Tips & Tricks

We’ve covered the basics. We’ve even heard an outrageous success story or two. But the question remains: Does the average employer really use social networks to hire? 

According to a survey by Jobvite, 68% of employers use social networks like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to support their recruitment efforts. Those numbers are likely even higher when you consider recruitment agencies and headhunters, the intermediaries that place many of the best jobs out there for experienced hires. Based on some independent research that we did at TheCanned.com, it looks as though start-ups and small companies are some of the biggest users of these networks.

Hiring managers use social networks to recruit in three different ways. To help job seekers, we’ve identified recommendations for how job seekers can put the odds in their favor. 

1. The Sawed-Off Shotgun Approach

As with personal networking, hiring managers would rather recruit people that they know or people that come with a recommendation. It’s a poor proxy, but “friend” or “following” status on Facebook or Twitter takes you one step further from stranger and one step closer to the “in” crowd. Some companies treat social networks as opportunities to blast out openings to a large pool of non-strangers. Given the anecdotes, it seems like they take responses from these networks far more seriously than unsolicited resumes or applications through Monster. 

Diana, President of procurement consultancy Design To Deliver, was bidding on a project. As part of the process, she needed  to demonstrate the expertise that her firm promises by providing the resumes of the consultants that would work on the case. But she still needed to hire one more consultant. She blasted out the opening on Facebook, where some business contacts asked for more information and then passed it along. Then she Tweeted and watched as several followers re-tweeted the opening. Lastly, she posted on The Federal Contractors Network. The quick turnaround was so encouraging that she plans to add LinkedIn, Plaxo, and GovLoop in the future. 

Jennifer, a Director at staffing firm Momentum Resources, blasts a variety of job openings out to Facebook by posting them in her status. That’s it. She comments: “Last week we staffed an operations research consultant for a recycler in LA and a mandarin chinese translator for a Kansas environmental firm, all by posting about these jobs in my Facebook status!”

Our recommendation
If you want to get hit by the sawed-off shotgun approach then you need a big network. Friend, follow, and connect with every person you can think of. On Twitter, extend that list to strangers with common interests or those who work in your field. On LinkedIn, connect with every person you have ever met in the course of business. Read the rest of this entry »

Social networking can be enigmatic when you look at it from the outside. There is no dearth of conversation about it these days, with just about every talking head out there weighing in. We’re no exception.

We got a host of questions following our post The Smart Way To Network Online. According to our most recent poll, just over 20% of job seekers have found social networking to be the most effective tool in their job search quivers. It’s time to spread some knowledge to the other 80% out there (especially the 12% that chose “Blackmail”, damn jokers).

To start, let’s talk about David Moye. After getting canned from an internet marketing job in September, David decided to make a jump into the world of PR. Of course, his lack of PR experience just added a second obstacle to the anemic job market.

David recorded five skits where he gave PR advice to his daughter’s puppets. Then he posted them on YouTube (this one is my favorite) and used Facebook and LinkedIn to send it around his social network. Eventually it made its way to CNBC correspondent Jane Wells, who wrote it up on her blog. Now David had evidence that 1) he was creative 2) he was adept at using social media as promotional tools. “If I can get a cheesy puppet show on CNBC, think of what I can do for your clients” he said.

The results? He got a job, of course. And he loves it. It didn’t take a heroic marketing effort, either. “Funny thing is, the site has had less than 500 hits, but every one of those people knew someone who could get me a job.” That’s the power of a targeted search.

David isn’t alone, by any means. Chris Kieff, after losing a great job prospect to a hiring freeze, tweeted about it to his 1000+ followers. “New job just fell through, but got a new client” (the hiring manager had asked him to do some freelance work for them in lieu of a full-time job). One of his 1000+ followers happened to be looking for someone with his qualifications, and now he works for them. As the Personal Branding Blog points out, ‘One Tweet, One Job’. Goldmine.

I have a dozen similar success stories sitting in my inbox right now. When used creatively, social networks are the real deal.

A friend of mine is in the midst of an epic job hunt. He has identified a decent amount of opportunities but is having trouble closing the deal. Even working with temp agencies and recruiters, he keeps hearing the same tune: “You’re too qualified for this position.”

Too qualified. Take this as an indication of how picky hiring managers are being these days. The guy has a masters in Statistics and a couple years of experience as a Quant with a major credit card company. Even still, he’s having trouble scoring even temporary employment. I’ve heard similar stories from a number of people.

This particular guy pays the bills by pushing carts at the local grocery store: a “survival job” that doesn’t mind the overqualification (just about everybody is overqualified for jobs like these, right?)

There are two landmines that you need to dodge when it comes to experience:

1. For employers, overqualification equates to a high likelihood to jump ship when something better comes along. No firm wants to be “settled for.”
2. Hiring managers tend to “pidgeon-hole” applicants based on past experience. This guy did statistical modeling for a financial firm. Even though the skill set is nearly identical to a modeling role in any other industry, hiring managers don’t see it that way. To a Pharmaceutical employer, he’s a “finance” guy, not a “stats” guy.

Anticipate these obstacles and address them head-on. Research the job description well and be prepared to draw everyday examples between your former responsibilities and your future ones. On your resume, stress specific skills over specific jobs.

Most important: be prepared to address overqualification in an interview. You will need to convince the interviewer why:

1. You’re interested in this specific position and why its a logical step forward in your career
2. You’re looking for long-term opportunities, not short-term fixes
3. You know and understand the firm’s culture and are sure that you will fit right in despite your experience elsewhere

Anyone else out there have any tips?

I’ve read a few articles lately that talk about ways to prevent getting fired. Work harder, expand your impact, brown-nose, draw attention to accomplishments, etc. etc. are the focus. This is all fine and good, but in times like these dollars and cents matter most.

Remember that layoffs come from the top down. If your boss is getting the axe, then your fate will probably be determined by his boss in consultation with HR or a consultant. In this situation, your past reviews are critical. Assuming your boss is staying, however, he or she will have a say in your fate. Performance is still important, but cost is paramount.

Layoffs in 2009 are about cutting costs, not about individual performance. If you really want to keep your job, draw a close connection to the bottom line. Tyler Cowen thinks that the a solid way to do that is to take a voluntary pay cut. Stephen Viscusi, author of Bulletproof Your Job, says that voluntary renegotiation can be an especially effective strategy for workers over 40. I would have to agree with both.

Of course you don’t want to take an axe to your contract unless you absolutely have to. Viscusi seems to think that you can be reactionary about it, offering to renegotiate when your boss hands you a pink slip. If you’re going to do it, though, being proactive is certainly going to have a higher success rate. For one, you’re probably screwed once the paperwork has been processed. Second, offering up front makes you seem like more of a team player and less of a desperate guy with his back against the wall.

So if you’re going to take a pay cut, do it right:

1. Know your options: unless you are really attached to this specific job, considering other opportunities can’t hurt.
2. Offer up front: when you feel the axe coming your way, make a preemptive strike.
3. Don’t go crazy: cutting more than 20% is overkill, 10% is a bit more common. But don’t necessarily skim off the top: one friend saved his job by switching to commission. Many more have relinquished contractual perks and soft benefits to help cut costs.
4. Don’t be desperate: you are committed to the company. You want to finish what you started. You have options, but this is the one you prefer.

Don’t get me wrong: I still think that getting canned can usher a positive change (it ultimately did for me). But for those of you who are emotionally- or pot-committed, helping your boss cut costs might save your job for better times. If you still get fired, at least you didn’y lose much.

With the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, every state in the union is eligible to receive federal funds to beef up its One Stop Career Center.  These centers, existing in some form in every state and most major metropolitan areas, provide a range of support services for job seekers.

All One Stop resources and classes are free to use. Although services vary by location, typical examples include:

• Computer labs
• Labor market data, including employment reports by industry
• Job search workshops
• Interview and resume-writing workshops

One Stop centers are getting flooded these days, so make an appointment in advance.  Click here to locate your nearest One Stop Career Center.

Of course, the best way to get free training is to get a job. In addition to the usual on-the-job training that comes with experience, many positions include formal, paid training and education re0imbursement. If you’re broke, getting a low-level job at a compay with a generous training budget could be a great way to kill two birds with one stone (bills and skillz).

Start with companies known for training: IBM, Sprint, and Pfizer come to mind. Click here to download a PDF of Training Magazine’s top 125 companies for training. Then go about getting yourself a nice low-level position. With companies this big, there will always be entry- and low-level openings.Just be sure to come up with an excellent answer to “Why the career 360 and why do you want to stoop to this level?”

It may have nothing to do with your career, but this move can have everything to do with unlocking doors by delivering critical skills to your quiver and your resume. Just swallow your pride and consider it a hiatus.

We just concluded a survey here on TheCanned.com about job seeker priorities. As you might expect, the priorities reflect the times.

If I had asked the average job seeker what he was looking for two years ago, I bet the top answer would have been either more money or more prestige. These days, prestige has fallen off the map. Only 3 percent of our 275 respondents listed “prestige” as the most important factor in their job search. A cool-headed 15 percent said professional development which, given the times, is perhaps the best tactical move.

Ringing in at No. 1 with a 15 percent margin of victory: stability. Coupled with 22 percent of the voting pool who said I’ll take anything!, this survey paints a desperate picture.

But what does it mean to chase a “stable” job in such unstable times? Aside from working for the federal government, stability is tough to pin down. The Treasury is hiring, and I’d label that department stable. From there on out it gets murky. Perhaps, after all, the best indication of a company’s stability is whether or not they are continuing to hire. If this is true, it is redundant for jobseekers to chase stability.

Instead, try thinking two moves in advance. Of course paying your bills comes first. But after that, try looking for positions that will set you up for future career growth. You’re probably not going to get rich during the next year. But given the opportunity to develop professionally, you can be first in queue when the market picks up.

Compensation and prestige still matter; they just matter as a potentiality rather than as an immediate reality.

There are hundreds of job boards on the internet, many of which are either very specific or very worthless. To help people find the best ones, we created the Job Board Directory on TheCanned.com.

Over the last month we have gotten a hundred or so comments on this section. People write things like:

• “I need a job. can do concrete management work. (Redi Mix) Have beena rebar detailer and estimator for last 6 years +”
• “Interested in strategic marketing/branding position in the New York City/Westchester/So. Connecticut area”
• “Looking for an instructor position in the Cosmetology field”

These comments tell me two things: First, the job board directory is confusing and needs to be redesigned (it has been and a shiny, new directory is coming soon). Second, people need some guidance about how to network and job search online. Since we already covered The Truth About Job Boards, let’s take a look at online networking.

LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter… these can all be valuable resources in your job search. Chris Brogan writes some decent articles on building personal and business networks if you’re interested in lots of details. If you’re intersted in the quick scoop, from the perspective of a job seeker, then keep reading. Read the rest of this entry »

This is an embarrassing confession, but I am, what some might consider, a “guppy.” What I mean is that after four-plus years of classes, projects, tests and term papers, I find myself proudly toting a degree but lacking the combination of dazzling experience and applicable skills that would compel potential employers to hire me.

You may be a “guppy” as well if you find yourself asking the question, where is the job board for recent graduates with buckets of relevant knowledge and only mediocre résumé experience? Perhaps you have received a smattering of rejection emails, claiming your qualifications are impressive, but not quite in tune with the hiring manger’s search parameters. The truth is, my guppy friend, your opportunity to get even a pinky toe in the door of your choice career field is drying up as I type this article.

Recent graduates must face the possibility that entry-level jobs providing the elusive on-the-job training for future, more lucrative positions may grow even more scarce in the coming years of this shaky economy.  Companies are seeking to further trim the fat of their budgets and heap the grunt work on to more seasoned personnel. But fret not, small gills — there are steps that we guppies can take to improve our overall marketability. First of all, and this rings true whether you fall among the guppy ranks or not, it is imperative to remember that you have options. Options are the best friends you can have right now: weigh them wisely. For your consideration, here are just some of the many options at your fingertips:

1. Intern. Okay, school is over, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get that edge you crave oh-so-much by taking on an internship. Use your degree as a negotiation point — after all, you know what you’re doing!

2. Volunteer. This is a great time for you to scour your city, do some networking and find opportunities to donate your services in exchange for that valuable hands-on experience. Someone you know may know someone who knows someone who needs help in something that you are good at.  Approach them and offer your talent and time. Don’t think of it as an unpaid internship minus the college credit; consider it a valuable addition to your resume.

3. Switch it up. Still waiting tables since earning your marketing degree because you’re scared you won’t find anything better? Don’t hurt your chances of breaking into a field just because you’re already getting paid.  Get on the job boards, put out your resume, and try to find a position relevant to what you’d really love to do. Things aren’t that bad.

4. Become a big fish. There are tons of organizations (ahem, Peace Corps) that need dedicated guppies, like you, to go out into the world and make a difference. Not a bad way to just keep swimmin’.

5. Do your own thing. Get a group of people together or go solo and start a project, a Web site, a publication, even a company! Take an idea that matters to you and run with it. Make something happen for yourself — be the one to invest in you.

6. Jump overboard. Now might be a good time to consider working abroad, while you’re still young and have fewer responsibilities on your plate. Take a year or two, explore and live out of your element, and see what you’re made of. You’re guaranteed to surprise yourself.

7. Go back to school. If you feel that your background is inadequate, then earning a second Bachelor’s degree might be a good choice. Focus on enhancing your current skill set, networking to improve your chances of finding future opportunities in your field, and enjoy being able to put off those loan payments just a little longer.

These are just a few of the many options available to help guppies like us get out of the puddle and swimming in the big pond.

Got canned? Don’t let the pink slip spoil your travel plans — a well planed vacation can be the best time to reassess your life.

For every door that closes, another opens. Or so the saying goes.  While being let go may feel as if that door has been slammed shut in your face — and a huge, double steel-enforced, iron-clad door at that.  Look at the situation this way: the opportunity to finally figure out what it is you truly want to do in life is at your doorstep.

A great way to deal with the uncertainty of being unemployed is to travel or go on a vacation. After all, a vacation can be the best time to recharge our emotional batteries. It affords us the opportunity to temporarily step back from the personal and financial concerns that often accompany a job loss. What more, a trip away from home can initiate the process of self discovery. It can also be a time to reevaluate your career goals, or merely an excuse to learn a new trade or skill. But whatever it is, your sojourn need not break the bank.

Travel Web site Travelandleisure.com has just published a list of the best vacation destinations for the laid off and unemployed. So if you have the means, go ahead — expand your horizons, figure out what you love to do and open a new door.

1. Join the non-profit network Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF)

For those looking to live a more ecologically friendly lifestyle, WWOOF is an international exchange program that provides room and board accommodations to volunteers in return for part-time work on an organic farm. If self-sufficient farming is your gig, this is definitely an opportunity worth exploring.

2. Stay for free: House Swap

A “house swap” or “home exchange” is a vacation arrangement where two individuals or families agree to exchange homes while on vacation. For a small fee, Web sites such as www.homelink.org and www.homeexchange.com aggregate listings of those looking to exchange homes and match participants across the world.

3. Set Sail

www.CrewFile.com is a free international database that aggregates job listings for yacht crews and maritime jobs. Through their online database you can search for crew vacancies on an array of ships varying from mega yachts to commercial fishing boats. The best part: you don’t need to know how to sail or even have an experience on the open waters.  Captains and stewards are willing to train the right candidates.

4. Hit the Slopes

Have you ever considered joining a ski patrol or becoming a snowboard instructor? If you’re looking to develop the required skills or simply need class and test prep time to become certified, The Base Camp Group offers world-class instructor training at affordable prices. The program specializes in one-on-one sessions where trainees are shown the fundamentals of technical coaching, prepped for exam certification and are trained in safety and first aid response.

5. Save the world

Worried about the manatees in Gambia? The Earthwatch Institute is an international non-profit organization that focuses their efforts on protecting endangered species and conserving the environment. Ever year nearly 4,000 people volunteer to field research and conservation projects in over 50 countries.

For those who are unemployed and looking for a job, tax season couldn’t have come at a worse time. And if the emotional costs of dealing with unemployment weren’t enough, a prolonged job search can prove to be very costly. Fortunately there are a host of income tax deductions available for those who are actively looking for work.

Expenses that you incur over the course of your job search may be eligible for a deduction against your taxable income. These costs are deductible even if you have a job, regardless of if you actually land the position or not. Armed with some basic tax advice and a little bit of moxie, you too can take advantage of these frequently forgotten tax benefits.

Qualifying expenses generally fall into three categories:

Outplacement & Employment Agency Fees

You are allowed to write off any agency fees that you have paid while looking for a new job within your current field of work. Allowable deductibles may include several employment services such as recruiters, career counselors and job coaches. However, if you find a job and your new employer agrees to pay back these fees, you will need to include the amount received in your gross income up to the amount of the tax benefit of the prior year.

Resume Preparation Costs

This category encompasses an array of expenditures directly associated with applying for a job. Such expenses include the costs of paper, envelopes, postage, phone and fax charges.

Travel and Transportation Expenses

Costs incurred from traveling to and from job interviews may also be tax deductible. Airfare, mileage, lodging and meal expenses — depending on the circumstance — are all examples of charges that may be written off when not reimbursed by the prospective employer.

As highlighted above, there are several different ways to cut down on job search-related costs through tax breaks.

However, the IRS imposes several limitations. For starters, expenses are not deductible for those looking to make a career change into a different field or for  first-time job seekers. Others may be ineligible if there is a substantial lapse in time between the last job held and the current job search. Finally, you can only deduct job search expenses if, together with all other miscellaneous deductions, they exceed two percent of your annual adjusted gross income.

For more information, download this PDF, courtesy of the IRS.