Marketing Me! Get the interview with keywords

Having a problem getting an interview is another example of yesterday's people in conflict with today's world.

The standard action is to a)write a resume, b) stick in envelope or attach to email or include in form online, c) send to company and d) wait for phone call or email requesting an interview.


The problem with this method is it no longer works. This is sort of like watching television and yelling at the talk show host about their opinion; they aren't listening.

The world is two-way and you are still an observer.

Today's Web 2.0, globalised, connected world is not about paper resumes and interviews. It is about advertising your particular skills, abilities and accomplishments online, networking with appropriate people and creating a personal branded platform with your name on it.

The trick to getting the right person to notice you and get the interview, is to be found. In the old days, the right people depended upon a recruiter, headhunter or employment firm to find them candidates.

Today, the "searcher" will more likely use a search engine (Google for instance) to find who they are looking for first.

Now, when a searcher searches, they use keywords like "wireless sales director, technology marketing professional, experienced Java programmer" to locate web sites related to the people they are looking for.

A word about web sites.

Web sites are not limited to the traditional, "this is my company" web site. Web sites can be blogs, profile pages and even resumes if done right.

You, your skills, experience and accomplishments can be located on the internet by search engines if you create your web site with the same keywords and phrases the searchers are looking for.

Here are some keyword friendly tips and actions you can take today to increase your "findability".

a) Complete your profile on LinkedIn, Ryze, Xing, etc. Include key phrases and words. Search for your profile on Google. Does it appear?

b) Register your name as a domain, put up a web site with your resume (CV) and include a link to your industry related, personal blog.

Build that blog.

Make both sites keyword friendly. That means making the header tag searchable, (the header tag for Marketing Me is "Market Me First - The Positive Career and Work Action Plan Market Yourself | Make Money | Be Happy").

Blog regularly. Create an RSS feed for your blog. Enter it into Google reader or your Yahoo home page. It will get indexed immediately by the search engines and start appearing in web searches.

c) Besides your blog, start writing articles about your industry. what you do and what you contribute to the industry. Make your articles keyword search friendly. Post them on the hundreds of free article sites on the web. You are spreading your name as an expert.

d) Build a lens on Squidoo. Include keywords about what you do, what you want to do and what value you bring. I receive dozens of hits on my Squidoo lens related to my industry daily. All of that traffic belongs to me and not my employer.

e) Start "pinging" your blog using sites like Technorati. This creates more links to your site and pushes you up the search engine ladder. Higher rankings means more searchers will find you. [Note: Do not submit your web site or blog to search engines or use a company which promises to do this for you for a fee. This is a waste of time and money].

Get busy with these few simple actions and you will start seeing traffic in a short time to the branded platform called you. This takes time. And has to be done right. Next, I will show you some great resources which I use to brand myself on the internet...



Closing:

How many hacks have you heard about getting your resume noticed? Stick a post-it note on your resume. Include a gift. Write your resume entirely in white colored font and repeat key words repeatedly in case your resume is scanned electronically. Who thinks this stuff up?

Marketing Me! The Ladders Tips for the Unemployed Job Seeker

The Ladders delivered a great list for job seekers. A quick synopsis..

No matter your timeline, get your name out - Let's say you have been given a 90-day notice your position will be going away. Get busy NOW putting the word out your availability. (Too many job seekers are in shock the first 30 days or procrastinate).

Stay up to date in your field - this truly matters for technical workers, insurance, workers comp, HR and other certification heavy fields. Don't get caught with a resume full of ten year old acronyms!

Keep tabs on the Job Market - You might be surprised how much your field has changed now that you are looking again.

Get expert assistance - the author recommends a professional resume service, coaching and recruiters. I have had mixed results... no dismal results with professional resume services. I know myself better than they do. But a good coach is mandatory.

Use your network - in a top ten list for job hunters, this would be numbers one, two, three and ten on my list. The best jobs are found in your network.

Set goals - No doubt. Have them for your career and make sure your job searches match your career plans!

Be aggressive - assert yourself with hiring managers. That is who they remember.

Don't act on fear - the author advises against taking the first job that pays money and requires a warm body. You most likely will be unhappy in short time.

Know when to compromise - Which is kind of funny because it refutes "Don't act on fear" above. However, put it in the perspective of a laid off auto worker in Detroit. Compromise means sell the house in Michigan and get outta Dodge to a part of the country with jobs.

Do what you love - Always. Remember, a hobby is something you do for a living but don't get paid for it. Find a way to get paid for your hobby!.

Marketing Me! When it is time to move on

Work is work. But when does going to work seem like more work and less fun?

Work should be part of your passion for life. You should wake up in the morning and feel the creative part of your brain come alive as you plan your daily strategy.

However, if going to work fills you with dread or doom, it is time to move on.

Here are some signs, you may be ready for a move.

Irritability
If your customers, boss and co-workers are starting to annoy you at each turn, it may be a sign to start updating the resume and contacting the recruiter.

Tardiness, absences, leaving early
All indications that the stress of being at the office is getting to you.

Illness, lethargy, apathy
Your body and mind are fighting the office. Pay heed and analyze why.

Dishonesty
How many times have you missed work because of a sick child, out of order automobile or emergency recently? And how many of those excuses were fraudulent?

Does this sound like you?

Be honest with yourself and consider the problem. Perhaps you are in need of a vacation. Maybe there is something else going on in your personal life which is causing this stress?

Identify the problem and if it not something which can be corrected with a long weekend maybe it is time you started planning your exit?