Addressing Ageism in Your Job Search

I spend as much time as possible online, reading blogs and keeping a finger on the pulse of what I call the “career space.” Lately, on LinkedIn, the “Answers” in the “resume” section is populated with questions pertaining to ageism in the job hunt.

If Father Time is catching up with you, read on for some tips to consider for your job hunt…

This week, a question on LinkedIn reads:

A friend just confessed she is facing age discrimination when looking for a new job. She is very experienced, very professional, keeps in great shape and looks around 40 years old. But she’s in her early 50’s and since the CV precedes the interview, that is what a recruiter or HR person sees even before meeting her: HER AGE.

And that is enough to get her CV rejected.

My answer:

Yes, there is ageism. No question about it….More experience typically equals more pay, and if a company can get by with a less mature, less seasoned professional, why not?

However, the fact is, your friend cannot know for sure that age is what is preventing her from landing an interview…In my experience, the resume itself is often half of the problem, not the years of experience.

If I were to advise your friend, I would also suggest that she first ask a professional to evaluate her resume. If she is sending out the same thing and not getting results, it seems like a good time to take stock.

Once the resume is top notch, I would advise that she focus on growing her network.
Everyone should know that 80% of jobs are found via networking, and not all of those networking connections are “close” connections. Web 2.0 offers so many opportunities to grow a network and to demonstrate expertise…Job seekers should take advantage of them to stand out in a crowd!

While resumes need only demonstrate the last 10 or so years of work, taking years off of degrees is a bad idea. Face it – if there isn’t a year, won’t everyone reading it just assume your friend is older than her years?

Let’s assume that ageism, not a poor resume combined with ineffective job search strategies, is the problem. I’ve written about how to use your digital footprint to make yourself look younger. There is a link in the blog to a NYT article which has a great clip from the Today Show. You may be surprised at the control that you really have when you drive your own career bus!

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Need help with your hunt? We can help you get your job hunt in gear! Visit Keppie Careers online for information about our services: www.keppiecareers.com.

photo by aloofdork

How to Use Facebook for Your Job Search

Last week, I reported on an experiment that Willy Franzen, from One Day, One Job conducted with new college grads who posted ads on Facebook advertising their interest in working in specific industries.

The technique is bold, a bit different and did result in some networking opportunities for the 20-somethings who participated. However, the fact is, advertising a job search on Facebook isn’t a strategy for every job seeker, as you run the risk of looking a bit desperate, which isn’t exactly the persona most hiring managers seek.

So, is Facebook useless for your job hunt? Absolutely not! Networking is the #1 way people find jobs, and, contrary to popular belief, not all of those networking connections are the result of “close connections” – such as your brother-in-law hiring your next-door neighbor. In reality, making connections in a variety of settings will help propel your search.

In fact, the New York Times recently published an article, The Brave New World of Digital Intimacy, which emphasizes the importance of expanding your network beyond your immediate circle:

This rapid growth of weak ties can be a very good thing. Sociologists have long found that “weak ties” greatly expand your ability to solve problems. For example, if you’re looking for a job and ask your friends, they won’t be much help; they’re too similar to you, and thus probably won’t have any leads that you don’t already have yourself. Remote acquaintances will be much more useful, because they’re farther afield, yet still socially intimate enough to want to help you out.

This idea is also proven in Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point, an excellent read for those interested in being connected!

Facebook offers many opportunities for connecting and expanding your network. Phil Rosenberg recently suggested the following ideas to use Facebook groups to expand your network:

Post the right message:
Commenting and posting links to industry articles in the spirit of sharing shows you as a giver and an expert at the same time. Make sure that the article or message is relevant to the group.

Start the conversation:
Brag. If you’re creative, write about successful projects you’ve been involved in (you may not be able to include the company name if you can’t disclose). Again, this is sharing with the audience, and is both appreciated, and demonstrates your expertise.

Continue the conversation:
Comment on posts that others have started. Include more ideas than just “I agree”.

Include links:
Sign your post or comment with your signature block with live links to your Facebook, LinkedIN, personal Blog, personal webpage, etc. Why? Links get you Google and Yahoo rankings.

So, while you may not be a 20-something willing to advertise your job hunt, don’t discount Facebook as a place to propel your job search!

If you want to receive free up-to-date tips to help with your job hunt, Click here to subscribe to receive future blogs sent directly to you via email! Prefer to subscribe in a reader? Click here for a link to receive Keppie Careers’ feed sent to the reader of your choice.

Need help with your hunt? We can help you get your job hunt in gear! Visit Keppie Careers online for information about our services: www.keppiecareers.com.

Don’t Be Desperate…Avoid Unfortunate Job Search Techniques

Photo by FHKE

Yahoo!Hotjobs posted the following (allegedly true) stunts job hunters pulled to try to get an interview:

• Put up posters of himself in your company parking lot.
• Attached pineapple scratch-and-sniff stickers to his resume.
• Announced his candidacy with a singing telegram.
• Sent lottery tickets with her resume.
• Rented a billboard that you can see from your office to list his qualifications.
• Baked cookies with icing to write several reasons why she should be hired.
• Delivered pre-paid Chinese food, including a fortune cookie with his name and number.

Other (not recommended) ideas from the survey included:

• One applicant sent six postcards, each a puzzle piece, which formed his resume.
• A candidate sent an egg carton with faux eggs and a message saying she delivered fresh ideas daily.
• A job hunter used an office building across the street to post his qualifications on a large sign.
• Another sent a baseball mitt and said he wanted to be part of the team.
• A woman printed her name on golf balls and sent them to executives that were hiring.

Creative? Maybe. Sound a little desperate? Absolutely.

The consensus of the advertising and marketing executives (you would think they’d be a pretty creative group) was that gimmicks like these are not very impressive.

The fact is, no one wants to hire a desperate job seeker. In fact, many believe that the “passive” (not looking) job seeker is the best candidate. See this discussion on linkedin about this topic.

Stay tuned for more tips if you are starting to feel that your search is turning desperate!

Don’t wait until you are desperate to get professional career advice: www.keppiecareers.com

Thinking of Adding Linkedin Link to Your Resume?

Have you considered adding a hotlink to your linkedin profile on your resume or other job-search correspondence?  If so, keep these tips in mind:

• Make sure your linkedin and your resume match up 100%.  Sometimes, since it’s “just linkedin,” jobseekers are not as careful about dates and details as they would be on a resume.  You don’t want any discrepancies to raise red flags.
  
• Spend as much time making your linkedin profile perfect as you do your resume.  Neither  should have typos or careless errors.
  
• Enhance your linkedin profile.  Be sure to optimize your linkedin materials, as many recruiters source from that pool.
  
• Be aware that potential employers will use linkedin resources to find out about you.  Granted, this is true whether or not you offer the link, but if you have a profile and offer the link, be sure you don’t mind people following up with common connections without your knowledge.
  
• Be careful about what information you make public.  For example, if you’ve asked a lot of questions about job hunting, you may not want to make your list of questions public on your linkedin profile.

If you have a strong linkedin profile, solid connections to colleagues and employers and have spent time enhancing your linkedin image, you will be prepared to use linkedin as a job-hunting tool.

 

Keppie Careers will help you with your linkedin profile, your resume and coach you through every step of your job hunt.  www.keppiecareers.com.

 

Don’t Dread Working a Room – Revise Your Thinking for Career Success

It’s always a good time for a reminder of the importance of extending ourselves in order to meet job success – literally.  Jason Jacobsohn at Networking Insight recently suggested that networkers who dread a room full of strangers change their mindsets to take full advantage of the potentially beneficial contacts before them.  He suggests the following mindsets (commentary my own):

Mindset 1:  Room Full of Opportunity
Remember, all it takes is one great contact to get you on the way to where you want to go. If there is a room of people, every “Hello, my name is…” could turn into a possibility.  You may meet your next employer, business partner or spouse.  All you need to do is walk inside and introduce yourself.  No one is going to bite you.  Just do it! 

Mindset 2: Channel Fear into Energy
How many people do you know who LOVE to “work a room?”  Probably not many.  Most of us (even extroverts) don’t jump for joy at the idea of a room full of strangers.  A little nervous energy could be a good thing.  Don’t let fear paralyze your chances for job search success.

Mindset 3: Speaking Practice
If you’ve developed and practiced your elevator pitch, there’s no better place to use it than a room full of potential contacts.  This is just the opportunity you’ve been waiting for!

Mindset 4: Posture Practice
Jacobsohn reminds us to have good posture, a firm handshake, smiles and strong eye contact.

Mindset 5: Learning Opportunity
It is nice to sell yourself, but remember that you have a great opportunity to learn about other people in networking situations.  Think about how you can help them before trying to figure out what they can do for you. You don’t know enough to know what it is you don’t know.  (Trust me…This is true.)

Networking is a way to open those doors.  I’ve written about the importance of speaking to people you think can’t help you.  One way to break the ice in a networking situation is to find someone whom you are pretty sure isn’t a great contact.  Approach them, introduce yourself and try out your elevator pitch.  You’ll get great practice and you may be surprised to learn how the “cold lead” may become your best networking ally.

Keppie Careers can teach you how to network, write your resume, and get on the road to career success.  We encourage, enlighten and empower job seekers!  www.keppiecareers.com

Outgoing Answering Messages, the Phone and Your Job Hunt

Photo by The GC Four

It’s not rocket science – potential employers and everyone else will judge you based on anything you offer them. 

• A typo on your resume?  You’re careless. 
• Unkempt appearance?  You’re a slob. 
• Unprofessional phone greeting?  You’re unprofessional!

Since no one wants to hire someone who is unprofessional, take the time to make this very easy check of your outgoing phone greeting.

• Does it contain music?
• Are there childrens’ voices?
• Is there background noise?
• Does it make an effort at humor?  Is it “cute?”
• Is it political? Religious?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, stop everything you are doing – change it now!

Record a basic, easy to hear greeting:  “Hello, you have reached April Showers.  Please leave a message and I will return your call.  Thank you.”

Listen to the greeting.  Is it garbled?  Did you rush it, as if you were escaping a fire but wanted to record the message first?  Re-do it!  Ask your hard-of-hearing neighbor to call and listen.  Does he understand what you said?  If so, you are golden!

Now, don’t get me started on kids, family members or roomates who answer the phone and don’t relay messages.  Or who tell the caller that you’re stuck under the car trying to rescue the cat.  Or in the bathroom, and you won’t be out for a LONG time. 

Try to give out a number on your resume that only you or a trusted adult will answer. Usually, that is a mobile number. Many of us answer our phones whenever they ring – even when we are driving or in the middle of a mob of screaming baseball fans.  If you are job hunting, be aware that trying to scream, “I can’t HEAR you” or cursing the driver who just cut you off as you are picking up your phone does not offer the impression you want to give your prospective employer.

Once your resume is out there, be aware that any time the phone rings, it might be your dream job on the line.  If you’re in a bad or loud spot – let it go to voice mail (to your nice, clear, professional greeting), listen to the message and call back as soon as possible.  You (and the caller) will be glad you did.

Need help with your job hunt?  Resume needs updating?  Don’t know where to start?  Keppie Careers will coach you every step of the way:  www.keppiecareers.com.

Don’t Flush Your Interview Down the Toilet…Top Interviewing Blunders

A recent survey of hiring managers compiles the Ten Wackiest Job Interview Mistakes. 

Suffice to say that it isn’t a good idea to allude to your plans to go out drinking after the appointment, flush the toilet during a phone interview or explain that you were fired for beating up your last boss.  (Another pet peeve I’ve seen is when interviewees answer a phone call DURING the interview.  Not a good idea.)

Some interesting and useful information to note from the article:

More than half (51 percent) of hiring managers cited dressing inappropriately as the most detrimental mistake a candidate can make in an interview. Speaking negatively about a current or previous employer came in second at 49 percent and appearing disinterested ranked third at 48 percent. Other mistakes included appearing arrogant (44 percent), not providing specific answers (30 percent) and not asking good questions (29 percent).

Don’t flush your interview down the toilet!  Keppie Careers can help with a mock interview, brand-new resume and career coaching:  www.keppiecareers.com

With Job Searching, More Isn’t Better

The Wall Street Journal reports on the fact that companies are enhancing their corporate recruiting sites and functions to make themselves more attractive to candidates.  Features such as blogs, video, podcasts, interactive chats, graphics and more are intended to appeal to Generation X and Y. 

With all of the time, effort and money being put into these sites to make them competitive with candidates, it was interesting to note one candidate’s take on the situation:

Some employers also have gone overboard with enhancements to their career portals by adding too many graphics and links, notes Matt Dunn, a second-year Harvard Business School student. “Companies have become addicted to technology,” he says. “They’re making their sites even harder to navigate because of all the bells and whistles.”

This seems like the perfect irony.  Even as companies reach out to recruits who supposedly embrace all of these bells and whistles, there is a call for getting back to basics.  Give the recruits information that is easy to access and digest that helps them decide where to apply.  Sometimes bells and whistles and podcasts are too much.

This concept of “more is not better” can also apply to the job seeker.  Sometimes, it is best to ignore all the bells and whistles out there.  You can create high tech resumes online, video resumes, resumes that incorporate your voice, links to every place you ever worked…It goes on and on.  However, sometimes, your skills come through in a more true and genuine way when you offer them simply.  No bells, no whistles to try to cover up (or ironically highlight) your weaknesses.  Just you, your skills and your accomplishments.  Unadulterated you.  Refreshing for a change!

Keppie Careers can help you put your best foot forward.  We’ll write a resume that helps you and employers realize what you have to offer!  www.keppiecareers.com

Don’t Waste Time and Talent – Give Your Career A Jump Start

I want to tell you a story about someone I know. 

She is a stay-at-home mom who decided that, after years of living on one salary, it was time to make some money.  She knew that she had a very marketable skill, but hesitated to try to start her own business because there were so many things that she didn’t know how to do:  build a website, advertise, etc. 

She discovered secret shopping.  (For the unaware, there are companies that will pay you to go to stores and restaurants, evaluate the service and fill out an evaluation.)  Sounded like easy money.  She threw herself into secret shopping and went after opportunities with wild abandon.  She would even drive for miles at the prospect of earning $5 or $7 on a “job.”

Although her hourly rate was practically nothing, she did manage to bring in a quick several hundred dollars with persistence and hard work.  Despite her little windfall, my friend realized that she was wasting herself on secret shopping and that her time and talents would be better spent developing something with longer-term prospects (and a higher hourly wage).

She realized that she was letting fear prevent her from pursuing dreams that offered a better use of her skills.  Instead of running around checking numbers on the bottom of hairspray at drug stores for 20 cents a number (really!), she should invest the time, effort, energy and solid work ethic in something with real value.

So, after much soul searching and concerted effort to overcome her fear, she is now going after her own dreams with the same zeal that she used to earn several hundred dollars by secret shopping.  And, guess what?  She’s already reaping the benefits in spades! 

Are you wasting your time at work?  Maybe you’re not running all over town after a few dollars, but maybe you  realize that you are similarly “spinning your wheels” in your own way.  Don’t let fear prevent you from taking a new path.  Time is wasting!  You are the only one who can put one foot in front of the other.

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When you work with Keppie Careers, you will learn how to overcome obstacles keeping you from making positive changes in your life.  We’re not just selling resumes.  We offer confidence, clarity and know-how!  www.keppiecareers.com

Branding You for Career Success

In some circles, “branding” sounds more like something you do to an animal than a topic for a career column.  Others nod silently, recognizing the concept…Self branding, actually thinking of yourself as a brand like Coke, Disney or Nike, is a career strategy.

If you recognize that a resume is nothing more than a marketing document – marketing you – thinking of yourself as a brand can actually help you focus on what you have to offer an employer.

You need to know yourself to sell your skills.  Think about it:  What makes you special or different?  Can you succinctly talk about it in 15 words or less?  How about in a 30-second “infomercial” for yourself?  Otherwise known as the “elevator pitch,” having something short and sweet to say that describes you (your brand) is key to networking and job searching.

Once you clearly and efficiently describe what is unique about you, you are on the road to defining “BRAND YOU.”

Stay tuned for more on personal branding in future blogs!

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Looking for a job, but you need help figuring out what makes you unique?  Can’t put your finger on what skills you have to offer?  Keppie Careers can help!  We’ll transform your resume and support you every step of the way!

Our mission:  to advise, encourage and enlighten job seekers!

www.keppiecareers.com