Man on trapeze

Between the Trapezes

Using Recommendations on LinkedIn

November 2007

 

Greetings!

Welcome to Between the Trapezes! Often the changes in our lives feel precarious as we are suspended between two certainties. But the frightening moment passes as we bravely go on to the next step -- as we always do.

Enjoy reading, and feel free to forward this e-zine on to anyone, wherever they are job searching! And if you received this e-mail in error, our apologies -- just unsubscribe using the easy link at the bottom of this page.

Joanne

Topics:

·  Gather Ye Recommendations While Ye May

·  How John Landed His New Job

·  Joanne's New Book Now Available!



Gather Ye Recommendations While Ye May

Handshaketeal

Last week, a friend of mine who's terrific at selling real estate was asking me about LinkedIn and the advantages of being part of it. Like many people, she signed up "but never did anything with it." There are several advantages, especially for job seekers, but no matter who you are, having recommendations on your LinkedIn page shows that others endorse your work. They think highly of you. This is a major way of using LinkedIn.

So I recommended that my friend talk with customers who are pleased with her work, and ask them to write recommendations for her on LinkedIn. That way, if anyone searches LinkedIn for a good real estate broker, they'll find her. That scenario helped her understand how LinkedIn can help, even though she's not in job search.

But if you're in job search, know that employers look for LinkedIn recommendations. They say these recommendations are more spontaneous than traditional references' comments. How do they find yours? They search by using key words, which find you by your background or by recommendation; they then read your profile and recommendations, and decide whether or not to contact you via the network (yet another reason for adding your e-mail address to your name).

To do any of this, you do need to be on LinkedIn, as does the person writing your recommendation. Who would write recommendations for you? Start with your references, who are among your biggest cheerleaders. Then, colleagues of all kinds: peers, network contacts, managers, those who reported to you. Link up with them, and ask them if they'll recommend you. And you can offer to write one for them. Keep it short and real.

Take your LinkedIn membership beyond the "sign up" stage, and your career will really benefit.



How John Landed His New Job

Happy

John is a Senior Project Manager in the science arena, whose specialty is managing multimillion dollar projects and programs. He came to me about 9 months into his search. He was networking a lot, which was excellent, but still, nothing was clicking. Needless to say, he was dismayed.

During several meetings over the first few weeks, we zeroed in on what has made him successful in his career. I had him write down several of his success stories, then we analyzed them for the skills and attributes he would continue to find useful. Seeing more clearly what he had to offer a new employer boosted John's confidence and also helped him remember more examples of his abilities and his successes than before.

We also revamped his resume and other marketing materials. A key exercise for him was interview practice: what John realized was that he was calling attention to those few items in the job description that he didn't have, rather than to all the good value that he did have. We also honed his marketing skills while networking, getting the meetings he arranged to "count" for more than he'd expected.

Through a networking contact, John landed an interview at an Orlando company, and it went well every step of the way, including the salary negotiations. John received a great offer and began his job in October, and is able to work from his Massachusetts home, a real bonus.

John now says, "During my 11+ month search, I developed some new skills and strengths in networking, which will be very helpful in being a success in this job." Congratulations, John!

Have you thought about getting career or job search coaching?



Joanne's New Book Now Available!

ThesaurusProfCover

The Resume Queen's Job Search Thesaurus and Career Guide for Professionals is now available! This combination thesaurus and job search advice guide is a fast read. It's practical and the Quotes from the Queen are timeless. "It's like having Joanne talking directly to you about your search", says one reader.

You can get it here or on Amazon.com, where it's getting wonderful reviews. AND it's also available as a iVersion for your iPod.

Watch for appearances and book signings by Joanne. If you have a group that needs a speaker -- and the audience does not need to be in job search -- give her a call. Joanne tailors her talks and can address "work" topics, writing, writing the book, as well as topics that anyone who interviews a candidate will find useful. Check out the link below.

Need a speaker? To learn more about having Joanne to speak to your group...

Thought of the Day

Joanne's pic

You can't stop the birds of unhappiness from flying around your head, but you can stop them from building a nest in your hair.


Chinese Proverb

_________________________

We are proud members of:

  • Association of Career Professionals Int'l
  • Northeast Human Resources Association
  • Career Masters Alliance/Institute
  • Career Counselors Consortium/Boston
  • National Resume Writers Association
  • Chapman Private Practice Alliance
  • BNI Golden Givers, Holden, Mass.

Called "The Resume Queen" years ago by a career counselor colleague, Joanne Meehl decided to have fun with the nickname (which we've officially trademarked). But she also takes it seriously by keeping her career management skills on the leading edge, through research and ongoing dialog with hiring managers.
You're now seeing us use "The Job Search Queen", which better reflects the breadth of our services. The trademark is pending. We'll be using both "queen" nicknames in our materials.

________________________

Meetings of Face2Face, the Job Search Networking Group (only $5 for members, $10 for first-timers!) are:

November 7th: Thank you to John Amico who spoke on "The Very Latest on Using LinkedIn"
November 21st: No meeting because it's the day before Thanksgiving
December 5th: Dr. Paul Powers on "Overcoming the Deadly Dozen Obstacles in Job Search"

All meetings are on the first and third Wednesdays of each month, 9am - noon, in Boxboro, Mass. near the intersection of Routes 495 and 2.
For details about the programs, and directions, click here. Also on that page, you'll be able to see notes about previous talks at Face2Face.

At Face2Face meetings, we make it easier for you to network, no matter how shy you are. Come meet new people who might be the link to your next job!

Joanne's Blog: The Heart of the Matter

 

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