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Do You Want to be Found on LinkedIn?

October 16, 2018 By Marta Goertzen

Put your contact information to work for you in LinkedIn.

Dear Interview Doctor,

My friend and I are having a debate. Do I include my contact information visibly in my LinkedIn profile or only have it listed in the contact section visible to my first level connections? Which is better?

Foggy about Visibility in Cleveland

Dear Foggy,

It depends. Do you want to be found or not?

If you are in a job search or even just want to grow your career, what is the downside to giving recruiters and networkers a way to contact you? Make it easy and people will reach out with opportunities. Make it hard and they will move on to the next person. Your choice.

You are not obligated to share your contact information. Some people are very concerned about their privacy. The default is that your email address and phone number are visible in the Contact section, visible to your first level connections.

There are several places you can put your contact information so it can be visible.

In the body of your LinkedIn Profile Summary. I like to say something like, “Connect with me at Katherine@Interviewdoc.com to continue the conversation.”
In the top of the LinkedIn Profile Summary. Some folks recommend putting it at the top of your summary so your email address can be visible in the first 3 lines of the summary on the mobile app. The first line of the summary could sound like this, “I am passionate about improving the job search process so you can make a better career match. Let’s talk about your career needs at Katherine@Interviewdoc.com.”

Be sure to include your personal website (if you have one), your consulting website, your personal portfolio or other social media sites in your Contact section found in the top section of your LinkedIn profile. Access the edit function by clicking on the little blue pencil in the upper right hand corner of that top section next to your picture.

How do you prefer to share your contact information? Do you share? I would love to hear your opinions on this interesting topic. In the meantime, check out The Interview Doctor’s LinkedIn Tip Sheet for more ideas about how to use LinkedIn to advance your career.

Are You a LinkedIn Believer for your Job Search?

October 2, 2018 By Marta Goertzen

Have you tried using LinkedIn for your Job Search?

Brian doubted me but he tried it anyway. He is setting up a consulting practice while searching for a job. I suggested that the same techniques to market a consulting practice on social media can be applied to job search. In his case, he could get a double whammy with some strategic social media marketing.

Basic marketing techniques for consulting practices often include creating or sharing content on social media that supports your business philosophy so readers can understand your application to their needs. The content must be interesting and it must be placed directly in the path of the ideal client. These techniques also apply to job search.

Brian took me up on it!

He wrote a great blog article describing his sales process, a method of sales effectiveness or process improvement reflected in his website and consulting materials. This is the technique Brian has used with proven results.

The response was swift and positive. He received several messages from potential clients. A CEO called to activate a seemingly dormant job opportunity. The post received 2300+ views in two weeks! Isn’t that wonderful?

Brian is still shaking his head. Of course there is no guarantee that the first effort will bring in paying clients. Marketing is just marketing until someone makes a purchase. This is just the start, laying the groundwork for future relationship building. Brian is a true believer now in the power of LinkedIn to get his message out.

You can use this same technique to put your career or job search message out in front of the ideal company. What do you stand for? What techniques do you have that have proven successful in the past that someone might find useful to solve a business problem in another organization?

Check out The Interview Doctor’s Career Advancement Tip Sheet for more ideas on how to reach your target audience!

Start with the End in Mind

September 18, 2018 By Marta Goertzen

What do You Want to BE when you Grow Up?

Kids get asked that all the time. I remember getting asked that question in 8^th grade (a million years ago!). My parents and most of my family members were teachers. I knew I didn’t want to do that. But what else was there beyond the familiar family business? I had no clue.

It took me years to figure out how to apply my problem solving, communication and arguing skills in a way that made sense. Even then I backed into my career. I turned my love of history and my writing / arguing skills into a career in labor relations then human resources. If I knew then what I know now I would pick something else. I would love to be in Supply Chain, Process Improvement or Industrial Engineering because those fields really fit my skill set.

These days I meet plenty of adults who still cannot answer that question to their own satisfaction. Folks who stumbled into a career early on then discover it is not what they really wanted. My son and daughter couldn’t figure it out either.

My son Dan bounced around from random service jobs until he decided he wanted to be a blood technologist. Ever heard of such a job? I never did either, but he is happy as can be in his new career identifying buggers in blood and bodily fluids.

My daughter Marissa started out with leadership roles in campaign politics. Campaign politics requires lots of geographic movement as the operative moves from campaign to campaign. She really enjoyed it until she wanted to settle down. Then she went back to school for her MBA and settled into a new career in healthcare supply chain consulting. Still roaming but more focused this time around with a longer future ramp.

At the core to both career choices is to understand what you are good at. Simple as that.

Both Dan and Marissa did a lot of introspection to understand their strengths, what they are good at, and what they are most interested in. No sense finding a career in a field that does not leverage one’s strengths. Dan loves detail and really doesn’t like interacting with lots of people. A career in a hospital lab away from people really hits his strengths and interests. Marissa loves to solve problems. People naturally follow her so a career convincing people to see the problem her way really appeals to her. Put either of them in a different environment and they would not be as comfortable or happy.

When you build your career around your skills and interests, everything else falls into place. It is much easier to create the job search materials, easier to explain your career choice and more fun to go to work every day.

Start with the end in mind by understanding what you are good at, what you like, and what kind of environment in which you want to work. Take the long view then go after what you want!

Interested in finding a career you can live with for the long term? Check out “5 Tips to Kick Off a Successful Job Search or Career Transition” to explore what you want to be when you grow up.

7 Tips for a Successful Networking Experience

September 11, 2018 By Marta Goertzen

Solving the career or job search networking puzzle can be daunting, but not with these 7 networking tips.

Last night I attended a network event for our local Financial Executive Networking Group chapter. I was tired but I went anyway. Networking events can be intimidating, especially for shy people, but meeting new people and expanding our networking is critical part of job search, career growth and building or maintaining a consulting practice.

Face it, we all need to talk to people we don’t know yet, regardless of how tired we are or how shy.

Here are a few tips to make your next networking experience positive and productive:

Have a plan. What do you want to accomplish by attending that meeting? David wanted to meet folks who could introduce him to private equity. My goal was to pass out cards to grow my LinkedIn connections and to spread the word about my consulting practice. Without goals, why are you there?
Prepare a few things to talk about. Lamar Ratcliffe, a transition coach and networking expert, suggests having a go-to question you can ask. As the MC of the group that night, Lamar helped by giving us a networking challenge to ask everyone you meet what you like to do in your spare time. Just asking that go-to question sparked plenty of conversation. What other questions could you ask? Being prepared makes you feel confident. Having a go-to question takes the burden off of you to do all the talking.
Set a goal. It is hard for many people to walk up to a stranger and start a conversation. I used to force myself to talk to three people I didn’t know before I sat in the corner with my friends. Sticking with this goal helped me meet strangers. I have grown more comfortable with practice. So will you.
Be gracious and kind. Remember Go up to the person in the room who looks most uncomfortable. That person is probably more uncomfortable with networking than you are. He or she will appreciate your conversation the most! No one likes to be picked last for dodge-ball like in grade school so you will be doing that person a favor. Focusing on making the other person comfortable takes the attention and burden away from you and might make the other person open up more.
Having a job to do makes it easier to network. Volunteering gives you something to do with your hands and gives you purpose, an excuse to talk to people. Every group needs volunteers so they will be thrilled to give you a job to do at the next networking event.
Don’t drink too much. When I go to a networking event I limit myself to 1 drink every hour. I might have a beer or glass of wine then water or ice tea. This way I keep my wits about me so I present the sharpest version of myself.
Thank the host. Make yourself memorable by thanking the host for his or her effort. It just takes a minute but might lead to additional conversation or opportunities.

What can you add to your networking tool kit to make the networking experience more productive for your job search or career growth? Check out The Interview Doctor’s “7 Tips for Success for the Shy Person” for more ideas on how to grow your career.

Express Your Personal Brand in Photos

August 28, 2018 By Marta Goertzen

Do you use Photos to Express your Personal Brand?

Mark got a job!!! A wonderful job that was exactly what he wanted. He said the background photo he chose for his LinkedIn profile made the difference in separating him from all the other candidates. Mark added a background photo of his son playing baseball. The hiring manager also has a son playing Little League baseball. That photo became a great conversation starter!

What does your LinkedIn profile say about you? Does your LinkedIn profile offer anything interesting for someone to latch on to as you network for a new opportunity? If you do not have a good answer to either of these questions, perhaps you are missing an opportunity.

LinkedIn offers us a perfect opportunity to create a personal brand describing “you” as a person, “you” as a professional and “you” as a future asset to some organization. What will you do about this opportunity?

My profile background photo describes the books I have written using the colors that make up my brand along with my logo. My personal background photo is the same as my company background photo and is consistent with my website, www.InterviewDoc.com. Maybe it is easier when you have your own business but everyone can do this.

I have some great examples:

A federal employee responsible for building government buildings used pictures of the artwork at her favorite construction project.
A marketing person has a gorgeous picture of her ancestral home in Korea.
A client starting his own technical consulting business has his logo and colors on a background of stars.

What image represents the brand you are putting out there? Be like Mark and create a solid, consistent, interesting personal brand that attracts people TO your profile! This wonderful article can walk you through it – How to Create a Custom LinkedIn Background.

If you struggle with the answer to the always asked Job Interview question, “Tell Me About Yourself”, then you should download our free guide, the Tell Me About yourself Worksheet to answering that question. It is based on these 5 words to describe yourself so start with this guide to having an answer that flows off your tongue every time!

Stop fumbling with your words and get clear and confident on your answer with the “Tell Me About Yourself” worksheet.