« May 2007 | Main | October 2007 »
June 13, 2007
Help Employers See the Real You Through Blogging
"We were forced to expand out of our comfort zone,"
writes John Lewis, one of the charter members of
eSight's eLearning Center and a "graduate" of eSight's
"Online Networking as a Job Search Tool" course.
"I like being challenged as a writer," he continues.
"And, the eLearning course certainly prompted me to be
more introspective and creative in communicating those
thoughts. Since an online voice is delivered via the
written word, I feel more confident and much better
prepared to participate in blogs or related venues."
John has begun to reach out. He's joined the
discussion on the One Louder blog facilitated by Heather Hamilton, a Microsoft employee. He teamed up with his classmate, Shanti, to discuss what is working best for them on a couple of blogs about marketing themselves online as job seekers
He is in the midst of a career transition and is
working on an online portfolio, which will soon be
featured in Job Seeker's Network, an eSight venue.
Blogging evangelist Andy Wibbels says writing on a
personal blog from a sense of hope or dissatisfaction
gets you fully engaged as a warm, authentic personality
-- a smart way to market yourself as a job candidate,
and I can think of no better examples of that kind
blogging than that shown by John, Shanti, Alicia and
others who have completed the eSight course.
Andy, who has his own blog and is author of "Blogwild! A Guide for Small Business Blogging," was the guest
expert on a Reach Branding Club teleseminar June 6.
"Blogs," Andy writes, "allow you to stop hiding behind
a stilted/stifled brand and allow you to show up fully
engaged with a warmer, more authentic personality."
To me, helping decision makers get to know the real
you is the key to effectively marketing yourself as a
job seeker or entrepreneur.
See my recap of the teleseminar with Andy.
Writing that recap lead me to this week's discussion question
on this forum.
How has being active online helped you achieve
a personal or career goal?
Posted by Jim Hasse at 09:47 AM | Comments (2)
June 05, 2007
How Networking Can Work for You
Jennifer Machucki originally enrolled in the spring
course of eSight’s “Online Networking as a Job Search
Tool” but is now concentrating her efforts, instead,
on adjusting to a new job.
Here's what she wrote on May 29, 2007:
"I am an LMSW who has been looking for a job for over
two years. During that time, I checked several job
search web sites at least twice a week and sent my
resume to anyone who asked for it.
"I also volunteered at two local agencies and
served on several committees in the hopes that
someone would recognize my skills.
"Finally, a few months ago, the executive director of
a local agency came to a meeting I was attending and
said he was looking to hire more people with
disabilities. After his presentation, I found an
opportunity to talk to him about what I had to offer
his agency. Several people I know from my committee
work are employed by the agency and encouraged him to hire me. I will be working 20 to 24 hours a week to coordinate and promote a new transportation service. Persistence pays off.
"Good luck to all. Take care. Jen"
Jen, in a follow-up note, told me on May 30, 2007:
"Since I accepted the job last week, two more agencies
have expressed an interest in interviewing or hiring
me." I was not surprised. Her networking was bound to
eventually generate some job leads.
Jen, who is visually impaired, used a coordinated
networking effort to carry out her job search. Here
are four features in her approach which I believe are
noteworthy:
Persistence - Jen established a routine for
methodically doing what she believed was the most
effective way to reach out to those who had job
openings in her field of interest.
Position - Jen had placed herself in the right
position for her job search by volunteering at two
local agencies and serving on several committees –
all in her field of interest.
Presentation - Jen was prepared, on the spur of
the moment, to quickly tell the executive director of
the local agency what she had to offer as an
employee.
Reference - Jen had made key contacts
through her committee work. Those casual contacts
probably helped to reinforce the offering statement
she had casually delivered to the executive director,
who probably asked them what they knew about her and how she could help the local agency.
That’s how effective networking can help you gain a
foothold in today’s job market. Maybe you’ve had
similar experiences. If so, please share them with us.
When has networking – inside or outside the
workplace – helped you take another step toward
realizing your full potential?
Posted by Jim Hasse at 01:29 PM | Comments (5)