Marketing Me: Using Linked In For Job Search

With the economy in the hopper, more job seekers are turning the Internet for their job search.

Now some will go to Monster or Dice, fill out a form, and start submitting their pared down resume to whoever is hiring and whatever company has an opening.

Against my past advice, sometimes this may work - but it is not that effective, especially when competing against thousands of other workers.

Web 2.0 social networks are one way to expand your personal network and employment visibility. The problem is job seekers are often reaching out to others online they have no prior relationship with.

Linked In is a great resource because it has thousands of members with thousands of companies. However, too many job seekers jump on the Linked In bandwagon after they have been let go or when they are desperate to leave their current company.

By using Linked In and other social networks, job seekers won't have to do the Linked In shuffle at the last minute.

Use Linked In for your job search, but use it wisely.

Unless you have an advanced membership, it is next to impossible to join networks with persons you do not know. However, there are ways to get to know others with whom you do not have a network connection.

Use Linked In Answers - If you find a contact on Linked In who is associated with an opportunity you are interested in, follow their profile and see if they are placing any answers in Linked In Answers. Do the same and attempt to build a relationship.

Use Linked In Groups - Regardless of contacts, job seekers should always join Linked In groups which focus on their specialty or professional interests. Join groups, communicate and reach out to fellow members.

Use Profile - Your Linked In Profile has features which helps others find you. Fill out the keywords related to your job search (i.e. top wireless sales executive, successful headhunter for the Java programmer, etc.). Complete your profile with pictures and comments. Publish your web profile and bookmark it with Delicious, Stumbler, etc. Build back links to your profile so search engines and searchers can find you.

Linked In can be a great resource, but be careful not to abuse it or use Linked In incorrectly.

May your job search be successful!

Marketing Me: The Linked In Activity Blur

You can always tell when someone is worried about their job at work.

You get the Linked In Activity Blur.

What happens is a flurry of activity on their Linked In account. Suddenly they are adding five or six new contacts a day. Their profile is updated and tweaked. You get updates on their Linked In account every day.

The same thing happens with their Facebook account as well. A bunch of happy "guess what I am up to messages" start flying across their profile. Anything to get the word out about what they are doing.

Your Linked In and Facebook and Plaxo accounts should always be updated all the time anyway.

Further, your social network profiles should have lots of keywords which are relevant to what you want to do as well as what you have done.

And your profiles should always include accomplishments which are in demand right now. Learning 10-key is not very lucrative this year, but busting revenue goals is.

Marketing Me: Layoffs

Yep, I have not published diddly in some time. A bunch of reasons why..

First, my job that I started in 2005 was going great. I was doing very well and when things are going well, you tend to forget about HOW you got there in the first place.

Second, that great job ended just a few months ago. For 48 days, I searched for a new job. That took most of my time naturally.

Finally, my new job was found within my network which was good. But it did not change what was going on in my world.

Layoffs are everywhere in every industry.

See here, here, here and here.

That's right. Publishing, airlines, shipping, retail.. the list goes on and on.

Further, I have been speaking with a number of friends and parents whose children attend school with mine. Everyone fits into this category:

a) Suddenly changed job this year after a layoff, threat of layoff or problem with the old companies' revenues.

b) Looking actively for a new job because the old one will probably go away in the next year.

c) Has had to severely cut back because of a downturn at work. Yes, they are hanging on, but big changes in lifestyle are coming over the next 12 months.

Marketing Me has never been more important then ever before. I have much more to share and do with the changing economy and I hope I can help you.