Free LinkedIn and Social Media Seminars

Through the JobAngels group on LinkedIn, I learned of Paul DeBettignies, Co-Founder of Minnesota Recruiters who is offering free online seminars for job seekers. I call this paying it forward and personally thanked him.

There are 3 seminars scheduled this week:

• May 19th, 3 PM CDT: Job Search Toolkit - Be Your Own Headhunter
• May 20th, 3 PM CDT: LinkedIn A to Z - Use LinkedIn Like A Headhunter
• May 21st, 3 PM CDT: Using Social Media For Networking, Lead Generation And Job

Click here to register for the May 19-21 free seminars.

If you miss any of these seminars, they are offered again next week:

• May 27th, 12 PM CDT: Job Search Toolkit - Be Your Own Headhunter
• May 28th, 12 PM CDT: LinkedIn A to Z - Use LinkedIn Like A Headhunter
• May 29th, 12 PM CDT: Using Social Media For Networking, Lead Generation And Job

Click here to register for the May 27-29 free seminars.

More about Paul DeBettignies: By trade he is an IT Recruiter, writes the MN Headhunter blog and for the past seven years has been doing job search, networking and LinkedIn seminars in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and in January 2009 started doing them online.

Tweet this:
Free LinkedIn and Social Media Online Seminars for the Job Seeker http://tinyurl.com/pmz25w

LinkedIn Introductions

I'd like to start out saying I'm a big fan of LinkedIn and have found it very helpful in my job search. That said, I'm a little frustrated with the Introduction feature and have quite a few questions.

When I find a job opportunity on LinkedIn, one of the first things I do is see if I'm connected to the person who posted the job or the hiring manager.

Most of the time, I have found either a 2nd-degree connection where someone I know directly knows the hiring manager. Considered a direct connection. Or a 3rd-degree connection where someone I know knows someone that knows the hiring manager. There are two middle men.

Is it a quantity versus quality issue? I write my introduction email and send it off to my connection and I often get a reply saying, "I don't really know her/him..." But then why are you linked? Do you need to know her/him just to send an introduction?

Is an introduction being interpreted as a recommendation? Asking my connection for an introduction seems to elicit feelings of putting themselves out which sounds more like a recommendation than an introduction. But I'm not asking my connection to recommend me, at least not in an introduction.

Is passing on the message effective? I'm simply requesting my connection to pass on my message to their connection. But I've submitted a resume with a well thought out cover letter. And now I'm sending a message often through a chain of 2 or more people. What would the message say that my cover letter didn't? Or do people find it impressive that I've gone through the trouble of sending a message through this human link?

Is there something I'm missing? Have you been asked to introduce someone? Did you do it or did you decline?


Tweet this. Just copy and paste:
The effectiveness of LinkedIn introductions. http://tinyurl.com/d8duye

My Job Search Recipe

I've been job searching for a few months now. I read a lot of online advice. I'm on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. I have this blog and others.

The key message I'm hearing is that job searchers need to shift the way they have been traditionally looking for work. The job sites, such as Monster.com and CareerBuilders, are black holes for resumes. The focus is online networking and searching people.

Based on what I've learned and experienced so far, I've developed my own recipe for job searching. My ingredients are based on searching for Marketing Manager positions.

Here's my recipe for job searching:

• LinkedIn - (1) I keep my profile up to date, search for new connections that I know, and request for recommendations when appropriate. (2) I only apply for jobs on LinkedIn and through LinkedIn if there is a way to connect with someone in the company - get an introduction - and there usually is. If I can't find a connection to introduce me, I go straight to the company's website. Though I don't know for sure, I'm guessing that there are fewer resume submission from a company's website than on LinkedIn.
• craigslist - I've had success with getting interviews from jobs listed on craigslist, so I'll continue to search and apply. When I find an opportunity, I go straight to LinkedIn to look up the company and see if I can make a connection with someone.
• Twitter - The objective is to build a network of followers and followings. I follow people who tweet about things I find helpful. I tweet and re-tweet about things I hope people who follow me find helpful. By doing so, more people are following me which builds an extensive network for me to tap into while gaining valuable information.
• Competition - I have identified the competitors of the last company I worked for. I am in the process of finding out the names of the Marketing Directors/Managers. Then I will research the names on LinkedIn in hopes of finding a connection. I will tailor a cover letter for each person and send it along with my resume via mail. Whether or not these companies have a job opening, I'm hoping they will be impressed with my resume and approach.
• Traditional Networking - Not everyone is on a social networking site, so I sent mass emails out to my address book contacts. I divided my contacts in subgroups: family, friends, all others. I used an affordable (.02-.05 each) and easy online email service called VerticalResponse which allowed me to personalize each email and get real-time results.

Like any recipe, you make changes based on your personal taste.

What's your winning recipe?

7 Social Media Secrets To Get a Job

Another great article by Dan Schawbel, "7 Secrets to Getting Your Next Job Using Social Media."

This one has some new ideas - at least to me - I thought were great. Schawbel not only has helpful ideas, but provides specific steps and examples to help you get started.

Schawbel's 7 secrets are revealed:

1. Conduct a people search instead of a job search.
2. Use attraction-based marketing to get job offers.
3. Be proactive on Twitter.
4. Capitalize on LinkedIn.
5. Advertise your brand using AdWords and Facebook social ads.
6. Construct a video resume and upload it to YouTube.
7. Subscribe to blogs that have job listings.

I found secrets 5, 6 and 7 most interesting, but I don't think I'm ready for a debut on YouTube quite yet.

If you have other secrets you want to share, please comment.

FREE LinkedIn Tutorial Guide

I mention in an earlier post - "Basic Tools" - that one of the networking sites you should be on is LinkedIn.

I found a website - http://www.networlding.com/ - that is offering a free LinkedIn tutorial guide. The guide is very good and I would advise anyone who is looking for a job to request this free guide and put it to good use.

Email Networlding at info@networlding.com to receive your free LinkedIn Tutorial Guide to help you learn one of the most powerful social networking strategies. Networlding has coached over 1000 people a year on LinkedIn strategies and have done so since LinkedIn started over five years ago.

Any other resources you know of, please post a comment.

Basic Tools

Remember the saying "It's not what you know, it's who you know." It was all about networking.

And more so today, but it's a lot easier and better with the social networking tools available.

Here are the 3 basic networks that can help in your job search AND you might also have some fun:

LinkedIn - is a professional network where you can create a profile which often looks like your resume. The great things about LinkedIn are (1) you can ask people to "endorse" you which is a recommendation; something valuable when searching for a job, (2) you can find former colleagues, get linked and then ask them for a recommendation, (3) you can join groups which give you an extended network, (4) you can search for job openings and apply online; (5) you can ask people in your network to help you with an introduction to the hiring manager of a job you've applied for, and (6) you can receive emails from a potential employer about a job through LinkedIn.

Facebook - is a social network used to keep up with friends, upload photos, share links and videos, and learn more about the people you meet. And just like the olden days, you can let all your friends, family, and associates know that you're looking for a job.

Twitter - is a social network and referred to as a mini-blog. You can post short comments and you can "follow" others to be able to read their short comments. Another way to ask for help and advice on the job search.

Please leave a comment if you have additional advice or comments on these websites.