innovative, stay ahead of the curve…”

People are buying the new iPhone 4 – despite the “poor economy.” Why? Innovation, staying ahead of the curve, and raving fans.

Are you staying ahead of the curve?

Even if you’ve been off work for some time, have you been keeping up-to-date on your skills?

Example:

One of my clients, a plumber, knew her computer skills were soft, while trade skills were exceptional. She was recently downsized and immediately enrolled in computer courses and upgraded her laptop. She will be ready to roll quickly.

One career-changer learned Twitter and other social media to make a change and land new connections. Now he’s a huge fan of these tools and building his brand solidly online.

These are go-getters who are continuing to learn and upgrade their skills. Are you?

Are you staying ahead of the curve? Are you an early adopter? If so, your chances of getting hired are greater than others who stand still.

Innovative – how innovative have you been ABOUT your job search? Are you spraying and praying? That is, spraying your resume all over the internet job boards and praying someone calls you?

OR are you being innovative?

Have you targeted your top companies? Are you going direct to company decision-makers? Are you networking (not net-begging)? How are you following up? Are you following up?

Don’t tell me there’s no name on the ad. Find out the name! If there’s a company name – you can get to the decision maker for your field.

Are you using social media like LinkedIn (my fave for job seekers), Twitter (check out Tweetmyjobs.com), Facebook? Hey, Betty White – at 88-and-a-half no less – got a job using Facebook – she hosted Saturday Night Live! So, that completely wipes out the age barrier issue to social media.

Do you have a blog? If so, are you demonstrating your thought leadership?

One of my clients has landed several offers because he has an excellent blog, and now a newsletter, which demonstrate his ability to do the job – which does happen to be public speaking about marketing and social media.

What’s your area of expertise? Can you create a blog on the topic?

Raving fans – have you raving fans who lobby for your success? Check out your reference list, how old is it? How many of those listed have you connected with recently? Do they know what you’ve been doing lately? If not, call. Send your latest resume. Let them know what you’ve been up to.

One of my clients did this, and learned that her old college professor died. Yeah. She had graduated in the ’80’s and still had the professor listed. Time to update!

LinkedIn is a super place to start culling for references (recommendations). The easiest way to get them? GIVE them. And you can post your LinkedIn link right on your resume for an instant reference check.

How else can you be like Apple? Brainstorm with friends and share your innovative job search ideas here!

Want more tips? Check out my newsroom and sign up for my newsletter.

Social Media Can Get You FIRED

Wendy Terwelp 1 Comment

Saw this article today:

Social networks causing employee-employer issues
Think your boss won’t hear about the time you griped about him on Facebook? Tony Puckett says you should think again. ‘In the digital age, it’s easier than ever for employees to say things publicly and for you to hear about it,’ Puckett said Friday in a speech at the 2010 Oklahoma Human Resources Conference and Expo, held at the Renaissance Tulsa Hotel and Convention Center. Employees and employers …
2010-05-07 19:01:41 Tulsa World

YES, social media can get you fired – and I’ve seen the results.

One company president gave me a call. He hired me for outplacement of an employee. Why? She was fired because she was using Facebook and other social networks on the job – and it was not part of her job duties.

One connection posted how much he hated his job on Facebook. He must have forgotten that he was a member of his employer’s fan page and group. They saw the post.

Think about it like this, if it doesn’t pass the mom and boss test, don’t post it!

What do I mean? If your boss reads the post, could you lose your job?

If your mom read it, would you be embarrassed? You would? Don’t post it!

Take Action: Review your Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Twitter and other social networks. Do they pass the test?

Social Media Can Get You HIRED

Wendy Terwelp 3 Comments

Can social media help you get hired faster? YES, if you use it the right way.

Laura Gainor

Laura Gainor did. In March, Laura Gainor saw a job posting on Twitter for a position at Comet Branding in Milwaukee, WI. Based on the ad, Gainor launched a social media campaign, which landed her the gig in less than 30 days.

Gainor identified the company, did her research, and launched her campaign based on what she learned about the organization. She used all elements of social media to make her pitch as to why she was the best candidate for the role – and it worked.

Recruiter Todd Nilson (Twitter Handle: @talentline411) regularly posts job openings on Twitter. When asked if it works, he said (via Twitter), “So far so good. I get some kind people RTing [retweeting] me. Slightly better luck from LinkedIn updates, though.”

Probably because Nilson has an extensive LinkedIn network. As do I. Because my connections are connections I know personally, I am very comfortable in referring them to others. However, I’ve got to be asked in the right way.

For example, one recruiter emailed me via LinkedIn asking for more information about a candidate. Unfortunately, I had no idea who she was talking about. So, I picked up the phone. It turned out this candidate was a third-degree connection. That meant that the candidate was not directly connected to me (first degree), but rather connected to one of my direct connections.

The recruiter and I talked and she provided me with more specific details of the job, including: salary, location (city), position title, requirements, and a brief job description.

This enabled me to forward her email, along with my recommendation about her company, and provide more details about the gig to MY connection. This enabled him to forward more information to his connection – the candidate. This strategy helped my recruiter friend not only get referrals from me for the gig, but also more candidates from my direct connection.

The job was filled.

If you’re in job search mode, it pays to pick up the phone, especially if you are the direct connection to the person posting the job. If you aren’t, you can certainly email your direct connection to get more details.

Personally, all the people in my LinkedIn network are people I actually know and can refer with confidence. I recommend this strategy to those wishing to beef up their LinkedIn connections.

If someone wishes to connect with you and you have no idea who they are, you can either ignore the request or simply pick up the phone and find out more. If, after you connect, you feel this person would be a great addition to your network, add him or her.

In addition, whether you’re an employer, recruiter or candidate, it’s important to have a detailed LinkedIn profile that communicates YOU, your brand, and your personality. Go beyond the standard data.

See my LinkedIn profile here:

http://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyterwelp

Note the story AND the recommendations. Build your profile accordingly.

Also, don’t forget about the in-person connection. Pick up the phone. Set up a meeting. According to CareerXRoads 2010 Source of Hire Study: Referrals make up 26.7% of all external hires. (Translation: Networking!)

Want more tips on how to make that personal connection the right way – and using just five minutes a day? Check out “Rock Your Network®.”

Personal Branding: Lessons from GLEE

Wendy Terwelp Leave a comment

By Wendy J. Terwelp, Career Coach, Brand Strategist

On Tuesday’s episode of Glee, Sue Sylvester tells two students, “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to put in a call to the Ohio Secretary of State notifying them that I will no longer be carrying photo ID. You know why? People should know who I am.”

Do people know who you are? The right people?

While you may not have the need of Ms. Sue Sylvester, who feels everyone should know who she is, it’s important to have the right people know who you are.

Who are those right people? Here are some tips to identify them – and make the connection.

1. Know your career goal. The stronger focus you have on your goal, the easier it is to attain it.
2. Know the industry you serve. Target 25 companies.
3. Who needs to know about you in this industry? Make a list.
4. Who are the key players? Check professional organizations – and join! Attend meetings regularly. Play a key role. Get connected to the key players.
5. Know what you bring to the tables others do not. Think about it like this, why should someone hire you? What skill, ability, RESULTS, have you achieved that would motivate your new and current connections to open up their contact database and give you names? Share the reason with them.

Next, make the call!

Want more tips? Check out Rock Your Network® for Job Seekers.

Did you miss Glee? Here’s a link to the episode on Hulu.com.

PS: Lots more about personal branding in this episode – check out the last song by Mercedes.