LinkedIn | Career Musings

The Best Day For Your Job Search

July 14, 2014 by Daisy Leave a Comment

Job seeker, this is another sporadic dose of the Monday Rx, a picker-upper to help you get through Mondays. I say ‘sporadic’ because, honestly, it’s not every Monday that I write such a blog post!

Are you having a case of the Monday Morning Blues? Grab your favourite cup of coffee, perk yourself up, and get ready for some great news! Today, Monday, is the best day to submit your resume to the employer (or employers) you have been targeting.

A survey conducted by Bright.com (prior to its acquisition by LinkedIn in February 2014), indicated that the best day to apply for a job is on a Monday (at least in the US).

They analyzed more than half a million job applications revealing that 30 percent of people who applied for a job on Mondays went on to get interviews. On the contrary, Saturdays were the least successful day, when the success rate was only 14 percent.

Image: Courtesy of qz.com

The report does not explain why Monday job seekers do best, simply confirming that they do. However, the assumption is that applications that come in on a Monday stand a better chance of being seen than ones that come in later in the week, as resumes pile up on hiring managers’ desks. Then, too, it’s possible that Monday applicants might be more eager, go-getters.

Take some time today to review your resume, make sure it addresses the employer’s needs and articulates the value you will bring, then put your ears, telephone, iPad and email services on alert. You might just be called for an interview.

By the way, there are other positives about Mondays. It is said that Monday is the best day to quit smoking, start a new diet or buy a new car. What are your thoughts about Mondays?

Going Beyond the Resume (P3): Launch a Social Media Campaign

February 11, 2014 by Daisy Leave a Comment

This is the final of our three-part series on Going Beyond the Resume. It is going to take you out of your comfort zone and on a limb that will scare the daylights out of you, but you cannot conduct a successful job search without it.

I know you are wondering why you should launch such a campaign. Well, the traditional way of conducting a job search is not working. For too long you have been engaged in ‘push marketing’ where you are sending resumes to every possible company and contact. But, your resume is being held up in the resume black hole and not getting to the decision maker. It’s time to engage in ‘pull marketing’ where you become a target for potential employers. Here are some reasons to embrace this concept. A personal social media job search campaign will:

(1) differentiate you from your competition – all those vying for the same position you are after.

(2) give you opportunities to engage with your target employers, connect with colleagues working in your industry, and expand your network.

(3) allow you to leverage your brand using LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and other platforms where recruiters will discover you and learn about you.

If you have a LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or Google+ account, you already have the tools to begin. Participate in discussions on these forums where your target employers are. It is pointless to join social media groups without becoming an active participant. That’s like attending a meeting but not contributing to the discussion. Ask and answer questions, Give or request opinions on your areas of interest, create your own discussion topics or write articles that will generate conversations.

Don’t hesitate to comment on a company’s blog. Remember the story of the young man from Oregon who tried for two years to get a job at Microsoft. It wasn’t until he started to contribute to conversations on the company’s blog that they took notice and hired him 10 days after he was discovered. A well-defined social media job search strategy will help boost your reputation and have employers seeking you out than the other way around. It also helps you stand out from your competition who, in all likelihood, is spending all their time on push marketing.

Here is a simple way to start your campaign:

Find a blog post, a tweet or an article from one of the employers you would like to work for.
Read it thoroughly. Decide if you would like to ask a question or give your opinion about it. If someone has already made comments, engage in the dialogue to showcase your expertise.
Don’t let it end there. Take the conversation to your preferred social media platform. Offer it as an update on LinkedIn where people in your network could ‘Like’ it, or offer their own comments. Take the discussion to one of your LinkedIn groups to garner additional exposure.

In a Fast Company Article, the writer of this tells a story of how a 16-year old high school student emailed her out of the blue, and asked to join her as a guest on her TV show. He did not send a resume, but instead included links to his website, Twitter account, Facebook page, and three relevant YouTube clips. (This kid launched his own social media campaign!). This initiative earned him an invitation to be a guest on the show. Read the kid’s story in the second paragraph of this link: Social Media Campaign

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Facebook, Google+ G+, Job Search, LinkedIn, resume, Social Media, social media job search campaign, twitter

And the Most Overused Resume Buzzword for 2013 Is…

December 13, 2013 by Daisy Leave a Comment

Over the past several years, LinkedIn has been coming out with its top ten list of buzzwords found in members’ profiles and resumes. This year, ‘responsible’ heads the list, but it won’t be considered ‘news’ to some recruiters. In a 2010 survey of Canadian HR professionals and recruiters, they unanimously agreed that employers hire based on results, not on what job candidates were “responsible for…”.

To arrive at the top ten buzzwords, LinkedIn analyzes the English-language profiles of millions of its worldwide members. Since 2010, some words have been eliminated or moved further down the list but ‘innovative’ has been a constant. It is interesting that creative, organizational and effective occupy the top three positions in 2011 and 2012.

What tends to get lost in these analyses is the fact that job descriptions and job postings are full of these buzzwords. The dichotomy then is, how original can a job seeker get? To ensure their resumes are selected by the applicant tracking system programmed with these same buzzwords, job seekers have little choice but to stack their resumes or profiles with them.

All is not lost. There is a way to circumvent this overuse of buzzwords. It is called networking, an activity that many job seekers detest. Networking does not rely on buzzwords. It is a planned approach to building professional relationships through social media and in-person contacts, and a chance to be seen by recruiters and decision makers. Job seekers have an opportunity to add value to conversations, showcase their expertise and gain visibility from the people who really matter.

So while you might be a responsible and strategic thinker, who is creative, effective and patient; an expert in organizational development, driven to deliver innovative ideas and be extremely analytical, you still have a long way to go to create a resume and LinkedIn profile that will totally be devoid of these buzzwords.

Are you ready to shun those buzzwords? You can start by sharing concrete examples of your accomplishments and how you have added value to your employer.

No Canadian Experience, Eh? A Canadian Bestseller

October 29, 2013 by Daisy 2 Comments

On Thanksgiving morning, I received a LinkedIn message from one of my contacts. It read as follows:

“Good morning Daisy,

My name is ______ and I work for _____ College. I was the coordinator for the Immigrant Language Training programs at [the college] and also taught the Newcomer Career Exploration course. I read your book a couple of years ago and thought it was a one of a kind resource for professional newcomers. I have since purchased four class sets and each one of my students has commented on how beneficial it has been through their transition here in Canada.

Our program assists professional newcomers transition to the Canadian workplace – each student must complete a work placement to gain experience. Our team has had a great success rate. Out of 15 students that enroll in our full-time program each year, an average of 7 students find full-time employment in their respective fields. This is not including our part-time student success!

I also would like to let you know that the first year I only purchased a set – hoping that students would return them at the end of the year…but, of course they valued your book and asked to keep it. This is the reason why I have purchased 4 sets – each semester. I give them away to the students, to keep learning and so that they can go back to those chapters in your textbook that are most important to them.

I would like to thank you for writing this textbook. I created my new hybrid course around your textbook and would love to share it with you some time.”

For obvious reasons I have not included her name nor the name of the college, but what a Thanksgiving gift! And I responded to her to tell her just that.

That news spurred me to do the Math and find out how many copies of this book that have been printed. It came up to 4,219. This number includes what has been sold, given away, as well as the ebook version.

Now, why is it a bestseller? During one of my researches when writing the book, I found out that if a self-published book sold 500 copies and more, it was considered a bestseller. Well…? No Canadian Experience, Eh? is one!

There are so many people to thank for this achievement, but my gratitude continues to go out to the 16 contributors of the second edition. You know who you are and this couldn’t have happened without you. What started as an idea, evolved into a book that has been making a difference to the lives of many people. Isn’t that a BIG announcement? In addition, this woman took it a step further and used the book to create a hybrid course for her students.

Never underestimate the rippling effects of one book.

Filed Under: Book - No Canadian Experience, Job Search Tagged With: Author Daisy Wright, Book No Canadian Experience Eh?, career coach, Daisy Wright, Job Search, LinkedIn, no canadian experience, No Canadian Experience Eh?

6 Reasons to Send a Cover Letter With Your Resume

October 7, 2013 by Daisy Leave a Comment

The importance of cover letters sometimes engenders lively debates among hiring managers, job seekers, and career professionals, and all sides have compelling arguments. Some say recruiters do not have the time to read cover letters, especially when they are under pressure to find the right candidate. Others say that fifty percent of recruiters do not read them. If that’s the case, what happens to the other fifty percent who do spend the time to read these them?

Having participated in and researched the various arguments, here are six reasons a job seeker might want to include a cover letter with his or her resume:

Fifty percent of recruiters read cover letters: While it is commonly argued that fifty percent of recruiters do not read cover letters, the other fifty percent does. Therefore, if there is a fifty-fifty chance that a cover letter is going to be read by a recruiter, why not include one with your resume?

Most employers expect a cover letter with the resume. A 2012 survey conducted by Officeteam revealed that 91% of executives said cover letters were valuable when evaluating job candidates.

The resume is only half-dressed without the cover letter. Sometimes the resume is not enough to convey the job seeker’s qualifications and interest in the role, and gives the impression that something is missing. Adding a cover letter completes the picture. It also is an opportunity to answer potential questions before they are asked. For example, “Why are their gaps in your employment?”

The cover letter demonstrates your contribution. Adam Bryant aka @NYTCorneroffice, contributor at the New York Times, was asked on LinkedIn’s How to Hire series, if a cover letter really helps in the decision to hire. He said, “The magic word for a cover letter is contribution. You want to show that you are ready to make a contribution, rather than just hoping for a pay cheque; that you have done your homework, you are excited about the vision, and that you understand what the company does.”

The cover letter is your elevator pitch for your resume. In an interview with Careerbuilder, Jodi R.R. Smith, president of Mannersmith, a Massachusetts-based etiquette consulting firm, said, “The cover letter is the elevator pitch for your resume. It’s your best bet for grabbing the recruiter’s interest so that the recruiter wants to review your resume.” Learn how to polish up your cover letter much like you do with your elevator pitch.

The cover letter is an opportunity to tell your unique story and make a good first impression. A cover letter should create a strong first impression and tells the employer why you are the best person for the role. “Submitting a resume without a cover letter is like not shaking hands when meeting someone for the first time,” says Dave Willmer, executive director of OfficeTeam. “Those who aren’t including cover letters with their resumes are missing an opportunity to make a good first impression and set themselves apart from other job applicants.”

How about you? Which side of the cover letter debate are you on? Should you or should you not send a cover letter with your resume? Share your comments below.

The cover letter demonstrates your contribution. Adam Bryant aka @NYTCorneroffice, contributor at the New York Times, was asked on LinkedIn’s How to Hire series,

Filed Under: Job Search, Resumes Tagged With: candidate, cover letter, cover letters, elevator pitch, employers, hire, hiring manager, How to Hire, job, Job Search, job seeker, LinkedIn, recruiter, resume

Why Job Seekers Should Get on Board the Social Media Train

September 18, 2013 by Daisy Leave a Comment

If you are a job seeker who has been avoiding the social media recruiting train, it’s time to get on board. That’s because more and more recruiters are riding that train and will continue to do so in future. According to a recent survey from Jobvite, 94% of the 1,600 recruiters they interviewed either use or plan to use social media in their recruitment efforts. If that’s the case, wouldn’t be a good idea for job seekers to get on board and be found?

Key Findings from the Survey

94% of recruiters use or plan to use social media in their recruitment efforts.
78% of recruiters have made a hire through social media. Of this number, 92% hired through LinkedIn.
42% of recruiters have reconsidered a candidate positively or negatively, based on what they saw after viewing their profile.
Social profiles give recruiters more confidence in a candidate’s professional and cultural fit.
Social recruiting generates strong ROI, both in dollars and candidate quality.

LinkedIn Dominates

While these recruiters are using multiple channels to find top candidates, LinkedIn remains the dominant channel according to the report:

96% use LinkedIn to search for candidates
94% use it to contact candidates
93% use it to keep tabs on candidates
92% use it to vet candidates, and
91% use it to post jobs.

Facebook and Twitter round off the top three channels of choice for recruiters at 65% and 55%, respectively.

What Recruiters Look for on Social Profiles

Recruiters not only look for professional experience on a candidate’s social profile, but also for length of tenure, hard skills, industry-related conversations (via blog posts for e.g.), and cultural fit. Sixty-five percent of the recruiters view volunteering and donations to charity as a plus for candidates. The report also shows that when a candidate has a strong social profile, it gives recruiters more confidence about their professionalism and potential as a good cultural fit.

Social Recruiting Generates Strong ROI

Some recruiters have found that companies that have implemented a social recruiting strategy, have seen a positive impact on the companies’ ROI. For example, they have seen a 33% jump in the time it takes to hire a candidate, a 49% increase in the quantity and quality of candidates, and the quantity and quality of employee referrals have jumped 43%.

These recruiters have said what many people already know: that the best-quality candidates come through referrals from employees’ networks. As a result, 68% of the companies interviewed offer referral compensation to gain a competitive advantage.

Based on the survey, it is even more important for job seekers to become more strategic and develop and nurture relationships with people within the companies they are targetting. Are you ready to ride the social media recruiting train?

Grab a copy of the report here: 2013 JobVite Social Recruiting Survey

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Facebook, Job Search, job seeker, job seekers, LinkedIn, recruiting, Social Media, social profiles, social recruiting, train, twitter

5 Reasons You Are Being Ignored on LinkedIn

June 3, 2013 by Daisy 2 Comments

Are you being bypassed on LinkedIn? Are your invitations being rejected? If you are a manager or emerging executive who is not attracting influential contacts, or who is not on the radar of recruiters and decision makers, you are probably being ignored on LinkedIn because of these blunders:

You have chosen to keep the ghost-looking blank box. Without a professional headshot, hiring managers, recruiters and potential contacts assume you are invisible or that you don’t exist. People are more inclined to accept your invitation if they can associate a name with a photograph, so add a bit of personality to your profile. When you do upload a photo, make sure it is a professional one. One client had a photo that included his cute little daughter. That was great for Facebook, but not for LinkedIn.

You are using LinkedIn’s default invitation. I have lost count on how many invitations I have received that started with LinkedIn’s default or generic invitation, “Hi, I would like to add you to my professional network”. Spend time crafting a customized message. Give recipients a reason to connect with you. Remind them of how you met; that you are both members of the same alumni group; that you have been following their insightful discussions on an industry’s LinkedIn Group. Or, if those strategies don’t apply, say something that indicates you value them and are not just looking to add numbers to your network.

You have not changed the default public profile URL. When you first signed up for a LinkedIn account, you were given a URL that has your name and some numbers and letters. Create a clean, personally-branded URL by following the instructions under Edit Profile. If someone with your name has already grabbed that URL, use a middle initial or something that will differentiate you from others with the same name.

You have a scanty and incomplete profile. One of the first things many people do after they sign up for a LinkedIn account is to start sending invitations. Big mistake! Add content to your profile. Before asking people to join your network, let them know who you are, what you have done, what skills you have, what you are good at. Give them a good reason for wanting to connect with you.

You are asking for favours too early in the relationship. This is like going on a blind date and asking your date to marry you. Never ask your new contact to help you find a job or for any other favours so early in the relationship. Relationship building comes first. Give them a chance to get to know you, or more importantly, find out how you may be able to help them.

LinkedIn allows your profile to be available 24/7 for anyone to see at any time. If you are serious about your job search, here are some quick reminders:

Make sure your profile is 100% complete (or close)
Customize your invitations
Upload a professional head shot
Customize your personal URL.
Do not start asking for favours as soon as your new contact has accepted your invitation

Sometimes you might not be looking for new opportunities but because you have an attention-grabbing professional profile, you could be contacted by individuals looking for people with your expertise.

How does your LinkedIn or your other social media profiles measure up? Share your thoughts here.

Filed Under: Job Search, Social Media Tagged With: Daisy Wright, emerging executive, Job Search, LinkedIn, manager

Are You Among LinkedIn’s 1%?

February 13, 2013 by Daisy Leave a Comment

Last week I received a personalized congratulatory email from LinkedIn’s Senior Vice President of User Experience that said “You have one of the top 1% most viewed LinkedIn Profiles for 2012”. LinkedIn now has 200 million users, so by the time I worked out the math (1 in 2,000,000), the message didn’t have as much meaning, unless I was going to assess and quantify how many connections or clients I received as a result of these views.

Anyway, for it was worth, I googled the sender’s name to make sure it was legitimate, then tweeted the news. What algorithm LinkedIn used to arrive at this percentage is anyone’s guess, but it has certainly garnered a lot of discussion among some of my career practitioner colleagues – from humour to an attitude of ‘What will they come with next?’

While we ponder this, however, I am reminded of the many job seekers who are not aware of, or are still not taking advantage of LinkedIn as a job search and networking tool. One woman called me aside at church the other day and said, “Someone sent me an invitation to join LinkedIn. I don’t understand what it is, but I know you would, so I joined, and now am asking you to explain.” I gave her a brief description of LinkedIn and told her it is often referred to as ‘having one’s resume on steroids’ so she is to make sure she completes her profile.

It might be presumptuous to say that LinkedIn is fast becoming somewhat of a ‘recruiter of choice’ for some employers, but many of them are using LinkedIn to conduct ‘stealth hiring’. This is where they quietly target, recruit, interview and hire employees without advertising job vacancies. They are able to view profiles, see who is connected to whom, what skills and expertise they have, and reach out to them even when these individuals are not looking for job opportunities. On the flip side, they can view profiles and if they are incomplete or do not have the right keywords to appeal to them, they can disqualify them right there.

So, whether or not you are among LinkedIn’s 1%, 5% or 10% most viewed profiles, here are six quick tips that could bring your profile up to speed and have you on the radar of potential employers:

Complete your profile. This means writing an attention-getting summary and adding skills that will show up in searches and help to attract recruiters and hiring managers.
Upload a professional head-shot. First impressions count, even for your profile, so replace that ‘egg head’ blank square with a professional photo if you want to impress a recruiter or hiring manager, or connect with someone.
Customize your LinkedIn invitation. People are more apt to connect with you if you put a bit of effort into crafting a customized invitation. Let them feel special! Remind them where you met or how you are connected.
Join industry and professional groups. LinkedIn allows you to join up to 50 groups, so search for groups by industry, alumni, former companies and career or job search groups, and join them. Once you have joined, PARTICIPATE!
Follow your target companies. During your research you would’ve identified companies with which you would like to work. Monitor their company pages to learn more about them, their products and services, as well as who has recently been hired.
Ask and Answer Questions. LinkedIn is made up of a community of learners, so don’t be afraid to showcase your expertise by answering questions posed by other users or to pose questions of your own.

While this article primarily pertains to job seekers, entrepreneurs and solopreneurs should harness the power of LinkedIn to build relationships and visibility, and increase business opportunities.

Let us know how you are using LinkedIn and if you have been counted among their most viewed profile.

Filed Under: Job Search, Social Media Tagged With: Career, Job Search, LinkedIn, LinkedIn Profile, network, resume

10 Ways to Optimize your LinkedIn Experience

December 1, 2012 by Daisy Leave a Comment

See on Scoop.it – Freelance Writing On Careers & Resumes

It is said that LinkedIn is the number social network for professionals and job seekers, and I agree. However, many people are not taking advantage of this tool. This post, scooped from Scoop.it, ties in nicely with another recent post LinkedIn Endorsements: Fad, Foe or Friend!

LinkedIn offers value for all walks of life. This post tells you how you can optimize your LinkedIn experience . . .

1) Keep your profile updated – Gain more visibility by completing your profile and uploading a professional headshot.

2) Customize your website or blog link – No need to use LinkedIn’s generic “Company Website”. Personalize it with the name of your website or blog.

3) Join Groups and Engage – This is where you meet people and build rapport. It’s not good enough to join groups but you must interact with members and contribute to discussions.

4) Use the LinkedIn’s Endorsement Feature – While this feature has had its critics, it is a neat way to show appreciation to someone else.

5) Recommendations – A recommendation is a more thorough representation of a business relationship. It can be time-consuming to write so if you are requesting one, proactively write it up yourself then send to the person to whom you are making the request. If someone is asking you for one, have the requester write up something themselves and you can tweak and edit accordingly.

6) Content Curation – Take advantage of the LinkedIn Today feature where LinkedIn captures the day’s news. Stay informed!

7) Post, Comment and Like – Create your own blog post on a topic, add your voice to a discussion by commenting on people’s blogs, and show appreciation by clicking on a ‘Like’ button.

8) Tight or Loose Connections – You can determine how you want to use LinkedIn. Tight connections are those where you decide which invitations you will accept; loose connections means you are a LION – LinkedIn Open Networker – but it opens the flood gates to receive numerous invitations. This feature costs $10 per month.

9) Premium Account – Read up on this option and see if it will be beneficial to you as there’s a fee structure.

10) LinkedIn Advertising – Depending on your situation, you could take advantage of LinkedIn’s advertising service.

As it is with all other social engagement, you get what you put in. If you don’t stay active and participate consistently you will not get results from LinkedIn.

See original post on Steve Hughes’ geeklesstech.com

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: LinkedIn, LinkedIn Endorsements, LinkedIn Profile

LinkedIn Endorsements: Fad, Foe or Friend?

October 22, 2012 by Daisy 8 Comments

If you are active on LinkedIn you may have started receiving endorsements from some of your connections. I have, and must say that when they started arriving in my Inbox I thought spam hackers had infiltrated the accounts of some of the people in my network and were sporadically sending out these messages. I became a bit more curious when I noticed endorsements were coming from some individuals with whom I had very little, if any, interactions. Don’t get me wrong; I appreciate all I have received so far, but because I wasn’t aware that such a feature exists, I was sceptical. It wasn’t until I saw several posts on a discussion board and visited the LinkedIn blog that I realized the emails were legitimate.

LinkedIn Endorsement is a feature that allows your contacts to click a button and recognize and validate skills and expertise that you have on your profile. They can also add skills and expertise that they know you have but ones you may not have listed. In fact, in a word or phrase, a LinkedIn endorsement could help to answer the age old question, “What are you good at?” The feature also allows you to pay-it-forward by endorsing the expertise of people in your network who you know quite well or by reciprocating the favour of those who have endorsed you. Having said that, is this LinkedIn Endorsement feature a fad, a foe or a friend?

Fad. From much of what I have read, some people have characterized it as a fad – a trend that will pass. One individual curtly said, “This too shall pass”, referring to Twitter‘s #FollowFriday and Facebook‘s ‘Likes’. A comment on Inquirer.net states, “As the feature stands, it’s really just eye-candy for Linkedin, perhaps catching the attention of an employer but quickly fading away under detailed scrutiny.” One colleague commented that, “This whole endorsements thing is kinda brainless…silly and devoid of meaning.” Digital marketer, Eric Whittlake, portends that the value of LinkedIn as a business network will decrease while traffic to the site and potential advertising will increase. And, blogger Garrett Heath, said, “The Endorsement feature cheapens some of these accomplishments and turns a candidate’s profile/resume effectively into a “Like” contest.”

Foe. Although this could be more perception than reality, somewhere down the road, recruiters and hiring managers could be tempted to look at the number of endorsements one has and eliminate some otherwise talented people from the competition because they do not have many endorsements. This is not too far-fetched as there were discussions in the blogosphere and on job boards several months ago about some employers using one’s Klout score (or number of Twitter followers, for that matter), to determine how much clout (influence) one has and which applicants should be short-listed for interviews. Endorsements could also impact the LinkedIn’s Recommendations feature since it is easier to click on a skills button than to write a recommendation. And, in some circles, endorsements could be viewed as a “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” strategy, which could be frowned on and diminish its effectiveness.

Friend. The upside to the act of endorsements is that it could be perceived as a 360° validation of your expertise. Not only are you saying you are ‘the best thing since sliced bread’ but people who are familiar with you and your work also agrees with you. These endorsements add value and credibility and back up your claim of having those skills and expertise. An endorsement could also be mutually beneficial as you can return the favour of the endorser and thereby capitalize on each other’s network. If done correctly, endorsements could enhance the value of the recommendations you already have.

It’s obvious that the feature has friends and foes. From my perspective, however, the jury is still out. First, the feature is only a month old (up to the time of this post); second, I am still not sure how to use it effectively. For example, when I thought I was accepting endorsements, I ended up clicking on the “Endorse All 4” button that popped up without clearly looking at who I was endorsing. There will be many more discussions about the value of endorsements, and when that happens we can all determine if a LinkedIn Endorsement is a fad, a foe or a friend. Leave your comments or your discoveries in the “Speak Your Mind” section below.

Additional reading:

The Pros and Cons of Endorsements

How LinkedIn Skills Endorsement Impact Your Job Search

Endorsement Feature Degrades LinkedIn as a Professional Network