Saturday, August 21, 2010

Prepare Your Elevator Speech

Here's a worthy read that came from monster for any of you still on the job hunt...enjoy!


"I was alone in the elevator with the hiring manager for a temp-to-perm job I really needed," recalls temp Ben Whittle. "I knew I should say something -- anything -- to make the case for picking me. But I was nervous. I didn't want to sound stupid, so I opted to say nothing. I missed a great opportunity and ended up not getting the job."


How many times have you been unable to find the right words in an impromptu situation like this? Selling yourself on command can be tough, particularly when you have to do it in a short time period. This is why you should develop an elevator speech, or a sound bite that details your professional story, before you need it. Follow these pointers to craft it.


Focus on Why You Want the Job


Think about why you want this job, and write down all your reasons. Delete anything that could apply to most candidates, like "I need the money" or "I want to work in this industry." Look for personal, unique reasons why the position is right for you. If you like a company's corporate culture, be sure to mention it. If the position will enable you to achieve a professional goal, focus on that.


Consider How You Can Contribute


Again, steer clear of stock answers in favor of those that showcase your one-of-a-kind skills and attributes. Explain how you could benefit the bottom line or fill a skills gap. To tailor your responses to individual situations, be observant. For example, "I was waiting for an interview at an accounting firm when I noticed the staff was having trouble communicating with the firm's Russian-speaking clients," says contractor Marta Damien. "So during my interview, I told a story about studying Russian in college. I got the assignment."


Be Honest


You want to sound good but not too good, cautions Catherine Conant, a professional storyteller and consultant. "Don't try to make yourself bigger, braver, richer, smarter or fancier than you are. People have an incredible ability to spot a phony. Only tell stories that contain the truth about what you know about yourself."


Keep It Short and Focused


Since you'll be delivering your pitch in a compressed time frame, include only the most interesting and relevant information. Think of the amount of time you spend in an elevator -- usually no longer than a minute. "People are busy, and the last thing they want to do is listen to someone ramble on about getting a job or plum assignment," says former temp Sally Ross. "When I decided I wanted to work full-time at the law firm where I was temping, I spent some time figuring out what my bosses cared most about so I could do it quickly and effortlessly.


Practice


When you've figured out what you want to say, Conant suggests these tips to refine it:


•Say it out loud, and make some notes about what you want to improve or remove.


•Vary your tone of voice, and use natural gestures and body language. Remember, people gather much of what they know about each other from nonverbal cues.


•Rehearse so you're comfortable, but don't try to write it down and memorize it. This will make it sound forced, and if you forget something, you'll panic.


•Lastly, ask friends to critique your presentation. "That will help you discover what the listener needs to hear more of and what's too much information," Conant says. Your friends can also tell you if your gestures look natural. Proper preparation also increases your comfort level and helps calm your nerves.

This article By Margot Carmichael Lester, Monster Contributing Writer

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Top 10 LinkedIn Groups Job Seekers Must Join

Here's a useful article from the unercover recruiter site for those of you who are utilizing Linked in as a part of your job search. Hope everyone is enjoying Summer! : )


LinkedIn is arguably the best tool for finding new vacancies outside of job boards and using recruiters outright. If you have not set up a profile, get that done straight away. Have a look at 9 Ways to Maximize Your LinkedIn Profile as well.


The beauty of LinkedIn is that it allows the employer and/or recruiter to find you instead of the other way around. By keeping a high profile, you will be noticed and contacted sooner rather than later. You keep a high profile by being active, joining groups and getting involved in discussions.


Joining relevant groups on LinkedIn allows you to extend your personal brand and also reach out to more people as you can contact any group member directly. Groups are useful for news postings, discussion boards, updates in general, networking, questions and answers and so forth. So what groups should a job seeker join? Well, recruiters trawl a lot of groups but as a rule of thumb you want to go for the big and established ones. You can join up to 50 groups and it’s all free.

These are the LinkedIn groups you have to join:

1. A Job Needed – A Job Posted The title says it all, claims to be fastest growing, and the most productive group in the career and recruitment segment. About 9k members at the moment.


2. Career Change Central A group for job changers and people in career transition to meet in a central place with recruiters, hiring managers, and career coaches. Has racked up 11k members.


3. CareerLink Network Takes a more holistic approach to your career and life, helping you with spiritual and personal growth. This group has just south of 8k members.


4. Corporate Recruiters A group for corporate, on in-house if you will, recruiters. Joining this will hopefully get you in direct contact with companies. The group has 33k members.


5. Executive Suite A massive group connecting executives and recruiters mainly in the US. It has its own newsletter and now has over 168k members.


6. Job Openings, Job Leads and Job Connections Another group with a self explanatory title. Over 77k member at the moment.


7. Jobs Alert Provides career opportunities at middle and senior level of management in companies across the globe. Focussed on India, the UK and the US. Just shy of 6k members.


8. Linked:HR A group for managers, corporate recruiters, headhunters, HR folks and now you. Claims to be the biggest HR group on LinkedIn and the most active for discussions. This group has a whopping 211k members so I am inclined to believe that.


9. Personal Branding Network A group by my buddy Dan Schwabel about how to use your brand for your job search and career in general. The smallest group on this list with just under 3k members.


10. Positive Thinkers A group for optimistic people who believe in the power of positive thinking and concentrate on the good rather than the bad. Obviously very useful when looking for jobs in this day and age, the group is pushing 5k members.