LinkedIn Job Search Technology

LinkedIn technology for job search, two part series

In our next article we will show you free technologies available to leverage  your LinkedIn profile and connections.

Sometimes technology can be really cool and of low utility, and other times they can be less cool and of higher utility.

Personal LinkedIn Heat Map

One of the more advanced tools that salespeople utilize is something called heat maps.  For sales, they are effectively a visual representation of target markets that help one visualize where opportunity exists.  By visualizing opportunities you can strategize on potential areas that offer a greater likelihood of success and then allocate time and effort appropriately.

LinkedIn is now offering what they call an InMap which is effectively a heat map of your connections and clusters them to show you network clusters and their intra-connectivity.

Below is my personal heat map as of early November 2011. Each dot represents someone in my network.  By hovering on any circle, I get a secondary window showing me; who that dot represents as well as their base LinkedIn information. Larger circles represent more shared connections.  For my heat map, the blue cluster is my current employer, the green cluster my “home community”, and the purple/orange cluster is my old employer split between regional offices versus national headquarters.  Those closer to the center tend to be professionals that I have done business with, or network with, on a regular basis.

My conclusion after playing with this for a while is that this is very cool technology, but I struggle as to how actionable it really is.

Try it yourself and let us know what you think. Maybe you will find greater utility than I did.

Our conclusion on LinkedIn InMaps. (Personal Heat Map)

Cool technology, low utility.

Personal Branding + Relationship Capital = Career Branding

What is career branding?

Personal Branding (PB) + Relationship Capital (RC) = Career Branding (CB)

PB + RC = CB

The best career planning and branding occurs well before you have a personal need.  The best personal branding strategies make no attempt to time results.  They really position for the “whenever”.   You position for the “whenever” by building your brand & relationship capital before you need it.

Over the last several years, the unemployed have been coached to change their LinkedIn profile headline to titles like:

• Quality Guru
• Sales Superstar
• Digital Print Expert
• Online Marketing Sherpa
• Business Operations Professional

We definitely recommend and respect the attempt to clarify one’s specialty and create a personal brand.  However this is simply a beginning and the real work is getting the personal association of the title in the marketplace and then matching that to networks of connections.  The mistake people make is waiting until they are looking for a new job to address their personal brand and their relationship capital.

The sales analogy would be sales people cold calling prospects, saying we are the best at “X” and asking for orders. This is a failed strategy 999.9 out of 1000 times.   This is not how “buyers” are wired and is a fairly ridiculous approach.   The prospect has not been nurtured.  There is no reason to trust the caller and trust is implied in every purchase! 

The same applies to job search.

Successful salespeople (and companies) brand themselves by building relationships BEFORE they need them.  Career branding is no different.  Relationships are best built before one party in the relationship has an immediate pending need.  Trust is built by non-threatening exchanges that are not self centered.  The exchanges need to offer something to the other party such as: knowledge, connections or other learnings.

Trust is always key to buying and trust is always key to hiring.

Personal Brands and Relationship Capital are earned.  They take time and require re-enforcement. Time can build and strengthen them. They cannot be instantly achieved through LinkedIn profile headlines, cold calling or introductory emails.

If you look at your peers, those who cycle through successful career positions without extended job searches, have mastered the PB + RC = CB formula.

Let’s relook at the formula at this articles beginning.

Personal Branding (What you are known for.)

PLUS

Relationship Capital (Your network and how committed are they to you based on historical actions and interactions.)

EQUALS

Career Branding  

Start now and invest time in your PB and RC every week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make your resume resonate!

Question:

What makes someone an expert at career branding or job search?

What makes someone an expert at anything?

From Wikipedia:

An expert (generally) is a person with extensive knowledge or ability based on research, experience, or occupation and in a particular area of study.

_________________________________________________

We recently heard about some new, cool sounding technology from a company called Resunate. (We have not tested the Resunate software, but we did do some due diligence, and they appear to be a high quality organization.)

According to the Resunate website:

 Resunate is a product of Careerimp, Inc.  At Careerimp, we strive to “Make it Easy to be the Easy Hire”. We started by tackling resumes knowing they are often the most influential first impression one can make. But, sadly, this importance is often overlooked by job seekers. As a result, due to a series of resume myths, some of the most qualified candidates jeopardize their chances of getting called for an interview.

In looking at the Resunate service offering, they’ve created a pretty interesting concept of reverse engineering key search terms that are commonly used in Applicant Tracking Software. By utilizing their service job applicants can increase their likelihood of having their resume reviewed by a recruiter or hiring manager. Compelling? Absolutely.

Our position on resumes, key words, and Applicant Tracking Software has not changed much in two years.  (See our position on the role of resumes from a 2009 Brazen Careerist article.)

Here is an excerpt from our article:

Today, the resume is not dead, nor is it about to die in the near future. I would argue is not even sick. The resume remains the central document in an individual’s personal marketing for career transition. Have your resume ready to go and make sure it is specifically targeted to the position you are applying for. If submitting to job boards, make certain you have embedded the proper keywords and tagged correctly for optimal search results. There are many great job search and persona branding technologies and tricks to leverage. In this ultra competitive job market it is critical to utilize them all when personal marketing in a web 2.0 world!

As you can see, CareerBrander supports the Resunate core value proposition.

However, we do think there is a dangerous trap for job seekers to avoid.

The trap is based on CareerBrander’s extensive knowledge, research and experience.

The trap: Rarely do job candidates secure their next job through blind submission of their resume through Applicant Tracking Software. More often, successful candidates secure interviews through other means.

Resunate states, resumes are the most influential first impression one can make. Career Brander would challenge this statement. Most job seekers spend too much time “engineering their resume” versus networking and marketing their brand on and off line.  We agree and do recommend resumes should be intelligently tailored and Resunate appears to be a great new option to help.  However, job seekers need to be cognizant to focus their time on:

1.      Direct face to face networking & search activity to build a relationship network.

2.       Optimizing their personal messaging so that it is highly persuasive.

3.      Building their personal brand so they are thought of earlier in the job search process so as to avoid using their resume as the most influential first impression.

Unemployment remains high and to secure your next job, focus on the above so you can position yourself for consideration much earlier in the hiring process.  If possible, you want to avoid “bake off time” created through job postings and online resume submissions.

Resunate’s technology can help you get an edge in the job search process, so by all means use it!  However, be sure to spend your time on the 3 real dial movers listed above.

__________

Lastly, remember, people do not always buy based on the best price or features, they buy on perceived value.  Hiring managers are no different. Do not under estimate the importance of personal marketing in a web 2.0 world!

Creating a Career Branding Strategy

Executing a Career Branding strategy requires a plan.  It does not matter if you are gainfully employed or currently in the midst of a job search. You need to define the where, what and how of your personal branding strategy.  If you embrace this methodology you will have a roadmap to follow.  If you do not you are driving you car in a rural area with no map, no GPS, no cell phone and you are simply hoping your gas will hold out until you find your destination.  Navigating by the sunset is simply not a precise enough plan.

The Where

“The where” is in strategic planning parlance, your Vision Statement.  That is, where would you like to see the self actualization of your career be in 5, 10 or 15 years.  Your where, should be forward looking, aspirational in context, yet achievable.

As you consider your where, it’s important to note, for the majority of people, it’s fairly safe to assume your current role will not exist a decade from now.  Technology is simply moving too fast and business cycles for companies are accelerating.  This means the days of working for a single company in a single role for your entire career is no longer likely. You need to plan for this!

The What

“The what” is effectively your strategy to make your vision (or where) happen.  Your what should not be singular in dimension.  To ensure success, companies almost always embark on a multiple strategies simultaneously.   This allows for multiple channels to achieve success.  Returning to the driving your car analogy, there are multiple ways to get to your destination.  By pursuing several strategies you have a higher likelihood of getting there.

For personal and career branding purposes simply answer:

What do you want people to immediately think of when they hear your name?

The How

The how is effectively the tactics you are going to choose to execute to make the what happen.   Career Branding strategic tactics include:

• Network with people who could assist you in achieving your vision.
• Be visible as an individual with advanced or specialized skills.
• Establish forums demonstrating your thought leadership (you do not need to be THE thought leader, just be well versed in the strategies, approaches, and tactics being used today and considered for tomorrow.)
• Promote and communicate your personal brand. Make your name synonymous with your what.

A career branding process consists of the following primary building blocks:

Then;

1. You must begin with an honest assessment of your current position.
2.  You must clearly identify your desired future state. (The Where)
3. You should undertake, a cerebral evaluation of the gap between 1 & 2 and then assess the critical issues to be resolved in order to close the gap. (The What)
4. Finally you create action steps to resolve the critical issues. (The How)

• Remember…thoughtful planning can be as insightful as the actual final plan.

Job Search-Stories Matter

 

Individuals that are laid off clearly experience a seminal moment.  It will forever influence their approach to career branding and planning.   How one reacts to this moment will serve as a proxy for the next phase of their career.

 

___________

 

1941 is best known as the year the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.  December 7, 1941 will forever be a moment etched into everyone’s mind.  Everyone can conjure up a vision of the Kamikaze pilots either from actual film footage or Hollywood generated re-enactments.  The events of that day forever impacted the history of the world.

For sports fans, 1941 is also well known as the year Ted Williams had a .406 batting average playing Major League baseball for the Boston Red Sox.  This was the last time anyone playing in the Major’s accomplished this feat.  As impressive and amazing as that is, there are two lesser known subplots to William’s feat that offer job seekers a moment to ponder their own plight.

• During 1941 spring training, Ted Williams broke a bone in his right ankle.    The injury was devastating to the young Williams. He was forced to think back on all the preparation he had put in for the season and the possibility the injury could ruin his season.  Instead he immediately started on rehabilitation and teaching himself a slightly modified swing that changed his weight shift.  For the first two weeks of the regular season he was forced to play only a part time role as a pinch hitter.   

 

Despite, setbacks how will you make adjustments and persevere in your job search?

 

• On the final day of the 1941 season, Williams had a .39955 batting average.  Statistically his average would have been rounded up to an even .400 if he’d chosen to sit out the final days double header. However, Williams was never one to back down from any challenge.  He believed in himself and played the final day and had an astounding 6 hits in eight at bats to raise his average to .406.  It was the finishing touch on an astounding accomplishment. 

Are you ready to take a chance on re-engineering your career path? 

 

Interviewers look for resilient, confident people. If you do not believe in yourself, it will make it more difficult for others to believe in you.

 

Did you know, stories are remembered more often than facts? 

 

Think about this as you enter your next interview. Saying you increased productivity by x% is less memorable (and thus less effective) than telling the story of why, when and how you increased productivity. Prepare stories that capture who you are, and how you can make a difference for the hiring manager.

Do you hire Jack or Jill?

The hiring manager has a dilemma.  Put yourself in their shoes.

Here is the hypothetical interview conundrum for the hiring manager looking for a worker.

Jack and Jill both applied for the water fetching job they saw on the job board. The qualifications required 5 years of pertinent experience plus proper education, references etc…

Both Jack and Jill had “strong”  interviews, looked professional and told the interviewer:

1) They spent the last 10 years fetching water.

2)     They even have fetched water up a hill.

3)     They both went to college and have liberal arts degrees from reputable schools.

4)      They both said they love fetching water.

5)     They both suggested they work really hard fetching water.

6)      They both said previous bosses, would definitely say they were really good water fetchers.

7)     Then post interview the hiring manager reviewed Google, LinkedIn & Facebook, and confirmed they both check out online. 

 

So, how does the hiring manager decide who to hire?  Where is the differentiation?

• Did either candidate inquire about why the company needs water fetched?
• Did either candidate discuss how they uniquely fetch water?
• Did either candidate probe on the company’s water challenges and goals?
• Did either candidate discuss alternative, efficient water fetching techniques?
• Did either candidate ask why the company did not dig another Well?
• Did either candidate tell the story of What if, the company built a Well on the flat area, to save energy and the personal liability insurance associated with falling on a hill?
• What about building a pump system?

 

Hopefully, the point is now clear.  Interview differentiation is critical. Understanding the hiring managers goal and expressing that not only are you experienced at the task at hand, but also understand the problem, the goal and can help achieve a better future state will really resonate.  There are simply to many people competing for jobs with similar experience and qualifications.

_________________________

Do you actually remember the nursery rhyme?

Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water.

Jack fell down and broke his crown, and Jill came tumbling after.

Up Jack got, and home did trot, as fast as he could caper,

To old Dame Dob, who patched his nob with vinegar and brown paper.

Necessary Job Search Traits

 

If you really put a small value upon yourself, rest assured that the world will not raise your price.  ~Author Unknown

Successful sales people generally possess several traits that make them unique.  These traits allow them to persuade others to see the conclusion the salesperson desires.

Four that stand out are:

1. Communication Skills
2. Ego Drive
3. Resilience
4. Empathy

If a job seeker can harness and embrace these traits, they will have a higher likelihood of achieving their personal career goals.

Communication Skills–In every position a job seeker is targeting they must use written, oral or visual presentation methodologies while being informative, persuasive and most importantly “connecting with the hiring manager”.  Too often job seekers simply provide a well structured resume and talk about their achievements.  Are you utilizing all presentation methodologies and concisely connecting and then ending with clear call to actions?

Ego Drive- Quite simply if has a job candidate, you lack a will to win, you will lose.  Quite simply, you must have a hunger to drive conversations to achieve your goals.

Resilience- It is ok to fail.  Youth sports coaches tell their trainees to “flush it” after a bad play. Salespeople and job seekers must be master flushers. Great salespeople learn from their losses and move on quickly.  There is no time for self pity in a job search or in sales. Activity matters and set backs will happen.  If individuals dwell on unsuccessful outcomes, they are setting themselves up for a lower likelihood of future success.

Empathy – The interview is not about you, but rather the hiring manager.  Too often job seekers fail to ask hiring managers what they are trying to achieve.  Instead they focus on their own personal situation. Great salespeople are masterful at understanding customers concerns. The same trait applies to job seekers.

In branding your career and positioning for job search success, some of these traits are more innate than others, but arguably all can be self driven and taught.

How can you self develop these traits and embed them in your personal  career plan?

Put a high value on yourself and raise your price.

Your Personal QR Code-Resume 3.0?

Why QR Codes May Be The New “It” Thing For Personal Branding

Your personal brand is something that constantly needs to be maintained and groomed in order to be seen as legitimate in your industry. However, what if things like QR (“quick response”) codes are the future of personal branding — and even candidate selection? Sounds really futuristic and perhaps years away, right? Maybe not.

QR codes are those small square barcodes that people can scan with their mobile phones and devices and in turn, receive the information that’s contained within. QR codes are increasing in popularity (they will be on every building permit in New York City by 2013), so it’s a natural progression that they will translate into personal and online branding. But how?

Promote yourself in one step. Say you are at a networking event and someone asks about your social media presence, portfolio, website, or maybe even a combination of the three. Instead of handing them a business card they may or may not look at later, why not have them scan your personal QR code? Vizibility, the first SearchMe Button for Google, recently announced personalized QR codes for all users. When scanned, the QR code displays a user’s top five verified Google search results. This saves all the extra steps the researcher has to go through in order to find out more information. Everything is displayed about you in one scan. You can also include your business card details and contact information, which the person can add right to their address book.

Avoid mistaken identity. A personalized QR code could do wonders for mistaken identity. Why? Well, while performing a normal Google search on someone, there are usually other people with the same name. Having a personalized QR code would set you apart from all the other John Smiths out there, bringing the searcher to the real you. Further, hiring managers are increasingly using search engines while researching candidates. A QR code would not only help them find you, but also it would show your advanced knowledge of technology and your interest in your personal brand.

Resumes are evolving. Let’s face it, paper resumes are likely to go the same direction as CDs and paperbacks, progressing into something more digital. According to Wendy Enelow, executive director of the Career Thought Leaders Consortium, “Resumes are constantly evolving to keep pace with the changing employment landscape. Adding a QR code that links to your specific Google search results is one of the latest and greatest ways to create a multi-dimensional, technologically savvy resume.” The addition of a QR code to your resume could help you stand out to a hiring manger who’s faced with piles of applicants, and in this economy, being memorable could be the extra push you need to get hired.

James Alexander is Vizibility’s founder and CEO. He’s the guy with two first names. If you ‘Googled’ his name in 2009, you would never have found him. Now he ranks within the first few results of a Google search. Find James in Google at vizibility.com/james.

 

Does your personal brand convey a competitive advantage?

 

We are in an instant gratification, sound byte society.  Getting back to someone in the next few days is not good enough.  Texting, IM, Email, Twitter, and the devices that support them have changed our lives forever.  It feels as though the entire world has Attention Deficit Disorder. This has a profound impact on delivering your message. You have only a few seconds to grab someone’s attention.  You need to be memorable & unique, convey what makes you special and leave a clear impression as to your value.

So what is your personal competitive advantage?

Do you have a way to etch this into someone’s mind in 30 seconds?

I would suggest, that answering these two questions is; the essence of personal branding.

I recently had the good fortune of playing Brent Snow’s Interplay business simulation game. It’s an extremely well thought out board game that forces a group of individuals to determine strategic focus, leverage all of a company’s assets (people, money, process, customers etc..) and ultimately communicate the value of the company they are creating.  The game helps provide a broad perspective on the critical factors that influence business success.

It’s hard to get better without practice.  Brent’s Interplay game allows  business people to practice what they spend over 2000 hours a year doing. It’s a clear value proposition. Interplay provides a platform to “practice business”?

At the very start of the game, your team must choose a company name and tagline.  However, in order to do this you must first pick three competitive advantages that will represent your company’s brand.  He provides a list of 8 categories from which you can select, but you must pick three.

Interplay does a wonderful job breaking down these categories of competitive advantage as follows:

1. Innovation: Uniqueness, an original design or process… (think Apple)
2. Premium: Exclusivity, prestige… (think BMW)
3. Synergy: Integration of products & services… (think Microsoft)
4. Cost: Low price, low risk… (think Wal-Mart)
5. Know How: Industry expertise, trusted partner… (think Mayo Clinic)
6. Delivery: convenient access… (think Amazon.com)
7. Velocity: rapid deployment, fast gratification…. (think Fed X)
8. Adaptability: customized , tailored solutions (think Starbucks)

Hmmm, sounds like a good place to start defining an individual’s personal brand.

What competitive advantage are you going to bring a hiring manager?

You may be good at a lot of things, but you must select just a few that are going to represent your personal brand.

Let’s re-read the list of example companies that represent each category: Apple, BMW, Microsoft, Wal-Mart, Mayo Clinic, Amazon, Fed X and Starbucks.  If you mention any of these companies to someone, doesn’t just the name of the firm create an instant association of their “competitive advantage”?

Now think about some of these company’s tag lines:

• The ultimate driving machine.
• Think different!
• When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.
• Always low prices.

You immediately know the company and what they are all about.

Does your personal brand do the same thing?

As stated in the first paragraph of this article:

1. You have only a few seconds to grab someone’s attention.

2. You need to be memorable & unique.

3. You should convey what makes you special and leave a clear impression as to your value.

 

Eight Fundamentals of Job Search

Recently, I received a book written by Sam Parker and Jim Gould called Sales Tough.  It was a gift from Chris Turnley.  Sam and Jim have done a magnificent job of breaking down the key fundamentals it takes to be successful in sales.  I’ve read dozens of books on selling and very few have summarized, so well, in so few words.

… and what does this have to do with Career Marketing and Personal Branding?  Simple, the same principles apply to a successful job search.  Here are the books eight fundamentals as applied to job search.

Fundamental #1- Time Management

You must leverage the working hours as your key direct networking communication time. All other activities are background noise. You know what needs to be done, so do not procrastinate or wait for it to happen. You need to make it happen.

Fundamental #2- Activity matters

It’s a numbers game. You need to build a job opportunity funnel, just like a salesperson builds a prospect funnel. Days should start at 7am and end early evening. Your time is your most valuable asset.  It is also the most valuable asset of the folks you are trying to reach, so be prompt, respectful and efficient.

Fundamental #3 – A Contact Sport

Your day starts  with your first conversation and ends with your last conversation.  Email is important, but is only a form of paperwork. Minimize non-selling/job search activities. Meet face to face.

Fundamental #4 – Opening Statement

Everyone thinks elevator pitch, but in reality it’s the first few words that serve as “The Grabber” to get your prospects attention, or not!

Fundamental #5 – Network – it’s about who you know

Networking is formal and informal. It never ends and the more you embrace it and drive it, the more successful job search you will have.

Fundamental #6 – ABC, the cliché, Always Be Closing

A good close is all about making a concise statement that is personalized to the hiring manager. It should resonate that by bringing you on board, you will make the hiring manager more successful by, removing a pain, or executing on an opportunity, that is currently being unmet.

Fundamental #7 – It’s not about you

Do not discuss your personal issues associated with unemployment or other challenging aspects of your life.  Focus on how you can make the interviewers life better. Career marketing is not about your problems but rather the answers you bring to others problems.

Fundamental #8 – The value in hiring you

• Make yourself exciting, somehow create a personal buzz
• Communicate you are a team player
• Create a message that the hiring manager does not want to compete against you because you are that good.
• Be front of mind as a referral by everyone in your network.

Although Gould and Parker wrote about how to be Sales Tough, the same principles apply to the fundamentals of job search.  You need to be Job Search Tough.