Critique of LinkedIn (Networking) Outreach and Favor

Critique of LinkedIn (Networking) Outreach and Favor Lokesh Sharma is a smart SQL expert and JibberJobber user who currently lives and works in India. He is looking at a change and reached out to me. With his permission Im sharing his message, and my advice for making this a better message.   First, his message to me: Then, an example of what I could send to my contacts: Before I go into my critique, I should mention that Lokesh and I have had communications before he reached out to me. This was not a cold contact, which is really quite important. Now, lets go into this and talk about each part: Hi Jason Good day! This didnt bother me one bit but if I were his coach Id recommend he put a comma after my name, and use a different greeting. I get a lot of spam from people on LinkedIn and in email, and Good day! is not a common greeting for me (or, in the U.S.).   This isnt a hard-and-fast thing, just my opinion. I have been using jibberjobber tool and it is turning out to be very useful. Thank you spending time and money and coming up a tool that makes job tracking much easier. I might look to subscriber for the premium version in coming future. There are a few spelling or grammar errors here but Im not worried. I know he is from out of the U.S., and his message to me is real and meaningful. I have, over the years, had people thank me for creating JibberJobber, but no one has thanked me for spending time and money to create it.   He wins bonus points big time for just mentioning that!   The point here is, GET PERSONAL!!   Like I said, I get so much spam that I can smell it from a mile away. His introduction to me helps me know that he really knows something about me.   (Note: 100% of the crap PR pitches I get say something like I love JibberJobber, Ive been following it and . and then they pitch. They have never loved, or spent more than 8 seconds reading, my blog (which is not JibberJobber). Hey I just wanted to say that I am exploring the IT market overseas. Can you introduce me to some of your contacts who work in this field and especially those who have made it from different countries. I would change the first part to simply read: I am exploring and take out the stuff before that. I like how he gets right to the point in the next sentence, however I would insert this before that sentence: Im looking for introductions to people who work in ___________ where the blank is something very specific. You see, most everyone I know works in IT, but not everyone would be great contacts for him. He should say who work with databases, or servers, or whatever more specific fields within IT he can. General is okay, if you cant go specific, but in his case Id go more specific. Then,  the final sentence would be a call to action, like he has, but shorter: Can you introduce me to anyone like that?   I  like calls to action that are very short and without room to be misunderstood. Ive put an introduction below for you to doctor if its helpful. Man, has this guy been reading my mind?!?!   This is so helpful. You see, I can send an email or invite someone to talk to him, but he takes all of the thinking out of it and makes it easy for me. I dont have to use his wording, but it sure is nice for him to help me help him. And, I can easily see what his main points are so I can make sure I do it right. Lets critique the second part of his message, which is the suggested message I could use as I reach out to people to facilitate an introduction: Hi [Name] My business contact, Lokesh, is looking to chat about working in UK in the field of IT (Business Intelligence and Analytics). He is currently working as Tech Lead for Harman Connected Services, Bangalore India. This is a great introduction. I would change it to this, just to clean up the English, but generally this is the right message: Hi [Name] My is looking to chat with someone about working in  [location note, Im not in the UK] in Business Intelligence and Analytics. He is currently working  in Bangalore. I took out in the field of IT because the titles are better, and I changed the last line because, unless its a super huge company that people Im introducing him to would know (like Microsoft, Adobe, eBay, etc.), it doesnt matter. Lokesh is considering expanding his work portfolio, and I thought youd be a terrific person to talk with knowing your global experience. I think Id strike this entire line. Its obvious that Lokesh is expanding his work portfolio (which sounds more like a gig/contractor than someone looking for a job), and the last part might not be true the person might have great US or UK or whatever experience, but maybe not global. What they have is local expertise that Lokesh wants to tap into. Bottom line, strike that entire line. Im after concise. Here is his LinkedIn profile. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sqlbideveloper/ Im on the fence on this one. Part of me says to not include it, the other part says its good. The reason I wouldnt include it is  that it just adds to being too much information I dont need my contact that hopefully knows and trusts me to click more I hope that based on our relationship shell take the call.   The other part of me says sending a LinkedIn Profile is a good thing, and they could get info to prepare. Honestly, I think Id NOT include it in this email, but if they say yes, then Id send it in my follow-up email.   (Note: if you do include it, change period to a colon) So whats missing?   A CALL TO ACTION. There is no call to action here.   The message needs something like: Can I send you an introduction email so he can start a conversation with you? or, Would you mind getting on the phone with him in the next week or two? The MAIN, NUMBER 1 point of this entire message to my contact is to get them on a call with Lokesh. Dont send too much information that the call to action gets buried, and make sure that you have a simple, single action call to action. Just a few subtle changes, but I bet these will help Lokesh get better results. The next big thing is how well will he do on the phone? I can only hope that if he gets on the phone with someone I recommend that he does a great job, asks the right questions, etc.   To do that well you need to study informational interviewing. I have a course on that, of course Critique of LinkedIn (Networking) Outreach and Favor Lokesh Sharma is a smart SQL expert and JibberJobber user who currently lives and works in India. He is looking at a change and reached out to me. With his permission Im sharing his message, and my advice for making this a better message.   First, his message to me: Then, an example of what I could send to my contacts: Before I go into my critique, I should mention that Lokesh and I have had communications before he reached out to me. This was not a cold contact, which is really quite important. Now, lets go into this and talk about each part: Hi Jason Good day! This didnt bother me one bit but if I were his coach Id recommend he put a comma after my name, and use a different greeting. I get a lot of spam from people on LinkedIn and in email, and Good day! is not a common greeting for me (or, in the U.S.).   This isnt a hard-and-fast thing, just my opinion. I have been using jibberjobber tool and it is turning out to be very useful. Thank you spending time and money and coming up a tool that makes job tracking much easier. I might look to subscriber for the premium version in coming future. There are a few spelling or grammar errors here but Im not worried. I know he is from out of the U.S., and his message to me is real and meaningful. I have, over the years, had people thank me for creating JibberJobber, but no one has thanked me for spending time and money to create it.   He wins bonus points big time for just mentioning that!   The point here is, GET PERSONAL!!   Like I said, I get so much spam that I can smell it from a mile away. His introduction to me helps me know that he really knows something about me.   (Note: 100% of the crap PR pitches I get say something like I love JibberJobber, Ive been following it and . and then they pitch. They have never loved, or spent more than 8 seconds reading, my blog (which is not JibberJobber). Hey I just wanted to say that I am exploring the IT market overseas. Can you introduce me to some of your contacts who work in this field and especially those who have made it from different countries. I would change the first part to simply read: I am exploring and take out the stuff before that. I like how he gets right to the point in the next sentence, however I would insert this before that sentence: Im looking for introductions to people who work in ___________ where the blank is something very specific. You see, most everyone I know works in IT, but not everyone would be great contacts for him. He should say who work with databases, or servers, or whatever more specific fields within IT he can. General is okay, if you cant go specific, but in his case Id go more specific. Then,  the final sentence would be a call to action, like he has, but shorter: Can you introduce me to anyone like that?   I  like calls to action that are very short and without room to be misunderstood. Ive put an introduction below for you to doctor if its helpful. Man, has this guy been reading my mind?!?!   This is so helpful. You see, I can send an email or invite someone to talk to him, but he takes all of the thinking out of it and makes it easy for me. I dont have to use his wording, but it sure is nice for him to help me help him. And, I can easily see what his main points are so I can make sure I do it right. Lets critique the second part of his message, which is the suggested message I could use as I reach out to people to facilitate an introduction: Hi [Name] My business contact, Lokesh, is looking to chat about working in UK in the field of IT (Business Intelligence and Analytics). He is currently working as Tech Lead for Harman Connected Services, Bangalore India. This is a great introduction. I would change it to this, just to clean up the English, but generally this is the right message: Hi [Name] My is looking to chat with someone about working in  [location note, Im not in the UK] in Business Intelligence and Analytics. He is currently working  in Bangalore. I took out in the field of IT because the titles are better, and I changed the last line because, unless its a super huge company that people Im introducing him to would know (like Microsoft, Adobe, eBay, etc.), it doesnt matter. Lokesh is considering expanding his work portfolio, and I thought youd be a terrific person to talk with knowing your global experience. I think Id strike this entire line. Its obvious that Lokesh is expanding his work portfolio (which sounds more like a gig/contractor than someone looking for a job), and the last part might not be true the person might have great US or UK or whatever experience, but maybe not global. What they have is local expertise that Lokesh wants to tap into. Bottom line, strike that entire line. Im after concise. Here is his LinkedIn profile. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sqlbideveloper/ Im on the fence on this one. Part of me says to not include it, the other part says its good. The reason I wouldnt include it is  that it just adds to being too much information I dont need my contact that hopefully knows and trusts me to click more I hope that based on our relationship shell take the call.   The other part of me says sending a LinkedIn Profile is a good thing, and they could get info to prepare. Honestly, I think Id NOT include it in this email, but if they say yes, then Id send it in my follow-up email.   (Note: if you do include it, change period to a colon) So whats missing?   A CALL TO ACTION. There is no call to action here.   The message needs something like: Can I send you an introduction email so he can start a conversation with you? or, Would you mind getting on the phone with him in the next week or two? The MAIN, NUMBER 1 point of this entire message to my contact is to get them on a call with Lokesh. Dont send too much information that the call to action gets buried, and make sure that you have a simple, single action call to action. Just a few subtle changes, but I bet these will help Lokesh get better results. The next big thing is how well will he do on the phone? I can only hope that if he gets on the phone with someone I recommend that he does a great job, asks the right questions, etc.   To do that well you need to study informational interviewing. I have a course on that, of course

Resume Writing Services Rock Hill, SC - Getting The Job You Want

Resume Writing Services Rock Hill, SC - Getting The Job You WantResume writing services Rock Hill, SC is one of the main career search outlets. People are in a constant search for work to make a living, and these people often seek to fill the position with someone who is educated and up-to-date in their field. Whether it is an online or offline job, they must make certain that they are able to communicate clearly so as to demonstrate their worth to their employer.As stated above, the language in an employer's voice is extremely important, and this must be displayed in all forms. Since so many companies need to be able to communicate quickly and efficiently, this is extremely important. The use of a resume writing service is a simple way to achieve this.The resume of a Rock Hill, SC job seeker is essential in the job search process. It shows the companies what they are getting into, and how much they can expect out of an employee. By working together with a professional resume writing service, an applicant will have an easier time, because the writing will be fast and smooth, and there will be fewer distractions.Many employers do not understand how much a resume can change, or how much it does to aid in the job search. This is very important to employers, because the communication is all important and with a resume, the word flow is greatly affected. The skills the resume contains is necessary, and the paper must be well organized, with little to no mistakes.Any mistakes on a resume can prove extremely costly. It is very easy to use up space on a resume, as well as looking like you do not have a grasp of the skills needed for the job. This can lead employers to lose confidence in an applicant, and it can cause them to lose jobs to those that have more professionally written resumes.Because the resume writing services are there to assist in the process, it will help an applicant to see that their writing is extremely important. The writing must be complete, thoug h it can be edited with the assistance of a professional. The only difference would be the cost, which will go towards the overall expense of the job.Many of the resume services work very quickly, and can be up and running within days. Though the process will require a bit of research, and this should be done by the applicant themselves, the end result is very well worth the effort. With all the freedom that comes from the use of a professional service, the resume writing service can be used as a very effective tool in a job search.Resume writing services Rock Hill, SC provides an excellent way to save money and keep a good amount of time. The majority of the companies and organizations do not have the time to research, and so the resume writing services are a great solution. The preparation of the resume is simple and even when done for a customer it is quick and easy.

Think Like a Salesman to Sell Yourself

Think Like a Salesman to Sell Yourself In a previous post, I spoke to Rob Mendez, who educates audiences on Guerrilla Marketing strategies for jobseekers and helps them understand the phases of a relationship with a recruiter. There will be several touch points as a company evaluates how well a candidate fits its needs. And each touch point will require different kinds of communication. The process is similar to any product sales cycle and goes through similar phases. The first is the passive research phase; you may not even know you’re being considered. Your LinkedIn profile is your passive marketing tool, and if it’s doing its job, it will attract views and generate interest. An effective LinkedIn profile is like a well-written catalog description. A strong headline and great photo draws the reader in. Then a brief description hits the high points: the problem this product will solve, the benefits the product brings, or the way owning this product will make you feel. Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'PEwL_SD2TMRuTB8y2nxFkA',sig:'NESuIrTAwJi28rSRT4cn_GjZtb4UnCAShg539jSo1hI=',w:'507px',h:'338px',items:'147205458',caption: false ,tld:'com',is360: false })}); A great catalog description also offers some specifics so you can make an informed decision: materials, dimensions, where and how the product was made. Your LinkedIn profile offers specifics as well: degrees, certifications, years of experience, special skills you have. By now, a prospective buyer has both your big picture value and details about how well you fit the job requirements. The next phase of the sales cycle is qualifying the prospect. When a recruiter initiates contact, she’ll give you some basics about an opportunity and determine whether it’s worth her time â€" and yours â€" to continue the conversation. Your job, during this phase, is to see if you and the company have enough common ground to pursue a relationship. Factors you’ll have to test include whether the job is a move up for you or simply lateral, the salary range, and whether the duties match your current skill set and your future goals. Once you agree to interview, the real discussion begins. Mendez says that there are three things a company tries to determine during the interview process: Can you do the job? Do you want to do the job? Are you a good cultural fit for the team and the company? You’ll also need to know the answer to those questions, so research will be the key to finding information (and presenting it during your interviews.) One Guerrilla Marketing technique Rob Mendez recommends is finding an inside source in the company through LinkedIn. Your contact will be a valuable source of information and may even become a champion for you with the hiring manager. Mendez has used this tactic himself, so he knows how powerful it can be. He once considered applying for a position in a company and searched LinkedIn for the person who had formerly held that job. He was able to find him, contact him by phone at his new job, and have a conversation about the position, the company, and the working environment. Based on what he learned, he decided not to pursue the opportunity. he gained was invaluable in determining his interview strategy. During the interview process, you’ll be presenting features and benefits and overcoming objections (both the company’s and yours.) That’s a sign that you’re getting close to closing. The close includes coming to terms: salary, benefits, bonus structure, start dates and other details. This is a big decision, so both parties are protected by getting the terms in writing. Understanding the sales cycle will help you plan effective communication for each touch point. It will also take some of the mystery out of the process of finding your next job. Do you have a great question you use to qualify a prospective employer? Let me know by leaving a comment.

Did You Get What You Wanted - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Did You Get What You Wanted - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Successful personal brands spend much time exploring their psyches and behaviors to arrive at a position that will be enduring, profitable, and satisfying. After all, your brand must be authentic, easy to communicate, and welcome in the tribes you select to lead or at least be among. A personal brand must embrace who you are now, the origins of your life you want to bring forward in your career, and give you stretch goals so you have a destination to keep you moving forward. Your qualities and values matter It is not so easy to identify qualities that will last a lifetime.   But it’s worth the time to agonize over; because it’s your qualities and values that matter wherever you go. We career coaches now talk about your having 5 to 15 careers, which is sometimes comforting â€" let’s say you hate your current job â€" or daunting â€" perhaps you fear your knowledge, approach or skill set will become outdated. I counsel my coaching clients to think of themselves as fractions, not integers. You are not just a consultant or employee. You may be both, or even more fractions of your whole working day or life. You may be writer, blogger, web series star, media pundit, seminar leader, industry opinion maker, and oh the list goes on. Just like you would diversify an investment portfolio, you must diversify the ways you make your fortune. Your brain may now be screaming: I can’t do all that at once. I’m not a dollar that can be broken into several coins; I’m a person with only so much time. Stop hurling birds using a catapult at a nest of explosives, or whatever games you play on your so-called smart phone. Convince your brain you want to get ahead, not kill time or birds. On the journey of your life, the one thing for sure you will take with you is: you. You will lose jobs, outlive pets, and undoubtedly some of your loved ones, survive friends becoming enemies, and you may even go to war against the one you love now. In life and work, loss is going to come your way, on the way to your making gains. It’s who you are that matters through it all, because that’s the basis of who you can become. And that outcome should be good for you, in every way. Consider what qualities will sustain you. What are you going to look back and say, it’s because I was (fill in the blank) that I was able to (fill in the blank). Actually, I was able to do (fill in 15 blanks). Sure with personal brands, you need to get attention, ignite emotional connections and remain indelible in the minds of your tribe in order to leverage your brand for life. The brand you sell to others shouldn’t be one you have to sell to yourself. It should be yourself. Then, just add a hefty dose of resourcefulness and resilience, a nose for opportunity and a desire to work hard, and smart. Getting what you want isn’t just reserved for Christmas. Although, I do hope Santa, or the bearer of gifts in your culture, was good to you this year. Author: Nance Rosen is the author of Speak Up! Succeed. She speaks to business audiences around the world and is a resource for press, including print, broadcast and online journalists and bloggers covering social media and careers. Read more at NanceRosenBlog. Twitter name: nancerosen

Resume Writing 101 - A Must For New and Prospective Employers

Resume Writing 101 - A Must For New and Prospective EmployersIf you are the type of individual who is looking for a change in your career and is unsure how to write a resume, then a good place to start would be through resume writing 101. It is an essential guide that will help you learn how to create a resume that will be able to impress the potential employer. It can be useful to get a more professional perspective of the job market so that you will be better able to cope with the next steps in your career.A common resume that is produced for a job interview may be fairly generic. This means that there will be no real reflection of your skills and experiences as you have not used specific details in your resume. One way to make sure that you do represent your true character is to write a well-written resume that will show why the position that you are applying for is a great opportunity for you. In order to do this, you need to know what steps you need to take in order to create th e resume that you will be proud of.The first step is to begin with a term outline. It will give you a rough idea of what information will be on your resume and how you will be completing it. The term outline should include keywords that will make the resume searchable by the hiring manager.The next step is to think about what you don't need to include on your resume. Just because you have a bachelor's degree in accounting doesn't mean that you need to list that information on your resume. You should also be sure that you understand the job description and include that information on your resume as well.The next step is to write the body of your resume. Your resume will contain a summary of your qualifications and education. This portion of the resume is referred to as the objective of your resume.Resume writing 101 will show you how to make sure that your resume is as professional looking as possible. You will want to avoid using all caps or bold text. A personal statement is the pa rt of the resume that is most important.In order to get your resume approved, you will need to know how to make your resume stand out. One way to accomplish this is to make sure that it is properly formatted. Keep in mind that your resume is going to be a first impression and you want to ensure that it is appealing enough for the hiring manager to hire you.Writing a resume can be a very intimidating task. Resume writing 101 can help you develop a set of skills that will be used throughout your career. With the right information and practice, you will be able to write a resume that will be suitable for the needs of any prospective employer.

Two Phrases Critical to Your Job Search Career Success

Two Phrases Critical to Your Job Search Career Success True Blue Buds and SEO True Blue Buds and SEO As I look back over the past year and then look toward the future (2012), I wanted to focus on these two concepts.   This is loosely based on Chris Brogans three words idea for goal setting but with my spin.   These are things both YOU and I need to better understand and address. True Blue Buds (Buds is short for buddies, just in case you were wondering. It isnt a reference to the beer.) Lets get a handle on who your true friends are.   Who are the people in your personal and professional life who support you and would go out of their way to help you? Do you have clients or customers included on this list? I am reading The Referral Engine by John Jantsch in which he does a great job in explaining how and why your customers are your greatest source of business.   As a job seeker, your customers are an invaluable source of information and assistance! You know who else is your customer?? Companies/employers.   Think about it.   They are looking for a solution and you could be their solution provider.   Instead of treating companies and employers like nameless faceless job postings, treat them as you would a potential customer.   WARNING: Dont expect they will all treat you the same way, which is true in the world of business anyway.   They dont need you unless you can convince them that you do. Your Next Steps: Looking back over the past year, what have you done to support your True Blue Buds?   Have you thanked them too? It is never too late. Put that on your to-do list immediately. Moving forward, how can you stay in contact with these buds? Do you have their email addresses? Yea, thats great until they change companies or switch email providers.   Connect with them on LinkedIn and once youve done that, consider writing them a recommendation too! More on looking forward.   How can you develop more True Blue Buds?       You can never have too many friends- ask an extrovert how many they have and I bet you they will have an endless list.   Introverts, step outside of your comfort zone and take a risk.   Go out of your own way and try something different. I absolutely intend to practice what I preach here.   Reaching out, engaging more, taking risks.   Whos going to hold me accountable??? SEO Search Engine Optimization.   What is it?   It is how you control where your stuff ranks in search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc.). You and I are both managing our careers so SEO becomes very important.   You dont exist if Google cant find you. I know enough about SEO to be dangerous, but this will be the year I get an updated and better handle on it. I encourage you to do the same.   And it isnt just for the major search engines, the concepts of keywords and SEO is important to understand for your LinkedIn profile as well.   You want your profile to be found in searches.   In order for this to happen, you will need to understand how companies and recruiters are searching LinkedIn within your occupation and industry.   You can build it (your profile) but it doesnt mean they will find you unless youve used their language. Your Next Steps (and Mine) Read all you can about SEO and recruiter sourcing so you can understand this stuff.   I am doing the same. Susan Joyce, Editor/publisher of Job-Hunt.org, (and someone who truly knows her SEO stuff) recently recommended O’Reilly’s “The Art of SEO” which will soon be releasing their 2nd edition.   I am a bit afraid to jump in, but I realize how important this is for me to understand- not just for me, but to help you as well. Your job search and your career need you to take the bull by the horns!   Now! What is holding you back?

A career in digital advertising - CareerEnlightenment.com

A career in digital advertising Digital advertising is a rewarding career for several reasons. You’ll be able to connect with professionals and business owners around the world, and it’s always great to have a network of business relationships. As a digital advertiser, you’ll be utilizing SEO (search engine optimization), campaign analytics tools, keyword research, and other tools of the trade for helping your clients expand their audience base.In this article, we’re going to give you some helpful tips for a career in digital advertising.Advertise yourselfKnowing how to use social media and keyword research tools is all fine and well, but they aren’t difficult things to learn. What can you do for your clients that they can’t do for themselves, or don’t have time to manage? A digital advertiser should be able to prove their skills, and this begins with advertising yourself.You should have a portfolio of projects you’ve worked on, such as blogs you’ve contributed to, websites you’ve built, etcetera. It helps to have a great personal website, and be active on social media. Some of the top SEO specialists in the industry actively post on social media, sharing SEO advice check out this list of the top individual SEO specialists you should follow in 2019, and see what they’re doing and how they’re self-promoting.Follow the latest social media trendsA digital advertiser needs to know all of the latest information. This includes SEO and digital advertising techniques and regulations, such as updates to the Google algorithm, but also includes knowing the latest social media trends. Be aware of the latest hashtags, and think outside of the box. You should know the ins and outs of running Facebook ads for e-commerce brands, and how to really fine-tune the campaign filters for best results.Thinking outside the box is helpful as well. Some companies are starting to experiment with advertising on TikTok, a popular short-video app that was initially for lip-syncing karaoke videos but has become a massive network of users sharing 15-second video clips, creating many popular viral videos. If you can brainstorm how to use apps like this to your advantage, you’re a leg up in digital advertising. Want to Read More Articles Like This One?Sign up here to receive weekly updates from Career Enlightenment, and never miss another powerful job searching tip! SUBSCRIBE! You have Successfully Subscribed!We hate spam too. Unsubscribe any time. Attend courses and online webinarsAttending online courses and viewing webinars is a great way to learn new tricks for expanding your content marketing strategy. Some of the best SEO and digital marketing conferences to follow include Digital Summit, SearchLove, Engage Conference, and webinars like the weekly series on Moz.Listening to speakers who attend these conferences is a highly valuable resource for learning the latest information in the industry. You can also consider podcasts, but be careful here, you should stick to recommended podcasts as there are some SEO “experts” running podcasts out there and giving bad information. Some good SEO podcasts include Authority Hacker, Search Engine Nerds, MozPod, and Experts on the Wire.Consider getting certified in digital marketingMany years ago anyone with some website design and SEO knowledge could jump into the digital marketing industry, but as it becomes quite saturated with “experts”, the skills demand has vastly increased. Getting a certificate in digital marketing from a reputable source is a good way to showcase your dedication to your craft.But not all certificates are worth anything, and that’s why it’s important to very carefully choose exactly where and how you obtain a certificate in digital marketing. Here’s a good article that explains the pros and cons of pursuing one.