Creating Your Own Job Opportunity: Corporate Blogger

I'm a huge fan of creating your own career opportunities. Why? Because when you create your own career opportunities, in the end, you never work a day in your life because it doesn't feel like work.

Now, before you stop reading because you are asking yourself "Create opportunity, I need money and a job now! I don't have the time for this line of wishful thinking" Hear me out....

Creating Your Own Job Opportunity By Creating A Blog....

What do you want to be known for? When a person needs help in subject "xyz" how do you establish yourself as that person? How do you even get in the running for consideration? What would your first thought be? Submit a resume? That's a start, but a well done resume is a summary of your relevant accomplishments. It gives a snapshot, but doesn't give someone the "whole picture" of how wonderful you really are. But a blog does!

What Is A Blog?

Write articles and post them online. That's the "quick and dirty" definition of what a blog is. A person can blog about anything. One could even comment on other people's blogs and news articles online and make that into a blog. Blogging doesn't take a significant time investment. One could start a blog by taking an hour per week to write a simple and short post. It also doesn't cost anything to create a blog (unless you want to pay), one could start with the user friendly application by Google called "Blogger" (this is what this blog uses).

How Your Blog Opens Up Career Opportunities For You

Establishes You As A Subject Matter Expert In Your Field....

Find your "niche", your "thing", your "passion", the thing that you would love to do - all day long. Then dedicate yourself to featuring nothing but information related to that topic only. Start by posting blog entries once per week on your topic. An example might be someone that's interested in trends for legal opportunities in the "Green Energy" industry. Therefore, anything that person finds related to that subject. Any thought that person has that is related to trends in the legal field as it relates to the "Green Energy" industry they would want to "file away" as great material that could be featured on their blog and write about it. By consistently writing about a specific area and dedicating yourself to staying on top of movements and innovations in your field you building up your reputation and "personal brand" as an expert over time. If a potential employer comes across your blog they will see your dedication and consider you when an opportunity opens up featuring your topic.

Shows How You Add Value - You Are Interesting...
Writing content for your blog and having a niche focus is one thing - a very important thing. However, don't loose sight of the fact that you are still marketing yourself. This is a living, breathing, and ever evolving professional portfolio of your capabilities. Therefore, keep in mind that you want to keep your content interesting to your readers. Not sure if what you've written is interesting? Post it and ask someone's opinion that's in the industry. Then ask someone that's not in the industry to give theirs. It's a great start to learning what works and what doesn't.

Show's That You Have "Stick To "Ittiveness"...."
Consistency is key. If you want someone to consider you as reliable for a job, you should show - reliability! Stick to your blog by posting regular updates. Don't abandon it. There will be times you feel as if you are "posting in the dark" and that no one is reading your posts. But there is always someone that will have read your post and may be trying to make the decision to come back and read again (or tell their friends about you). Also, consistent updates to your blog help improve your blog's search rankings.

Gives You A Reason To Network - You Have Something To Offer....
Think of yourself as a news reporter working for your own publication. You have a legitimate reason to speak to and to contact people now. You have something to offer - your past and future blog postings. You have an audience to share and inform. Therefore, don't be afraid to approach people. If you would like to be featured in someone else's blog as a guest poster or would like to interview someone because you would like material for your blog - go for it! If you see an article or a book that you like and would like to write a blog entry about it, try contacting the author. You never know, they may like the idea of you writing about them and may refer you to other opportunities - there's your networking! The "news reporter" in you has an obligation to share information with the world!

In Conclusion....
As the old expression goes "If you do what you love, then you will never work a day in your life." Taking this approach takes time to work. But all we have is time. We can choose to spend our days and years counting the calender towards retirement. If you are doing what you don't like or aren't excited about doing every day, then that calender seems like "the watched pot that never boils". Your days will feel loooong. If you use the above approach, then you take steps to change your employment situation for the better and wind up creating your own opportunities. You will use your time wisely and end up with opportunities that make you happy for the long term - and when looking at that same calender - time will just fly by!

Thank you for reading! Feel free to comment below!

LinkedIn Experiment Part 2

Welcome to the “LinkedIn Experiment!”

To uncover job opportunities and show how to expand a social network by utilizing LinkedIn (and a bit of Twitter), I will post my findings to this blog once and/or twice per week every week from January 2009 – April 2009. Those that are looking for a job, or looking to expand their professional contacts will find the “LinkedIn Experiment” useful, because I will provide information on my progress that you can use to help you find a job or expand your network of professional contacts.

Step 1: Join A Group!
On LinkedIn I’ve discovered an interesting feature on the left side of the screen called “Groups”. After clicking on this option, I noticed an opportunity to search for groups. Since I’m the Career Specialist for the School of Legal Studies, I decided to look up the word “paralegal” resulting in 43 items in the search results. So, I decided to join a few groups that were familiar to me such as
- Paralegal Gateway
- Paralegal Network
- The Paralegal Group

The instructions for joining a “Group” are easy. Just click “Join this group” option at the bottom, select a few options in the next screen and then hit the button called “Join this group.”

Now the waiting begins…. Group organizers can review your profile and decide if they want to approve your request to join. Some organizers quickly accept you, others leave you waiting.

Fortunately, I’ve been accepted to a few groups that I requested, so now I can look at their discussion boards to see what’s going on.

After scrolling through a few posts, I notice a job opening for a Litigation Paralegal Manager so I contact the person that posted the position….

Step 2: Found a Job Posting
I contacted the person that posted the job via e-mail. After a few e-mails, I asked for her phone number because there’s only so much that can be learned via e-mail and phone calls are more personal. A brief discussion reveals that
- The position is close to being filled, but…
- Another position is available for a HR Generalist

After providing me with the initial job description we agree she will follow up via e-mail with the remaining details. Since Kaplan University has a School of Business and an MBA program, we can still list the position on our school’s on-line job board.

LESSON LEARNED
Although the original job opportunity may not be available, it is still helpful to learn of other job opportunities coming up. Who knows? You may be able to help the hiring manager (and someone else at the same time) by referring someone. This increases the chances of you being remembered as a person that works with the hiring manager to help solve their problem instead of "job seeker xyz". Therefore, the next time a position opens up in an area that you are interested in, you are more likely to be considered.

Was this helpful? Let me know!!

The Linked In Experiment: Part One

Ever since Thad Greer, Owner of South Florida Management Search held his first seminar with Kaplan University last year called "How To Blog Your Way To A Job" I've become interested in the potential of blogs and social networking sites (Twitter, LinkedIn, and FaceBook). I STRONGLY feel that they can transform a job seekers job search and improve their chances for promotion by expanding their network.

Why is this important? Because statistically, 80% of available jobs are hidden. That's right - 80%! So, what about the jobs you see on sites like Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com? Or your local newspaper? Well, they are the 20% of advertised jobs. Don't take my word for it. There are countless articles on this factoid. One Google search of the term ""Hidden Job Market" and "80 percent"" yields over 800 websites attesting to this fact in Google's search results.

So, I've decided to "put my money where my mouth is" so to speak and start building an online profile. Not for me - but for you! As I discover opportunities, I'm going to post how I found them on this blog once per week. This way, you can follow in my footsteps and start building an online presence, start networking, and start finding hidden opportunities - for yourself!

My first stop - LinkedIn.

I'll post the first of my findings next week. In the meantime, let me know your thoughts. Have you used LinkedIn before? Would you like to know more about it? Do you know of any other sites I should try? Feel free to comment.

Don't Take a "Holiday" From Your Job Search!!

As the old song goes "It's the most wonderful time of the year!"

Well, with climbing unemployment numbers and the nation engrossed in a transition of power from one president to another, this song lyric may make most people groan inwardly. If your first impulse is to bury your head under the covers until the start of the New Year - not so fast! Why? Because the holidays are the best time to job search!

More Holiday Parties = More Networking Opportunity
Feeling crummy about your job situation? Don't stay home. If your financial circumstances permit, attending one holiday party can open up your social network and position you to learn about upcoming company openings.

Stay Ahead Of The Competition
Your competition/fellow job seekers will begin their searches January 2nd. Get the "jump" on your competition by scheduling "Informational Interviews" with prospective hiring managers to learn about your industry and about possible job openings. This way, hiring managers will be able to connect a "face with a name" next time you apply to an open position.

Stay Healthy
Nothing worse than starting the New Year with a bad cold or flu. Guard your health with your life. Eat at least 2 fresh fruits and 3 cups of fresh vegetables per day for optimal health. You will experience increased energy, fight fatigue, and these foods it will help your brain stay focused.

How To: Use Your Blog to Enhance Your Career and Find a Job

Blogs, like newsletters are a great way to open up the world of opportunities for your career. They are so effective that, when written well, no one in the workforce can afford to pass up the opportunities they create. So, let’s talk about the “written well” part and 4 tips on how to approach it. These tips can make the difference between someone reading your blog and thinking “wow, I want to talk to that person” to having no thoughts at all about you – and we don’t want that to happen!

Give the Blog “Your Voice” – Personalize It!

• Tell your story – but in a professional way. Share a picture or two. Remember, readers are people too, and people buy from people they trust.


• Problem solve – talk about an assignment you “tackled”, your opinion on an issue and why you feel/how you feel it could have been performed better. Helped out a co-worker or your boss? Talk about how you solved the problem. Always remember to keep it brief. A paragraph or two works well.

Invite Others to Comment – Engage Your Audience!

• Ask a question to your readers - get their opinion on an issue. Invite people to your blog and ask them to leave feedback. Make sure to check your blog to ensure you acknowledge people as they post feedback. You don’t have to reply to everyone, but it helps to reply at least once or twice per topic to let your readers know that you are paying attention to them.


• Someone else have a blog that you like? Mention it in your blog and then tell that person about it. You never know, the person may leave a comment on your blog or recommend your blog to their readers.

Brand Yourself – Focus, Focus, Focus!

• Focus your blogging message. What do you want to be known for? What do you want to be viewed as a “subject matter expert” in? List 3 areas you would like readers to think of you and come to your site for related content. Develop content related to and for these areas – ONLY.


• Feature a “Top Five” or “Top 10″ lists to focus your blog and make it fun to read. Always list your best tip at the top to grab reader’s attention.

Avoid Writer’s Block – Read!

• Have a thought, but don’t have a pen? Use your cell phone!! Call yourself and leave a message in your voice mail about your idea. Save it and write it down when you have time.


• Over time, readers will post questions pertaining to the same subject area. If you notice this, make a special note of it, research each item, and write a post for each topic. Taking this approach will ensure you have plenty of topics ready to go!


• Set up a Google Alert pertaining to your blog’s subject areas. Google will search the web for items related to your search criteria and deliver articles right to your mailbox!!!
  

To create a blog for free, I highly recommend Google’s “Blogger” tool. It’s so simple; you can create a blog in less than 5 minutes!!!