When it comes to networking, going out there and meeting other professionals may play a big part, but it’s actually maintaining and keeping track of those contacts that will be most important thing you can do. Whether you are already employed or looking for a job, you never really know when someone in your network may actually prove to be the next MVP on your career path. That’s why it is so important to keep track of your contacts, even when you don’t need anything and aren’t looking for a new job. How can you keep track of these valuable network connections?

A good way to manage your network and keep in contact is to send periodic messages to each individual on a regular basis. To make this easier, you may want to set a goal of sending a few messages to a small number of individuals each week. These messages can be rather simple – maybe just a “hello, how are you?” or a link to an article that reminds you of them. These small notes can go a long way and will make world of a difference in the long run.

Social and business networking sites such as LinkedIn are good ways to find old connections and make new ones, as well. In recent months, LinkedIn has seen a huge increase in membership as more and more professionals jump on the site in hopes of building up their networks. Using LinkedIn can help make the challenge of creating and managing your network much easier, so consider getting a LinkedIn account if you don’t have one already (we have a great introductory post on LinkedIn and all of its features here).

More often than not, individuals lose touch of their networks because they don’t feel a “need” to keep in touch or don’t think they have the time. Later down the line, however, these same individuals may find that they need a network for a number of reasons, but haven’t maintained one. Once you’ve lost communication with your network, it can be a challenge to reconnect. This is one reason it is so important to build it up while you are still employed and keep track of it. But what happens if you’ve already lost touch with your network? Is there any way to regain your relationships? How can you rekindle the connections you established before?

If you are past the point of maintaining your network and find yourself needing to reconnect, it is important that your first few messages discuss things that will remind the individuals of you and your previous relationships. If possible, you may want to review old messages you sent to your contacts before you speak with them again. Consider mentioning things like when you last spoke, what you discussed and how you left things off.

Once you decide to send a message to reconnect, it’s best to start off by putting the focus on the other person first. Remember that the point of reconnecting is to reestablish the relationship.  Start off by asking the other person how they are doing and avoid stating what you need outright (for example, if you are looking for a job at their company or need to meet a mutual connection). Once you start building towards your relationship again, then you will be able to mention what you are looking for. Asking for something in this way will prompt a much better response from your connection.

Overall, the best thing you can do is simply make an effort to maintain your network from the very start! You never really know when someone may be the connection you needed, so treat everyone in your network as a valuable player in the success of your career.

By Andrew C. Abraham

I was always very ambivalent to the advantages of entering into a sales position upon graduation, but I soon realised how these skills are applicable to all aspects of my life. I remember shortly after being promoted to sales manager, I was training a group of newbies on the sales methodology of our company, citing different non-professional life situations where sales acumen was advantageous to succeed – picking up the opposite sex in a bar, meeting your in-laws for the first time, negotiating a pay rise, pitching to investors…the list is endless. Job hunting is no different, and job-seekers can learn many qualities that successful salespeople possess.

1.   Salespeople create value: If you were to ask many people what they believe to be the most important characteristic of a salesperson, they might say “persuasion” or the “gift of the gab” or “persistence”. While these are important, the fundamental ingredient is creating value for the client. A great salesperson creates a perceived value that justifies purchasing their product or service. Job-seekers need to do the same and demonstrate they can add value to a company that outweighs the cost of purchasing their labor. After all, a position is available so the company can solve a problem, not because they want to increase their headcount.

2.   Salespeople focus on benefits, not features: Creating value therefore switches the focus from yourself to the employer. The product that I used to sell was a media monitoring service that helped companies track press mentions online. The software came with some fancy analysis and distribution tools that were useful also. One of my colleagues was a master salesman. He consistently exceeded his monthly targets and appeared in the top ten list of salespeople within the company globally. If you ever listened to him on the phone, you’d understand why so many clients had bought from him. He never focused on the myriad of great features, but rather the benefits that one or two of them would add to the client’s operation. As a job-seeker it’s important you don’t just list your achievements to future employers, but focus on a specialized skill-set that will unequivocally benefit them.

3.   Salespeople handle objections: I don’t recall one sale I ever made where everything ran completely smoothly and the customer didn’t require any convincing whatsoever – “Yes Sir, your product is great, don’t bother about telling me the rest, I’m sold”. If only life was so simple. The truth is that in every sale and every interview, you’ll face objections. The customer is always looking for reasons not to purchase something and the best salespeople overcome these objections resoundingly. Objections should not be viewed as a negative sign though! Oh no, on the contrary, objections are a “buying signal.” It usually means that the customer is considering your offer but needs to be assured before proceeding. Therefore, if your interviewer ever confronts you about your lack of experience, or apparent job hopping, be ready to smash the objection back over the net!

4.   Salespeople are succinct: They don’t ramble, they articulate value in the fewest words possible. Do I really need to say much more about this one?

5.   Sales people are persuasive: Yes, the power of persuasion works! A great salesperson is able to clinch a deal, just when the customer is about to walk away. Through solid arguments or sound reasoning, they can coax a customer into a purchase at the very last minute or when doubt tops confidence. We used to have job-seekers undertake a little exercise when they were interviewing for our International Management Trainee program. At the end of the personal interview we’d ask candidates to stand up and convince us in thirty seconds why they were the best person for the job. Often, if the candidate was persuasive enough, we would overlook other indiscretions that occurred beforehand.

6.   Salespeople are good story-tellers: Nothing beats anecdotal advice when it comes to convincing others of your argument. If you’re selling skincare products for example, you can praise the effects of clearer, moister skin, or you can tell buyers the story about how one of your regular customers is often confused as her daughter’s older sister. As a job-seeker, telling a hiring manager that you’re a team-player might help your cause, but telling them about the time you worked 28 hours straight with a team to meet a deadline has so much more impact. People don’t just want to hear about what you can do but rather how you’ve done it before. Stories are the best way to communicate your message.

7.   Salespeople are good conversationalists: You might have heard the saying, “People buy People first”, well it’s true when you consider consumer psychology. It doesn’t matter how great your product is, if people don’t like you, they won’t buy from you. Salespeople have a knack for building a rapport with people by getting to know them. There were so many times where I was demonstrating our website on the phone to people and the pages would take ages to load. In these times I needed to be equipped with enough conversational material to get me through to the continuation of the demonstration. A good conversation illustrates that you care about bonding with the person on more than just a business level. Job-seekers should be able to make smalltalk with hiring managers in the same regard, such as immediately prior to and after the interview. Once you leave, the interviewer should be left with a feeling of “Hey I liked that guy!”

8.   Salespeople can take rejection: Let’s face it, you’re probably not going to get the first job that you applied for. I remember I was rejected from McDonalds when I was 15 (I still don’t know why, but that’s besides the point anyway) and there have been many other instances where I wasn’t the lucky candidate. Salespeople understand that it’s a numbers game, and success will elude us unless we persevere. For every sale you make, you’ll face at least 9 rejections. The odds are just as bad for job-seekers. Staying motivated when every employer so far has declined your candidature is difficult, but necessary. Conveying a sense of desperation comes across as too strong, so it’s important to be resilient and understand rejection is a part of the game.

Overall, sales skills aren’t just useful for job hunting but they transcend to other areas also. Perhaps I should recommend job-seekers to pursue sales positions initially to be armed with these skills for subsequent career moves?

What other skills can we learn from salespeople that also aid job-seekers? Interested to hear your thoughts too. Cheers.

About the author: Andrew is Founder of Gradkin, a Branding and Networking platform to connect Candidates with Employers. Please share your thoughts on his careers blog at http://blog.gradkin.com. He offers a unique perspective on Gen-Y, being one himself and having recruited and managed this generation. His previous positions in Sales, Communications and Human Resources have given him an insight into understanding what truly motivates this new generation of Millennials.

Currently, the U.S. unemployment rate is at 9.5% and thousands of job seekers are in search for jobs.  Even if you currently have a job, you may be thinking that now might be the time to start looking again.  I have been interviewing candidates for the past two years for my company and have seen job applicants do the right things and the wrong things.  Here is my best advice on how to ace your next interview:

1. Prepare: Be early, know exactly how to get to the interview and make sure you allow enough time for traffic.  Arrive calm, relaxed and don’t forget to eat beforehand!  My first interview lasted 4 hours because I had to interview with 5 different groups of people.  I had no idea it would take that long and I was famished at the end!
2. Be Confident: Walk into the interview like you will get the job.  Imagine a scale of a 1-10 and walk in feeling like an 8-10. Show enthusiasm and interest about the job and let them know that you want it.  It is a red flag to the interviewer if you don’t seem interested.
3. Ask: Always come prepared with a few questions to ask at the end of an interview.
4. Practice: Do a google search for sample interview questions and prepare answers for all of the questions.  In one of my classes in college, we had to stand up in front of the class and the Professor randomly picked from the list of sample interview questions.  We had to respond to each of the questions in front of the class.  It is amazing how I can now quickly come up with an example for most questions just because I prepared the answers.  You may not get these exact questions but I guarantee that you will be prepared for any question.  Also, before going to the interview, review the job description and know how your experiences match each qualification. Be prepared to give examples!
5. Have a conversation: Know that not everyone who interviews you will be testing your knowledge and skills.  Some people interview employees for the sole purpose of seeing if the person is a team player and if they can see themselves working with the person in the future.  This is why it is important to think of it as having a conversation.  Also, don’t assume that the person with the highest role will be making the decision. Input from everyone may be taken into consideration as to who will get the job.
6. Relax: Ever had to do a panel interview?  Don’t let them intimidate you!  In my industry, we have a lot of stress and pressure placed on us by the client so a panel interview helps us see how the person will be able to communicate to the client under pressure.  If you think panel interviews are terrible, just think about how much faster you will get out of the interview by doing it as a group rather than an interview with each person answering the same questions over and over!
7. Thank: Ask for business cards at the end so that you can send a thank you email.  I am shocked by how few people actually follow through with this because it is so important.

Good luck to you on your next interview!   You will nail it!  What is your best interview advice?

About the author: Classy Career Girl is a consultant at by day and a MBA student by night.  She blogs about her journey through business school while working full time and loves researching and writing about career advice, work-life balance and stress management.  You can read more about journey on her website www.classycareergirl.com

By Phil Rosenberg

Most job seekers leave their recommendations up to chance when careful planning can help you tell the most important parts of your story to a potential employer.

The extent of most candidates’ reference planning stops at asking prior bosses, peers and clients to give a reference. While it’s polite to ask your reference first, it’s just not enough.

Do you know exactly what the reference is going to say to a potential employer? Since this is something you can control, why leave it up to chance?

Why Manage References?

Most candidates leave the content of their references up to chance because they don’t know what their references are saying… placing their faith that it will be something “positive.”

Just because a reference is positive, doesn’t mean it provides the help (or the right type of help) that you may need.

1. ”Positive” references come in many flavors: Will your reference give you just an OK ref, a good ref, or a truly great reference? The difference between these types of “positive” references can be communicated by tone, pacing, enthusiasm, and word choice. Do you know how “positive” of a reference you are being given (may not correlate to the positive reviews you got)?
2. References each tell a part of your story: A “positive” reference may naturally talk about the same aspect of your performance as the rest of your references. On one hand, it’s nice that everyone says the same thing, but it limits the outside corroboration that references provide your personal story. You’re typically better represented if each reference focuses on a different skill that you bring to an employer. Often the references you choose truly want to help, but don’t know what to say that will help you.
3. Reference doesn’t know what’s important to the company: Will your reference choose to talk about what a great team player you were, not realizing you are interviewing for a role where individual contribution is more important than collaboration? Will your well-meaning reference talk about the great job you did as a generalist, when your prospective employer is looking for specific subject matter expertise?

Most candidates leave these types of issues with references up to chance. Since there is so much out of your control in job search, isn’t it in a candidate’s best interest to actively manage the things they can control?

Now that you realize some of the risks of unmanaged references, let’s talk about how to manage your references.

How to manage references:

Managing references can be uncomfortable for many candidates. After all, many of your references are people you used to work for, and who are doing you a favor.

How can you manage your references, without feeling like (or appearing like) you’re telling your former boss what to do?

1. When you ask for the reference: Ask on the phone or in person, not through email. Have a conversation, explain your situation, ask for their advice. Chances are the people you are asking to serve as a reference were at one time mentoring you and taking an active interest in your career. Towards the end of the conversation, after they have agreed to serve as your reference, also ask your reference if they would be so kind as to focus on specific accomplishments or skills you exhibited when you worked for them. This not only serves as a reminder (it may have been a while since you were a direct report), you can also let them know that you have other references covering different areas of your experience.
2. Follow up before each anticipated hiring manager call: When you expect that a specific company will call for a reference, make a call to your reference (an email is acceptable here) reminding them that they agreed to be a reference. Make sure they are available (not out of town), and give them a heads up (so they will know the employer call isn’t a sales call). Take the opportunity here to suggest the reference can help you by fine tuning the message – mention that the company is looking for ways to cut costs, so mentioning some of the process improvement projects that you led and the savings you generated would be a big help.
3. Don’t try to put words into your ref’s mouth: Suggesting topics and areas of hiring manager interest is OK, scripting words for the reference is not. Telling your reference exactly what you want them to say can have unfortunate results – if it comes across as scripted or unnatural to the employer, recruiter, or HR staff, the reference (and therefore you) can lose credibility. Worse, a reference may resent this or may feel it’s unethical, potentially alienating an ally.
4. Make sure you know how they answer the most important question: “If you had a need for someone with X’s skills, would you hire them again?”

By the time an employer or recruiter calls your references, you are being seriously considered for a position, often a finalist… or THE finalist. References that unknowingly change the employer’s perception of you can kill your chances for the job – even if your reference had the best of intentions.

By knowing what your references are likely to say and offering hints of what an employer is seeking can help you guarantee that you’re getting the maximum help from your references.

Do you know exactly what your references are saying about you?

About the author: Phil Rosenberg is President of reCareered, a career coaching service and website.  Phil runs the Career Change Central group, one of Linkedins largest groups for job seekers.  An active blogger about social media and career change, Phil’s articles have been republished by Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, AOL, FastCompany, CIO, ZDnet, The Examiner and the leading job/career/recruiting sites.  Phil can be contacted at phil.reCareered@gmail.com.

Have you attended any networking events this summer? I just RSVP’d for an upcoming networking event in my area and I have to say, I always get excited at the prospect of meeting new people at events like these. Different people go to networking events for different reasons. People may attend networking events because they were invited by a friend, have seen an ad online, want to fill an open weeknight with a social event or have done some research on professional groups in the area and want to get involved. Whatever the reason may be, networking events can provide great opportunities for professionals to meet at a casual event without any pressure. These events serve as great avenues for creating new business and promoting products or services. More importantly, though, these events are meant to establish meaningful contacts and build relationships.

Whether you’re a seasoned veteran when it comes to networking events or just getting started, it’s worth taking note of the people you can expect to meet. Since I’ve started my career, I’ve been to quite a few networking events and have found there are some individuals you’re almost certainly guaranteed to meet while you’re out. So who can you expect to see at your next networking event?

The Connector – Do you know someone who seems to know everybody, enjoys meeting people and likes to help others make the right connections? That person is a connector. If you attend a networking event and know one or meet one, stick by their side! How can you spot a connector? You may have met the connector through another connector, know them from a previous job, went to college together or happen to meet them by chance. Personally, these are my favorite individuals to meet. They are friendly and easy to talk to, good at listening and best of all, this can all actually work for you. What do I mean by that last part? Connectors love networking and understand the importance of it, so these are the people who will help bring people to your life and add value to your networking. At a networking event, they will introduce you to tons of great people and help facilitate your conversations; however, in the end it’s really up to you to seal the deal so don’t expect the connector to do all the networking for you.

The Promoter – We’ve all encountered this person at a networking event. You may find yourself in the midst of networking with one or several other professionals when suddenly someone quickly jumps in, introduces themselves to everyone in the conversation, shakes hands, gives their elevator speech and simultaneously hands out business cards to everyone. The promoter may have a strategy to work the room in an effort to hand out their cards. Whether they choose to only hand out their cards or exchange with others, you’ll find they talk to a lot of people but don’t stay with any one in particular for very long. In the end, it never hurts to take a card or give a card at a networking event, so go ahead and take a card from the next promoter you meet!

The Social Butterfly – Professional networking events often come in the form of cocktail hours to attract attendees with free drinks while they meet and greet; however, these events may also attract another kind of attendee: the social butterfly. This is the person who lives for the free drink and the party. At a networking event, the social butterfly will most likely hang out with people they already know and just want to have a good time. While there’s nothing wrong with having a drink or talking with familiar faces, it’s important to remember that networking events are meant for business, too! You may find that it’s all about the social aspect for the social butterfly (hence the name) and that they never even intended to discuss business at all!

The Quiet One – This may be the person standing in the corner holding onto a drink and watching the event as it unfolds. For one reason or another, you may or may not have found yourself in this situation in the past. If you see someone who is alone, why don’t you take a step up and go talk to them? They may be new to the area, have come alone, or are just as nervous as you are. They could be shy and reluctant and may be standing there in hopes someone will come up to them first. Who knows, it could end up being a great connection for your network!

The Deal Closer – This person is all about selling and closing the deal. If you encounter a deal closer, you will quickly realize it because they will likely keep the conversation focused on their products, services, etc. Opposite of the social butterfly, they are ALL about business at networking events. They want to sell to everyone they can. They may look to sell their services and even try to set appointments right there at the networking event.

The Mentor – The mentor can be your boss, an executive level individual in your organization, an older family member, friend or acquaintance. Mentors should be the people who model success principles that you can you take in your own personal life. They are great to follow and shadow at networking events because they can introduce you to other established professionals very much like themselves. These people want you to grow and succeed so they will be happy to help you in any way they can. Going to a networking event with the mentor is a great opportunity so really try to soak in as much as you can. It would be extremely helpful to take note of how the mentor interacts and behaves at the networking event. You can use this to your advantage the next time you’re at a networking event on your own.

Did we miss anyone on our list? Who have you encountered at your previous networking events?

Image courtesy of: cen.cornell.edu

In the workplace, you’re bound to make a few mistakes throughout the course of your career. Unfortunately, these mistakes happen, whether we like it or not. Many individuals may feel nervous about owning up to a mistake or beat themselves up over it, but it’s actually what you DO about your error that is the most important. What’s the best way to handle your next mishap at work? Try these four steps:

1. Admit to the mistake. One of the worst things you can do after you’ve made a mistake is to try and hide it. It may seem like the easiest way out of the situation at the time, but it will only make matters worse. Instead, it’s best to simply own up to your mistake and it will show that you can take some responsibility. When admitting to your mistake, however, avoid making excuses or getting defensive, as both of these will lead to less than favorable responses from your boss. Just own up to your mistake and your employer will be much more understanding and will appreciate your honesty.
2. Have a plan ready to fix the mistake. This may be the most important thing you can do to rectify the problem and it will make a world of a difference on how your boss reacts. Having a potential solution ready to present will show your boss that you understand the severity of the error and are willing to fix it immediately. This is important for your boss because he/she want to know that you understand what went wrong and that it will never happen again. Regardless if your boss chooses to implement your solution or comes up with an entirely new one, he/she will respect that you’ve given it some thought and taken initiative in the first place.
3. Correct your mistake. This may or may not require you to work with your boss. There are two possible scenarios: either your boss will approve your solution and ask you to follow through or he/she will take the steps necessary to solve the error themself. Whatever the conclusion may be, be sure to follow up and let your boss know you are willing to do whatever you can to help.
4. Explain how you plan to ensure it doesn’t happen again. It is extremely important to prove to your boss that you understand what happened and how it happened, and that you’re equipped to keep it from happening again.

Every day, millions of Americans feel unhappy and stuck in their present job situation. Are you one of these individuals? It may feel overwhelming at first, but keep your hopes up – there are other job opportunities available for you out there! If you put in the right efforts for your job search, you’ll find the right job. After all, both you AND your employer deserve to be happy! So what can you do to get a start on your new job hunt?

Here are some tips to help you get out of your rut and help you find a job that you really want:

1. Keep your current job and your job search 100% separate of each other. Your current employer is still paying you, so do not look for work while you’re at work. This may sound obvious to some of you, but you’d be surprised how many people spend their time in the office job searching. Instead, use your own time, such as breaks, lunch hours or time at home, to do anything related to your job search. Along those same lines, do not discuss your job search with co-workers. Use your personal e-mail when sending out resumes and applications and if you receive any job search related phone calls while you’re at work, take them away from the office to avoid someone overhearing you.

2. Build up a network. Networking is important when finding a new job. Where can you start? Consider joining professional organizations, attending luncheons or community meetings. You may also want to consider joining professional networking sites like LinkedIn.com, which can provide easy opportunities to network with other professionals in your industry. Be careful what you post online, though. If you’re connected to your co-workers, it’s best to refrain from posting any negative comments about your current job situation or commenting about your job search at all.

3. If you’re worried that avoiding your current employer as a job reference will harm your chances of getting an offer, just explain to the prospective employer that you want to keep your job search confidential. You can always look back to previous employment for references. Remember that a reference does not necessarily have to be a former boss, as well. References can include former coworkers, teachers, mentors, business contacts or a representative involved with any professional organization or volunteer group that you are involved with. As long as your reference can speak about your work ethic, enthusiasm, drive and accomplishments, you will have nothing to worry about.

4. Make it a habit to note daily tasks as you complete them. This will make updating your resume much easier when it comes time to apply. Keeping track of the tasks that you complete as you complete them would be best because they’re still fresh in your mind. To do this, you may want to keep a notebook where you can set aside a short 5-10 minutes during the day to write down these tasks. You’ll also want to keep track of any particular circumstances where you have done exceptionally well. If you’re not sure what that means, it would be things like getting special recognition from an executive level manager, taking on more responsibility or doing something that resulted in higher profit for your organization. These kinds of events are definitely something you’ll want to further discuss with the potential employer, so tracking them as they happen will make it that much easier when the time to interview comes along.

5. Finally, you may want to consider working with a recruiter for a number of reasons. If you’re in a bind for time, working with a recruiter can cut your job search time in half by finding the jobs that would be the best fit for your qualifications and personality. If you find a good fit, a recruiter can line up interview times for you and help prepare you for the actual interview itself. Recruiters also have access to certain positions that are not posted online, so they may be able to find something even better than you would’ve found on your own! To contact one of our SkillStorm recruiters who can help you with your job search, click here.

Sources:

Tips for Job Searching While You are Employed – About.com

Working on Your Executive Resume While Still Working – Buzzle.com

The recent release of CareerBuilder and USA Today’s mid-year nationwide survey of more than 2,500 hiring and HR managers and more than 4,400 workers shows that the economy is projected to trend upward and that the numbers are on par with last quarter’s positive changes. Employers will continue to hire at a consistent but moderate pace and will primarily focus on preserving current clientele and fueling new revenue opportunities.

Three trends that were highlighted for in the second half of 2010 were:

1. Emerging Jobs – Employers are looking to fill positions relatively new to the work force. Twenty-four percent of employers said they are recruiting for positions in social media, green energy, cyber security, global relations and health care reform.

2. Changing Jobs – Employers are implementing measures to retain top performers. According to the forecast, 29 percent of all workers plan to leave their organizations in the next 12 months as the economy continues to improve.

3. Shortage of Skilled Labor – One-in-five employers reported that, despite an abundant labor pool, they still have positions for which they can’t find enough qualified candidates. Nearly half of HR managers claim there is a shortage of skills in those areas related to IT, Customer Service and Communications.

To view the complete report, you can download a copy by clicking here.

A few weeks ago, I read an article on Mashable that broke down the revamps and additions to existing LinkedIn groups. I was very excited to read about the updates, but what caught my attention was something that actually wasn’t so new to these groups.

According to the article, “You may not know this, but the business social network actually gives you the option to ‘follow’ individuals if you want to see what they’re saying in different groups, but aren’t his or her connection.”

If you’ve read my previous post on LinkedIn, you already know that I am a huge fan of the site (yes, I really am). That being said, the idea of knowing I could be followed by a complete stranger – my every comment instantly shared with them at just the click of a button – made me a little uncomfortable. Could someone that I don’t even know really click on one follow button and instantly receive notifications for my every post within our shared groups? Without even giving me any sort of notification about their follow??

Some of you may be wondering, what is the follow button? Where can you find it? To give you a little breakdown: the follow feature was released in late 2009 and it allows users to quickly find the contributions made by fellow group members they “value.” When you post something on a LinkedIn group, a follow button is added right under your photo. If someone would like to keep track of your comments within your shared groups, they simply have to click that follow button. From there, they receive updates with your latest group comments and what’s more, they can sign up for e-mail notifications of the comments you post.

How can you check out who you’re following and who’s following you? It’s really easy. Hover over the groups tab at the top navigation on LinkedIn. Click following on the drop down list. This will take you to a page with all of your followers and who you’re following (as seen below). If you’ve never followed anyone and wonder why you have names listed under the “people I’m following” category, keep in mind that LinkedIn automatically adds all of your connections to that list, and vice versa for your connections (but being a connection is not necessary to follow someone).

After learning all of this information, I wanted to see what my fellow LinkedIn users thought. So what did I do? I did what any avid and dedicated LinkedIn user would do and I took it right to the groups and asked my fellow users the following question: how do you feel about being followed by someone not connected to you on LinkedIn? I’ve compiled some of the answers I got and am reporting them back to you here (I even got a LinkedIn employee in on the discussion!).

Overall, I received a wide range of responses. Some of my fellow group members felt against the whole idea and some were all for being followed. Both sides presented great points. I’ll let you decide where you stand for yourself, but here are some of the pros and cons to being followed on LinkedIn:

Based off of the findings listed above, I’ve come up with my own conclusion on the LinkedIn follow feature (for now). I think following can certainly present some good opportunities (and obviously, an overwhelming number of responses from other users all show they share the same sentiment) but I also think it’s important to use discretion in your online activity. While I still think there should be an option to opt out of being followed by anyone, as long as you’re aware that this feature exists, you can better protect yourself in the future. So, why not take a moment to stop by your LinkedIn page and check out your followers?

Would you like to read more about potential security risks on social networking sites similar to what you’ve just read? Download a copy of our latest whitepaper, which gives you advice on how to protect yourself on social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. If you would like a copy of the whitepaper, please click here.

Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it.”

–Russell Baker, American journalist and humorist

Monday marked the official start of the summer and while most of us may be concerned with losing a few extra pounds around our midsection or toning up our pecks before hitting the shores this season, this might not be the only shaping up that needs to happen.

This summer, treat your resume like you do your bathing suit bod and you will find much more ease with your job search! You may want to evaluate your current situation and determine the best strategy to boost your chances of getting a call back. Depending on where you stand, you may find yourself bulking up, slimming down or simply just toning up your resume a bit over the summer:

Need to bulk up: Is your resume looking a little bare? Need to beef it up? If you need to add to your resume, you may want to consider doing some volunteer work at local charities, alumni associations, community groups, professional interest groups, etc.

Volunteer work gives you a chance to gain important workplace skills and some extra experience. You can take it a step further by getting involved on the leadership level of an organization! Consider an elected or appointed position, the Board of Directors or possibly acting as a community advocate. Getting involved in higher levels of volunteer-based organizations will not only show you are self-motivated but will also let potential employers get to know a little more about what your passions are. Not to mention that volunteering can also lead to good job references and loads of networking opportunities.

Another way you can bulk up your resume would be taking additional courses and certifications. They may require a bit of a time commitment but you’ll be able to attend them at most local community colleges and educational facilities. Listing additional courses and certifications on your resume show you have some initiative, something all employers are looking for in potential employees.

Slim Down: Feel like you’ve got too much weight carried around on your resume? Is it bogging you down? Slimming down your resume may be just the trick, but it can be hard to do. We’ve all felt the need to include as much as possible on our resume, but in fact, you may end up jeopardizing your chances by including too much. The most important thing you can do on your resume is to have clearly described your skills and strengths. If you’ve done this and get asked in for an interview, feel free to go in depth at that time. So make sure you trim the fat. Avoid long lists of duties for jobs you’ve held and keep it to the facts that emphasize your accomplishments and successes. The most important thing you can do to keep a lean, mean resume is to keep it straight forward and concise.

As a rule of thumb for your resume, try to remember that less can actually be more!

Side note: If you are a more experienced job seeker and need to trim down your resume, a good way to do this (as well as prevent any possible age discrimination) could be leaving off the year you graduated from college. You may also leave off older work experience as well.

Just a little tone up: Some of you may only need a few touch-up revisions to your resume. If this is you, congratulations on winning half the battle! As you tone up your resume, you’ll want to make sure to look over your resume for keywords. These keywords will be crucial in grabbing a hiring manager’s and recruiter’s eye. If you want to spark up interest, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got keywords scattered throughout your resume. Take a look at job postings in your field to determine some of the common keywords that you should include in your resume. If you find a job you’d like to apply for and the posting lists certain skills that are required to apply, make sure you include those on your resume, too (as long as they are valid, of course).  You may also want to consider adding a brief “special skills” section in addition to employment history. This can be a collection of the words that best summarize your experience and skills. Lastly, if you’ve trained and worked with certain computer programs (for ex. Adobe Photoshop or Microsoft Excel), particularly if it’s unique and/or relevant to your profession, make sure you detail them as well.

Follow these tips and you’ll find yourself ready to beat the summer heat and feel your best throughout your entire job seeking process!

Sources:

Want to land an interview? Bulk up your resume with keywords! – ExecuSearch group

How to bulk up your resume – ehow

Opportunities to add keywords to your resume – Quintessential Resume Resumes and Cover Letters Tips