Career Attraction Weekly Wrap-up – August 14, 2010
Wow…this has been a crazy week (not quite THAT crazy…but close 
). On Wednesday, Group Coaching began and I held a free webinar (you can watch it here – but only until Monday – when you listen in you will know why). Then, on Thursday evening, I announced that I’d hold free, 1-on-1 coaching for the first 22 people to grab up the spots. They were gone in less than an hour. I was blown away and I’m looking forward to talking to you all on Monday. For those who didn’t get a slot, I am looking at my calendar to see when I can do this again in the future. It’s a regular occurrence for those in Career Attraction University and always a high point in my week!
OK…on to what happened last week:
5 Secrets to Uncovering the Hidden Job Market – I’ll only have this webinar recording up until midnight and Monday. When you listen to it you’ll know why. I’ve gotten some great feedback from those who joined me on Wednesday and would love to know what you think after you watch it. You can check it out here.
LinkedIn v.Facebook – 263 vs. 170 and counting. If you haven’t joined us on LinkedIn and Facebook, come on in…the water is fine. This week there wasa great discussion started by Chip Hysler on Informational Interviews in the LinkedIn Group. Check it out! Have a question? Want to share some information? These are great places to “pay it forward.”
Examiner Column – This week I tackled two topics in my Examiner column…When it’s Best NOT to Ask for a Job and Is Your Job Search Networking Missing Something.
Is there something you’d like for me to tackle there on on the blog? Let me know at kevin@careerattraction.com
Volunteer Your Way to a New Opportunity – Most of us have a charity or group where we volunteer our time and efforts. In the midst of a job search, particularly a stressful one, it would seem natural to dial back your involvement. But, this is one place where you shouldn’t retreat. The relationships you have established – even if new or underdeveloped – in the places you volunteer can be extremely powerful in your job search. Increasing your involvement can very well lead to a job offer in a place you never expected to find one. Read more here…
Here’s what’s happening in Career Attraction University…
2010 LIVE Job Search Bootcamp Training – I announced that I’ll be holding a new Bootcamp starting September 7th. As a Career Attraction University member, you are automatically enrolled at no extra charge – you don’t need to do a thing or pay a thing. I know there have been some questions about this and I hope that clears it up. If there’s anything else you need to know, feel free to email me at kevin@careerattraction.com
1-on-1 Coaching – Thursday, August 19th from 9amEST – 12pmEST there are private, 1-on-1 coaching slots available. Sign-up in the members section and I’ll look forward to talking with you!
This Month’s Webinars – On Wednesday, August 18th and 12:00pmEST we will have our Q&A Webinar for August. Send your questions to university@careerattraction.com or ask them live on the call. The next Wednesday, August 25th at 12:00pmEST we have out monthly SME Webinar. The topic is TBD. I have a few ideas, but would love to know what you’d like to hear about. Email me your thoughts at kevin@careerattraction.com.
Registration information for both will be sent out to members next week.
NEW VIDEOS – New training videos on posting to LinkedIn Groups quicker (and more easily) and creating surveys, autoreponders and opt-in boxes for your website with iContact.
Have some specific training you’d like for your search? Email me at kevin@careerattraction.com and I’ll get working on it for you!
Not a member of Career Attraction University? For less than one dollar a day you can access all this information and more. Sign-up here and get started today!
LinkedIn vs. Facebook – The Update (221 to 153)
In July, I announced that I’d be giving away 10 FREE Career Attraction University (CAU) memberships when we hit 1000 members in our LinkedIn Group and Facebook Page. As you know, CAU is all about providing you resources, tools and training to stand out in your career, start attracting opportunities and stop chasing after jobs.
Well, as of this morning we are at a collective 374. And, while patience is a virtue, I’ve decided to giveaway a total of 20 FREE CAU memberships – 10 for LinkedIn Group members and 10 for Facebook Page members. If you see your name listed below, just email us at ezine@careerattraction.com to get rolling!
Career Attraction LinkedIn Group – Kelly Lowe, James Porter, Clint Covey, Tony Joseph, Nancy Conelley, Robert Arseneau, Treena Hogan, John Kailey, Freddie Bleiweiss, Jill Swanson!
Career Attraction Facebook Page -Jordan Fox, Cheri Spring, Jim Elliott, Andree Weger, Ruth Nash, Mike Lauderdale, Maxine McClellan, John Villeneau, Lisa Bailey, Elena Cata!
Want to be eligible for a free giveaway and see your name in one of these posts? It’s easy. Here is all you need to do…
1) Join the Career Attraction LinkedIn Group and then add some content for everyone’s benefit. Start a discussion, offer some advice, link to an article you found helpful. Think in terms of how you can help others…when we collectively do this, it has an amazingly large impact.
2) Join the Career Attraction Facebook Page. Same thing applies…comment on an article, “like” a post or (even better yet) add some content that others will find helpful.
I’ll be giving away memebrships and other great freebies, but you have to be part of our communities on LinkedIn and/or Facebook to be eligible. And, of course, participate by helping others!
Thanks and I look forward to seeing what you have to share!
Facebook Webinar Q&A with Sharon Feingold – Creator of Hire My Friend
There were a number of questions we didn’t get to in last week’s webinar – “Using Facebook as Part of Your Job Search Strategy.” So, Sharon Feingold (creator of the Hire My Friend application for Facebook) joined me again to run through them – as well as give another demonstration of her app in action!
The Job Search Sucks…We’ve Got an App for That
Last month, I met Sharon Feingold, creator of the Hire My Friend application for Facebook. I was struck by not only the “pay it forward” power of this tool, but by Sharon’s entrepreneurial and giving attitude in creating it. Simply put she had an idea and developed an application for no other reason than to help people find jobs. How cool is that?
It goes without saying that I had to talk to her. Sharon spent a few minutes shedding some light on Hire My Friend, how it came to be and what it does.
Kevin: How did you come up with the idea behind Hire My Friend?
Sharon: As a former healthcare recruiter turned freelance creative in New York City, I often find myself trying to connect people that might be great collaborators. The referral system is how I’ve built my career as a voiceover talent. If it weren’t for countless people assisting me and referring me to others, I would not have been able to build the career I love.
So from that, I learned how important referrals are as a way to help your career growth – but much more importantly, as a way to help others. According to my religion, Judaism, finding someone a job is actually the highest form of charity.
Kevin: That is a great perspective. One of the things I really like about the application is how it leverages the exceptionally powerful viral effect that social media can have while being entirely selfless. It’s more advocacy than networking.
Sharon: Exactly. Hire My Friend as an idea for a Facebook application really began to evolve after I co-organized and ran a couple of networking events for young creatives in the entertainment/media industry. At these events last year, the fallout of the recession become so apparent. A large majority of our attendees were out of work – but still grateful to meet people in new circles of influence. We had some great success stories from these events, and people found new positions and collaborators.
In that same spirit, when I send out a quarterly newsletter to my friends and colleagues, I always include a section called “Shameless Friend Promotion”, where I feature a fellow creative who is either unemployed or freelancing. Then it dawned on me that everyone could do “shameless friend promotions” so easily using Facebook. A producer always needs a director, a director needs a writer, a writer might need an animator, and so on and so forth. And I realized that each promotion on Facebook would create a new avenue of exposure for someone looking for work, no matter what industry or path they’ve chosen. If 10 friends showcase a friend, and each has 500 friends, the potential is exposure to 5000 friends. But even more – exposure to whoever those 5000 people might know in their own individual networks. Friends like to browse through other friends’ profiles, so if they become accustomed to looking to see who their friend is showcasing, Hire My Friend could become a powerful tool.
Kevin: I love it because this is crossover from that fine line of personal and professional networking in a very non-pushy way. Completely transparent and aimed at “paying it forward,” which social media respond to very well.
So, tell us, how exactly does “Hire My Friend” work?
Sharon: The funny thing is, it’s just a very, very simple tool. If you are the one showcasing a friend, once you add the application, it prompts you to select a friend, and write a little bit of information about that friend and the position they are looking for. This then creates a little “profile within a profile” under your list of friends in the column of your profile page, as well as an announcement in your live feed for all of your friends to see. Viewers can see what type of position your friend is looking for, as well as find a link to add them as a friend, send them a message, or view their LiinkedIn profile.
If you are the one looking for a job, you fill out a form on a different tab asking a friend to showcase you. Facebook sends a notification to that friend letting them know they have a request pending. Once that friend adds the application they can complete the request by writing their personal recommendation and then posting it to their feed and profile.
Kevin: Thanks again, Sharon, for not only developing this app but taking some time to share both what it does and the muse behind its creation!
Want to learn more about Hire My Friend and meet its creator Sharon Feingold? She will be one of my special guests on the free webinar “Using Facebook as Part of Your Job Search Strategy” on Tuesday, February 23rd at 12:00pm EST. I hope you will join us…and please share this with anyone you think might be interested!
5 Reasons Why Social Media MUST Be Part of Your Job Search
There’s a lot of static out there about Social Media and its place in the job search process. Many think it is a bit of a time drain with little return on investment. And, like anything else, without a “plan” it can be just that. But, properly implemented, it can be a more powerful catalyst to getting your job search engine off and running than just about any other single tool out there. This is largely because it embodies a collection of qualities that, combined, can streamline your search efforts while putting the maximum amount of pressure on a pinpoint area – your target position:
Visibility – These mediums allow you access to an unlimited amount of professionals within your targeted audience. What’s more, Social Media sites by definition allow for and promote the organization of niche “groups” which make finding your audience that much easier. LinkedIn is a prime example of this, but Facebook and YouTube as well.
Transparency – This is a mantra to your success in Social Media environments. You can equate it to going to a party. Would you set up a table and starting pitching your product (i.e. “Here I am, looking for a job”) or begin by connecting on common ground? This is particularly true on Twitter – one of the more transparent tools out there. It is the first step in the process of “Know, Like, Trust,” which we all go through in determining what we are going to buy. Or, in this case, who they are going to hire.
“Give to Get” – Coupled with transparency, it is the second key to success in Social Media. Help others to not only get them to help you but, of equal importance, discover who will help you. And, by way of this assistance, you get a third party endorsement or recommendation. You can start doing it by simply asking others, “How can I help you?”
Nobodies are the New Somebodies – Borrowed from Guy Kawasaki, in the simplest of terms you don’t know who can help you nor do you know who knows who. Connecting with the big wigs in your industry through Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn can be fun, but it’s that avid networker who you have never met or heard of who is your better bet.
The Quality is in the Quantity – This is how you get to the “Nobody Somebodies.” There are a myriad of tools out there to help you build a network of likeminded, “give to get” individuals rapidly on the major platforms (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.). By having a large number of connections, you have more choices from which to drill down and develop deeper, more meaningful connections. Think of it like filling your own networking event: pack the hall with as many folks as possible and then work the room to see who can help you (and, of course, who you can help).
It is clear that Social Media isn’t the fad some first claimed it to be. It is almost equally as pervasive off-line as it is on-line. By incorporating it on the front end of your job search efforts to “fill the funnel,” you will not only more effectively tie in with the opportunities you seek but also uncover that elusive “hidden job market.”
Social Media is only one part of Kevin’s 11 Module Job Search 2.0 Bootcamp System which not only uncovers the “hidden” job market – but drives those jobs to you. Learn more about this new system.
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2008 – 2009 (c) Kevin Kermes Inc. – All Rights Reserved
