5 Tips on Turning Your Online Network Into Your Real Life Network

Posted on December 9, 2011 by meghan_ntroduction

It seems you can’t go anywhere online without reading about the importance of your online network. And while that is important, especially when trying to establish a network to build a career, change careers or even to find a job, it’s just as important to maintain your real life network.

A lot can be said for a strong and extensive online network. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and many other sites throughout the web give us incredible opportunities to connect and network with people across the globe. But many of these sites offer you the chance to connect with people local to you as well.

Take some time to explore ways to connect your online network to your real life network and you could open up a whole new set of opportunities.

Twitter Lists: A few months back Twitter introduced a great new feature that allows you to create a list of Twitter users based on whatever category you’d like. A great way to localize your twitter stream is to use the Twitter search function to search your town or surrounding area. Add the people you find to a list you create and start interacting and Networking with people in your area.
Attend a Tweetup: Tweetups are meetups put together so that people who interact online via twitter can meet in person. These are usually great ways to network and to bring your online network offline and into your real life. Once you’ve started following folks in your area start asking around to see is anyone is putting something together.
Organize a Tweetup: If no one in your area is taking the initiative to schedule a local tweetup, do it yourself! If you have connected with people locally g for it and start planting the seed. Here are some great tips for organizing a great Tweetup.
Facebook Fan Pages: Many cities are creating fan pages for the city itself or institutions within the city. The local library, community center, Parks & recreation District and chamber of commerce in your area all may have active fan pages. Become a fan so that you not only connect with other locals who are fans but to stay abreast of any networking events or job fairs in your hometown. This is truly becoming a great way to stay connected locally and build a network of people nearby.
The Local Paper: You don’t have to have the paperboy deliver the hard copy to your door anymore to take advantage of all that a local paper has to offer. If you have a local paper, chances are they are online and you can subscribe via email, usually for free. Many groups and local clubs still religiously list their events with the local paper. This is another great way to network locally.

Hopefully these tips will just be the tip of the iceberg for you when it comes to making your online network grow and become a part of your local network. You never know what new job and career opportunities may await at your next local Tweetup.

One more reminder: When you do attend local events to meet up with online friends always remember your business card! Have a number, email, website address and of course your Twitter handle on a card ready to hand out at all times.

Good luck!

Social Networking and What it Can do For You

Posted on November 21, 2011 by meghan_ntroduction

There are dozens of social networks out there and all of them have something to offer you. Though each and every one of these social networking can vary to some extreme degrees there is one thing they all have in common. They are all there to help you build a network. Networks not only help rebuild old friendships but nurture new ones. And that goes for connections related to your line of work as well.

One of the greatest parts of having a large social network is how strong and how much it can help you when you least expect it. One of the most important things to remember about building a social network is that it doesn’t grow over night. So it’s important to work at it everyday. You never know when someone in your network is going to come across a job or an opportunity tailor made just for you. And you never know when you may suddenly find yourself out of work and needing to tap into your network to find another job.

Here are four social network sites that you should be actively building a network on.

LinkedIn – This has become one of the go-to sites for professional networking. If you want to stay in synch with folks in your industry or the industry you’d like to break into. With the opportunity to get recommendations from colleagues you find that the stronger your network is the more of an edge you’ll have when performing a job search on LinkedIn. The Q&A section and groups give you other opportunities to network with other people in your field of interest as well.
Facebook – No surprise here. Facebook gives you a much more conversational and casual atmosphere than LinkedIn. It also gives you a broader opportunity to connect with both online friends as well as real life friends. I’ve seen people do everything from sell furniture, get animals to finding work by posting things on Facebook. As people get to know each other on Facebook they create more and more opportunities to open doors for one another when new opportunity arises.
Twitter – Many people consider themselves either Facebook people or Twitter people. But in reality they compliment each other quite well. Twitter is probably the best place to meet new people. And with the ever growing search functions and hash tag system you are really able to comb the world for news and opportunities relating to just about anything. The conversations move fast but the networks built can be tight and help you just when you need them the most.
Ning – Ning networks are do-it-yourself social networks that anyone can create for any topic they have an interest in. GovLoop & Twittermoms are two of the most heavily populated sites that have connected people in thousands of ways. From GovLoop has sprouted job opportunities, conferences, connections, and a much smaller world for Government employees across the country. Sites like “jobs in Social Media” among hundred of others provide numerous opportunities to connect with anyone in any industry.

Tips on Updating Your Resume: A Handy Checklist

Posted on March 11, 2011 by meghan_ntroduction

With the New Year right around the corner, there couldn’t be a better time to go over your resume and get a jump on your 2010 job search. One of the most vital tools to any job search, whether it is online or in person, is your resume. So take a little time over the holidays to revamp your resume and make sure it’s up to date.

Here’s an easy checklist to make sure your resume is got everything you need to get the job you’re looking for.

Make Sure it’s updated. Delete any job that doesn’t have any bearing on the job you’re looking to land. Make sure you ad anything that may be missing. And don’t overlook time spent volunteering or anything else that could help boost your skills.
E.E.S. These three things should be on every resume, no matter what fields you’re looking for work in. Experience, Education, and Skills. The key pieces of information any potential employer is looking for is going to be in these three sections. If they’re missing, you just might miss out on the job.
Grammar. Always run a spell-check and take your time with easily overlooked grammatical and spelling errors. Sometimes a simple grammatical mistake can cost you.
Ask for help. A second pair of eyes is priceless! Ask a friend to take a look and proofread your resume and see of they catch anything you may have missed.
Correct the dates. Take the time to double check the beginning and end dates of your jobs to give any potential employers a correct timeline and idea of your experience.
One page wonder. One of the classic pieces of resume etiquette that still remains to be the norm is keeping your resume at one page. Though this isn’t always possible, always try to keep your resume to one page if you can.
Contact info. It may seem like a no brainer, double check that your name and contact info are correct. If you apply for a job and they can’t get a hold of you to tell you it’s yours, then what?
One thing that becoming more common in resume today’s is listing the results of jobs or projects you’ve worked on. Future employers don’t just want to see what’s you’ve done in the past, but what results you’ve had with those jobs.

Now that you’re resume is in top shape it’s time to start 2010 with the new job you’ve been searching for! Good luck in your New Years job search.

10 Tools to Help You Find a Job

Posted on September 7, 2010 by meghan_ntroduction

The summer is great time to start looking for work. As summer schedules end and college kids go back to school many businesses start looking for full-time employees to fill the coming fall and holiday busy seasons.

So dust off the resume and get your networking shoes on!

There are many tools available for today’s job seeker and here is a list breaking down the top ten tools out there for you to make the most of while on your job search.

Job Search Websites
Though you can run into spam on many of these sites, it’s always helpful to search them regularly and post your resume. Many times temporary agencies and headhunters will use the services to reach out to you as well. But since you never know where the next great job opportunity is going to come from, this should be considered a plus.
Job Fairs
Though they may seem old fashioned to some job seekers in the new world, no one can ever take away the importance of old fashioned networking face to face.
Craigslist
Craigslist may have taken a few hits over the years, the fact remain that is it still one of the bets places to look for work in your area.
Resume
There is no tool as important as an updated resume. Always have one handy and available online for potential employers to see.
Your Address Book
Sometimes tapping into your own network of old friends, family and colleagues can be the most profitable tool you have already in pocket.
Facebook/LinkedIn/Twitter
This takes the address book a step further. If you’ve been online for a while you’ve probably built up a decent sized network. Post that you you’re looking for work and see what happens.
Salary Research
There are a number of websites out there can help you determine what the going salary is for your particular field. Arm yourself with the knowledge of comparable salary before you begin salary negations.
Job Trends
Thank to the Internet it’s easy to research and see what the job trends are in your field or any field you’re considering moving into. Get a head start by knowing what’s going on out there in your field.
Your Blog and Résumé Online
You can make life much easier by starting a blog (on any one of the free platforms out there) that talks about your skills, experience and has a page with your résumé. You can print the web address on your business card and send the link via email when replying to job ads. It’s having your résumé at your fingertips.

Top Companies That Are Hiring

Posted on August 27, 2010 by meghan_ntroduction

hiring-241x300 Though looking for work can be about as easy as searching for a needle in a haystack. Only there are hundreds of people crowding around looking for the same needle in the same haystack. Even if you’re armed with the right tools, experience and resume to get you the job, none of those things will help you find the right job.

But that’s not to say that there aren’t companies out there with jobs up for the taking. In fact Forbes Business released a report recently of the Top 10 mid-sized companies that are hiring the most right now.

Take a look at the list and see of any of these companies have listings near you.

Comdata – 120 openings
Super Micro Computer – 103 Openings
MicroStrategy – 100 openings
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals – 95 openings
CME Group – 87 openings
EchoStar – 81 openings
Molina Healthcare – 76 openings
Netflix – 76 openings
Facebook – 75 openings
Perficient – 65 openings

Good luck in your search!