Career Hub

Psst... Blogging is a Public Forum

Important lesson for bloggers... what you say and how you say it can have a profound impact on people's perception of you (aka your brand) and other important things - like your wallet!

A Boston-area pediatrician, using the pseudonym "Flea," has published a blog for some time. Described as "controversial yet intellectually stimulating," the blog gave the doctor a forum for discussing medical issues and sharing his opinions. No problem, right?

Well, when the doctor was charged with malpractice he started to use the blog as a forum for complaints about the trial, snide comments about opposing counsel, and details about how witnesses are coached to present themselves to the jury. Again, not really a problem - except that the opposing counsel found out the identity of the blogger and asked him about it on the witness stand. Oops. There goes his reputation and his court case down the drain. (He settled for a "substantial" sum... read the full story here.)

It's pretty tough to be anonymous in the blogosphere. Someone, somewhere will find out. So before blasting a rant, rave, attack, or overly personal details, stop and think about what MIGHT happen if your anonymity disappears. Would you want that post associated with you? Would it support the brand image you are trying to convey? Could it damage your career, your network, your personal relationships?

Blogs, MySpace, YouTube, FaceBook, etc., etc., etc., may make it easy and enticing to put it all out there. Just realize that it IS all out there and could come back to bite you in the wallet or other even more sensitive spots.

Posted by Louise Kursmark

Dining Room Set, xlnt cond… Experienced Computer Programmer…

In a recent entry on my individual blog, I noted that recruiters seem to be finding talent in an unusual place that most in the employment market might not even consider: CraigsList. Based on a job market intelligence tidbit I had gleaned from a Career Master’s Institute newsletter, I related the fact that recent recruiting conference attendees were in agreement that the list has surpassed Monster.com as a resource for uncovering good talent. The same place where you can find furniture and household goods in your local market is also a thriving marketplace for JOBS!

That fact surprised me and others, to say the least. This particular blog entry has generated an unusual level of response and interest. Those “in the know” have overwhelmingly confirmed its accuracy. No less than 4 of my executive resume clients and 5 people who are involved in recruiting either within their own companies or as professional recruiters have volunteered information that validates the spreading use of CraigsList in recruiting. So I can say with confidence that it is a fact.

Certainly CraigsList would seem to be another viable tool worth adding to the well-stocked job search arsenal. For anyone considering using this resource, I would add a cautionary note. Concerns with online identity theft and fraud are definitely appropriate in this case. If I were a candidate posting in this venue, I would limit contact information, using the system’s online contact mechanism and providing “real” e-mail address, phone number, street address, and name of current employer only after credibility of the person inquiring had been established.

Let me point out also that I have seen no statistics as of yet regarding the level of jobs for which CraigsList is a viable tool from the recruiter's and the job seeker's perspectives. Intuitively, I would guess that its best use would be for entry to mid-level positions. I suspect that the new Marketing VP for a major corporation or the new CEO for a start-up is not likely to be sought or found on the list, but then again, I could not say that definitively without further data.

Revelations such as this one about CraigsList seem to constantly arrive in an almost overwhelming fashion these days. They underscore the necessity for job seekers to continually monitor and leverage the latest trends in job search and recruiting—that is, if they don’t want to be left behind!

Posted by Laurie Smith

Video Resumes: How much information is too much?

TMI (Too Much Information) - that's what Wall Street is saying about Yale senior Aleksey Vayner, who goes far beyond the usual in his resume video. How much is too much information? See for yourself.

Do You Sound As Good As You Look?

You've invested $400 for a new suit; $130 for a new pair of shoes; $25.00 for a hair trim, and now you're ready to deliver the interview performance of your life, right?

But wait, you start the interview by telling the hiring manager how "flustrated" you are in finding her office. Then you tell her that you finally "figgered" it out. And lo and behold, you start talking about the big "pitcher." Whoa! Does this sound familiar? Has someone ever corrected your pronunciation of a word or words? Do your mispronunciations get you ruled out before you even get started? I will always remember the day when one of the judges at a speaking competition pulled me aside and said "Ms. Sucher, irregardless is not a word, so don't use it, OK?" I wanted to fall through the floor; I was so embarrassed (and so disqualified). I can assure you I've not said that word in about 15 years...even though it does appear in the dictionary.

The finest attire in the world will not outperform poor speaking abilities. The words you choose can (and will) make or break your candidacy for a position, be it entry-level, senior-level, or someplace in-between. In short, sound as good as you look! Don't invent words and do pronounce words correctly.

Mispronunciations can be avoided by making a list of words that are difficult for you to say. Practice saying them correctly. Or, look up words in the dictionary, online or hard copy, to determine correct pronunciations. Do you sound as good as you look?

What Street Entertainers Can Teach About Personal Branding

This coming weekend in my home town of Dundas is Buskerfest. Its a 2 and a half day street entertainment event that sees the main street closed and various international street performers plying their trade up and down the town - it is one of the best small town events I have been to.

Street entertaining is all about personal branding - knowing what your unique value is and communicating it effectively - standing or falling (and getting directly rewarded) on being your very best - you are truly on stage to perform your very best - EVERY TIME.

I have just returned from a three day trip to Montreal for a Mastermind Group meeting, 10 coaches from the UK and North America coaching each other on the development and direction of our businesses.

Chris Barrow is one of the coaches and he wrote some great blog articles about the three days - including this one about a street performer called Raphael - a pure an example as you will find of a street performer who gets personal branding - see the post by clicking here.

Chris rightly points out the following about Raphael;

• Proud of himself
• Good at what he does
• Knows he makes a difference
• Knows what he expects
• Not afraid to ask
• “Over it” if you don’t pay
• Doesn’t suffer time-wasters
• Doesn’t give discounts

Perhaps Raphael's 8 steps should be a new personal brand mantra!

(Cross posted at Reflections of a Square Peg and Branding Personal blogs)

"Make Way for Y Gens"

Except these aren’t your tame, line-up-and-follow-mother ducklings! They are young, independent, constantly connected, iPod-wearing, high-expectations, play by Y-rules, forget-delayed gratification workers flooding American business. There are 70M of them, born between '77 and '02. Most of their bosses are baby boomers, who took the long view that they would climb the ladder of corporate success gradually and follow the rules laid down from above.

Is this match made in heaven? Jason Dorsey addresses the angst of Gen Ys in his new book, "My Reality Check Bounced."

On the College Recruiter Blog, we hear that Gen Ys hate their jobs at a higher percentage than at any time in the survey's 20-year-history.

Many Gen Yers may hate their jobs, but they will ultimately change the way the workplace functions. With the labor shortage spurred by baby boomer retirement already begun, business will have to accomodate their new workers while Gen Yers themselves will need to make some adjustments. We hear about Gen Ys who bring their mothers to job interviews (as best friends not nannies) and parents being courted along with candidates by companies. Or CEOs lunching with new hires in a frontal assault on traditional hierarchy.

According to generation watchers, Gen Ys want meaning in work and in life and don't want to sacrifice either. Meanwhile, baby boomers are, oddly enough, looking to ease out of the hierarchy, do more of what makes them passionate, work on their own terms as contractors or small business people.

If creativity and innovation are the keys to US competitiveness abroad, we can expect a shot in the arm from Gen Yers and interesting synergies with their parents' generation, themselves forging "brand"-new worlds in un-retirement. So, make way for...??? I can't wait to see!

Is Your Resume Good?

So you've spent hours working on your resume? You're exhausted, frustrated, overwhelmed, and have no clue if your resume is good or not? I hear these words often (along with many more colorful ones) to describe the resume writing process. And the funny thing is, once you have your resume out there, and don't hear back from the hiring manager, recruiter, or somebody besides your mom, you may think your resume sucks (another frequently cited resume descriptor) or something. Maybe it does; maybe it doesn't.

Some people will love your resume and some people will hate it! What really matters is that your resume, however great or humble, gets noticed by at least one person in the universe who loves it, who also loves your interview, and who ultimately loves you enough to propose...will you marry us? Music (or should I say money?) to the job hunters' ears.

I like what Richard Nelson Bolles (What Color Is Your Parachute 2007 - Page 65) says about resumes:

"Trouble is, you don't know which employer likes what. That's why many job-hunters, if they use resumes, pray as they mail their resume: Please, dear God, let them be employers who like resumes in general, and may the form of my resume appeal to those employers I care the most about, in particular."

In a recent survey by CareerBuilder.com, hiring managers share their Top 12 Wackiest Resume Blunders, as reported in Rosemary Haefner's article on Your Biggest Resume Mistakes. Is your resume good?   

Lying on Resumes (Again)

John Sumser at Electronic Recruiting News has an interesting post about truthfulness on resumes. In a sense, he really "gets it" - resumes are marketing documents designed to instigate a conversation. And his examples of "spinning" some elements of his background make perfect sense. In a way, it would be less than honest for him to use the job title "Xerox Boy"!

But there's a big difference between marketing and out-and-out lying - claiming credentials, experience, degrees, and so forth that you don't have.

Recently I was interviewed by Susan Geary for her entry in the Public Radio Talent Quest - I could be biased, but I think she did a great job and her proposed show, "Career Matters," has enormous potential! In the broadcast I made the point that if you've lied on your resume, it can come back to haunt you, so why not fix the mistake, rewrite your resume focusing on your (truthful) accomplishments, and go out and find a new job that is not predicated on a lie. You'll sleep better at night - and you'll boost your confidence, knowing that it wasn't some phony credential that was responsible for your success.

Posted by Louise Kursmark

Don't Be an Annoying Job Seeker

The follow-up – it's one of the most touchy and subjective areas of your job hunt. Everyone has a different opinion on the best way for a job seeker to show enthusiasm about a job without being overbearing – just as every person has a different threshold for annoying behavior. I happen to have a very low tolerance for dealing with annoying or overbearing people, so keep that in mind when reading this brief timeline for following up before and after an interview:

1. After you submit your resume online, wait at least one week before your initial follow-up. That first follow-up should be in the form of a brief and polite email. Simply state when you submitted your resume and for what position.

2. If you get an interview, listen to what they tell you about the hiring timeline. An interviewer will often tell you when to call. If they do tell you, WRITE IT DOWN and follow their instructions exactly.

If they DON'T give you a timeline, again wait one week, then make a phone call.
TIP: You'll most likely be a little nervous when you call, if you write down what you want to say first, you'll sound well prepared and professional.

No matter what, you must send a brief thank you email or letter to each member of the interview panel immediately after the interview. Thank them for their time and emphasize your interest and excitement about the position.

3. If you receive no reply to your after-the-interview follow-up call or thank you note, send an email approximately three days later and politely ask where they are in the hiring timeline.

If you DO receive a reply to your after-the-interview follow-up call, pay attention to subtle hints like tone of voice. If the interviewer sounds annoyed – she probably is, so lay off!

Then, you should probably cool it for a while and wait to hear back from the company before intializing contact again. There's a large difference between being resourceful and being annoying. Resourceful means doing some digging and getting the name of a company's hiring manager. Annoying is calling the company's president and falsely using that hiring manager's name as a referral. Read this great article by Joan Lloyd about this exact sitution and learn the unspoken rules of getting your foot in the door.

If you have a more specific question about how or when to follow up on an interview, ask the jobhelper.

Cross posted from JobHelper.com

Career Success Tips from Penelope Trunk

In case you have not heard of the Brazen Careerist aka Penelope Trunk, hold onto your hat! She was interviewed recently by Guy Kawasaki in his blog posting Ten Questions with Penelope Trunk: Career Guidance for This Century and, as usual, her answers are thought provoking and perhaps even controversial.

My absolute favorite answer (#2) has to do with the importance of competency versus likeability. Her answer reminded me of an article on likeability and competence in the Harvard Business Review comparing the merits of incompetent, likeable worker versus a competent, unlikeable worker. It seems employers say that competence is more desirable than likeability in employees - if it comes down to a choice. But in actual practice, the reverse was found to be true in the organizations studied by two professors (one at Harvard Business School and the other at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business). Likeability trumps competence every time!

The criteria of competence and likeability form a matrix, yielding four possibilities: the competent and likeable star, the competent but unlikeable jerk, the likeable but incompetent fool, and the incompetent total jerk. It would seem all organizations are clamoring for the first type of employee, but what if you do not fall into that category? Would coaching to improve your likeability improve your odds for career success? I'd love to hear your take on it. By the way, Guy's 10 questions turned into 12; as usual, he over-delivers!

Cross-posted at Career Goddess Blog