Career Services professionals who help students and graduates find jobs have been challenged lately.  Finding a job has become more challenging than it has ever been in the last few decades.  In fact, in 2011, a new all-time high had been reached when the Department of Labor reported that the average duration of unemployment had peaked at slightly over 10 months!  With the economy as poor as it has been, job seekers outnumbering job openings, and the average duration of unemployment having reached an all-time high, career services professionals in the college setting who help students find jobs have had it rough.  To add to these challenges, social media has completely changed recruiting, job searching, networking, personal branding, student engagement, employer engagement, marketing, and so many other aspects of career development and career services strategies.  These changes are so rapid, many career services professionals have not been able to catch up.  It’s safe to say that the past few years have been a whirlwind for career services staff.  It has almost been the perfect storm.  Because of the significance social media has on career development, career services professionals need training to ensure they know how to leverage social media to achieve their goals.  Moreover, career services professionals need training in social media if they wish to begin training students in effective use of social media for career development.

Developing a Social Media Strategy for Career Services

As a former career services director, I prioritized training my staff in social media.  I spent lots of time training them on personal branding and understanding the strategies that determine how the tools should be used.  I found that it was fairly easy to learn new tools such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google Plus but what was hard for people to grasp was how to use these, and other tools with purpose.  What was the strategy behind the tools and what were the goals trying to be achieved?  This is what career services professionals need to learn.  This led me to develop an online course on developing a social media strategy for career services. I wrote the online course while I was a career services Director and little did I know it was the introduction to a new career with MaxKnowledge, Inc.

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Unless you are in the recruiting world, you probably haven’t heard of the purple squirrel.  So, what is it?  In the recruiting world, the purple squirrel represents the perfect candidate with all the exact experience, qualifications, skills, education, and anything else needed to fill an open job.  Because there is no such thing as a purple squirrel, it is a coined term meant to poke some humor at the unrealistic expectations companies can often have because it is nearly impossible to find a candidate who is an absolute perfect match.  So, if the purple squirrel doesn’t exist, how can you be the purple squirrel?

How to Be the Purple Squirrel

Here are five tips on how to be the purple squirrel:

1. Know that no one is perfect – Even if there were such thing as the perfect candidate, employers and recruiters are making educated guesses throughout the entire hiring process.  There is no such thing as a guarantee a person will even be a good fit let alone the perfect fit.  In recruiting, there are only educated guesses.

2.  Do your Homework – You can’t know how many people don’t do their homework on a company unless you are a recruiter or career professional.  If you want to show you are a fit for a company, you have to sound like you already work there!  Analyze what you’ve learned in your research so that you are insightful when talking about the company and you’ll impress the ba-gee-zeez (technical term) out of an employer or recruiter!

3. Focus on you – Knowing that no one is the perfect fit; the playing field is more level.  All you can do when presenting to a recruiter or employer is know yourself inside and out.  Have true insight on your own attributes and weaknesses.  In fact, do a SWOT analysis on yourself!

4. Articulate your Value – As a Career Center Director, when working with students, I always told students that the most qualified person doesn’t always get the job.  The person who sells their qualifications the best often gets the job.  Knowing yourself isn’t good enough.  You must be able to articulate the value you can offer and you must be able to clearly articulate how you can specifically be a solution to an employer or recruiter’s challenges.

5. Have Confidence – You may be well spoken but if you don’t have confidence, nothing you say will be believable.  Articulate your value but do so with conviction!

Here’s the Author of Purple Squirrel talking about How to be the Purple Squirrel

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The Wrong Way to Use LinkedIn
Yes, LinkedIn has a job board but LinkedIn isn’t a job board. So many people think LinkedIn is about finding a job. I know many people (I won’t mention names) who think LinkedIn is something that only matters when they are seeking employment. In fact, I get flooded with connection and endorsement requests from people I haven’t heard from in years or never truly knew well enough to endorse once those people lose their jobs.  This is the wrong mentality to have in general, let alone when considering how to use LinkedIn as a resource.  Would it be proper etiquette to only talk to a friend when you need something or to provide very little help to others and then ask for help yourself?  LinkedIn can be used for many purposes but ultimately it is a platform that allows professionals with similar interests to connect and even collaborate. Thus, LinkedIn should be used to connect with others and to develop relationships.

Strategic relationship development is about branding – getting yourself recognized for the right reasons within the right circle of professionals.  Relationships are developed over time and continued interaction contrary to the false sense of an established relationship one may feel simply because they clicked the “connect” button.  Don’t just connect with people when you get laid off and don’t start getting active on LinkedIn and asking for endorsements when you are laid off either.  Connecting, establishing relationships, participating in groups, adding value, offering your help, and constantly managing your brand is how you should use LinkedIn.  Of course, doing these things can lead to job opportunities, business opportunities, endorsements and other things.  However, deciding to use LinkedIn because you lost your job is the wrong way to really leverage LinkedIn as a tool and when you start mass messaging everyone you knew in your past requesting connections and endorsements, can you really blame them if they don’t respond when you have been out of the picture?

You may also want to read:

• The Age of the Perpetual Job Search
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• Why You Need a PLN
• Networking: Making Contact Vs. Making Connections

Career professionals and students alike need to re-think the resume.  The term resume derives from the English word “resumen” which means summation and from the French, “Resumer,” which means to summarize.  However, resumes should never be written to simply summarize; they should be written to persuade.  Resumes have obviously changed but the change is not only in purpose; it is in mediums as well.  Technology has changed our ability to create and distribute our personal advertisements and we are no longer bound to print just like the rest of the marketing world.  Consider how the typewriter, word processing software, the fax machine, email, and the internet have changed personal branding, job search, recruiting, and the way job seekers can advertise themselves to the world of potential employers out there in cyberspace!  It’s mind boggling and it is even more interesting to ponder what the future holds.

What is Glogster?

Glogster is a social network that allows users to create Glogs which are interactive posters that allow users to express their moods, feelings, or anything else they want to express.  Glogster has become so popular in the education world that Glogster launched Glogster EDU, a collaborative learning platform for teachers, educators, and schools.  The site has over 600,000 teachers, 7 million students, 8 million glogs, and there are 12 glogs published every minute!  The cool things about social networks is that user behavior can begin to determine how a tool will be used and the fact that Glogster has caught on in education was likely by accident vs. design.  So, I bet it surprised Glogster to see that people would use the tool to create resumes.

The Glogster Resume

The Glogster resume isn’t something you would submit to an employer when applying to a job.  The Glogster resume is simply another example of creative self advertising.  Some people are critics of new forms of personal advertising the Glogster resume represents because they say you can’t submit it to an employer, thus, it is pointless.  These critics who may also dismiss the infographic resume miss the point because they are still thinking in old fashioned ways.  A tool like a Glogster resume is simply used as another means of personal promotion and self advertisement and obviously has different marketing distribution channels – of course you wouldn’t print it and submit it to an employer!  Everyone needs to re-think the resume, expand its definition beyond the traditional print advertisement we are all accustomed to seeing, and stop thinking of it as a tool to apply to jobs.  It is an advertisement and ads don’t just live in print nor do they serve one purpose.  That being said, check out my interactive Glogster Resume.  Feel free to explore by clicking on the content and then, go and make your own and share by posting a link to yours in the comments section.

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Who is insourcing American jobs?  Well, the hope is that more fortune 500 companies will decide to do this as President Obama attempts to meet with top company executives to convince them to bring jobs back to the United States.  Interestingly enough, in my last blog article, I posed the question, “Is the American Dream Shattered?”  Obama recently stated, ”I’m calling on those businesses that haven’t brought jobs back to take this opportunity to get the American people back to work.  That’s how we’ll rebuild an economy where hard work pays off and responsibility is rewarded — and a nation where those values live on.”  When I read this statement from President Obama, I thought to myself, is that an implicit agreement that the American Dream has been shattered?  Is this insourcing American Jobs strategy a plan to not only improve the ratio of job availability to job seekers, but to also restore the American Dream?  Both are lofty goals.

What’s in it for Corporate America?

One thing is certain, it’s obvious what the American people want, but the question is, what will corporate America want in return?  Corporations outsource to save money and improve their profit margins.  Why would they “bring jobs back to America” when they can drastically cut labor expenses in India, China, or South America?  Do we think that corporations will bring jobs back to show their “team spirit?”  Will they do it because of a cause marketing campaign to show they are good citizens?  It’s no wonder President Obama plans on discussing…..yep, you guessed it, tax incentives!  President Obama has recognized Ford for committing to bringing back 2,000 jobs to the U.S. but is it really something to be praised considering Ford was bailed out?  I guess at this point, it is arguable that Americans should just be happy for any job brought back to the U.S.  While this seems like a perfect opportunity for American corporations to show their commitment to the citizens who made them rich, will corporations, instead, use this opportunity to see what they can get out of it….again?  Let’s see which companies fly their American flags for decoration and which actually believe it means something greater.

What do you think?

You may also want to read:

• The U.S. Skills Gap: Is Poor Education or Lack of Motivation the Culprit?
• The Age of the Perpetual Job Search
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There has been much talk about the skills gap that exists among the American work force with estimates of 3 million job openings unfilled because of the lack of skilled labor.  It is also widely known that the U.S. ranks poorly relative to the world when comparing student scores on standardized tests in science, math, and reading.  Why do we have such a large skills gap in the workforce and why are American students outperformed by their global counterparts?

Is Education Failing?

In a previous blog post, The Problem with Fun, I wrote about a topic that was highlighted on NPR and in a book called Academically Adrift regarding the lack of academic rigor in our education system.  There are certainly many other critiques that can be made about the U.S. education system and how it has contributed to the skills gap as well as the poverty gap in the United States.  The cost of education has increased dramatically whereas student test scores and skilled labor has decreased dramatically.  There’s definitely something wrong with this equation but is the education system the only culprit?

What’s the Role of Personal Motivation and Attitude?

There are many aspects to review including the role of parents, teachers, technology, legislation, educational and governmental leadership, and so many other variables.  However, one variable more interesting to me is the role of personal motivation and attitude. Are recent generations less motivated than older generations?  Do recent generations have less of a work ethic than older generations?  If so, what are the causes of these generational characteristics if believed to be true and more importantly, what is to be done about the problem?

Has the American Dream been Shattered?

I’d say there is an argument to be made that recent generations seem to have an attitude of entitlement which often characterizes Gen Y, also known as the Millennial generation.  It used to be the “American Dream” that if you got a decent education and worked hard, you could have a good-paying, stable job, a house with a picket fence, and money in your bank account when you retired.  Has this changed?  If so, what is the “American dream” now and how has this change in the proverbial carrot on the stick affected personal motivation and attitude?  Moreover, should people still believe that if they get a decent education and work hard, they can be “successful?”  With a failing, expensive education system and a widening gap between the 99% (Rich) and the 1% (Poor), has the premise of education and hard work being the keys to success been shattered?  If it has been shattered, what does it mean for the baby boomers who have held on to this belief who find themselves unprepared for the world they now inhabit?

A Point of View Worthy of Examination

The problems seem cyclical.  If a lack of motivation and a declining work ethic are to blame for poor student performance and ultimately, the skills gap, we’d have to examine from where these attitudes stem.  If our education system is failing and hard work no longer leads to success, why should students be motivated to care about education or to have a strong work ethic?  Whether these views are perception or reality can be argued but this is a point of view worthy of examination.  Is the world changing at a pace that is impossible for our archaic educational system to keep up?  If so, how must we re-think education and professional development so that the skills gap doesn’t continue to widen?  These aren’t discussions that should just occur within academia or government, but with students and parents as well.  One thing is for sure, we need more people to get involved.

This is a thought-provoking video on Changing Education Paradigms

What do you think?

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• The Reverse Job Search

With the New Year comes renewed hope, and for many, the time of year also indicates a time of change. Many strive to better themselves through New Year’s Resolutions, often vowing to lose weight or to quit smoking, but one of the most popular resolutions this year has been to find a new job or just a job in general.

The waning economy and suffocated job market has made finding a job nearly impossible over the last few years, but has also made it more imperative that people have one. The cost of living is rising and wages are staying the same which is making it difficult for the average American to get by on a day to day basis. So whether you are performing a education or medical job search daily or have resorted to handing out resumes directly to employers in order to secure a job, there is no doubt that times are tough.

However, tough times don’t necessarily mean impossible times. The new year will bring several changes into the work world, and if you are striving to improve your career or start one, here are a few tips that can help you reach your goals:

Take Care of Yourself

A few of those other New Year’s Resolutions that you have set for yourself, such as losing weight and quitting smoking, may also help you in the career field. When it comes down to it, looks are nearly as important as your credentials when it comes to making a first impression so don’t be afraid to brush up your appearance as you strive to improve your career. Not only will you be healthier overall, but you will most likely increase your chance of a second interview too.

Organize

Applying for multiple jobs day in and day out is incredibly strenuous. However, applying to all those jobs haphazardly can lead to you looking like a mess when it comes to speaking with employers. Keep a log of all the employers that you have contacted and sent resumes too so that when they do call, you know who is calling you and for what position. Nothing looks worse than an unorganized applicant who doesn’t even know the position in which they applied for.

Create Realistic Career Goals

Aside from the lack of positions, one of the biggest reasons why people are finding themselves without gainful employment is because they set unrealistic career goals. Your degree in English does not give you the job skills necessary to manage a financial firm or to work at an engineering plant. Instead of applying for jobs that are above your skill set or simply in a different field, actually assess what your skill set is and the type of positions that you are ideally qualified for. You may not be able to obtain the salary you want, but you will be more likely to obtain a position, which you can then work your way up from.

The job market is rough, but there are a few sectors that are and will continue to experience growth. If your New Year’s resolution is to find a more suitable career, don’t be afraid to make a few self-improvements and to treat job hunting like a job itself. The more realistically and dedicated you approach job hunting, the more likely you will be to find a new job in the New Year.

Career Development Goes Beyond the Career

I remember one of the first graduates I met on my new job, Griselle Gonzalez.  Griselle lived in a very small town out of the state and when I called her, she had lost her motivation to pursue a career in Graphic Design and was very discouraged.  I remember contacting every employer within a 50 mile radius of her small location leaving messages, getting hung up on, dealing with rude people, and having only a handful of people who seemed receptive to my call.  I was doing advocacy work and it gave me insight as to the emotions and challenges recent graduates must have after leaving the nest (school) and entering the real world.  My advocacy paid off and I remember the day I got a call from an employer with whom I had left a message who was hiring a Graphic Designer.  I immediately contacted Griselle and we worked together on her resume, portfolio, and preparing for her interview.  Griselle ended up landing the job.  To this day, we remain friends.  I tell this story because it was what got me hooked on helping people in the higher education arena.  I believe education can transform lives and I learned very quickly that my job was beyond career development; it was about personal development in so many aspects.  In my role, I had an opportunity to help build peoples’ confidence, guide people in accomplishing their life goals, and help them overcome fear and adversity.

Career Transition

As a Career Advisor, I helped students and graduates.  As a Director of Career Services, I applied the same principals of personal development in helping my team grow and together, we succeeded despite many obstacles.  My passion is human development.  In my new role as Vice President of Learning Initiatives for Maxknowledge, Inc., I will have an opportunity to help many more people in their professional development.  In my new role, I will be able to develop online professional development courses, facilitate online classes, develop training solutions, and develop social learning initiatives that support the professional (and personal) development of thousands who work in higher education, consequently, providing a greater opportunity to help thousands of students globally.  It is an opportunity that combines many of my interests and one I can’t pass up.  My official last day at Collins College is January 3rd.  While I will miss all the students, graduates, colleagues, employer partners, and everyone else I have met along the way, you can always send me a tweet or stay connected on LinkedIn.

As we approach the new year, it’s a good time to reflect on the past.  2011 was a tough year for many and 2012 is likely to be the beginning of a long-term transition for many job seekers and companies adjusting to all the changes that have occurred in the marketplace.  Although unemployment in the U.S. started to shrink near the end of the year, job creation is still too slow and the economic conditions worldwide remain unstable.  Many of the jobs lost will never come back.  Hiring models have shifted with a rise in temporary workers and contract workers as a means for employers to improve their flexibility and productivity while cutting costs.  Virtual work environments are also on the rise and with the continued growth of technology, employer’s are demanding more skills from the labor market.  2011 was the year of social media which has changed everything from marketing and job search, to employer recruiting and background checks.  The world has gone from global, to social, and now is going mobile.  The world has definitely changed and the future holds more to come.

How Job Seekers Must Change

What does this mean for all of us?  Gone are the days that a person could stay in their career for 20 years and dust off their resumes only in the instance that they lost their job or decided to begin looking for a new position.  Everyone is a job seeker and we are in the age of the perpetual job search.  If the world has changed, we must change with it.  However, change is continuous so we must constantly evolve or accept that we will no longer be relevant.  When companies adapt to market conditions, they do mass layoffs, they outsource offshore, they invest in software and robots to replace human workers and whatever else is necessary to compete.  If we want to be prepared at all times and be able to adapt, we must constantly develop ourselves, market ourselves, and monitor the market so we adjust with it.  As logical as this sounds, many job seekers aren’t used to thinking this way and many others don’t care enough to invest the effort.  I say, either realize we are in the age of the perpetual job search or accept that you will eventually be irrelevant like a VHS tape in a digital world.  Dust only collects on what is forgotten or unused.  Invest in yourself and you will always be prepared to respond to market conditions and you will always have a plan if you find yourself unemployed or wanting to move on from your current employment situation.

You may also want to read:

• Job Seekers: Habit Not Hope is the Key to Career Advancement
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• Job Search 3.0 [Video]
• The Reverse Job Search

5 Reasons to Attend Company Holiday Parties

1. Expand Your Network - Networking is the best way to make genuine connections with people.  Going to holiday parties allows you to make new connections and allows others to get to know you beyond a resume.  Certainly don’t attend a holiday party with a resume in hand, but make connections and continue nurturing the relationships you establish.
2. Insider Information – Beyond relationship building, rubbing elbows with people is a great way to do some reconnaissance.  Harness the power of word-of-mouth and get some insider information on unadvertised jobs, potential future needs of a company, or any “big” news such as expansion that may give you an indication of things to come in the future so you can follow up.
3. Build Rapport with the Team – Company holiday parties are an opportunity to build rapport with team members, including the boss and the boss’ boss.  Skipping out can demonstrate a lack of team spirit and is a huge missed opportunity.
4. Demonstrate your Awesomeness – People usually have their guard down at holiday parties and the alcohol certainly helps people loosen up.  This offers a great opportunity for you to join in on important discussions to contribute your awesome ideas to demonstrate your knowledge and strategic thinking.  The holiday party may be the only chance you get to have a candid, intimate conversation with top management and it will allow you to demonstrate a positive attitude, strong interpersonal skills, and other valuable leadership qualities.
5. Have Fun – Don’t forget the obvious.  Have fun with your co-workers and make new friends.  Holiday parties are a great time to simply have fun and enjoy the company of others.  Plus, people are drawn to you if you’re having fun which will strategically provide opportunities to connect with others.

You may also want to read:

• Networking: Making Contact Vs. Making Connections
• Why You Need a PLN
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• Job Seekers: Habit Not Hope is the Key to Career Advancement