Career Networking: Online and Off

AJ Gerritson, Founding Partner

•Networking is your #1 priority, but first do your research!

•Find out how people find you – Google yourself!

You Have a Diploma - Now What?

79% of United States hiring managers and job recruiters say they have reviewed online information about applicants

Of these, 70% of have rejected a candidate based on what they found

More Hiring Statistics•54% of employers will make use of Social Media in recruitment activities in the coming year

•82% will use online job boards for recruitment in 2011.

•Of the respondents who are actively hiring this year, 92% said that they either "currently use or plan to" use social networks for recruiting new employees.

•The social networking site most used by companies for recruiting:

•LinkedIn 78% •Facebook 55%•Twitter: most growth

You: The Brand

•Consistency: Your name should be the same across all social media channels•Accountability: Assume everyone will see anything you write online•Credibility: Always keep emails and online interactions professional

Facebook•Change your settings to work for you

•Professional profile picture

•Professional interaction through Facebook

Twitter

•Interact with the businesses/people that work in the industry

•Don’t just tweet out informational articles – share your opinion!

•Demonstrate your thought process/writing skills

LinkedIn•Make sure your profile is shared publicly

•Have links to your twitter handle, blog, etc. – LinkedIn should serve as the central hub for potential employees

•Describe your job duties as clearly and detailed as possible

•If you haven’t had an internship yet, put all hobbies on there, clubs, large projects in college.

•Join groups-engage in the conversation

•Try to set up a meeting or phone call with someone once you link in

Networking

Blog

•A blog is a perfect opportunity to show your writing skills.

•Even if it has about nothing to do with your career path, it lets people get to know you better, see a different side of you, and put you more on a personal level.

•Could be about running, art work, traveling, photography, your life in general, or your job search.

Internship

•If you have already had an internship, make sure you stay connected with everyone you have met there.

•Check in every few months to see if there are any job opportunities they know of and keep the relationship going.

•If you can, have an unpaid internship while you are looking for a job.

Resume•One page maximum.

•List upperclassman classes and projects.

•Be prepared to talk in detail about everything on your resume.

•Know before an interview what references you are prepared to give.

•If you have more then one page, cut out the jobs that have the least to do with your chosen career.

Landing the job

•Dress appropriate for interviews•Bring writing examples•Be honest•Follow up with everyone you meet.• If you don’t have their email, find their twitter handle or LinkedIn profile.•Be confident

Networking Success Stories

•Kasey Fleisher Hickey’s online penchant for discussing her food and music passions landed her a new gig:“I got my job thanks to my food and music blog. A recruiter that was working with my company, Context Optional, happened to be a foodie that was familiar with my blog and was impressed with my social media know-how. Funny enough, a number of people at my company got their jobs through social media–our Community Manager, Lauren Friedman was also discovered through her blog, TheOffBeatReport, and Twitter.”

“I began looking for a new position in web development. … I had begun to follow [on Twitter] a number of web professionals from the San Diego area. Before long, I saw a tweet from Gema Torrones (@gemalynn) advertising a development position at SuggestionBox. I followed up with Gema on Twitter and asked a few questions about the position and the company, then proceeded to apply and send in my resume. Within 24 hours, I was contacted by Adam Levenson (@adamlevenson) by email to schedule a phone interview. After the interview was scheduled, I, as I’m sure a number of web-savvy individuals would do, Googled my interviewee and I found that Adam was active on both Twitter and 12Seconds.tv. I caught up on some of Adam’s interests and activities, including a few tweets about loving waffles (random, I know, but it’s relevant). I also found a few videos from the SuggestionBox office that gave me a bit of insight into the personalities of other team members and the general atmosphere at the company. I followed Adam on Twitter and 12seconds.tv, and I remained active on both of those networks, expecting Adam to view my profiles to, in turn, learn a bit more about me. I began to weave some of Adam’s interests into my activity streams including, among other mundane 12seconds.tv videos, a goofy video of me with a plate of waffles. When the interview rolled around, I touted my experience and abilities (which alone qualified me for the position) and as the call progressed and became more casual, Adam mentioned that he liked my 12seconds.tv videos, and moreso, specifically named the waffle video.”

Finding A Job Through Twitter Example

Food Bribes

•Jim Hornickel, director of training and development at Bold New Directions, recalled hearing about a colleague who was sent a three-layered, lavishly decorated cake with a wedge missing. “The accompanying note read, ‘I am the missing piece of your team’s puzzle.’” In this case, the candidate did get the job.