Linkedin Profiles for Job Searchers

I know, I know, all this social media is really tedious for the over 40′s.  The rest of you probably don’t need to read this, and why should you?  What can a (nearly) fifty year old tell you about using the interweb?

Not me.
You can buy this T-shirt at http://www.zazzle.co.uk/linkedin+gifts (Now hopefully they won’t hound me for using their image).

Probably nothing.  But I have been gathering my thoughts about Linkedin.  These are not the thoughts of a gunslinging socmedguru, although I do still wear T-shirts with provocative slogans from time to time.  Instead, they are the thoughts of a person who likes to think he knows a bit about the job search process and who has been fiddling around with a Linkedin presence for a few years also.

Furthermore, to prove I am fully au fait with the internet age, the contents of this article is the result of internet research.  In other words, I did a quick Google search, found a few lousy articles (probably much like this) lifted a couple of ideas, mixed in my own et voila, and original piece.  Just for you.  Call it “a literature review” if you like,  that’s the way they describe plagiarism these days.  You’ll notice that, like so many other blog articles these days, it is in the form of a boring list of “dos and don’ts”.  Apparently that’s the most effective way to communicate nowadays.  Lists of stuff.

Anyway, where was I?  Oh yes, How to create a great Linkedin in profile.  There’s loads to talk about so this cannot go into everything.  Just a few things that I think make a big difference.

1. Get a professional profile picture.  In almost every other respect your Linkedin page is like your CV.  However, one of the big differences is that this is a searchable public document.  You want strangers to look for it and to be interested in you.  A good quality photo helps.  A lousy picture is a bad thing.  No picture makes you look like you can’t be bothered.  No holiday snaps.  No pets, family, or full body images of you taking up 10% of the frame because you want us to see the beautiful landscape, no busy backgrounds.  Just a good head and shoulders shot against a plain background.  Look like you’re at work.
2. Your Professional headline.  Describe yourself as a professional:  Marketing Director, Senior Finance Professional, Property Lawyer.  be truthful, but use the language that people searching for someone like you might use.  There’s no point in giving yourself an obscure title because the chances are you won’t be spotted.  Some people also like to add a few words like “Seeking new opportunity” to indicate they are available for work.  Don’t be shy about doing this.  People looking for you won’t think any the worse if you are not currently working.  They know there are plenty of talented people out there looking for work.  Make it easier for them to spot you.  You have a big advantage in being available to work.
3. Summary.  Unlike your CV where you should limit the amount of space assigned to this, on your Linkedin profile you can go into a little bit more detail because nobody is counting pages.  That said, it is not an invitation to ramble. Your objective is to communicate, succinctly, what it is you might bring to any organisation.  Since you don’t know who is looking at it or what they are looking for, you need to keep it reasonably general, but not so general that it reads like it could be by or about anyone.  Don’t fall into the trap of using universal platitudes – stick to meaningful facts.  Tell the reader a little about your background, your level, where you have worked, etc, and tell them some stuff that will make you stand out from the crowd.  Particular relevant experience, languages, overseas experience, significant projects, that sort of thing.
4. Experience.  Describe  achievements, not responsibilities.
5. Be proactive on Linkedin.  Most people set up a profile and then ignore it.  The way to be noticed, to come up on when people search, and to prove yourself and knowledgeable is to participate.  The way to do this is by joining Groups (up to 50) related to your area.  Recruiters are also in these groups and they will see you there.  Don’t make a nuisance of yourself by spending your whole time in those discussions, but do drop by regularly and offer a comment if you have something useful to add.
6. Be visible, not anonymous.  When you visit someone’s profile you want them to know you visited, unless you’re a spy or possibly journalist.  Go to Edit Profile, scroll down to the bottom of the page where you will find a heading entitled Connections and the option to Customise Visibility.  Click on this and make sure your connections can see your other connections – that’s what networking is about. Then behind the dialogue box you’ll see a list under Privacy Controls.  Choose Select what others see when you’ve viewed their profile and make sure the first option, Your name and headline is active.

I know this article may give the impression that I find the whole business of Linked in tedious and wearisome.  that’s not entirely true.  I just find all the blabber about it tedious and wearisome.  I also get fed up with the way it is badly used by job seekers.  Linkedin is not networking.  It is a tool to aid networking.  Having a Linkedin profile doesn’t bring waves of job offers to your inbox, it just makes it easier for you to do your job, which it to find people to connect with who may be able to help you.  The above tips just highlight some of the many ways I have noticed that people fail to make best use of their Linkedin presence.

How many CV advisors?

It’s the question everyone is asking.  How many people should I ask to comment on my CV?

Well, it’s a tricky one to answer.  it depends to a large degree on just how long you want to avoid applying for jobs.

If you want to put off sending your CV out for say, 6 months, I would suggest you ask 20 people to look at your CV and offer their wisdom.

Let’s look at the numbers to see how I came to this figure.  My calculation is based on the following assumptions:

It takes 3 days to send out the CV to someone and another 4 days to rewrite it according to the advice you received.

Because this is important I assume you will be working on it over the weekend if necessary.

With public holidays and other urgent matters such as collecting the dry cleaning and fixing the latch on your shed door that has been broken for the past two years, I’m building in six weeks where no progress will be made.

So there you have it!  Six months = 20 advisors.  You can extrapolate using this model to find out the number of CV advisors you would need for any period of inaction.

At this point I have to give you the news you don’t want to hear.

The news is that it doesn’t matter how many people you show your CV to, you will still never end up with a perfect CV.  In fact the more people you show it to, the less perfect it is going to become.

The reason you will never have a perfect CV is because there is no such thing as a perfect CV.  The reason you CV will become less and less perfect every time you ask someone to look at it is because the best CV is the one you write; the one that reflects who you are, not the one that is based on the unqualified opinion of someone else.  All they will tell you is what they like a CV to look like.

So here’s another suggestion for putting off the day when you send out your CV:  write your CV, then save it.  Watch TV, sleep, go to the dry cleaners and do as much DIY as you like, and then when you figure out that you are not being invited for interviews, return to that old CV and start applying for jobs.

OK, so if you want to know some basic rules about CV design, but don’t want a hundred people to tell you how to write your CV, download my free workbook from http://www.workjoy.co.uk/free-cv-design-workbook/

How not to answer the “Weakness” question

Here are five ways not to answer the question:  ”Tell me about your main weakness”.

I don’t have a weakness
Everyone has a weakness.  In fact everyone has several weaknesses.  If you don’t know your weakness then you lack self-awareness and self-awareness is what this question is trying to uncover.  Of course you could say your weakness is lack of self-awareness, but I wouldn’t.

I don’t suffer fools gladly
Then you’d better become an artist who doesn’t sell their work.  Fools surround us all and we have to suffer them.  This is possibly the smuggest and most transparent answer you can give.  All it is trying to say is “I’m clever and I don’t have time for people who aren’t clever like me (and you, the interviewer)”.  It doesn’t wash.  It’s such a cliché that it actually makes you look like a fool.

I’m not very good at managing my diary 
Big deal.  You’ve probably got someone to manage your diary for you.  You may as well tell them you don’t make good coffee.  However senior you are, find a weakness that is relevant to your level of seniority, not several ranks below.

How long have you got?
OK, so honesty is generally a good principle at work, but that doesn’t mean you need to demonstrate it by telling the interviewer that you are not afraid to admit you have loads of weaknesses.  When you go into the room be ready with two weaknesses and offer the first.  If they ask for another then offer that one.  Don’t encourage the interviewer to turn the question into a confessional.

Not explaining how you manage your weakness
Admitting to a weakness is only the start point of the answer.  The remainder is explaining how you manage that weakness.  Remember this when you tell the interviewer that you don’t suffer fools gladly.

If you want to learn how to answer this question well, and garner plenty of other useful interview skills, join me on March 21st in London for my Interview Preparation workshop.  Click here for further details and registration

Homeworking: The Backlash

I read yesterday that Yahoo is ending the practice of working from home, claiming that organisations are more creative and dynamic when their employees interact closely with each other.  You’d think this would fly in the face of modern trends, and that it was an especially surprising position for a tech company to take given that improved technology is facilitating effective remote working.

Does your office chair look like this?

Without dismissing the flexibility that home-working affords to parents and others who need greater control over their time, and noting that I have chosen, as a self-employed person, to opt-out of the office environment, I can’t help but agree with Yahoo’s position.

I’m not suggesting that working from home should be ended.  There are times when it’s right to remove yourself from the distractions of the office, especially if you are in an open-plan environment.  Report writing is not easy under such conditions, for example.  Similarly, it’s not unreasonable for a person to want to opt, every now and again, to work from home, flexing their working hours, in order to take care of domestic needs.

Yahoo is a special case.  They have allowed home-working to reach a point where there is no cultural cohesion and as a result, productivity has declined.  While CEO Marissa Mayer is calling for an outright ban on home-working the reality is that informal arrangements, where appropriate, will surely continue and that’s the way it should be.  Working from home should be the exception rather than the rule because organisations are nothing if they are not the collection of people that come together every day, working together, to achieve common goals. They may be rife with internal politics, petty jealousies and rivalry, but they also give an individual his or her best opportunity in life to contribute to something much greater than they could achieve alone, and to feel part of something valuable.  But only if they are there, with their colleagues, making that difference as a team member.

Should we be surprised at this volte-face?  Well I suppose if you ever thought that the motivation to allow remote working was to attract or retain talent then perhaps you might.  This seems to be at the heart of the criticism of Mayer’s move.  The truth is that initiatives like hot-desking and home-working were economic decisions.  Smaller buildings, less furniture, lower costs.  I think what Mayer knows is that what you save on things you lose many times over in productivity  - not skiving, but simply through lower commitment and engagement in the business.

…or this?

Talented staff will hardly be put off joining an organisation because they have to go to work – talented people like going to work, it’s where they are at their best.

Mayer’s demand for an outright end to working from home is extreme, partly because she wants to send a strong message to a company that needs a big kick.  I expect other companies will follow suit to some degree, at least questioning their reasons for encouraging the practice, and we’ll return to a situation where work is where people work, and home is where they play. Just because the technology is available doesn’t mean it’s best to use it.

From a personal viewpoint, while I’m happy working for myself, I know that the one thing I miss about being an employee is the community of colleagues.  There is no substitute for being with people.

Upcoming Career Improvement Workshops

Winning Interim and Consulting Assignments – March 20th, London.  Click here for details.

Interview Preparation – March 21st, London.  Click here for details.

The psychological impact of unplanned retirement

I was speaking recently with a recruitment consultant about a senior director of mutual acquaintance.  He told me that the person had not had a job for

Me going to work in 50 years time.  That’s my wife making sure I get there.

several months, and was not securing interim or consulting assignments either.  He is in his early 60′s. The story struck me as being indicative of an increasingly common phenomenon – people no longer reach retirement age, they simply realise one day that they are not going to work again.

What a shocking feeling that must be.

There seems to be two factors that contribute to this:

1. The parlous pensions situation which, when combined with longer life expectancy, means that many people cannot envisage stopping work with an acceptable means of supporting themselves, at a planned time.
2. The changed regulations regarding age discrimination that has removed the notion of an expected retirement age in employment.

So people no longer expect to work until 60 or 65 at which point the finally get to be the guest of honour a little drinks party in the boardroom, where a few nice words are said about them, they are presented with a gold (plate) watch and a pat on the back before the door is eagerly openend for them and they disappear into the sunset of their lives.  Instead people keep working until they are made redundant or decide to scale down from full-time employment, and just never get another job again.

Once a person reaches around 55 they are effectively on borrowed time.  Every job or assignment is a bonus.  Every job or assignment could be their last, and the longer the gap between jobs or assignments the more likely it is that their working life is ended, they just don’t know it.  One day they wake up to the reality of their situation and stop trying to find a job.

They don’t know their career is over because they don’t have a nice company pension to take advantage of – the one they worked all their lives for, the one they knew about and that kept them going all the way through that long, arduous career.  The one that was going to pay for the food, clothing and petrol when they sold up and moved to the countryside.  That’s because there isn’t any of that any more.  The day we retire will be, for an increasing number of people, some time in the past that we weren’t aware of at the time.

It’s that moment of realisation that scares me.  I imagine it will be traumatic when it comes.

At the moment I’m fit and active.  I’m happy in my work and I can do it.  I’m worried about the time when the phone stops ringing because people think I’ve gone past capable and knowledgeable and become slow and out-of-touch.  I’m dreading that moment when I finally realise that I will never earn a penny again and what I own is all that is available for me to live on.  Not knowing how long I will live means I will have no idea how far my assets will need to stretch to sustain me.  I’m not thinking about the state pension in all this – that will pay for the milk and a couple of new pairs of underpants a year.

The personal pension plan that I have been promising myself to load up will do hardly better for me, hedonist that I am.  If only I were one of the few who derive pleasure from delayed gratification.  I’d be living like a pauper now so that I could live like a king in my dotage.  Of course, I have no reason to assume I will live long in my dotage, or even reach it, so why would I live like a pauper now if that were the case?  If I die young having scrimped for my old age I would celestially kick myself.

The discussions surrounding the pensions time-bomb, longevity, end-of-life management seem to me to always be an economic conversation.  I think it’s time people started talking more about the psychological impact of the unplanned career end that is going to affect so many of us over the coming years.

__________________________________________________________________________

Upcoming Career Workshops

If you are currently looking to change career or secure a new job, and are struggling, my low-cost workshops will help.

On February 6th I’ll be running Networking for Jobsearch CLICK HERE for details

and on February 7th it’s Interview Preparation  CLICK HERE for details.

What an HMV Employee Might do Next

I’m not going to jump to the defence of the retail sector here, nor am I going to criticise HMV.  You can argue that the staff lacked knowledge and the stores lacked range, but I think as much a cause as anything of the music retailer’s demise is that too few people appreciate the experience of browsing in a shop and go online for their music and video purchases instead.  It’s not like shopping for vegetables where you want to handle the goods to check the ripeness, freshness and quality.  When you buy a CD you know what you are getting and if you don’t you are buying on faith because you don’t get a chance to test the goods before you buy.

Frankly I’m amazed HMV shops have managed to keep going for as long as they have.

I’m sure there is plenty of life left in retail.  There will always be people for whom shopping is a pleasurable experience in itself.  Nonetheless the number of jobs for retail workers is declining and while not all of the 4,350 HMV employees facing redundancy are shop workers, a good proportion of them are, and they are not all going to find another job selling in shops, even if they all wanted to.

Which means they are going to have to think about a new career.  No doubt the vast majority of them saw themselves as working on shop floors for their entire careers.  It’s an entry level job for most people.

Like most shop-workers, therefore, I’m sure many were on the verge of leaving HMV anyway, and will naturally find their way into a job more along the lines of their longer term career goals.

At the same time many of them will not yet have worked ut what they want to do next in their career and working in HMV is a reasonably cool job for a young person in such a position (or at least it appears to be – as a student I had a summer job in a record shop and it was possibly the worst eight weeks of my life).

So if an HMV shop assistant came to me today and asked what they might do next what might I tell them?

Well actually I don’t know what I’d tell them.  The reason I don’t know is because they are all different and their job title is pretty insignificant when it comes to assessing potential.  What they might do next depends on their capabilities, work interests and values.

Their capabilities are to do with their soft skills.  there are many, and infinite combinations.

Some will be friendly and helpful,

Some will have plenty of initiative,

Some will be good team players,

Some will be well-organised,

and so on.

Their interests have to do with the sort of task they enjoy doing.

Some like doing things with colleagues,

some like interacting with strangers,

some like solving problems,

some like routine tasks,

some like working outside,

some like to use their brain more than their body

and so on.

Their values have to do with what is important.

For some family is important,

for some travel is important,

for some being of service to others is important,

for some reaching the top is important,

for some money is important,

and so on.

Understanding the components of competence, interest and values is the pre-requisite for figuring out where a career takes us.

I guess for some of those HMV shop workers, finding another job in a record shop will be the career goal.  Frankly I think this is one of the very rare cases where it will be easier to change career than to stick with the existing one.

If you are currently looking for a new career or job my workshops may help you to achieve your objective sooner. 

February 6th, 1 – 5pm  Networking for Jobsearch  Click here for details.

February 7th, 1 – 5pm  Interview Preparation  Click here for details.

Discounts available for early birds and booking both workshops!

University and Job Applications

Traditionally the beginning of the year is a time to take stock of our lives and consider new goals and objectives, but for parents like myself with a child hoping to go to university  it is a time when personal objectives are relegated as our concerns turn to those of  our children.

I rarely work with young people on a professional basis, yet the university applications process has reminded me that it is very similar, in some ways, to the process by which people manage and navigate the job search process.

While for most universities there is no interview process, nonetheless the application system will be familiar to jobseekers.  Places are offered on the basis of the application form, personal statement and predicted grades.  The application form and personal statement are the equivalent of a CV, and the same principles govern both:  factual information is given in the application form which is rather like the contact information and career history, while the personal statement is similar to the achievement statements that form the thrust of all good CVs.  I wouldn’t stretch the simile to likening the Application form to the CV and the personal statement to the cover letter because I strongly believe that the CV is the place to sell your achievements and suitability, not the cover letter, which is merely to signpost the reader to the relevant parts fo the CV.

Some universities do invite candidates for interview and again, the purpose and way to prepare is the same for prospective university students as it is for job applicants.  While most universities are happy to make an offer of a place without an interview in most circumstances, it is very rare for an employer to do so.  That is mainly because universities are not particularly concerned with whether a student will fit in, they are interested in academic ability.

Oxford and Cambridge (and probably some others as well) do interview candidates except in unusual circumstances.  There’s a good reason for this:  the college tutorial system means that students will be working is small groups for much of the time and it is deemed important that they meet certain criteria in term of personality and behaviours.  In other words, Oxford and Cambridge do look for fit. The candidates that succeed are not always the ones with very top academic performance – of course all successful candidates to those universities will be in the top percentiles in terms of academic performance,  but how they perform in the interview will often carry a person beyond another who has higher marks.  As I often say, it’s not just down to track record – performance on the day plays a part as well.

Another similarity, pertinent to today’s economic situation, illustrates another point I often make to job-seekers.  There may be more candidates than places, but that doesn’t stop instituions competing for the best.  More favourable offers (read: more generous packages) and attempts to sidestep competitors with tactics designed to encourage an offer to be accepted, are a common feature of the university offer process.  In the same way, a strong candidate for a job will attract a good package even when we are in what may be described as an “employers market”.

So, there are significant similarities between the application processes for university students and job-seekers, but there are also several differences.  The most important difference is that it is frowned upon for a new employee to roll into work for about 8 hours a week while spending the rest of the time drunk or sleeping.

If you are currently looking for a new job I have two half day (afternoon) workshops running this week in London:

Create a Great CV on Tuesday 8th  CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

and Interview Preparation on Wednesday 9th, CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS.

The cost is £54 per person (some discounts apply).