by Karen P. Katz on December 18, 2008
Now I know what a fly feels like when it hovers over people who are working fast and furiously. Instead of being the one on the hot seat to guide new users through the elements of LinkedIn, I was like a "fly on the wall" during Jason Alba's 90-minute teleseminar, held 12-17-08. The program was sponsored by Experts Connection™
and hosted by Kathy Simmons, President and CEO of NETSHARE.
The program was structured well, with accompanying slides that were clear and not distracting. Jason moved through the content quickly, but paused frequently to check for understanding and questions. Targeted toward executives who may not have fully embraced social networking tools, Jason offered a few key learning points:
- Social networking is key to marketing your brand. Clarification of your brand is essential to career management. Not sure about this? Not convinced? Think about Barack Obama, the most successful job seeker in the land and winner of Ad Agency's Marketer of the Year
- Online networking tools can make it easier for those who are not natural "schmoozers." The Internet can make it easier to reach-out to new people, reacquaint yourself with former colleagues, and step outside your comfort zone to build new connections. The big "but" here is that online networking should make it easier to conduct the warm networking that is still key to your success, e.g. association meetings, breakfast with colleagues, lunch with people in related fields, etc.
- Of the tools available, all have value, however, LinkedIn.com is not optional for anyone who is serious about career management. Jason is also a huge fan of Yahoo & Google Groups (find those whose interests are similar to yours and join); Twitter (the fast-growing micro-blog), and blogging in general (my suggestion – individuals might try the new application, Google sites)
- LinkedIn.com's value proposition is to facilitate connections with those you know (and may have forgotten) and those you want to know. An effective profile is key to increasing your odds of being found by colleagues and recruiters; it may be wise to hire a professional to help create the profile and learn the ropes of social marketing.
This Experts Connection program included Jason's thoughts about Facebook, no longer a tool reserved for college students or Friday night plans. Some key points:
- There are no 2nd or 3rd degree connections through Facebook
- It is more casual, personal, and intimate
- While job seekers and recruiters have made inroads into Facebook, it is still more social than its business sibling, LinkedIn.
To offer the greatest value to participants, Jason focused on LinkedIn and talked about many of the features and new applications available to members. To learn more, contact a career professional or look for
the 2nd edition of Jason's book, I'm on LinkedIn, Now What.
Those who have worked with me and/or readers of my blog and website will recognize Jason Alba – he is the self-made social marketing guru and author of books and blogs: I'm on LinkedIn, Now What and I'm on Facebook, Now What. A software engineer by training and experience, he founded JibberJobber.com in response to his own frustration with a job search. JibberJobber.com has evolved into the "go-to" career management tool for those conducting a passive or active job search. In the name of full-disclosure, I am honored to be one of Jason's partners in JibberJobber.com
by Karen P. Katz on September 24, 2008
While the business climate may be ugly, the economic recovery depends on people like you to turn it around. Perhaps you are one of the visionaries that can think outside the box – perhaps you have the connections needed to collaborate with others – perhaps you have the passion to set the economy on the right track.
The ExecuNet Report is well-regarded, and it points to a job market reality: companies need people to create business opportunities, sell products and services, and manage their operations. See below:
NEW: The Executive Job Functions Most in Demand
Executive Job Functions That Corporate Employers
Expect Will Create The Most Growth In 2008 Executive Hiring |
| Business Development |
14.8% |
| Sales |
12.9% |
Operations Management (including Quality,
Supply Chain and Logistics) |
12.9% |
| General Management |
10.3% |
| Finance |
9.1% |
| Engineering |
9.1% |
| Marketing |
8.7% |
| MIS / Information Technology |
6.2% |
| Consulting |
6.1% |
| Research and Development |
5.7% |
| Human Resources |
3.5% |
|
| Source: ExecuNet 2008 |
Demand for senior-level executives with significant business
development, sales, operations management and general management will
outstrip corporate appetites for management-level hiring this year.
That's according to the findings of ExecuNet's 16th annual Executive Job Market Intelligence Report survey of more than 250 employer organizations.
by Karen P. Katz on July 31, 2008
A client has maintained a constant training regimen
to scale her brick wall: technology is sending her job to the scrap-yard.
She is an incredibly positive and tenacious
person. The transition/training process has required nearly 6 months of
patience and focus; now she is close to realizing her goal. One door may be closing, but a window is
opening…
Her recent e-mail referenced this excerpt from the
last lecture of Professor Randy Pausch, who offered a legacy talk shortly
before his struggle with cancer ended with his death. Perhaps these words will inspire
those who are trying to scale their own walls
The brick walls are there
for a reason.
The brick walls are not
there to keep us out;
the brick walls are there
to give us a chance
to show how badly we want
something.
The brick walls are there to stop the people
who don’t want it badly
enough.
They are there to stop the
OTHER people!
-
Download randy_pausch.m2YH4U3WTBO0QA.htm
Randy Pausch
by Karen P. Katz on July 3, 2008
If
you’re reading this article, you probably understand that job
successful job seekers talk about what they have accomplished in
previous positions, and present a “mini-business plan” to relate to the
needs of a prospective employer. Review the following list to be sure
you are prepared to interview successfully:
- You have
clearly and concisely described one – two “success stories” for each of
your previous employers, using the Problem (Challenge) – Action -
Result model.
- You have analyzed your accomplishment
stories to identify the personal qualities, skills, and areas of
knowledge that made it possible for you to achieve your successes.
Going forward, you need to re-frame this data in terms of what is needed for the specific position you are applying for.
Step #1
- Study the job description and organization to identify the criteria
for the job (not “requirements”). The criteria are likely to be “soft
skills,” e.g., flexibility, team orientation, interpersonal skills,
etc. Create a grid, with the criteria on the left and your previous
employers across the top.
Step #2 – Fill-in the cells
with a note about each employer/accomplishment that addresses the new
job criteria. (Without the ability to post a table online, I can’t
provide a good-looking sample – contact this author for a complimentary
copy of this worksheet..)
Step #3 – Once you’ve
completed this “homework,” use your notes to prepare for questions and
conversation with the interviewers. Be careful to limit your responses
to three – four crisp sentences, using the Problem (Challenge) – Action
- Result model.
Ironically, you’ll need to rehearse these responses so you can deliver them in a style that appears to be totally spontaneous! Rehearse
wherever you are alone and won’t feel silly talking out loud to
yourself, e.g., while driving, drying your hair, etc. Want to hear a supportive refrain while practicing? Try Frank Zappa’s 2005 The Classic Interviews ! 
by Karen P. Katz on June 17, 2008
Assuming that you are experimenting with the concept of proactive job search, check-out this list of preeminent small companies. They've been selected by Business Week for "showing resilience in the face of a worsening economy."
Why should job seekers give greater consideration to smaller companies, e.g. those with fewer than 500 employees? Because this sector of the economy has been more nimble since 2003; they are most likely to seek innovators as they navigate the current economic downturn.
- Beginning in 2004, Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that job creation moved from larger to smaller companies. A few of the simple reasons:
- Smaller companies need to hire to fuel and sustain their growth
- Larger companies may be under the spell of "slash and burn" CEO's
Read the full article referenced above (by Richard Kirby) to think about small versus large employers. For our purposes, consider the following criteria when evaluating the Business Week Hot Growth Companies or performing a SWOT analysis on any potential employer.
•
Is the company focused on organic growth from the inside . . . or
growth through external M&A?
• Does the company reward and promote high achievers?
• Do they truly value their employees?
Perform your due diligence using the strategies suggested in 5 clues to your next big thing and answer these (and other) questions
before you decide to sign up with a new employer.
