The Executive Update

Ask the Coach: Who Does Google Say You Are?

Every week, NETSHARE hosts Ask the Coach, a phone-in coaching session with leading career management experts. Here is a post contributed by this week’s coach Cindy Kraft, The CFO Coach.

We had great questions in this week’s call. Many of the questions revolved around the impacts of social media. I was encouraged to hear the interest and knowledge of the callers on this very important career management strategy.

One specific question asked by a caller was about how to transform an existing digital footprint in order to move away from the financial crisis that closed her school to put the focus on all the great things she did while she was there. It’s a great point because, “you are who Google says you are.” This begs this question ... “who does Google say you are?”

Take for instance this headline: CFO Asked to Resign

If you do Google this candidate’s name, the only post that is conclusively “this” CFO is the one that leads with the headline: “Broward’s CFO asked to resign.” There is nothing positive to counter the very big negative. He is caught up in a personal branding nightmare.

If you have digital dirt, you can sweep it under the rug. However, it takes time and the negative information will never completely disappear. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Make sure you have a compelling profile, with a clear marketable value proposition, posted on LinkedIn, Facebook, Google, Zoom Info, and Ziggs.

For each of those sites, grab your vanity URL if at all possible (i.e., CindyKraft) and make sure you are consistent. Consistency adds depth to your digital footprint.

Write articles and distribute them to the professional organizations and associations who publish newsletters that your target market reads.

Blog. If you choose not to blog, read other blogs and post comments, always using your LinkedIn URL in your signature line.

If, indeed, Google now define who we are, and how the strangers we want to meet perceive us, then it’s time for you to take charge and start scripting how Google defines you.

Ask the Coach: You Are Who Google Says You Are

Every week, NETSHARE hosts Ask the Coach, a phone-in coaching session with leading career management experts. Here is an excerpt from a recent session with Cindy Kraft, The CFO Coach.

As in many of the recent coaching calls, online presence as an extension of your personal brand was a topic in this weeks’ discussion. As Cindy pointed out, you are who Google says you are. You need to project a professional image on the web, since the first thing a hiring manager will do is check you out on the Internet. So the personal footprint you create on the web gives those searching for you a three-dimensional portrait; a more complete, and hopefully more positive picture of you than is portrayed by your last job.

This means you need to take control of your online brand. Google yourself and see what you uncover. Drive positive web information through online forums such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Naymz, ZoomInfo, and Ziggs. Consider setting up your own domain to profile your expertise. Also consider blogging about your industry expertise, or at least comment on other industry blogs. If you can, become a domain expert about topics in your industry. You might even consider writing articles for trade journals.

LinkedIn groups are also a great place to show your professional expertise and network with other professionals.

One caller noted that there is a limit to the number of social media sites in which you can participate. He uses LinkedIn for professional contacts and Facebook as a personal tool, so why should he do more than those two sites?

Cindy’s response, “Web presence!”

For example, she sees Twitter as a very valuable tool. It lets you control whom you connect to, and lets you get insight about your connections very quickly. It also makes connecting very easy.

The more online resources you can leverage, the stronger your web presence. You can use different web sites for different needs: ZoomInfo and Ziggs for accurate contact information; LinkedIn for professional profile information where recruiters can find it; Facebook for both professional and personal information and an added web boost. The objective is to take control of your online identity, and make sure you have a consistent and positive online persona.

Another Networking Excuse Debunked

There are any number of excuses you can offer not to network. You don’t have the time. You already have all the contacts you need to be successful. You are not a people person. Wait! That last one doesn’t seem to hold water.

I recently ran across an article on Entrepreneur.com by Dr. Ivan Misner, founder and chairman of BNI International, a public speaker, author of the New York Times bestseller, The 29% Solution, and a self-professed introvert. Yes, it seems that Dr. Misner isn’t really a people person after all. After a conversation with his wife, who assured him that he was an introvert, he decided to do some digging:

I did an internet search and found a test that tells you whether you’re an introvert or extrovert. Was I in for a shock:  The test said that I was a "situational extrovert." It explained that I was something of a loner that was reserved around strangers but very outgoing in the right context. It was at that moment that I said, "Oh my God! I'm an introvert!?"

I am sure that a number of senior managers out there are situational extroverts as well. As Dr. Misner explains, he creates structures where he can meet people and appear to be extroverted, but in reality he doesn’t have to “put himself out there”; put himself at emotional risk. For example, he prefers to acts as a host and not a guest, which is part of the reason he started a networking organization, and he prefers to be introduced and shown around than make his own social contacts.

There are inherent strengths and weaknesses in being an introvert, but they have not stood in the way of Dr, Misner becoming one of the most successful networkers on the planet. He found a way to use his introverted nature to his advantage in networking, creating situations where he could comfortably engage with other people and expand his circle. Clearly, anyone can be an effective networker if they know themselves and how they interact with others.

The web offers anonymity, so even introverts can find effective ways to build their professional networks. Don’t be shy. Venture out and connect with other professionals. Exchange ideas. Learn about new potential opportunities. Make an effort to connect in whatever way suits your temperament. You might even try to attend some face-to-face networking meetings where you can be introduced as the4 new kit, looking to make new friends. But whatever you do, don’t get left out by sitting on the sidelines. You career is at stake, and effective networking is your best bet to ensure success in your future.

Understanding How to Use Social Media to Promote You, the Brand

If you are interested in personal branding, then you need to know about Dan Schawbel. Dan is the author of Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success, publisher of Personal Branding magazine, and he runs the Personal Branding Blog. Personal branding is core to Dan’s brand, and I see a lot of interesting insights from Dan posted online. I recently ran across Dan’s interview with another social media expert, Dave Evans, co-founder of Digital Voodoo and author of Social Media Marketing; An Hour A Day. There are some interesting insights here for any of you looking to make more of your personal brand to build your career.

Social media is clearly more than a fad (just look at the numbers in the YouTube video), and Evans’ perspective on it is interesting. There were some ideas I came away with after reading this interview:

1. You need to measure results. You need to approach you, the brand, as you would any other product. That means to be effective, your marketing program has to have metrics that you can use to measure your progress. Evans recommends establishing a baseline, which is a good place to start. First you need to assess your online presence, and the article lists a number of free online such as Google alerts. These tools can help you monitor your online brand (and make sure those embarrassing pictures from the last Christmas party aren’t the first thing showing up in a search). Then you need to determine how far you want to move the needle, and what metrics you want to use. Increasing exposure for your personal brand, the number of relevant places where your brand can be seen, and the number of professional contacts are all valid metrics.
2. You need to pick your online forums. Your long-term objective is to get the attention of a potential employer, so you should be looking for ways to increase your online exposure to get the attention of those who can help you. Pick the forums that seem a natural extension of your life, both personal and professional. There are many to choose from – LinkedIn, Plaxo, Spoke, Facebook, etc. The key is to find the forums that resonate for you, and that will put you in touch with other professionals in your market.
3. You need to participate, not just pitch. One of the things that many professionals fail to grasp about social networking is that it is primarily social. The old guard marketeers are used to coming into every conversation as though it were a sales pitch. Social networking is about sharing information and insights, not selling yourself. I like Evans three-criteria test for being genuine onlineks: you need to be invited, conversation needs to be relevant, and you have to disclose your intent.

As Evans notes, social networking may not be for everyone. He identifies the new breed of social media as Generation C, that cross-section of people who share their thoughts online, no matter what their age. However, if you are going to use the web to help you find a job, then you need to think in terms of your target audience. Are the hiring managers and CEOs hanging out online? As Evans notes, 80 percent of those under 25 consume social content and 60 percent of those over 55 are talking online. Chances are, the managers hiring in your market are going to the web first to find new talent, and you want to part of that conversation.

Ask the Coach: Dodging Loaded Questions in an Interview

Every week, NETSHARE hosts Ask the Coach, a phone-in coaching session with leading career management experts. Here is an excerpt from this week’s session with career transition coach and consultant Randy Block.

We haven’t talked about interview strategies for a while, and this week’s Ask the Coach call began with a discussion of interviews and what to do when the interview questions veer off topic.

One caller who had recently been interviewed for an executive-level job asked if it was usual for interviewers to stick with behavioral interview formats, or do they tend get personal? Apparently, during her recent interview she was asked, “Who’s your daddy?” She ultimately answered the question, prefacing her response with “Out of respect for you…,” but she wanted to know if the question was appropriate, relevant, or even legal?

Randy noted that Europe has finally banned interview questions about age, family, and gender. He also added that many interview questions are out of place, such as “what car do you drive.” When you run into these kinds of questions it may be because the interviewer may be just unschooled as to what to ask or what the answers might mean, or they may be trying to be friendly and start a conversation. In this case, maybe the interviewer thought he or she knew the candidate’s father. In any case, since such questions will be asked again and again, it’s a good idea to have prepared answers for irrelevant questions.

There are three ways you can approach such questions.

1. Ignore the fact that such questions are illegal and irrelevant and just answer them.
2. Call the interviewer on the fact the question is inappropriate. The result will be that you have embarrassed the hiring manager or interviewer but you won’t have to answer the questions.
3. Try a more diplomatic approach. Realize that something is off here, but don’t be confrontational. Instead, be tactful and don’t embarrass the interviewer, but demonstrate you are knowledgeable about what is allowed and what isn’t. A response such as “out of respect” is one way to defuse the question.

Inappropriate interview questions could be a red flag for candidates. You should question the integrity of a company that asks interview questions that are clearly inappropriate and illegal. For example, the age issue is one that keeps coming up. As Randy notes, challenging a hiring company on age discrimination won’t get you very far, and rulings about age discrimination have only made it harder for older workers. Companies are afraid to hire managers over 45 because of age discrimination lawsuits, even though they are hard to prove (especially in the current hiring climate). Also bear in mind that younger managers don’t want to hire their parents. So your best strategy is to become a counselor or mentor so age is no longer an issue, and you won’t be perceived as a hiring risk or a short-timer.

Apply a SWOT Analysis to Your Personal Brand

We spend a lot of time in this blog talking about personal branding. Many of the executives I counsel don’t know how to get started creating their personal brand. I know that Deb Dib, a regular on our Ask the Coach calls, has an approach she calls The Personal Brand Continuum, which asks you about your personal brand, your executive brand, for a brand statement, and then a value proposition.

I recently saw a blog post on Career Rocketeer on assessing your strengths and weaknesses that started me thinking. The challenge most executives face is they don’t have the objective perspective they need to effectively brand themselves. But personal branding is like creating a brand for any other product. After all, if you are in the job market the commodity you are selling is you, so treat yourself like any other product.

A SWOT analysis is an ideal way to understand your strengths and weaknesses, and where the opportunities and threats lie with regard to selling you, the brand. In the post, blogger Sharon Cohen talks about using the SWOT analysis to help you address the ever-present question of strengths and weaknesses, but if you think about it, it’s the perfect way to identify your own areas of opportunity.

When you are performing your analysis, consider your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in light of your industry or profession. Think about the competition. Who is vying for the same job? Also think in terms for the needs of the hiring company. What makes you stand out to solve their problems? Here’s how you can use SWOT to define your personal brand and find your next job:

Strengths:

·         What advantages do you have?

·         What do you do better than anyone else?

·         What unique or low-cost resources do you have to offer?

·         What do others see as your strengths?

·         How do you help close the sale or reduce overhead?

Weaknesses:

·         What areas can you improve?

·         What areas should you avoid?

·         What do peers in your market see as weaknesses?

·         Where do you fail when trying to close a sale or reduce costs?

 Opportunities:

·         Where opportunities are facing you?

·         What interesting trends can you identify and take advantage of, such as changes in technology, regulations, social patterns, etc.?

·         What is happening in your market that can promote new business development?

 Threats:

·         What obstacles do you face?

·         What is your competition doing that you should be worried about?

·         Are the required specifications for your job, products or services changing?

·         Is changing technology threatening your position?

·         Do you have bad debt or cash-flow problems?

·         Could any of your weaknesses seriously threaten your business?

 

Once you complete your SWOT analysis you should have a clear picture of how you fit in your market, your strengths and weaknesses, and what will differentiate you from the competition. Now you can work on distilling your findings into a succinct pitch that really shows your strengths.

Ask the Coach: In Today’s Job Climate, You Need To Demonstrate Value

Every week, NETSHARE hosts Ask the Coach, a phone-in coaching session with leading career management experts. Here is an excerpt from a recent session with career coach Don Orlando.

The job market has changed. As Don noted at the start of this week’s Ask the Coach call, the recession has changed hiring practices from even a year ago. Companies hire to either increase revenue or control costs. In a recession, increasing revenue can be challenging so companies are looking to make hires that have guaranteed returns. After all, executive compensation is expensive at six figures, and the impact of hiring the wrong executive can cost a company $250,000 to $1 million or more.

For executive job seekers, this means proving your value in all your personal marketing documents. You need to demonstrate that you understand the company’s problems and can address them based on your experience. Hiring managers need to see proof of performance, not just credentials.

One caller shared his recent job search experiences. He has a broad background in consulting and has found that when he approaches a company, they assume he will jump ship once the economy improves. Don said this is a valid concern and while companies are trying to snatch up quality talent at bargain prices, you have to be willing to share the risks as well as the rewards. You can try approaching a company and setting up a contract that outlines you will deliver for a fair return, and make sure you can renegotiate that contract every year. Don’s first law of employment is that everything you see and everything you hear is condoned by corporate management. If they are trying to exploit you, then look elsewhere.

Another caller noted that the only constant is change, and those who can take advantage of change will win. In a tough economy, companies are afraid to change and so they stagnate. Don added that 15 to 20 percent of all companies are really well run, and more than half of them take positive steps each year to stay on the cutting edge.

As Don notes, “stupid cannot be fixed.” If you find a company with passionate, capable people who think things through, then target them for employment. Don’t bother with companies that do not appreciate good people or standards. 

Understanding the Generation Gap

One of the consequences of working with senior executives is that these professionals tend to be older and more experienced. They also seem to have issues dealing with the new generation of tech-savvy entrepreneurs and managers that are coming up in the ranks. As career coach Randy Block often says, no one wants to hire their parents, but there is more to it than that. There are basic differences in approach to career and work as well, which is why I was interested in a new book by Dan Tapscott,  Grown Up Digital, about the “net geners” born after 1977.

“Poised to transform every social institution, the Net Generation is reshaping the form and functions of school, work, and even democracy. Simply put, the wave of youth, aged 12-30, the first truly global generation, is impacting all institutions. Particularly, employers, instructors, parents, marketers and political leaders are finding it necessary to adapt to the changing social fabric due to this generation’s unique characteristics.”

These net geners are the first generation to have grown up with computer technology, just as the baby boomers grew up with television. Since the net geners have been “bathed in bits,” they have become the technological educators for the older generations, leading the way when it comes to new technology. They are more comfortable interacting online, and they are more engaged using technology rather than passive receivers of data. In many ways, the net geners are redefining social interaction, which is making it more challenging for some older executives to adapt.

There are some important differences about how this generation approaches the world that spill over into the workplace.  They demand more freedom of choice, including looking for the perfect job, or creating it themselves because they also demand customization. Net geners also demand more honesty and integrity from their employers. And they are more collaborative, working together to create new forms of co-creation (Iike wikis).

Tapscott is clearly a fan of the net generation and truly believes they will change the world. Consider their impact, and the impact of collaborative technology, on the recent presidential election. But he also sees that this generation isn’t perfect. Technology provides new ways to demonstrate human failings, such as cyberbullying or stealing music and movies over the web. So where the older generation can lend a hand is by mentoring, not as parents, but as collaborators. Your best hope for your professional future is to engage. Join the conversation, bring your own expertise and experience to the conversation, and embrace new technologies to talk to the net generation. If they are poised to change the world, then maybe they can benefit from our experience along the way.

Some Job Seekers Use Custom Web Sites to Get Attention

Okay, you have been working your online networks through LinkedIn and Twitter, but you aren’t really getting the results you want for your job search. Here’s an idea from SmartBrief on Social Media. Why not set up your own destination page to catch the attention of that target company. This seems to be a new trend that could help you land your next job, if you have the focus and the chutzpah:

“A rash of "hire me" sites have sprouted up across the Web this year as job hunters directly target the employers they want to hire them. Some sites were inspired by TwitterShouldHireme.com, which was launched in March by a 24-year-old California woman who dreamed of working for Twitter, a fast-growing Internet startup. The sites have a Web feel with a personal sales pitch and tabs to click on their resume, recommendations, contact information and social networking sites.”

Applying a laser-like focus to your job search with a custom-designed web site is a better way to convince your target company that you have what it takes to build their business. These kinds of “hire me” sites go beyond showing off your skills; they show a level of dedication and interest that goes beyond a typical job application. You can use these sites to feed your other social networking channels, like Twitter and LinkedIn, and work through your network to get the attention of the right hiring managers.

Of course, there are no guarantees that creating your own corporate fan site will land you a job. There are obvious rules about building this kind of targeted portfolio site. Be sure to focus on your skills, your personal brand, and the ROI you bring to the party. You can show your enthusiasm but don’t just talk about how much you love the company. Instead, connect the dots to your relevant skills and turn features into benefits. Also show you have done your homework and you have what they need.

Micro-pitching, like microblogging, could be your ticket to your next job, or at least it could help you get a foot in the door.

Most Twitterers Aren’t Being Heard

As Kim Batson noted in the most recent Ask the Coach call, Twitter is becoming a real resource for recruiters, and there already are success stories from people who have successfully used Twitter to find work. However, despite the fact that Twitter is now estimated to have more than 12 million users, a recent Hubspot poll on the state of the Twittersphere shows that most users aren’t really using Twitter at all. (And I have to give thanks here to Lindsay Olson, a recruiter with Paradigm Staffing who pointed out this report in her blog.)

According to the Hubspot report:

• 79.79% failed to provide a homepage URL
• 75.86% of users have not entered a bio in their profile
• 68.68% have not specified a location
• 55.50% are not following anyone
• 54.88% have never tweeted
• 52.71% have no followers

Now think about Twitter in the context of job search. As with LinkedIn, recruiters are going to be looking for professionals with certain skills, and that means a keyword search. So having a searchable bio in your profile is crucial. Those 75 percent of Twitter users without a bio will never be found. Also make sure to put in a location so you can hear from those hiring managers who are Twitter-smart and looking for help.

Think of microblogging on Twitter as a mini version of LinkedIn. You need to set up your bio and contact information so recruiters and others can find you and, when they do, there is enough information in your Twitter profile to make them want to talk with you. Use Twitter to link back to your LinkedIn profile if you wish, and use it to expand the reach for your LinkedIn status so you can garner a following.

If you are going to join the social media revolution, you have to be prepared to arm your followers with enough information about you to understand where you fit in their universe. Share your personal brand so they can follow you and help contribute to your success.