Many job seekers can find Linkedin company pages to be a useful tool in their search. This often overlooked Linkedin feature allows the savvy candidate to gain an edge with companies they target. Remember, 80% of the available jobs are unadvertised...it's a widely known industry statistic. Yet, most job seekers target the 20% of the jobs easily seen on job boards.
What can Linkedin Company Pages do for me?
Linkedin Company Pages provide information and views that's helpful when targeting smaller companies as well as mammoth ones. For larger companies, Company Pages shows divisions and subsidiaries. For example, one of the companies that's been consistently near the top of reCareered's Who's Hiring articles is IBM. IBM is many companies under a single brand...many non-techies think of IBM as a mainframe manufacturer (they sold off their PC division years ago).
Continue reading "Can Linkedin Company Pages Help You Find Unadvertised Positions? "
Posted by Candice Arnold on November 20, 2009 at 11:43 AM | Leave a Comment (0)
We all know career success is linked to lifelong learning. To remain competitive and adaptable, we have to be constantly learning new skills and knowledge. It's the only job security we have. But how do we learn? What can science tell us about the best, easiest way for us to absorb and become proficient in a new career field or skill?
I've been fascinated by a new book, "Why Don't Students Like School?" that offers some answers. In it, cognitive psychologist Daniel Willingham looks at what techniques help students and adults think and learn effectively. I adapted some of his findings for people choosing or changing careers.
Continue reading "3 Principles for Helping You Learn a New Career or Job Skill "
Posted by Candice Arnold on November 20, 2009 at 10:23 AM | Leave a Comment (0)
Whether you're trying to secure a new job, new consulting project or contract work, there are two chief ways you differentiate yourself from your competitors.
You do it by showcasing:
a) The results you deliver and
b) The unique way in which you deliver those results (your style, approach, attitude, values, etc)
As a potential employer, I don't really get an opportunity to assess number 2 until we meet and I get to know you better (...unless you've been introduced through a referral who speaks highly of you - which should always be the preferred approach where possible).
Continue reading "Resumes: The Big Mistake Everyone's Making"
Posted by Candice Arnold on November 20, 2009 at 9:28 AM | Leave a Comment (0)
Today, I spoke to Pat Olsen, who is a lead writer for the popular New York Times column, "The Boss" and also writes a 1st-person executive column for On Wall Street and Family Business magazines. In this interview, Pat goes over her writing background, gives journalism advice and more.
What inspired your "The Boss" column for the New York Times?
I was writing for other columns in the business section when my editor wrote to several of us freelance contributors to announce that there would be a new column. I'm not privy to how it came about, but it's been my single most favorite thing to do.
Continue reading "Personal Branding Interview: Pat Olsen"
Posted by Candice Arnold on November 20, 2009 at 7:48 AM | Leave a Comment (0)
I gave a presentation to students at James Madison University a few weeks ago, and one young lady asked me what name she should put on her resume - Nikki, the name she's built for herself online, or Nicole, her legal name. Another young lady chimed in that her given name is difficult to spell and pronounce, so she's always gone by Melody. Melody, only a sophomore, hadn't begun building her online presence. Should she create her brand around Melody or her real name?
Although for different reasons, I recommended both women use their nicknames. Nikki's brand was already built, and she wants to be found online when employers search for her. After all, she can always use Nicole in parentheses on her résumé.
A rose by any other name...
Melody, on the other hand, faces a different challenge. Although incredibly unfair, hiring managers tend to unconsciously discriminate against people whose names they feel might be difficult to pronounce. The decision was an easy one for several other reasons, though. She always goes by Melody, a perfectly professional name, and she is starting from scratch with her brand. To the world, she's not known as anything yet.
Continue reading "What's in a (Brand) Name?"
Posted by Candice Arnold on November 20, 2009 at 7:41 AM | Leave a Comment (0)
Not long ago I caught a program on the History Channel about Fort Knox, where the United States' gold reserve is kept. It was amazing. It is one of the most secure and guarded places in America, if not the world. It is not open for tours. No one gets to see the gold--not even the president if he wanted to.
In today's economy, you have no doubt seen more and more commercials promoting the investment in gold (which has topped $1,000 per ounce). It goes to show how much just a little bit of gold is worth. Indeed, one of the oldest usages of the word prospecting is associated with gold!
More than 18 months ago, I began to teach "prospecting bootcamps"--which packs quite a bit of prospecting fundamentals with some less common stuff many of us have yet to apply. In three hours, I cover quite a bit of material, and the volume can be overwhelming. Continue reading ...
Keith F. Luscher is author of the book Prospect & Flourish, and is a Marketing Representative with Principal Financial Group. Prior to joining Principal, he served professionals in the insurance and financial services industries as a management consultant. In that role, he advised producers on issues related to marketing and prospecting, and developed groundbreaking educational curriculum. Luscher is also a nationally known author, speaker, and expert in media, interpersonal communication and marketing.
Posted by Candice Arnold on November 20, 2009 at 7:39 AM | Leave a Comment (0)
Nobody likes to get bad news, especially when it's about their behavior or job performance. But everyone makes mistakes and criticism, when constructive, can be just as helpful to an employee as praise. An article on MSNBC.com, So You're Not Perfect, and You've Been Told So ..., cautions employees against getting too emotional about negative feedback from their bosses.
The article goes on to give advice for how to handle "the aftermath" of negative feedback.
Performance reviews are never easy, but they can be informative and useful. Employees who take the time to do self-analyses, focus on saying "I" instead of "you," and avoid playing the blame game can make the experience a lot less painful.
Receiving negative feedback or a bad performance review hurts because no one likes having his flaws or mistakes pointed out. Those employees who can separate their emotions from the process and focus on the information they're receiving could learn a lot about themselves and about how to do their jobs better.
Posted by Candice Arnold on November 19, 2009 at 2:31 PM | Leave a Comment (0)
