I am proud to have another article, They’re Just Not That Into You, on Thrive Global!
My Article, They’re Just Not That Into You, Appears on Thrive Global!
It Takes a Village to Raise a Career
In the 1990s, Hillary Clinton released the book It Takes a Village: And Other Lessons Children Teach Us. The premise of the book is that many individuals/entities have a responsibility for raising children: parents, family, teachers, employers, religious organizations, nonprofits, government, and others.
I know of two friends who are currently in job search mode, and it got me thinking that it takes a village when in a job search. One is currently employed, and the other just learned that their job is being eliminated. Both have reached out to people in their “village” as they start their searches: personal, professional, and LinkedIn networks, executive search consultants, professional membership organizations related to their fields, and current/former colleagues. In the case of the friend being laid off, his package includes services with a well-regarded outplacement firm, so he has that resource as well.
Each part of the village in your career trajectory is crucial, and it is important to maintain these connections in good times and in bad. The village offers continuous encouragement, open and honest feedback, and inspiration.
Now, take a look at your career village. Whether you are content in your job or actively looking, is there an area where you could strengthen those connections? Make it a point this week to add connections to your LinkedIn network, reconnect with a former manager or colleague that you have lost touch with, or get involved in a professional organization for people in your field…because while it takes a village, Rome was not built in a day!
Hire the best! With personalized service and proven results, Pillar Search & HR Consulting provides retained executive search services and human resources consulting for exceptional non-profits and socially responsible for-profit firms. A woman-owned business, Pillar is based in Boston, MA, and works on the national level. To learn more about how Pillar can assist with your hiring and human resources needs, please contact Cindy Joyce at cindy@pillarsearch.com.
Keep It Clean: Tips for Sprucing Up Your Personal Social Media in the Job Search
When you embark on a job search, you likely will immediately update your resume and spruce up your cover letter template. These are all incredibly important to do, but you may want to go further into your social media. Potential employers may Google you, so go ahead, do a search on yourself and see what comes up. They may do this search prior to interview selection, so you will want to ensure that you are making a good online impression and setting a positive tone.
Privacy, please: Set your Facebook and Instagram to private. Click here for instructions on changing your Facebook settings, and here for instructions on your Instagram settings.
Keep it clean: Make sure that any photos that you have posted or that are posted of you are not in questionable taste. You know which ones I mean. If you would not want your grandmother seeing it, you should not want it out there for potential employers to see. Going forward, when posting photos on Facebook, select the option of photos only being viewable by “Friends”.
Remove any rants: Twitter, by nature, is where you can spout off in 160 characters or less. If you tend to tweet, scroll through and remove anything that could be construed as a negative sound-off, especially if it has to do with your frustrations related to your job, organization, boss or colleagues.
Learn to leverage LinkedIn: LinkedIn is probably the first place that a potential employer will look. Make sure that your LinkedIn profile is impeccable. Here’s how:
- Start with a polished photo. Ideally, use a professional headshot. If this is not feasible, we all have that friend who takes amazing photos. Ask them to take one.
- Look professional. Avoid photos that obviously have cropped someone else out, or where you are wearing your favorite sports team gear. Ladies, I love a strapless dress or spaghetti strap as much as anyone, but in a headshot it will make you look underdressed or, even worse, not dressed at all, and that is not the impression you want to make as a professional.
- You know where you have worked. Others may not. Take the time to write up a blurb about what each company you have worked at does. It helps the profile to flow better, and tells a more complete story.
- Similarly, do not just list your job titles. Explain, even briefly, what you did in each job. This is your chance to shine and give a narrative of your work history.
- List accomplishments, awards, volunteer efforts and anything that will demonstrate how talented and passionate you are. Do not be shy. This is the time to showcase what sets you apart.
- Ask people for recommendations. It helps build confidence in both your work abilities and your relationship building skills.
- Network, network, network. Some people are better at networking than others. If you are not one of them, take a deep breath, click on the “People You May Know”, and proactively reach out. Not only do higher numbers look better (as stated earlier, it shows that you are adept at building relationships) but some hiring managers that I have worked with will not even look at candidates with less than 500 contacts.
- Ask people whose professional opinion you trust to give you feedback on your LinkedIn profile. This could include trusted colleagues, former managers, mentors, or a recruiter that you may be working with. They may see things that need improvement or accomplishments that you would be well-served by highlighting.
Your resume is just one piece of the puzzle. Make sure that your social media fits the brand that you are building or have built professionally to ensure that prospective employers view you in the best light.
Surf’s Up: What Surfing Can Teach You about Your Job Search
I am a surfer, or at least aspiring to be one. Recently, I was out on my board on a day with few good waves and plenty of downtime to ponder this addicting sport and life in general, and began to realize that there are many parallels between the job search and surfing.
Like the job search, surfing depends as much on one’s skill and experience as it does a host of conditions that we have zero control over. Weather. Crowded surfing areas and beaches. Wave size and frequency. Swell direction. The list is endless, just as it is when you are seeking a new job in a competitive market or industry.
Once you have decided to get in the water (or start looking for your next career opportunity), you paddle out and try not to bump into others. In the job search, this can be those baby steps that are really critical to overall success, such as writing your resume, crafting solid cover letters, beefing up your LinkedIn profile, and letting people in your network know that you are open to a new opportunity.
Experienced surfers will have multiple boards to choose from to suit their mood or the conditions. Savvy candidates will do the same. Perhaps your “board” will be resumes that highlight different skills and career objectives depending on the jobs you are interested in, or cover letters that will be the differentiator. Knowing yourself and the tools that are available to you is key to success.
Like choosing the right job to apply to, choosing the right wave is key. It would be physically and emotionally exhausting to paddle out, attempt to get in the right spot at the right time, pop up, and stay balanced if surfers went after every wave that came along. Be selective so that you are fresh and energized when the right one comes along.
Hang ten. Surfs up. Cut the curl. These are not sayings that you will hear on a golf course, tennis court, or basketball court. They are specific to the sport of surfing. An industry will have its own language and catch phrases. Do your research so that you can communicate better with the people you are interviewing with and gain their trust and confidence.
Enjoy the ride, even if it is not the perfect wave. There are days that I get out on the board and I am just not feeling it, but I still enjoy being out there. The same can happen in an interview when the job and company look great on paper, but in the light of day you just do not feel that spark. Relax. Every interview is good practice and experience as well as a chance to expand your network. Surfers talk about catching the perfect wave, but in reality we try and try and keep getting back on the board, even after falling or not doing our best.
Having a good instructor helps. Even the most experienced surfers sometimes need a fine tuning on their technique, someone who can help them to look at their style and approach and make suggestions. In the job search, working with an Executive Recruiter can be invaluable, as we will take a fresh look at your resume and help you to identify the skills and experiences that you should highlight in the interview.
Ultimately, you may need to try a few waves before you find the ideal one, but in the end, there is no feeling as satisfying and euphoric as catching that perfect wave. The same holds true for the job search. Keep at it, and you will catch the right job and have the ride of your life.
