When you see one of those cool Smart Cars, what comes to your mind? Most likely the carmakers cool design, but more often the catchy brand proposition: “Keep it Simple – Reduce to the Max.” Mercedes has changed the way we consume cars and made us think differently about cool concept driving. Do what they do – have a brand promise: a personal brand to get the next cool job. Read more
Tony and Joe are on notice and will lose their jobs pretty soon if they fail to deliver on their new budget promises, according to Dennis Shanahan from the Australian. Of course, that’s no consolation if you‘ve recently lost your own job, or feel like the writing for imminent job loss is on the wall. Read more
We all know that job searching sucks, but what really sucks is rejection. No matter when it happens, via the usual communication black hole, or after the first or second interview, rejection sucks. Period! But you know what also really sucks… the ‘feedback’. Read more
When my friends call me for help, I instinctively try to do whatever I can do ‘assist’. But when it comes to something as personal and stressful as looking for a new job, this isn’t always the best approach.
Just doing stuff for the sake of demonstrating your friendship is neither useful nor helpful. Instead, it takes listening, understanding, and employing a whole lot of tact. Read on for five ‘friendly’ strategies on how to really give your friend some job search help. Read more
Let’s be honest, for most job hunters it’s a tough game out there. While many job seekers feel like they’re powerless to change their situation, the feeling of hitting brick walls while looking for that next professional gig doesn’t have to be a drainer on your mojo. Instead, here are some ways how you can recharge your job search “mojo” and reclaim your motivation. Read more
During the last 21 months since we started TheJobSearchCoach, some of our coaches, (me included) have talked to over 300 job hunters about their job hunting or careers. Many of these job hunters express their worries – for reasons we all understand – as they are stressing out about finding new or better employment. Read more
So you need to start looking for a job, but haven’t got much to put on your resume. You could be a new job seeker, just dipping your toe into the waters for the first time. What do you put on your resume? What is good information and what is just a waste of space? Read more
We all know the feeling when we struggle to go to work.
You know that moment when the alarm goes off and you think, “Bugger, not again!” Personally, I usually can’t get started until I’ve had my 1st double shot coffee near the office. But, what if the dreaded feeling is about more than that? What if that negative feeling about your job follows you everywhere you go and invades your dreams? Does that mean it’s time to change jobs? Are you in trouble? Read more
Whether you like it or not, recruiters, potential employers, the competition and anyone with a computer has the ability to check out your online identity. This is most common on LinkedIn, because that’s what it’s there for: a professional profile making you look all professional (and stuff). BUT it usually doesn’t stop there, as the same people are just as likely to check you out on other social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and G+
So if you want to be in the running for that dream job, make sure you stop, think and consider some, or all, of my social media career survival tips next time you post on social networks.
Reppler, a social media monitoring service designed to help users manage their online image, conducted a survey of 300 hiring professionals in 2013 – 2014 and found that 91% of respondents thoroughly scrutinize an applicant’s online reputation during the hiring process. Here’s an interesting infographic on the subject.
It’s safe to say that what you do on social media these days can definitely impact your career path and employability. Professionals in the hiring trade will use any tool available to avoid an egg-on-face situation before inviting you to a job interview or introducing you to their client. With this being said, you can secure your social media image with these 10 steps.
Become a listed and active member of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and even Google+ as this does more than just make you look like a go-getter. It helps to eliminate the possibility of undesirable and uncontrolled information about you from making its way to the top of a Google search. These sites are so popular that results from this page always rank highly. That way any unauthorized content related to you (if it exists) is less likely to make an appearance to a possible employer. Contact us if you want to know more, or simply read up on previous blog posts on the subject.
You have only a few seconds before a view forms an opinion, so ensure that your social media accounts provide the best impression of you.
Everyone can benefit from regularly reviewing their profile once in a while. You’d never go into an interview with an out-of-date CV, so why ignore your social media profiles?
Make sure your social media accounts are completed, ensure that all your profile info is accurate, up-to-date and consistent across your various social media accounts. Most importantly always double check your privacy settings! Use a recent photo where you look smart and casual and don’t forget to smile.
The ever-evolving nature of social networking has made it necessary to always clean up, and I mean more than just your browser history. Hide any networking nasties by pumping-up your social media security settings. That means selecting the highest privacy settings possible in all platforms in which you are active. Be aware: setting photos to ‘friends, network and friends of friends’ in Facebook is not going to keep photographic evidence of your naughties in safe hands. If any photos of you caked in beans are visible, make sure it’s you taking part in a charity event. Similarly – review the likes and events you are associated with.
Being part of a sexist or politically sensitive group or showing evidence of attending anything controversial is not likely to win you job application points. Also, check out the security settings of your friends and the stuff they are posting about you. The last thing, you want, is a clueless friend stuffing up your job applications for you. I’m not kidding, contact me anytime if you want to learn more on that subject – I am happy to assist. We have attended to many clients and showed them how important it is always to be aware of privacy settings as the activity of friends can affect your profile through image tagging and wall posting.
From time to time, social media platforms will add new features or update their privacy terms. So, whenever you’re informed of “updates” by-way of an automatic email from your preferred social network, examine privacy settings for signs of change. Profile updates could include reformatting of such settings and introducing new options that are defaulted to whatever the social network site decides.
We all brag a bit from time to time. You just have to look at your CV to know you’re guilty of it. But why not highlight your professional and personal achievements on social media? I know what you’re thinking, you don’t want to be ‘that person’ who’s constantly bragging about their achievements, but it doesn’t hurt to be a little proud of yourself. Good things happen to those who hustle.
Highlight your achievements, post updates about your work and the results you achieve on a regular basis. Source recommendations and referrals from your existing professional contacts: especially when you are in job hunting mode.
It’s ok to do a little self-campaigning but don’t just focus on yourself all the time. No one is interested in being connected with someone who focuses solely on how wonderful and successful they are. Just like you’d interact with different groups, use social networks to post interesting industry news, join in and contribute in discussions and polls on topics relevant to your work or personal interests.
Be genuine and honest and likable. By placing yourself at the centre of topical industry discussions, you’ll not only raise your personal profile among your contemporaries, you’ll demonstrate your passion and engagement with your work: an attractive quality to any future employer! Talk is cheap – potential employers like to hire doer’s not just talkers.
This is a simple but very effective activity if you have some time to kill. Simply conduct repeated Google searches of your own name with added words that highlight achievements. This is especially effective if these searches lead to information about achievements you otherwise wouldn’t put on a resume for the sake of space. Athletic, volunteer or academic achievements are a good example of search terms to Google bomb.
I know it’s a bit harsh, but seriously, how else should I describe this one? “If you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say anything at all”. Wise words, particularly in relation to anything written online. Written content is everywhere, lasts longer than you think and can be publicly read all over the web. Don’t be tempted to reply negatively to content on Facebook, Twitter or other sites. Don’t bad mouth your employer, boss, colleagues or customers, as these comments have a nasty (yet strangely reliable) habit of being picked up and shared with the very people you’ve insulted.
Don’t allow anyone to do damage to your reputation online. Stay cool, calm, and contact the person directly to suggest that you move the discussion into a more private domain if need be. If employers check you out online, they are likely to see the fall-out of any ongoing argument, so it’s better to be seen as a peace-maker rather than the aggressor.
What about Humour?!
Be careful with humour as it is very subjective and while you may be confident enough that your joke will be appreciated by those who know you, it may be judged as extremely offensive by others, including customers, clients, and potential employers.
These days nothing is private. Trust no one… ever. This a bit dramatic perhaps, but seriously, if you wouldn’t feel comfortable with your parents seeing it, then it’s not appropriate to upload on any social media site. Think twice before you post any images online and always double check the settings. Remember that it’s not just the photos that you personally post that you need to worry about: you also need to keep a close eye on any photos your friends may have posted that feature you.
Regularly review your social media profiles to make sure your content consists of information you would like to share with employers.
For Facebook, Secure.Me is one of many free tools that reviews content, protects profiles from dangerous links, and monitors photos and friends’ posts. If you want to know more about safe online protection tools, contact me or read up on my other blog posts. If you want to get the best image and reputation out on Google, use BrandYourSelf. They can clean up for you and ensure that Recruiters and Hiring Managers only see the very best of you , when they start snooping on Dr. Google.
So there you have it, 10 top tips on how to avoid damaging your employability while using social media. Use some, or all, of these tips and remember to not shy away from being yourself. Everyone has a unique personality, and the variations of our character are what make us special and employable. Continue sharing about yourself, just keep the above tips in mind when posting on a public site.
Share this blog post if you know a job hunter or career changer who would find this interesting and feel free to comment with your own tips and tricks.
Social Media is a great and very effective tool to enhance your job search, just always remember to hunt wisely!
Uli
Those who know me know that I don’t think that it’s really helpful if we are silent about the raw side of job hunting in Australia & New Zealand – particularly for Mature Age and Millennial job seekers. I believe that more can be done to help talented job hunters through their negative job search experiences and teach them how to be better and smarter job seekers.
I started pro bono activities in 2013 and expanded them in 2014, contributing free seminar events, free online webinars and chat sessions to educate and help job hunters. 2014 was a great year, and our most successful pro bono activity has been with job search support groups in Sydney and Melbourne. Our pro bono group support has paid off: 30% of people who took part in these group events found full-time or long-term contract work.
Here is some more of the things that work in getting a job interview:
If you are battling bias because you are perceived as less tech savvy, then demonstrate your skills in social media. Use tools like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook and prove that you are up to date in your field. I personally believe that there is no excuse for a job hunter to not understand social media.
Volunteer and take any opportunity to participate and contribute
If you have gaps in your resume, you are likely to get weeded out by software parsing systems. Fill the gaps with volunteer work. There is nothing dishonest about volunteer work. In fact, Australians and New Zealanders value community contributions more than most other nationalities. This might sound old fashioned, but it is one of the values I like the most about living in Australia. I found some of my best friends through my volunteer work and I know that volunteering often leads to job opportunities (directly or indirectly). You can choose to have a gap or contribute and give back to the community and whilst you do it, eliminate a common job gap bias.
Look for local support groups
I know, they are often not very organised, they don’t meet in cool locations and they have other flaws, but joining up with others in the same boat can help and you are likely to feel less alone in your job hunt. There are tonnes of support groups. Use Dr. Google to research or simply go to Eventbrite.
Yes, we all know and appreciate that you grew up with the internet and you use it all the time and, in fact, probably so much that most of your connections are largely ‘virtual’.
Use your online and social media skills and convert them into real and actual connections.
I am glad I don’t need to tell you how to use Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and possibly LinkedIn (I’m sure many of you could show me a thing or two) – what you really need to do is use your skills to initiate real meetings. Just like the Mature Age Job Seekers, use support groups, networking events and volunteer work to connect via genuine contributions to create real opportunities.
Step #1 Figure Out What you Want
It might sound silly but before you start searching for jobs, you need to sit down and have a good think about what it is that’s currently making you unhappy and what it is that you actually want. No one can help you if you don’t know what you really want.
Step #2 Update Your Resume and your Profile on Job Sites
Once you’ve figured out what it is you want, you need to update your resume so it reflects the type of role you’re looking to secure – and you need to ensure you’ve created accounts on any relevant job sites. Also note that there are more than just Seek, My Career and LinkedIn job sites. Use Niche Job boards and alternative job sites or sign up direct with employers you may want to work for.
Step #3 Sign Up For Job Alerts N O W
Trust me when I tell you that between December and March job opportunities increase everywhere and it can get a little crazy as old budgets get used up and new budgets come into play so jobs are going to be posted in a lot of places – which means it can be difficult to keep up with new opportunities. Use your skills and sign up for job alerts on job sites and social media and Google Alert so you can be alerted every time a vacancy comes up which matches your criteria … and if you sign up now you’ll be ahead of the game for when it all kicks off in early/mid January.
Step #4 Follow Companies and Job Opportunities on Social Media
You can do what everyone does and just focus all your search on Seek, My Career and maybe even LinkedIn or you can utilise your social media skills and sign up to alerts on services like Twitter. If you’re looking for a new job, you need to be on social media platforms. Why? Because they are amongst the most effective solutions for advertising and finding new jobs – and if you’re not on them, there’s a chance you could miss out.
Step #5 Clean up your Social Profiles
The first thing most employers do before they call you for an interview is check you out and the chances that they skim over your social media footprint is very likely. So, you need to look at yours and make sure your privacy settings are as tight as they need to be and your Twitter, Facebook and other profiles don’t showcase anything which could cost you the job e.g. dodgy pictures or abusive language/material. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date and that you upload a professional image.
So, guys, get with it and jump onto these opportunities, so you are prepared for 2015. Don’t allow anyone to get you down, seek support, use all your social media and networking skills and always remember to hunt wisely!
Uli
