Social Tools for Demonstrating your Expertise

By Stephen Joyce


There are many tools available for demonstrating your involvement in social media and your comfort with customer engagement.  Many of these tools you are probably already using without even thinking about it.  Let’s take a look at a few of the the tools/sites that you can use to demonstrate your expertise:

1. Facebook – Focus on your Facebook page and avoid creating a Facebook profile for your business. You will want to focus as much attention on the business as possible and since the Fan page is publicly accessible, it will provide the greatest search benefit. Feel free to syndicate your blog posts through your Fan page but try to create content that is relevant just to the Fan page as well.  This might include asking questions of your fans or updating on Facebook only specials or promotions. Since you will have a fairly low fan base to begin with, you will need to make it more enticing for people to become fans by inviting them directly or giving them an incentive for joining. Invite your customers to post their own comments, recommendations, or tips. Because Facebook fan pages are publically accessible, I recommend you post photos and videos to the fan page first. Although Flickr is more photo oriented, we are not necessarily talking about high quality photos, these are for sharing purposes.
2. Twitter –  Similar to the Facebook fan page, your Twitter account should not be used exclusively for delivering notifications of content posted on your blog site. Use your stored searches in Twitter to find out what people are talking about with regards to your preferred subjects and use your twitter account to respond to tweets from other users. This engagement will show that you are both listening and responding to customer (and potential customer) requests in the channel. When you contact customers via phone, email, or through the web, be sure to ask them to follow you on Twitter. WestJet has a weekly event called “Winglet Wednesday” where customers tweet their photos of WestJet winglets. The event has become a very popular part of the twitter experience.  The idea is to build interest by providing unique content that is geared towards the audience on Twitter rather than simply re-hashing existing content.
3. LinkedIn – B2B social networks are particularly well suited to organizations that are selling to businesses. There are a number of groups and sub-networks within LinkedIn that may be of interest to you. If the principals of your business do not have LinkedIn memberships, I highly recommend they create profiles. Use the tool to create connections with existing partners, vendors, and even customers. The opportunity to participate in groups will present itself, but you will want to establish your profile first before trying to market the business.
4. Ning – You may want to consider forming your own social network around your particular business or niche.  For example, if you are a wine tour company, you may want to start a social network around wine enthusiasts.  Be sure, though to keep the content and the social network separate from your brand.  In the same way that the Savvy Operator blog is sponsored by Rezgo or the Small Fish Big Ocean network is sponsored by TourCMS, you are free to sponsor your social network, just be careful not to make the network a sales platform or you will not attract or keep members.
5. BuddyPress – Another option to creating your own social network is to use BuddyPress, which is a plug-in to WordPress.  BuddyPress uses the existing blogging platform can allow your members to write their own posts and articles as well as message each other and create a profile page.  Although BuddyPress is a free opensource platform, the installation and set-up can vary in complexity.

I recommend that you focus on the the primary accounts and add only where you feel the addition is valuable to your brand or reputation. In the case of existing accounts, make sure that each account has a link back to your primary website. At the very least, these existing memberships should be driving traffic back to your main website. If the account has no way to link back, then leave it for now.  Remember that the quality of interaction is more important then the quantity.  Having a few social media channels that are well used and popular is more productive and will have more impact on your business then created profiles on a hundred different sites.
You’ll begin to see results right away with the demonstration phase. Because this phase is all about engagement and communication, you will be actively communicating with customers, vendors, or partners using the various social channels you have created. Whether you are responding to a message on Twitter, a wall post on Facebook, or a group message in LinkedIn, you will see the responses almost immediately and you will be able to gauge how engaged your customers are in the arenas in which you choose to engage with them.

Original Article

The Digital 100: The World’s Most Valuable Startups

Welcome to the Digital 100: The World’s Most Valuable Internet Startups!
In this year’s list, we’ve looked at and evaluated more than 300 startups and ranked the top 100.
We’re looking at common stock value here–the price the public market might put on the company (not the valuations achieved using sweetheart terms in some preferred stock deals).
So what are the 100 most valuable digital startups in the world?
Facebook tops our list again, with a valuation of $25 billion, up radically from $6.5 billion last year.  Facebook continues to grow at a tremendous clip and now has more than 500 million users worldwide. The company will generate revenue of over $1 billion in 2010 and become cash flow positive.
Rounding out the top five: Zynga, the social game developer; Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia we think could be worth $5 billion if it tried to make money; Skype, which might go for $5 billion in an open market; and Craigslist, the wildly popular listings site that could coin money if it ever decided to do so.

About The List
Last year, we expanded our original list, the SAI 25, into the SAI 50+. We valued and ranked some of the world’s leading private online companies'

This year we expanded our search and analysis yet again. We found a ton more companies that are earning a lot of money and / or growing their businesses rapidly. The result is this year’s new and improved “Digital 100″ — 100 of the world’s most valuable private digital startups.
Notable companies not included on last year’s list include Groupon, the beloved daily deal site.
What’s New
A lot has happened in the past year: The economy crept back from the beating it took the last two years, venture funding trickled in for category winners, and online advertising staged a comeback (of sorts).  E-commerce and virtual goods sales, meanwhile, continued to hold up relatively well.
As a result, there are some changes to last year’s rankings. Most notably, LinkedIn, the professional networking site, doubled in value, perhaps reflecting the shift in job-hunting strategies with the rebounding economy.
Methodology
We used the same valuation methodology as have the last two years, which you can read about in detail here. Obviously, our valuations are only as good as the information we have, so please feel free to comment in the post or send an email to afusfeld@businessinsider.com.

The Digital 100 Top Ten:
1. Facebook
2. Zynga
3. Wikipedia
4. Skype
5. Craigslist
6. Twitter
7. Vente-Privee
8. Yandex
9. Betfair
10. LinkedIn



Here’s the complete Digital 100:

140 Blogs on HR and Recruiting

@BillBoorman


I recently commented on a blog post on XpertHR from Michael Carty about UK HR Bloggers. My comment related to:
1: What constitutes an HR blog
2: The lack of HR Practitioners blogging (I don’t know more than 10 globally)
3: Why that might be.
It provoked quite a discussion. I’m all in favour of consultants (I’m one), vendors, event organisers etc etc blogging. They quite often have an area of expertise that supersedes practitioners. That’s why they get paid for what they do.
Most people with something to sell, blog. I think that is quite right, and the best way to share their expertise and show case their talents. for many, it’s how they get their business.
Provided you don’t write a brochure and you’re not afraid to state a view, you will attract a following who will spread your message as well as a few customers along the way.
By my definition, these are corporate blog and represent about 95% of the blogs out there. Perhaps this comes from a willingness to invest time, research and money, as well as the discipline to blog in order to get a return. I’ve reached a decision that a corporate blog should not be a term of endearment, as most of the blogs I read are in one way or another corporate. A corporate blog rarely means an advert, unless there is a PR company behind it.
The call to action was to list the HR or HR related blogs that you read in order to build a list. i could think of 30 or so off the top of my head, but to make the list accurate I went back over the blogs I have either bookmarked or liked over the last month. The list totals 140 and I’ve listed them all below. I have not included any from outside of HR or Recruiting, or the list would be twice as long.
The thing that I picked up from the list is:
1: All the blogs came to me via social-media. Principaly Twitter but also networked blogs on Facebook and Linked In. i have been tracking this for another post. 45% were referrals from others and 55% direct links. This shows the importance of being active in social in order to spread your message. I’m a grazer rather than a subscriber, and come to most material on impulse clicks. I only follow25 blogs by subscription.
2: What entices me to click a link is either a blogger I know or the title in the link. Think of this when deciding on your title, would you click on it?
3: I have met 92 of the bloggers in person at least once and talked to another 30 on the phone. relationship with audience is key in blogging.
4: I have recommended these blogs at least twice to others. Engage and encourage those who share your links. For me, that means asking for comments and feedback via twitter or Facebook. Personally, I take no notice of you saying thanks for the RT.
Before you look at any other blogs, please take a look at my recently launched blog “Social Job search.” Feedback and comments would be really welcomed.
I’ve not provided descriptions, only the URL’s. give each blog one look to see what it is all about. If I’ve missed you out, feel free to add your blog in comments.
Trish McFarlane – HR Ringleader – http://www.hrringleader.com
Paul Smith – Welcome To The Occupation - http://www.welcometotheoccupation.com
Jon Ingham – Strategic HCM Blog – http://strategic-hcm.blogspot.com/
Kevin Grossman – L3 blog (with others) - http://glowan.com/wordpress/
Benjamin McCall – Rethink HR - http://ReThinkHR.org
Lis Wilson – HRConnexions - http://www.blog.hrconnexions.co.uk/
Peter Gold – Hire Strategies - http://www.hirestrategies.co.uk
The HRD (He who should not be named) – My Hell Is Other Peoples – http://www.myhellisotherpeople.com
Charlie Judy – HRFishbowl – http://hrfishbowl.com/)
Laurrie Ruettiman – The Cynical Girl (Her NEW blog) – http://TheCynicalGirl.com
Rich Dematteo – Corn On The Job - http://CornOnTheJob.com
Voice Of HR – Voice Of HR (Blogging/SM Collective) – http://www.voiceofhr.com
The Buzz – Newsletter from Keith Robinson – http://myemail.constantcontact.com/The-Buzz
Jessica Miller-Merrill – Blogging4Jobs – http://www.blogging4jobs.com
Jobsite – Insider – http://www.jobsite.co.uk/insider/
Fistful Of Talent – HR Blogging Collective – http://www.fistfuloftalent.com

Read the original article and the rest of the 140 blogs

LinkUp launches iPad job search application

  LinkUp job search engine based out of Minneapolis launched the Job Search XL app for Apple’s latest creation the iPad. The application was released in the App store on June 4th as part of the company’s effort to expand its mobile platform portfolio, according to the press release.
LinkUp, notoriously known for innovation, designed this app for job seekers to search job listings that are found exclusively on company websites. According to company numbers, LinkUp’s job search engine contains around 450,000 job listings that are indexed from 22,000 company websites in the U.S. All of LinkUp’s company listings constantly updated on all their mobile applications.
The company has expanded its reach to other countries like Canada and the U.K to provide its unique approach to job search with its technology. It released an iPhone, Android and now the iPad app to extend its presence in job search engine market.
In the present time, LinkUp’s collection of mobile apps have been downloaded over 100,000 times, which equates to 400,000 user sessions with an average of about 12 minutes per user session, according to company numbers.
The application utilizes the iPads easy-to-use touch technology and easy to navigate. The iPad allows job hunters to apply straight through the app on the device and complete the application within minutes. The app will rotate from portrait to landscape mode for optimized use. The app is user friendly, has complete information on job postings and comes with many additional features.

Original Examiner Article

Facebook’s Job Search App — BranchOut

We know Facebook is the No. 1 visited site in the U.S. We also know that Americans spent the most time on Facebook as compared to other websites. However, when it comes to job search, we all go to LinkedIn.
With the attempt to maximize the utility of a Facebook user’s connections, which may also be referred to as a person’s social capital, Facebook introduced a job search app called BranchOut (http://superfan.com/). I signed up for the service and gave it a trial. BranchOut is very much like LinkedIn in this stage. With this app, I can see a list of companies in which my friends work or worked before, my friends’ work histories, post a job for free, refer a friend to a position (with bonuses), and invite my friends’ to join the network. I believe I am the first one among my network who has added this app.
We discussed how people may lose their jobs because of Facebook posts and how people can manage their online reputations before. I believe BranchOut will bring Facebook to a more professional level. Because Facebook is so important in people’s lives already, BranchOut may become another important job search tool soon, which means Facebook users need to be even more careful of what they post on Facebook. So, what do you think about BranchOut? As a manager, will you use BranchOut to recruit staff? As a regular Facebook user, will you use BranchOut to search for jobs?

Original Article and additional career advice.

The 10 NEW Career Commandments

By CAREEREALISM Founder, J.T. O'Donnell

QUESTION: Imagine a world with no job postings. I mean ZERO. No websites with positions listed of any kind. Would you know how to find a job?
This is the question I pose to all job seekers today. In an uncertain economy, you need to “learn to fish” if you want to stay employed. Just ask the millions of job seekers who have applied to 100s of jobs on-line and heard nothing back. A new, better way to find work is their dream.
Competition for Jobs is Not Going to Lessen Anytime Soon
Right now, we have 15M+ unemployed, 5M+ underemployed and an estimated 60M+ who hate their jobs and plan to leave when the economy recovers. The problem is – this is a jobless recovery. Which means, the competition for work is going to stay fierce.
We Forgot to Evolve - Our Approach to Career Success is Outdated
One contributor to the increase in the length of unemployment in the U.S. (currently hanging at 7+ months), is the lack of knowledge on the right way to define and pursue career success. It’s also the reason so many folks don’t like what they are doing for work. In short, in the process of leaving the industrial age and entering the information age, we forgot to learn the new rules to job search and professional development.
FACT: Nothing feels worse than losing a game because you didn’t understand the rules, right?
It’s Time for the Truth
I wrote a FREE e-book you can grab HERE. In it, I outline and provide evidence to support the 10 NEW career commandments savvy professionals are leveraging right now to find career success in an uncertain economy. Everyone deserves the chance to learn what it really takes to find career satisfaction on their own terms.
Not Everyone Will Get It – That’s Good for YOU!
I recognize not everyone will apply the action steps in the book - that’s okay. You actually don’t want everyone to embrace the concepts. Just ask all the members of our Career HMO. You see, they’ve had access to these teachings for awhile. In fact, they’ve also been coached by career experts directly to help them leverage the commandments. These members know the truth: Using the 10 NEW career commandments has given them almost an unfair advantage against other job seekers.
Download FREE Copy & Get a Special Invite
If you download a FREE copy of the e-book, a few days later I will send you a special invitation to attend a FREE, private career session. It will give you a chance to get your questions answered about the book. I want anyone who reads this book and takes it seriously to have the chance to get expert advice to apply the concepts. So, I hope you download your copy and join me.

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CAREEREALISM.com provides the best career advice from proven career experts on a daily basis. How do you find a job today? You get career and job search help from us! Sign-up today to get our updates daily.

The right way to lay people off

By Ben Horowitz, contributor
Cloud computing company Opsware was nobody's darling. Then founders Andreessen and Horowitz put the company through three rounds of layoffs. The unlikely result was a big buyout -- here's how it happened.

"I'm tryin' to right my wrongs / But it's funny them same wrongs helped me write this song" -Kanye West
Shortly after we sold Opsware to Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), I had a conversation with the legendary venture capitalist Doug Leone of Sequoia Capital. He wanted to hear the story of how we went from doomed in the eyes of the world to a $1.6B outcome with no recapitalization. After I took him through the details including several near bankruptcies, a stock price of $0.35/share, unlimited bad press and 3 separate layoffs where we lost a total 400 employees, he was most amazed by the layoffs. He said that during his over 20 years in the venture capital business, he'd never seen a company recover from consecutive layoffs and achieve a billion dollar plus outcome.
Leone said that he'd bet against that every time and wanted to know how I did it. Since my only experience was the great exception, I needed more information. I asked him why all the other startups failed. He replied that the layoffs inevitably broke the company's culture. After seeing their friends laid off, employees were no longer willing to make the requisite sacrifices needed to build a company. He said that although it was possible to survive an isolated layoff, it was hugely unlikely that a company would experience great success. He added that building a highly valuable business after 3 consecutive giant lay offs accompanied by horrible prominent press coverage (we got taken apart with cover stories in both the Wall Street Journal and Business Week) was a complete violation of the laws of venture capital physics. Naturally, he wanted to know how we did it. After thinking about it for the last couple of years, here's my answer Doug.
In retrospect, we were able to keep cultural continuity and retain our best employees despite multiple massive layoffs, because we laid people off the right way. This may sound nutty – how can you do something that's fundamentally wrong in "the right way?" Here's how:

Step 1: Get your head right
When a company fails to hit its financial plan so severely that it must fire the employees that it went to great time and expense to hire, it weighs heavily on the chief executive. During the first layoff at our company, I remember being forwarded an email exchange amongst a group of employees. In the exchange one of our smarter employees wrote: "Ben is either lying or stupid or both." I remember reading that and thinking: "definitely stupid." During a time like this, it is difficult to focus on the future, because the past overwhelms you – but that's exactly what you must do.

Step 2: Don't delay
Once you decide that you will have to lay people off, the time elapsed between making that decision and executing that decision should be as short as possible. If word leaks (which it will inevitably do if you delay), then you will be faced with an additional set of issues. Employees will question managers and ask whether or not a layoff is coming. If the managers don't know, they will look stupid. If the managers, do know, they will either have to lie to their employees, contribute to the leak, or remain silent, which will create additional agitation. At Loudcloud/Opsware, we badly mismanaged this on our first layoff, but sharply corrected things on the next two.

Step 3: Be clear in your own mind about why you are laying people off
Going into a layoff, board members will sometimes try to make you feel better by putting a positive spin on things. They might say: "this gives us a great opportunity to deal with some performance issues and simplify the business." That may be true, but do not let that cloud your thinking or your message to the company. You are laying people off because the company failed to hit its plan. If individual performance were the only thing at issue, then you'd be taking a different measure. Company performance failed. This distinction is critical, because the message to the company and the laid off individuals should not be: "this is great, we are cleaning up performance." The message must be: "the company failed and in order to move forward, we will have to lose some excellent people." Admitting to the failure may not seem like a big deal, but trust me, it is. "Trust me." That's what a CEO says every day to her employees. Trust me, this will be a good company. Trust me, this will be good for your career. Trust me, this will be good for your life. A layoff breaks that trust. In order to rebuild trust, you have to come clean.

Step 4: Train your managers
The most important step in the whole exercise is training the management team. If you send managers into this super uncomfortable situation with no training, most of them will fail.
Training starts with a golden rule: managers must lay off their own people. They cannot pass the task to HR or a more sadistic peer. You cannot hire an outsourcing firm like the one in the movie Up in the Air. Every manager must layoff his own people.
Why so strict? Why can't the more confrontational managers just handle this task for everyone? Because people won't remember every day that they worked for your company, but they will surely remember the day that you laid them off. They will remember every last detail about that day and the details will matter greatly. The reputation of your company and your managers depends on you standing tall, facing the employees who trusted you and doing your jobs. If you hired me and I busted my ass working for you, I expect you to have the courage to lay me off yourself.
Once you make it clear that managers must layoff their own people, be sure to prepare them for the task:

1. They should explain briefly what happened and that it is a company rather than a personal failure.
2. They should be clear that the employee is impacted and that the decision is non-negotiable.
3. They should be fully prepared with all of the details of the benefits and support that the company plans to provide.

Step 5: Address the entire company
Prior to executing the lay off, the CEO must address the company. The CEO must deliver the overall message that provides the proper context and air cover for the managers. If you do your job right, the managers will have a much easier time doing their jobs. When you do this, keep in mind what Intuit founder Bill Campbell told me – the message is for the people who are staying. The people who stay will care deeply about how you treat their colleagues. Many of the people that you lay off will have closer relationships with the people who stay than you do, so treat them with the appropriate level of respect. Still, the company must move forward, so be careful not to apologize too much.

Step 6: Be visible, be present
After you make the speech telling your company that you will be letting go of many them, you will not feel like hanging out and talking to people. You will probably feel like going to a bar and drinking a fifth of tequila. Do not do this. Be present. Be visible. Be engaging. People want to see you. They want to see whether or not you care. The people who you laid off will want to know if they still have a relationship with you and the company. Talk to people. Help them carry their things to their car. Let them know that you appreciate their efforts.

Acknowledgements
I would like to say that I came up with all of this on my own, but in truth there is no way that I could have done it without the help of my dear friend Bill Campbell. Bill's help during these times saved the company. Finally, I again thank all of the wonderful and dedicated people who worked for Loudcloud that we laid off or transferred to EDS. I am sure that I speak for everyone who ever worked at Opsware, when I say "thank you for saving our butts."
-- Ben Horowitz is co-founder and general partner of Andreessen Horowitz, a venture capital firm created to support the needs of today's technology-focused entrepreneurs through angel investments to large scale funding. Ben currently serves on the board of Okta, Nicira, Proferi and Skype.


Original Fortune Article

Non Profit Job Search

If you've decided that you'd like to pursue a non profit career just out of college, or as a mid-career shift, you might now know exactly where to look.

Luckily, there are many resources both online and otherwise that can help your with your non profit job search. Idealist.org - The most popular place for online nonprofit job posting is Idealist.org. They feature thousands of jobs, internships and volunteer opportunities, and include profiles of each organization that posts an opportunity. But Idealist is so much more than a job search engine: the website is chock full of information about nonprofit organizations in general, job and resume tips for nonprofit jobseekers, forums with discussion by current nonprofit employees and other ways to get involved in social causes. Idealist also hosts periodic job and graduate school fairs, which are a great way to network and get more information about non profit jobs.
Foundation Center - Philanthropy News Digest - The Foundation Center is a wonderful resource of information about funding opportunities for nonprofit organizations. They also sponsor a "Jobs Corner" under their Philanthropy News Digest service, which lists nonprofit jobs of all types, and in locations around the world. While many of the jobs lean towards development and fundraising, you can also find management and programmatic nonprofit jobs. The best part of PND is the ability to sign up for email alerts, based on your job preference, which are emailed directly to your email account periodically.
Opportunity Knocks - Opportunity Knock is a slightly less comprehensive website than Idealist that is focused on finding jobs for people in the non-profit sector. You can search for jobs by keyword, location and type. Perhaps even more helpful than the job search is the annual wage and benefit report for non profit jobs, which gives jobseekers a frame of reference for appropriate salaries and benefits for types of nonprofit jobs. You can also simply post your resume on the website for employers to review
Common Good Careers - Common Good careers is an executive-level search engine and employment firm that focuses on program and executive management jobs. In addition to posting opportunities on their website, Common Good assists not-for-profit organizations with their own searches, serving as a liaison between the non-profit organization and potential employees. While the listings are somewhat limited, Common Good careers has a great track record for matching the right people with the right non profit jobs.
Craigslist - While you may have to sort through all kinds of jobs to find a nonprofit job gem, they are in there. For many small nonprofit organizations, the expense of posting to a paid job site is too much, so Craigslist provide a free alternative.
Since Craigslist also allows you to focus your search by type, keyword and location, you can seriously narrow down your job options and find a good fit. Any Search Engine - Sometimes it is best to go directly to the source. If you have an idea of the type of organization you'd like to work for, or even the specific non-profit organization that you'd like to join - Google them and do it often! You never know when an organization might decide to post and open job, and finding a job that fits your passions should be your priority. A good place to start with your nonprofit job search is to compile a list of organizations that fit your passions, and then dive deeper into the work that they do to see if there is place for you.

Original Job Monkey Article

My So-Called Setback: Learning to "Do My Own Thing"

Aly Walansky

Aly Walansky is the beauty and fashion editor for MyGloss.com and a style columnist for SheKnows.com.

Five years ago, I sat at my desk at a New York-based educational children's publisher and was dealt a blow I thought signified the end of livelihood as I knew it. Reading may be fundamental, but the children of the world were not reading - and my company could no longer afford to keep half their employees as a result.
I had always dreamed of being a writer, but it was a desire that remained in the realm of fantasy - to take that leap would mean abandoning the comfort zone of guaranteed income. Like so many of us, I was a great deal more concerned with maintaining what was predictable and comfortable, even when it was at the expense of my own dreams.
Suddenly, that carefully clutched security blanket had been ripped away from me, and surprisingly, I discovered my own clarity about my life's purpose did not diminish, but grew stronger. There was anxiety about that financial instability and the great unknown, but suddenly I realized without the predictable, comfortable day job, I had finally quieted the anxiety that had kept me from pursing what I long knew was my destiny.
It was hard to reprogram myself: Learning to focus on my own fulfillment instead of simply survival - but learning to do so immediately filled me with an incredible sense of hope and empowerment I hadn't previously imagined would be possible.
I made that decision to concentrate on developing myself as a writer. I always knew I loved the creative aspect of the craft, but I knew little about how to make it into a vocation. I had an English degree, and was confident I had writing ability -- that alone was a start. The next steps were learning the process of querying editors, submitting story ideas, and learning how to accept the inevitable rejections that come with the successes.
The freelance life is a constant journey -- one that continues to include financial roller coasters and professional highs and lows -- but I am a working writer, with a constantly rewarding career I love. Gratifying as it is, it's a path not without setbacks and hurdles - for many of us there were significant work gaps before steady assignments began -- and if you are considering taking this leap yourself, there's steps you must keep in mind;
Leaving the corporate ship: Years ago, as I was researching colleges, I committed myself to maintaining lists of goals -- educational, financial, professional. Embarking upon a life of self-employment is similar. Know your mission and services you wish to provide - your own clear understanding of the path before you is the key to delivering this message to your potential clients.
Count your pennies: Many of us entered the freelance world without a safety net. You can find success with this route, but the ideal is to plan ahead. Unless you are beginning your new career with a pre-existing list of clients, there will likely be initial expenses that are coupled with income gaps. Borrow a lesson from your "in case of emergency" savings plan and save six months of living expenses before leaving your day job.
Budget: Regardless of your business specifics, make sure to maintain a spending plan from the starting gate. I have a personal practice of using Excel to budget my weekly expenses, be it groceries or office materials and home expenses. This will be an essential tool during the inevitable ebb and flow income inherent to self-employment.
Finding clients: There's a great deal of advantage to the freelance life, and this includes freedom. We can choose our own hours and work setting, and accept only those projects we are most interested in. However, for many, this can lead to lack of discipline. Keep in mind that you are your own boss, but the nature of freelancing also means that work is not guaranteed. Your livelihood is dependent on your ability to market yourself, seek out work, and staying on top of all pending assignments. When I made the leap to freelance, the first step I made was learning how to create pitch letters, and the submission guidelines for various publications of interest. We must do our homework if we expect our work to be well received.
Networking: Working for yourself can be a lonely experience, especially if you are used to the office dynamic. A great way to maintain a healthy life-work balance, but also maintain and grow your contacts, is to network. Look into email discussion lists and sites like LinkedIn, to get to know others in your line of work -- this is a great way to find out about new opportunities, but also make friends.
Whatever your career or life dream, believe in yourself and make it a reality. Armed with a plan, you will celebrate the small victories and enjoy each step along the way. As your business grows, as will your sense of empowerment, motivation, and imagination of the possible: Nothing is as meaningful as that which we create for ourselves.

 

Follow Aly Walansky on Twitter: www.twitter.com/AlyWalansky      

Original Huffington Post Article

Hunting for a Headhunter

Finding a headhunter can be another resource to explore in the job search. Understanding how a headhunter works is the first step to finding one that can help you.

By Matt Krumrie, Star Tribune Sales and Marketing

Dear Matt: What do headhunters do, and can they really help me? If so, how do I find a good one that can help?

Matt: Most job seekers don't understand how headhunters actually work, says Lissa Weimelt, owner of Search Pro Services (searchproservices.com), a Twin Cities-based executive search firm.
"People have misconceptions about what recruiters/headhunters do, and that causes a lot of tension between headhunters and job seekers," says Weimelt, a headhunter herself.

Here's the scoop: Headhunters work on behalf of an employer - not a job seeker. Their client is the employer who pays them a fee to find the best candidate possible. That's where the mix up comes in - headhunters do not represent job seekers - they represent employers. A headhunter makes decisions and choices that are best for the company, not the job seeker.
That being said, there are a number of ways you can find a headhunter to help you, says Weimelt:


Ask colleagues/friends in your profession/network for a referral. Once you get the name of a person, e-mail them a cover letter/résumé and highlight three to four specific accomplishments, your target salary and the type of job/company you are looking to work for. A few days later, make an introductory phone call to them.

Research headhunters in your area who conduct searches in your field. Some headhunters are generalist, and others specialize in specific job functions.

Use social media such as Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn to conduct research and find contacts. Find groups that discuss this on LinkedIn.

Ask members of professional associations affiliated with your career what headhunters they have used and try to get that contact information.

"If the headhunter decides you are a good fit for their client, ask to be prepped on how you can be the most effective interviewer to best represent yourself and the headhunter in front of the employer," says Weilmelt. "Heed the headhunter's advice. Do your homework about the client."


Be prepared to look for find multiple headhunters and keep in mind, headhunters are busy people and not everyone will be able to review your résumé or meet with you.
Finally, ask the headhunter how you can help them. Like any networking relationship, it's a two-way street. If you have contacts or resources that can help them - be prepared to share that information.
Do you have an employment related or job search question for Matt? E-mail him today at askmatt@startribune.com.


Original Star Tribune Article

Top 20 Career-Enhancing iPhone Apps

Jeff Norman



These days, if you’re not implementing technology to help you be more productive, organized, and successful, you’re probably behind the curve. Never fear, the career-minded bloggers at Pounding the Pavement have developed a list of apps that will help you get more out of your smart phone than you previously thought possible. Here there are, the absolute finest of the latest career-boosting applications, ready for you to peruse and enjoy!

Apps for the Job Search

• JobFinder. One of the most highly-praised new applications is Job Finder; the easy-to-use system basically does all the work for you when it comes to finding fresh new
  job leads. The program scours the internet in order to bring all the latest job
  offers appropriate to your search easily to your reach.
• Job Compass. Lauded as “useful” and “intuitive,” Job Compass utilizes GPS technology in order to find prime career opportunities, literally, wherever you may travel.
• Indeed. The closest rival to Craigslist’s employment section, indeed.com now brings all
  of its prized functionality and convenience in the job hunt to your fingertips, in this sweet new application.
• TechCareers. Should you be wishing to tailor your search for employment to the fields of engineering and / or technology, look no further than TechCareers.com. To do such savvy searching on the go, grab the site’s fun application for your iPhone.
• High Paying Jobs. Those looking for a minimum-wage gig need look elsewhere. This
  app is only made for those looking to find the most lucrative positions available for them to chase, and hopefully land.
• Layoff News. Psst. Have you heard? Half of the staff is getting the boot today! News like this is always painful to hear. Layoff News will get it to you faster – so you can get a move on to your next job even more quickly.
• CareerBuilder. You want a new job – now. Let this ingenious new application do much of the work for you. It will automatically gauge your location and will let you easily search for a new post via any keyword you like. Yes, with CareerBuilder you can even search for something fresh, right under your boss man’s nose.

Apps for Doing the Job Right

 

• SalesForce Mobile. This application empowers your iPhone with cloud computing, which juggles a multitude of services and programs for you, in order to bring about the best information that will lead to your highest sales yet.
• Intelligent Investing by Forbes. The business whizzes and aficionados in the know at
  Forbes magazine compile and streamline their knowledge and tips for you, at your fingertips, in this exceptional and exciting application.
• Business Building Secrets. 100 such secret tips and more are ready and available for
  you on the spot with this app. It boasts that “you’ll never run out of ideas to make money online or off” when you use BBS.

Read Apps for Effortless Social Networking and Apps for Organizing Your Life @ 

The Undercover Recruiter

Remember discretion during job search

When I was head of human resources at TV Guide, I frequently met with candidates I was recruiting over breakfast at a restaurant near my office. One morning while I was having breakfast with a prospective candidate, in walks one of our employees and he sits down at a table with a recruiter I knew.
Up until that moment I had no idea he was looking at other opportunities. Moments like that are jokingly referred to as "career limiting moves." Now that I knew this employee was actively job hunting, I had to begin considering how I would fill his position if he left. Raises, promotional opportunities are off the table, reserved for employees expected to stay around for a while.

Even if you are unhappy in your job and are seeking a new one, it pays not to advertise that fact indiscriminately. How can you look for a new job without broadcasting the fact to your current employer? Here are some tips that might help you avoid the fate of that unlucky employee who I happened to run into that morning at breakfast.
Most of the experts I spoke with emphasized the importance of conducting your job search away from the office and not on work time. In that regard, the advice of Lavie Margolin, author of "Lion Cub Job Search: Practical Job Search Assistance for Practical Job Seekers," was representative:
"Designate certain non-working hours during the day to source for jobs on the internet. This can be early morning or evening hours. Use the weekends to do your networking. Follow up with phone calls and in-person meetings during this time. Respond to employer messages during your lunch hour. Find a quiet place away from work to make calls and have your schedule handy. Try to set up interviews before working hours begin, during lunch hours and just after traditional work hours."
Do not use company e-mail addresses or phone numbers on your résumés. Nor should you use your office computer or a company-provided PDA. Your employer can track e-mail you are sending from their computer and can determine what phone numbers you are calling from work and who is calling you. If you are doing your job search on company time, not only do you risk getting fired but, as professional résumé writer Kathy Sweeney notes, "potential employers will wonder if you will be searching for work on their dime someday down the road."
While you can use the internet to further your job search, do so carefully. Use job boards to identify possible opportunities but avoid posting your résumé. It is not uncommon for companies to search job boards to see which of their employees have active résumés posted.
Krista Canfield of LinkedIn offers the following advice as to how you can use their website to conduct a "stealth job search." She advises you start by controlling your privacy settings. Most job seekers who are quietly looking will choose the "No" option to "Publishing profile updates, recommendations and companies you follow" and "Notifying your connections of status updates."
LinkedIn also has a feature that enables you to "follow" companies you’re interested in. This allows you to get updates on new hires, promotions, changes and even job opportunities at the companies you are interested in, so you can pursue opportunities as they arise. While you’re viewing the company’s profile, you can also see if anyone in your network either works at the company or knows someone who works there.

Most important, conducting a stealth job search requires that you be proactive and increase your visibility. Join discussion groups online, volunteer through professional associations and charitable organizations, assume leadership roles and seek out opportunities to speak and write in areas where you have expertise. This will not only facilitate building connections but will demonstrate your competence. By becoming more visible, job opportunities will come to you.
While you need to inform individuals in your network that you would be interested in other job opportunities, limit the people you tell to those you trust. Be especially cautious about talking to co-workers. Even your friends at work may feel they have a duty to the company to tell someone you are looking for a new job. That also goes for suppliers and clients.
Your trusted contacts, however, can act as additional eyes and ears, informing you of opportunities that come to their attention. Stay in touch with them directly through targeted e-mail messages and phone calls. Avoid using "blast" e-mail or postings on your LinkedIn profile that may end up in the hands of someone who you do not want to find out that you are looking for a new position.
A veteran human resources executive, Lee E. Miller is the author of "UP: Influence Power and the U Perspective — The Art of Getting What You Want." E-mail questions to Lee@YourCareerDoctors.com.


Original Article

How To Find a Job Before The Job Description is Written

- Jim Stroud

One sure way to get a jump on your job hunting competitors is to apply for work before the job description is even written.  How does one do that? Simple. Look for news stories that feature companies that are planning to make massive hires! More than likely if a company is going to hire hundreds of people at a time, they are not going to post those hundreds of jobs on job boards at once (especially in this economy).
What then? Network with people who work at those companies and send in your resume ahead of time to Recruiters. In this way, you get to be among the first in line.
Food for thought, check out the news stories below:
100+ Jobs pending in Cary, North Carolina

• To support its new $500 million, 5-year strategic engagement with Merck & Co., IT-services firm HCL Americas will be adding at least 100 new positions at its services-delivery center in Cary, North Carolina.

500+ Jobs pending in Dallas, TX

• A Dallas-based company owned by Xerox will open a call center in Oklahoma City and hire 500 people. Affiliated Computer Services will open the call center in December.

20+ Jobs pending in Saginaw, MI

• Saginaw-based ambulance company expansion to bring 20 new jobs

100+ Jobs pending in Orlando, FL

• Lockheed Martin Corp. wants to spend $2.4 million to renovate and equip a 64,000-square-foot industrial building in the city of West Melbourne and create 100 jobs.

240+ Jobs pending in VA

• Pulaski Co., VA – New jobs are coming to Pulaski County. Governor McDonnell has announced that Phoenex Packaging Operations is investing more than $20 million to open an operation in the county. The project will create more than 240 jobs.

Jobs pending in Costa Mesa, CA

• Costa Mesa CA, May 7, 2010 — UNITED ERRANDS EXPRESS is the world’s premier Open Online Market Place for 24/7 On Call Concierge Services and we are hiring.

80 Jobs pending in CA

• The Rancho Las Palmas in Rancho Mirage is hiring 80 people in anticipation of a very busy summer.

600 Jobs pending in Ohio

• When fully staffed, the Clayton Distribution Center could employ up to 600 people, depending on market demand.

See More Mass Job Openings and How Jim Found Them

The Top Six Ways to Ruin Your Job Search

During the deepest part of the recession, job seekers found it was easier to spot a unicorn hanging out with a leprechaun than to find an open position. With indicators pointing to a slow economic recovery, candidates know there's no room for error when searching for upcoming employment opportunities. Snelling Staffing - The Wyckoff Group (TWG) is reminding job contenders not to be "their own worst enemy" and is releasing the "Top Six Ways to Ruin Your Job Search."

"There are a lot of qualified candidates looking for work right now," says Frank Wyckoff, President of Snelling Staffing - TWG. "They need to be aware that every detail counts during their job seeking efforts."

Wyckoff states six of the most common areas where candidates are unknowingly sabotaging their own search:

1) What's LinkedIN? - LinkedIN is a powerful tool when seeking employment, so it's important to be signed up and actively using this networking site. Group discussions and job boards are effective ways to locate and connect with Hiring Managers. Make sure your profile is completely filled out, up to date and includes your resume, recommendations and samples of your work. Also, be sure to join groups related to your work.

2) Facebook Status Update: Look at my party pictures! If a Hiring Manager is interested in interviewing you, they are likely to do their homework. Make sure your Facebook profile portrays you in a professional light and doesn't include inappropriate pictures. Playing it safe and using a more conventional picture for your headshot and strict privacy settings is the smartest way to go.

3) There's no eror, oops I mean, error on my resume! - Having a strong resume that demonstrates and quantifies your professional capabilities and accomplishments is imperative to your job search. However, if you don't proofread your resume, even the tiniest error will stick out like a sore thumb. If you don't take your resume seriously, a Hiring Manger won't take you seriously.

4) I hate to network... - Every time you step out in public, there's an opportunity to meet someone who knows of an open position. Strike up conversations about employment wherever you go and have a 30-second elevator speech prepared stating what you're looking for and why you're a great candidate.

5) Please ignore my low-cut T-shirt. - If you are fortunate enough to make it to the interview stage, you better look the part of a professional. Make sure you dress conservatively and are well-groomed.

6) Interview Rehearsal - Get interviewed by at least three recruiters. Rehearse your answers to five good questions they asked to help prepare for the actual job interviews.

"As the economy improves and more positions become available, it's important to stay on top of your job-search skills," adds Wyckoff. "It's critical to recognize and improve all aspects of finding and chasing down employment opportunities."

Local businesses use Snelling Staffing to contract qualified people in a diverse range of positions, including Administrative, Clerical, Light Industrial, Accounting & Finance, Legal and Biopharmaceutical work. Businesses from almost every industry use Snelling to find talented and qualified employees for both temporary and career positions. The Wyckoff Group consists of New Jersey offices in Eatontown, East Brunswick, Freehold and Lakewood as well as King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, Brunswick, Georgia and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

For more information about Snelling Staffing - TWG, please visit http://www.snellingnj.com or call 732.389.0300.

About Snelling Staffing Services

Snelling Staffing - The Wyckoff Group is a full service staffing firm offering Temporary, Temp-to-Hire, Career Placement, Executive Recruiting and Consulting Services. Local businesses use Snelling to contract qualified individuals in a diverse range of positions including Administrative, Clerical, Light Industrial, Accounting & Finance, Legal and Biopharmaceutical work. The Wyckoff Group is a family of Snelling branches serving the following areas: New Jersey, Florida, Illinois and Pennsylvania. We have the people, expertise, network and resources to help you meet your business, professional and career goals. For more information, please call 732.389.0300 or visit http://www.snellingnj.com.

Unemployment Blues

Renata Sellitti

Television producer, Freelance writer, Recovering New Yorker

My name is Renata, and I have a confession to make: I'm unemployed.
I lost my job early last year, becoming part of the country's 9.6 percent unemployment rate, and I've been a statistic ever since. This past year, I've learned when you lose your job you may very well lose your mind too. While millions of jobless Americans get resume tips, what we really need is awareness of the struggle we are about to stare down.
I experienced something that I've come to identify as "the five stages of unemployment," a playful-yet-serious incarnation of psychiatrist Elizabeth Kubler-Ross' famed explanation of the five stages of grief. The jobless blues can be crippling and embody a similar loss of control at first. Then they eventually -- and hopefully -- lead to acceptance.

Denial. Apart from carrying the contents of our desks out of the office, a job loss often doesn't feel like a bonafide job loss. The initial week or two may even have been fun. We get to sleep late and watch all of the daytime television that we want, not realizing what total poison it may be. We don't admit to ourselves that our foreheads have been branded unwittingly with a capital "U" that won't wash off.

Last summer, Gretchen Sodergren, 32, a corporate retail planner, got a call from her boss telling her, "This is the last paycheck this Friday." Having worked from home, she was confused for weeks, asking herself, "What just happened here?" Sodergren became what she called, "The Coupon Lady," clipping coupons to save money. As her bills accumulated, she learned to make macaroni dinners last for days and downgraded to drinking Miller Lite out of cans. Financial anxiety is the surest way to snap out of the denial. The length of this stage varies for everyone, but is always followed by its ugly stepsister, the second stage of unemployment: repetition.
Repetition. I call this stage "one long Groundhog Day of rejection." I spent endless days in blue Calvin Klein pajama pants and a pink shirt emblazoned with a picture of an angry chocolate chip cookie character and the moniker, "One Tough Cookie." The slogan was ironic because, even though I sent my resume to everyone I knew, only to learn that most of them were also looking for work, I was falling apart. While worker bees buzzed outside my window on their daily commute, I turned to "Ellen" and "Oprah" to drown them out. I felt paralyzed by my inability to contribute to the world around me.
By day, I hung out with Raymond and John, the doormen at my Murray Hill apartment building in midtown Manhattan, and bonded with the Hispanic housekeepers, while I did laundry in the basement. By night I begged my friends to go get drinks so I could actually leave my apartment. I cursed necessary tasks like calling the unemployment office.

I wallowed my way right into stage three: Self-Improvement. The need for self-improvement sets in when even you become so disgusted with yourself and your appearance that you channel your frustration into exercise or grooming and wardrobe upgrades. Some months after losing her job, Sodergren, the corporate retail planner who suffered from denial threw away her stained white "Miami Beach" sweatshirt and the ill-fitting, light blue Old Navy pajama pants that she wore just about every day last year. "I actually convinced myself that because they matched it was somehow an outfit," she says.

Rob Nagel, an Indianapolis college admissions director who was unemployed for most of last year, walked his dogs Boss and Chick at Wadsworth, a local dog park, and rode his Gary Fisher mountain bike regularly because, he says, "Let's face it. Mountain biking is free." He lost 20 pounds. "People say that it's a great opportunity to change career paths and all that stuff, but the only thing that really gave me sanity was exercise," says Nagel.

Rachel Stein, 28, a public relations manager in San Francisco, dealt with her unemployment last year by waking up early and packing her days with job searches and long walks. "I gave myself a routine," she says. "I knew how important that was." This past January, Stein launched a website, "Tales from the Recently Laid Off."

Read Stages 4,5 and conclusion

Pogoplug

Normally I don't plug a product but I got the Pogoplug about two weeks ago and have been really happy with it.  It makes it really easy to share hard drives across the network.  You can also share the files and folders to people outside of your network.

         Product Features

• Pogoplug lets you connect to any external hard drive and then access and share content through the internet
• Stream videos, music and photos directly to your iPhone, Blackberry, Droid and other mobile devices
• Works with Safari, Firefox 3, IE 7, IE 8 and Chrome Web Browers. MS Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, Mac OS X 10.4 and above

Rejected Outright for the Job Because of Their Online Image

Fred Whelan and Gladys Stone

Authors of GOAL! Your 30 Day Game Plan for Business

Business strategist and Webby Award winner David Allen Ibsen (runs business consultancy 5 Meetings Before Lunch) was helping one of his start-up clients with their organizational needs. Specifically, they were looking to make a couple of key hires. Ibsen tapped into his business/social network on LinkedIn to search and identify potential candidates. "LinkedIn is great because you have the person's resume right in front of you." He then gave the short list of candidates to his client who "Googled" each person's name to do a background check.
The client put the names into two buckets: "People with a positive web presence" and "Not". The positives were called in for interviews, the rest were rejected outright. While these people had professional LinkedIn profiles, they were dinged because of what they had on other social networking sites. A professional profile is great but it doesn't mean you'll get a pass on them checking Facebook, Twitter or blogs you may have written.

According to Ibsen, these people should consider taking a look at their personal brand. "Just like my corporate clients who covet their brand reputation, individuals need to look at what type of story is being told about them online and make sure it matches who they are and how they want to be perceived."
So, where should you start if you have a less than favorable web presence?
Facebook - Look at your profile photo. Is this how you would want to be judged by a potential employer? We know it's supposed to be just for friends, but the reality is that your photo along with your profile's "likes" and "dislikes" are open to public review. Give your likes and dislikes the same scrutiny. If you happened to be "tagged" in a photo, that picture could also make its way to a hiring manager or recruiter. Let your friends know that you would rather not be tagged.
Twitter - Whatever you tweet can get retweeted, on and on. It's like the old Faberge shampoo commercials, "I told two friends, who told two friends" and before you know it, it's out there in a big way. Tweets do fall off Google searches rather quickly, which is the good news. If you need to do some damage control on something you've tweeted, then tweet a number of positive things.
LinkedIn - A way to rebrand yourself here would be to raise your profile by answering questions in your area of expertise. Also, review your profile for keywords and positioning. That can make a difference in how people find you and perceive you. We coached a woman who was a professor, author and speaker. Her profile emphasized her academic background, when she really wanted to focus on her writing and speaking engagements. This was an easy fix and got her more attention in the areas she wanted.
David Allen Ibsen: "The Internet and the rise of social media have changed the rules in terms of how prospective employers do background checks. Even though the rules have changed, one thing still holds true - building a good reputation is invaluable."
People make the mistake of viewing LinkedIn as their professional image and consider Facebook and Twitter as their personal ones. While you might make this distinction, hiring managers don't.
Ibsen: "Never post anything on the Internet you wouldn't want your mother - or boss - to see."
Fred & Gladys
Whelan Stone
Executive Search and Coaching
Authors of GOAL! Your 30 Day Career Plan for Business & Career Success

Original Huffington  Post Article