Job hunting? Clean up your Image on the Web....

"If you want a job, take down the Facebook photo of you sucking a joint on your birthday and delete that blog post about how you’d like to torch the house of your boss.

Social media sites can help or hinder a job search, says career training coach Paul Anderson. Hunters in today’s tough job market need to know the difference.

Anderson will share his tips on how job seekers can use social media to their advantage in one of a series of employment workshops at the Tacoma Public Library. He’ll present “Job Seeker 2.0: Building Strategic Relationships Through Social Media” at the library’s main branch in downtown Tacoma on March 27.

Anderson, a career coach for seven years, founded his Redmond-based, ProLango Consulting Inc. in 2008 after earlier working as a manager at Expedia and Microsoft.

Job hunters can land a job without social media, Anderson said, but correct use of the sites enhances their professional image. If a potential employer scours the web for an applicant and turns up nothing, it can reduce trust in the candidate.

“With today’s economy, it has become almost impossible to not have a social media and personal branding presence,” Anderson said. “Candidates need to manage their own image and their careers. The social media sites allow one to do this.”

Hiring managers are overwhelmed sorting through hundreds of resumes for a single opening. That makes it all the more crucial for applicants to stand out.

“A lot of job seekers are using approaches that might have worked two years ago,” Anderson said. They’re applying online for advertised jobs on Monster.com, careerbuilder.com, and individual company Web sites. Yet, national estimates are that only 15 percent of positions are filled by online applicants, while the remainder are hired through word of mouth, networking, and relationships.

Far too many applicants inadvertently send themselves to the cyberspace trash can.

Anderson routinely talks with recruiters and hiring managers who eliminate candidates after checking their personal Web sites as part of the screening process.

New “applicant tracking systems” automatically search the Web and spit out social media pages, news articles, photos and whatever else lies on a candidate’s Internet trail. Sometimes the revelations include pages the user intended to be private.

“They find candidates all the time bad-mouthing their employers on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace,” he said. “They’ll post inappropriate photos – maybe they got drunk with friends for fun. The employer says, ‘Do I really want that person working for me?’ ”

Even seemingly innocent information can raise a red flag.

Some employers use the real estate site Zillow.com to weed out candidates living too far away. Or, if the company plans to relocate a candidate in the future, they can guess which applicants are likely to move based on how long they’ve owned their home, Anderson said.

But the Web also can be a job hunter’s friend, revealing openings that aren’t yet widely advertised, or that may never be.

Instead of paying to advertise through an online employment site, many firms now announce jobs on Twitter, and direct applicants to their company site, Anderson said. A prospective graphic designer, for instance, could search Twitter for “Seattle” and “graphic designer” and see jobs pop up.

Smart job seekers turn to the Internet to develop their personal “brand,” the professional identity they want the world to see.

Using a business networking site, such as Linkedin.com, to list favorite books, successful projects and endorsements from colleagues may impress prospective employers.

And that leads to the most critical factor in landing the perfect job: building relationships.

Anderson recommends job seekers narrow their search to specific companies they want to work for. Next, find ways to meet a company employee who will put in a good word for them or alert them to job postings.

To do that, he suggests:

• Drawing upon neighbors and friends. Ask a neighbor whose cousin works at your dream workplace to introduce the two of you.

• Using a professional or social media site to search for acquaintances who are friends or associates of employees at the desired company.

• Set up an informational interview with an employee at the company to learn about their job or some aspect of the business.

• Call to see if your resume made it to the company. The call sometimes leads to an interview set up by a manager who might otherwise have overlooked the application.

Looking for the next job can even begin if you have a job.

“Right now, you have the advantage of being employed; you’re not the desperate job seeker,” Anderson said. “A layoff could be two years from now.”

for a copy of the full article, contact Debby Abe:
debby.abe@thenewstribune.com

Ensuring Your Business Cards Mean Business

A 54-year-old marketing executive, unemployed since October, hands out a simple business card as part of his job search. It lists his name, phone numbers, email account and suburban New Jersey address. "I am a bit of a traditionalist in how I present myself," he explains.

Yet by divulging nothing about the executive's qualifications, his card hurts his chances to find work.

"This kind of card leaves you empty," contends Diane Darling, CEO of Effective Networking in Boston. "A business card represents who you are, reminding people why they should hire you."

Whether you're starting over or starting out, you need a business card that makes a memorable first impression in today's tight employment market. How can jobless older applicants and young graduates devise cards that are successful marketing tools? There is no single formula for winning with cards, of course. But here are some strategies that might help:

Don't sell yourself short.

Put your profession, strongest skills or highest degree right under your name. For example, the New Jersey man should revamp his card and call himself a "Senior Marketing Executive," suggests Gail Madison, director of a business-etiquette school in Huntingdon Valley, Pa. She believes a title "is the most important information on a card."

Her idea "makes a lot of sense," the unemployed manager agrees. He will consider adding "Strategic Marketing Executive" to his card.

Cards for recent alumni of well-known universities should contain their major, graduation year and school's name. If your alma mater approves, insert its logo.

Out-of-work applicants of any age also should buy and display a personal domain name on their cards. "You have a lifetime email address" even if you lack a Web site, Ms. Darling observes.

Exploit the reverse side.

"The back side of the business card is just undeveloped real estate because it's blank 90% of the time," insists Kevin Donlin, a professional résumé writer and job-search author in Edina, Minn.

Fill the top half of that space with key bullets about your professional achievements, the name of a prominent prior employer and addresses for your Web page, LinkedIn profile or "VisualCV."

VisualCV, a free service for individuals offered by a Reston, Va., start-up, lets job seekers create an online résumé that can include work samples, references' video testimonials and a visual for accomplishments, such as a chart showing surpassed sales targets.

"The way to make sure people read the back of your card is to ask," Mr. Donlin continues. "Say, 'There's a mini case study on the back about how I beat D&B's target by 59% in 2007 with half the budget and 71% fewer staff. Would that interest you?' "

Be creative -- within limits.

Printing cards on shiny paper looks distinctive, but defeats their purpose. Laurie Hayes, a small-business coach in Sudbury, Canada, attended a networking event where a man gave her a card made of slippery plastic. Extra information that he scribbled on it smeared.

Your photo probably doesn't belong on your card. "I never saw a C-level [executive's] card with a picture," Ms. Madison says. A photo enables a hiring manager to remember your face -- and also discriminate against you, Ms. Darling notes.

A card with an impressive tagline stands out as long as you can substantiate your expertise.

Unemployed following the dot-com bust, Jeff Ackley landed a business-development job at an electronic-games company partly because his card bore a solid pitch. It said he sought a position where his five listed skills could propel a young business into profitability. A card with a personal pitch "is far more important today," says Mr. Ackley, now a Boston entrepreneur.

Use a simple typeface, high-quality paper and an elegant design. Match your résumé font.

A professionally prepared card shows you mean business. Ms. Madison met a woman at a Chamber of Commerce card-exchange session who offered a business card she had printed on 20-pound computer paper, cut out and signed by hand. "How can I take this person seriously?" the etiquette specialist wondered.

Create different cards for different opportunities.

This piece of advice especially makes sense if you possess many talents and are unsure what to do next, such as the New Jersey marketing executive, an expert in strategic planning, product management and contract negotiation. "I am seriously entertaining" the notion of preparing multiple cards, he says.

On the other hand, certain recent college graduates consider any cards unnecessary in their online world. "The very definition of 'business card' is kind of outdated now," a jobless 27-year-old woman reports.

Perhaps business cards are passé among 20-somethings, Ms. Darling says, "but 20-somethings won't give you a job."

by Joann S. Lublin, Wall Street Journal

Working Well With Executive Recruiters

By SARAH E. NEEDLEMAN

The higher you rise along the corporate ladder, the more attractive you're likely to become to executive recruiters. But even if they contact you first, your odds of getting a job as a result can flounder if you don't understand how the search business works. For example, some up-and-coming corporate leaders withhold critical information, such as their current salary, due to privacy concerns. Yet recruiters work on a confidential basis, asserts Wes Richards, a senior client partner and managing director at Korn/Ferry International Inc. "We're like your doctor, your priest or your lawyer," he says. To avoid being labeled a greenhorn, see these tips for forging and managing strong relationships with recruiters.

Your First 90 Days

Be sure. Offer yourself as a candidate to recruiters only if you're serious about wanting to change jobs, warns Daniel Cahill, president of Hobson Associates Inc., a boutique search firm in Cheshire, Conn. "Don't call a headhunter because you had a bad day, you're bored or mad," he says. Carefully assess your situation first, because if you turn down a recruiter's interview offer, chances are he or she "won't work with you again," he says.

Be specific. Let recruiters know if you'll only work in a certain area, geographically or industry-wise, and keep in mind that the thinner your search parameters, the fewer your options, says Mr. Cahill. Also, avoid saying you'll move anywhere for a job if you don't really mean it. "Anytime you renege on an opportunity or change your mind, you create a problem," he warns.

Provide references. Include three names—and their contact information—when you send recruiters your resume, says Mr. Cahill. These can be former bosses, colleagues or people you managed. The effort will help bolster a recruiter's desire to represent you to his or her clients, he says.

Ask smart questions. If a recruiter approaches you about a career opportunity, show you're job-search savvy by inquiring about the size of the employer, its culture, the competencies needed for the position and whether you're the first candidate to be considered, advises Mr. Richards. Also request a copy of the job's specifications. "The recruiter will say this is somebody who understands the bigger picture and is digging in deep to understand what the job is all about," he explains.

Explain rejections. For jobs that aren't a good match, let recruiters know why, says Mr. Richards. This will allow them to clear up any false impressions you might have or gain a better understanding of what you prefer. It also may prompt the search professional to add you to his or her tickler file for consideration down the road. Mr. Richards says about three-quarters of the candidates he places are people he'd previously tried to place. Meanwhile, if possible, recommend someone else for the jobs you turn down. "Headhunters are quid pro quo people," says Mr. Cahill. "They keep score."

Stay involved. Check in with recruiters about once every two weeks to stay on their radar, unless you have something to report, such as feedback on an interview you completed or any progress you made your own. "A headhunter doesn't want to be embarrassed calling a company you already have an interview with," says Mr. Cahill. Act as your recruiter's assistant by researching companies and offering a list of ones you consider a strong fit. "Those are the people I work hardest for," he says.

Suggest moving on. If a recruiter hasn't secured you any substantial interview invites after 90 days, ask for a reference to another search professional in your niche, advises Mr. Cahill. The request might motivate the recruiter to try harder. "Headhunters are competitive," he says.