In every step of the job search process follow-up is vital for being seen and heard, and for building relationships based on integrity. Follow-up processes begin with your success in networking. If there isn’t consistency in your follow-up actions, others may be hesitant to promote, refer or recommend you to their employers.

When someone in your network provides you with information on potential opportunities, be sure to act on it quickly to demonstrate your interest and appreciation. And, be sure to follow-up period, many don’t. More than 75% of hiring managers expect some kind of thank you or follow-up letter and those surveyed said they only receive them 35% of the time. Stand out – send a note!

Especially if the contact sent a note to you and to a potential employer, both would be waiting for your response. Every step you take will be evaluated as potential employers try to determine if you are someone worth getting to know and learn about for a possible position in their company. Could you be someone that will help their company grow? Your job is to prove you are the right person for the job by providing positive results from the onset of communications.

Once interest is established and the interview process begins

it is important for you to follow-up in order to:

• Thank each interviewer for their time and the opportunity to interview with their company.
• Reiterated your excitement and interest in the position and your true passion for the field, industry or company.
• Remind the interviewer of who you are and the value and potential contribution you can make to their team, department or company.
• Utilize another opportunity to wow them by sending a follow up that provide answers to questions they had and provides additional information on areas discussed at the interview.
• Keep communication open. Even if you don’t have the technical skills or experience required for the job, if you become a memorable candidate they might try and work you in someplace else or give your name to another department or even competitor.
• Create the squeaky wheel that is needed to differentiate you from several other potential candidates by continuing to maintain contact with the company and hiring manager throughout the decision making process.  Staying visible may give you the advantage for a call back or job offer.

Whether you are aggressively searching for a job or contemplating a change, it is important to be seen and heard in order to be remembered. Using follow-up notes, thank you notes, relevant article links or simple emails to check on the decision making process, it is helpful to stay in touch so your name and abilities are always just a recent memory away.

Shine On Job Seekers!

If someone is considering you for a position at their company or the company they represent, they will most likely research you online as well as review your resume. A simple Google search of your name and a check for any kind of a social media presence will quickly uncover a great deal of information about you. In order for you to be recognized as a valuable asset for a company your identity both online and off should offer a consistent message.

Why is it so important to have a consistent brand both online and off? Well, if potential employers are taking the time to research you, they are hoping to find something that will make you stand out and give them a reason to contact you. They would much prefer to spend time with a few select candidates that stand out instead of online researching numerous unqualified ones.

Along with making it easier for the employer, having a consistent message in person, on paper, and online demonstrates that you are organized and understand the importance of providing a focused message. Being Internet and social media savvy will also help to highlight your communication and technology skills. Uncovering a focused presence in various mediums will capture attention and have recruiters calling.

So, if your  profiles, comments, and pictures on LinkedIn and Facebook do not match the image you want to project, make changes today to get them in line with your goals. Strengthen your brand with consistency. If you are not sure of what your message should be, find out what is expected of employees in the position you are seeking. If you are not promoting the achievements and tasks related to that position you may need to rethink what you are saying about yourself.

Decide on the message you want to convey and then repeat that message everywhere you are online and in person in order to build a strong and recognizable brand. Look to examples of well known branding such as the McDonald’s golden arches or the Nike swoosh, both easily identified even without words. Or the green and yellow of John Deere products – the colors symbolize solid, dependable products. You too, can develop a brand that will illustrate your value and help you to be easily recognized and remembered.

Shine on Job Seekers!

I was recently interviewed by a local newspaper on the importance of a clear job seeker elevator speech and the effectiveness

of having one to share at a moment’s notice. Our discussion prompted this post. The term itself was inspired by the amount of time a job seeker would have to plead their value to a potential employer if they were riding in an elevator. Usually a trip in an elevator ride lasts less than a minute and often as little as 20 seconds.

In that short amount of time is it really possible to capture attention and be remembered? Absolutely! Two main ideas to remember when developing your own speech are to first understand who your audience is and what is most important to them and secondly knowing who you are and your true value to a company. Seems simple enough but in order to make it sound simple, concise, and authentic it can take some thought to get it just right.

An elevator speech includes five parts.

Who you are and the type of work you are looking for – Depending on your audience, explain what your positioning is in your industry so the listener is clear on what you are looking for. If you are speaking with someone outside and unfamiliar with your industry you can use a bit of generalization to help them understand your current goals.

The Strengths You Want to Promote – This is where you tell listeners what you do. You can do this by describing 1 or 2 top skills you have that are sought for the targeted position, and an example of an achievement.

Some use a hook or catchy line here which will capture attention but just be careful, cute and catchy phrases can sound good on paper but are often hard to say with conviction. Make sure it sounds genuine so it will be remembered.

A success story often works extremely well here because stories are easier to remember, easier to say and can quickly capture attention. In the short story include the skills and value you use and will bring to a new employer such as an achievement that you can quickly convey.

Action Step – If the situation calls for an action step offer a business card, ask for one and if you can call them soon, ask if they know of someone they could talk with or a company that could use your experience. It is bold but can be very effective.

Trim & Strengthen Speech – Write the speech so that it is easy to say and easy to understand. Once you have the information you want to share written down, begin to shave it down and flesh out the excess so that your value really stands out and your 30 seconds of time is something that will be remembered.

Practice, Practice, Memorize, and Practice some more – Once your speech is clear and ready, read it, say it and memorize it. Practice it until it sounds effortless and then get out there and start using it.

Example – I am a senior accountant for a Fortune 500 company where I work as an analyst managing internal controls as a way to keep costs down. Last year the quality control measures I put in place in our department were used to find a discrepancy that saved the company $750,000 dollars. Would your company benefit from my experience?

You may find it helpful to create 2 or 3 different versions to use in different environments such as a networking group, social activity or a close encounter with a targeted decision maker. Knowing what your target companies and contacts are looking for and knowing yourself will help to keep the material genuine in tone and memorable.

I took off work a few days ago to take my mother-in-law to a doctor’s appointment. The appointment went well and after visiting for a while back at her house I headed home. We live about 50 minutes apart and being such a beautiful sunny day I decided to take a different route home. I almost immediately found myself sitting in traffic and thought I had made a big mistake!

A break finally came and I was able to make the last turn that would get me out of town and on the highway heading home. But before I had a chance to even pick up speed I saw several bicycle riders in the road. It was more than the average 2 or 3 riders you might see together. In wonder I watched as dozens and dozens of riders came out of a church parking lot.

Stopped again but this time for the riders, I was amazed to see a hearse come out and pass in front of me to maneuver into the oncoming lane. Like little ants the riders began following the hearse down the road to the cemetery. It was heart warming to see so many people riding in what I assumed was a sign of respect for a fellow rider.

On the way home I kept thinking about the deceased rider. How old was he? What had caused his departure? And most importantly, what had this rider done to deserve such respect? Most riders were in true riding gear but there were some that had older, non-racing bikes and even an older couple riding a tandem bike in dress clothes. It was pretty clear the mourners were following on bikes because of who the person he was and not what he did for a living. It dawned on me that those bikers were his network.

I thought about the job seekers I work with every day that are concerned with finding a new job but are afraid or uncomfortable to do the formal network thing to build their contacts. Often when I talk with them I hear, because of their fear, they’ve done nothing. This man had built a huge following and network through a sport he was obviously passionate about.

Job seekers can do the same. You don’t have to attend formal networking events if they make you too uncomfortable. Networking doesn’t have to be so serious. You can go out and get involved in a sport, hobby, volunteer programs, charities, church activities, town or city event and activities or some other area that interests you.

Make networking fun! When you feel comfortable you can express your passion for your work and the activities you’re committing to and you will shine, be noticed and be remembered. You don’t need to follow a specific script or spout out your elevator speech to everyone you meet. Instead, enjoy who you are with, learn about them. If they ask about you then let them know what you do and your situation without dwelling or putting pressure on others to do something.

The good you do and how you treated others will be remembered much longer than an elevator pitch. Those that remember you because of who you are will go out of their way to help you if they can. Networking is about meeting and helping others and letting others see how great you are as a person.

I’m so thankful I chose to take the alternate route home and got stuck in traffic. I never would have seen such a remarkable procession for someone who was obviously a remarkable person.

_________

Added to this article: I saw a story about this man on the news that night. He was someone who had physical impairments but had used his love of cycling to raise more than $200,000 over the past few years for various charities, while riding with only one arm and one leg. More than 200 riders came from as far away as Kansas (I’m in Michigan) to attend his funeral and ride with the hearse to show respect for their friend who had touched so many lives.

I recently participated in an energetic and informative discussion with several colleagues from the Resume Chicks during an interview on Blogtalk Radio’s Career Success Radio program (@CareerRadio) with Australian career experts Keith Keller and Annemarie Cross. It was a fast hour that centered on two main areas of Career Management.

The first point addressed in roundtable discussion was on recommended strategies to strengthen resumes. Consensus among the group was that the resume should be extremely focused on the career objective at hand. It can not be merely a laundry list of all of your past work history but rather strategically selected keywords, achievements and successes that bring home your value proposition.

Including achievements and accomplishments that are fact-based and as quantifiable as possible will draw attention to a resume and was the second critical-must for successful resume development. For those careers that don’t use revenue or cost metrics, data such as customer satisfaction rates, time management improvements and recognition or awards works well to demonstrate significant contribution.

Using a format that is attention-grabbing, easy to read, and professional rounded out the top three resume improvement strategies. Since most resumes are looked at for only 20-30 seconds, the resume must immediately jump out and be noticed if it is to do its job properly. Developing a format that showcases the candidate’s values, and highlights the keywords and requirements the reader is looking for will generate interest and get the candidate noticed.

We also addressed social media and it’s relevance on a job search. Again the consensus was that networking communities such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and others are growing in effectiveness in an aggressive job search. Profiles or bio’s on sites such as LinkedIn allow for a deeper exposure and is often the first look recruiters take at potential candidates for a position they are looking to fill.

Currently more than 80% of recruiters use LinkedIn for research and as a database. For job seekers to utilize their LinkedIn profile it must include a strong achievement-based look at their work history and a summary that reaches out to readers with keywords to offer unique value. Often overlooked in the creation of a strong profile is the providing of a professional photograph, recommendations for current and past positions held, and taking advantage of the many applications now available on LinkedIn. Effective apps include linking your blog, twitter feed, slideshare or podcasts to your profile for maximum exposure.

Candidates’ online profiles and their resume and other marketing tools should compliment each other and should be congruent but not identical in their content. On the Career Success Radio program it was agreed that using both in conjunction with an aggressive job search is the most effective way for a candidate to land the right job. Tune in for the full interview at Career Success Radio

Shine On Job Seekers!

It is definitely spring time in Michigan! The birds have become very loud as they prepare for their new arrivals, the grass is a brilliant green and growing exceptionally fast and my gardens seem to be calling out to me. Actually I have already gone through my gardens and pulled out all of the debris left from winter and have trimmed some of the plants that need a spring pruning.

Now that I have cleaned the gardens I have a clear view of the shrubs and perennials, and can take stock of additional perennial work I will need to do and determine the best places to add cheery annuals. I began a mental list after the first time in the gardens but now my list is on paper and I hope to take care of it this week!

While working in the gardens and having gone through my annual preparation, I am reminded of my contacts list and the many similarities between networking and growing my gardens. Contacts too need long-term care if they are to support you throughout your career. Just like the individual flowers and the many small gardens I have, each contact is a little different and needs special attention to shine and succeed.

Commonalities for maintaining a healthy contacts list and garden include:

• Both are in need of constant care and upkeep in order for them to thrive and provide a return.
• Both needs the old and unused removed – to make room for more productive individuals!
• Both have perennials that will be around forever with little maintenance or ask in return.
• Both have invasive perennials that can overwhelm and choke if not restricted in growth.
• Both have dwellers that aren’t valuable but are cherished and will remain regardless.
• Both need to be shared with others in order to be truly appreciated.

As I worked in my gardens this weekend and as I am planting my annuals this week, I will make a mental list of ways to improve and grow my contacts list, the relationships I have with my contacts and ways I can help my contacts to grow, thrive and bloom.

Shine on Job Seekers

Yesterday’s career fair through the local (Detroit) Fox affiliate which teamed up with Employment Guide and AARP, brought in a unique mix of professionals that have been laid off or let go and searching for something new. A common thread throughout the day was the desperate response of “I’ll take anything, I just need a job”, when asked what they were looking for.

After learning of their targeted area of search and asking about their strategies, it became clear that many job seekers are still not taking advantage of the tools and techniques that successfully assist in finding jobs faster. What I heard from many job seekers was that they had dabbled in networking but didn’t really feel comfortable talking with strangers or opening up to friends and family; they didn’t want to be a burden.

The second thing I heard repeatedly was that the candidates had heard of LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and other online networking platforms, and some had even joined the communities, but most were not utilizing them effectively in their job search.

I wanted to stand on the table I was working from and shout to the job seekers that they needed to indeed step out of their comfort zone and what they have done in past job searches, and embrace new technology and communication mediums if they wanted to find a job. If not, I’d see them back here at the next Career Fair!

But, before I made a spectacle of myself, I reminded myself that all people are created differently and while some thrive in the job search environment others need more of a helping hand. That is where I come in and why I participate in Career Fairs.

If you are one of the career fair attending job seekers that still feel awkward and nervous about trying new search techniques, remember you’re not alone. Many job seekers are uncomfortable just like you.

It is OK to feel unsure, uncomfortable and self-confident, but do something anyway! The more you step out and seek new avenues for employment, the easier it will become. You can not afford to quit plus, trying new techniques will keep you from getting bored, and it will increase your circle of contacts and opportunities tremendously!

Shine On Job Seekers!

Social networking is vital in today’s job search. If a job seeker is not yet aware of the benefits of social networking, they may never be aware of their missed opportunities.

The most utilized and effective networks today are LinkedIn and Facebook and now Twitter. They are invaluable for establishing relationships with targeted contacts. These networking sites are databases at your disposal for researching industries, locations, fields, and companies. Job seekers that are focused and aggressive in their search can and should utilize these sites regularly to gather information, make contacts, and establish their expertise or value.

More defined and targeted networking can be conducted within groups in LinkedIn, fan pages on Facebook or being established on a list of someone worth knowing professionally on Twitter. Once you get the hang of it you’ll discover the thrill of being asked to be someone’s friend, be followed or to be added to a professional network.

I see job seekers that are on track with their career goals, writing articles, commenting on industry related news and use social networking to build their brand. They are driven and getting noticed. But for many job seekers and professionals using networking sites, I see much more socialization than social networking. There are always new topics and conversations being discussed on the networks and if you’re not careful you can get easily distracted.

Because it is so intoxicating, job seekers feel they are progressing when really they are forgetting that “being busy does not equal being productive”. It is important to recognize the difference and stay focused, remembering that their end goal is to find a job, not socialize the days away.

If you have been on the networks all day or maybe for days and do not have scheduled phone, Skype or in person meetings than you are probably not as productive as you would like to think. To find success a job seeker needs to concentrate their networking on a targeted area and network for results.

Reminders taped to your computer or a detailed plan of your weekly job search strategies that allot a specific time for networking will help you stay on course. Work as hard on your job search as you did at your job for fastest results. Once you’ve found a new job you can socialize more on the networks – but for now keep your eye on the prize — a job.

Try Something New to Take the Insanity out of Your Job Search

I’ve gone to the same mall area shopping for Christmas presents three times in the last couple of weeks. Each time I have gone, I come home less and less satisfied with the amount of purchases I made. I just can’t seem to find what I am looking for at the stores available in that location. With just a week left until Christmas and with more than a few presents left to purchase, I decided to change my game plan.

What is the old Einstein saying; “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. Well I decided to stir things up, not go insane and try and new shopping venue.

Wow! Was I excited to find new stores that had new ideas and gifts I had been looking for! I even went in to some of the same stores as the other location but they had a different variety of items to choose from and again was successful.

When the day of shopping was through, I had successfully crossed off every item on my list. I drove home thinking of how thankful I was to not have decided to give my usual stomping ground another try. Some times you’ve got to move away from routine to find the best deals.

Before you go insane in your job search, make sure to shake up your routine every once in a while. Take stock in the results of your efforts. If something isn’t working for you – try something new. Just because your friend was wildly successful on a specific LinkedIn group or networking event doesn’t mean you will immediately get the same results. Take hold of what Einstein said and try something else.

For example, if you are only working with job boards get involved in online groups in LinkedIn or one of the really great job search groups on Ning or Yahoo Groups. If you tend to visit more than network at networking groups try a new one, and develop a new elevator speech that accentuates your strengths and personal brand. Check out industry associations, newspapers, groups, or volunteer somewhere but try something new.

The most important thing to remember is to be creative and open to new ideas or suggestions, find what works for you and keep moving forward. Even with the Holiday season in full swing, now is still a good time to be setting up new year meetings and filling that pipeline with contacts and networking activities that target and work towards your goals. Keep your goals close and review them often to keep you focused and motivated. Save yourself the grief of driving yourself crazy by not trying new strategies, techniques, activities or groups to help you find the job you deserve.

I just returned from the Career Directors International (CDI) conference last night. What a great time seeing old colleagues and meeting new ones. A truly enjoyable and informative conference.

For some of the presenters, including Jason Alba, Barbara Safani, and Louise Kursmark, their underlying theme was the importance of using Web 2.0 business and social networks to increase visibility. My job seeker take away from these speakers was that being visible on these networks is vital in today’s economy and with today’s available technology. Job seekers can effectively use this job search strategy to develop their visibility for recruiters, hiring managers and decision makers.

Creating keyword and content rich profiles and becoming a proactive participant on networking sites such as Linkedin.com, Facebook.com and Twitter.com are a great way to start. However, being active on these networks is only effective if you use these sites as tools to build your brand and value proposition.

Keep communications professional to quickly increase your brand by including articles, opinions, and helpful site, book, blog and speaker links and recommendations. It is an effective way to strengthen your online presence and make your first impression positive and make you memorable for the right reasons.