Evocative

Another in the series from Tom Asacker in his Opportunity Screams series. Worth the few minutes to watch!



How can you use this for your job search?

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!

To blog or not blog?

Paraphrasing Hamlet, that is the real question of the day. Neal Schaeffer goes on to talk about the hidden powers of a business blog:

While blogs continue to mystify many companies who think that they are just for people expressing their personal opinions, more and more businesses are realizing the hidden powers that a business blog can provide to their sales and marketing efforts.  Even successful B2B blog case studies are beginning to appear. 

If your business still hasn’t started a blog, consider the potential hidden powers that a business blog holds

Continue to read Neal's posting here

Consider starting your own blog. It will help establish your brand and get your message (skills, talents, etc.) exposed.

Recognize the barriers

Dave Meslin talks about the antidote to apathy and outlines the seven barriers:

1. Intentional exclusion
2. public space
3. the media
4. heroes
5. political parties
6. charitable status
7. our elections

You have been anointed. You have been chosen. Do something about your job search today!

Community Camp is being held on Saturday, Apr 23rd. If you are looking for work there are four scholarships (free passes) available to participate in this event. Details on how to obtain one of those tickets can be found here  http://jobsearchjamsessions.blogspot.com/2011/04/community-camp-risd-apr-23.html

can developing your brand improve your job search?

What is your brand?

What do you stand for?

How can developing your brand improve your job search?

How transparent are you?

Morgan Spurlock explores these (and other related questions) in this TED Talk:




Thoughts?

B.I.T.C.H is not a bad thing for Tabatha

B.I.T.C.H is her thing!

Tabatha Coffey has taken what could be a bad thing and turned into her positive defining moniker.



I happened upon this while following a link to CNN.

Is there something about you that you can turn into such a positive?

Dr Seuss, the first nerd!

Dr Seuss, a nerd?

Well, he is actually credited with being the first one to write the word "nerd"

"And then, just to show them, I'll sail to Ka-Troo

And Bring Back an It-Kutch a Preep and a Proo

A Nerkle a Nerd and a Seersucker, too!"

cover image If I Ran the Zoo - wikipedia

Do you have any firsts?
Are the firsts something you could put on your resume or your LinkedIn profile?
If the firsts are, did you?

"It's a pretty good zoo,"

said young Gerald McGrew,

"and the fellow who runs it

seems proud of it, too!"

And even, if the first you accomplished isn't something for the resume, it was a first.
Being first, good or bad, is something that can't be taken away from you.

Focus on the positive. Where would you like to go?
Is it a place where you can be THE first?

"But if I ran the zoo,"

said young Gerald McGrew, 

"I'd make a few changes

that's just what I'd do."

If so, don't hesitate. Summon the courage. Do not stop to collect, go!

Note: the quotes are from If I Ran the Zoo by Dr Seuss published in 1950

This was originally posted on Steve's 2 Cents during 2010

Dr Seuss extends the alphabit

Don't you just love Dr Seuss? Why, he even provides advice for those doing the job search!

How does he do that? In his own rhyming way of course!

In On Beyond Zebra,  Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell takes us beyond the letter Z. While most would classify this work as literary nonsense, it has great advice for those of us on the job search.

cover image On Beyond Zebra from wikipedia

"You can stop, if you want, with the Z.
Because most people stop with the Z
But not me!"

So many avenues of thought can come from this simple concept of going beyond Z!

Thinking outside the box is not a trite buzzword. The concept is great. Approach something differently, approach it with child like eyes and see what you see! It is a new world to explore.

"In the places I go, there are things that I see

That I never could spell if I stopped with the Z

I'm telling you this 'cause you're one of my friends

My alphabet starts where your alphabet ends!"

Read the Long Tail!

Define your niche!

"I lead him around and tried hard to show
There are things beyond Z that most people don't know
I took him past Zebra. As far as I could.
And I think, perhaps, maybe I did him some good...
Because finally he said,
'This is really great stuff!
    And I guess the old alphabet
         just isn't enough!'"

Define (and then work to establish) your personal brand.
Be consistent! Be deliberate.


Be you!



Note: the quotes are from On Beyond Zebra by Dr Seuss published in 1955

The series on Dr Seuss was originally posted during 2010 on Steve's 2 Cents

How to prepare your stories

Jason Seiden has some great advice on how to prepare your stories. The stories you need to have ready to share when you meet with someone to leave them with the impression that you are distinct from other job seekers out there and the one they need to consider for the opportunity.




Good info! Should be easy enough to prepare.

What do you think? Worth a try?

Your online presence

Your online presence can be key to your success. This brief video clip from Jobfully gets into the basics.



How are your presenting yourself online?

thoughts on your shadow

I spend some time making sure I appear distinct and properly professional. You likely do as well. Are you also thinking about what you leave behind?

I thought about this when running the other day. The sun was bright. The snow dazzlingly. My shadow was far longer than I am tall (and I am tall - 6'2" for those who haven't met me in person yet).

What kind of shadow do you cast?

What kind of talk will people have about you when you leave their immediate company?

Are you making a good lasting and distinct impression?

What can you do about that?

A whole lot of bull!

Be distinct.

Go with the flow!

Guerilla artist Agata Oleksiak, aka Crocheted Olek, did her thing on Christmas Eve.

Watch and enjoy!


OLEK AND THE CHARGING BULL ON WALL STREET from olek on Vimeo.


If you can make it to the PodCamp WesternMA in Westfield St Univ, you can practice being distinct there. If you can go, you should see if you can go for free. The details can be found here

Thanks to the Business Insider article for the pointer to this

Plan, don't panic

When someone catches our eye in real life, they catch our attention.  You’ve got to catch the eye of your reader—their attention—by crafting a killer headline.  Most people will decide almost instantaneously if they want to read what you have to say based on the headline alone.  So even if the rest of your content is the most enthralling shit in the world, no one will ever know—UNLESS they care enough to click past the headline.

How do you craft a compelling headline?

The most important piece of advice I can give is to be INTRIGUING.  There are many copywriters who rely on proven formulas, such as starting with, “The Secret of…” or “Little Known Ways to….” or “Get Rid of {insert problem} Once and For All” or to simply pose a question that you think your readers will want the answers to.

Ashley has more good advice on how the art of seduction. There are many parallels to the job search. You need to be compelling and convincing to the hiring manager. You can read Ashley's full article here.

Does your LinkedIn profile have compelling action words?

Does your resume have a convincing story of success solving their big problems?

Why they would trust you?

Neal talks about creating a social media consulting business in 6 steps. I reckon that these six would apply to most businesses.

... if you cannot display your own social media marketing expertise with your own brand, it will be very difficult to establish the credibility that is necessary to develop business.

If you are going to focus on finance, or manufacturing, then maybe the social media expertise is downplayed. It can help you but shouldn't break your job search.

If on the other hand, you can't manage your personal finances or properly manage your time, then these maybe more of job go/no-go decision points.

• Be confident
• Be yourself
• Listen and learn
• Share what you learn
• Adjust to the market
• Be distinct

Read Neal's full posting here

"Sometimes, we just need someone to cut us a break"

Truth:

Most people are overwhelmed by fear, and will make some of the worst choices of their lives because of it. Greatness evolves from trust–in yourself, in your ideas, and in your ability to know, deep down, what’s best for YOU. We must not betray that trust, because the moment we do, we betray our own potential.

Truth:

Most people will do exactly as they are told to do, won’t ever question the rules, and will believe that by doing so, they’ll get farther in life. While this may have once been the case, in a time when assembly lines were hip, the exact opposite is true now. In the age of technology, success awaits only those who are willing to break the rules, stand out from the crowd, and be daringly, unflinchingly, unapologetically DIFFERENT.

As one who advocates for being distinct to stand out from the crowd, in a good way of course, this resonates with me.

Read more about the new book coming

Consider subscribing to the Middle Finger Project

It has enough good info and pizazz to keep you going!

Personal inbound marketing

Jon DiPietro spends less than an hour to cover this Personal Inbound Marketing presentation. He doesn't rush, he provides a good overview with snappy slides.

If you recall me talking about being distinct, sharing and learning to create a memorable presence, this is in so many words the same thing. He integrates this presence with a digital footprint and presents this as inbound marketing. Worth the 50 or so minutes to listen to.

Personal Inbound Marketing

View more webinars from Domesticating IT.

Be distinct

That is one key way to stand out from the crowd. If you have a creative instinct, you can do something like Biale.konie, an art director, you can do something like this.




How is that for distinct?


Will the Job Search Jam Sessions teach you how to juggle? No, but there will likely be something to spark an idea or two at the upcoming Job Search Jam Sessions, October 1.


Thanks to the Position Ignition Career Blog for the pointer to this video
http://www.positionignition.com/blog/2010/9/23/5-funny-job-search-strategies.html


Register here to take part: