Saturday, May 28, 2011

a great way to promote your company or YOU!

Sean Nelson at Social Media Sonar writes:
Social Media/Networking has expanded the opportunity to have conversations with your prospects, increased the availability of information on companies and individuals, and provided new opportunities to deliver your message to tens of thousands of individuals and companies. 
When I work with a client on developing a social media/networking strategy we focus on three of the available networking sites: Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Out of the three LinkedIn is still the one that provides the most opportunity for small businesses.
LinkedIn can be very valuable for some one in the job search but if you are staring your own company or operating your small business, it becomes even more valuable.

Read Sean's full posting here:
http://socialmediasonar.com/why-linkedin-is-important-to-small-businesses





Friday, May 27, 2011

Return On Your Social Media Goals

From the Social Media Examiner
Social Media Return Is The Return On Your Social Media Goals
The peculiar feature of the social media return is that you can define it to be essentially anything you want it to be!

Have you calculated your social media ROI?

Consider clicking through to read the full posting and think about calculating yours!
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/a-simple-way-to-calculate-social-media-return-on-investment/



Thursday, May 26, 2011

eBooks for the job search

Position Ignition has a couple of new additions to their eBooks for the job search. You might want to check out these and then go exploring for others that they have available.

http://www.positionignition.com/blog/2011/5/5/unmissable-ebook-85-mid-life-career-change-tips.html

http://www.positionignition.com/blog/2011/5/3/unmissable-new-ebook-125-linkedin-job-search-tips.html

The full listing can be found here:  http://www.positionignition.com/free-resources/
(note - not all are free, some charge a nominal amount)

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

feel comfortable and confident while networking

Jobfully has some good tips on how to "feel comfortable and confident while networking."

The best tip I found to help my own efforts were to consider the networking event space as your own home.

What has that got to do with networking?

When you host a party and a friend brings someone over that you haven't meet before how do you behave? It is your house, you are on your own turf, you welcome the person and make them feel at home.

Why not walk into the networking event room as feel the same way? You are the master. Find someone to welcome and get started . Before long, it will be easy to work a crowd.

Well maybe not easy, but certainly easier! The key is in your mind set, the key is starting with one person.

Have you found something that has worked for you?
Please share!





Tuesday, May 24, 2011

What makes you YOU?

From the Jobfully blog I find:
These days it’s almost certain that people will look you up on LinkedIn after networking with you, before a face-to-face meeting, and throughout the job application process. 
Since LinkedIn is playing an increasingly active role in every step of a job search, it’s important to make sure your profile is accurate and complete, looks good to hiring managers, and can even get you found by recruiters. But what can you do to make the most of your LinkedIn profile?
Advice is easy to give. Almost everyone I meet has a different piece of advice on LinkedIn. So what do you do? How do you make the most of your profile?

Make your profile reflect what you can do. Use good key words. Don't be afraid to change them and see what happens. You may recall I changed from 'experienced' to 'savvy' and that one word made a significant difference. What one word will work for you? Maybe there isn't one. Try to find one. Be distinct.

What have you done to help your LinkedIn profile?
Please share!


Monday, May 23, 2011

LinkedIn's 'Send a Message'

If you noticed that LinkedIn seems to have removed the "send a message" button, Matt Youngquist has figured out how to find it:
After a little bit of detective work, what I discovered is that LinkedIn killed this feature for the “stated” reason of cutting down on fraud, scams, and abuse. I personally still suspect it had more to do for profitability reasons. But regardless, I figured out that you actually CAN still send a free message to fellow Group members, if you happen to know where to look! They’ve now hidden this feature several layers deep. Here are the steps involved: 
1) Click the “Groups” button on the top LinkedIn menu bar
2) Open up the Group page in question you share with the person
3) Scroll through the “Members” tab until you find the target individual
4) Hover your mouse over their name and a “Send a Message” link will appear on the far right side of the screen
5) Click on this button, compose your message, and fire it off!

You can read Matt's full posting here:
http://careerhorizons.wordpress.com/2011/05/13/linkedin-tip-what-happened-to-send-a-message/

Thanks Matt!



Sunday, May 22, 2011

QR code for your business card

Donna Svei writes about using Pingtags to generate a QR code for your business card:

Pingtags signs you in via LinkedIn in seconds and then creates a QR code for you. The code gives those who scan it the ability to:

  1. See your LinkedIn photo without entering your LinkedIn URL.
  2. Read your LinkedIn summary without entering your LinkedIn URL.
  3. Ping you via email with their LinkedIn URL so you can see their profile and connect with them.
  4. Email you without entering your email address.
  5. Call you without entering your phone number.
  6. View your blog and other LinkedIn web links without entering any URLs.


My QR Code using this Pingtag service is as follows:


Have you used a QR code?

How did it work for you?



Thursday, May 19, 2011

Hopkinton Networkers Group - "Interviewing For Success: How to Find, and Land, Your Dream Job"

Hello Everyone,

The agenda for this Friday's Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) meeting will be featured by our speaker, Stephen Balzac. The facilitator for this week will be Barbara McKee. We will devote the first hour, from 10 to 11 AM to the following agenda: Welcome, Landings, Announcements, New Member Intros, and Needs & Leads. Please arrive early, so we can make every effort to start on time. In the second hour, Steve will give a talk about, "Interviewing For Success: How to Find, and Land, Your Dream Job."

"Interviewing For Success: How to Find, and Land, Your Dream Job"

Job hunting is frustrating, stressful, and, in today’s economy, often agonizingly slow. Just getting a call back is difficult, much less getting an interview. You will learn the key elements that will enable you to land the job you want. Learn how to identify the value you bring to your employer and leverage that value to make you stand out from the competition: skills make you a commodity; value makes you unique. The talk also covers how you can avoid getting caught in the Black Hole of Resumes, how you can get into the mind of the interviewer, how you should deal with difficult questions, and key questions you should always ask.

About Steve Balzac
Stephen Balzac is an expert on leadership and organizational development. A consultant, author, and professional speaker, he is president of 7 Steps Ahead (www.7stepsahead.com), an organizational development firm focused on helping leaders grow their businesses. Steve is the author of “The 36-Hour Course in Organizational Development,” published by McGraw-Hill, and a contributing author to volume one of “Ethics and Game Design: Teaching Values Through Play.” Contact him at 978-298-5189 or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ActonNetworkers/post?postID=_wJ1jDt9XYptHjhgJBoM_gg_4t28Uo4ZR-7OOAbUcGutyg0NYbXbPYgxD9ceq8-_t_aNuauXOZ2hmfBt1SF6


Schedule for HNG Meetings:

June 3, 2011 Workshop
June 17, 2011 Abby Grant Using Boston Business Journal for the job search
July 1, 2011 Wendy Gelberg Personal Branding
July 15, 2011 Patricia Hunt Sinacole "A Practical Guide to Landing a Job in Today's Employment Market."
August 5, 2011 Gail Greenberg
August 19, 2011 Amy Mosher STEMPower Program
September 2, 2011 Workshop
September 16, 2011 Dan DeMaioNewton "Dealing with the Afflictive Emotions of Job Seeking"


General Information:

The networking group meets in Hopkinton, at St. John the Evangelist Church parish hall. The meeting occurs, from 10 to 12 noon, and will meet the first and third Friday of the month. The parish hall has a capacity for 250 people and there is plenty of parking spaces in the parking lot and on the street. Around the perimeter of the parish hall are rooms to allow us to have focused network groups or for any other purpose we need. We chose every other Friday to allow everyone to attend the Acton Networking Group or any other networking group, if they wanted, on the Friday we do not meet.

We will maintain our close affiliation with Acton Networkers by using the same list-server to share information between the groups. Any e-mails specific to the Hopkinton Networking Group (HNG) will be indicated in the subject line either by "Hopkinton Networking Group" or "HNG"; this way anyone attending these meetings will know the e-mail is intended for them.

We will follow the following agenda items:
Welcome
Landings (with doughnuts)
Announcements
New member introductions
Needs and Leads
Speaker(s), Workshop, or Focus Group
Cleanup

For those new members who give their introductions, this is what we would like to know:
Name
Skills and Value Statement
Where have you been?
Where are you going?
Your title
Your target companies
Geography of search
Name and e-mail address

If anyone wants to join our team, please let one of us know; we could always use the extra help and input for ideas.

Directions:
Take Rt. 495 North/South and get off Exit 21A. Go through three traffic lights. Colella's Supermarket is on the right at the third traffic light. The first street after the third traffic light is Church Street, take a right turn. The church is on the right. Go around to the left of the parking lot and go into the side entrance of the parish hall.

Depending upon where you live, perhaps you may want to use Mapquest for a more direct route. The address of the church is:
St. John the Evangelist
20 Church Street
Hopkinton, MA 01748

Regards,
Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) Coordinators:
Steven Hakar
Gil Krispien
William Lam
Barbara McKee
Salpi Sarafian



Wednesday, May 18, 2011

The all important smile!

What is more effective and less calories than chocolate?

What is better than finding $25,000 (And way easier, like when are you going to find that amount?)




Enjoy!

Why aren't you smiling now! You just picked up a good tip to help your job search!

Monday, May 16, 2011

"Refresh Your Networking Strategy"

Tuesday May 17th; 10am – 12:30 pm Burlington, Ma
Carole Sacino will be leading this week's workshop "Refresh Your Networking Strategy". Carole will lead the group in a practical exercise, with role playing to hear, feel, take action and create choice on ways to better handle relationship building. Carole is the Principal of Turning Point Institute. 
Carole has a strong passion and purpose for mentoring, coaching. Carole is a Certified Professional Coach. 
This is open to all-please join us Tuesdays 10AM-12:30 PM at the Burlington Public Library, 22 Sears St., Burlington, MA. Preregistration in not necessary http://www.burlingtonpubliclibrary.org 
Meetings are free and open to the public. We encourage all professionals /executives to attend. Business casual attire. Join our LinkedIn group "Career Transitions of Greater Boston" or Visit our website at
http://CareerTransitionsofGreaterBoston.com or e-mail suzanne.gray@... (603) 585 3110 for more info.



The Middle-Skills Gap: Ensuring an Adequate Supply of Skilled Labor in North...

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

via Boston Fed Research on 5/3/11


Recent evidence suggests that a mismatch between the skills demanded by employers and the skills supplied by the population may be underway, particularly for "middle-skill" workers who possess some college education or an associate's degree. This policy brief examines the middle-skill mismatch in New England, comparing recent labor market trends and future projections for the northern versus southern subregions. The analysis finds that the nature of the mismatch varies within the region, indicating that policymakers should tailor their potential responses as opposed to taking a uniform approach. This brief expands on the NEPPC research report 10-2: Mismatch in the Labor Market: Measuring the Supply of and Demand for Skilled Labor in New England.

Things you can do from here:

Thursday, May 5, 2011

"Overcoming the Deadly Dozen Obstacles to Effective Job Hunting"

Hello Everyone,

The agenda for this Friday's Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) meeting will be featured by our speaker, Dr. Paul Power, who is coming back for her third talk. The facilitator for this week will be Steve Hakar. We will devote the first hour, from 10 to 11 AM to the following agenda: Welcome, Landings, Announcements, New Member Intros, and Needs & Leads. Please arrive early, so we can make every effort to start on time. In the second hour, Dr. Power will give a talk about,
"Overcoming the Deadly Dozen Obstacles to Effective Job Hunting."

Job hunting in nobody's idea of great fun. Because it is something one does only a limited number of times in one's career it is the rare job hunter who ever gets very good at it. Ironically (and annoyingly) one's job hunting skills are typically at their best at the conclusion of the process. Why is this common and predictable process so difficult for so many people - even for those who have read the books, digested the web articles, listened to their coaches, colleagues and friends and who have worked diligently at the process? Why do some flounder in the job market for weeks and months before getting their campaign in high gear? Why do others languish in jobs well below their talents just to avoid the job hunting process?

There are a host of reasons for this phenomenon and among them are the "deadly dozen" that Dr. Paul Powers has gleaned from the experiences of thousands of job hunters over the last 30 years. Now the good news: by recognizing and understanding these obstacles you can make this process less stressful, more productive and more successful. In this engaging presentation psychologist, career expert and best-selling author of "Winning Job Interviews" (Career Press) and "Love Your Job!" (O'Reilly Media) Dr. Paul - with knowledge, heart and humor - shows how you can find shortcuts, discover new opportunities and achieve the job you really want and deserve.

About Dr. Paul Power

Management psychologist Dr. Paul Powers has devoted 30 years to helping others achieve career success and satisfaction, he has coached thousands of people, in hundreds of companies - from CEO's, to entry level employees, to recent military veterans - find and succeed in jobs they love. As a popular speaker and seminar leader he travels extensively sharing his wisdom, his humor and his deepest belief that each of us has a gift to be discovered, developed and shared. As author of "Winning Job Interviews" (Career Press, 2009) and co-author of "Love Your Job! Loving the Job You Have, Finding a Job You Love" (O'Reilly Media, 1994) Paul's energy, enthusiasm and motivation have reached around the world to people in every imaginable field.

Dr. Powers is a licensed psychologist, is the former chairman of the Massachusetts Board of Psychologists and a member of numerous professional organizations. Paul holds a bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree in psychology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He helped found 'The Management Corps for the Emerging East' a non-profit initiative to send American business volunteers to work in enterprises of the republics of the former Soviet Union in their transition to a free market economy with hands-on management skills and techniques. Paul is also a former U.S. Marine as well as a former licensed pipefitter.

Dr. Powers' work has been widely noted in the media such as The Wall St. Journal, National Business Employment Weekly, New England Business Magazine, hundreds of newspapers and radio stations nationwide and he has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, WNBC, NPR, and numerous other media outlets. He co-hosted 'CareerTalk', a call-in show, on a major Boston radio station.

Practicing what he preaches about the many benefits of developing varied interests, Paul also maintains a specialized forensic practice, is a voice over artist, an avid outdoorsman, and has an active pro-bono schedule nationally and internationally. He divides his time between Florida's Gulf Coast and Cape Cod, Massachusetts with his wife, Linda who is an entrepreneur, graphic designer and principal of Powers Design.

To have Dr. Paul speak at your next conference or convention, e-mail him at drpaul@drpaulpowers.com


Schedule for HNG Meetings:

May 20, 2011 Stephen Balzac "Interviewing For Success: How to Find, and Land, Your Dream Job"
June 3, 2011 Workshop
June 17, 2011 Abby Grant Using Boston Business Journal for the job search
July 1, 2011 Wendy Gelberg Personal Branding
July 15, 2011 Patricia Hunt Sinacole "A Practical Guide to Landing a Job in Today's Employment Market."
August 5, 2011 Gail Greenberg
August 19, 2011

General Information:

The networking group meets in Hopkinton, at St. John the Evangelist Church parish hall. The meeting occurs, from 10 to 12 noon, and will meet the first and third Friday of the month. The parish hall has a capacity for 250 people and there is plenty of parking spaces in the parking lot and on the street. Around the perimeter of the parish hall are rooms to allow us to have focused network groups or for any other purpose we need. We chose every other Friday to allow everyone to attend the Acton Networking Group or any other networking group, if they wanted, on the Friday we do not meet.

We will maintain our close affiliation with Acton Networkers by using the same list-server to share information between the groups. Any e-mails specific to the Hopkinton Networking Group (HNG) will be indicated in the subject line either by "Hopkinton Networking Group" or "HNG"; this way anyone attending these meetings will know the e-mail is intended for them.

We will follow the following agenda items:


Welcome
Landings (with doughnuts)
Announcements
New member introductions
Needs and Leads
Speaker(s), Workshop, or Focus Group
Cleanup

For those new members who give their introductions, this is what we would like to know:
Name
Skills and Value Statement
Where have you been?
Where are you going?
Your title
Your target companies
Geography of search
Name and e-mail address

If anyone wants to join our team, please let one of us know; we could always use the extra help and input for ideas.

Directions:
Take Rt. 495 North/South and get off Exit 21A. Go through three traffic lights. Colella's Supermarket is on the right at the third traffic light. The first street after the third traffic light is Church Street, take a right turn. The church is on the right. Go around to the left of the parking lot and go into the side entrance of the parish hall.

Depending upon where you live, perhaps you may want to use Mapquest for a more direct route. The address of the church is:
St. John the Evangelist
20 Church Street
Hopkinton, MA 01748

Regards,
Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) Coordinators:
Steven Hakar hakar4@hotmail.com
Gil Krispien g.krispien@comcast.net
William Lam wmlam508@yahoo.com
Barbara McKee barb6635@comcast.net
Salpi Sarafian ssarafian@rcn.com