September 02, 2006

The End of Resume Spin?

The Internet has changed everything about marketing because it gives power to the consumer. The cable company can advertise their great service all day long, but one customer can ruin it all by posting a video on Youtube. Sites like Youtube, Flickr and MySpace, along with blogs and forums allow consumers to find the truth, so that it's no longer enough for Chase Manhattan to claim "the right relationship is everything" - they actually have to do the work of building the right relationship. (So far all evidence is that they don't mean what they say. It just sounded good in a marketing meeting.)

The same is happening in job search. You can say what you want on your beautifully presented, well-written resume - if a Web search of your name brings up damaging information, then you can kiss that great job goodbye. And what happens if you don't appear in a Web search? At all. Do you exist?

People are looking for you online - recruiters, HR Managers, potential business partners, new friends, new bosses, colleagues, clients, even people who don't like you very much! And the number of people using Web search to research other people is rapidly increasing every day.

The good news is that this shift helps the good guys. It rewards those who really are out there making a difference. If you take a leadership role in your industry or field, you will leave a trail on the Web. And this doesn't just apply to senior-level executives. I recently wrote a resume for a young guy who was looking to get into video game programming at the entry level. Although he didn't have direct work experience, he had lots of evidence of his passion in the form of articles he had written for web publications and volunteer work he was doing as an Internet forum moderator. Because of this, the Internet helped him to tell his story.

When I started my resume writing business, life was much easier. I knew that the resume I wrote would be the only information employers had about my client before the interviewed him. And after the interview they would call the references provided by the client, who of course would validate his story. Now, the resume and the references are just one piece of the puzzle, and as more and more recruiters move to online research, their importance will shrink.

If you are serious about your career - whether or not you are looking for work right now - this means that you MUST start building a positive Internet presence. Not by "spinning" (see: Manhattan, Chase), but by actually taking an active role in your field or industry. By writing a blog about your area of expertise. Or by joining an internet forum centered on your profession and then helping others who have questions. Or by writing articles for publication on industry websites. Or by maximizing your LinkedIn presence. Or by any number of other ways available to you because of the Internet.

Use any of them, use all of them, just don't let the opportunity pass you by.

Cross-posted on Career Hub

Posted by Louise at 10:21 AM | Permalink

March 19, 2006

Is My Space Hurting Your Job Search?

The New York Daily News reports that the popular social networking site, My Space may have cost a freelance TV producer two jobs. Why? A silly picture and caption posted by a friend.

"A friend of mine posted a picture of me on My Space with my eyes half closed and a caption that suggests I've smoked something illegal," says Kluttz.

While the caption was a joke, Kluttz now wonders whether the past two employers she interviewed with thought it was so funny. Both expressed interest in hiring Kluttz, but at the 11th hour went with someone else.

I talk about this all the time, and I've blogged about it on many occasions. Online research is now a fact of job search life and you can't just worry about your online profile when you're ready to start looking for a job. By then it may be too late.

Posted by Louise at 10:33 AM | Permalink

February 10, 2006

Hub Pages for Job Seekers?

I've written before about the value of blogging for executive job seekers. I think that a blog gives you an excellent way to demonstrate your expertise and build your brand online. But blogs are limited in so many ways, so I'm interested to learn more about Hubpages, a new tool about to enter Beta. According to the founders:

Here at Hubpages we want everyone to share their passion to benefit others. Whether it be traveling right, tweaking your engine, or finding the ultimate deal, we let you share your genius with the world and enjoy the expert advice of others.

Just pick a topic and use our simple publishing tools to create a great looking website with rich functionality. Hubpages takes it from there. The site is designed to continually sort out the most useful pages, helping to build traffic and revenue for our highest quality authors.

Yes revenue! Although knowledge is its own reward, we thought you might also like cold hard cash. So, if your readers generate revenue by clicking on an ad, buying a product or generating a lead, you will earn a share of the profits.

Revenue is nice of course, but I think it's much less important than the opportunities a tools like this one and Squidoo give individuals to build their own personal brand online.

Posted by Louise at 10:48 AM | Permalink

October 08, 2005

What do You do for a Living?

I'm currently attending an excellent series of workshops in small business marketing led by John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing.

One of the exercises is just as applicable for career marketing as it is for my business. John asked us to think about what we do for a living - and not to frame our answer in terms of job title or function (for example "I am a resume writer") but rather to explain the end result of what we do ("I help job seekers transition to a better position by marketing them effectively").

I've written before about the importance of differentiating yourself in the job market and I think this is a very valuable exercise to help you do that. Try to develop an answer to the question "what do you do for a living?" that does not include your job title. Instead, begin with " I help companies to (do what?) by (doing what?)." For example, an IT executive might say: "I help companies to cut their costs and increase productivity by using the very latest technologies to streamline cumbersome business processes."

You'll be amazed at how much this simple trick of focusing on your core differentiator can help in resume writing, interviewing and even salary negotiations.

Posted by Louise at 01:23 PM | Permalink

April 04, 2005

What's Your Story

I am loving Seth Godin's new Liar's Blog which centers around the way marketers tell 'stories' to compel us to spend money.

This is as true of people as it is of products. Do you know what your story is? If you get the call for that big interview tomorrow, can you tell the interviewer who you are and what you have to offer ... clearly, quickly, concisely and in a way that makes sense to him/her?

And if you're employed, have you established your story in the minds of people you work with. Does your boss know who you are and how much you have to offer? Do your co-workers? Do your employees?

Telling your story effectively is the way to convince people to pick up the phone and call you for interviews. And once you've got the job, building a consistent, easily understood and impressive story is the way to get promoted or 'head-hunted' away. (If the story's good enough, you won't need another resume.)

So, what's your story?

Posted by Louise at 06:18 PM | Permalink

April 02, 2005

Are You Visible Online?

I just came across this new people search engine called Zoom Info.

Regular readers know that I'm a strong advocate of building an online presence and this is why it's so important. This search engine trawls the Internet and builds profiles of individuals. Note, this is NOT like Ziggs (which allows you to build an online profile and write what you like). This is a search engine that finds whatever is out there. It's imperfect and I'm sure Google or Yahoo! will develop something that's much stronger, but it's only the beginning of a new trend.

If you're serious about your career, you HAVE to start getting yourself noticed online. This does not necessarily mean you have to have a personal website or online portfolio - you may decide to start a blog or publish articles about your area of expertise - but the basic resume + cover letter is simply not enough anymore.

Put your own name in and see what happens - I was shocked to find a listing of people I used to work with and where they are now. Pretty crazy stuff!

Posted by Louise at 01:07 PM | Permalink

March 08, 2005

Web Portfolios that work

I just got a note from a resume client who wanted me to look at the new online portfolio he had developed. It looked very attractive until I started reading! The tone was casual (sometimes flippant) and the content seemed aimed more at his friends than at potential managers. This is a young man who plans to use his website to help with his job search, and yet he hadn't really thought about his audience.

If you have an online portfolio or personal website and you give that URL to potential employers in emails or on your resume, make sure that it presents a professional image and that it sells your talents and abilities just as well as your resume does. If you are not a professional designer, pay a designer to create your site. If you're not a great copywriter, pay someone to write the content.

And, don't forget blogs. If you write a personal blog, don't write anything that you'd be ashamed for a potential employer to see. Remember that nothing on the Web is private ...your managers, peers, business rivals and potential employers could all be looking for you online. Make sure they like what they find!

Posted by Louise at 02:15 PM | Permalink

March 03, 2005

Know Who You Are

Just came across this great post on John Jantsch's marketing blog:

http://tinyurl.com/4xtd5

John writes about the Apple ipod and points out that its beauty is in its simplicity - the fact that it does only one thing and does that one thing exceptionally well. He urges his readers (small business owners) to market their services the same way.

I firmly believe the same applies to career marketing - in my former life as an HR exec, I often used to ask people "why should I choose you for this position?" Most people answer this question by giving a long laundry list of their best characteristics. ("I'm hard-working ... I get results ... I have always been successful in every position I've held ... I have a strong network ... I really want the job ... " it goes on and on.) I am even willing to accept that most of these things are probably true - but that doesn't change the fact that after 3 or 4 characteristics, I usually stopped listening!

Don't give the laundry list. Create a focus for your job search or career development plan - decide who you are. Know the value you bring. Understand what makes you different from other job seekers who want the same job.

Make it simple, clean and easy to understand - just like the ipod. You'll be amazed how much more effective your marketing will be once you settle on just one message.

Posted by Louise at 10:19 AM | Permalink

March 02, 2005

Are You Being Googled?

Interesting article in the Boston Globe for all who are engaged in a job search - or simply looking to manage your career wisely - a Harris Interactive Poll found that 23% of people search the Web for the name of a business associate or colleague prior to meeting them. I wonder what the numbers are for recruiters and HR professionals?

First, read the article at  http://bostonworks.boston.com/globe/articles/010905_profile.html - then do a Google search on your name.

If you don't like what comes up (or if nothing comes up) it's time to start establishing a positive online presence. Write articles, start a business-related blog, have a professional create a web portfolio for you ... the possibilities are endless, but you must make a conscious commitment to build your online presence because it's rapidly becoming as important as your resume.

Posted by Louise at 03:24 PM | Permalink

Build Your Personal Brand

Can you articulate, in 20 words or less, what makes you uniquely valuable to potential employers? If you are shaking your head, you’re not alone. Most executives struggle to express what makes them special. But, if you can’t quickly and clearly explain your value to potential employers, how can you expect them to see it? As a business person and a consumer, you understand the importance of branding. You’ve seen the sales impact of a clear and compelling brand, and you’ve also seen what happens when a brand loses its way. Yet few executives realize that personal branding is every bit as effective - and essential - as product branding.

Who Are You?

If you have ever gone through the process of developing a brand for a product or service, you will have a sense of the work involved in defining and articulating a brand message. You will also know that a brand message is not something you “create”, but rather something you discover. The product (in this case you) already exists. It already has strengths and weaknesses. Your goal when developing a brand is to find and articulate a clear and compelling message that resonates with the consumer (or in this case, with the employer.)

That’s why I put my resume clients through a rigorous process of self-reflection. I ask them to answer probing questions about their successes. I challenge them to develop compelling stories - challenges faced, actions taken, results achieved, lessons learned. I ask them to recollect what others have said about them. During this process of reflection, patterns emerge and these patterns form the basis of the client’s personal brand.

One recent client (a sales executive) had consistently exceeded his sales targets in every position and he had done so even in challenging economic times and market downturns. It quickly became clear that this ability to increase sales was the core of his personal brand. Another sales executive was less fortunate in his choice of employers - he had worked in some very tough situations and had not always been able to beat his quotas but, in almost all his positions, he had forged unusual partnerships and alliances in order to get into new markets. This talent was a key feature of his personal brand.

To identify your own personal brand, take yourself through this same process or reflection and discovery. Look for the recurring themes in your career. Think about the most frequent compliments you have received, Identify those times when you were the happiest and most fulfilled in your job.

Then, work to hone all this information down to 15-20 words that summarize your personal brand.

Remember that – just as with a product – your positioning must be:

a) Truthful: Successful brands resonate with the consumer – trying to be something you’re not just because it matters to your audience won’t work in the long-term. I often wonder how many of the people who buy TV-advertised diet pills actually become long-term customers. I’m guessing it’s a tiny percentage. Why? Because the message is not truthful.

b) Supportable: If you say that “visionary leadership” is the core of your brand – you need to support the claim with specific examples of visionary leadership. For example: “Visionary Leader who transformed a struggling $5 million business into a $250 million industry leader in only five years.”

c) Focused: You have many strengths and talents. Don’t be tempted to focus on more than one or two, or you will dilute your message. When Apple launched the new iPod, there were many great features to highlight, but I was struck that by the simple, stripped down approach they took to the positioning of the product.

d) Relevant to your target market: Select those abilities and qualities that are relevant to the needs of your audience of potential employers. The CEO of the ad agency you’re targeting will be very interested in the fact that you managed multiple Fortune 500 accounts, but may not care much about your prior experience as a sales manager for a small company.

e) Compelling and unique: This is essential in order to make a connection with others. This is as true in career marketing as it is in product marketing. Avoid clichés and don’t copy a resume format or wording from someone else Your presentation – both in writing and in person – should be your own.

So you know your brand – now what?

Defining your brand is the first stage of the process – now you must communicate your message effectively and clearly to your target audience.

In his seminal 1997 article, “The Brand Called You,” Tom Peters wrote that “everything you do – and everything you choose not to do - communicates the value and character of the brand.”

Think about that – everything!

Every resume, every e-mail, every suit, every conversation – they all contribute to your personal brand. And this is doubly true when you are looking for a new job because those reading your resume, or conducting interviews are focusing all their attention on you. If your brand is coherent and compelling, it will sell.

Getting Specific

Resume and cover letter

Now that you know your brand, you can create your messaging. Start your resume and cover letters with powerful positioning statements. Back up your claims with hard evidence and reiterate your message all the way through the documents. If your core value proposition is the fact that you always drive exceptional sales growth by building partnerships and alliances, include specific examples for each position and provide dollar amounts.

Your Marketing Campaign

Your brand may impact the approach you take to your search. For example, core branding for one of my recent CFO clients was his ability to turnaround struggling small to mid-size companies and bring them to profitability. This realization guided his subsequent job search – he was able to research local companies that fit his criteria and then manage a direct mail and networking campaign designed to get his resume in front of key executives.

Interviews

Since most interviewers are extremely busy, many will not have time to prepare in advance. As a result, they often use the resume as a guide, asking you questions based on the accomplishments you listed on your resume. If your resume is truly in line with your brand, this is great! It means you will be given a chance to talk about your brand-specific accomplishments. Develop your stories in advance and practice, practice, practice until you are very comfortable articulating these examples of your ability to add value.

Online Presence

Have you googled yourself lately? Many recruiters and executives regularly use the Internet to research candidates. That means you need a positive Web presence. One of the quickest ways to build your online presence is to write articles on your area of expertise for Web sites and newsletters. Also, be wary of what you do online - if you have a personal web site that has been indexed by the search engines, turn it into a career portfolio. You don’t want the CEO of your dream company to come across that shot of you drinking tequila shots on vacation!

Ongoing Brand Management

It’s tempting to lose focus on personal branding once you’re settled into a new position, but this is a mistake. Instead, you must develop and nurture your brand by remembering that “everything you do – and everything you choose not to do - communicates the value and character” of your brand.

Good luck!

Posted by Louise at 10:05 AM | Permalink