So You Want to Invite Someone You Do Not Know To Join You on LinkedIn
The first thing you must do is verify that they are on LinkedIn. This may sound easy, but there are a lot of people with the same name, so you must investigate further than a simple name search.
Now that you have confirmed that this is in fact a LinkedIn member and you have the correct person; how do you proceed?
Option 1
The first option is to click on the individuals profile and see if you have any connections in common. If you do, then you might consider asking that person for an introduction. I say consider, because you never know how well someone actually knows a connection or if the relationship is a good one.
You can find my article on this part of your question Networking Referrals and Recommendations: by reviewing my list of articles on Ezine. The article goes into more detail on questions to ask of the person about their relationship and familiarity with your target and how to vet the contact.
Option 2
The second option is to review the individual's profile for where they currently work or have worked in the past. Do a company search and see if there is anyone in your network that comes up as a current or former employee of these companies and ask them if they know the person and would facilitate an introduction.
Option 3
Third, from the individuals profile find out if they are members of any groups and consider joining the group. Once you are in the group you could send an invite saying that you belong to the same group and that you have heard great things about the individual and that you would like to connect.
Option 4
Fourth, if you have their email address you can simply send an invite, but this one is a little tougher and I don't recommend it as a great option. If you do this you run the risk of receiving an IDK (I Don't Know) and it can cause invite issues with LinkedIn. They don't black list you, but anytime you try to go with a simple friend request you must provide an email address.
On that note if someone invites you to connect and you do not want to connect; be polite and archive the message; do not send an IDK!
Showing posts with label networking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label networking. Show all posts
Friday, March 5, 2010
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Raise Your Hand If You Love Networking
This came through my mailbox earlier today from Kevin Donlan and I felt it was worth passing along.
Hey, job seekers: Raise your hand if you love networking.
I thought so.
And why don't you get a thrill out of talking to friends and family about
your job search?
For many folks, it's a problem of how to start. There's really no way to
ask, "Know anyone who's hiring?" without feeling awkward.
To fix that, here are two ways to open your next networking conversation
that are proven to produce job leads -- and won't make you feel self-conscious
1) Use Me as an Excuse to Call
Over the past year, I've quietly been perfecting a short networking script
at my Guerrilla Job Search seminars.
In every case, at least one person in the room gets a job lead -- in less
than 5 minutes.
Here's the four-part script that people are using to start networking
conversations by phone, with explanatory notes in parentheses:
1. "Hi, this is YOUR NAME! I'm at a training session and they told me to
call the most-connected person I know. That's you!"
(This gets you over the hump right away, by giving you an excuse to call.
Here, that excuse is me -- just say that somebody else told you to call.)
2. "I'm looking for a position as a JOB TITLE at a company like COMPANY #1,
COMPANY #2, or COMPANY #3."
(You have to think first, about what JOB you want and 3 COMPANIES you most
want to work for.)
3. "Who would you call if you were in my shoes?"
(You're asking someone to take ownership of your problem, by putting their
ego aside and thinking as if they were you. Simple psychology that's very
powerful.)
4. "Could I have their name and number?"
(Write it down. Hang up. Call that new person and drop the name of the
person you called first.)
For best results, use this script to call the most-connected person you
know -- the one person who seems to know almost everybody.
Here are three examples of how this has worked in my seminars:
1. Ellen in Minneapolis, MN, got a networking lead at the chamber of
commerce after calling a friend.
2. Greg in Fargo, ND, got a lead on a pharmaceutical sales job by calling a
friend.
3. Pete in Chanhassen, MN, got the name of an HR rep by calling a colleague
he had fallen out of touch with.
2) Use an Object as a Conversation Starter
Chris Russell, founder of JobRadio.fm, warns that a false sense of pride
can hurt your job search, recalling a friend who struggled mightily to get
hired. "He would never tell people that he was out of work, even his former
co-workers. I guess he was embarrassed."
Russell points out that, when it comes to your job search, you should look
for any excuse to start a conversation.
One such excuse may be the "Laid Off, Need a Job" wristband.
Described as an "attention getting conversation starter" by its makers, the
wristband retails for $3 and comes in bright yellow, with the message, "I
Need A Job."
The idea is, you put wear the wristband each day, people see it, ask about
your job search, and -- shazam! Instant networking conversation. More
information is at www.LaidOffNeedAJob.com.
Two other tactics I've seen are renting a billboard (pricey) and wearing a
T-shirt with your resume on it (no verifiable successes).
Now. How else could you get attention and start networking conversations?
Here's an idea: Stick a magnetic sign on the side of your car.
For less than $95, Kinko's can create one for you. Your sign's message
could be on two lines, like this:
Need Accounting Help?
HireShellyNow.com
Nobody wants to hire, but almost every business needs help, so don't use
"Hire me!" or "U-M Grad Will Work Cheap" as your headline.
The format I would follow is: "Need YOUR SKILL Help? CONTACT INFO."
Test several ideas on cardboard mockup signs and drive them past people, to
see if they can read your contact info at 25 or 40 miles an hour.
(Note: I practice what I preach -- look for my black SUV around the Twin
Cities with a magnetic sign on the side that says, "Got Work? My New Job
Hunt .com")
Do these conversation-starting ideas make you feel uncomfortable? Good!
Because, if you've been comfortable thus far in your job search, and you're
still unemployed, it may be time to leave your comfort zone and try
something new.
Kevin Donlin is co-author of Guerrilla Resumes. Since 1996, he has provided
job-search help to more than 20,000 people. Kevin has been interviewed by
The New York Times, Fox News, ABC TV, CBS Radio and others. To learn more
about how to create a Guerrilla Resume, visit
Cover Letter Examples
151-32500 South Fraser Way, Suite #290, Abbotsford, BC V2T 4W1, CANADA
Hey, job seekers: Raise your hand if you love networking.
I thought so.
And why don't you get a thrill out of talking to friends and family about
your job search?
For many folks, it's a problem of how to start. There's really no way to
ask, "Know anyone who's hiring?" without feeling awkward.
To fix that, here are two ways to open your next networking conversation
that are proven to produce job leads -- and won't make you feel self-conscious
1) Use Me as an Excuse to Call
Over the past year, I've quietly been perfecting a short networking script
at my Guerrilla Job Search seminars.
In every case, at least one person in the room gets a job lead -- in less
than 5 minutes.
Here's the four-part script that people are using to start networking
conversations by phone, with explanatory notes in parentheses:
1. "Hi, this is YOUR NAME! I'm at a training session and they told me to
call the most-connected person I know. That's you!"
(This gets you over the hump right away, by giving you an excuse to call.
Here, that excuse is me -- just say that somebody else told you to call.)
2. "I'm looking for a position as a JOB TITLE at a company like COMPANY #1,
COMPANY #2, or COMPANY #3."
(You have to think first, about what JOB you want and 3 COMPANIES you most
want to work for.)
3. "Who would you call if you were in my shoes?"
(You're asking someone to take ownership of your problem, by putting their
ego aside and thinking as if they were you. Simple psychology that's very
powerful.)
4. "Could I have their name and number?"
(Write it down. Hang up. Call that new person and drop the name of the
person you called first.)
For best results, use this script to call the most-connected person you
know -- the one person who seems to know almost everybody.
Here are three examples of how this has worked in my seminars:
1. Ellen in Minneapolis, MN, got a networking lead at the chamber of
commerce after calling a friend.
2. Greg in Fargo, ND, got a lead on a pharmaceutical sales job by calling a
friend.
3. Pete in Chanhassen, MN, got the name of an HR rep by calling a colleague
he had fallen out of touch with.
2) Use an Object as a Conversation Starter
Chris Russell, founder of JobRadio.fm, warns that a false sense of pride
can hurt your job search, recalling a friend who struggled mightily to get
hired. "He would never tell people that he was out of work, even his former
co-workers. I guess he was embarrassed."
Russell points out that, when it comes to your job search, you should look
for any excuse to start a conversation.
One such excuse may be the "Laid Off, Need a Job" wristband.
Described as an "attention getting conversation starter" by its makers, the
wristband retails for $3 and comes in bright yellow, with the message, "I
Need A Job."
The idea is, you put wear the wristband each day, people see it, ask about
your job search, and -- shazam! Instant networking conversation. More
information is at www.LaidOffNeedAJob.com.
Two other tactics I've seen are renting a billboard (pricey) and wearing a
T-shirt with your resume on it (no verifiable successes).
Now. How else could you get attention and start networking conversations?
Here's an idea: Stick a magnetic sign on the side of your car.
For less than $95, Kinko's can create one for you. Your sign's message
could be on two lines, like this:
Need Accounting Help?
HireShellyNow.com
Nobody wants to hire, but almost every business needs help, so don't use
"Hire me!" or "U-M Grad Will Work Cheap" as your headline.
The format I would follow is: "Need YOUR SKILL Help? CONTACT INFO."
Test several ideas on cardboard mockup signs and drive them past people, to
see if they can read your contact info at 25 or 40 miles an hour.
(Note: I practice what I preach -- look for my black SUV around the Twin
Cities with a magnetic sign on the side that says, "Got Work? My New Job
Hunt .com")
Do these conversation-starting ideas make you feel uncomfortable? Good!
Because, if you've been comfortable thus far in your job search, and you're
still unemployed, it may be time to leave your comfort zone and try
something new.
Kevin Donlin is co-author of Guerrilla Resumes. Since 1996, he has provided
job-search help to more than 20,000 people. Kevin has been interviewed by
The New York Times, Fox News, ABC TV, CBS Radio and others. To learn more
about how to create a Guerrilla Resume, visit
Cover Letter Examples
151-32500 South Fraser Way, Suite #290, Abbotsford, BC V2T 4W1, CANADA
Friday, December 18, 2009
Quality Recommendations on LinkedIn
LinkedIn Recommendations
Recommendations on LinkedIn are an important part of telling your story; but not just any old recommendation. What is needed are quality recommendations that talk about your accomplishments and contributions to your current and previous organizations.
Take the Lead
The best way to get a quality recommendation is to:
Receiving quality recommendations is typical of the Web 2.0 environment. First you give and then you will receive. The consideration and concern that you show in giving a recommendation will be returned many times over. Show those that you have worked with in the past that they are important. This process provides you with quality recommendations and builds or rebuilds your previous relationship.
Connect with me on:
LinkedIn
Facebook
Get my free tips on creating your Viral Brand on the Social Networks at:
UPPROACH Website
If you are in the market for new opportunities check out this website for some free job search materials and sign up for the free newsletter
Smart Resume Writing System
Recommendations on LinkedIn are an important part of telling your story; but not just any old recommendation. What is needed are quality recommendations that talk about your accomplishments and contributions to your current and previous organizations.
Take the Lead
The best way to get a quality recommendation is to:
- Write a quality recommendation for the person you want to recommend you.
- Submit the recommendation to the individual.
- Ask the person if you have addressed or made all the points they would like included.
- Once you have provided the recommendation ask the individual to reciprocate with a recommendation for you.
- When you receive the recommendation; review it and if you would like changes, you have opened the door with the process you followed writing the initial recommendation.
Receiving quality recommendations is typical of the Web 2.0 environment. First you give and then you will receive. The consideration and concern that you show in giving a recommendation will be returned many times over. Show those that you have worked with in the past that they are important. This process provides you with quality recommendations and builds or rebuilds your previous relationship.
Connect with me on:
Get my free tips on creating your Viral Brand on the Social Networks at:
UPPROACH Website
If you are in the market for new opportunities check out this website for some free job search materials and sign up for the free newsletter
Smart Resume Writing System
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Is LinkedIn Performing for You?
Getting Value from LinkedIn
Using LinkedIn can be an effective way for hiring managers, recruiters, prospective business partners, and prospective customers or clients to find us; if we do our part. LinkedIn is not a passive activity; we need to work at it. It is like anything we do; our LinkedIn presence will reflect the effort we put in.
This effort or lack of effort is also what readers of our profile see. If our profile is weak and incomplete; is it representative of our effort in other areas of our lives? What does that tell those that find us in a search?
With that said some people think that they would be better off without a LinkedIn presence. That way they will not have to worry about their presence. This is faulty thinking! Our LinkedIn presence, our viral presence is a necessity in today's world; it is a must have. Our LinkedIn and viral presence show that we are current on today's technology, that we accept and adopt change, and that we are willing to put ourselves out there.
Key Elements to Your LinkedIn Presence
To be effective using LinkedIn these basic elements must be present in your profile:
- The use of keywords.
- Use keywords in our current and past job titles.
- Personalize our profile.
- Have a professional (not necessarily professionally produced) picture.
- Use applications to represent who we are and what we can do.
If you are having difficulty with your profile or would like a professional review of your profile that is a service offered by UPPROACH. Contact us and let us help you make your LinkedIn Profile work for you.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Creating a Viral Network
The facts of networking and the value of connections
When you receive invites, do you respond? You do not necessarily need to accept every invite, but evaluate the invites to see how they may build and expand your network. You need to respond to grow your network.
Have you created a unique identity that will allow you to build your brand. If you search Google for your name and find 25 people on LinkedIn; you need to differentiate yourself.
If you search networks and cannot find your name; you have the ability to create and establish your identity however you want. You also need to look at the result and think about: where is your viral presence? If you want a viral presence you need to work at it.
Do you comment on questions or post your own questions in groups and on blogs? If you are trying to establish yourself and you have expertise you must let people know. You must create yourself as the expert.
Many sites allow you to have recommendations: what do they say? Often times they simply identify you as a good person; but there are no specifics as to why; you need strong recommendations! Start by giving strong recommendations and then asking the person how they liked it and if they would like you to change or add anything. Once done ask them to reciprocate and you can now coach them because they coached you.
Are you on LinkedIn and FaceBook? Do you use Twitter? These are important elements to your viral presence because of their high visibilty on the Internet with Google, Bing, and other search engines.
Do you have a website or blog? This is another place to establish your name and create a presence as an expert.
These are some of the techniques you can use to make your network work for you.
Tell me what you are doing?
When you receive invites, do you respond? You do not necessarily need to accept every invite, but evaluate the invites to see how they may build and expand your network. You need to respond to grow your network.
Have you created a unique identity that will allow you to build your brand. If you search Google for your name and find 25 people on LinkedIn; you need to differentiate yourself.
If you search networks and cannot find your name; you have the ability to create and establish your identity however you want. You also need to look at the result and think about: where is your viral presence? If you want a viral presence you need to work at it.
Do you comment on questions or post your own questions in groups and on blogs? If you are trying to establish yourself and you have expertise you must let people know. You must create yourself as the expert.
Many sites allow you to have recommendations: what do they say? Often times they simply identify you as a good person; but there are no specifics as to why; you need strong recommendations! Start by giving strong recommendations and then asking the person how they liked it and if they would like you to change or add anything. Once done ask them to reciprocate and you can now coach them because they coached you.
Are you on LinkedIn and FaceBook? Do you use Twitter? These are important elements to your viral presence because of their high visibilty on the Internet with Google, Bing, and other search engines.
Do you have a website or blog? This is another place to establish your name and create a presence as an expert.
These are some of the techniques you can use to make your network work for you.
Tell me what you are doing?
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Job Search - What Are You Attracting
In August I posted "You Are What You Attract". That concept, the Law of Attraction, was brought home to me recently when I presented a workshop on LinkedIn. One of the attendees talked about some of the inquiries he was receiving regarding employment and how none of those inquiries related to what he wants to do or has done in the past.
He is not the first person to encounter this; I have had many of these emails myself. When you receive them you just sit there in wonderment. You are trying to figure out what this individual is thinking and why they would send this information to you. I still have not figured it out completely, but I believe I am getting closer.
Many times it is just a random process or an automated emailing system that searches resumes. If it is one of those emails; there is not much you can do. If you are really searching for work you have few other choices than to put up with it and use the delete key when they arrive in your in-box.
Review Your On-line Presence
If you are being approached for things that are not of interest and do not apply; you need to step back. It is time to review your resume, your Web 2.0 application profiles, your website, your blog postings, your comments, your posted resumes, and any other "branding" that may exist to find out why you are getting these solicitations.
There is nothing worse than receiving a job posting for something completely unrelated and of no interest. Not just because it is a waste of time, but it is also disconcerting and makes you wonder why someone would even think of you for this type of position. These emails can also cause self doubts which are counter productive and take you off task. Put them aside and keep moving forward.
Granted there will always be some random opportunities presented because those people do not care about what you want and, more than likely, have not read your information. All they know is that you are out there and you are potentially or specifically looking for employment. To them that is an open opportunity to approach you: whether you are interested or not.
If the solicitations or opportunities are more specific or it looks like they have actually done some research; then it is time for the review. You need to look carefully at your information and try to determine what is giving people the incorrect impression. When you locate the confusing information you must clean it up.
Clarify Your Profiles and On-Line Presence
It is important that you create a consistent On-Line presence that clearly presents you and your skills. Each profile tells part of your story or reinforces parts of your story; you want to ensure that the story is consistent and clear.
Part of having a consistent On-Line presence is to distinguish yourself from anyone else that may have the same or a similar name. Having a consistent or at least readily identifiable picture with each posting is one way to accomplish this. Using a middle initial or middle name is another part of creating your brand.
Some of the confusion that could occur with potential employers could be the result of confusion between people of the same or similar name. You must differentiate!
Keep Your Information Relevant
Do not muddy the water with information that is confusing. Read the post "Does Your Resume Pass the So What Test on Wordpress?" This information is as valid for your on-line profiles as it is for your resume. Ensure that you are only posting information that helps to tell your story and clarify who you are.
Follow me on this blog so you are notified of all my new posts; just click the button to follow. Also follow me at Resumes with Impact where I post information specific to creating effective resumes.
You can sign up for my free newsletter, "7 Days to a More Effective Job Search" and download job and resume tips at Smart Resume Writing System.
He is not the first person to encounter this; I have had many of these emails myself. When you receive them you just sit there in wonderment. You are trying to figure out what this individual is thinking and why they would send this information to you. I still have not figured it out completely, but I believe I am getting closer.
Many times it is just a random process or an automated emailing system that searches resumes. If it is one of those emails; there is not much you can do. If you are really searching for work you have few other choices than to put up with it and use the delete key when they arrive in your in-box.
Review Your On-line Presence
If you are being approached for things that are not of interest and do not apply; you need to step back. It is time to review your resume, your Web 2.0 application profiles, your website, your blog postings, your comments, your posted resumes, and any other "branding" that may exist to find out why you are getting these solicitations.
There is nothing worse than receiving a job posting for something completely unrelated and of no interest. Not just because it is a waste of time, but it is also disconcerting and makes you wonder why someone would even think of you for this type of position. These emails can also cause self doubts which are counter productive and take you off task. Put them aside and keep moving forward.
Granted there will always be some random opportunities presented because those people do not care about what you want and, more than likely, have not read your information. All they know is that you are out there and you are potentially or specifically looking for employment. To them that is an open opportunity to approach you: whether you are interested or not.
If the solicitations or opportunities are more specific or it looks like they have actually done some research; then it is time for the review. You need to look carefully at your information and try to determine what is giving people the incorrect impression. When you locate the confusing information you must clean it up.
Clarify Your Profiles and On-Line Presence
It is important that you create a consistent On-Line presence that clearly presents you and your skills. Each profile tells part of your story or reinforces parts of your story; you want to ensure that the story is consistent and clear.
Part of having a consistent On-Line presence is to distinguish yourself from anyone else that may have the same or a similar name. Having a consistent or at least readily identifiable picture with each posting is one way to accomplish this. Using a middle initial or middle name is another part of creating your brand.
Some of the confusion that could occur with potential employers could be the result of confusion between people of the same or similar name. You must differentiate!
Keep Your Information Relevant
Do not muddy the water with information that is confusing. Read the post "Does Your Resume Pass the So What Test on Wordpress?" This information is as valid for your on-line profiles as it is for your resume. Ensure that you are only posting information that helps to tell your story and clarify who you are.
Follow me on this blog so you are notified of all my new posts; just click the button to follow. Also follow me at Resumes with Impact where I post information specific to creating effective resumes.
You can sign up for my free newsletter, "7 Days to a More Effective Job Search" and download job and resume tips at Smart Resume Writing System.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Care and Feeding of Your Network
Your network can be an tremendous resource for you; if you give it proper care and feeding.
Many people simply look at their network as a place to "get" something. If that is your attitude your network will soon die on you. To be a successful networker you need to be providing value to those within your network. You must provide help individually and collectively whenever possible.
This isn't a situation where you are looking to do huge favors. That doesn't mean you turn a big opportunity down when it arises; it just means that simple help is also valuable.
1. Your help can take the form of sending a congratulatory note on a new job or promotion.
2. It can be forwarding an article that you feel they may find of interest.
3. Maybe you can facilitate a connection between two of your contacts that would be beneficial to both.
4. It may be notifying someone of a business opportunity or job.
5. There may be a special event taking place that would benefit one of your contacts.
These are just a few simple ideas. If you do these types of activities regularly; your network will be there when you need it.
If you have other ideas chime in and add your contribution to this list.
Happy Networking
Many people simply look at their network as a place to "get" something. If that is your attitude your network will soon die on you. To be a successful networker you need to be providing value to those within your network. You must provide help individually and collectively whenever possible.
This isn't a situation where you are looking to do huge favors. That doesn't mean you turn a big opportunity down when it arises; it just means that simple help is also valuable.
1. Your help can take the form of sending a congratulatory note on a new job or promotion.
2. It can be forwarding an article that you feel they may find of interest.
3. Maybe you can facilitate a connection between two of your contacts that would be beneficial to both.
4. It may be notifying someone of a business opportunity or job.
5. There may be a special event taking place that would benefit one of your contacts.
These are just a few simple ideas. If you do these types of activities regularly; your network will be there when you need it.
If you have other ideas chime in and add your contribution to this list.
Happy Networking
Monday, August 24, 2009
You are what you attract!
Wallace Wattles wrote it in the early 1900s and it is still true today. The things we think about, positive or negative, are the things that we attract. With this being the case, we have a choice in how our lives will proceed and that choice is made through our thought processes.
What are your thoughts are they about the future and your upcoming successes or about the the things of the past that have happened to you? Only one of these thought processes is something that you can take action on. Think the positive thoughts of how your life will be, rather than the thoughts of how your life has been.
The past is the past and that cannot change, the future, your future, is yet to be written!
What are your thoughts are they about the future and your upcoming successes or about the the things of the past that have happened to you? Only one of these thought processes is something that you can take action on. Think the positive thoughts of how your life will be, rather than the thoughts of how your life has been.
The past is the past and that cannot change, the future, your future, is yet to be written!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
What is your networking mindset?
Do you know your networking mindset? Do you even care about your networking mindset?
It amazes me when I encounter people that do not understand the importance of networking. Look at any successful person and you will find that networking is a key ingredient to their success. Success is not a solitary process, success requires a circle of friends that have friends to achieve your goals and therefore your success.
I was listening to a recording today done by Mark Victor Hansen and Robert G. Allen called "The One Minute Millionaire". In the recording they tell an interesting story, but even more important is the commentary that describes actions taken in the story. One of the commentaries speaks specifically of the importance of your network.
Your network consists of strong connections and weak connections. Your strong connections are those that you encounter frequently and your weak connections are those that you connect with through others.
In the recording Robert Allen makes the point that your weak connections are where your greatest opportunities lay. That's because your strong connections often know the same things that you know, where your strong connections greatest strengths lay is in connecting you to others.
Here's my take on networking:
It amazes me when I encounter people that do not understand the importance of networking. Look at any successful person and you will find that networking is a key ingredient to their success. Success is not a solitary process, success requires a circle of friends that have friends to achieve your goals and therefore your success.
I was listening to a recording today done by Mark Victor Hansen and Robert G. Allen called "The One Minute Millionaire". In the recording they tell an interesting story, but even more important is the commentary that describes actions taken in the story. One of the commentaries speaks specifically of the importance of your network.
Your network consists of strong connections and weak connections. Your strong connections are those that you encounter frequently and your weak connections are those that you connect with through others.
In the recording Robert Allen makes the point that your weak connections are where your greatest opportunities lay. That's because your strong connections often know the same things that you know, where your strong connections greatest strengths lay is in connecting you to others.
Here's my take on networking:
- Networking is never a wasted effort.
- Networking is integral to your future success.
- If you don't like to network: get over it and get on with it.
- Make a commitment to building your network at least weekly, but preferably daily.
- Find a meaningful way to connect with your network at least twice per year. Through an email blast or some other means, but maintain at least minimal contact.
- Build your network by connecting with those that have large networks of their own. Building one connection at a time is time consuming and inefficient.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Effectively using LinkedIn
I talk about using LinkedIn to help in your networking and job search activities. Here is the text of an article/interview published by CIO Magazine with Jason Alba. Jason is an expert on LinkedIn and how to take advantage of the features. Read and study to enhance your use of LinkedIn.
In the midst of the recession, many job seekers have spent more time on LinkedIn to connect with colleagues, customers and partners in an effort to land a new gig. Unfortunately, many people commit common errors in their LinkedIn profiles that cost them new opportunities, says Jason Alba, CEO of JibberJobber, a company that provides web-based tools for managing your job search.
© 2008 CXO Media Inc.
In the midst of the recession, many job seekers have spent more time on LinkedIn to connect with colleagues, customers and partners in an effort to land a new gig. Unfortunately, many people commit common errors in their LinkedIn profiles that cost them new opportunities, says Jason Alba, CEO of JibberJobber, a company that provides web-based tools for managing your job search.
Alba, who recently released a DVD called LinkedIn for Job Seekers, shared with CIO.com the five most common mistakes he sees on LinkedIn profiles. Here's how to spot trouble in your profile and fix it.
1. Don't Get in Picture Trouble
Many people choose not to use a picture on their LinkedIn profiles. While some of you have your reasons, it's a mistake for the typical user, Alba says. Some common concerns: Perhaps you don't want to disclose your ethnicity, or you don't consider yourself photogenic.
"Some situations are justified in not using a profile picture, but in the end I encourage people to include one because it shows you're comfortable with yourself," Alba says. "It also makes your profile a lot more personable."
Alba recommends a professional headshot for LinkedIn, rather than the picture of you in front of a mountain or lake that you utilize on Facebook. In addition, if you're a job seeker, odds are that you will meet your prospective employer in a face-to-face interview, so that picture of you twenty years ago that you like to leave up there — that needs to be replaced.
"Sometimes people are floored when they see the person if they left a really old picture up there," Alba says.
When you edit your LinkedIn profile, you have what Alba calls a "professional headline" right beneath the name. The common mistake here (as shown in the picture below) is to simply put your name and title. He believes you should use something catchier. Instead of saying, "project manager for X company," say something more specific: "I manage complex projects involving IT and marketing."
When people search for you, they will see this professional tagline, and it might decide whether or not they feel compelled to click on your name and see your profile, Alba says.
"Think of yourself as a marketer, and this is where your big ad appears to the world," Alba says.
3. Properly Label Websites Displaying Your Work or Blog
LinkedIn offers you the ability to list the websites where your work might be displayed. This is a great option if you keep a personal website with a resume or a blog. But when you go to edit the website descriptions, Alba recommends dispensing with LinkedIn's default descriptions of "my website" or "my company." Those descriptions aren't a compelling read for employers, he says.
Instead, when you edit your "websites" section, LinkedIn provides a drop down menu (see picture below). Click "other," and you can upload the link and describe it as you see fit. Instead of "my blog," you might write, "my blog on complex project management."
4. Consider a Vanity URL
Maybe you haven't changed the default URL that LinkedIn provides for your profile. Especially if you have a common name, this will make your name after the LinkedIn address appear with a bunch of ugly code and numbers. If you have to give your LinkedIn profile address over the phone, or you wish to print it on your business card, it should be as concise and self-explanatory as possible, Alba says.
"It literally takes 30 seconds, and it makes your profile look more on purpose," Alba says.
(When you edit your LinkedIn profile, go to the "public profile" section to create your LinkedIn URL of choice).
5. Finish with a Strong, SEO-Friendly Summary
The "summary" section of your LinkedIn profile could be the biggest missed opportunity for the majority of job seekers, Alba says. While this section has a 2,000 character limit, Alba suggests packing as much about you and your abilities into it as possible.
In reality, the ability for people to find you will depend on LinkedIn's search engine linking your name to certain search keywords. So (staying with our repeated example), a project manager might want the term "project management" to appear a few times throughout the summary.
"Most summaries are a couple sentences or a couple paragraphs, and they're missing out," Alba says. "The more you put in the summary, the better your SEO is."
© 2008 CXO Media Inc.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Twittering can be beneficial to your branding
After posting my last comments on Twitter, I received email stating that it made more sense to spend time on LinkedIn and FaceBook versus the 140 characters you can post with a Twitter comment. I saw other comments expressing the same sentiment on LinkedIn and elsewhere.
At that time I could see the point that was being made but then I started receiving Tweets from Brian Tracy and all of a sudden I could see the value of Twitter.
Twitter isn't the means of communicating a message, it's the means of communicating about a message. Did you post something new on your blog? Then let everyone know by sending out a Tweet with a link to your blog post. Is there something new on your web page? Then Tweet away.
Make connections on Twitter by following others and encouraging them to follow you. The more followers you have the more people that will be notified about your updates.
At that time I could see the point that was being made but then I started receiving Tweets from Brian Tracy and all of a sudden I could see the value of Twitter.
Twitter isn't the means of communicating a message, it's the means of communicating about a message. Did you post something new on your blog? Then let everyone know by sending out a Tweet with a link to your blog post. Is there something new on your web page? Then Tweet away.
Make connections on Twitter by following others and encouraging them to follow you. The more followers you have the more people that will be notified about your updates.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
"Who's Got Your Back" - the latest book from Keith Ferrazzi
Keith Ferrazzi is at it again with his follow up to "never eat alone"; "Who's got your back". This is the guru of networking with a lot of great information to share. The book just released and I am waiting for my copy to arrive. If you are into networking you need to be reading Keith's books; you can click on the book and place your order here.
Twitter: Is it for you and if so, how do you start
Picking and choosing among today's social networks is getting to be a full-time job. How do you know what is right for you? Sometimes you just need to jump in because there isn't a great amount of information available to help you make an intelligent decision.
In follow up to my last post on Twitter: Dos and Don'ts; I found this article to share again from CIO.com. Follow the link and let me know what you think. Twitter: How to Get Started Guide for Business People. I liked the article it gave me some insight that I didn't have previously regarding Twitter.
Personally, I think it is all about self-branding and if that is what you are after - establishing a presence in all of these venues will help with the process. One thing that I recommend is that you link each of your venues to each other so you can maintain some consistency and create your materials one time only. Multiple sites also allows you the ability to separate your interests while still enabling your audience to gain the full impact of who you are. Of course you need to watch out for the compromising information that could come back to bite you.
Happy Networking!
In follow up to my last post on Twitter: Dos and Don'ts; I found this article to share again from CIO.com. Follow the link and let me know what you think. Twitter: How to Get Started Guide for Business People. I liked the article it gave me some insight that I didn't have previously regarding Twitter.
Personally, I think it is all about self-branding and if that is what you are after - establishing a presence in all of these venues will help with the process. One thing that I recommend is that you link each of your venues to each other so you can maintain some consistency and create your materials one time only. Multiple sites also allows you the ability to separate your interests while still enabling your audience to gain the full impact of who you are. Of course you need to watch out for the compromising information that could come back to bite you.
Happy Networking!
Networking etiquette as you Twitter
Are you all about twittering and tweeting? Do you even understand the terminologies? I'm continually receiving an education as I see various things pass by my inbox. I'm attaching a link to an article that I just read in CIO Magazine regarding the Dos and Don'ts of Twittering.
It never hurts to follow a little protocol.
Happy networking!
It never hurts to follow a little protocol.
Happy networking!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
The Power of 150
In his book "The Tipping Point", Malcolm Gladwell discusses the power of 150. What he refers to is the maximum size group for effective communications. He uses examples from ages past as well as from today in describing how communications break down once any organization: religious, social, and even work exceed this size.
One of the major examples is the company WR Grace and Company: long believed one of the great success stories in business. WR Grace follows the power of 150 rule in the sizing of all their operations. Their plants have a maximum of 150 employees. That's not just 150 in manufacturing, the front office, or some department. It is the maximum for that particular business unit. Why would that be? In his research Gladwell learned that keeping this as a maximum allows engineering to communicate with marketing, production, sales, research, and what ever other groups more effectively and responsively to problems, customer requests, market changes, or anything else that arises.
Gladwell also talks about the size of groups back to prehistoric days and their ability to support each other becoming problematic when the groups grew too large. When that happened there were food shortages and other problems to the extent that the groups would automatically splinter off to a more manageable size. But enough of that.
How can we apply this to our network? When you follow the Pareto or 80/20 rule you should limit your "A" group to 150. This is your critical group, the one that is the most important, and therefore requires and deserves the most attention. Keep the size manageable so you can communicate with enough effectiveness and timeliness that you maintain a great relationship.
Find other ways to communicate with the rest of your contacts using email newsletters, blogs, discussion groups, and web sites to keep them relatively current on your activities. If you are doing the right things you will have people in this category continuing to reach out to you but your efforts are will be more appropriately directed.
Remember:
One of the major examples is the company WR Grace and Company: long believed one of the great success stories in business. WR Grace follows the power of 150 rule in the sizing of all their operations. Their plants have a maximum of 150 employees. That's not just 150 in manufacturing, the front office, or some department. It is the maximum for that particular business unit. Why would that be? In his research Gladwell learned that keeping this as a maximum allows engineering to communicate with marketing, production, sales, research, and what ever other groups more effectively and responsively to problems, customer requests, market changes, or anything else that arises.
Gladwell also talks about the size of groups back to prehistoric days and their ability to support each other becoming problematic when the groups grew too large. When that happened there were food shortages and other problems to the extent that the groups would automatically splinter off to a more manageable size. But enough of that.
How can we apply this to our network? When you follow the Pareto or 80/20 rule you should limit your "A" group to 150. This is your critical group, the one that is the most important, and therefore requires and deserves the most attention. Keep the size manageable so you can communicate with enough effectiveness and timeliness that you maintain a great relationship.
Find other ways to communicate with the rest of your contacts using email newsletters, blogs, discussion groups, and web sites to keep them relatively current on your activities. If you are doing the right things you will have people in this category continuing to reach out to you but your efforts are will be more appropriately directed.
Remember:
- Keep your "A" list focused and no larger than 150.
- Communicate on a regular basis and look for things that you can send to your "A" group.
- Communicate to those that are not on your "A" list through email newsletters, blogs, discussion groups, and websites.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Networking is about connecting, but ...
Are you spending a lot of time trying to connect and build your contact's list? That's been an approach of mine in the past, but it's a lot of work; worthwhile, but still a lot of work.
The other day I received an e-mail from a recruiter saying that she had seen my name cross her desk a couple of times and felt that SHE needed to connect with me. It turns out we were both members of the same group and what she saw was a posting of mine in the discussion group.
This started me wondering how can I do this even more? What can I do to entice people to want to connect with me, so that they are doing the work, and all I am doing is assessing whether the contact is one that I want?
It's called branding! It's called making me so valuable to others to the extent that they want to connect with me. It's called driving people to me. It's called having others tell people that they should connect with me because I am a valuable connection.
This is not about self-aggrandizing; it's about my providing so much value that others are compelled to seek what I have to offer.
Do you ever learn or hear about products, food, movies, or assorted other things that you must have and will do whatever it takes to obtain that item? Of course you do, because you have associated a value with the item that drives you to do whatever it takes to obtain it.
That is what you want to do for yourself. You want to make yourself valuable to the point that people will take the necessary steps to locate and connect.
There are two major benefits to this approach to networking 1) your time is spent creating value for others so that they want to connect and 2) you don't have to spend your time making connections, instead the connections come to you.
Here are the steps:
The other day I received an e-mail from a recruiter saying that she had seen my name cross her desk a couple of times and felt that SHE needed to connect with me. It turns out we were both members of the same group and what she saw was a posting of mine in the discussion group.
This started me wondering how can I do this even more? What can I do to entice people to want to connect with me, so that they are doing the work, and all I am doing is assessing whether the contact is one that I want?
It's called branding! It's called making me so valuable to others to the extent that they want to connect with me. It's called driving people to me. It's called having others tell people that they should connect with me because I am a valuable connection.
This is not about self-aggrandizing; it's about my providing so much value that others are compelled to seek what I have to offer.
Do you ever learn or hear about products, food, movies, or assorted other things that you must have and will do whatever it takes to obtain that item? Of course you do, because you have associated a value with the item that drives you to do whatever it takes to obtain it.
That is what you want to do for yourself. You want to make yourself valuable to the point that people will take the necessary steps to locate and connect.
There are two major benefits to this approach to networking 1) your time is spent creating value for others so that they want to connect and 2) you don't have to spend your time making connections, instead the connections come to you.
Here are the steps:
- Create value that others want.
- Do things that drive others to you rather than your having to constantly be seeking others.
- Create value that cause referrals to you.
Are You Giving Those that Want to Connect Every Chance to Connect
It amazes me when I see someone send an e-mail or hear a voice mail that does a poor job of leaving information for the contacted person to follow up. Just because you sent e-mail doesn't guarantee that the other person wants to reply by e-mail. And likewise, just because you called doesn't necessarily mean that they want to follow up with a call.
Here are some connection ideas:
Happy networking!
Here are some connection ideas:
- If you leave a voice mail identify whether it is your office or cell number (they may need to text a response because they are not in a position to call).
- Identify yourself and provide your phone number both at the beginning and the end of your call and at the end speak slowly, repeat your name, and repeat your phone number twice. There is nothing more frustrating than having to listen to an entire message multiple times to get the information correct.
- In your e-mails provide contact information for e-mail and phone responses. You may even provide your mailing address (discretionary, if it is your home address).
Happy networking!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Networking works!
The attached article came across my desk from a friend. It was actually the second time I had heard the story.
Read the article and learn how networking saved this family.
Here is an employment success story from a recent college graduate.
Did you know that your Church is not only great for prayer, but also for networking.
This networking success story demonstrates the importance of positioning yourself for the future.
Happy Networking!
Tom
Read the article and learn how networking saved this family.
Here is an employment success story from a recent college graduate.
Did you know that your Church is not only great for prayer, but also for networking.
This networking success story demonstrates the importance of positioning yourself for the future.
Happy Networking!
Tom
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Make and Receive Quality Recommendations
One of the key features of LinkedIn is the ability to give and receive recommendations.
You need to make the recommendations you give and receive count. Here is the criteria.
1. You should have at least one recommendation from an immediate manager.
2. You should have at least one recommendation from a co-worker.
3. You should have at least one recommendation from someone who worked for you.
4. You should have at least one recommendation from a vendor or supplier, if possible.
5. You should have at least one recommendation from a manager that you did not report to directly.
6. Recommendations should tell a story. What was the problem you identified, what were the actions you took, and what was the result.
7. If your recommendations are simply "Tom was a great guy to work with, I would recommend him to anyone." Send it back, you can even suggest content as long as it is true. Some people simply cannot write a recommendation.
8. This is my own biased idea of a great recommendation. "Shortly after Tom started he recognized that we were over paying on our vendor maintenance agreements by 20 to 30%. Tom identified that we were paying monthly support charges for computer racks, cabinets, and shelves. Tom identified all of the overages and contacted the vendor; his efforts are saving the company over $2500 per month." The recommendation tells a story and allows a recruiter to interpolate what Tom might do for the new company.
9. Write great recommendations about others first, then if what they write isn't exactly what you want you can feel comfortable asking for a revision.
Great recommendations will help get you noticed by recruiters and hiring managers. Happy networking!
You need to make the recommendations you give and receive count. Here is the criteria.
1. You should have at least one recommendation from an immediate manager.
2. You should have at least one recommendation from a co-worker.
3. You should have at least one recommendation from someone who worked for you.
4. You should have at least one recommendation from a vendor or supplier, if possible.
5. You should have at least one recommendation from a manager that you did not report to directly.
6. Recommendations should tell a story. What was the problem you identified, what were the actions you took, and what was the result.
7. If your recommendations are simply "Tom was a great guy to work with, I would recommend him to anyone." Send it back, you can even suggest content as long as it is true. Some people simply cannot write a recommendation.
8. This is my own biased idea of a great recommendation. "Shortly after Tom started he recognized that we were over paying on our vendor maintenance agreements by 20 to 30%. Tom identified that we were paying monthly support charges for computer racks, cabinets, and shelves. Tom identified all of the overages and contacted the vendor; his efforts are saving the company over $2500 per month." The recommendation tells a story and allows a recruiter to interpolate what Tom might do for the new company.
9. Write great recommendations about others first, then if what they write isn't exactly what you want you can feel comfortable asking for a revision.
Great recommendations will help get you noticed by recruiters and hiring managers. Happy networking!
Are you using LinkedIn?
I'm an avid networker on many different social networks. My main focus, however, is LinkedIn for professional networking. Currently I have 275 LinkedIn connections that result in over 3,000,000 total connections or roughly 10% of LinkedIn. If you are not on LinkedIn send me a request and let's get you started. You can find me at http://www.linkedin.com/in/tomstaskiewicz.
A little further investigation of LinkedIn shows that I have 5800 different companies in my first and second level contacts. The fact that not only do I have these companies but I can find out who has the contact is awesome. Granted some of these contacts will be stale, but it is far better than anything I had previously and it's always a great starting point and opportunity to learn about the culture.
I am amazed as I look at the LinkedIn page for some of the people that I know are currently seeking a new job and I find them with 20, 50, maybe 100 connections. What is with that? You're telling me that you only know 20 people that are on LinkedIn? Either no one likes you and you don't like anyone else, you live in a hole, or you're really not interested in finding a new opportunity. To have less than 150 contacts is ridiculous and shows me someone that is not making any networking effort.
Things to do:
1. Find at least 100 people on LinkedIn to add to your network.
2. Commit to adding 5 to 10 people per week.
3. Join at least 5 groups in your areas of interest.
4. Obtain at least 5 quality recommendations. I will define a quality recommendation in another post.
5. Build a profile that tells a story about you and what you have to offer.
6. Monitor the statistcs that tell you how many people have viewed your profile and how many times you have appeared in a search.
A little further investigation of LinkedIn shows that I have 5800 different companies in my first and second level contacts. The fact that not only do I have these companies but I can find out who has the contact is awesome. Granted some of these contacts will be stale, but it is far better than anything I had previously and it's always a great starting point and opportunity to learn about the culture.
I am amazed as I look at the LinkedIn page for some of the people that I know are currently seeking a new job and I find them with 20, 50, maybe 100 connections. What is with that? You're telling me that you only know 20 people that are on LinkedIn? Either no one likes you and you don't like anyone else, you live in a hole, or you're really not interested in finding a new opportunity. To have less than 150 contacts is ridiculous and shows me someone that is not making any networking effort.
Things to do:
1. Find at least 100 people on LinkedIn to add to your network.
2. Commit to adding 5 to 10 people per week.
3. Join at least 5 groups in your areas of interest.
4. Obtain at least 5 quality recommendations. I will define a quality recommendation in another post.
5. Build a profile that tells a story about you and what you have to offer.
6. Monitor the statistcs that tell you how many people have viewed your profile and how many times you have appeared in a search.
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