This morning I received a text that excitedly stated, “Got the job!!!!!” I was not so much surprised that she was selected as much as how quickly the offer came. It was only yesterday afternoon that she had been one of 15 interviewees vying for the same position, with 15 more scheduled for today.
It certainly is true that she must have done well in the interview itself, and been prepared to answer questions confidently. She also is a well-qualified candidate with an outstanding background – all important factors for landing the position. But there is one thing that most likely made the difference in her selection being made so quickly, and that is the simple act of following up after the interview with a Thank You note (email in this case due to time constraints).
Why did this gesture turn the tide? Because as is the case often with interviewees, a ranking order begins to take shape after each completes the interview. She obviously was the best candidate yesterday, and from what the company knew about the each of the 15 candidates scheduled to interview today, they felt there was no reason to waste their time with anyone else once they received her Thank You email. Specifically, the mentions in her note that indicated that she was truly interested in the position backed with examples why, and examples of how she hoped to contribute to the organization if offered the position. The note wasn’t complicated, but simple and straight to the point. Once they heard this from her, they pulled the trigger. It really can be that simple.
For more specifics on Thank You Notes, please refer to a previous post here. After an interview, a Thank You note can make all the difference by keeping you at the forefront of the interviewer’s mind when it comes time to make the choice on who is hired.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Reference Checks: the "How", "What" and "Why" You Should Be Aware Of
I was posed a question earlier today by a job seeker regarding reference checks. Specifically, he wanted to know how often do prospective employers call to check references, and what specifically do they ask. It is an inquiry that comes up quite often, and one that is worth addressing for the benefit of others, particularly in knowing how the right references can benefit you. Conversely, bad references can be damaging, so be aware of some of the aspects prior to them being checked.
So how often DO potential employers check references? In my experience not as often as they should (which I believe should be 100% of the time), but enough to be concerned if you are not prepared. When you are asked to provide references, be absolutely certain that your references are aware that their names have been provided. There is nothing worse for a candidate than calling up one of his/her references, and hearing “who?” from the person on the other end of the line. I have had this happen a few times, but one time that stands out in my mind was a reference I was provided by a certain candidate. The credentials of the candidate were definitely impressive – he was the CEO of a well-known company in the area. The only problem was, he couldn’t for the life of him think of who it was I was asking him to provide a reference for. It turned out that this young man’s father was an “acquaintance” of this CEO, but in reality knew neither him nor his father well enough to vouch for either. It was embarrassing for him, and was a contributing factor in costing him the job.
Don’t rely solely on references you have provided being the only ones checked. I know people in HR departments at companies who have no qualms with calming any and all former managers, colleagues or personnel from the applicant company’s former HR department they can find. The reason of course is that most of the time a more candid picture will be painted by those who can serve as references but are not directly provided by the candidate. I have used this method to discover big discrepancies in the length of work service stated (by as much as 18 months), and in one case found out the candidate had never worked for a listed company at all! After one interview with a prospective candidate, there were enough red flags raised in the responses given that I was highly suspicious. That skepticism was confirmed when I contacted the Ivy League school the individual had supposedly graduated from and it was confirmed no one with that name had graduated, let alone attended school there.
Don’t be completely scared by this though, because as I mentioned previously, there are still a good share of companies and employers I come in contact with or work with directly that do not take time to check a single reference. I don’t agree with it or advocate it, but it happens. In a couple of my previous jobs before being a recruiter, I worked for organizations that didn’t call any of my references. In at least one position I remember my references not being called until several weeks after I had started, and even then I think they only called one, maybe two. I am of the opinion that this is a risky practice, but it does still happen.
So what specifically do prospective employers ask when they call? Well there are companies that out of fear of being sued have taken a stance on only confirming dates of employment, salary, and that the individual actually worked there. The trick I have found if I want more information is to try and contact someone a little further down the totem pole. They seem to be a little more open, and even eager in some cases, to share information someone at the top normally would not. Just be aware that it could go either way depending on who is called, and how willing he or she is to provide answers. Be prepared.
Then there is the concern of references that aren’t so much in your favor. Some in fact are downright bad. If you are worried about receiving a bad reference, how do you deal with it so that your chances for securing employment are not completely ruined? First, if you gather from the interviewer or hiring manager that reaching out to all references rather than just those you provide is the preferred method you may want to consider warning the potential employer that you may have someone (or more) who may not give you a completely sparkling reference. Tackling the issue head on and explaining your side of an issue is far better than letting them hear the other side with no frame of context first. Again, it is advantageous that those who can positively vouch for your work be solicited, and if you can encourage the prospective employer to also contact these colleagues, it certainly will help you. The other common option is to ask the bad reference if he/she would be willing to discuss the matter, and come to an agreement of some sort so as to not inhibit your ability to secure future employment. It could be that you left on bad terms and simply need to clear the air, or it could be much worse, where you believe the person is purposely or spitefully spreading untruths that paint you in a bad light. If this is the case, consider going directly to HR. The legal implications are enough to usually put a stop to it, bringing us back full circle on why so many employers have taken a position of only confirming or verifying information.
Above all, be aware of the types of references checks that can arise, and be prepared to use them to your advantage or negate the undesirable consequences.
So how often DO potential employers check references? In my experience not as often as they should (which I believe should be 100% of the time), but enough to be concerned if you are not prepared. When you are asked to provide references, be absolutely certain that your references are aware that their names have been provided. There is nothing worse for a candidate than calling up one of his/her references, and hearing “who?” from the person on the other end of the line. I have had this happen a few times, but one time that stands out in my mind was a reference I was provided by a certain candidate. The credentials of the candidate were definitely impressive – he was the CEO of a well-known company in the area. The only problem was, he couldn’t for the life of him think of who it was I was asking him to provide a reference for. It turned out that this young man’s father was an “acquaintance” of this CEO, but in reality knew neither him nor his father well enough to vouch for either. It was embarrassing for him, and was a contributing factor in costing him the job.
Don’t rely solely on references you have provided being the only ones checked. I know people in HR departments at companies who have no qualms with calming any and all former managers, colleagues or personnel from the applicant company’s former HR department they can find. The reason of course is that most of the time a more candid picture will be painted by those who can serve as references but are not directly provided by the candidate. I have used this method to discover big discrepancies in the length of work service stated (by as much as 18 months), and in one case found out the candidate had never worked for a listed company at all! After one interview with a prospective candidate, there were enough red flags raised in the responses given that I was highly suspicious. That skepticism was confirmed when I contacted the Ivy League school the individual had supposedly graduated from and it was confirmed no one with that name had graduated, let alone attended school there.
Don’t be completely scared by this though, because as I mentioned previously, there are still a good share of companies and employers I come in contact with or work with directly that do not take time to check a single reference. I don’t agree with it or advocate it, but it happens. In a couple of my previous jobs before being a recruiter, I worked for organizations that didn’t call any of my references. In at least one position I remember my references not being called until several weeks after I had started, and even then I think they only called one, maybe two. I am of the opinion that this is a risky practice, but it does still happen.
So what specifically do prospective employers ask when they call? Well there are companies that out of fear of being sued have taken a stance on only confirming dates of employment, salary, and that the individual actually worked there. The trick I have found if I want more information is to try and contact someone a little further down the totem pole. They seem to be a little more open, and even eager in some cases, to share information someone at the top normally would not. Just be aware that it could go either way depending on who is called, and how willing he or she is to provide answers. Be prepared.
Then there is the concern of references that aren’t so much in your favor. Some in fact are downright bad. If you are worried about receiving a bad reference, how do you deal with it so that your chances for securing employment are not completely ruined? First, if you gather from the interviewer or hiring manager that reaching out to all references rather than just those you provide is the preferred method you may want to consider warning the potential employer that you may have someone (or more) who may not give you a completely sparkling reference. Tackling the issue head on and explaining your side of an issue is far better than letting them hear the other side with no frame of context first. Again, it is advantageous that those who can positively vouch for your work be solicited, and if you can encourage the prospective employer to also contact these colleagues, it certainly will help you. The other common option is to ask the bad reference if he/she would be willing to discuss the matter, and come to an agreement of some sort so as to not inhibit your ability to secure future employment. It could be that you left on bad terms and simply need to clear the air, or it could be much worse, where you believe the person is purposely or spitefully spreading untruths that paint you in a bad light. If this is the case, consider going directly to HR. The legal implications are enough to usually put a stop to it, bringing us back full circle on why so many employers have taken a position of only confirming or verifying information.
Above all, be aware of the types of references checks that can arise, and be prepared to use them to your advantage or negate the undesirable consequences.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
LinkedIn Is Still King, But Twitter is Up and Coming Among Recruiters
I did something in 2012 that I had been resistant to for quite some time: I started a Twitter account. Apparently I am not alone. According to a new report released by Bullhorn Reach (The 2012 Social Activity Report- The Definitive Look at Social Media Usage in Recruiting) that surveyed over 35,000 recruiters, an increase of activity on Twitter is expected among all in 2012. Part of this can be attributed to recent launch of the new Twitter business pages, but more of it can be ascribed to the fact that Twitter has not been tapped into fully yet by this group. My belief is that this is about to change.
The report findings conclude that recruiters are connected on all three networks, but are using LinkedIn and Twitter much more than Facebook to recruit talent. It is interesting to note that while LinkedIn is driving the most views and applications per job posted on the “big three” social networks, analysis showed that Twitter followers are much more likely to apply for a job than connections on LinkedIn or friends on Facebook. Why? I believe this is due in part to much larger networks on LinkedIn, where the intent is to continually increase connections in order to tap into more talent. At least for me, Twitter is a more targeted audience. In any case, it is important to understand how each of these social networks are being utilized by recruiters so that you can correctly set your strategy.
Some other findings of note from the research:
• While 21% of recruiters are connected to all three social networks, the data shows that 48% of recruiters are using LinkedIn exclusively and are not leveraging the other two networks for social recruiting
• LinkedIn is the most widely used social network for social recruiting, followed by Twitter and then Facebook
• Recruiters are rapidly ramping up their usage of Twitter (with over 100 million active users), and the site has become the second most adopted network among recruiters with 19% using it in combination with LinkedIn for recruiting
• Twitter followers are most likely to apply via a social network, with recruiters receiving almost 3 times more applications per contact from Twitter than from LinkedIn and 8 times more than Facebook
• Agency recruiters receive 11 times more Twitter applications and 3 times more LinkedIn applications than corporate recruiters using the same channels
Although LinkedIn still receives more applications and garners more views than the other two networks, Twitter is expected to narrow that gap this year. I personally did not fully realize the potential on Twitter, but am definitely beginning to understand it now. It would be several years, if ever, before Twitter catches up to LinkedIn. But job seekers cannot ignore these findings, especially when social networks play such a huge role in recruiting and job searching. And if you are a job seeker that has been resistant to joining the social media revolution, you are missing out on capturing a significant opportunity that could literally reduce your job search time to a fraction.
The report findings conclude that recruiters are connected on all three networks, but are using LinkedIn and Twitter much more than Facebook to recruit talent. It is interesting to note that while LinkedIn is driving the most views and applications per job posted on the “big three” social networks, analysis showed that Twitter followers are much more likely to apply for a job than connections on LinkedIn or friends on Facebook. Why? I believe this is due in part to much larger networks on LinkedIn, where the intent is to continually increase connections in order to tap into more talent. At least for me, Twitter is a more targeted audience. In any case, it is important to understand how each of these social networks are being utilized by recruiters so that you can correctly set your strategy.
Some other findings of note from the research:
• While 21% of recruiters are connected to all three social networks, the data shows that 48% of recruiters are using LinkedIn exclusively and are not leveraging the other two networks for social recruiting
• LinkedIn is the most widely used social network for social recruiting, followed by Twitter and then Facebook
• Recruiters are rapidly ramping up their usage of Twitter (with over 100 million active users), and the site has become the second most adopted network among recruiters with 19% using it in combination with LinkedIn for recruiting
• Twitter followers are most likely to apply via a social network, with recruiters receiving almost 3 times more applications per contact from Twitter than from LinkedIn and 8 times more than Facebook
• Agency recruiters receive 11 times more Twitter applications and 3 times more LinkedIn applications than corporate recruiters using the same channels
Although LinkedIn still receives more applications and garners more views than the other two networks, Twitter is expected to narrow that gap this year. I personally did not fully realize the potential on Twitter, but am definitely beginning to understand it now. It would be several years, if ever, before Twitter catches up to LinkedIn. But job seekers cannot ignore these findings, especially when social networks play such a huge role in recruiting and job searching. And if you are a job seeker that has been resistant to joining the social media revolution, you are missing out on capturing a significant opportunity that could literally reduce your job search time to a fraction.
Informational Interviews
I recently had a colleague who approached me for advice on transitioning her career to a particular industry. She had done a considerable amount of research on the Internet to learn whatever she could about the trade, but she still had many lingering questions. After discussing the possibility of this career shift for some time, I asked her if she had talked to anyone who actually worked in the industry to get a firsthand take on what it was like. She had not, and it hadn’t even crossed her mind as a possibility. I then spent the best five minutes of the entire conversation introducing her to informational interviews.
What exactly is an informational interview? In short, it is an interview conducted by a job seeker with the aim to gather knowledge or information about a particular industry or career path without directly asking for a job or employment. From an expanded view, an informational interview is an opportunity to network by making a great impression, which in turn can lead to introductions to others in the industry or career field. Not only can you enlarge your network, but also your future opportunities of securing employment at some point within the industry. You may even learn about the industry and decide it is not for you. The approach you take though is of the utmost importance. The following steps can serve as a guide for conducting informational interviews in a manner that will lead to success.
First, and above everything else, place this at the forefront of your mind: the number one rule for any informational interview is to ask for advice, NOT for a job, internship or favor. Informational interviews are not about asking for job leads; the point is to learn something of value.
The initial question is who to contact to interview? The answer is essentially anyone who has expertise or knowledge in the field you are interested in pursuing. One of the best groups I have found to work with are alumni networks and associations, and I am increasingly seeing colleges and universities around the country taking steps to better coordinate opportunities for young alumni to connect with established alumni for this purpose. Check with your career services department and ask if they have any type of alumni program in place. Other avenues can include friends, family members and colleagues either in the target industry or with connections to people in the industry. Don’t forget the power of social networking sites like LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook either. For example, LinkedIn is stocked with a plethora of different groups for every career and industry out there. Spend some time on the forums for groups of interest and make connections. I have always found that there are people out there who are eager and willing to mentor or impart advice.
Next is the question of how to approach these people about conducting an informational interview. Keep in mind that there will be a number of people who are not aware of what an informational interview is. This is where you need to clearly explain your intent so there is no confusion. For me, I know when I approach people for advice in a complimentary or flattering fashion, it is much easier to get them to assist. If you approach them as an expert in their industry, I guarantee that 9 times out of 10 you will have no problem getting them to oblige. I must admit, it works on me too. The exact query depends on largely on the level you know each. If it is a friend or family member, it’s as easy as just asking. If it is a connection of someone else, perhaps a warm intro from them would be appropriate either followed up by a phone call or email from you. If it is someone you don’t have any connection with at all, a short and concise email is probably the best approach. Remember, these are busy professionals and should be showed respect for their time. It would not be a good idea to blindly call a company receptionist and start cold-calling people by asking for persons with specific job titles. Make the initial contact personal without being intrusive. The whole point is to contact them to see if they are interested in having a brief meeting or phone call. If someone declines move on to other contacts. If the person is receptive, set up a meeting that works with their schedule; after all this is to benefit you, not them.
Once the meeting is set, the rest is entirely up to you. What you take away from an informational interview depends almost entirely on how thoroughly you prepare for the meeting. An informational interview should ideally not take more than 10 or 15 minutes since you are asking for someone’s time, so BE PREPARED! Research beforehand about the industry or the company where the person works. Dress professionally, as you would with a job interview, and err on the side of arriving early versus barely on time or late. First impressions count! And lastly, have a set of questions ready to ask so that you can make the most of the get-together. I am a firm believer in personalizing questions based on what you want to know, but here are some examples of questions to give a guide:
• What about this industry made you want to pursue it?
• How did you break into this field?
• What do you like most about what you do, and what would you change if you could?
• What are the types of jobs that exist where you work and in the industry in general?
• What does a typical career path in your industry look like?
• What are some of the biggest challenges facing your company and your industry today? How about in the next 5 years?
• Are there any professional groups or associations that you suggest I should connect with?
• What’s a typical day of work like for you?
• What’s unique or differentiating about your company?
Whatever you do, don’t overstay your welcome. This is the quickest way to burn the bridge you are trying to build, so if you say 15 minutes, cut it off at 15 minutes. Unless they specifically give an approval to go longer, the interview needs to be ended by you. I’m not suggesting you set an alarm, clock watch the entire time, or cut the interviewee off mid sentence. However you do need to be respectful of their time.
Lastly, follow up! Please, please, PLEASE be sure to personally thank him/her not only at the end of the interview, but also with an email, handwritten note or thank you card. Gratitude goes a long way, so be sincere and thankful. If he/she brought up the possibility of connecting you with others in the industry, ask them about it later in a follow up email. If additional reading material was offered up, follow up about it. In essence, if the door was opened for further action, don’t slam the door shut. Otherwise you negate the entire point of conducting the interview.
Informational interviews are also a great way to practice for a real interview, and I have encouraged this especially among college students or new grads as a way to get their “feet wet” before diving in to a targeted job search head first. You could end up wasting a lot of time and energy in obtaining a job that you figure out in the first week is not for you.
I am a big proponent of informational interviews, because I have seen them work. The common threads among those who I have seen experience success with informational interviews include being proactive, professional, and grateful. Remember, it is up to you how much you derive from an informational interview, and it is your career that can be the beneficiary if conducted correctly.
What exactly is an informational interview? In short, it is an interview conducted by a job seeker with the aim to gather knowledge or information about a particular industry or career path without directly asking for a job or employment. From an expanded view, an informational interview is an opportunity to network by making a great impression, which in turn can lead to introductions to others in the industry or career field. Not only can you enlarge your network, but also your future opportunities of securing employment at some point within the industry. You may even learn about the industry and decide it is not for you. The approach you take though is of the utmost importance. The following steps can serve as a guide for conducting informational interviews in a manner that will lead to success.
First, and above everything else, place this at the forefront of your mind: the number one rule for any informational interview is to ask for advice, NOT for a job, internship or favor. Informational interviews are not about asking for job leads; the point is to learn something of value.
The initial question is who to contact to interview? The answer is essentially anyone who has expertise or knowledge in the field you are interested in pursuing. One of the best groups I have found to work with are alumni networks and associations, and I am increasingly seeing colleges and universities around the country taking steps to better coordinate opportunities for young alumni to connect with established alumni for this purpose. Check with your career services department and ask if they have any type of alumni program in place. Other avenues can include friends, family members and colleagues either in the target industry or with connections to people in the industry. Don’t forget the power of social networking sites like LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook either. For example, LinkedIn is stocked with a plethora of different groups for every career and industry out there. Spend some time on the forums for groups of interest and make connections. I have always found that there are people out there who are eager and willing to mentor or impart advice.
Next is the question of how to approach these people about conducting an informational interview. Keep in mind that there will be a number of people who are not aware of what an informational interview is. This is where you need to clearly explain your intent so there is no confusion. For me, I know when I approach people for advice in a complimentary or flattering fashion, it is much easier to get them to assist. If you approach them as an expert in their industry, I guarantee that 9 times out of 10 you will have no problem getting them to oblige. I must admit, it works on me too. The exact query depends on largely on the level you know each. If it is a friend or family member, it’s as easy as just asking. If it is a connection of someone else, perhaps a warm intro from them would be appropriate either followed up by a phone call or email from you. If it is someone you don’t have any connection with at all, a short and concise email is probably the best approach. Remember, these are busy professionals and should be showed respect for their time. It would not be a good idea to blindly call a company receptionist and start cold-calling people by asking for persons with specific job titles. Make the initial contact personal without being intrusive. The whole point is to contact them to see if they are interested in having a brief meeting or phone call. If someone declines move on to other contacts. If the person is receptive, set up a meeting that works with their schedule; after all this is to benefit you, not them.
Once the meeting is set, the rest is entirely up to you. What you take away from an informational interview depends almost entirely on how thoroughly you prepare for the meeting. An informational interview should ideally not take more than 10 or 15 minutes since you are asking for someone’s time, so BE PREPARED! Research beforehand about the industry or the company where the person works. Dress professionally, as you would with a job interview, and err on the side of arriving early versus barely on time or late. First impressions count! And lastly, have a set of questions ready to ask so that you can make the most of the get-together. I am a firm believer in personalizing questions based on what you want to know, but here are some examples of questions to give a guide:
• What about this industry made you want to pursue it?
• How did you break into this field?
• What do you like most about what you do, and what would you change if you could?
• What are the types of jobs that exist where you work and in the industry in general?
• What does a typical career path in your industry look like?
• What are some of the biggest challenges facing your company and your industry today? How about in the next 5 years?
• Are there any professional groups or associations that you suggest I should connect with?
• What’s a typical day of work like for you?
• What’s unique or differentiating about your company?
Whatever you do, don’t overstay your welcome. This is the quickest way to burn the bridge you are trying to build, so if you say 15 minutes, cut it off at 15 minutes. Unless they specifically give an approval to go longer, the interview needs to be ended by you. I’m not suggesting you set an alarm, clock watch the entire time, or cut the interviewee off mid sentence. However you do need to be respectful of their time.
Lastly, follow up! Please, please, PLEASE be sure to personally thank him/her not only at the end of the interview, but also with an email, handwritten note or thank you card. Gratitude goes a long way, so be sincere and thankful. If he/she brought up the possibility of connecting you with others in the industry, ask them about it later in a follow up email. If additional reading material was offered up, follow up about it. In essence, if the door was opened for further action, don’t slam the door shut. Otherwise you negate the entire point of conducting the interview.
Informational interviews are also a great way to practice for a real interview, and I have encouraged this especially among college students or new grads as a way to get their “feet wet” before diving in to a targeted job search head first. You could end up wasting a lot of time and energy in obtaining a job that you figure out in the first week is not for you.
I am a big proponent of informational interviews, because I have seen them work. The common threads among those who I have seen experience success with informational interviews include being proactive, professional, and grateful. Remember, it is up to you how much you derive from an informational interview, and it is your career that can be the beneficiary if conducted correctly.
Monday, March 26, 2012
The Perils of Facebook - Reminders Every Job Seeker Should Know
In its recently released annual report, “2012 Bullhorn Reach Social Recruiting Activity Report,” the company presents some interesting findings on the three big social media networks (LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter), and how much each is being utilized by recruiters. More than 35,000 recruiters were surveyed to compile the data that found 98% of recruiters use LinkedIn, 42% use Twitter, and 33% use Facebook. So even though only one-third surveyed are using Facebook, that still means a 1 in 3 chance a recruiter you have made contact with could check out your Facebook account. And the report also mentions that both Facebook and Twitter are highly underutilized, but they expect that trend to change in 2012. For purpose of this post, I want to focus in on Facebook in particular, and remind job seekers once again of the perils that can arise from information found on profiles.
If you are going to use Facebook as a professional vehicle instead of a personal or social tool, you should treat it as such. Clean up your profile and get rid of all irrelevant and personal information including personal pictures, dates that could give away your age (especially if you are older), family/marital status and anything else that may convey an unprofessional image. Make your profile picture professional, and all comments and posts the same. You also need to look closely at everyone you have as a friend. Is there anyone making crazy comments or posting anything on your wall that could turn a recruiter away? Take a close look at anything and everything you have “liked,” and ask yourself how a recruiter or prospective employer would view these choices? Be on constant alert for personal and private information of any kind that could potentially harm your job search.
Perhaps the best strategy if you still want to have your social outlet is to create two separate Facebook pages; one personal and the other purely professional. Do so by creating a variation on your name, or use a nickname for your personal page. And don’t forget to use a completely different email address for your personal Facebook page, while using a professional email address for your professional page. View your page as an opportunity to update your network on your job search, convey your brand, and share your professional expertise, much like you would with LinkedIn or Twitter. Become a “fan” of companies you would like to work for, or of industry leaders in your area of expertise. Most of all, be careful of interacting with anyone (friends, family) who will not help your professional image. Interact only with professional contacts, and your page will display professionalism.
Finally, if you would rather keep your Facebook page solely for socializing, make sure you have your page set on private so that it cannot be viewed by the entire world. You would actually be surprised at how many people I log on to Facebook to check out that do not have their privacy settings on. The following guide from mediabistro wonderfully covers the 10 Facebook privacy settings you need to know.
If you are going to use Facebook as a professional vehicle instead of a personal or social tool, you should treat it as such. Clean up your profile and get rid of all irrelevant and personal information including personal pictures, dates that could give away your age (especially if you are older), family/marital status and anything else that may convey an unprofessional image. Make your profile picture professional, and all comments and posts the same. You also need to look closely at everyone you have as a friend. Is there anyone making crazy comments or posting anything on your wall that could turn a recruiter away? Take a close look at anything and everything you have “liked,” and ask yourself how a recruiter or prospective employer would view these choices? Be on constant alert for personal and private information of any kind that could potentially harm your job search.
Perhaps the best strategy if you still want to have your social outlet is to create two separate Facebook pages; one personal and the other purely professional. Do so by creating a variation on your name, or use a nickname for your personal page. And don’t forget to use a completely different email address for your personal Facebook page, while using a professional email address for your professional page. View your page as an opportunity to update your network on your job search, convey your brand, and share your professional expertise, much like you would with LinkedIn or Twitter. Become a “fan” of companies you would like to work for, or of industry leaders in your area of expertise. Most of all, be careful of interacting with anyone (friends, family) who will not help your professional image. Interact only with professional contacts, and your page will display professionalism.
Finally, if you would rather keep your Facebook page solely for socializing, make sure you have your page set on private so that it cannot be viewed by the entire world. You would actually be surprised at how many people I log on to Facebook to check out that do not have their privacy settings on. The following guide from mediabistro wonderfully covers the 10 Facebook privacy settings you need to know.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
3 Precautions to Keep Your Job Search Discreet on LinkedIn
In a previous post I wrote about some of the mistakes most commonly made by job seekers who are conducting discreet job searches while still employed. Perhaps the biggest of these blunders is posting their resumes on job search engines such as Monster or CareerBuilder. Most companies have access to these sites, and job seekers don’t always realize their resumes will be plainly visible to their employers once posted. If the intent was to conduct a discreet job search, it is not so confidential at this point.
In line with advice I push over and over, utilizing LinkedIn should be a part of any productive job search. However there are a few things to be aware of when using LinkedIn that may blow up an otherwise inconspicuous search.
1. Hide your status updates – the problem with status updates is that they can be a direct tip-off of to employers and colleagues of your job search. A few reasons could be that you are receiving an unusually large amount of recommendations, you are making connections with recruiters, or you begin following a handful of companies on LinkedIn. Status updates on LinkedIn are in view for your connections to see, so take a few precautions to avoid being exposed.
Select Settings > Account > Customize the updates you see on your home page. In the pop-up window under General, uncheck the box that says New connections in your network. Scroll down under Groups, and uncheck the box next to Groups your connections have joined or created. Click Save Changes.
Click the drop-down menu under your name in the top right corner of the page, then select Settings. In the profile section, click Turn on/off your activity broadcasts under Privacy Controls. Uncheck the box that appears in the pop-up window and click Save Settings but don’t forget to turn it back on again afterward, or the right type of visibility later will not be readily seen.
2. Hide recommendations – believe it or not, you can receive unsolicited recommendations from people who you would not want displayed; recruiters or hiring managers. A perfect example would be a well-intentioned recommendation you receive from a recruiter with whom you just met, and impressed with you. You certainly do not want this type of recommendation available for all of your connections to view.
3. Remove connections – sometimes it just makes sense to remove connections, especially those who you do not want knowing that you are looking for another position. As an extra safeguard, you may just want to disconnect with colleagues, bosses, or anyone else who you are worried about catching wind of your job search.
In line with advice I push over and over, utilizing LinkedIn should be a part of any productive job search. However there are a few things to be aware of when using LinkedIn that may blow up an otherwise inconspicuous search.
1. Hide your status updates – the problem with status updates is that they can be a direct tip-off of to employers and colleagues of your job search. A few reasons could be that you are receiving an unusually large amount of recommendations, you are making connections with recruiters, or you begin following a handful of companies on LinkedIn. Status updates on LinkedIn are in view for your connections to see, so take a few precautions to avoid being exposed.
Select Settings > Account > Customize the updates you see on your home page. In the pop-up window under General, uncheck the box that says New connections in your network. Scroll down under Groups, and uncheck the box next to Groups your connections have joined or created. Click Save Changes.
Click the drop-down menu under your name in the top right corner of the page, then select Settings. In the profile section, click Turn on/off your activity broadcasts under Privacy Controls. Uncheck the box that appears in the pop-up window and click Save Settings but don’t forget to turn it back on again afterward, or the right type of visibility later will not be readily seen.
2. Hide recommendations – believe it or not, you can receive unsolicited recommendations from people who you would not want displayed; recruiters or hiring managers. A perfect example would be a well-intentioned recommendation you receive from a recruiter with whom you just met, and impressed with you. You certainly do not want this type of recommendation available for all of your connections to view.
3. Remove connections – sometimes it just makes sense to remove connections, especially those who you do not want knowing that you are looking for another position. As an extra safeguard, you may just want to disconnect with colleagues, bosses, or anyone else who you are worried about catching wind of your job search.
20 Twitter Hashtags all Job Seekers Should be Using
Twitter offers a number of tools that are extremely useful in your job search. Among these are networking, the advantage of becoming informed quickly of new job postings by recruiters or companies, and the ability to connect with others who share similar interests or who work in the same industry. If you are a job seeker currently, then you have most certainly been inundated with advice about using social media as a big part of your job search. Twitter is no exception.
There are 3 main reasons most job seekers use Twitter. These include:
- Networking: Any successful job search strategy should include 80% or more of your time devoted to networking (link here). Network with other professionals who share similar interests as you, whether that be with professionals in shared groups, similar professions, or with common interests, Twitter provides an excellent opportunity to network and get the beat on new jobs.
- Connecting with like professionals: Similar to LinkedIn, Twitter provides you the opportunity to locate and contact employees at specific companies. This is particularly important for building relationships with employees at companies where you are interested in working. Once in a while people include their email address in their profile, so you can easily contact them that way.
- Job Postings: As a result of the connections you make, you may have the opportunity to be apprised of jobs that you would otherwise not be privy to. Over half of the jobs that exist in the marketplace today are not posted on traditional job sites such as CareerBuilder, Monster or HotJobs. The only way you can find them is through internal sources.
There is one additional method you should be using on Twitter, and that is with hashtags. If you are not familiar with hashtags, they are the words you see in a tweet that are preceded by a number sign (#). The beauty of hashtags are that they allow others to view the aggregate of comments based on a specific hashtag. For instance, when a particular subject or issue becomes popular, the associated hashtag(s) usually trend; in other words many people are tweeting about the subject. You as a job seeker can effectively use hashtags to connect with others, network, or search for job postings. It is quite simple, and can be done by clicking the “# Discover” option at the top of your Twitter page, and entering the specific word preceded by a (#) sign.
I have assembled a list of 20 of the most common hashtags that job seekers should be aware of below:
#career
#careersearch
#compensation
#employment
#hireme
#hiring
#HR
#interviewing
#jobhunt
#joblisting
#jobposting
#jobsearch
#jobseeker
#jobtips
#needajob
#nowhiring
#recruiting
#resume
#training
#tweetmyjobs
Keep in mind, you can conduct Twitter searches as described above to locate jobs and opportunities, or you can draw attention to your own search by including any of these hashtags on your tweets. Many people have had great success tweeting messages with associated hashtags, allowing them to be visible to recruiters and hiring managers alike. I have even seen some creativity where job seekers have tweeted a hashtag like #resume or #CV, and included a shortened URL that directs the reader to an online link of their resumes. The possibilities are endless, and you may just find yourself in a new position as a result of your efforts with hashtags.
There are 3 main reasons most job seekers use Twitter. These include:
- Networking: Any successful job search strategy should include 80% or more of your time devoted to networking (link here). Network with other professionals who share similar interests as you, whether that be with professionals in shared groups, similar professions, or with common interests, Twitter provides an excellent opportunity to network and get the beat on new jobs.
- Connecting with like professionals: Similar to LinkedIn, Twitter provides you the opportunity to locate and contact employees at specific companies. This is particularly important for building relationships with employees at companies where you are interested in working. Once in a while people include their email address in their profile, so you can easily contact them that way.
- Job Postings: As a result of the connections you make, you may have the opportunity to be apprised of jobs that you would otherwise not be privy to. Over half of the jobs that exist in the marketplace today are not posted on traditional job sites such as CareerBuilder, Monster or HotJobs. The only way you can find them is through internal sources.
There is one additional method you should be using on Twitter, and that is with hashtags. If you are not familiar with hashtags, they are the words you see in a tweet that are preceded by a number sign (#). The beauty of hashtags are that they allow others to view the aggregate of comments based on a specific hashtag. For instance, when a particular subject or issue becomes popular, the associated hashtag(s) usually trend; in other words many people are tweeting about the subject. You as a job seeker can effectively use hashtags to connect with others, network, or search for job postings. It is quite simple, and can be done by clicking the “# Discover” option at the top of your Twitter page, and entering the specific word preceded by a (#) sign.
I have assembled a list of 20 of the most common hashtags that job seekers should be aware of below:
#career
#careersearch
#compensation
#employment
#hireme
#hiring
#HR
#interviewing
#jobhunt
#joblisting
#jobposting
#jobsearch
#jobseeker
#jobtips
#needajob
#nowhiring
#recruiting
#resume
#training
#tweetmyjobs
Keep in mind, you can conduct Twitter searches as described above to locate jobs and opportunities, or you can draw attention to your own search by including any of these hashtags on your tweets. Many people have had great success tweeting messages with associated hashtags, allowing them to be visible to recruiters and hiring managers alike. I have even seen some creativity where job seekers have tweeted a hashtag like #resume or #CV, and included a shortened URL that directs the reader to an online link of their resumes. The possibilities are endless, and you may just find yourself in a new position as a result of your efforts with hashtags.
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