Guest Post by Diane H. Craver:

I’m a career coach, and it’s amazing to me how many people I run into that don’t like to talk about themselves. They think it’s bragging, or rude, or vulgar.

Houston, we have a problem!

If you are in a job search, wanting to move ahead at work, or trying to get clients for your business, you have to learn to talk about yourself in a way that informs people authentically about what value you create. I like to think about this as educating people on what I do best, what I want to do, and why.

Elevator speeches are not for me

I’ve never liked the concept of an elevator speech because the last time I was in an elevator no one spoke and no one dared make eye contact. So I don’t do elevator speeches, and no one can make me.

There does however come a time when you must talk about yourself and you need to know what to say & how to say it. Here’s my process: authenticity, brevity, and passion.

Be honest about the value you create

Just be honest about how you create value. If you don’t know, you might want to look at your [pullquote]I like to think about this as educating people on what I do best, what I want to do, and why.[/pullquote]performance reviews, survey your clients, or ask people who would tell you the truth. Take a few days & make a list without editing anything – just keep the flow going. Be sure you focus on what value you create because no matter what you like to do, you have to find a buyer.

Keep it simple, keep it brief

Let the fun begin and start editing. Get some help if you need it. Think about finishing this sentence, “I’m at my best when…”

It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it – not true

Well, actually it IS what you say … and it’s how you say it. Think about how you would talk about what would motivate you to get up every day and do that thing you do so well. What will you say to inspire others to ask you for more? What will you say to help them remember you?

It’s the thought that counts … and the gift

You’ve put a lot of thought into what you do best and what would motivate you to do it every day. Think of what you say about yourself as a gift you give to others. Your message is sincere and content rich, and even inspiring. Paint a picture for people so they see you succeeding. Also, if you need help, people need to know how to help you.

Want an example? Here’s mine:

I am a career coach. I’m at my best when I’m helping people connect their strengths, values and passions with the organization or business. I use a creative process to help them get really clear about what they want so they’re motivated to take action. Our careers affect every component of our lives; I consider it an honor to help people find work they really enjoy and make a positive impact.

Want to share yours?

_______________________________________________

Diane H Craver, Spring Forward Group & IAM Learning Community
springforwardgroup.com
iamlearningcommunity.com

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When going for entry level jobs or hourly jobs the faster you can apply the better. Some hiring managers have told me that after the first hour of a Craigslist posting, they stop looking at resumes.

IFFT is a free web application building tool where you can create IF THEN tasks so that if there are new jobs posted, you can get an alert in any way you wish, including texts, calls, or emails.

This means that in minutes, you’ll have a chance to apply to some of the most competitive jobs out there and have a better chance at all of them.

With IFFT the combinations are endless, including weather alerts, Facebook post alerts, and I have one for some garage shelves. Check it out.

“MyNextGig has taken the hassle out of staffing our stores and has saved O’Neill from untold hours of wasted time.”

Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Kat Krull, the Marketing Manager at Careerimp, to learn about their newly launched service, ApplyApp.ly.  Check out what she had to say about their latest addition.

What is ApplyApp.ly?

ApplyApp.ly is an innovative job recommendation engine that finds job seekers their most compatible open positions using their previous experience, skills and personality strengths.

How does it work?

ApplyApp.ly uses Careerimp’s Semantic Intelligence technology to match a job seeker’s background to thousands of job descriptions.  Jobs are then scored and presented in rank order to the user. This helps job seekers hone in on the best opportunities for them, without the restriction of keyword searching alone, which often limits the types of jobs a job seeker is given.

Social media may be the key to our economic recovery. At least that what Marketing Expert Chris Brogan feels in his recent e-book called, “Using the Social Web to Find work”.

With social media, “there are ways one can connect to like-minded people and perhaps find the job they need to keep themselves afloat in the coming months and year.” he states.

LinkedIn Tips from Chris Brogan

It is no surprise that Chris focuses most of the book on LinkedIn usage.

It is, afterall, the big gorilla in the room.

And I really LOVE his take on it. For example, he mirror’s my advice that the Headline is the most important part of your profile.

Why?

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Between February and March this year (2012) the Facebook application for professional networking, called Branchout, went from 2.7 million active users to over 5.5 million active users. As far as social networks go, this is quite impressive.

It took Facebook four years to get to 60 million users, which averages out to 15 million a year. At this rate, Branchout will beat Facebook’s growth rate in its second year of operation. Sure, Facebook has done all of the heavy lifting. But the need that Branchout fills is long overdue.

If you aren’t on this professional network, now is the time. I suspect that Branchout will become a common name for any Facebook user serious about career management. Afterall, what do you do if your boss wants to connect…why not put him in Branchout.

Branchout is an application that adds a professional networking layer on top of your Facebook account. You can use Branchout to add new, professional, contacts to your network without having to let them “inside your house”.

The genius of this app is that you can invite your private contacts into your professional Branchout network so that you can ask for help in networking from your friends and family. So where before, asking your cousin to introduce you to his boss was awkward, with Branchout, its quite easy.

In addition to the types of features you might expect with a professional network (resume-like profile page, recommendations, degrees of connection, etc.) you can see what companies are represented by people you know in your private network. You may have friends in your network who are working at target organizations and you might not even know it.

Branchout boasts of listing over 3 million jobs. Most of these are entry level, but I suspect that this will change in the next year or so.

When you sign up for Branchout, you’ll take the usual steps of approving permission for the app to access your profile data. I would suggest holding off inviting your friends to join you until you’ve filled out the profile completely. If you have a LinkedIn profile, Branchout will actually import it for you.

Remember that even though you are still on Facebook, you should behave just like you are on LinkedIn. In particular, follow LinkedIn etiquette while:

• asking for introductions
• asking for endorsements
• posting status updates
• using pictures
• writing your headline and summary

Now, you can read all that juicy LinkedIn advice, and apply it to your Branchout network and get double your benefit.

There are certain areas, when training people on using LinkedIn, that always seem to cause controversy. The first area of controversy is about profile pictures. But the second, and I think most misunderstood area, is your professional headline.

Your headline is the area just below your name in the top-most blue box of your profile. Every time you send an invitation to connect, or send an inMail, or comment in a group, your headline appears below your name.

So assuming that your first impression with a recruiter is probably going to be on LinkedIn, those first 120 characters must have sufficient impact and clarity.

In reviewing many LinkedIn profiles over the years, and more recently getting to know the recruiting industry well, I can tell you the key points you need to know when writing or editing your headline.

First, there is no magic formula. I’ve seen LinkedIn trainers build apps and even invent mix-and-match charts to help you write your headline.

It’s not that hard if you think about this from the point of view of your audience. After all, when you use social media, you are a publisher!

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Originally posted on onlinecolleges.net:

Before social media became popular, new grads and college students did most of their networking in person and on the phone, or none at all. And while there’s nothing wrong with an in-person, hands-on approach, today’s grads know that there’s a more efficient way to get connected with people who are important to their future, namely social media giants Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. That’s why we’re sharing a series on The New Networking, focusing on how 2012 grads can make social media a major part of their post-grad networking strategy.

Today, we’ll focus on Facebook, hands down the most popular social media site out there with more than 900 million active users. Although not traditionally regarded as a professional site, Facebook is an incredible resource for friendly networking, and it’s also the place you’re most likely to find the people you already know in your educational career: your friends, classmates, and even professors. Read on to discover tips for Facebook networking success as a new grad, useful pages, apps, and resources for further reading that are perfect for today’s recent graduates.

tips

Savvy jobseekers already know about the benefits of using social media outlets, such as blogs, to connect with other people in their field. For example, students completing online studies or classroom-based degree programs often start job search blogs to help them find their first jobs after graduation. After accepting a position, newly employed graduates sometimes continue these blogs in order to maintain contact with other professionals in their field. However, even proficient social media networkers sometimes make a colossal mistake when it comes to former employers. Though many workers are tempted to remove connections with former employers on blogs or other social media websites, burning these bridges is never a good idea.

Why Not Burn the Bridge?

• When an individual applies for a new job, a potential employer may contact the applicant’s former employers for a reference. If the relationship ended badly, the former employer will not give a good recommendation.
• Even if a potential employer does not deliberately contact an applicant’s former employer, the new employer may already have a relationship with the former employer, especially if both professionals work in the same field.
• In some cases, employees may work with their former employers again in the future. If the bridge was burned, the new relationship will immediately be strained and may become unproductive.
• When potential employers find out that an applicant has treated former employers disrespectfully, the applicant appears to be rude and unprofessional.

How to Avoid Burning Bridges