The way social media can effect recruiting and retention was a hot topic at the recent ERE Social Recruiting Summit held this week at Google headquarters in Mountain View, CA.  Jenny DeVaughn attended and wrote a nice synopsis of her experience that can be viewed on the ERE Community site.  I watched many of the presentations through streaming video that was made available.  And I monitored the conversations that emanated live from the event on Twitter. 

One of the topics that caught my interest was the idea of "relational onboarding" presented by Sacha Chua.  Jenny DeVaughn describes the session:

"Sacha Chua led our next discussion on how we all can have the most awesomest job search ever. Sacha was unapologetically enthusiastic about her love for her current role with IBM.  Sacha described how important "relational onboarding" is to new or potential employees. It is vital to have genuine connections and relationships with your future co-workers before you start working. I agree with @JohnSumser, this is the key to seamless recruiting. Sacha also mentioned, once you are an employee, you are an ambassador. Laurie Ruettimann retweeted one of my tweets during this session while I was sitting two seats away from her. How cool is that?"

Here is a presentation Sasha Chua posted just prior to the SRS:

I touched on this subject in my article for Universum, Organic Branding for Employers.  The idea is that Social Networking should not only be encouraged at work, but that it should now be considered an essential part of the onboarding process and is key to company culture, retention, and job satisfaction.

Also of interest was the presentation by Reid Hoffman, CEO of LinkedIn, who believes that we should all think of ourselves as a small business.  Here are the slides from his presentation:

One of my growing fascinations is the potential for better communication with candidates and clients through Mobile Recruiting.  So you can bet I was dialed in for the Mobile Recruiting presentation by Chris Hoyt and Michael Marlatt.  Per Jenny, "They discussed the mobile myths: mobile is just hype, only used by the youth generation and that it is only a device for spam. They also shared that SMS (a text message to your phone) has a 94% read rate. We all participated in a live step-by-step text (short code) demonstration. In mobile marketing, we are only limited by our creativity; however, one must consistently create value."

Overall it appeared to be a really great event with cutting edge information shared by entertaining presenters.  Once again I was amazed at how easily those of us who couldn't attend could follow so closely through the live stream and on Twitter. 

Local Dallas recruiters and HR professionals will be treated to two low cost events here in DFW this year that will cover some of the same topics and more.  The Texas Recruiters Association - Workshop Seminar and Networking Event will be held on July 16th from 4pm to 7:30pm at the Hilton Dallas Lincoln Centre.  The cost is a very affordable $40.  I will be one of those featured on the "expert panel" along with Chris Hoyt, April Leah Grady, and Dennis Smith.

The next event will be loosely based on the popular Twitter forum for Recruiters, #TalentNet.  TalentNet Live will also feature me, Chris Hoyt, Dennis Smith, and others who will provide training on leveraging the latest tools and techniques to more effectively recruit and grow your business.  It will be held on September 11th at Frito Lay Headquarters in Plano, TX.  Additional details for this event will be available soon.  This local recruiting expo will also be available for a low entry fee, a portion of which is planned to be donated to a charity for the families of firefighters. 

If you are one of the many Dallas area staffing professionals who couldn't attend the ERE Social Recruiting Summit, please consider coming out to one or both of these local workshops.  They will each provide unique and useful information that you can use for motivation and strategy in recruiting.

Labels: #TalentNet, branding, careers, Hiring, Recruiting, Social Media, Social Networking, Twitter, web2.0

Last week I asked this question on Twitter and LinkedIn, "What should job seekers leave OFF of their resume?"  As of this writing, this question has generated 44 responses from recruiting, career, HR, and resume professionals and hiring managers.  The number one thing that was suggested to leave off of your resume is something that most job seekers simply put on there because that's how it has traditionally been done.  I'm talking about the Objective at the top of your resume. 

These days, if your resume is not laser focused on the job for which you are applying there is a good chance it will not make the cut.  An ambiguous Objective statement right at the top of your resume does nothing for that focus.  Career coach Ann-Marie Ditta suggested leaving off  "An objective that states "looking for a growth oriented opportunity where I can use my skills and experience" So what, it says nothing to the hiring manager other than you are desperate, self focused, or need a career coach. Avoid cutesy email addresses. "

Veteran recruiter Michael Kelemen, (AKA the Recruiting Animal) concurred with nixing the Objective, "I would leave off the OBJECTIVE or SUMMARY if they are just filled with hackneyed stuff like telling me they're results-oriented, time-sensitive workers. I've actually asked people for evidence of these claims. They tend to be shocked and angered by the question - again because they just mindlessly put down what some ancient resume book tells them to."

David Graziano, Darryl Dioso, Michael Keane, Andy Lester, Eric Thomas, Courtney Wunderlich, Tiffany Skoog, and Mike Avillion all agreed on eliminating the Objective.  There were only a couple of respondents who disagreed.  One caveat may be for a new grad for whom it's not obvious what they are seeking in a career.  But in general, I think if you are going to put anything in that top spot, it should be something of a positioning statement that speaks directly to the job description and includes every keyword in the employer's requirements.  If you don't have the background to back that up, you may not be a fit for the job.  Absolutely do not put anything there that is ambiguous.  When in doubt, leave it out.

The other main suggestion that was conveyed by the respondents is that job seekers should leave anything off of their resume that does not directly relate to the job at hand.  I think that is clear enough and covers quite a bit.  Less is more.  Bill Vick, author, and founder of ExtremeRecruiting.TV, suggests even that the resume itself is one of the smaller tools in a successful job search.    

"I think what should be included is as important to look at as what should be left off.

Too often smart, brainy and talented people forget what brought them to the party in the first place and spend so much time dinking around with their resume they seem to forget people hire people - not resumes.

Like driving your car glance in back of you as you drive down that road to your next job but concentrate on what's ahead and tell 'future' stories of what you can do - not what you have done. Telling is not selling and ultimately over 70% of all hires are done because of a reference or relationship. Focus on those, not your resume."

Thank you to all those who responded to this question, making this great list possible.

The top 10 things to leave OFF of your resume. 

10. Religious or Political Affiliations

9. Toastmasters

8. Hobbies

7. Photos

6. MENSA

5. Compensation

4. Family Info (Marital Status, Children, Pets)

3. References Available Upon Request

2. Anything not relevant to the position for which you are applying

1. Objective

View the full list of responses here.  What's your opinion?  Would love to hear your comments.

 

View additional comments at the RecruitingBlogs.com posting of this article:  http://www.recruitingblogs.com/top-10-things-to-leave-off-of-your-resume

Labels: careers, Hiring, interview tips, Job Hunting, jobs, LinkedIn, Recruiting, Resumes, Social Media, Twitter

This week I had the dubious honor of being the featured guest on the Recruiting Animal Show on Blog Talk Radio.  The Recruiting Animal is sort of a Jim Rome type of interviewer.  His shtick is to be bombastic, throw curve balls, cut people off if they don't answer quickly or interestingly enough.  But he is smart and thoroughly researches his subjects who he enjoys picking apart.  So it was, with not so slight trepidation, that I joined him on his show on possibly the worst day for doing so, April Fools Day! 

Well it turned out that some friends called in to support me when the talk turned to searching for job candidates on Twitter.  And we ended up with a very informative show.  I didn't have to talk nearly as much as I feared I would have to for a one hour show.  Some listeners even complained that they didn't get to hear enough from me.  But I was fine with that.  And to Animal's credit, he expertly edited the audio to create an 18 minute file that clearly shows, step by step, how you can use Twitter to identify and contact prospective job candidates.

I have personally had good success recruiting with Twitter.  There are plenty of job seekers there, with good reason (there are lots of good recruiters there)  And I love technology.  And Twitter (as beautifully simple as it is) is still a bit of a technical wonder.  I think we converted some skeptics, and presented some great info for the recruiting community's collective tool belt.  One of these days I'll have time to do a written version of these tips.  But for now, here is the audio:

Here is the short version MP3 file of the edited Audio, How to recruit on Twitter

Here is the link to the show and the full-length audio

And here is Animal's post of the show on RecruitingBlogs.com

As to Animal (@animal on Twitter), I appreciate the work he puts into his show.  He wants it to be entertaining.  And guests are expected to help make that happen.  So I can't fault him for jumping in where he thinks it is warranted.  After all, its his show.  I had listened to it a few times before and winced along with the rest of the audience when he would pounce on an unresponsive guest.  But my experience with him was great.  Not always comfortable, but still great.  Sort of like when a comedian picks you out of the audience. 

Now I have to emphasize again that I had HELP!  Animal had a couple of sidekicks along (ostensibly ready to refute my stance that Twitter is a good recruiting tool) when I called in, recruiters Jerry Albright (@jerry_albright) and Harry Joiner (@ecommercejobs).  Maureen Sharib (@MaureenSharib) acts as producer and is always on hand.  Karla Porter (@karla_porter), David Graziano (@davegraziano), and Jason Davis (@recruitingblogs aka Slouch, creator of RecruitingBlogs.com) all called in for the discussion.  Everyone had something instructive to add and it really made for a good exchange. 

Here is a bit of what I wrote to Animal after the show:

"The only person I didn't know before the show was Harry Joiner.  And he played a great role.  Karla and Dave are pretty good Twitter friends of mine (damn it still sounds weird to say "twiiter friends").  And I kind of know Maureen, Jerry, and JD through Twitter. Recruitingblogs.com, TalentBar.com, etc.  Everyone did well and chipped in, which was quite a relief for me."

Thanks to all.  And a special shout out to Susan Kang Nam (@pinkolivefamily) who connected me with Animal in the first place. 

So, my friends, if you dare square off with Animal, my advice is to be sure you get to the point quickly.  And be sure the point is worth getting to.  Or have your friends ready to prop you up with some great subject matter. 

Good show Animal!

Labels: branding, careers, Hiring, Job Hunting, Recruiting, Recruiting Animal Show, Social Media, Social Networking, Twitter, web2.0

I was recently asked by international employer branding news journal, Universum Quarterly, to be the guest writer for this quarter's edition.  Subscribers in HR organizations worldwide will receive the publication this week.

Universum Quarterly began in 2006 and is the world's first periodical for Employer Branding.  Each issue brings feature articles which investigate best practices and trends in employer branding, as well as examples of employer branding in action and instrumental tips for succeeding in certain industries, locations and with certain types of talent.

Organic Branding for Employers

by Craig Fisher, Courtesy of Universum Quarterly

An employer brand should be built from the inside out. Just as part of an organization's marketing message should come from its customers, the employer brand should be championed by its employees.  For better or worse, they are the vehicles by which the message will be conveyed on blogs and social networks. Smart employers will take advantage of this tremendous PR opportunity and embrace social networking, encouraging intercompany collaboration, and communication with those outside the corporate walls by their employees acting as their brand champions in social media.  The brand message itself must be authentic, unique and attractive. Job seekers today do not care about boiler plate HR selling points.  Sure, the message should be stated clearly on an effective recruiting Web site. But if it is not first conveyed to the internal employees and reinforced by meeting or surpassing their expectations, the organization will not have the brand champions it needs to convey that message online to job seekers.

Social networking at work

Organizations that place broad restrictions on the use of social media at work will soon feel the backlash in lower employee recruitment and retention. Workers at many levels these days are used to communicating and receiving information at a speed that is difficult to achieve with standard email and corporate intranets. In economic times such as these, where cutbacks are common, communication with your workforce is vital to maintain morale.  Social networking cannot only expedite communication, but also improve employees' sense of belonging and worth.

Top firms like IBM and Sun Microsystems have successfully incorporated social networking in the workplace. IBM created a wildly successful internal social network for communication and collaboration. Sun hosts a Twitter account that is automatically updated by Sun Microsystems' employee blogs worldwide.  Both companies have very clear employee guidelines about the use of social networking encouraging responsible engagement, communication, learning, and contribution.

Reach new talent Web 2.0 style

Jobseekers regularly google a prospective employer to find out what current and past employees are saying about working at that company. How do companies encourage a positive online portrayal by its workers? Social networking best practices should be taught in the workplace. Employees should be empowered to feel they are part of the positive message an employer wants to communicate. Your HR team can double as community managers by setting up employee group pages on sites like LinkedIn, Ning, or Facebook. Companies need to encourage employees to join and share knowledge. They should post helpful tips for new employees to get them integrated and productive quickly by networking with their peers and managers.

Prospective employees should be exposed to such networks to get a sense of the people with whom they will work and a feel for the corporate culture. Your new community managers can even use services like Twitter to announce updates, further promoting the brand.  With such an effort, your social collaboration will become an attractive feature to future employees. 

Control vs. respect

Companies cannot completely control what is said about them on blogs or social networks.  But viewing social media as a potential liability will not help matters. Companies who rely on simply a corporate blog or Web site to convey their message to customers or potential employees will miss the mark. Individual brand advocates within your ranks can be trained to effectively relate any message to the masses on social sites. Zappos.com is a company known for excellent customer service. However, Zappos CEO, Tony Hsieh, has said that their main focus is not customer service, but rather their internal people. That is a powerful branding statement. One can easily ask Zappos.com's employees how they feel about it, as many of them have Twitter accounts with names like Zappos_Alfred or Zappos_Lynn.

It is natural to be concerned about what may be said by employees who are laid off by their former employer. Company policies of surprising workers with news that their job has been eliminated, locking them out of their offices, and ordering them off the premises are common place. Smart organizations can avoid this PR disaster with better communication and by assisting their displaced workers.  Instead, companies should set up a network for those who are laid off and post advice and leads to assist in job searching and outplacement.  Taking this a step further, they can even organize a "pink slip" party. Set it up on Facebook and invite local recruiters and career coaches to come and offer assistance to those outgoing workers. Word gets around fast about companies who treat their people well, even in the wake of layoffs.

Reinforce the message

A company's employer brand must be authentic, unique, and attractive. To consistently have the company message positively reflected in the external comments of workers, a company must clearly convey that brand to current and new employees and work to meet the expectations set by that message. From the perspective of new recruits, there must also be a strong employer recruiting site that clearly states the message and gives a good picture of what work-life at your company is like. Many of the top corporate career sites use recruiting videos that can be viewed on site, as well as on social spaces, like YouTube. These are particularly effective when utilizing current employees rather than actors.

Creating a positive atmosphere of trust and empowerment within a workforce will help to assure that the right message is communicated online. If employers remain true to their message, the brand is built naturally from the inside out. Social media becomes less of a liability and more of a recruiting tool. Empowered employees will be the best employer brand champions.

Growing your brand with social media

. Determine your authentic, unique and attractive brand message.
. Convey the message to employees and on an effective recruiting web site. Meet the expectations it sets.
. Embrace social networking in the workplace.
. Empower your people to champion your brand through social media.

Craig Fisher

Owner Principal A-List Solutions
Dallas, Texas, US

Craig Fisher has more than 18 years experience in sales and is a specialist in IT recruitment.  He is the co-founder of A-List Solutions, a full-service staffing and recruiting firm for management and IT professionals. Craig is also an avid blogger.

A-list Solutions is a full-service staffing firm providing permanent and contract placement services for management, marketing, and IT positions to organizations of all sizes. They consult with both job seekers and employers on branding strategies that utilize social media and web 2.0 technology.

Headquarters: Southlake, Texas, US

Labels: branding, careers, Employer Branding, FACEBOOK, Hiring, LinkedIn, Recruiting, Social Media, Social Networking, Twitter, web2.0

Thanks to Flora Felisberto and Martin Burns of ZoomInfo for including me, alongside recruiting industry great, Lou Adler, in this edition of the newsletter.

If you haven't done so, I would recommend going to www.zoominfo.com and searching for yourself.  If you find yourself, but the info appears out of date, claim your profile and update the information.  This is a great place on the web to stamp "brand you".

Here is an excerpt from the February Zoominformer:

The social media phenomenon is no longer breaking news, but its impact on talent (finding, recruiting, and retaining) has started to accelerate.

Over the coming months, we'll be taking a closer look at social media trends. We're working with our clients and industry thought leaders to get to the "actual" behind all of the hype. It's our goal to help you work in the present, as well as understand the future. This month's newsletter will focus mainly on some of the practical impacts of social media, but we are also looking to a future that may be wildly disrupted by new methods of connecting with prospects, companies, and candidates.

If you have any ideas and interesting examples, please let us know. We are always amazed by the creativity of recruiters in navigating this world.

Stay tuned..

Are You a Web 2.0 Wannabe?
by Lou Adler

According to Lou Adler, "If you don't invest in finding tomorrow's candidates today, you'll become history." By investing time in key low-cost technologies, recruiters can increase both the visibility and interest of their job postings. In this article, Lou Adler describes the six most important web 2.0 trends and tools. Read on to find out if you're a "Neanderthal or a new ager."
Click here for the full article

Employer Branding with Web 2.0 & Social Media
by Craig Fisher

If your company's HR department is not already utilizing web 2.0 tools and social media to market the company to job seekers, it should be. A new report by Gartner, Inc., shows that even though corporate marketing and web strategies are embracing social media, HR departments are generally slow to align with those efforts for the purpose of employer branding.

Click here for the full article

The newsletter is: http://www.zoominfo.com/About/m/newsletters/february_2009.asp

You can subscribe to it here: http://www.zoominfo.com/About/resources/newsletters.aspx

ZoomInfo is a business information search engine used to quickly find information about industries, companies, people and products. ZoomInfo is used by sales and marketing professionals to identify business opportunities, by recruiters to locate talent, and by anyone conducting in-depth research about products, services and businesses. ZoomInfo's semantic search engine continually crawls the Business Web - the millions of company Websites, news feeds and other online sources - to identify company and people information which is then organized into fresh, comprehensive and objective profiles. ZoomInfo currently has profiles on more than 40 million people and over 3.5 million companies, and its search engine adds more than 20,000 new profiles every day.

Labels: branding, careers, Employer Branding, Hiring, jobs, marketing, Recruiting, Social Media, Social Networking, Twitter, web2.0

Very funny post on EmploymentMetrix.com about the extremes some job hunters go to in order to get noticed.  Talk about branding yourself!  Great stuff, enjoy.

EmploymentMetrix.com: Extreme Job Hunting - How Far Would You Go to Get Hired? by Jeremy Hatfield

"Experienced M.I.T. grad for hire," and "I will buy an interview," are the messages of many brave job hunters looking to draw attention to their career aspirations. On a daily basis we hear major corporations reducing human capital as a means for cutting costs and counteracting this recession. Jessica Dickler of CNNMoney.com recently reported that candidates outnumber job openings three to one. Is it any wonder that individuals seeking jobs will go to extreme lengths to attract the attention of potential employers?

The Untraditional Method for Finding Employment

Put aside the traditional methods of attending job fairs, emailing resumes, and networking.  Those tactics work in a stable economy, with normal unemployment rates, but when times are tough it is a MUST to stand out from the crowd!

Desperate Times Call for Creative Measures

Many professionals are pioneering new job search tactics as evidenced in the following job search stories.  Keep in mind that these guerrilla tactics should be taken with a grain of salt as not all of these actions have resulted in employment.  

Send Tangible Objects To Get Their Attention!

. After an interview, one candidate followed up with the interviewer by sending him a T-shirt that said, "I interviewed Bob and lived to tell the tale."

. Another applicant sent his resume on a giant hamburger roll, implying that "he was on a roll."

. After going on a first interview and taking notice of an employer's relatively empty office the job seeker showed up for the second interview with a plant to "add some life". 

. It's even been reported that some job seekers have used singing telegrams as a creative way to get their resumes in front of prospective employers.

. One applicant had breakfast delivered to the office he wished to work at for an entire month until he was finally hired. 

So if you are looking for ways to get a potential employers attention, below are a more extreme job search tactics to consider.

Sell Yourself

A few job seekers have tried putting their services up for auction on eBay. This was successful in gaining the professionals attention but also led to eBay removing the listings from its site.  Perhaps they overpriced their services?

Create Public Visuals

.Now famous Joshua Persky, stood in the streets shamelessly self promoting his skills on a wooden sandwich board while passing out resumes to passersby.

.Javier Pujals had the interesting idea to pay companies for their time.  If they took the time to interview him he would pay them based on the type of position he was being interviewed for. Employers could visit BuyAnInterview.com to access his fee schedule. 

.One candidate even rented a billboard and placed a personal advertisement within view of a company's office so the HR representative would see it.

Place a Bounty

One job seeker leveraged his personal network of family, friends, and colleagues to help him in his job search.  He offered a cash bounty to the first person who referred him to his next job.

So How Far Would You Go To Get Your Next Job? 

Would you audition on American Idol to sing your resume objectives?  Or hire a sky writer to inscribe your contact information within the clouds?  Whatever the method you use in these tough times, keep the outcome of your actions in mind.  Remember to maintain a level of professionalism in whatever tactic you choose to distinguish yourself from the crowd and understand that if one of these crazy antics does get you're hired that you'll have an interesting reputation to live up to.  Good luck and happy hunting!

Posted by Jeremy Hatfield

Labels: branding, Hiring, interview tips, jobs

Steph Auteri has written a wonderful guest post on TwiTip.com about how Twitter has jumped off of your screen and into your home town.  I can attest that the networking potential at a Tweetup (a meet-up of Twitter enthusiasts) is superior to most networking events, chamber of commerce gatherings, job fairs, etc. that I have ever attended.  My goal in networking is about getting to know people interested in Social Media and also employers (potential clients) with hiring needs. 

But I feel strongly that job seekers with a genuine interest in Twitter and other social media would find fertile ground at a Tweetup to network for a new position.  The job you seek doesn't have to be related to social networking or new media, but your interest in it should be your entry into conversation.  Don't show up knowing nothing about Twitter and expect a good conversation with people that might lead to a job prospect.  Immerse yourself in all things Twitter as much as possible before attending a Twitter related event.  Newbies are welcome, but it really helps to be at least familiar with the terms and the technology.

8 Twitter Networking Tips: From Online to In-the-Flesh

I didn't know quite what to do with Twitter until I read a post on Problogger that advised setting Twitter goals. My mind immediately grasped upon the possibilities for promoting my multiple blogs and, since then, I have (I hope) maintained that focus. (Just ignore those tweets that mention Xanax, wine, and my three cats.) It was a happy surprise when it became clear just how much Twitter could help my career in other ways.

Read on for tips on how to use Twitter to take networking from online to in-the-flesh.

1. Use Your Twitter Profile As You Would a Business Card:

Those cards I had done up at VistaPrint are so perfect. They include my name, title, phone number, e-mail address, and website URL and, best of all, they even match my site's background! I love how they represent the brand I've created for myself. Your Twitter profile should operate in a similar manner. Pimp that URL of yours in the appropriate space. Craft a well-written professional description in the spot meant for your bio. Personalize the background also! It will help you stand out from the pack. And then include a link to your Twitter account on every last social networking site you belong to, and in your e-mail signature as well. (Bonus tip: If you want to go all out - and frighten friends and family! - order a T-shirt with your Twitter ID.)

2. Let Your Twitter Feed Be Your (Ongoing) Portolfio:

While I maintain a portfolio on my professional site, I often suspect that no one actually goes there. Even when I include a link in my cover letters. This makes me sad. But nothing beats the immediacy of a tweeted link! I tend to tweet the links to my latest clips, and also point my followers toward the blog posts I'm most proud of. This way, people don't become overwhelmed by how amazingly prolific I am, or mistake me for a spammer. If this is not a worry, there are Twitter applications - such as twitterfeed - that automatically feed your post titles and links straight to Twitter. Not only will you get a nice bump in traffic from your own tweeple, but followers might find your work so gosh-darn awesome that they retweet it, placing it in front of a constantly growing number of eyes. Who knows what could happen then! I've actually received additional writing assignments from those impressed with my already-existing work.

3. Grow Your Twitter Network:

If you're doing everything right - posting helpful and interesting tweets, maintaining a healthy level of back-and-forth, and seeking out other Twitter users worth following - your network will grow organically. Once you have them there, it's time to harness their remarkable power.

4. Get the Lowdown:

.by getting the lowdown on things like professional organizations, conferences, and other events. In musing - via tweet - about the pros and cons of joining the EFA, the NWU, or Freelance Success, I received immediate feedback of others' personal experiences with each. Being able to determine the effectiveness of real-work events and networking groups before paying an arm and a leg, based upon the firsthand experiences of others, can be invaluable.

5. Tweet Yourself Up:

.by advertising your wares. I tweet about the blog posts I'm working on. I tweet about the manuscripts I'm copy editing. I tweet about the articles I'm researching. It makes me sound way productive. Plus, it gives others an idea of where my skills and talents lie. If you happen to tweet a lot about your amazing grasp of the behavioral sciences, or of medical writing, you'll be the first person people think of when they need a medical copywriter. Or a shrink.

6. Ask for Help:

.by sending out an SOS. It's been known to happen. People have acquired employment by simply letting others know they were looking for work. But you can start smaller. Ask for input on that blog post you're working on. Search for interview subjects for that next article (I use Twellow or Twitter Search). Ask all of the tens of thousands of web developers out there why that plugin didn't work when you did the whatchamacallit to the thingamabobber. There is a world of wisdom out there, just waiting for your call.

7. And Help Others:

Is there a way to measure Twitter karma? Or is it wrong to quantify the ways in which you help others? Either way, I believe karma exists, and the more you help others, the more others are willing to help you. This can mean simply answering others' queries, making suggestions, or offering your help when a fellow Twitter user appears in distress. Some twitterers go a step further, and create accounts meant solely for charitable purposes. Twestival - which "brings together Twitter communities for an evening of fun and to raise money and awareness for charity" - is just one example (more information can be found here). Another one I've recently come across is JobAngels. They define themselves as a movement, in which they ask followers to help one person find a job. Several of the people I'm following have already retweeted their request.

8. Plan a Tweetup:

All of the above has referenced the real world only indirectly, by mentioning actions you can do in the Twitterverse in order to affect your non-virtual life. For my last point, I'd like to mention Tweetups, the happy and inevitable cousin of the Meetup. Rather than waiting for an event to happen, why not plan your own meeting of the (Twitter-based) minds? You can follow tweetup to learn about happenings in your area, or just send a shout-out to your own followers, asking if anyone would be game for taking things offline. While online networking can be amazing in its influence, I often find that nothing beats a face-to-face meeting. Placing a face to a name.being able to talk at length with more than 140 characters.bonding over a glass (or five) of wine or the healing powers of a cup of coffee.all of these things can help you to develop a more concrete connection with someone you've only been conversing with online. In marveling over the powers of the Internet, don't discredit the traditional tactics.

Labels: branding, careers, Hiring, jobs, Social Media, Social Networking, Twitter, web2.0

Social media sites are fast becoming the go to outlet to compliment a marketing campaign.  Companies of all sizes are embracing the technology and the ability to interact with their audience to boost sales and enhance marketing.  But as I stated in a previous post, Employer Branding with Web2.0 & Social Media, HR and PR departments are lagging far behind.  Those responsible for a company's image, apart from sales, and product or service marketing, should be at the forefront of the company's efforts in the online arena.

We have already seen two recent cases where a company's reputation can be hurt quickly by the viral spread of stories or video posted to networking sites like YouTube, FaceBook, LinkedIn, MySpace and Twitter.  The cases of KFC and Motrin are now well documented.  Just do a google search on KFC and rats, or Motrin and Twitter, and you'll see what I mean.

My question, apart from the obvious effect of tarnished reputation and loss of market share, is how does this effect the morale of existing employees, and the interest of perspective employees, of the companies who own these brands?  Motrin responded with an apology and stopped running the offensive material.  This was material that was meant to be good marketing and ended up as a PR headache. 

CV Harquail at AuthenticOrganizations.com has found a nice presentation that illustrates the basics of reputation management.  She points out in her article, Online Reputations and Authenticity a few keys that can be derived:

* Many managers and management scholars are unaware of how important an organization's online reputation management is to the organization's overall corporate identity, the organization's corporate social responsibility efforts, and the organization's employer branding.

* Managers who remain ignorant of blogs, or twitter, or whatever online tool is being used to discuss an organization, do so at their organization's peril.

• Although online reputation management seems to be taken seriously only by those in social media and marketing circles, an organization's online reputation can influence everything about how an organization is perceived . When you consider how perceptions of an organization affect how every stakeholder in the organization's circle responds to the organization, you can begin to imagine the power of an organization's online reputation.

And, if that is not enough to get you to pay attention, think more selfishly about your own 'brand'. Online reputation management is also critical to individuals- as any teenager on Facebook can tell you.

Four points made nicely in this presentation - That we all should use online reputation management tactics to:

1. Offset negative content by promoting what is good, and true
2. Take ownership of your reputation in (yet) another medium,
3. Address negative feedback in a constructive way, and
4. Be open and transparent - and authentic - in your communication and self-presentation.

Labels: branding, Employer Branding, FACEBOOK, Hiring, LinkedIn, marketing, Social Media, Twitter, web2.0

Did you know that people with more than twenty connections on LinkedIn are thirty-four times more likely to be approached with a job opportunity than people with less than five.  That fact came from Guy Kawasaki's blog in January of 2007.  And while his 10 Ways to Use LinkedIn are still a good primer, much has changed since then.

In case you didn't know, LinkedIn has many new features for networking, job searching, and recruiting.  This article contains some tips that I think are very helpful in getting more out of this powerful tool.

The first is an indisputable fact.  You should be LinkedIn with me.  Go to my LinkedIn Profile and invite me to join your network.  Right now.  If LinkedIn wants you to list my email address in order to invite me, here it is: craig@alistsolutions.com .  I don't sell anything there, and I will never harass you.  But I will answer questions, refer you to people with whom you wish to network (if your intentions are honorable), provide a plethora of great job search and networking advice, maximize your marketability, help you hire your next great employee, or help you find your dream job.  And I will scratch your back whenever I can. 

Now do you see how easy that was?  Building your network is an important part of being on LinkedIn.  It takes a little work, but it's worth it.  Just ask the people with less than 5 connections.  Oh, wait, you can't because you would probably never find them even if you did a search.  I'm not saying that you should indiscriminately network with just anyone.  But chances are, if you are reading this article, I want to know you, and you want to know me.  Don't be completely generic when asking people to join your network.  Give them a compelling reason or at least be friendly.  "I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn" is neither, though that won't bother me.

Obviously there is more to it than just building up a great network.  Participation is another key to good networking.  Julius Solaris wrote a great piece on his blog entitled 10 tips to master the "new" LinkedIn: 

10. Group Discussion not Q&A

After Linkedin introduced discussions within Groups, Q&A are redundant. Group Discussions are more specific and targeted to your interests.

You can see threaded conversations and, if you are lucky enough, you get some moderation from the group manager.

Linkedin Groups

9. Share your trip details

An interesting application is My Travel from  Tripit.

One of the best uses of Linkedin is to find connections when you are travelling. I heard great stories of people setting up successful business meetings just by asking in the Q&A section.

My Travel brings the concept further and displays your network where you are and where you will be.

My Travel

8. Ask for opinions

The Linkedin Poll application achieves the simple task of asking for opinions.
Polls have been there forever in online communities, it was right about time to have that functionality in LinkedIn.

LinkedIn Polls

7. Update your profile, twitter style

The "Update" section is becoming key to Linkedin. Hopefully they will develop this feature even further with better search tools.

This section is a very powerful tool as it gives premium information such as "This person is hiring" or "Looking for a business partner".

Keep an eye on this one.

6. Promote and attend Events

The recently introduced Events section helps in finding relevant events in your area.

If you are organizing both, formal or informal gatherings, this is also a great opportunity to promote.

Linkedin Events

5. Be informed with the News section

I actually really like this section, it gives you the chance to see relevant information, again according to your Group belonging.

This feature used to be reserved to companies, welcomed opening.

4. Blog to the top

If you don't have a blog, you should get one soon.

Once you do have one, I strongly suggest you integrate either with the Blog Link or Wordpress app, the latter being my favourite.

Wordpress

Blog Link

3.Unleash your presentations

My beloved Slideshare.net released an application to show your slides in your profile.

Out of all the apps, this is the most relevant as it really serves the purpose of networking.

Presentations are indeed the most accepted form of business communication, a great match.

Slideshare Presentations

2. Collaborate

Huddle is a great service for online collaboration and sharing.

This is a great application which enables teamwork, really like the 1GB shared space.

Huddle Workspaces

1. Perform a better search

Linkedin focused on delivering an improved search experience.

Make sure you check below for few tips on how to perform better searches.

5 Tips on How to Search LinkedIn Like a Pro

LinkedIn for Sourcing

If you are a business owner, hiring manager, HR representative, or staffing professional, there are some great new tools on LinkedIn for you.

According to this article from Workforce Management about the upcoming LinkedIn tools for Recruiting, LinkedIn has recently been adding a million new members every two weeks, and officials say more than 829,000 HR professionals and 521,000 corporate recruiters now use the network. 

LinkedIn will soon offer four additional recruiting-related upgrades for business customers, starting with customizable company information pages that corporate customers can configure to match a job opening to the profile of the LinkedIn member reading the material.  It will also offer an improved e-mail marketing campaign tool that lets corporate customers tap into LinkedIn's existing InMail network to broadcast job openings or other messages to its 33 million members. Rounding out the new features are an expanded banner advertising program and a flat-fee annual subscription for job board postings.  You can read the full article here: http://www.workforce.com/section/00/article/26/08/38.php

If you are not inclined to pay for such services, you have some alternatives.  Irina Shamaeva posted a great piece on ERE.net about LinkedIn Sourcing with a free account.  Many of the ideas are similar to the tips posted above, but are more tailored to recruiting.  Irina is the creator of the Boolean Strings group on RecruitingBlogs.com and always has great advice.

Regardless of how you use LinkedIn, you should probably be paying closer attention to it these days with so many ways to improve your professional profile, your personal or career brand, your employer brand, or your sales and recruiting efforts. 

Labels: careers, Hiring, jobs, LinkedIn, Social Media, Social Networking

I often advise candidates on targeting their answers in a job interview.  But sometimes this gets misinterpreted.  It's something hiring managers will complain about occasionally,  "I think the candidate was just telling me what I want to hear."  Avoiding that seems to be a very slippery slope, and a very fine line when trying to do your best in a job interview.

It is always a good idea to ask the interviewer what they feel are the most important qualifications to have in the job for which you are interviewing.  Listen carefully to the response.  Then try to target your answers accordingly.  What you want to avoid is attempting to interpret what the interviewer wants to hear in answer to each question.

Interview questions come in all shapes and sizes.  Some are quite innocent and straight forward.  Others are designed to see how your respond to tricky questions.  Others still are open ended and attempt to get you to "speak freely" about a subject.  Don't attempt to get tricky in your response.  Just remember what the job is, and what the interviewer said are the qualities they feel are important.  Highlight the truth about your background and skill set that compliment those things.

It will help to be well prepared.  Be sure you know your resume as it applies to the job description.  In a great article written by A-List Solutions' Jeff Lipschultz on How To Prepare for the Interview, Jeff suggests making a check list to bring with you to the interview:

• On the left side of your desk, put the job description (and any other company information beyond the job description—a good recruiter will have this, along with the company’s web site).  Put your resume to the right.  Then put a blank sheet of paper next to the resume.
• Literally connect requirements and company info on the left with the resume experiences and skill set on the right.  Literally, it’s like connecting the dots with a crayon—child’s play!  Hopefully, you create a complex web of connections as you may connect a requirement to several spots on your resume.  And several requirements on the left may link to the same experience on the right.  These connections are checklist items.
• Build your checklist by listing the requirements (and related company info) along with the best examples of your ability and experience.  You should include boxes to check off as you interview.  You need not write out details, as all you will need is some code words to remind you of the example(s) you want to share.  More

And what about those tricky interview questions?  It may help your nerves a bit to know, in advance, what some of the seemingly innocent and obviously tricky questions you may be asked are geared toward.  Colleen Clark has a nice list of What an Interviewer Wants to Hear on Monster.com.

What motivates you the most?
They want to know what gets you out of bed - helping people, building a safe facility, developing teams, completing projects on time, implementing fair and honest practices, making people laugh.

How would you describe your personality?
Mention two or three personal characteristics that you are confident about -- a sense of humor, patience, supportive of others or highly versatile. Try to make them relevant to the company or position being applied to. If you have done any assessment testing, take words you most identify with out of them. Of course, prepare for this question beforehand.

How do your subordinates perceive you?
Stick as much as you can to work-related skills that you know they know you have. Interviews are not personality disclosing interrogations; they are to ensure you have the skills and fit to do the job. Say you are conscientious, ambitious, tenacious or helpful.

What can you offer us that other candidates cannot?
You have no idea what the other candidates bring to the table so your best answer is to mention at least two benefits you will provide: I will save the company money on.... OR I will decrease OR improve OR increase OR implement...

What is the most demotivating work environment for you?
This question comes in the back door of what kind of people or office personality do you like best? Negativity, inflexible, non-team supported or closed-door policy are safe answers and not too revealing. You can always turn that question around and say, work environments that are supportive, friendly, helpful and congenial are my favorite places to work.

Where would you like to be in five years from now?
Keep in mind that you are not interviewing for any other position than the one you are there for right now. Best you say something like, I hope to still be working for the company and hopefully promoted based on my accomplishments. Telling them you want their job is not a job idea or saying that you want to start your own business, but you need some practical experience first, do not go there.

What important trends do you see coming in our industry?
This is your opportunity to tell them your opinions and to show that you have read up to the minute articles or books on what's coming down the pike.

In your last position, what where the things you liked the least? The most?
Have a reserved list ready of activities or tasks that you don't like, but really try to accentuate the positive as best as you can. Know your must-haves and flexibilities.

So now that you have seen these questions, remember not to try to do any interpreting on the fly by saying what you think the interviewer wants to hear.  Know yourself, your background, and your skills.  Know how they apply to this job.  Target your answers, but don't suck up.  A savvy interviewer will spot it and likely rule you out as a candidate. 

The bottom line is that if you are well prepared, you will be most likely to do well in an interview.  Being prepared gives you confidence and a positive attitude.  And if that still isn't enough to you you the job?  Chances are there are other factors involved about which you will never know.  No use worrying about them.  It's also possible that the job is not right for you.  In which case you chalk that interview up to good experience and move on. 

You will land the right job if you continue to prepare properly and stay positive.  Happy hunting!

Labels: careers, First Impressions, Hiring, interview tips, jobs

I have collected the most clicked upon recent links that I have shared on Twitter about interviewing and job searches as compiled by Tweetburner.

There is some great info in these articles.  Hope you find them helpful.  If you want to tune in for these links in real-time you can follow me on Twitter, http://www.twitter.com/fishdogs, where I am always sharing great career, hiring, marketing, and branding tips daily.  I will continue to list them here as well. 

Let me know what you think.

1. fishdogs: Life after layoffs: How to move forward after a job loss: http://twurl.nl/qxv5vj

2. Preparing For Your Next Job (Hint: start now) http://twurl.nl/qiq8y8

3. Happy Thursday good Twittizens: Do You Want Your Executive Resume to Generate More Interviews? http://twurl.nl/i31k2g

4. In Depth Interview Preparation and Checklists: http://twurl.nl/tekq3w

5. 8 Job Interview Tips: http://twurl.nl/vrccwv

6. Looking: Applying, Follow-Ups, and Interviews: http://twurl.nl/ns5zyf

7. Phone Interview Tips for Entry Level Job Seekers: http://twurl.nl/sc7tyh

8. The Idiotic Things People Say in Interviews : http://twurl.nl/d78rc1

9. How To Prepare for a Newspaper Interview: http://twurl.nl/cakyus

10. Pour some sugar on my . . .job search.  http://tinyurl.com/6mh9l4

11. Job seekers, don't take December off, experts advise:http://twurl.nl/sa0hlv

12. The Importance of Interview Practice: http://tinyurl.com/6rrdoe

13. Resumes and Interviews: A Thin Line Between Embellishment and Lies:http://twurl.nl/8ixvg5

14. Can social networking hurt your job prospects? Or help them?http://twurl.nl/tbvalr

Labels: branding, careers, Hiring, interview tips, jobs, Resumes, Twitter

If your company's HR department is not already utilizing Web 2.0 tools and Social Media to market the company to job seekers, it should be. A new report by Gartner, Inc., shows that even though corporate marketing and web strategies are embracing social media, HR departments are generally slow to align with those efforts for the purpose of employer branding.

Job seekers today research companies the same way recruiters research job seekers.  They look at what other people are saying about them on social media, blogs, and other Web 2.0 outlets.  HR Organizations who don't attempt to control their employer brands online are missing a great opportunity and run the risk of missing the most sought after job candidates.

A recent study by Potentialpark Communications, a Swedish-based research and consulting firm, surveyed 1,800 U.S. students and recent graduates in an effort to identify the leading corporate careers sites.  Rusty Weston wrote an article about the study, Checking Out the Best Corporate Careers Sites, that states:

"about one third of the rated companies use videos to present possible future colleagues, a walk through the office or the day-to-day work," says Potentialpark's Magdalena Knott. "The use of blogs, pod casts and web casts has not advanced too far until now, but the importance is rising."

The Top 10 U.S. Corporate Career Websites

by Potentialpark Communications

1. Deutsche Bank

2. Microsoft

3. BCG (Boston Consulting Group)

4. Merrill Lynch

5. Accenture

6. Charles Schwab

7. UBS

8. Booz Allen Hamilton

9. Intel

10. Bertelsmann

The Gartner report concludes that "By 2011, Organizations That Do Not Manage Their Employer Brands Effectively Will Fail to Attract Key Talent.

"Organizations are investing significantly in adopting marketing and sales strategies for social software, and Gartner predicts that by 2010, more than 60 percent of Fortune 1000 companies with Web sites will have some form of community that can be used for marketing purposes. Although many organizations hasten to adopt and exploit social computing in marketing, sales and customer support roles, Gartner has found that HR tends to lag behind."

According to Gartner, the first step that organizations need to take is to understand what is being said about them on social networks and informally benchmark this against competitors and peers, as well as companies that tend to lead in this area. They need to be prepared for candidates to enter the recruitment process with a much-deeper understanding of the organization than would have been expected previously. The organization must also look at new ways of improving its image online."

So where is an HR organization to start?  UK-based Web 2.0 development firm, Organic Development, offers these suggestions.

5 ways social media can benefit an Employer brand

1) Blogging is a great way of building up your online presence and generating awareness of what it is like to be employed 'on the ground' within a company. They help the business engage with candidate and employee audiences directly. Moreover, with blogging comes the opportunity to 'comment', where readers can actually speak back to the business, giving their opinions and input: free market research.

2) Engage and respond to feedback. Responding to your candidate and staff opinions makes for a stronger relationship, gaining your customer's trust and understanding. If people say good things about you, say thanks. This shows that they are genuinely being considered and their opinion matters.

3) Recruitment and HR Managers should welcome social networking sites such as Facebook, Linkedin and Myspace into the workplace. Not only are they tools for colleagues to recruit, promote HR policies, interact with employees and build relationships with each other but having them viewable by the public makes the company seem more approachable and engaging. Many companies are now using these sites already to recruit new members of staff, search for new business or to induct new team members.

4) Advanced search facilities allow people of all interests and niches to find and target what they are looking for quickly and easily. New and evolving audiences can be identified and reached without spending a penny.

5) If you create media that people enjoy and find useful in some way, they are likely to pass it on. Therefore, it is worthwhile seriously thinking about how social media could be incorporated into your business. The beauty of the concept is that through processes such as word of mouth, making a success of social media means sooner or later your audience will start to do the work for you. "

Blogger beware!  Corporate blogging has its pitfalls.  In an article written by Forrester Research analyst, and co-author of the book, Groundswell, Josh Bernoff comments on the recent Forrester survey that showed Only 16% of online consumers who read corporate blogs say they trust them.  Bernhoff says, "This means that if you blog, your goal should be to create a blog about which people say "I like that - I don't think of it as a company blog." For the most part, that's a hurdle you need to jump to gain their trust. I don't mean to hide who is writing the blog. I mean it has to be more about your customers than it is about you."

The survey, and Bernoff's comments, are geared more toward corporate marketing efforts than employer branding.  But the lesson is good for both.  The job candidates you are seeking are savvy.  They do read blogs and utilize social media.  So relying solely on a blog for your HR and employer branding is not advised.  Nor is posting the usual HR propaganda.  Get your real employees involved and make your message transparent and believable.  And use that content in conjunction with social media to create an organic source of top job candidates.  Give them a real face to associate with your Employer Brand.

You can find more great articles for Career and Employment at the A-List Solutions Weblog

Labels: blogging, branding, careers, Employer Branding, FACEBOOK, Hiring, jobs, LinkedIn, marketing, Social Media, Social Networking, web2.0

As a veteran of the recruiting industry I look at resumes every day.  Dozens of resumes.  Dozens of cover letters.  Most are very generic and appear to be intended for a mass email audience.  This is a big mistake, whether you are sending the resume to a staffing firm, or directly to an employer.  Recruiters in staffing firms have the same reaction as hiring managers and recruiters in corporations.  Generic cover letters and untargeted resumes often go to the bottom of the pile, added to a database and forgotten, or sent to the deleted items folder.

An article in the Interview Edge Blog entitled How Easy is it For Someone to Hire You? has some great suggestions to follow the requested protocol and target your approach to those who may help you get hired.

"many candidates make it simple for hiring managers to exclude them from consideration.

Worse yet, this often occurs very early in the process.

Don’t let it happen to you. Today we’ll focus on things you can do at the initial stages to improve your prospects.

Follow Instructions
Seems obvious, doesn’t it? Yet you might be surprised how frequently candidates fail to comply with directions.

Consider the application. Complete the entire form accurately and as indicated. If you’re doing this offline and are asked to print, for example, don’t submit something written in cursive. Don’t leave fields blank. If you’re asked to insert your resume in the body of the email, don’t ignore the request and send it as an attachment instead.

Avoid Sloppy Mistakes With Your Resume
• Proof it – more than once – and have someone else proof it, also. Don’t rely on spell check. Spell check won’t catch the fact that you used the word “their” when you really meant “there.”  Spell check won’t catch all consistency errors – like the fact that you switched between present and past tense from one sentence to the next.

• Next, make sure you’re sending your resume to the correct person. If Paul Adams is the hiring manager, but you mistakenly send your information to Sue Richardson, you’re not helping your cause.

• Send it to a person…not “Dear Hiring Manager.”

• If you’re sending a lot of resumes, keep track of what you’re doing. Make sure what’s inside the envelope matches what’s on the outside (i.e. Sue Richardson shouldn’t open the envelope to find a letter addressed to Paul Adams – at another company!). Same thing with email. If the body of the message opens with a cover letter to Sue, you’d better be sure you’re sending it to her email address.

• Make sure you’ve included your contact information – it should be easy for the hiring manager to get in touch with you. That means you need to provide them with multiple options: email, phone, physical address.

In addition, you should always include a cover letter with your resume. Even if you’re submitting your information electronically, add a cover. These few paragraphs are a golden opportunity to get your foot in the door. This is your sales letter – use it to capture the reader’s attention, communicate your unique selling proposition, and convince her to read your resume. "

Labels: careers, Hiring, jobs, Resumes

This month Lisa Parker, CPRW, posted a great article with straight forward advice for establishing and marketing your business online.  Most of these principles can be applied to personal branding for other objectives, such as job hunting or hiring, as well.

The Art of Establishing Your Personal Business Brand

Each of us sports around our very own, unique personal brand. The many things that separate and identify us as individuals serve to become known as our personal brand. All of the principle components of our personal brand; to include first impressions, demeanor, accomplishments, and the value we place on interaction with others determine the level of success we experience in both our personal and professional lives.

As we establish our business and working relationships, we must incorporate those same principles in the strategy we use to develop our personal business brand. As an entrepreneur myself, I would like to share with you three basic steps I took to establish the foundation for personal branding in my business.      

Service and Reputation – The first step toward developing a personal business brand is to determine the type of service or product you intend to provide your clients or customers. You have to decide what your mission is and always deliver the service or product as promised; in the utmost professional manner. The expectation of, or perceived service is the reason your customers will choose your services over other competitors.  By visualizing the end result of your efforts, you will be able outline a plan of action in reaching your goals.    

In promoting my business, I researched other service providers in my career field, and chose to provide my clients with a level of service that I found missing in a sampling of my competition. Quite simply, “One-on-One Customer Service”.  The availability of this simple, consumer expectation is severely lacking in today’s market. A client can hardly expect satisfaction in seeking services when contact with a concerned service provider is practically extinct. As my business continues to grow, I note that most of the comments from satisfied customers focus on the need to express their appreciation of being able to contact an individual service provider.                        

Once you identify the needs of a potential client base, market your business based on the provision of those needs.

Marketing Strategy – The second step in promoting your personal business brand is obtaining visibility.  With the unlimited resources and marketing avenues available today, you don’t have to spend a great deal of money (if any) to establish your foundation. You may consider my techniques “shameless self promotion”, however I consider the results monetarily rewarding. In addition to a variety of local advertising assets such as newspapers, magazines and the Chamber of Commerce; there are plenty of online resources just waiting for you to tap into the benefits they provide. One little known example: using popular free blog websites such as “Word Press” will help you to get your information out on the world-wide-web in minutes.  I spent a short amount of time researching some of the opportunities available for free advertising, and you can view the results of my efforts first hand by taking time out to “Google” my business name in a variety of configurations (parker cprw, parkercprw, lisa parker cprw).  

Networking – The third step in laying a successful foundation for your personal business brand is to never underestimate the power of networking. In addition to the efforts you employ through other advertising and marketing resources, remember that opportunities for networking happen on a daily basis. Aside from the many organizations that enlist members to promote networking with others in your specific career field; there are plenty of opportunities to volunteer in support of events in your local community. As a business owner you can provide free workshops, schedule product demonstrations, distribute opportunities for entry into free drawings at local businesses and a number of other activities that will support the growth of your business. The key to effective networking is to be diverse in your connections, and by this I mean that you should not limit yourself to a particular region.  If your organization supports local events, wear a professional identification badge that mentions your business or service.    

A large amount of my clients have sought out my services after only seeing the business name, or speaking with other satisfied customers.

Association – The ultimate goal is to have your business name associated not only with the service or product you provide, but with your own personal name as well.  Most of us already have a business name before we begin to research and understand the importance of branding. That doesn’t mean that you should wait any longer to begin marketing your name side by side with that of your business. Consider “Trump Plaza”, Trump Towers”, “Trump University”, and “Trump Financial”. Do you know who I am referring to?

Personal Branding is the art of following the “Golden Rule” in the provision of service and interaction with clients and customers.  By learning how to manage other people and their perceptions of you and your business, you will naturally establish the unique value that sets you apart from competitors in your career field.

Labels: blogging, branding, careers, Hiring, marketing, Social Media, web2.0

As I sat watching live, streaming video from the Word of Mouth Marketing Association Summit and Research Symposium in Vegas last week from the comfort of my cushy office chair in Southlake, TX, it occurred to me that the corporate philosophy being shared by the enigmatic Zappos.com CEO, Tony Hsieh (pronounced "Shay"), echoed something written over 70 years ago.

The video stream was courtesy of Interactive Marketing expert, David Armano, who makes a habit of live streaming from the various high profile marketing conferences and other events he attends.  When he announced on Twitter (see my Twitter blog post) that he was about to stream Hsieh's presentation, my interest was piqued.  According to this recent interview, Zappos is on track to better the $840M in gross sales it did in 2007.  Hsieh previously founded LinkExchange which he sold for $265M to Microsoft in 1998.  I follow him on Twitter.  He's good.

So I clicked on the link and watched Hsieh as he shared some entertaining stories and interesting ideas.   It was a good presentation.  I made a couple of notes and prepared to turn it off.  But then he said something toward the end that struck a chord with me. 

He said that Zappos, which is known for being fanatical about customer service, does not hold customer service as its first priority.  He and the company are more concerned with its people - hiring great people and fostering an excellent company culture.  Hsieh believes that if you hire great people who share your corporate philosophy of great service, then great service will take care of itself.

This sounded to me like more of a partnership than a typical employer to employee relationship.  And it reminded me of something I had read in the seminal work of author Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich.  In this, perhaps the best selling success book of all time, Hill shares his 13 principles for success in the form of a philosophy of personal achievement. 

  The book, originally published in 1937 and abridged by Hill himself in 1960, was inspired by Hill's association with American billionaire Andrew Carnegie, and Hill's interviewing of over 500 of the most affluent men and women of his time.  The chapter on the "sixth step to riches" is entitled Organized Planning, and Hill has a section within called The New Way of Marketing Services-"Jobs" are now "Partnerships".  Here is the excerpt:

Men and women who market their services to best advantage in the future must recognize the stupendous change that has taken place in connection in the relationship between employer and employee. In the future, the "Golden Rule," and not the "Rule of Gold" will be the dominating factor in the marketing of merchandise as well as personal services. The future relationship between employers and their employees will be more in the nature of a partnership consisting of:

a. The employer
b. The employee
c. The public they serve

This new way of marketing services is called new for many reasons.  First, both the employer and the employee of the future will be considered as fellow-employees whose business it will be to SERVE THE PUBLIC EFFICIENTLY.  In times past, employers and employees have bartered among themselves, driving the best bargains they could with one another, not considering that in the final analysis they were, in reality, BARGAINING AT THE EXPENSE OF THE 3RD PARTY, THE PUBLIC THEY SERVED.

In the future, both employers and employees will recognize that they are NO LONGER PRIVILEGED TO DRIVE BARGAINS AT THE EXPENSE OF THOSE WHOM THEY SERVE. The real employer of the future will be the public. This should be kept uppermost in mind by every person seeking to market their services effectively.

"Courtesy" and "Service" are the watch-words of merchandising today.  They apply to the person who is marketing their services even more directly than to the employer whom he serves, because, in the final analysis, both the employer and his employee are EMPLOYED BY THE PUBLIC THEY SERVE. If they fail to serve well, they pay by the loss of their privilege of serving.

Tony Hsieh's approach of carefully hiring great people, and placing the employees and the company culture first is an inspiring means to this end.  Everyone is on board and understands that great customer service will be what sets the company apart.  And the customer benefits because the whole organization is made to feel they are playing a critical role, plus they like their job and love their company. 

This is a partnership based on mutual commitment.  Zappos notoriously offers new employees a $1000 bonus to quit after the first week of  its four week new hire training.  About 10% accept the offer.  The rest are committed to the cause.  And the company is committed right back.

According to a recent article in the Las Vegas Sun online, Zappos is a tight-knit company that buys its employees lunch each day and has a dodgeball room in its corporate headquarters.  And when the company reluctantly  laid off 8% of its 1,300-member workforce earlier this month due to the economic downturn, Hsieh said in an email to the employees, that "laid-off employees will be paid through the end of the year, and employees who have been with the company for three or more years will receive additional pay. He also said Zappos will pay for six months of health coverage for all laid-off employees."

"In doing all of this to take care of laid-off employees, we expect that it will actually increase, not decrease, our costs for 2008, but we feel this is the right thing to do for our employees," Hsieh wrote.  "It will put us in the position of having a lot more financial flexibility in being able to respond to potential changes in the economy in 2009."

The book, Think and Grow Rich has many more lessons that apply here.  But this book was originally compiled over a 10-year period beginning just prior to the Great Depression.  No streaming video, no Twitter, no Internet.  Hill just found, through exhaustive research, the common qualities that bound hundreds of highly successful people and organizations.  And he was undaunted by the financial woes of the time.

In our current struggling economy employers and employees alike can benefit from thinking of our jobs as partnerships.  And, like Zappos, we can create a competitive advantage by employing the "Golden Rule," and not the "Rule of Gold" as the dominating factor in the marketing of merchandise and services.

Labels: branding, careers, Hiring, jobs, marketing, Social Media, Twitter