LinkedIn and the College Student

I was helping a college student with her LinkedIn profile. She asked me if LinkedIn can help college students and of course I answered in the affirmative.  Why not have a leg up on the competition by having a LinkedIn account now rather than after graduation?  You can always update it to reflect your different experiences and skills.  So what did we do?

1.   We created a Summary or Background statement and wrote it in the first person; you know "I" and "My".  In it we showcased the skills that she has grown into as a student and part time employee.  We looked up the skills needed in her chosen (for now at least) professional and worked those into her statement.  For example, if the skills needed in a future job include problem solving and decision making, we used those words to describe some of her characteristics (as long as it's honest). We downloaded her resume here too.

2.   We added more to the Employment section than company name and title.  We completed a quick description of the position responsibilities.  We found some of those words by Goggling the company website. 

3.    We added Skills and Expertise: We added these as they related to the jobs she has had and the jobs she is interested in.  We also added some of her more technical skills such as Microsoft Office.

4.    We Collected Volunteering and Organizations: We added the names of the organizations for which she volunteers and a short description of what she does.

5.   We Searched for Groups:: We looked for groups in her college major, college groups, college internship groups and the college or university LinkedIn page.

6.     We Added Contacts: I showed her how to invite people using real words and not the canned invitation and left that to her.

7.    We Looked for Companies to Follow: I showed her how that worked and let her select those on her own.

      8.  We Selected a Photograph: We selected a professional looking head-shot from her "thousands" of  photos.

That’s it.  It took a couple of hours but at least this young college student can stand apart from the crowd with a professional LinkedIn profile.  It certainly won’t hurt her chances of finding an internship or professional position down the road.

On Having Fun at Work and School

I was reading an article on LinkedIn about the lack of play or fun in organizations and this led to many thought-provoking comments about the lack of play in schools.  One man said that play is a structure that kids are placed into to work around the narrow requirements of the parent’s work schedule.  Wow. Another commented that as a teacher he has noticed that many children don’t seem to know what to do with themselves when given free time or a recess.  The kids may have more equipment and balls than we had in school yet they don’t seem to know what to do with it all. Another mentioned that all the testing and structure and requirements that go on in school don’t take into account the right-brained children; those that thrive on creativity and arts. 

That’s all very sad.

I belong to a Facebook group that celebrates the memories of an elementary school.  They talk about their favorite teachers and memories. My dad was a teacher at that school so I joined to bring in some of the memories that he shared with me.  It’s funny; these folks are all grown up and have families and successful careers of their own.  When they talk about the school they talk about the teachers who took them on walks to identify trees and seeds, they talk about the 5^th grade vs. the 6^th grade baseball game, they talk about the Christmas play, they talk about the love, compassion and impact they felt from specific teachers and they talk about the fun they had learning. 

My dad, the teacher that they all mentioned in the above categories used to tell me that when I found my calling or profession that I should love it and have fun with it or move on to something else.  I was lucky enough to have experienced fun and teamwork and synergy my entire career.  I swear that it came from having fun as a kid.  I think that rather than concentrating so much on common core standards and left-brain mentality, educators and administrators should inject a little play, arts and recess into the schools.  Perhaps we’d get better rounded employees out of it, those who can have fun in their jobs and grow the company profits while doing so.

Job Search During the Holidays

Just because the holidays are quickly approaching doesn’t mean that it is a time to slack off on your job search; especially networking. The holidays bring in plenty of opportunities to meet with new and old friends and to let them know that you are actively searching for work. The key is to build relationships, keep your eyes open for opportunities but not let it consume you. Target family and friend gatherings, volunteer or professional group end of year celebrations, neighborhood parties... I think you get the idea.



Here are a couple of tips:
1. Be prepared with a short, casual elevator speech. Think of what you’ll say if people ask about you about yourself. Here is an example.

You: “Hi Joan, how have you been?”
Joan: “Great but so busy lately, how about you? How are things?”
You: “Good but like you trying to get everything done with the few weeks that we have left to the year. I’m also in the middle of a job search. My company outsourced my department a few weeks ago and on top of the holiday rush, I’m also trying to find a new job.”
Joan: “It’s ridiculous – this is going on everywhere. What is it that you do again? I'm sure you told me but I forgot.”
You: “I’m technical writer and I really love it. I want to stay in the field and have started serious job hunting. If you happen to know anyone in your company or from your contacts, I sure would appreciate the help.”
Joan: “Let me think about who I might know. Let’s talk more after the holidays.”
You: “That would be great, thanks Joan. By the way, how is the college search going for Erin?”

2. Listen and be open to the person that you’re talking with. In other words, don’t make it all about you.

3. Be gracious with everyone.

4. Have fun, give yourself a break and enjoy yourself. Don’t be caught off guard but don’t feel as if you have to push yourself constantly.

Talking, listening, laughing and sharing are all parts of networking; all a part of life. It's important to be prepared for any networking situation but enjoy your friends and family first and savor the season.

Interviewing Questions for the Second Interview

Honestly, if you don’t go into a job interview with a few questions for the interviewer, why even bother going to the interview? You will be removed from the list of candidates in a heartbeat if when asked, “Do you have any questions for me?” you respond, ”No thanks, you’ve been quite thorough.”

It’s easy enough to Google questions to ask the interviewer in an initial interview. Some questions can include:

a. What is the company environment like?

b. What concerns need to be addressed immediately?

c. What do you see happening with this position for the next 3 to 6 months?

d. What are the particular attributes needed to succeed in this job?

e. What are the challenges a person coming to this job will face?

What if you are called back for a second interview and this time it is with your potential peers or team members?  There are questions for that group too.  Similar to the questions used in the first interview they can include:

 1. How would you describe the company culture?

 2. What do you like about working for the company? or What have you enjoyed most about working for the company?

 3. What made you decide to work for this company?

 4. What have past employees done to succeed in this position?

 5. Are there opportunities for training or professional development at the company?

 6. What kinds of people really grow here?

 7. What are the critical challenges your team is facing right now? How can the person stepping into the role help?

Your questions show that you care enough to prepare and research a company. To these add your ability to answer behavioral and common interviewing questions and having an idea of the products and services of the organization. They can only increase your chances of doing well in the interview. 

LinkedIn Recommendations

As I prepare for another Creating a LinkedIn Profile program, I noticed that I didn’t include a section on recommendations.  That’s an important piece to LinkedIn. It’s especially helpful for potential employers to read what your past manager co-workers, directors and other folks that you may have worked with think of your work. Here is how you do it:

1. Move your cursor over your photo in the top right of your homepage and select Privacy and Settings. You may be prompted to sign in to your account.

2. Click the Manage your Recommendations link under Settings

3. Click Ask to be recommended  after each job listing

4. In the "Who do you want to ask?" section, enter name(s) of your connections into the text field or click the LinkedIn icon to search a listing of all of your connections.  

5. Use the template LinkedIn provides to ask for a recommendation or better yet, create your own letter asking for recommendation.

6. Hit Send

To make a recommendation for someone else, go to the same Privacy and Settings area and follow the same steps for Manage your Recommendations. Click Make a Recommendation towards the bottom of the page and follow these steps:

1. Select a name of the person you’d like to recommend from your LinkedIn connections

2. Follow the prompts asking how and where you know this person and then write out your recommendation. 

3. Click submit.

1

Are Cover Letters Still a Good Thing?

A recent survey asked HR managers about their thoughts on cover letters.  Ninety seven percent said that while they may not always read them, they better be included. Why include a cover letter?  A cover letter sets you apart from other candidates and allows you to showcase your brand. Since it’s the first impression a recruiter or hiring manager has of you, it’s vital in these days of job insecurity that you identify what makes you a specialist, expert or a leader in your field. 

There are a couple of different formats to writing a cover letter but the important part is that it is unique to you and to the open position.  Don’t use the same cover letter for every position.  Don’t lift something from your resume and plop it down in your cover letter either. Rather, explain how your background and experience can fill the open needs identified by the company

You can use a standard bulleted list or the newer “T” format. The bulleted summary statement emphasizes your particular strengths and achievements. .  If the job responsibilities call for experience in scheduling, communication and event planning then you need to succinctly highlight your experience in these areas. In the “T” you can create a column or “T” that matches the job skills needed by the employer with your skills and experience.”

Here is an example of a “T” cover letter.  You can substitute the middle paragraph with a standard bulleted list if you’d rather stick with the tried and true.

Proper Salutation/Address Information Date
Dear Mr. /Ms. Last Name;
The open position for a Human Resources Assistant, listed on the (company) website calls for many of the abilities I have developed in my 10 years of Human Resources experience. My background indicates experience and successful implementation of a number of innovative recruiting processes with (company) including:

In the body of the cover letter, set up a "T" column. On the left side of the "T", write out several of the job requirements. On the right side of the "T", state your accomplishments as they relate to each of the listed job requirements.


There are other areas of my background including my educational background, solid social networking and employee referral abilities, on-boarding program design and organization skills that may also be of interest to you. I look forward to the opportunity of meeting with you personally to discuss how I might fit into your organization. 

Sincerely,

Name
Phone number




 

New Interviewing Technique

I just read a group discussion on LinkedIn about a new hiring technique.  The woman who started the conversation said that she no longer asks for resumes; instead she has applicants send her answers to these three questions:

·        Tell me everything you know about my company

·        Why you are applying for this job?

·        What makes you a great employee?

If she likes the answers she will call them for a telephone interview and then, if she really likes them, she will invite them in for a panel interview.  Talk about pressure.

As an applicant you must do your research on the company and the position. You need to be prepared with specific examples of your accomplishments and skill set. That’ a given.  If you don’t, well, it’s your loss and hopefully you’ll be better prepared next time.  An organization is looking to weed many candidates to get to the very best match. That said, it’s almost as if some companies are taking a “better than thou” approach to hiring these days by coming up with all sorts of new hiring and rather odd hiring techniques.  I’m not talking so much about the example I read this morning although that technique is teetering on the edge of unnecessary torture. I’m talking about the wacky questions that appear to have no relation to the open position. Questions like:

·        How many planes are currently flying over Kansas? (Question asked at Best Buy)

·        How many cows are there in Canada? (Question ask at Google)

·        A penguin walks through that door right there wearing a sombrero.  What does he say and why is he here? (Question asked at Clark Construction Group)

·        Can you say Peter Piper picked a pickled pepper and sell us a washing machine at the same time? (Question asked at MasterCard)

·        What do you think of garden gnomes? (Question asked at Trader Joes)

If any of these question deal with the open position or the company then OK but as a business owner, I would want to ask questions relating to the applicant’s skills set.  I’d want to see if there is a match and from my interviewing questioning get an idea of the applicant’s communication and interpersonal skills.

Sometimes I think that companies are playing games and with the unemployment numbers high (I’m talking about the real numbers); these new interviewing techniques are unwarranted. What do you think? Have you come across this in your interviewing?