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The do’s and dont’s of online social networking…

It recently occurred to me that Twitter is the technical version of passing along newspaper and magazine clippings. Early in my career, I was an Assistant Office Services Manager with Litton Educational Publishing. Sandwiched in with the large manila envelopes, bills, and journals were clippings from the New York Times and other publications that had a handwritten distribution list. Those articles fascinated me.

As my career progressed to sales and marketing, I learned first hand the importance of both gathering and sharingi information. A 100 word article passed along to the right person combined with A-1 client relationship management could have a favorable impact on my performance. You see, people remember you not for the simple, every day gestures that say “I care about what is important to you.”

Technologies like Twitter, FaceBook, and LinkedIn have made make it easier to transform handwritten distribution lists into an instant touch across gloabl boundaries that, if done correctly, will catch the attention of hiring managers, recruiters, and professionals.

Here are some do’s and don’ts that will help you engage your audience:

Do

  • Treat people as individuals. Share information they want and NEED to read about.
  • Use Twitter Search to determine keywords and what people want to know about.
  • Be responsive to your followers. Answer and talk to followers as individuals
  • Have 2 FaceBook pages – one for yourself and one for your business or services. Post relevant information to both.
  • Use a professionally written LinkedIn bio that shows your value as opposed to regurgitating your resume in paragraph.
  • Be generous – retweet articles, acknowledge others for their contributions, help your audience connect with other professionals.
  • Be consistent and trustworthy. Steady postings that help others will also help you achieve your goals.
  • Use Google Chrome to translate Tweets into languages other then English, German, Italian, Spanish, French, Japanese

Don’t

  • Post where you are, you might compromise your safety.
  • Sell or market yourself or your promote your services.
  • Be lackadaisical. The occasional tweet or post is like a drop of water in the ocean. No one notices the impact.
  • Make your personal business public. If you have a problem with someone deal with it in private.
  • Lose focus of why you are using the technology.

Do you play games like Farmville or other applications. If yes, what has been your experience.

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“Yoo-hoo Mrs. Bloom” would you like to network?

For the past several weekends I have been doing a lot of networking. Generally I like to spend Saturdays and Sundays with my husband. That is…until tag season officially begins. Then all bets are off. Almost every Saturday morning I work my way through the back roads of Westchesters elite towns and villages. My eyes scan every intersection for brightly colored neon signs that read TAG SALE.

Only this year, things have changed. Shortly before I forked over $8 for a gently used table easel; a long necklace made up of bold beads in primary colors; a pair of  tear drop shaped earrings that look like a cage; and a trendy turquoise and brown top, the homeowner and I got into a conversation about my new office.  She excitedly asked for my business card when she heard I was a career coach. And so it began…my new networking strategy, become the Molly Goldberg of social networking.

For those of you who are too young to remember, Molly Goldberg was the matriarch and yenta  (busybody for those of you who don’t speak Yiddish)  on one of the earliest radio turned television comedies that offered a humorous portrait of Jewish tenement life before later evoking such growing pains as moving into a more suburban setting and struggling with assimilation while sustaining their roots.

Each show began with “Yoo-hoo! Is anybody…?” and in later years was followed by Bud Collyer  warbling, “There she is, folks—that’s Molly Goldberg, a woman with a place in every heart and a finger in every pie”.

About 75% of people who are in a job search groan at the mention of networking. The term conjures up all kinds of images and feelings. However, networking can be fun. It can be part of your regular routine. It can be meeting new people while buying stuff they no longer want or need or being just a little bit like Molly Goldberg, a lovingly meddlesome matriarch.

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MyCareerCoach on Zonta Women’s Community Radio

Testing 1,2, 3...you are on the air

Testing 1,2, 3...you are on the air

http://www.zontanewrochelle.blogspot.com/

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Managing Anger (and other difficult emotions) during your job search

Yesterday morning I had a consultation with rabbinical graduate from England who had underwent tremendous hardship over the past year The tone of his voice made it clear that he was on edge. At one point he snapped at me “can you just tell me what I should do to make my resume better?”

Later that evening I attended a workshop given by Shakti Gawain. For those of you who unfamiliar with her name, Shakti Gawain is a pioneer in the field of self-help and author of the Creative Visualization, the book that launched the Law of Attraction movement. Her writing has both comforted and taught me about myself during difficult times. As a result I have learned to trust my intuition and to become a loving wife, family member, friend and supportive. effective career coach.

The contrast between the morning and evening events motivated me to share my thoughts and insights about fear and the job search.The most important thing to know about fear (or any other difficult feelings) is these are normal emotions that need to be expressed. Fear alerts you to potential danger. What you do with your feeling is within your control.

If you who have relocated from another county and find yourself suddenly unemployed you may experience intense emotions due to factors such as being transferred and then let go or not being able to be with family and friends during this difficult time.

Like my friend the rabbi who incidentally sent me an email to apologize, you might take you anger out on those who reach out to help you or you might sink into a state of despair, the other side of anger. You may become pushy and nearly stalk hiring managers, recruiters, or anyone who may know of a job for you.

Regardless of how angry or upset you are, at some point you will have to come to accept your circumstances and recognize you have the power change that. Incidentally, I have noticed the people who do this with grace find employment faster than those who get stuck in their emotions.

So how do you step out of your funk? The answers may sound silly, too easy, or even Polyannaish. However, I promise you will get the results you either want or need.

If work does not come as quickly as you’d like embrace the opportunity to look inside yourself and see what needs to be done. The following combines ideas that were shared by Shakti Gawain and what I have found to be true for other who have been there:

  1. We all create our own experience of reality, what is yours?
  2. The more conscious you can be about the process the better you will become at making it happen.
  3. Imagine what you want as if it were already there.
  4. Use affirmations such as “I am gainfully employed” “I love my work” or “I am an excellent Project Manager and I am handsomely rewarded for my work.”
  5. Emotions cannot be controlled. Find a safe place where you can feel your feelings. If you think you are in danger of hurting yourself or have any sign of clinical depression get professional help immediately.
  6. Recognize and acknowledge your inner critic / demon.
  7. Reassure your inner critic / demon that things will be fine. He / she is a the young child in you who wants to be heard, loved and cared for by you.
  8. Tap into your inner wisdom. What advice would you give to a friend? Give it to yourself.
  9. Stick with the winners, these are the people who are where you want to be. Ask them for advice such as what they did to achieve their goals.
  10. Stay positive. Ask for Help. Read self help books, get a job search buddy, attend workshops that inspire you, find a coach or mentor to help you develop the skills and tools you need to be successful in your job search.

If you like this or any other of MyCareerCoach’s postings please pass it on to your friends or share it on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

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