Sunday, July 31, 2011

Socila Media Reputation [SMR}: LinkedIn and Facebook and Twitter, Oh My!

 
It is no secret that companies have long used credit checks as one of the many hurdles that are necessary to pass before a candidate is considered for employment.  It should also be no secret that companies will also “Google” potential employees before even calling them in for an interview.  What may be surprising is that now, companies are hiring people and companies to also do background checks and that a great deal of these background checks include a Social Media history component.

Job candidates should be aware that if the information is one the Internet, it is public information and any positive reference to professional honours and charitable work they may have will be juxtaposed against any online evidence of political affiliations, racist remarks, references to drugs, photos, text messages and videos.  Not only will these companies report upon your personal exploits, they will also report upon what your friends and associates are doing.  “Birds of a feather…”

On the ‘up-side’, these pre-employment screens will comply with federal and provincial regulations and remove all references to a person’s religion, ethnic background, marital status, sexual orientation and disabilities and all candidates are required to sign a waiver consenting to the pre-screen check before any such review is possible.   

It has been reported that that as many as 75 percent of recruiters are required by their companies to do online research of candidates and that 70 percent of recruiters have reported that they have rejected candidates because of information they found on-line.

As a job seeker, you must always think about your social media presence.  Is there information in your Social Media history that is unflattering and perhaps barred you from being considered for a particular employment opportunity?   Perhaps doing a “Google” search on yourself is not enough. After all, you know what to look for.  As a job seeker, it may be to your advantage to have a friend search for information about you on your behalf, so that you have a different view and summary with regard to what can be found.


Copyright © 2011, Career Matters. All Rights Reserved. Permission to Reprint: This article may be reprinted, provided it appears in its entirety with the following attribution: Copyright © 2011, Career Matters. Reprinted by permission of the author, Mary Salvino. “Career Matters” is a blog hosted by Mary Salvino, Senior Consultant for SMART Career Planning.com. This blog is dedicated to those who are seeking advice on managing their career and future job opportunities. We welcome readers to share their experiences, post their comments or ask questions about career related matters. For any questions or comments that are better addressed privately, please feel free to e-mail Mary directly at Mary.Salvino@shaw.ca

Sunday, July 24, 2011

The REAL Reason[s] You Didn’t Get The Job

The Things That Potential Employers Will Never Tell You Even If They Are True

You nailed the interview.  You are eminently qualified. You answered every question with as much detail as necessary.  You were personable and charming.  You saw visual hints in terms of smiles and nods to indicate that you and the interviewer[s] were ‘on the same page.’ And, you just got a call telling you that they have given the job to someone else, “Who was more suitable.”
Most job seekers will confirm that they have, “Been there and done that.” Sometimes a sure thing evaporates in a flash. Sometimes you will get an explanation, but probably not. Even if the interviewers do give you a reason, the information does nothing to ease your bruised ego or relieve the stress of being unemployed.
What follows are the REAL reasons you didn’t get hired that no employer will ever tell you officially.

REASON 1. None Of Us Liked You
Likeability is intangible and does not show up on your résumé. Different people will respond to you in their own ways regardless of your personality. It’s not like you can fake a new personality at each interview and it is silly to even try.

ADVICE: Be your true self as much as possible – but be your best self when job hunting. Keep showing extra enthusiasm. Go out of your way to make others feel good about you. Trying to be someone you’re not will lead to frustration and early burnout and no one needs that!

REASON 2. You’re Not Attractive Enough
Take a look around at a fitness facility, a beauty salons, retail and the hospitality industry, and you will see that certain occupations within these fields are not kind to the less photogenic.
ADVICE: Spruce yourself up in reasonable ways.  Upgrade your hairstyle. Wear flattering clothes. Consider getting a manicure and a pedicure to help you feel better and look better.  Just remember to not go overboard.  If you are contemplating plastic surgery, you should be checking out alternative avenues for employment.

REASON 3. You Are Too Old
There is no way to get around how old you are.  Some employers prefer to hire younger employees because they believe that they will need to spend less time and money for training.
ADVICE:  Keep the focus of the interview on what you bring to the table.  Demonstrate how you have kept your skills up to date and how your experience can save money for the potential employer because your ‘ramp up’ time is far shorter than those with little or no work experience.  If you know the salary range, reiterate that the pay is within your expectations.
REASON 4. You Are Much Too Qualified
The interviewer[s] can see that you are more qualified to do their job than they are and fear for their own job security.

ADVICE: Continue to focus upon what you bring to the table. There is nothing that you can do to relieve their fears.

REASON 5. We Hired The Vice-President’s Brother-In-Law Instead
Hiring family members (nepotism), long time friends, or romantic partners. Factually speaking, you never know who will apply for the same job or be asked to submit their resume at the last minute.
ADVICE: Chalk it up to experience. This sort of thing happens and there is nothing that you can do about it.  There is no need to take it personally and there is nothing that you could have done to change the outcome.

REASON 6. We Intended To Hire An Insider All Along
It was a set up from the start. You were interviewed just so the employer could claim that they looked at a few “outsiders.” You end up angry they wasted your precious time. 

ADVICE: Ditto REASON 4. Let this one roll off your back like water off a duck’s back. Unless you have the inside scoop on every job you apply for, occasionally you’ll get snared by this little deceit.

REASON 7. We Found Someone Who’ll Let Us Exploit Them
Unfortunately, there are some employers who have built their business on people that they can take advantage of.   These companies go out of their target and hire immigrants and/or younger, naive employees who will put up with just about anything as long as they desperately need the experience.

ADVICE: Keep on looking for a place that respects your rights. The better employers never hire not for short-term exploitation. Good employers focus upon developing their people over a period of time, assisting them in growing into greater levels of responsibility.

REASON 8. We 'Googled' You And Didn't like What We Found

Recruiters and hiring managers will ALWAYS do an Internet search on you before they call you in for an interview.  Not only will recruiters and hiring managers do a general search, they will often contact those in your professional network for some 'off the record' comments and thoughts with regard to what they believe to be your 'suitablility' for the position they are trying to fill.

A recent survey published by Jobvite [Social Recruiting Survey Results - 2011] reported social recruiting is on the rise and that Employers will invest more in recruiting across multiple social networks as competition for talent intensifies:

  • 89% will recruit in social networks this year

  • 64% use 2 or more networks for recruiting

  • 55% will spend more on social recruiting
  • 78% expect increased competition for hires



ADVICE: Clean up your all of your social media profiles.  Check the privacy settings on those sites and remove people who you believe may have unflattering things to say about you.


Copyright © 2011, Career Matters. All Rights Reserved. Permission to Reprint: This article may be reprinted, provided it appears in its entirety with the following attribution: Copyright © 2011, Career Matters. Reprinted by permission of the author, Mary Salvino. “Career Matters” is a blog hosted by Mary Salvino, Senior Consultant for SMART Career Planning.com. This blog is dedicated to those who are seeking advice on managing their career and future job opportunities. We welcome readers to share their experiences, post their comments or ask questions about career related matters. For any questions or comments that are better addressed privately, please feel free to e-mail Mary directly at Mary.Salvino@shaw.ca

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Job Searching on LinkedIn? Really?

Many people know that having a LinkedIn presence is an important networking and job seeking strategy, but, if you spend any time perusing profiles, it becomes evident that many people do not understand how LinkedIn works. LinkedIn is not a magic bullet for securing a good job. LinkedIn, like any other job search tool, is only as good as you make it. Job seekers, like all of the other professionals on the site, need to have and share work related information on their LinkedIn profile. Unfortunately, most fall drastically short of presenting themselves in the best light.

Sell Yourself
LinkedIn is only a tool. When people look at your profile, they only see the information you have provided. If you cannot provide a polished, succinct and well written representation of your experience, abilities and education; why would any potential employer be interested in you? Know that if you aren’t impressed, potential employers and/or hiring managers won’t be either. "Nobody will think you are somebody if you don't think so yourself." [African-American proverb]

Avoid Rookie Mistakes
Take the time to proofread what you have written to avoid misspellings and poor grammar usage. Polish your prose and the layout of the information you are sharing.

Never Make People Guess
Do not fall into the trap of setting up a LinkedIn account, uploading a photo, formal schooling and career history and then calling it quits. You have to present a well-rounded and complete representation of who you are. What are your core competencies? Have you listed any accomplishments? How impressive are your accomplishments? Listing accomplishments is not bragging; it is providing relevant information about yourself that allows people to make a judgment about where you could fit in their company or among their professional contacts. Potential employers need to see a profile that allows them to visualize you as a potential colleague.

Always Project Professionalism
Resist the use overly commercial language to describe your accomplishments. Aim for an objective, neutral and truthful representation of your academic and work experience. If you have won scholastic awards or work-related awards, list and describe what you had to do in order to win the award.
Maximize Your Profile’s Effectiveness

As a job seeker, your aim should be to get at least 501 connections on your LinkedIn profile. Once you have surpassed the 500 connections threshold, LinkedIn does not list the actual number of connections you have.

If you have 500+ LinkedIn connections and not a single one has given you a recommendation, it usually means one of two things: a] you are not serious enough about networking or employment possibilities to have bothered asking for recommendations, or b] you are not worthy of a recommendation. Neither of these possibilities portrays you in a flattering light.

Always remember to keep your profile up to date. Your LinkedIn profile, much like your résumé, should be ‘a dynamic and living representation’ of who you are. If you have recent relevant information that you have yet to include, do it. Updating your profile on a regular basis helps show activity on your LinkedIn profile. Profiles that appear frozen in time are usually ineffective.

By following the tips listed above, you will set your self apart of the rest of the candidate pool and become a more desirable nominee.

Copyright © 2011, Career Matters. All Rights Reserved. Permission to Reprint: This article may be reprinted, provided it appears in its entirety with the following attribution: Copyright © 2011, Career Matters. Reprinted by permission of the author, Mary Salvino. “Career Matters” is a blog hosted by Mary Salvino, Senior Consultant for SMART Career Planning.com. This blog is dedicated to those who are seeking advice on managing their career and future job opportunities. We welcome readers to share their experiences, post their comments or ask questions about career related matters. For any questions or comments that are better addressed privately, please feel free to e-mail Mary directly at Mary.Salvino@shaw.ca