Here’s a quick snapshot of what YOU have been talking about for the month of December 2012. Top five discussions/posts on LinkedIn, Facebook, our blog, and Twitter
–Posted by Julie Yamamoto, Program Manager, The Greater IBM Connection
It’s been quite a year for leadership lessons. Any number of the major world events for 2012 could serve as a showcase for how to, or not to, be a great leader…..the London Olympics, Hurricane Sandy, Facebook IPO, Rover Curiosity lands on Mars. Great leadership seems to grow from great vision, but basics like having a plan and respecting the competition are also key. Here is a round-up of some of the top leadership lessons from 2012.
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–Posted by Julie Yamamoto, Program Manager, The Greater IBM Connection
In case you missed the news, LinkedIn launched a new profile design in October (here’s a sneak peek). LinkedIn is arguably the number one social media site for business and professional networking with more than 187 million members in over 200 countries worldwide, as of September 30, 2012. It’s a hugely popular site and recruiters spend a lot of time looking at user profiles. Just in time for 2013, here are 13 new ways you can make your LinkedIn profile more irresistible in the new year, whatever your goals may be from Business Insider. (And when you’re finished polishing your LinkedIn profile, join The Greater IBM Connection group on LinkedIn if you qualify: http://linkd.in/Ru0wWj).
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For more information:
–Posted by Julie Yamamoto, Program Manager, The Greater IBM Connection
Here’s a quick snapshot of what YOU have been talking about for the month of November 2012. Top five discussions/posts on LinkedIn, Facebook, our blog, and Twitter
–Posted by Julie Yamamoto, Program Manager, The Greater IBM Connection
by Cimla Seyhan, blog.linkedin.com
With 2013 almost here, LinkedIn.com has refreshed its popular buzzwords analysis from previous years.
Do LinkedIn’s 187 million members still describe themselves as “creative” and “effective” professionals with “extensive experience”? Have the most overused words in LinkedIn Profiles change from last year’s analysis?
Find out last year’s MOST overused buzzword, and many more, broken down by country.
Here’s a quick snapshot of what YOU have been talking about for the month of October 2012. Top five discussions/posts on LinkedIn, Facebook, our blog, and Twitter
–Posted by Julie Yamamoto, Program Manager, The Greater IBM Connection
by Susan P. Joyce, career expert, Work Coach Cafe
I hear from many “older” job seekers these days who are frustrated with today’s job search process. They are convinced that their “advanced age” (30, 40, 50, 60, or more) is causing them problems. I think they could be right, but NOT, perhaps, for the reason they think…
Although I do not doubt that age discrimination exists, I know that other things could be negatively impacting these people. It basically comes down to looking – and being - out of date, using old-fashioned job search techniques.
If you are over 40 or it has been more than 3 years since your last job hunt, you are probably unaware of how much recruiting and hiring practices have changed recentlly, particularly with the growth of social media and also with the tough job market we have been experiencing.The 5 New Rules of Job Search
Regardless of age, being out-of-date is a very common problem and not, fortunately, an insurmountable one. Here are some things you can do to address the issue, and become more up-to-date for your job search and your job.
One of today’s “problems” is too many opportunities! Studies have shown that we humans are almost paralyzed when we have too many choices – which TV show to watch (when you have hundreds of channels), which coffee to order (when it comes in dozens of variations), and on, and on, and on…
Going to a job board and entering only the location is asking for over-load. Waaayyy too many choices! I just typed “Chicago” into Indeed, and it showed me 57,000+ jobs! Yikes!
To make your job search more effective, focus on 1 or 2 job titles you really want and the employers you would like to work for.
The way you handle this whole process of applying and interviewing for a job is viewed as an example of your work – which it is!
Use great care with all of your interactions with an employer or recruiter. Take the time to craft your best response rather than hurriedly attaching your resume to a one-sentence email with a subject that simply (and very unhelpfully) says, “Resume Attached” or “Applying.”
Standing out from the crowd in a positive way is NOT optional. Leverage the technology currently available, and you will also prove that you are not out-of-date.
Find those former colleagues who you worked with well in the past. Or that great boss you had 2 jobs ago. Where are they working now? Are they hiring?
Being invisible is like another OUT-OF-DATE stamp on your forehead! Employers use search engines to research job applicants more than 80% of the time, according to recent studies. They are looking for “social proof” that you are who you say you are, have done what you say you have done, would fit in well, and understand how to use the Internet for business. If they don’t find that corroboration, they move on to the next candidate.
If you Google your name and find nothing about you on the first page or – at a minimum – the first 3 pages, this is a problem! Yes, it is better than having photos of you drunk at a party, but a lack of online visibility brands you as out-of-date (unless you are in some sort of super-secret profession, like spy).
It also makes you vulnerable to mistaken identity. Oh, that person who has the same name you have and stole money from his or her last employer isn’t you? An employer doing a quick Google search would not know it wasn’t you, and, most likely, they would not take the time to find out.
LinkedIn is an excellent venue for managing professional/work visibility. LinkedIn is usually # 1 – or very near # 1 – on any search of a person’s name on a search engine. And, YOU control what it tells the world about you! Your LinkedIn Profile needs to be 100% complete (LinkedIn guides you through that process), and then it will provide much of the “social proof” most employers are seeking.
LinkedIn will help you reconnect with those former colleagues, co-workers, and bosses, and give you opportunities, through Groups and Answers, to demonstrate what you know.
The Greater IBM Connection on LinkedIn
Set up a Google Alert on your name. Pay attention to what is visible about your name when someone does a search. When something bad appears, you can bury it with other positive content, or you may be able to get it taken down. If something can’t be removed, be prepared to address it in an interview or, even, in a cover letter or your resume, if appropriate.
Catch up with these New Rules so you don’t look out-of-date because looking out-of-date is probably hurting you more than your age. The good news is that by becoming more up-to-date for your job search, you’ll be more up-to-date for your job! So, you should be more successful once you land. We’re never too old to learn something new – it keeps us young!
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Greater IBMers, what would you add to this? Share your lessons learned in the Comments.
Here’s a quick snapshot of what YOU have been talking about for the month of September 2012. Top five discussions/posts on LinkedIn, Facebook, our blog, and Twitter
–Posted by Julie Yamamoto, Program Manager, The Greater IBM Connection
