Everyday I counsel job seekers on how to leverage social media to accelerate their job search. And I’m happy to report that over the last year, more and more people are using LinkedIn as a way to stay in touch with people and build new relationships. But when I ask clients if they use Facebook, 9 times out of 10 the reply is, ... Read more

I don’t need to tell you that big pharmaceutical companies are laying people off. The reasons why are everything from lack of pending blockbuster products to growing competition among generics, “closed” offices, and changes in the way physicians  purchase products; e.g. “e-detailing” is in vogue and seems to be growing.

If you are in big pharma and seeking opportunities in medical devices/equipment/biotech, I have some encouraging news for you, based on the performance of my own clients (I am a mentor to those seeking work in medical sales). Think of this as a brief checklist of key changes in the healthcare – medical marketplace that you can use for an effective job search: … Read more

In my opinion, the groups feature is the best part of LinkedIn. While having a strong profile and connecting with past colleagues and classmates is important, interacting in groups is where you’ll really take targeted networking to the next level. Notice I said “interacting.” Groups are there for much more than just a logo on your profile! ... Read more

Not open to receiving introductions is a message you do not want displayed on your Linkedin profile when someone is trying to connect with you. Why? Because Linkedin is the #1 Professional Networking Site. There are currently over 100 million professionals on Linkedin. You will find close to 2.2 million companies with detailed profiles including past and current employees. Linkedin has over 3,000 jobs posted in Canada and over 42,000 jobs posted in the United States. Over 80% of recruiters and HR professionals are seeking potential candidates on Linkedin. Adding Connections, Introductions, Answers and Groups are only a few of the features that are available on Linkedin for the purpose of networking and engaging professionals. And lastly, would you attend a professional networking event and turn your back to an extended handshake?

... Read more

According to a recent LinkedIn networking survey, globally and in the U.S. men are savvier online professional networkers than women. LinkedIn defines online professional networking savviness as the ratio of connections that men have to connections that women have and the ratio of male members on LinkedIn to female members. Some of the survey results may surprise you; according to their data men in the cosmetics industry are better networkers than their female counterparts but ... Read more

During a Global Brainstorming Day facilitated by the Career Thought Leaders Consortium, the consensus of career coaches, career counselors, resume writers, recruiters, outplacement consultants, etc. is that LinkedIn is now the #1 online networking platform for job seekers. A minimum number of recommendations on LinkedIn is suggested, equal to 10% of the number of your contacts. ... Read more

In thinking about the delay in BP’s PR response to the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, do you see an ostrich mentality? I can’t help but see parallels in the lives of executives, many of whom are current or former JobWhiz executive talent agent clients. These very accomplished professionals ignored the necessity for proactively marketing themselves when times were fine and their careers seemed to be in good shape. They did not continuously strive to promote themselves, didn’t purposefully network to enlarge their impact and develop new contacts, were not on the inside track learning about potential new challenges on a constant basis, and were not sought out for their recommendations and referrals. They thought they would be safe if they focused on the job to be done at their company. Meanwhile their world
unraveled while they failed to promote a positive image and make others aware of their potential. They did not protect their good name, their reputation, their careers.

Unfortunately for some otherwise successful executives, it is only when the handwriting on the wall can no longer be denied, like BP, that they finally, too late, start their “official” campaign. They rush to implement their personal PR campaign. They seek to renew dormant connections, furiously attend networking events, work the phone and make appointments to meet with former colleagues, headhunters, etc.  It is far better to dig your well, as Harvey McKay says, before you are thirsty. And IMHO, BP should have started their PR work right when the first drop leaked and not when it was obvious that the problem was huge and they owned it.

How many top leaders are guilty of ignoring their own career needs for self-promotion when everything is working out at their current job? Only when disaster strikes, like they have to acknowledge an impending layoff or are faced with a sudden termination, do they respond appropriately by reaching out to their network, polishing a resume, joining groups, participating in social media, etc. all of which are the right steps to help them identify a new job. Too little too late just like BP. The time to take preventive action or be proactive in managing a career transition is before all the facts are in when there is more time to influence and make new contacts.
I see similarities in how an executive gets caught up in the day to day and
relies only on their current employer to take care of their future or they
think they have more time than they actually do to prepare for their next
assignment. Is it just human nature/wishful thinking to roll along until we
are forced to do something? Do we lack initiative? Do we make excuses
because it is easier? For all those reading this and seeing themselves, wake
up!! Start to plan your next career move even if you would rather not put the effort into developing new
contacts, publishing your thoughts, sharing your ideas with those who are
not your immediate colleagues in order to promote yourself within your
industry. Is it human nature not to act until an outside party tells us we
have to move? You know very well how much better it is to always be
networking and creating a positive professional image. Don’t be a BP!!!!

Please comment with your ideas for what these two initials can represent like blind XX or
blatant XXX etc.

According to “Social Networking: 2009,” an online survey conducted by Ipsos Reid, only 26% of Canadians who are actively online are aware of Twitter. A more interesting fact is that just 1.45% of these Canadians actually used the 140-character microblogging site.

The original survey was done just before the all the media hype caused by news outlets like CNN, celebrities like Ashton Kutcher, daytime talk show hosts like Oprah, and others, so it could be that the Ipsos numbers are a little on the low side now. In any case, we can be sure that only a very minute number of Canadian professionals are using Twitter. I suspect this is because of confusion and fear that usually arises when a new form of technology proliferates our world. People are afraid of many things:

• Jumping in too early (Remember the Beta/VHS controversy)
• Becoming addicted (Social Media Addiction does affect some, as does alcoholism)
• Becoming narcissistic (Who really cares about your lunch plans?)
• Losing privacy (Big Brother is watching-only if you are telling)

All these are valid concerns, but after trying out Twitter, what I have learned is that it is a veritable GOLDMINE for 6-figure job seekers. These hidden benefits don’t seem to get much exposure, but I will tell you today that Twitter can help you in many ways:

• if you need good career advice because you seem to be “spinning your wheels”
• if you have want to supplement applying to postings with some new things
• if you are feeling lonely and isolated in your home office and you want “business chat”
• if you haven’t been working for a while and you need to address the gap by keeping current
• if you are feeling like you need to build your credibility by showing that you are an expert
• if you feel like the economy is getting you down and you need a boost

TAKE A CHANCE TODAY – TWITTER MAY OPEN UP DOORS YOU NEVER KNEW EXISTED!

 Twitter can give your six-figure career a HUGE boost. I took the long route to get there, but you can start now. How about investigating Twitter in five easy steps?

 Step 1 – Click on this link: http://twitter.com

Step 2 – Click on Join Today.

Step 3 – Create your Account (Tip: Just complete the basic form and skip the rest for now)

Step 4 – Search for some people and start to follow (read) their tweets.

Step 5 – Visit your page daily to stay connected with your tweeps (twitter people).

Sharon Graham is Canada’s Career Strategist her twitter account is http://twitter.com/sharongraham  or @sharongraham. When you feel more comfortable and you are ready for the next steps, feel free to send Sharon a question or let her know how you are doing through the “Direct Message” link on your Twitter home page. She’ll answer with a new tweet in no time.

We’ve all heard buzz about the value of LinkedIn to business professionals, but not all academics have noticed what membership in LinkedIn Groups can do for them as professionals. If you haven’t looked into that, you’re missing an opportunity.

Here’s how easy it is to find people who share an interest with you.

First, find the groups relevant to your discipline or industry. Go to the “Groups Directory“ in LinkedIn, and, in the upper left corner, under “Search Groups,” click on “All categories” to get the drop-down menu of categories. Try any you want, but be sure to try “Professional group.”

If you don’t add a keyword, under Professional group, you’ll get 171,053 of them (as of this writing in May, 2010). They’re listed in order of largest membership first. (In this case, it’s ExecuNet with 185,040 members). If you add the keyword, “Anthropology,” you’ll get just 16 groups. “Astrophysics” brings just 2, but “Psychology” has 215. Change that to “Positive Psychology” and you have 11 choices. (But if you add too many qualifying terms, you’ll confuse it and get nothing.)

Of course, this organizational scheme is true of the other kinds of groups, too. If you enter no keywords, Conference Group brings you 13,359 choices, beginning with TED, a wonderfully idea-heavy group for thoughtful people, including academics. (TED stands for Techology, Entertainment, Design, but the scope is very broad.)

Joining Groups and Finding Your Network

When you decide to join a group, you’re actually submitting an application. In some cases, everyone is accepted; in others, the group owner or manager will look at your LikedIn profile to see if your background fits the criteria. (For example, if it’s a school alumni group, your profile should show your relationship with the school – and sometimes, your graduation will be cross-checked.) Sometimes admission is immediate; sometimes it takes days or weeks for the group manager to notice your request to join.

The value of membership in the group is not only that you can listen in on discussions of interest, but you can learn about current issues in your discipline or industry. It may keep you on the cutting edge when in face-to-face discussions with colleagues and peers. You are allowed to view the profiles of all the members in your group and you can search for specifics in their profiles – name, organization and specific key words or areas of expertise.

If you’re writing a dissertation, or publishing, you can check to see who else is interested in similar topics. As a grad student who needs a professional network, this is a great way to start developing that network, because you’ll have the option of contacting people in your group. (Of course, you’ll want to begin asking more people to “link” with you, to increase your own individual network, and you may need to have 50 or more before you see enough activity to consider it a worthwhile investment of your time.)

Another way to find groups relating to your interests is to look at the profiles of your peers and friends (maybe even professors). That’s how I discovered many of the groups I’ve joined (and found particularly useful). In fact, I wouldn’t have known to search for those keywords before I saw those groups in my friends’ profiles.

More Reasons to Join and Useful LinkedIn Functions

Groups can give you a thumbnail view of what’s going on in your industry or discipline. For example, one of my groups (Career Change Central), has an ongoing discussion of whether cover letters (for resumes) are obsolete and a waste of time. So far, it’s generated 450 comments and it’s still going strong!  It’s been very useful to me professionally, to get multiple views on the topic and many, many ideas for handling different situations with resumes and cover letters that my clients run into.

You can ask questions of the group and get very helpful responses, and you may even be able to develop relationships with potential mentors. You can show your own expertise when you answer questions or pose discussion topics, and consistently showing your expertise in front of the right individuals may bring you a job offer at some point. You may even become a mentor to others.

Some groups have active jobs lists, too, and there’s a group function that allows you to “follow” discussions and individuals whose opinions you value and want to stay in touch with in future.

Another function within groups is the option of changing your contact and privacy settings, so you’re not flooded with every listing to the discussion. (If I had not set my listing to get the weekly “digest” for the Career Change Central group, I would have had more than 400 emails about the discussion on cover letters! The weekly digest setting that I chose is just about right.) Other of my groups are not very active at all, and for some groups, I turn off all email and merely visit every several weeks to see what’s happening.

Don’t use the fear of too much email as an excuse for avoiding LinkedIn Groups. You have many choices and much control, so go check out the advantages and all the opportunities the Groups may bring you.

For more information on LinkedIn Groups – http://learn.linkedin.com/groups/

When I first entered the careers field as an executive talent agent a decade ago, I asked those with expertise and experience for their words of wisdom and advice. Universally, at some point in the conversation, the colleague offering advice about executive careers would say that the candidate’s resume could make or break their campaign. I carefully researched and discussed differing resume writing styles with experts and soon found out what made some writers better resources, in my opinion, for my executive clients. Along the way, I learned to recognize different stylistic preferences and grew to respect, even revere, various approaches.

During the intervening years, the world of executive career management including recruiting, and in turn the role the resume plays in a job search has been changing. I think it is not an exaggeration to remark that we are living a revolution. Dramatic changes in communications, technology and the economy all have shifted the relationship between prospective employee and potential employer which in turn, are forcing career industry professionals to adapt. The Career Thought Leaders Consortium is one fine example of this trend

Many in our profession have recognized this sea change and have polished their skills, updated their knowledge, added new services and transformed their businesses.  They  continue to push our field forward and provide the high quality  services that more sophisticated clients demand. Executive clients today are more knowledgeable.  They can get information via Internet search, through virtual communities and online discussions.  Unfortunately for some,  they master this arena by spending their own time in the job market while in transition.

What I am getting around to is that today we are light years away from the olden days of paper resumes and are living with a complexity beyond the days of broadcast faxes and mass emails. Today, a candidate’s competitive advantage is not just a great (but static) resume documenting a fantastic track record of accomplishments. Their future career success stems from how an individual communicates and distributes and makes available their reputation and unique problem-solving capabilities to those who can hire them and offer them additional opportunities to learn and grow their success.  Sounds like a networking process doesn’t it?  Sure, the individual has to have the goods, but just putting it in writing is not enough, just communicating this in one well-crafted document is too little and just sharing this when asked is usually not enough to ensure  a career.

The best possible resume is a good starting point for discussion; a better strategy is not only to build a strong reputation (good resume content,) but to also be visible.  Achievements have always been necessary and still are necessary, but are not sufficient for success.  How an individual communicates their value has broadened from just a “dam good resume” occasionally distributed when the candidate was actively looking or asked to submit their credentials to being a full time, non-stop personalized PR campaign.  This means being visible and searchable online.

We’ve been learning that having a personal website or online portfolio or Linkedin profile alone seldom attracts enough attention or generates enough desired contacts from prospective recruiters or hiring managers. These online pieces are major parts of a larger effort that includes an online resume, a marketing presence that is vibrant, updated regularly and contains relevant data differentiate those who get noticed. Think: what did you do today, what will you be doing tomorrow that demonstrates your abilities. It is said that past performance is no guarantee for the future. To be competitive, executives have to prove themselves, visibly speaking, in real time. In addition to producing results, they engage others.  They develop new connections. They interact. They give to others. And when the timing is right, they learn about a new position and make a move. In other words, the resume is now an important part of the overall marketing plan implementation process.  There is an intention to attract attention and pull opportunities towards the candidate.  Contrast this to when all career marketing/job searching efforts were designed to push the candidate to potential employers.

Today’s environment means game-changing strategy and a new style for executing an effective search for candidates and the modern career industry professionals who support them.  The best solution is for every employee to always have the mindset and behaviors of a potential candidate:  maintain their visibility with up to date information and messaging. There’s no worry about anyone discovering they are looking for a new job because they are always open to new opportunities that are able to find them even when they are not actively looking for leads to a new job. They never are out of “job search mode” but their standard MO is inviting connections, sharing  ideas and being approachable.