Career Tune-Up
T.A.P. Q#429 âÂ" I'm the Best Employee, So Why Don't I Get the Best Pay?
February 2, 2010 12:37pm from CareerealismFrugality is a career tool
February 1, 2010 1:02pm from Brazen CareeristListening Is A Form Of Flattery
February 1, 2010 8:24am from ERE Blog Central
"Listening, not imitation, may be the sincerest form of
flattery." - Joyce Brothers
This quote (I love quotes) came to mind when I started writing this article. And while not I'm not a big Joyce Brothers fan per say, I think there's more truth here than not. After all, none of us really likes being copied - but we love when someone shuts the heck up and lets us talk, right?
So why wouldn't our approach to social media (even for recruitment!) be the same - at least at its base? Why wouldn't we start by ensuring that every single soul we pull in to talk about social engagement or ambassadorships understand the importance of listening to our industry or "customers" and how it should be a priority over broadcasting to them? I think this is important - and sometimes gets missed in the rush (or pressure) to get on board and ride the social media wave. Besides - we'll have a much better feel for who is talking about us and their perception of our [employment] brand if we'll listen and monitor what's being said already.
In a previous article titled Making Friends on Facebook vs Teams at Work I mentioned a few departments that might be ideal to have involved on a de-centralized Social Media team. It was actually a follow-up article from my intial ask of the readers here to Whisper about What's Broken where I received some solid feedback about team building around social teams. So this is another quick chapter to touch on what might conceptually come next in an ideal world... Teaching our teams to listen and monitor the conversation that's already going on.
There are lots of ways to monitor what's being said about a company or brand that will enable your or team members to actively reach out and take part in conversations. SocialMention.com, Google Alerts and Searches managed through RSS feeds are just a few. And while there are several options out there that can be purchased and customized, I've always been a fan of free tools like NetVibes that can function as an aggregator of sorts. Of course if you're serious (and have a budget) you'll want to give some solid consideration to commercial options that will provide not just notifications but also analytics, reporting and even delegation of tasks.
Need some help with NetVibes? No worries!
Check out this quick video on how to set up a page with some of the
basics. (okay, it's not terribly quick - but it's good!)
Once you've gone through it I think you'll see easily enough how to
incorporate various blog, twitter, or major engine searches.
NetVibes is just one way to help manage your time and stay aware of
what's going on around your brand while avoiding that Social Media Time Suck.
Enough importance can't be put on digging in and finding out what people are saying about your product or company. Once you understand what's being said it's that much easier to craft your approach or decide how you'll engage the influencers out there. I think that ideally there are subject matter experts or "point" people that are primarily responsible for listening and (gasp!) reporting on what's found online. But they shouldn't be expected to shoulder the entire listening portion of the project alone.
If a person in HR were to stumble on a message board where people were gathering to complain about an interview process or continually ask the same question about pay and benefits it would be nothing less of irresponsible to not pass along to a Recruiter (if not their "social recruiting" team) a link to the conversation. The same would be said of the Recruiter that while sourcing for retail applicants came accross a website dedicated to complaining about a particular product.
It's everyone's job to listen first.
Originally posted on RecruiterGuy.net
Make the Best Impression
January 29, 2010 12:37pm from About HR
Leading meetings,
speaking in public, standing up to a
workplace bully, or sharing ideas with your boss are all
positive career enhancers. Your ability to present yourself
articulately in the workplace will massively affect how far your
career will travel.
Some studies of elementary classrooms indicate that young girls receive more positive attention from teachers. This is often linked to the earlier development of communication skills by girls than boys. So, too, in the workplace, the employees who are more willing to speak up - intelligently, of course - receive more attention from the organization's leaders.
Speaking in public is a skill every employee needs to cultivate. Whether that involves speaking up at a meeting, or talking to your child's classmates about your career, or actually making public presentations, speaking is one more tool you can use to achieve your personal life and work vision and mission.
Your professional image and your communication skills matter, as well. Your communication and the image you present create the first impression - often the lasting impression - on the people you meet. Making a good impression isn't quite good enough. It's important to take the time to make the best possible impression you can.
Related: Your Image is You | Work Like You're Showing Off
Image é Stockbyte / Getty Images
Make the Best Impression originally appeared on About.com Human Resources on Friday, January 29th, 2010 at 09:38:54.
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[Read Entry]Second-Guessing Your Career Choice?
January 28, 2010 12:37am from CareerealismDoing more with less
January 26, 2010 3:26pm from The Performance & Talent Management Blog5 High-Impact Career Habits
January 26, 2010 12:37am from The Thin Pink LineWorkplace News You Cannot Use
January 25, 2010 10:23pm from Brazen CareeristWhy You Need a Mentor
January 22, 2010 4:37pm from About Career PlanningPresident Obama recently announced a mentoring program for boys who live in the D.C. area. Michelle Obama started a similar program for girls last fall. Children who participate in both programs will be paired with members of the President's administration. They will receive guidance from these men and women, which will hopefully set them on a path to a successful future. Don't you wish you could have taken part in a program like that when you were younger? What a benefit it is for these children to receive guidance from successful adults.
Having a mentor can be extremely valuable to children, but it can also be essential to adults who are starting off on their career paths. Getting advice from someone who has been where you are now can help you advance in your career. He or she can introduce you to the right people, help you avoid making serious mistakes and give you pointers on getting along with your boss and co-workers.
Read More: Why You Need a Mentor
Why You Need a Mentor originally appeared on About.com Career Planning on Friday, January 22nd, 2010 at 13:45:34.
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[Read Entry]Negotiating Severance Packages
January 22, 2010 3:37pm from Alison's Job Searching Blog
As he exited the Tonight Show this week, Conan O'Brien skillfully negotiated a $45 million severance package. The deal includes $12 million in severance pay for his staff.
Most of us aren't in the position to negotiate a deal like that - or to make sure staff are compensated, as well, and I give him a lot of credit for taking care of his people, as well as himself.
For regular folks though severance pay is typically a difference story. Some people think that employers are required to give them a severance package - they aren't. If you're lucky enough to be offered a severance package, or you have an employment agreement that provides for severance, you may be able to negotiate a better deal, but maybe not. In many cases the offer is the offer and it's etched in stone - take it or leave it.
Here's more on severance pay from the employer's perspective from Susan Heathfield, About.com's Guide to Human Resources.
Related: Severance Pay | Severance Packages
Photo Copyright webking
Negotiating Severance Packages originally appeared on About.com Job Searching on Friday, January 22nd, 2010 at 14:29:45.
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[Read Entry]Networking at a Networking Event
January 18, 2010 3:58pm from Career-Resumes Blog9 Ways to Be Happy in a Job You Don't Like
January 18, 2010 12:37am from CareerealismLearning Doesn't Stop Once You Have the Job
January 17, 2010 12:37am from Careerealism"Show Time:" A Fast Way to Gain Confidence
January 15, 2010 2:14pm from Marty Nemko
By nature, I'm an introverted, mildly sad
person. Of course, if I were to behave that way at work, I'd be
less helpful to my career coaching clients and to listeners to my
radio show.
So, before starting work, I literally say to myself, "Show Time:" I pretend I'm my most energetic, upbeat self. Forcing myself into that mode actually makes me feel more upbeat. Yes, fake it 'til you make it. It really is like that old song, "Whistle a Happy Tune:" When I fool the people...I fool myself as well." All that song's lyrics are instructive, so here's a link to them. At that site, you also can make that song a ringtone on your cell phone.
Also helping to keep me upbeat is my recognizing that even world-class experts are often wrong. CEOs lose millions of shareholder dollars, graduates of top medical schools kill patients, Al Gore predicted rapid, devastating global warming, after which there has been a decade of flat or declining average global temperatures with many experts predicting no increase for another 10 to 15 years. Indeed Nicholas Kristof in a New York Times article summarized research that finds that expert predictions are little better than what a chimpanzee's. So, while I do my best to be smart and I acknowledge my extent of ambiguity on an issue, my awareness of humans' great fallibility, enables me to sally forth without undue hesitation.
I'm also helped to be confident by maintaining a sense of perspective. My advice is unlikely to make that much difference: The recipients may not follow it or they may follow it and it won't improve their life much. Too, I remember that I'm but one of seven billion people on the planet, in a tiny slice of the infinity of time. Yes, I try, absolutely, to give the best counsel I can, and I spend much reading, studying, learning so that my advice is the best possible. But I don't overinflate my advice's import.
Other techniques that may help you be your most confident self when it's Show Time:
- For some people, clothes indeed make the man (or woman.) Dress
in the way that makes you feel most confident. Chris, the client,
who I just finished a videoskype session with, said that wearing
his father's watch makes him act more confidently.
- Join Toastmasters.
It's a supportive way to gain poise and public speaking skills.
It's also a terrific networking opportunity.
T.A.P. Q#417 âÂ" Should I Quit if My Current Job Doesn't Interest Me?
January 15, 2010 12:37pm from CareerealismGuiding your career transition in the direction of future growth
January 15, 2010 3:24am from RiseSmart
New Job, New You
January 14, 2010 2:45pm from What Would Dad Say
Do you overemphasize happiness?
January 14, 2010 12:43pm from Brazen CareeristSending Farewell Messages
January 14, 2010 11:37am from Alison's Job Searching Blog
You've lost your job or you
have found a new one and you're moving on. As you depart,
it's important to take the time to
say farewell to your co-workers. Both to let them know
you're leaving or have left and because you want to be
able to stay in touch and provide them with your personal
contact information.
What's the best way to say farewell to your co-workers? Don't send a mass email. Instead, send personalized individual emails or messages via LinkedIn, rather than group messages, so your farewell message is personal. You can use this sample farewell message to let colleagues, clients, and your connections know that you are moving on.
Here's more how to say goodbye gracefully, including what to say, how to say it, and how to send a goodbye note.
Related:: Goodbye Letters | Resignation Letters
Photo é Steve Luker
Sending Farewell Messages originally appeared on About.com Job Searching on Thursday, January 14th, 2010 at 06:00:17.
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