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Today I met with a fellow jobseeker. We met to discuss his job search, my job search, and both our various ventures and adventures that we have encountered along the way. He is working on several really good projects to pay the bills, but is still working out the kinks on how to market them. So we started talking about various online marketing methods such as viral and social marketing, and how they apply to our businesses and our job searches. I spend many hours a day online in many capacities, job seeker, research fellow, consultant, and so on. I also spend many hours keeping my online presence and branding up to date. But how can I explain how I use social networking to market my business or find a job?

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, off to the net I go… As with anything I write or do, I start with research. So as I was researching the information I needed for this post, I found that I didn’t know as much as I thought I did. Yeah, I understand how to develop connections and grow my network. I can tell you how to use your profile to let people know about your background and that you are seeking a position. But I found a couple of blog articles that I think can really help jobseekers using social networking for the first time. They can also help those of you who are marketing a business as well, after all job seeking is all sales and marketing, right?

First is a post by Dave Taylor:

http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/ask-dave-it/how-to-find-a-job-and-connect-with-others-using-linkedin-5774

Dave’s post is very informative. For those of you that have read any of Dave’s books, you will be familiar with the writing style. Easy to read, loads of really good information.

Second are two posts from Guy Kawasaki:

http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2007/01/ten_ways_to_use.html
http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2009/02/10-ways-to-use.html

No, really, they are two different posts. Some of you may remember Guy from the old days at Apple. He was a Macintosh Evangelist back at the start (before they took over half of Cupertino). I mention this because his posts vaguely reminiscent of those days, short, informative, and have a wonderful underlying sense of humor that make them very easy to read.

Guy, Dave, thanks for the great posts. Feel free to send me and invitation, I’m just up the hill from Dave in CO.

Eight Heads in a Duffel Bag…

Wow! Alright I admit that I really could not come up with a better title for tonight’s post. Read on, it might make sense.

First of all, I am going to be redesigning (and renaming) this blog over the coming weeks. I won’t be changing the format or style, mainly because I believe that anyone that is reading this for the information contained herein is in dire need of the lightheartedness (wow, that’s really a word!) with which I present it. Searching for a job is a drag, even when you know how to do it. It can also be down right depressing to send in resume after resume and not get a single call. Let’s face it, I am getting tired of being turned down for cashier positions at McD’s (but it is hard to compete with a 16 year old when you have twenty years of experience). Hey don’t sweat it. The job market will turn around soon.

Sorry, I got diverted from my subject for tonight. Where was I? Oh yeah, the redesign. I haven’t decided what I am going to change, I am trying to decide on a new title. Subject matter will remain based on career search and employment, however I may change the perspective a little.

Several weeks ago I joined a networking group thinking I could make some contacts I could use to further my search for employment. Listening to the people in the group I realized that very few people know what they are doing or how to conduct a job search. Duh, wait, did I miss that class in school too? No, it's not a subject that they teach in school. Of course I had to open my mouth and say my piece and afterward I was approached by several from the group giving me kudos and asking for help. Ding, Ding, Ding…Light Bulb…Hello is anybody home? What have I been doing for all my faithful readers, all two or three of you the past few weeks in my chronicles? Teaching you the methods and tricks of the trade the professional career coaches and resume writers teach and use.

So I have come to the conclusion that while I am looking for a position, I am also going to start consulting and providing resume services for others. I have already updated my status on my networking pages. Now here.

Second, well there really isn’t anything else tonight. Keep your chin up, something will come along. If you are feeling lost or do not know what your next move is, feel free to contact me at mbailey40@comcast.net and we’ll see what I can do to help.

Time to Open the Old Playbook…

So… here we are, three weeks into this search for employment. How are you doing? Resumes going out, calls coming in? What? No calls? Well where did you screw up? You haven’t. In this current  employment climate it is harder to find a position, let alone a J-O-B. So, what to do? Let’s start with a few basics. Remember, I advocate the fact that all job seekers are in sales and marketing.

First, resumes: How many versions of your resume do you have?Styles? Are they position specific? Have you identified keywords from position listings and integrated them into your resume? Have you written different resume for different industries?

Second, attitude: Do you go to “work” every morning? Do you get dressed for “work” everyday? Are you maintaining a positive attitude toward your career search?

Finally, marketing: What are you doing to set yourself apart from the rest of the crowd?

Sit back and think about these things for a few minutes. Set up your game plan. Write it out. Create a “business plan” for yourself. But, be flexible, if something is not working take a step back, regroup, and change your play. Never be afraid to make changes on the fly.