Welcome to MyPath

Looking for advice to help you manage your career? See what experts and members of the MyPath community are saying.

College to Career: Your Guide to Starting Out

6 Posts tagged with the linkedin tag

Earlier this week I had the privilege of speaking at the Mediabistro Career Circus in New York City. As I was preparing for my presentation on social media for job seekers, I kept thinking about something my grandfather used to say:

 

Lindsey, there’s a reason you have two ears and one mouth. Listen twice as much as you talk.

 

Needless to say, my grandpa was a man of few words (and I am definitely not!), so his advice had a real impact on me. And in the age of social media -- a time when everyone has a personal mouthpiece -- I believe that listening has become more important than ever. 

 

Here are some examples, from social media and beyond, of how to benefit from talking less and listening more:

 

Twitter. For me, Twitter is all about listening. It provides you with the opportunity to be a fly on the wall and “eavesdrop” on recruiters from companies where you’d like to work, brands you admire, breaking news in your industry and anyone else whose thoughts, ideas and movements you want to know about. When it comes to actually tweeting, I try to stick to my grandfather’s ratio. About 2/3 of my tweets are sharing other people’s information -- retweets, congratulations notes, articles I think other people would enjoy -- and 1/3 are promoting my own blog, opinions or news.

 

LinkedIn. Before reaching out to request a connection with people on LinkedIn, “listen” to them first by carefully reviewing their profiles, recommendations, discussion comments and status updates. Then, when you write your connection request you can mention something you have in common or something you know is important to that person. When people see that you’ve taken the time to learn something about them, they are likely to respond more positively to your networking outreach.

 

Job interviews. One of the reasons that recruiters say it’s so important to prepare questions to ask your interviewer is because they want to observe your listening skills. In fact, I’ve heard that the more the interviewer talks during a job interview, the more likely the interviewee is to get the job! Why? The more you listen to what a prospective employer wants, the more you can cater your answers to fit those needs.

 

Salary negotiation. I used to be a terrible negotiator, so I’ve taken lots of courses and read a lot on this topic. It turns out the biggest mistake I was making in my negotiations was talking too much. In any negotiation, salary or otherwise, the advantage goes to the person who is able to gather the most information -- a.k.a. the better listener. The more you ask probing, open-ended questions and listen to the other person’s answers, the more likely you are to come to a mutually beneficial solution. Bite your tongue if necessary!

 

Do you agree with my grandfather’s advice to listen twice as much as you talk? What tips do you have about listening? Please share in the Comments!

0 Comments Permalink

This week I'm sharing five more tips for winning at social media while still having time for a life...

 

6. COPE - Create Once, Publish Everywhere. Another best practice in sharing content is to get the most out of everything you create. If you write a blog post, get interviewed on a podcast or create any other content, share it on appropriate social media sites. Similarly, if you work for an organization that produces content (such as white papers, cool ads or events), share that information with your networks to support the brand of your company. Learn more about the COPE concept here.

 

7. Pay attention to privacy. Be aware that on most social media sites, the default setting is for all of your information to be public. If you want to keep anything private (meaning only visible to the people you are directly connected to) -- such as your list of connections on LinkedIn, your photos on Facebook, your tweets on Twitter -- you have to go into the account settings on each social media profile and manually change them. It’s worth the time to read through each setting carefully and make decisions that feel comfortable to you. My rule of thumb about privacy is: when in doubt, keep it private.

 

8. Create serendipity. Location-based social media sites like FourSquare, where you “check in” at restaurants, airports, movie theaters, etc. are becoming very popular. FourSquare isn’t comfortable for everyone, but it can be valuable to update your status on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter to show people where you are traveling, what events you are attending and, when appropriate, whom you are meeting. This shows that you are active and it creates opportunities for meetings, discussions and perhaps job leads you may not have found otherwise.

 

9. Ask for help. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in working with various corporations on their social media strategies is the importance of getting feedback. If you’re not sure whether your LinkedIn profile is well-written or your tweets are on-point, ask some people you trust to give you their opinions. Just as you would have an expert look at your resume, ask for help with your social media profiles, too.

 

10. Put social media on your schedule. Consistency is crucial when it comes to social media -- don’t leave it for “when you have a spare minute.” Schedule social media time in your calendar -- maybe start with 15 minutes a day while you’re having your morning coffee -- to read through your Twitter feed, update your LinkedIn status and review what your friends are doing on Facebook. Keep up with your network just as you keep up with the news.

 

Good luck and see you online!



0 Comments Permalink

Every day it seems that social media is growing and changing -- there are new sites to join, new privacy settings to deal with, new features to add and customize. It can all be pretty overwhelming. If you want to be active on social media but still have a life, here are some simple tips to follow. I’ll be sharing five tips this week and five tips next week.

 

1. Own your online brand. One of the main reasons social media is important is because people are Googling you. By having a few great social media profiles, you’ll have some control over your online image and what people can discover about you. Google yourself regularly to check on your progress.

 

2. Make sure people find you. Most people will look you up on Google because they’ve had some contact with you, so make sure to drive them to the best online information about you. Link to your professional LinkedIn profile in places like your email signature line, your business card and any place else you provide your contact information. 

 

3. Choose your platforms wisely. If you don’t live and breathe social media, you probably don’t want to follow every new trend and join every new site that pops up. My recommendation for professionals is to focus your social media efforts on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. LinkedIn is the essential professional directory -- it’s like a business needing to be in the yellow pages. Facebook is the essential personal directory -- the place to keep in touch with friends and family who can support your career efforts. And Twitter is essential for research.

 

4. Use Twitter for research. On Twitter, you can create your own personal news stream of what it’s important for you to know about on a daily basis. I recommend that you follow the companies where you’d like to work, other professionals in your field, career advice experts, professional associations and anyone else whose thoughts, ideas, event announcements, opinions and insights you’d like to know about.

 

5. Develop a “Share mentality.” Whenever you see an interesting article, register to attend an event, read a great book, travel to a new place, come across a meaningful quote, learn something cool, you should develop the instinct to share it with your social networks. In turn, your network will share information, ideas and opportunities with you.

 

Tune in next week for five more tips!



0 Comments Permalink

Last Friday I spoke at an event for graduate students considering careers outside of academia. I loved the energy in the room -- there was a palpable feeling of excitement and potential. Of course, there was also a fair amount of fear.

 

The overarching advice I shared for anyone switching directions or making a career change is to position yourself as an insider in the industry you want to join. While it’s always scary to try something new, the more homework you do and the more action you take in the direction of your goal, the likelier you are to succeed.

 

Even if you are not currently a career changer, you will likely make multiple career transitions in your lifetime, so this is a valuable skill to learn and practice.

Let’s look at the actions you can take to successfully change career direction:

 

1. Start to build new experiences. As soon as you have the idea of switching career paths, dive right in and start to build your experience in that area, even if you start with only an hour a week. You’ll need something on your resume -- volunteer work, an internship, blog posts, class work, etc. -- that shows you are really serious about breaking into a new profession. Otherwise, people will suspect that you’re all talk.

 

2. Read everything you can about the industry you want to enter. Start to read trade publications, blogs, e-newsletters, LinkedIn group discussions and the Twitter feeds of anyone and everyone you can follow in the industry you want to join. Know which companies are in the news, which executives are succeeding or flailing, what the hot products or services are, where people go for lunch, when and where upcoming conference are taking place. As you become more comfortable with the news and issues, start to comment on blog posts and Tweets so you can become part of the conversation and get noticed by people who are hiring.

 

3. Set up Google Alerts. Once you zero in on specific organizations you’d like to work for, set up Google alerts for the names of any companies you want to join. This will give you a deeper sense of the major news and issues facing those particular organizations. Alerts will also ensure that you have specific, intelligent questions to ask and conversation topics to bring up when you attend networking events or land a job interview at one of those companies.

 

4. Talk to anyone you can who works or has worked in the industry you want to join. While Internet research is essential, nothing beats talking to a real person who has firsthand experience in the profession that interests you. Research people in your dream industry on LinkedIn and reach out for informational interviews. Talk to your friends, family and career services office to see if they can introduce you to anyone they know in your desired field. Ask these industry mentors to recommend insider tips, must-read publications and advice on what jobs in their field are most realistic for outsiders to transition into.

2 Comments Permalink

I’ve always loved new beginnings -- the first day of a new month, the turning of a new season, even the sunrise of a new day (on the rare occasion I’m up early enough to see it). Of course there is no bigger new beginning than the turning of the calendar to January 1.

 

This year in particular, the New Year feels like a crucial fresh start. 2009 will go down in the books as one of the hardest years ever for job seekers, especially those looking for entry-level work. If you’ve had a tough time in 2009, or even if it’s been a great year for you, here are some tips for starting 2010 on a successful note.

 

Out With the Old. To make room for new things in your life (a great job, fresh ideas, more money, a strong network, etc.) you need to get rid of any clutter that is weighing you down. This might include critical people, a job that drains your energy, college junk piled in your closet or self-defeating thoughts like “I’ll never get a job in this economy.” For inspiration, check out two of my favorite resources on the topic of simplifying and decluttering: the Zen Habits Blog and Julie Morgenstern’s book, Shed Your Stuff, Change Your Life.

 

Set Quality (not Quantity) Goals. We all know that New Year’s resolutions are generally forgotten by February. So, instead of making a long list of “rules” for my year, I prefer to declare three to five big goals or priorities. I keep them in a little note file on my computer and on a little card pasted on the inside cover of the notebook I use every day. I peek at my list constantly to remind myself what my priorities are, how I want to spend my time and what opportunities I should not pursue. If you need help clarifying your goals, check out Your Best Year Yet! Ten Questions for Making the Next Twelve Months Your Most Successful Ever.

 

Do One Career-Related Thing Every Day. This is a piece of advice I share in every workshop I lead and with every student who asks for my most important career tip: take daily action. Just like being healthy or learning an instrument or excelling at a sport, being successful in your career requires daily commitment and daily action. Here are some to consider:
•    reading a career advice article on MyPath
•    attending a local networking event
•    tweeting out a career-related question to your Twitter followers
•    posting a comment to a professional discussion group on LinkedIn
•    reaching out to an alum of your school for an informational interview
•    reading one chapter of a career advice book
•    setting up an appointment with your college career center

•    applying for a job

•    anything else you can think of!

 

Finally, please don’t hesitate to send me your career questions (and yes, sending me a question counts as a daily action!). I will be answering reader questions in upcoming “College to Career” blog posts and podcasts here in MyPath in 2010.

 

Happy New Year!

0 Comments Permalink

I spent this morning facilitating a focus group with a dynamic group of college students and recent grads. Not only was it fun to sit in a room with a two-sided mirror (I felt like I was in a Law and Order interrogation room!), but it was also incredibly enlightening about the opinions of experiences of career-minded young professionals.

 

One of the topics we discussed was LinkedIn.com, the professional social network (full disclosure: I am a campus spokesperson for LinkedIn). I was really surprised to hear that some of the students in the focus group described LinkedIn as "only for highly experienced professionals."

 

This couldn't be farther from the truth. LinkedIn is a fantastic tool if you are just starting out in your career. In this week's podcast I share five tips that will help you make the most of this popular and powerful professional online network.

 

Click here to listen to the podcast now. Please share your comments, and any LinkedIn questions or additional tips, below!

4 Comments Permalink