Get the most out of LinkedIn for your job search.

First of all I want to re-emphasize that LinkedIn, social networking and regular networking are not just for job search! Having said that I realize that it is often true that most people don’t pay much attention to LinkedIn until they are unemployed. The title of Harvey Mackey’s book “Dig your well before you’re thirsty” should tell you all you need to know about the necessity of networking throughout your career, not just when unemployed. Here are a few tips to help you use LinkedIn well.

• Having a half-baked LinkedIn profile does not serve much of a purpose at all, so make sure you spend some time to get a robust profile developed. It doesn’t have to be perfect, and should continually be tweaked, updated, re-branded and improved as needed. It is an ongoing process.

• Your Professional Headline doesn’t have to be your Current Job Title. It can highlight the important stuff you want people to know about you. But remember it is confusing to potential employers if they see “seeking new opportunities” in your headline, while you still have a job listed under current employment. Delete your “current job” if you are unemployed. Otherwise it looks like you are a disloyal employee.

• Get a few really, really good recommendations that highlight your strengths. You don’t need hundreds (nobody will read more than a few anyway), but some good ones can bring attention to your value.

• Include a picture unless you have a pretty good reason not to. And make it a photogenic one. Digital photography is cheap and easy these days. If it takes 200 tries to get your smile just right, who cares? It needs to be in focus, good resolution and well lit. A bad photo is worse than none at all. It’s like a typo on your resume. Speaking of typos, LinkedIn doesn't provide a spellchecker yet, so be sure to either use the spellchecker that comes with Firefox, Safari, or Chrome. If you use Internet Explorer you can add a free spellchecker. Here's how:

     1.Go to the Tools menu in Internet Explorer and select Manage Add-ons.
     2.Click the "Find more toolbars and extensions…" link in the lower left of the popup window that appears. You'll land on the "Internet Explorer Gallery" website. Click the "add-ons" icon (a puzzle piece) at the top of the page.
     3.Type "spell check" in the search box on the right and then hit Enter.
     4.Select the spell check product and click the "Add to Internet Explorer" button. Follow the instructions provided to complete the process.
     5. When you go back to your profile, you'll see any misspellings underlined in red.

• Use the Status Updates to let your network know what you are up to and to feed them some links and articles and events they might be interested in. I am always appreciative when someone clues me in to a great article I might have missed otherwise.

• Reach out to your contacts when you notice they got a promotion or switched companies or completed a degree, or did something notable. It always feels nice to be noticed and appreciated.

• Select some targeted companies to “follow.” Following a company will trigger an email to you whenever something notable happens inside that company. You will hear when someone has left the company (this is a peak into the hidden job market), or when someone is promoted or when they have a new group of new hires. This can be useful information.

• Join some LinkedIn Groups in order to be visible in your industry/occupation, and to your network. It also gives you a link to people who are not directly among your contacts, but who may be a useful contact.

• Keep building your list of connections. It is best if you have connections that you actually know and who can come to your rescue if you have a need. But don’t be overly strict, since part of the power of networking is in the unknown. You never know how a connection can become important.

• Help others in your network when you can. What goes around, comes around.

• Don’t ever lie or misrepresent yourself. This should go without saying, but sometimes the temptation is strong to give yourself a better title at a previous job or to amplify your status in some way. Your connections will know. I know a fellow who was a V.P. of IT who now claims he was the CIO. There’s a difference, and people know.

• And don’t waste people’s time with cute videos of puppies and other non-professional items. LinkedIn is different from Facebook and Twitter for this very reason. It is more like a water-cooler at work than a bar. The conversation is mostly professional and work related.

What to put for current title in LinkedIn when unemployed?

A question I get a lot in our LinkedIn training for Dislocated Workers is “what should I put for current position now that I am laid off?”


For the most part due to the incredible number of layoffs in the past two decades the stigma that used to be attached to being laid off is gone. The last two recessions took care of that. We all know people, good hard-working people, who have been laid off through no fault of their own. Even in good times there are layoffs due to mergers and acquisitions and off-shoring and outsourcing and all kinds of reasons.

This doesn’t mean that it doesn’t hurt. It’s just that in the old days people who were laid off suddenly had two problems: 1) dealing with the painful blow to their self-esteem, and 2) finding a new job. These days people spend less time blaming themselves and are therefore able to get right into the job search. They realize it is not personal. It’s the economy.

So, what should you put on your LinkedIn profile? Well, think for a moment about why you even have a profile and why you are participating in LinkedIn in the first place. The term Social Networking implies that you are part of a larger group where there is give and take. It is about people helping each other in various ways. When you are unemployed, no matter how you got there, you need help with job leads, introductions, suggestions, encouragement, and lots of other things. So, if you don’t tell your network that you are unemployed, they won’t know you need their help. So, it is ok to tell them.

Deborah L. Jacobs of Forbes Staff suggests that “In the current economy, with so many talented people being let go, there is ‘absolutely no shame whatsoever’ in clearly indicating that you are out of work.” In fact “you exude confidence by not being ashamed that you’re between jobs.”

For your PROFESSIONAL HEADLINE some people like to mention right away that they are available. They might put their job title with the addition “in transition.” Another option is what Deborah Jacobs advises, which is to put your desired Job Title in your Professional Headline and then mention seeking new opportunities or something like that in your Summary Profile. She recommends deleting everything from the Current Job entirely so it doesn’t even show up.

There is no right way to do all this, but the main point is let your network know you are looking so they can help you out. You can use your Status Update to stay visible by posting useful links to articles or events your network might be interested in seeing.

Overused Words in Resumes

Are you “team player,” or a “customer-focused” “people person?”

If you find these words in your resume, some bloggers (Elizabeth Lowman, in the Daily Muse) are suggesting giving them the heave-ho and updating the terms you use.

She says most resumes use too many terms and phrases that don’t really carry any impact or meaning anymore. If you find some in your resume, replace them with words and phrases that better describe what you have actually done in previous jobs. This adds substance to your resume and allows you to “leverage your impactful experience in your previous career space.” Oh, sorry, I slipped into corporate bafflegab for a second there. So the idea is to communicate your actual accomplishments and avoid sounding presumptuous.

One of the most obvious examples of meaninglessness usually shows up in a person’s career objective. Phrases such as “I want to work for an growing organization that utilizes my talents in supervision” are a bit trite. And it sounds a little entry-level as well. You need something that is more captivating for such an important location on the prime real estate of your resume.

Tips:

• Don’t just say you are experienced (seasoned, well-versed), which is a little vague, but say something to describe your experience.

• Rather than saying “I am a team player,” say what that means to you. What did you actually do that showed this quality? Led a team? Joined a team? Managed a fantasy football team?

• If you describe yourself as “dynamic, enthusiastic, or passionate” be sure you come across that way in the interview. These are terms that are really the judgment of the interviewer. You can quote someone else as saying this about you. That is one way to avoid sounding too self-promoting.

• Employers know that they can ask for references. You don’t need to tell them anymore that your “references are available upon request.” That is a waste of words and space these days.

We are all probably guilty of all these mistakes, and the best thing to do is to clean them up going forward.

Thank You!

Here is the story of one of Raul's clients who just landed, and what he learned in the process...

Thank you!

After an interesting and personally fulfilling transition that included developing and launching a small business, social marketing professional development, and writing and preparing to market an eBook on managing your job transition, I am pleased to let you know that I have confirmed and accepted a marketing position with OptumHealth, the consumer healthcare division within UnitedHealth Care that provides personalized heath management support and services to consumers.   

I start on Monday as the new Senior Manager on the marketing team and will lead the marketing initiatives for the Chronic Condition and Complex Condition Management teams.  Specifically, I will be responsible for product marketing initiatives for case and utilization management, chronic disease conditions outreach services for asthma, coronary artery disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, diabetes, and heart failure, and complex conditions such as cancer, women’s health, bariatric, and transplant services. I will be located at the OptumHealth offices in Golden Valley.

One of the key things I learned during this process was the power of developing and maintaining your network, and that there are a lot of people professing a search process that may or may not be effective. If I can be of assistance to you or those you know in transition, please feel free to refer them to me to network. I would be happy to share what I found worked and what didn’t in today’s market.

Thanks again for all your help. Whether you were one of my mentors or my many “cheerleaders”, an internal company “champion”, or one of my key references, your insight and support has been invaluable. Have a great weekend and please let me know how I can pay it forward. And hang on to this contact information for me. It will be the easiest way to get me engaged if and when you need to.

  --Submitted by Raul Sanchez, Vocational Counselor

Greening from ear to ear

I attended a conference yesterday called "Work Green: Finding the Green in Minnesota's Economy." Here are a few take aways if you have some interest in Green jobs:

• There is not a specific Green Industry. Green cuts across all industries, and eventually we need all industries to be Green. But for now Minnesota has identified five Green sectors: Environmental Conservation, Green Manufacturing, Recycling and Pollution Reduction, Building-related energy efficiency, and Renewable energy conservation. Learn more at http://www.mngreencareers.org/
• About 2% of all job openings in Minnesota between October 2009 and December 2010 were considered green. More than one quarter of all Green job openings were STEM occupations (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). Learn more at http://www.positivelyminnesota.com/Data_Publications/Data/Green_Jobs/
• Where could a Green career lead for me? They have been busy identifying career ladders and career pathways for Green Occupations. learn more at http://www.iseek.org/industry/green/careers/green-pathways.html
• A lot of the questions asked of the representatives at the conference were along the lines of  "How can I break in? How can I get my foot in the door? How do I know where to start? One of the panel representatives, Jeremy Kalin, recommended reading up on the developing field. For example, read Tom Friedman's recent book Hot, Flat, and Crowded for a good overview.
• As you read see what gets you excited. For example if you are an I.T. professional you might get excited about the technology that is needed to develop a "smart grid" that can take advantage of different sources of energy. Or perhaps the technology needed for "smart homes" to better control energy usage, and to connect to the smart grid.
• Or if you are a mechanically-minded technician maybe you like the idea of installing solar panels for businesses or residences. There is lots to be done.
• A home energy auditor can earn between $18 and $31 per hour.
• Here are three websites where you can drill into three main areas. Electric Power Transmission and Usage www.iseek.org/industry/energy/careers/careers-in-electric.html; or Residential Energy Efficient Careers www.iseek.org/industry/energy/careers/careers-in-residential.html; or Commercial Energy Efficient Careers www.iseek.org/industry/energy/careers/careers-in-commercial.html
• If you are interested in Free Training to become a Green Specialist or a Green Generalist check out this opportunity: http://www.jobpartners.org/greenpower.htm

One thing that came through the conference is the excitement of everyone who is involved in building Minnesota's new Green Energy Economy. There is a lot of passion and energy, because it is such a good mission and we need to get there for our children's sake.

  --Mike Powers

A Networking Success Story

This is a good example of  how networking sometimes pays off in ways we don't expect. Smaller firms are much more receptive to creating opportunities to fit the talents of someone they meet. Here's how it worked for one person...

Hi Bill,

You have good timing. I have good news.....I finally received a job offer today! (which I am planning to accept!)

It's kind of an interesting story. Last month I decided that I need to find ways to get beyond my current network, so I decided to attend a "Minnesota Women in Business" Spring Luncheon. One of the speakers was a women who owns a packaging design and production firm. I was interested in her story, and introduced myself to her afterwords. We met, along with her business partner, a week later for coffee. We hit it off immediately and they talked about the possibility of creating a position for me. They had me back today to meet more people, and sent me an email offer before I even got home! We all had this sense that this meeting was meant to be.

I'm excited to work with this very smart group of people, and glad "the search" is over.

Thank you so much for your support and willingness to help in any way possible through this journey.

submitted by Bill Thurston, Vocational Counselor

Three success stories

In the midst of these difficult times we still see success for those searching for that next position. We can learn much from those who landed after long-term job transition.

Visit a local job club and speak to your counselor to discuss what is working and what is not. Here are some more survival tips from those who have been there. Follow these tips and keep talking to people!

Here are the stories of three of my clients who found jobs after a lot of persistence:

Story 1

Bill,

I know you said you would like some feedback from me to pass along to others who are unemployed. I have a couple of helpful hints. I was unemployed for over a year (actually over 2 years, but I worked as a contract worker intermittently the first year and a little of the second year!) and I’ve found out a few things:

1. Create a daily schedule with timing for your job search.
2. Create a plan of action with goals so you can see yourself meeting the goals.
3. Work with the Job Partners/Teamsters for an awesome résumé!
4. Decide on minimum job requirements including type of job, hours, salary and benefits. Don’t just apply for everything that’s out there. You will soon feel bad when you’re getting FT job offers but have to turn them down because the minimum wage won’t cover daycare (or other expenses).
5. Take a PT job, if there are any out there! It’s also nice to get out of the house and meet people and network.
6. It is imperative for people with small children to maintain the normal routine as though they were employed. Bring the kids to daycare so that you can really search for a job without distractions. Also, then the kids are used to going to daycare, so life won’t be so much of a change when you do find a job.
7. Volunteer anywhere. You will make important contacts and gain knowledge and be useful. I volunteered at my church creating excel spreadsheets. I learned a lot and met a lot of people and made a lot of potential business contacts. My church was very disappointed when I had to quit because they were very impressed with my work and had passed my name along to others who might have a need for me. It’s also nice to get out of the house and meet people and network.
8. Take all classes available at Job Partners/Teamsters. The resume and interviewing classes were very helpful for me. It’s also nice to get out of the house and meet people and network.
9. Find pertinent training classes that will benefit your job search and take them. Talk to your counselor about what the program can pay for. It’s also nice to get out of the house and meet people and network.
10. Realize that not everyone wants to hear your elevator speech. I’ve noticed that I’m hearing back from more people now that I have a job. It seems like they were afraid to contact me when I was looking for a job maybe because they thought that’s all I wanted from them.
11. Take notes immediately after each interview. Note the type of questions asked, your answers, what would have been a better answer, follow-up questions you would like to ask, the tone of the meeting and any other pertinent details. This will help you prepare for future interviews.
12. When you get a job offer, make sure you have all the tools to negotiate a good offer. Don’t let them ask you what you want to be paid without knowing the salary range first. You need to know the salary range (and they have that information so they should give it to you) and then you will plan to ask for a salary in the midpoint or slightly higher. There are good resources on this if you Google it.
13. Update your LinkedIn profile. Many companies look at this! Take the LinkedIn class at the Job Partners /Teamsters, another good class! It’s also nice to get out of the house and meet people and network.
14. Okay, I had more than 6 interviews for the job I have now! It’s not unheard of! I had multiple interviews before and didn’t get the job! Some didn’t even bother getting back to me at all. That’s just what happened to me!
15. I feel very strongly against sending a handwritten thank you note in the mail. These days, people use their computers for everything and paper mail in a large company may get delayed if you don’t have the correct box number. To me, the handwritten note is unprofessional and outdated. I usually send a nice email with a personal tone to it. Just my thoughts on that.

 Story 2:

Hi Bill,

I have had a busy summer looking for work. I filled out a lot of applications online as well as in person, and all seemed very impressed with my work ethic as well as how many years I have held a single job.

After working a single job for so many years, it's hard to find that one job that will fit into my life. Many interviews and crunching numbers and a lot of soul searching turned up almost nothing that was challenging enough for me.

I was going to my favorite store, Menards, when my cell phone rang. An employer asked me if I was still interested in a job. I had filled out the application in the middle of June, and it was now the end of August. I said, “ya sure.” It was 11:10 am. He wanted to see me at 1:30 pm that day. I was kind of blown away by that. The interview went well and I went for my drug test. I called him after I was done and he said he would call me tomorrow when he received the results. Thursday he calls me and tells me about the opportunity of joining one of these crews that go out for weeks at a time and mill highways. I wasn’t too keen on the idea of being gone for such a long time, but I said, OK I’ll do it if it will secure me a driving job in the Spring, in town, as all these jobs lay off in the late fall.

The money is good. Today I was in the state of Wyoming, on top of a mountain road passage thru the Absaraka Range, I think Little Big Horn, what scenery, and it was beautiful. This is a good job; good pay, good company, and the foreman can see that I am a hard worker, that I catch on very fast, can anticipate what he needs or is going to do next. Everyone wants to spend the Obama money, and I want to establish myself before the money runs out. I work for the hardest foreman in this company, I can tell this. There will be only good that comes from this job, I can feel it. I walk about 5 to 6 miles a day when we’re ripping up roads. Drinking a lot of water and losing weight, and getting a tan. So in short, one day I’m walking into Menards getting something for a house project, and that same week I’m shipped out on a job for 2 to 4 weeks. My fiancé’s not too happy about it, but she’s the one that wanted me to go out and find a job. How’s that for a story?!

Story 3:

Bill,

I guess if I have any words of wisdom about the job hunt they would be:

• Get all the help and support you can once you have come to grips with being laid off.
• Take all the information you gather and determine what will work for you and prepare a plan of action.
• Don't overlook any resources you may have at your disposal; you can be extremely resourceful when bills are waiting to be paid.
• Try to live your life as near to normal as possible while looking for work.
• Document daily, weekly and monthly what you are doing in the job search, keep accurate records of everything.
• Be prepared to change your plan along the way; there are so many factors out of your control that will impact your path to a new job.
• Get outside your comfort zone - tell everyone you are looking for work, go to career fairs and join a job club.
• All these things may not lead to a job. Realize you ultimately have to get there on your own.
• In the end it doesn't matter what your status or pay was in your former position; you will probably give up a lot to rebuild with a new employer.
• The whole process is very difficult; celebrate the victory when you finally find the job.

I found my job when I had applied to another company that was located next to them. A few months later, the company had this position open and wanted to interview me for it at that time, but I turned them down due to the salary offered. When I saw the job come up again, many more months had passed and I had come to the realization that I would not be starting out at the salary I previously had, but other factors had become important in my quest to get back to work. In the end I found the company on my own and had a successful campaign. There were 220 other applicants, so they saw something in my resume they wanted to pursue. After the first round of interviews, they were still interested. After the second round of interviews and testing and decision making, they offered me the position.

Take Care, I'll keep in touch. Thanks!

Bill Thurston
Vocational Counselor
MN Job Partners/MN Teamsters Service Bureau