CareerFolk

4 Fears Job Seekers Must Get Over And Why

Donna — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 06:36:49 +0000

1. Fear of being your own boss: You have no choice to face this fear, because it is right there already. You are your own boss, whether you like it or not. Due to the trend of shrinking job tenure, everyone needs to think about what their next step is going to be, on a regular and strategic basis. Long gone is the lifetime career working for “the Man”. People need to consider not just one, but multiple sources of income and manage their career like a business. As such you need to become your own Chief Marketing officer. This requires you to be more proactive than ever before in your own promotion process. In addition to the traditional job search methods, and the obvious fall back of seeking jobs online, you need to think about how you can develop a professional online presence, that it is branded and compelling, enough so that people will be intrigued to click on your profile if it comes in a Google search.

2. Fear of social media - There are valid reasons to be a cautious about increasing your social networking activity. Feelings of being exposed, and the fear of compromising your privacy are the most common ones I hear. The reality is that there probably is more information about you on the web than you are aware of. When was the last time you did a Google search of your name? By setting up your own social media profiles, you can start to control what comes up if someone searches for you. If you don’t come up at all, not only does this represent you in a negative light to recruiters (According to Execunet, 70% of hiring managers rejected candidates due to little or no information about you online or if there is digital dirt, unsavory and inappropriate material online). In fact the saying goes, if you can’t be found on Google, you don’t exist. By establishing your presence online via various social networking sites, you are leveraging your voice and taking control of your brand and message that people will find. Inversely, without using these tools, you can do little to manage the information that might come up in a Google search. The numbers speak for themselves: 86% of hiring managers said candidates with a good online reputation can positively influence their application

3. Fear of putting your photo on LinkedIn: In almost every group I present to on LinkedIn, there is always a small, but diverse group of people who are leery of putting their photo up. Underlying your fear of putting a photo on LinkedIn is possible fear of discrimination, lack of confidence, or heightened self-consciousness, or strong preference towards privacy. Well, if it’s any of the last three, I say, get over it. Regarding fear of discrimination, whether it’s race, gender, age or ethnicity, while these are certainly all prevalent to degree in our society, I don’t believe it will be the only reason you didn’t get the job. I have a number of successful 60+ clients who have landed work, simply due to their level of persistence and the fact that they were the best people for the job. If you aren’t convinced yet, read this: having a photo on LinkedIn is essential to getting to 100% (critical for a truly optimized profile that lead to you coming up in more searches). In fact, according to LinkedIn research, your profile is 9 times more likely to be viewed if you have a photo of yourself. Just smile, and you’ll look beautiful.

4. Fear of reaching out. Social networking sites have transformed the job search process. The potential to reach out and connect with relevant people in your field that you would not normally connect to is possible via LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, as well as many other forms of social media. So why are so many people not doing it? It seems to be well understood that job searching is about networking, and here the opportunity to network is offered up, ostensibly free of charge to connect to almost anyone you want to. If referral is the most successful form of getting you hired today, then every job seeker or career changer needs get over this fear of reaching out and work on expanding their networks with key people who can help them land their next job. It is simply a matter of making the effort to find those people on these networks, and then crafting a short and compelling note asking them for some quick advise. It can be as simple as this:

“Dear Michael,
I was intrigued by your background and experience and I was wondering if you could spare a few minutes to give me some advice about your industry/ company etc.
Thank you,
Donna
If you are writing to them via LinkedIn, they can take a look at your profile if they want to know more, which they most likely will.

Ok. Done!… Are you cured of your fears now?

15 Crucial Reasons To Volunteer (Get started this MLK Day)

Donna — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:46:55 +0000

It’s Martin Luther King Day on Monday, and there are a lot of events to recognize this day, especially, service related events. I am reminded of the Jewish concept of Tikkun Olam. If you haven’t heard of it before, it means healing the world. I definitely believe we can all play a role in this, especially during these difficult times where there is so much need. Martin Luther King day offers you a chance to volunteer (if you aren’t already) and do something meaningful for your community. For job seekers, this might be a chance where your good Karma could come flowing right back to you. You never know what might happen by putting out some positive energy into the universe. There are so many good reasons to volunteer, in fact, I was just able to rattle off 15! Volunteering your way to your next job is definitely amongst the many good reasons to get out there and be useful. I have many stories of clients who have landed a job through their unpaid service.

Below, I have listed a couple of websites that provide information on what type of volunteer opportunities are available this weekend in lieu of MLK day, but you also might find other opportunities for a longer term commitment. Do you have any plans to do something meaningful this weekend?

Here are 15 great reasons to start volunteering today:

Make a positive and meaningful contribution to a cause that you value and care about.
It will get you out of the house.
You’ll feel better about yourself and get a shot of confidence if that is what you are missing after having been unemployed for a while

You can work on maintaining already or build new skills that could be handy

Expand your network and connect with them on LinkedIn!

Make new friends

Discover a new interest/ job/ career path that you might not have considered

Strengthen your resume

Impress the organization enough to land yourself a job

Impress your mom/dad/ girlfriend/ boyfriend

Be a role model to your children

Gain references or recommendations for your LinkedIn profile.

Connect with and make a difference in your community

Get noticed in your community.

Learn from others

Start Volunteering today:

Careerfolk Resources to Volunteer Opportunities

US Government Website for MLK Day information and service opportunities
Drop us a line if you have some positive experiences to share from your volunteer roles. Thank you!

Give the Gift of what you know: Blogging-Creative Gift Idea #6

Careerfolk — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:46:25 +0000

I am so thrilled to introduce Bless Vaidian as a new member of the Careerfolk team. I was so excited when Bless told me that she loved to write because I immediately suggested that she put together some articles. In fact I even suggested that she enter her writing into the Jobmob Blogging competition. Little did I know that she would go onto win, with me coming a close 2nd {Smile} ! She was just getting back into the world of career counseling after a 6 year hiatus. She had never written for this audience before. And her blog was the most read blog in an international competition. That is what blogging can do… Propel you to the front of the line, giving you the reputation boost you may need online. This is why I asked Bless to write about the value of blogging and what a gift it is, both to you, and building your career, and to others who will benefit from your information. Read what Bless has to say.

We all have a story of what brought us to our relationships, pastimes, and where we are in our career. Our stories are part serendipity, a bit of

providence, and a whole lot of positive/negative actions and reactions. That’s what makes each blog unique, and the underlying theme is what connects the reader to the writer. People now read blogs like they read the newspaper, and conduct routine Google searches to seek out ideas on their topics of interest. It’s not about the number of blogs out there, but the information you as an individual writer want to convey to the world. Why should you blog?

1) Connect with People Interested in the Same Topic as You

Blogging brings like-minded people together. Starting a blog can help you find those people and share your opinions and thoughts. It’s a way to share

your personal ideas or expertise on an issue. Look at Om Malik. He is a tech guru whose blogs are followed globally. He was a chemist whose story started back in 1986 when he immigrated to America. He noticed the potential in internet technologies and switched gears. That is what he started blogging on in-order to meet people in that industry. He stated, “Blogging is a communal activity…it is about creating connections.” He wrote recently that the biggest lesson he learned from blogging is that every connection has led to a new idea, a new thought, and a new opportunity.

2) Establish Yourself in the Field

If you’re hoping to start a new venture, blogging can help validate your expertise. A great example of this is an amazing man named Mike (Mish) Shedlock. He is one of the leaders in financial blogs. I connected with him this week and he stated, “I was flat out of work, no job and no income” and so Mish started blogging because it was a free forum to showcase his interest in economics. He does not have a finance degree and never worked on Wall Street. He was a computer programmer that was unemployed for 3 years after loosing a consulting contract. He started to blog at this period in his life in the hopes that he would be noticed for his expertise in economics. His success is a testimony to the fact that his blogging assisted in establishing him as a leader in what he was passionate about.

3) To Make a Difference

Whether it’s about unemployment, politics, or social issues; your words can offer insights and a different perspective to readers. Craigslist CEO, Jim Buckmaster said, “I read blogs every day, for all sorts of reasons, but I turn to blogs especially when I want to hear alternative viewpoints — for example, information on a particular medical treatment from the viewpoint of patients receiving it, rather than doctors administering it; reports from the battlefield seen through the eyes of soldiers rather than politicians; thoughts on a particular technology from the standpoint of engineers rather than executives.” Let your own personal view come out. You’ll find readers respond in a personal way back to you. Blog simply to make your statement and leave your footprint on others that need the advice.

4) Because you are a Job Seeker

Blogs related to the industry you are looking for employment in, is a great way to get noticed. If you are in-between jobs, you can use your time blogging to communicate your skillset and showcase your expertise. It acts as an adjunct to the resume and helps you stand out as a potential job candidate. Through blogging you are building your online reputation. Employers notice you. You are advertising your skills and your values, which is more powerful than just listing a work history. Penelope Trunk said, “If you know what you want, blogging can get it for you.”

Donna was the one that suggested I start blogging back in September. I wrote my first blog for her when I started my job search, and she entered it into JobMob’s International Career Blogging Contest. A suggestion we give to clients as a Career Coach is to write in order to create an online identity and develop their brand. There is an audience out there that shares the same interests or has the same needs as you, and the goal is to connect with them through your writing. Friendships, opportunities, and new ideas are born from blogging. So give the gift of your story to someone, and give yourself the gift of possibilities in exchange.

The Gift of a Linkedin Connection: Creative Gift Idea #7

Donna — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:33:50 +0000

Don’t underestimate how you might be able to help someone by inviting them into your network. A Linkedin invitation is ideally a mutually beneficial experience; assuming that both parties are equally invested in their professional networks and they both use Linkedin. So, when you are enjoying the holiday parties of the season, go armed with your business card, and if you don’t have one, now is the time to invest in one. Vistaprint is relatively inexpensive, and easy to design online. This is one present you need to give yourself and the most important piece of information you can have on it is your Linkedin Profile URL. Before you leave, ask others if they have a business card, or give yours card to every person you have talked to, and invite them to connect. You might be the link to helping someone else find a job, and that’s priceless, and not just for the lucky person. Being the essential connection in that process will pay long-term dividends back to you.

So, pay-it forward and put some good will out there this holiday season, everyone will be very grateful and you won’t be forgotten. A win-win for all. Cost: Priceless

I invite you to share your thoughts about networking during the holiday season. Have you met any interesting people? Did you invite them to connect? Its not too late. Please comment below or on our facebook page, click here

The Gift of Expressing Thanks:Creative Gift Idea #6

Careerfolk — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 06:30:14 +0000

Even though we may often get caught up in our own needs and desires, most of us do genuinely try to help others. But do we recognize when others have helped us? And beyond that, do we even think to thank them? Sometimes the help we receive, an insightful suggestion, a new idea, an encouragement, an opportunity to help another which results in our helping ourselves far more than the other, remains below our cognitive radar. Recently, a friend allowed me the opportunity to “help” her by writing a few pieces for her website. Writing has been something I have had as a career goal for as long as I can remember, but I never actually felt I had “officially” started it. But by writing for my friend and seeing my words in print, psychologically, I felt my writing career had been launched. The opportunity my friend gave me to “help” her has helped me and set me on my course in a much greater way than my simple writing could possibly have contributed to her. Let us try to remember the good we have received and take this holiday season to express genuine gratitude. In so doing, we will contribute to the circle of positive energy and help create a truly joyous season.

By Camille Kramer

Camille, I am so grateful to you for embracing this idea and thrilled to have you as a guest blogger. I am sure my readers would agree, you are a wonderful writer.

The Gift of Genuine Interest & Curiosity : Creative Gift Idea # 5

Donna — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 06:53:15 +0000

Curiosity is, in great and generous minds, the first passion and the last. – Samuel Johnson

Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. – Carl Sagan

For better or worse, I have always been intensely curious. I say “for better or worse” because curiosity has been known to get people into trouble, (poor cat!) but I feel quite grateful for my innate sense of curiosity because without it, I am sure there would be a lot I wouldn’t know, and people I would never meet. I can’t imagine where I would / or WOULDN’T (for that matter) be now!

What about you? Are you naturally curious? If not, here are some tips on how to take advantage of this busy holiday party time, and use curiosity to max your time networking. How can you use curiosity to benefit you while you are in job search mode? Here are some suggestions so that you can leverage the holiday parties over the next week. Find out who is going to be at your various networking events by calling your friends, perusing the evite invitations, or Meetup.com RSVP’s, and then select 1 or 2 acquaintances (or more, per party) who you have always wanted to get to know better but haven’t had the chance. You’ve seen these people at networking events before and you know a little about them and want to know more because they do something you are interested in, worked a company you are exploring, or they are just interesting. If you know they will be at a party you are going to, do some research (No this is not snooping, just a little networking preparation). This way, you will be able to engage in some meaningful conversation, and be ready with some strategic questions that might help you learn more about a company you are interested in, or about their particular expertise. By having learned a little about them, make your acquaintance feel special, and interested in what they do and have to offer, without asking too many questions. Most people loved to be asked advice, and are generally very willing to share their knowledge with interested parties. So, show your genuine interest, and you just might reap the rewards of a more fulfilling conversation.

I would love to hear if you use these suggestions and they work! Drop us a line. Even better, give us a thumbs up (Like) on Facebook. Thank you!

THE GIFT OF INVITING PEOPLE TO EVENTS: Creative Gift Idea # 4

Careerfolk — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 06:40:57 +0000

By Camille Kramer

If you are actively in the job search you no doubt get notifications of networking events. Hopefully you go to them, learn something from them, and make new contacts. Why go alone? Why not always ask at least three people to join you? These need not be good friends; they can simply be people you have met at other networking functions, or contacts you have made. Some people need a little push to go to activities that may be helpful to them and some may not be as much in the loop about finding these events. With this little effort on your part, you not only are helping three other people, but you yourself will feel a greater comfort level at the events because you will know at least a few people in the room.

Thank you Camille Kramer for her suggestions. I couldn’t agree with you more. A win- win for both! Cost: Priceless

The Gift of a Positive Attitude. Creative Gift Idea # 3

Donna — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 05:25:59 +0000

3. The Gift of a Positive Attitude: You may be in a difficult place with your job search, and understandably so– an ongoing job search, being stuck in a job you hate, or chronic underemployment are all very demoralizing, but an optimistic outlook (ok, not that easy to find at times, but dig up whatever you can), can be beneficial on a number of levels.

Positivity is infectious and the more positive energy you exude, the more others will be inclined to want to talk with you and help you. Taking along your positive attitude might also help someone else who isn’t feeling so good. And if you need a little pick me up, see how other people do it at the Happiness Project or the Positivity Blog. Sometimes, it’s just getting out of the house and being around others that can help you forget about your woes for the time being.

A holiday party, for instance, is a time to put aside those anxieties, relax and make the most of being around old friends, new friends, fellow job seekers and who knows who else, right? Make the decision to show up with the most positive and open mind because the chances of you leaving feeling even better is directly correlated to your positive approach. Alternatively, take a friend or two to your next party, particularly if you know someone who does not get out enough right now and needs to do more networking, because, the more the merrier when spreading good cheer.

The Gift of Positivity – Cost:Priceless

Who do you know you can share this gift with? Please share with us. Thanks

The Gift of Listening: Creative Gift Idea #2

Donna — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 06:01:05 +0000

Listening is the greatest gift you can give. By engaging in the act of listening you are giving someone the chance to tell their story. So, in order to really engage with someone, the best thing you can do is listen. I learned this after a powerful experience with master storytellers from the organization Narativ, that there is no story without a listener. However, we humans are easily distracted, and considering these stressful times, we tend to get caught up in our own thoughts, concerns and anxieties that prevent us from listening fully. It has also been found that, despite conventional wisdom, introverts do a better job at “networking” in the long term, because they tend not to talk as much and are therefore, better listeners. So if you can work on putting those anxieties aside, stop talking for a while, and practice the art and skill of listening, you might be amazed at what you will hear.

So, pay-it-forward (where you can) and put some good will out there this December, everyone will be very grateful and you won’t be forgotten. Two gifts for the price of $0.

For those reading this, who live close to my office in Stamford, CT I invite you to a lively and hopefully engaging discussion on the mindset of Networking. I know so many people still need to work on this, I hope you will join me. Read more about the Careerfolk Cafe on Tuesday 12/13 at 9.45. Networking and coffee at 9.30. I hope you can make it.

The Gift of Networking & 7 Other Creative Ways to Give This December!

Donna — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 05:19:26 +0000

The holidays can be stressful at the best of times, but these economic times present both a challenge and an opportunity. We’re all getting used to the New Normal, or New New, as one of my friends like to call it. The one consistent is that networking is the most valuable action you can take to help yourself in your job search or in your business. Two years ago I was inspired to think of networking from a different perspective in the face of the harsh new economic realities we faced. Reflecting on the act of networking during a period of time where a lot of opportunities present itself for engaging with new and old friends and colleagues, family and acquaintances, seemed pretty obvious. So, to get you inspired, here is the first of my series of GIFTS you can give to yourself and others, this December.

1. A Mindset of Giving

Networking is about building relationships, meaningful conversation, asking questions and listening. Engaging with purpose and intention. What a gift. Seems obvious, right,, but one of the biggest mistakes people make when networking is going into it with the mindset of “what can I get out of this?” No doubt, having a clear set of goals and what you want to gain from your networking efforts is very important, but that is not what it’s all about. A common assumption is the thinking that you don’t have anything to give back, particularly if you are not working. This is not true at all and in fact if you go into any environment where you are going to have the opportunity to connect with people, focusing on how you might be able to help someone else is what can really propel your networking efforts forward.

A mindset of giving is the foundation of truly successful networking. Developing your reputation as someone who is interested, helpful, and trustworthy will lead the way for others to willingly and generously want to help you in times of need. If this was not your understanding of networking before, what better time to start. Two Gifts for the price of $0. Priceless.

Can you think of gift you would like to share with others this December? Please comment below, or if you would like to email me your thoughts – I would be happy to publish them here. I welcome your contribution to my 21 days of creative giving this December.

For those reading this, who live close to my office in Stamford, CT I invite you for a lively and hopefully engaging discussion on the mindset of Networking. I know so many people still need to work on this, I hope you will join me. Read more about the Careerfolk Cafe on Tuesday 12/13 at 9.45. Networking and coffee at 9.30. I hope you can make it.