Rock Your Network

Prepare to be Googled

Wendy Terwelp 2 Comments

Whether you’re in job search mode or navigating your career, you’ll be Googled. Got a sales meeting? You’ve been Googled. Speaking gig? The audience will Google you. With that in mind, it’s mission critical your online brand demonstrates how you wish to be perceived. Google yourself now (first and last name in quotes) to see what pops up.

Got dirt? Clean it up by removing it (Facebook tags and pics beware!) or burying it (blog content, LinkedIn updates, Twitter posts).

Minimal presence? Start with LinkedIn (typically found on page 1 when you’re Googled). Complete your profile, upload your headshot, and create a dynamic bio. Ambitious? Start a blog and post regularly.

Get found the right way online. Good luck!

© 2012 | Wendy Terwelp | http://knocks.com

Recruiter LinkedIn Secret: Follow Companies Where…

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George_Blomgren_med - picGuest Expert, George Blomgren,
MRA, The Management Association

The other day, a recruiter colleague shared a tip with me. He told me that when a candidate applies for a job with his company, if that candidate otherwise looks qualified, he looks to see if the candidate is following his company on LinkedIn. If not, he won’t consider that candidate.

Rather an extreme attitude, but it illustrates a best practice. Recruiters assume that the main reason you follow a company on LinkedIn is that you want to work there. So smart recruiters use their company’s followers on LinkedIn as the “low hanging fruit” for their hiring needs. So, take a moment to follow the companies you want to work for!

Editor’s note: Great tip George! The same holds true if you want to get on a company’s radar for your business. And if you’re running a business and want to attract great employees, ensure your company has a company page on LinkedIn.

George Blomgren is the  Director of Recruiting Solutions for MRA – The Management Association. George has 20+ years of talent acquisition (aka recruiting),  and operations experience. Prior to joining MRA, George ran the advertising and marketing department for a fast-growing network of local employment websites.

Ticked off? Step away from the keyboard!

Wendy Terwelp 7 Comments

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Taylor Grey Meyer was ticked. So ticked after sending the San Diego Padres 30 resumes and getting rejected, she wrote a counter offer – via email. The email went viral.

Check out Taylor’s letter here. The letter’s a must-read prior to reading the rest of this post. Warning, strong language.

From the story, “Just looking at the forwards on the chain that eventually made it to us, Meyer’s letter has been seen by, in order: the Cavaliers, the Lake Erie Monsters, the Diamondbacks, the Yankees, the Astros, the Bobcats, the Heat, the Houston Dynamo, the Marlins, the Dolphins, the Red Sox, the Cubs, the Mets, FC Dallas, the Nationals, the Orioles, the Falcons, the Vikings, the Bengals, the Cleveland Gladiators, the Dayton Dragons, and the Chiefs.”

I’m guessing this is not the first impression she wanted to make. And it could be a career-ender.

Some ideas Taylor could have tried: Instead of sending resumes to the job board for multiple positions where she was overqualified, she could have tapped her network to see who she knows who knows someone in the Padres organization. She could have checked her LinkedIn network to see who may have a Padres connection. Revamped her resume and cover letter to better fit the career goal. Or stopped by in person, as she already relocated to the area.

So many ways Taylor could have approached her search that would have netted better results. Instead, she wrote a ticked off email that went viral and may end her career in sports all together… and after the graduate coursework too.

What are some other ways Taylor could have connected with the Padres?

Have you ever sent an email, wrote a blog post, or tweeted something you’ve regretted? What was the result? Were you able to save the situation?

Share your stories and ideas. I look forward to hearing what you’ve got to say.

© 2012 Wendy Terwelp | Opportunity Knocks™ | All rights reserved. | http://knocks.com

Networking 101 – Starting Conversations

Wendy Terwelp 6 Comments

“I know networking is really important, but how do I get the conversation started?” said an attendee at one of my presentations. In the words of Dale Carnegie, author of “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” “You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years trying to get people interested in you.”

Translation: Ask the new people you meet about themselves. When in a group or at a party, listen carefully to the conversation. See where you might be able to jump in. It may be something as simple as an exclamation, “You’re kidding me!” that gets the ball rolling.

I recommend preparing in advance of the event by setting networking goals and having at least three open-ended questions you can ask any person at the networking event.

Here are open-ended questions that encourage conversation:
1) What brings you to today’s meeting [event, conference, barbeque…]?
2) What one or two things would you like to take away from this event [conference, meeting, party…]?
3) What’s the coolest thing that’s happened to you all week?

NEVER ask: “Do you know anyone who’s hiring?” Or “Do you know anyone interested in buying [insert your product here]?”

If you’re at a business event, get a business card from the new contact and jot down some notes from the conversation. It can be as simple as, “Big Elvis fan.” That way, the next time you see the person or call the person, you can start the conversation with, “Hey, did you see the new 2-CD set that came out on Elvis? Has all the songs, plus a 32-page book. Cool.” Then, once they’ve exhausted their excitement of the big event, you can jump into the “real” conversation, “So, what’s going on at the office? Did they create that position we talked about at Bernadine’s Memorial Day party?”

Your goal is to create real and helpful connections, NOT close the deal on a job offer, nail the sale of your product or service or collect the most business cards in the room.

©2005 – 2012 | Wendy J. Terwelp | All rights reserved.

Wendy Terwelp advises and coaches clients in the art of networking, turning networking pain to career gain. What to fine-tune your networking efforts and have more confidence in any networking situation? Let’s talk!