Just completed the Reach “Online Identity Certification” program. Learned some new “high tech” techniques to get maximum impact and visibility. A real boon for my clients!

Challenger, Gray & Christmas recently sent out the following email:

“Social and professional networking sites, such as Facebook and LinkedIn, have become critical components of the job search. Digital networking is an effective and positive way to expand one’s connections and find potential job opportunities.

A new entrant into the social networking world threatens to alter the landscape, and not necessarily for the better. Unvarnished.com (http://www.getunvarnished.com/beta) provides users the opportunity to post anonymous reviews of co-workers, bosses, subordinates, etc. The website’s founders said in a Chicago Tribune article that the site “encourages candid and nuanced information about prospective hires, bosses and business partners. However, many are concerned that the site will open a Pandora’s Box of negative, spiteful, dishonest reviews. The fact that the reviewer remains anonymous further complicates matters by making it impossible to determine the veracity of any claims, whether they are positive or negative.”

I am a proponent of Linkedin and Facebook but do not find great validity in a site that can be used anonymously, with no repercussions for falsities and petty vendettas that tend to permeates sites like these and cause significant and unwarranted damage.

Just my opinion.

Marty Weitzman
Gilbert Resumes
Executiveresumewriter.com

Nancy, and I celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary tomorrow, both our girls celebrate their birthdays, and getting my boat ready for April 20th launch.

One of my clients called to thank me for helping her secure a great position (Internal Audit Director), and secured new assignments with CEOs, Presidents, and COOs in Alaska, California, Florida, Texas, Connecticut, and Illinois – I just love the Internet.

Happy Holidays to all
Marty Weitzman

As time goes on, it is becomes more and more apparent that Linkedin is a must for job seekers. As part of my career services practice, I distribute my client’s, and client’s of other résumé writers, to recruiters nationwide. More and more recruiters are telling my clients to make sure they are on Linkedin, and then to please link to them.

If you are not on Linkedin, get there, and make sure you write a strong Linkedin profile.

I also recommend Jason Alba’s DVD on “Linkedin for Job Seekers”. Its available at Amazon.com for $25.00 or you can call me. I have them as well.

Marty Weitzman
Gilbert Resumes
800 967 3846

Certified Branding Coach, Résumé Writer, and Job Search Expert

As hiring authorities at companies and recruiting firms refine their online candidate searching it is imperative that job seekers “can be found,” and what is found is positive and effectively targeted.

Today, I began an intensive five-week certification program today that will provide the expertise and cutting edge tools needed to establish and or significantly improve my client’s online presence.

Marty Weitzman
Gilbert Resumes

After a wonderful holiday vacation and Caribbean cruise I came back to reality. Drove 1300 miles from Miami Saturday and Sunday, and the phones were ringing Monday, and the emails were coming—–life is good.

Nancy, Danielle, and Samantha are already plotting for Xmas 2010 so I better get to work.

I hope everyone had as wonderful a Christmas/Channukah and New Year.

Marty

I Hate…

• I hate formal ‘networking events.’ The ones where you have to ‘work a room.’
• I hate ‘networking breaks’ at seminars and conferences where you have people madly collecting business cards and staring over your shoulder (instead of looking and listening to you) to see who else they can exchange business cards with after they’ve finished with you.
• I  hate breakfast networking events – I’m a night owl and so prefer to avoid early morning appointments and events wherever possible.
• I hate blogs where the people taking part in conversations are simply there to self promote: comments such as “Hey great article! By the way, your readers should take a look at my 6 part course on xyz – follow this link now!” (I never ever click on those links).
• I hate networking with anyone that doesn’t say ‘thank you.’ Good manners cost nothing. Bad manners tell me lots about the other person. 
• And don’t ask me why, but I don’t really like Facebook – it’s just not my thing.

I Love..

• I love hanging out in coffee shops and hotel lounges with nice sofas to catch up with friends and professional contacts.
• I love going for drinks in cool bars where you can actually hear yourself speak – especially if they’ve got nice sofas (..as you can see, it’s all about the sofas for me!).
• I love pinging an email or a LinkedIn note to introduce two people in my network who I think may be able to help each other. Not because I want a ‘kick back’ or a favour; but because I enjoy connecting people. And as a by product of this, I strengthen my relationship with them
• I love sitting in the lounge at my local gym (on a comfy sofa off course) with my Blackberry and emailing or calling people I haven’t spoken to for a while just to say “hey, long time no speak – how are things?” 
• I love catching up with old friends over an informal dinner
• I love LinkedIn – not sure why, but I feel more at home there than on Facebook
• I love blogs where there is an exchanging of ideas, resources, opinions and debate in the comments sections. A genuine desire to add to the content/discussion rather than it being all about self gain and self promotion.
• I think I’ll eventually get to love Twitter - I just need to spend more time there

Networking With Authenticity Is Effortless

I find networking effortless because I choose those networking activities that play to my strengths and natural style. So instead of it being a chore – it’s fun. Anything that is fun is effortless. And any activity that is effortless, is more likely to yield the results you want.

I mean, who says networking “should” involve going to fancy ‘networking events’ and ‘working a room?’ That’s just one version.

Networking is all about establishing and developing genuine relationships – you can’t build genuine relationships if you feel really uncomfortable and a bit of a fraud. So network in a way that feels natural and authentic to you and you’ll build deeper relationships and be better placed to attract the kind of results you want.

How To Network Effortlessly

1. Choose the networking activities you love

Those networking activities (or relationship building activities), that you really enjoy. The ones that come naturally to you and have always come naturally to you.

2. Avoid networking acitivities which you hate 

Activities which don’t suit your style and make you think “that’s just not me.”

3. Be honest with yourself

There’s a big difference between activities which are not your natural style – and activities which you’re scared to try out because they are outside your comfort zone.

So yes, play to strengths – but please don’t use this article as an excuse to avoid testing your comfort zone!

4. Keep a close eye on these 21 networking tips 

1. Focus on networking with your warmest contacts FIRST 

2. Be clear about your objectives and what you want (and don’t want)

3. Be generous in sharing ideas, resources, contacts

4. Don’t keep score

5. Be yourself

6. Ask lots of open questions – who? what? how? when?

7. Network with a wide range of contacts outside your immediate connections 

8. Ensure you have an online presence and are using social media platforms to establish an online brand (Eg LinkedIn.com, start a blog etc)

9. Take a genuine interest in other people, their challenges and their goals (and not just your own needs)

10. Be systematic

11. Listen twice as much as you talk

12. Focus on the quality of relationships rather than the number of contacts you’ve got

13. Keep asking “How can I help you?” rather than “How can you help me?

14. Share and help others without expecting anything back

15. Keep nudging yourself outside your confort zone 

16. Limit the time you spend on social media platforms. They can be great fun, but also a great drain on your time

17. Be spontaneous

18. If you’re not going to follow up religiously, don’t bother networking

19. Think long term relationships rather than short term job leads and opportunities

20. Don’t try and follow every tip on this list

21. Instead just incorporate ONE tip from above. Then another. Then another… 

By Sital Ruparelia

Received an email from one of my Supply Chain management clients this morning. He had two job offers and accepted one.
From start to finish in less than 50 days – wrote his resumes, cover letters, and distributed to recruiters.
That is what you like to see in your email early when you log in.

With improving corporate profits underscoring signs of increased economic growth, recruiters are forecasting an increase in hiring activity at the executive-level, according to the latest ExecuNet Recruiter Confidence Index (RCI) data.

According to October’s survey of 172 executive recruiters, 56 percent are “confident” or “very confident” the executive employment market will improve during the next six months — which is essentially unchanged from last month. Those who are not confident that executive employment market conditions will improve during this period of time dropped from 8 percent in September to 6 percent in October, which marks the lowest “not confident” reading since May 2008.

“Recent hiring activity indicates the recovery will be based on business re-investment and global economic growth,” says Mark Anderson, president and chief economist of ExecuNet. “While we expect the executive employment market to rebound at a slower rate when compared to the recovery that occurred after the last recession in 2001, fewer companies are planning to trim leadership staffs in 2010 and many are using the opportunity to get executive talent on board that will help them come out of this downturn profitably.”

Recruiters’ short-term confidence remained stable, as 24 percent of responding recruiters are confident or very confident the executive employment market will improve during the next three months — down slightly from a 12-month high of 27 percent in September.

The industries recruiters expect will generate the greatest growth in executive-level job opportunities through the end of 2009 include:

1. Healthcare

2. Clean/Green Technology

3. Energy/Utilities

4. Pharmaceuticals/Medical Devices/ Biotech

5. Environmental Products/Services

————

Marty Weitzman
Gilbert Resumes
800 967 3846

Last week a reporter interviewed me for an article he’s writing on how employer-supplied “smart phones” affect employees’ work-life balance. My first reaction was that work-life balance is a concept I haven’t heard much about lately. During the recession workers have been more focused on hanging onto their jobs at all costs – even cutting back to part time and reducing their salaries. But work-life balance? I haven’t seen people come out from under their desks and ask for that. Sure, there’s grumbling about long hours, work-related stress, and just-wait-until-this-recession-is-over-when-I’ll-look-for-another-job – but “balance” appears to be a dream right now for the distant future.
That being said, the issue of how smart phones affect work-life balance is an interesting one. When you accept or are assigned a PDA or Blackberry from your boss, how much of your life are you surrendering to your career? I can appreciate that fast-trackers like the idea of being on-call 24/7. An excellent example of how that works can be found in the movie, “The Devil Wears Prada,” where a career ladder-climbing fashion assistant always puts her personal life after the demands of her boss. But what about real life? What happens when you live your life on-call?
What does “on-call” can mean to you? If you categorize yourself as a 24/7 smart phone carrier, work issues will interrupt your movie, vacation, or son’s soccer game. Is this annoying, or do you just accept it as the way it is?
What does your business smart phone mean to those around you? What does your husband say when you leave the table at the restaurant during your anniversary dinner? Or how about your kids – do they “get it” that your work comes before them? Really?
The human mind is complicated. When it’s filled with only one thing (e.g., work), your creativity around that one thing will become stifled. Your brain needs to breathe! Only when you take a break and forget about work for awhile will you become more productive at your work. Really!
So when you interview for your next position, be sure to ask what is expected of you in the after-hours. Will you be assigned a smart phone? Then decide if this is the way you want to live your life before accepting a job offer. Meg Montford, Career Coach