LinkedIn Experiment Part 6: Your Past Employers

Like the ghost of Christmas past, where you have worked before will always "haunt" you. It will "haunt" you when filling out job applications, interviews, and even when filling out your LinkedIn profile.

When setting up a LinkedIn profile, pay special attention to the "Experience" section. This section is so important that you may want to take a few days - or a week - to correctly complete this section. Because it reflects - you - and communicates how well you could "do the job" if a hiring manager were considering contacting you for an open position.

First - Think of Yourself As A Company - "You, Inc."

Think of yourself as a company - "You Inc."

Think of the "Experience" section as the equivalent of a company website's "Products & Services" and/or "About Us" section. If you were to visit a company's website and read these two sections, it would give you a good idea of the following:

• What the company has to offer/What does the company do



• What the company can "do for you" - also known as the - "why you should care factor"

Depending on how well these sections are worded, readers may get an "extra bonus" because the company will share their accomplishments and awards in their field to establish credibility. Which leads us to...

What Does Your Company - "You, Inc." Stand For?

What do you want to be known for? If you are searching for a job, you want to create a clear and consistent message of who you are and when hiring managers should think of you.

For example, if you are seeking a paralegal/legal assistant career in family law then you want hiring managers to think of you as the person that can solve their problems by performing the job of paralegal/legal assistant well. Maybe you even have a track record in certain areas that a paralegal/legal assistant performs or encounters every day. Perhaps you even have a certain characteristic that "crosses over" into this industry very well - like demonstrating a professional attitude under highly stressful situations. Remember, hiring managers are human beings first. When a hiring manager has a problem they don't think of the solution to the problem in job titles - "Hmm, I'm really swamped and I have 10 more child custody clients to see today which means I will not leave the office until 11:00 pm tonight" **sigh** "Last week our clients got into a shouting match and it took a long time to calm everyone down and get back on track." **another sigh** "Would have been great if I had some help to handle these high stress situations so our office could stay on schedule...."

See, in this situation, the hiring manager doesn't think "Would have been great if I had a paralegal." The hiring manger thinks, "Would have been great if I had some help to handle these high stress situations so our office could stay on schedule...."

What Does This Have To Do With The "Experience" Section of LinkedIn?

A whole lot...

If you have experience in handling high stress situations - no matter where you worked in the past - and a bullet point under a company that you worked for in the "Experience" section - it would look like this:

ABC Employer

Job Title

• "Demonstrated ability to address high stress situations resulting in improving operations and increasing client satisfaction to consistently meet deadline"

Then this will increase the chances of a hiring manager that comes across your LinkedIn profile wanting to know more about you (because you have experience in an area they need help in) which leads to an interview and possibly - a job.

Contact Your Last Employer

Remember last week's article on using the recommendation feature in LinkedIn? This is when you would utilize this approach. If possible - try contacting your last employer (it can be your boss, co-worker, or subordinate) and ask for a recommendation in the area that you want you/"You, Inc." to be known for. This way, when a hiring manager reviews your profile, the recommendation "backs up" your statements of "being able to do the job" thus giving you more credibility.

If you can't reach your last employer, then start with your current employer by securing recommendations that provide greater insight into the area you want to be known for.

Over time, taking this approach will help you find a job because you will have customized an Experience section based off of what hiring managers are looking for instead of just tossing a "laundry list" of past job duties that may or may not relate to the the job you are looking for - resulting in a more effective and targeted job search.

Give it a try!

LinkedIn Experiment Part 5: The Recommendation Feature

How do you feel when you are recommended for something? Good? "Warm and Fuzzy" Inside?

How do you feel when you are searching for something important such as a doctor, dentist, or a babysitter? Frustrated? Hopefull?

Imagine this scenario:
You are walking down the street and a complete stranger walks up to you and says, "Hi, I'm a doctor, if you need me give me a call"

Now imagine this scenario:
You are chatting with a co-worker and you tell them that you need to find a doctor. One week later, you co-worker drops a sheet of paper on your desk with the number to a doctor and recommends you give them a call.

Which doctor would you call? Doctor "A" off of the street or doctor "B" referred by your co-worker?

Most would pick doctor "B".

What Does This Have To Do With LinkedIn?
Everything... Or at least a whole lot. LinkedIn has a feature built in that allows people to recommend you. I HIGHLY recommend you use this feature. Employers and staffing firms "Google" candidates and sometimes look for candidates before a position is even advertised. Your LinkedIn profile looks more credible when you have recommendations and increases the chances of you being considered for a job.

But Wait..... Don't Just Ask For Any Ol' Recommendation....
You are building an "online brand" remember? So your recommendations will be different. Think about 3 things you want to be known for. These are the areas you want to build your "case" for. So, you will want people that can provide recommendations to "back up" that you can "do the job" in the areas that you want to be known for. Therefore, when asking for a recommendation - be specific. For example, if you want to be known as the best researcher in the world, then ask people that you have performed research for to write a recommendation based on their experiences with you in the areas of research. This way, if a hiring manager is looking for a great researcher, they will see that someone (or several someones) recommended you highly in this area.

In the end, you increase your chances of finding a job because of this unique approach because it increases your credibility and your ability to “do the job” better than anyone else.

Tell me what you think. Did this post help you think of using LinkedIn in a different way? Chime in!

4 Reasons Why You Won't Get A "Gig" in 2009

It's 2009 - YAY!!!

But you need a job - BOO!!!

So what's a person to do? You have a new year, a fresh start, and time. Well, not exactly. Time is your worst enemy. The clock is ticking and the stakes are higher than ever before. With over 10 million Americans out of work, unemployment numbers are high, and climbing higher it seems. What does this mean for you? Well, spending time conducting your job search the wrong way by doing the following will ensure that time works against you and you won't get the "Gig" you looking for in 2009. So, let's explore what NOT to do in 2009.

You're Quiet About Your Job Search

The fastest way to kill any chances of finding a job in 2009 is to let feelings of shame, depression, or guilt creep in. Feelings of inadequacy abound because sometimes job seekers feel that they are to blame for the state of unemployment that they are in. So, they are quiet about their search because of the shame. Stop it. Right now. Instead, start talking to people. Kids in school? Talk to other parents while waiting to pick little Johnnie/Joanne up. Talk to the person waiting with you on the bus, talk to the person you normally see while grocery shopping. You never know who knows someone that wants to know you.

You're Very Specific About What You Want

Although it's good to know what you want in a job search, being inflexible is not going to help you land a job. Want to work as a paralegal in a law firm? That's great, but have you considered applying to something else besides a law firm? What about a company's legal department? Maybe the job title doesn't say "paralegal" but instead, it says "legal analyst" - with some of the same duties as a paralegal. Don't overlook opportunities like these. Accepting an offer for a position that meets 80% of what you want to do is better than holding out for the "perfect job" and receiving no job offers at all.

You're Beginning To Believe "They" Just Don't Want To Hire You

Many job seekers come to me and tell me that "they" just don't want to hire someone like them. If you've ever had this thought - "Hiring managers don't want to hire a girl/guy that's _____ (fill in the blank)". STOP IT RIGHT NOW!!!! Remember these words as you move forward with your job search - "It's NOT personal". Every hiring manager isn't out to "get" you. Although there's always one "bad apple" in the bunch, all hiring managers are not bad people. They are simply looking for the person with the best qualifications that match what the company is looking for. If they didn't see it in you and you feel that you are a strong fit for the position, take a second look at your resume and your interviewing skills.

You Think Social Networking Sites Like "Twitter" and "Facebook" Are For Losers

This is a new day! More people are using social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Linked In to connect. Connect with people though these sites by adding well thought out conversations and posts. Don't just "jump into" these discussions by posting - "Does anyone have a job?" This approach is too brash. It's the equivalent of you conducting a dinner party with family and friends and someone walking into your home, planting themselves in the center of the room and standing on top of the dinner table and shouting "Does anyone have a job?" How would receptive would you and your guests be to this person? Instead, join these sites and work towards building relationships.

Do these tips help? Let me know. Or share some additional tips if you have them. Feel free to comment!