Summary:

1. Update the resume when you’re NOT looking.
2. Be creative with the format but keep a plain text version for the fun forms.
3. Feature relevant web information (like LinkedIn recommendations)
4. Watch your public profile online.

If you’re like the typical person, you update your resume when you’re looking for a job.  So in 6 months or a year or two years, you’ll pull it out and do some editing, then send it out.  Here’s the thing… sometimes you forget about your biggest accomplishments and in your rush to hit the apply now button you’re not very thoughtful about the edits. If you’re hasty in sending it, don’t you think others may be hasty in their review?

I remember to update my resume when I do performance evaluations with my manager.  In my organization we do PE’s every year.  When you sit down and talk about your accomplishments, they are fresh in your head – so updating the resume from there should be a breeze.  I’m happy in my current gig but I want to be prepared if an opportunity for advancement presents itself.  I don’t want to have to scramble to find/update/polish my resume.

I just worked on a new resume format because most of my work is now digital and many employers are looking for links to the work you’ve done.  Since I’m edging more towards strategy and not actual web design, I didn’t feature a lot of the websites I built.  I also featured two key recommendations from my linkedin profile and then gave a link to where they could read the rest of my recommendations.

FYI – When you apply for a job at some companies they look at your social media.  I remember hearing about a girl that didn’t receive a position because of a racy facebook profile picture.  People make judgments about you from your interaction in social media so watch how you speak or if you are one of those ‘freer’ spirits, just clean it up when you’re looking for a gig.

If you’re not happy with your job, apparently you’re not alone – but take heart.  A new HBR article discusses job crafting and describes it as “…a powerful tool for reenergizing and reimagining your work life.”

Essentially the article advocates that you map out your duties and modify tasks, relationships, and even your perception around certain things.

You start by thinking about what motivates you, your strengths, and the things you’re passionate about.  This is where a lot of your job satisfaction comes into play.

For some, you may be able to do a lot of this on your own, but bringing your manager in could be helpful.  The article mentions that leaders want to improve job satisfaction but they don’t have time to develop the plan, etc…  It shows initiative.

We’ll see. 

And how great is this?  HBR made this a free article to access, so check it out and let me know what you think!

madia

Managing your personal brand is important for a lot of professionals.  For those of us interested in advancing in the corporate world, it makes sense to think about what your online life says about you.

Employers sometimes view job candidates’ social network pages as part of their research.  In a survey done by CareerBuilder, 45% of respondents said they did.  It goes without saying that if you enjoy posting risky or potentially offensive content, you should probably maintain your privacy filters very closely.  Maybe you should just maintain those on a site that doesn’t have your name on it…

Protect your privacy, but what about the flip side?  Could potential employers like some of what they see on your profile, and could that profile be helpful in landing you the job or at least making you stand out?  Here are some quick points:

• Don’t fake it. If you find your potential boss is into whitewater rafting, it’s probably not the best idea to say that’s one of your hobbies.  Even if you get the gig – you’d have to live with that lie for waaaay too long.
• Search yourself. I look up my search results all the time.  You’ll probably see things about your past jobs, and all of your web life. You may see things all over the spectrum from schools you attended, boards you served on, etc…  Here I scan to make sure my privacy settings are working.  If you have a very common name, then you could be safe – but social networks can search for people in different areas…
• See through their eyes. Think about the position(s) you’re applying for and what type of person they’re looking for.  Look for ways to align yourself with values you share with the company.  Look for ways to show your involvement in discussions about your industry or functional expertise.  Don’t be cheesy and obvious, but you can change your FB profile summary pretty easily.  Why not say something interesting about your work?

There are real ways to add content to your social media profile that help distinguish you from the crowd and make you a real person, not just a resume currently atop the pile.

I am a marketer, and a pretty serious one.  I am a writer.  I emphasize getting a point across – one on one or in a group.  I am a speaker.  Clearly I like to talk people and I’m pretty good at it.

I am a singer and a songwriter.  I’ve released two albums and am finally back in the studio working on the third.  My albums have digital distribution and can be found online at iTunes, Napster, Amazon, and other marketplaces.  Yeah Madia does music and Madia [a.k.a. logan] does marketing.

I always thought people should pick something, and get good at it.  It wasn’t because I didn’t think people could be good at multiple things.  I did and I do!  I think that when we summarize people in our head, we can only fit one thing.  As people we define other people in a very small box.  I think most mental summaries are a word or two.   Mother.  Musician.  Marketer.  Writer.

We define people by the role we know them to play or the role that is most prominent – and because of that, I conformed to the idea that I have to be one thing now that I’m a grown up and can no longer pass for a college student.  (maybe a grad student…)  People told me I had to pick something.

So I’m coming out to multiple groups that I have worked very hard to keep separate.  Why?

• It’s bound to happen.
• I might as well control the message. (inner marketer)
• If we’re friends you’ll hopefully make my box a lil bigger.
• If we’re not friends, maybe you’ll resist putting others in a box.

If you’re a person of multiple talents, I think letting the walls down is good.  It shows you have multiple strengths and sometimes unique insights as a result of your multiple perspectives.  They told me to pick something… but I’m ignoring that advice.

I think it’s an interesting question.  In my mind, an individual aligned with their company’s core competencies is well placed.  Here’s the rationale.

1. Clear career path – The company has experience in helping people in their core disciplines move up in the organization.  It may not be perfectly defined, but the opportunity is there.
2. Valuation - If you do supply chain management at Walmart, chances are people can tell when you’re really good.  Since the company values that expertise appropriately, I’d venture to guess that your salary is close to market rate.  If you work for an organization that doesn’t understand the value of what you do then it’s more likely that there will be a mismatch in expectation and reward.
3. Tools - I’m sure they don’t argue when graphic designers demand design software.  There’s probably a corporate project that assigns them the software when they start the job and it’s on their computer as a standard install.  Now if a person in communications wants design software, there are 100 obstacles and 15 manager approvals required.  That’s because it’s an unusual request.
4. Get Better Faster – When you’re working around people that do what you do well, I think you can’t help but to improve.  You’re more tied in to industry standards, best practices, and you get to watch the masters.  How many of your managers do you see being asked to speak at industry conferences?  That may be a good indicator.

Now in all fairness I’ve tried to think of some benefit the person has that is doing marketing at a “non-marketing” organization.  I’ve come up with a few.

1. Rock Star Status - Sometimes you don’t even have to do something well, you just have to do something they’ve never seen before and you become a rock star.  That could bode well for your career at that Company if you decide to stay and grow there (across disciplines)
2. Coast - I think you can stand to relax a little in this position compared to being at a company that sets the standard for your discipline.  The pressure of being a developer at a place like Microsoft is probably a little less than that of a developer that works for Walmart.  So maybe you have some work/life balance values and decide to work somewhere where your job is not as scrutinized or… valued.
3. You’ve done your time and now you want to lead - Most of the people leading have diverse experience in their field and their crowning position is leading a team.  I think PR jumps out as a good example.  Some people build their experience at different PR firms and then they decide to go lead PR for a corporation.    They have the passport stamps to prove where they’ve been.

When I look back over the lists, I find myself  being drawn to the top.  Are there benefits I’m not thinking of?  What do you think?

- madia

Oh wait – I did have some tips.

• Prepare
  Okay look, I know you’re good on your feet but a year is a long time to remember all the cool things you’ve done. Gather your thoughts and be organized. It helps even if your manager is prepared. If they’re not then you still won’t slip through the cracks because of their lack of preparation.
• Be Honest About Your Shortcomings
  We’re all human. Sometimes things fall off the plate. Be candid and ready to create safeguards in the new year that will help you get a focus on your weak areas.
• Don’t Get Emotional
  I know you may be picturing a female employee crying in her bosses office but that’s not it. Anger is an emotion too. I try to leave most of those emotions at home anyway for my FB circle at least… In my preliminary review this year I tried to hear what my manager was saying but I got sidetracked for a moment with defending my position on some of the scores we disagreed on. Don’t let ‘em knock you off your game, even if you are surprised by some things. Focus and get what’s useful
• Lose the Apathy
  It does matter because if someone wants to hire you internally, chances are these reviews are available to them. Maybe it won’t make or break your career but I think you should be proactive about discussing your accomplishments and citing where you disagree with your manager. It’s not that you got a score or two bumped, it’s more about making sure the work you do is understood and properly assessed.

What do you think? If your organization doesn’t do 360 degree assessments, you can certainly get one done yourself. You basically ask a group of people that work with you to give their insights about the work you do. In a typical evaluation you just hear from your manager. With something like this you can hear from people all around your organization that see the work you do. http://www.reachcc.com/360Reach

Economic Growth Forum

Since I was just talking about unemployment, I thought it would be a good idea to spread the word about the forum. This might seem a little distant for those of us currently searching for employment, but I think we may be able to glean some information about which industries might be on the rise, etc…

NY Times Article

I’ve been moved to blog because I found an article about how even educated African Americans are having a tougher time getting employment than their counterparts. The article remains one of the NYT most popular, another sign that this topic is of some concern to many people. I’m going to share a few tips that should help all job seekers market themselves a little better.

Check out the NYT article here.

I do think that African Americans have a significant social barrier in society because there are several negative stereotypes associated with being black. Some may say that all stereotypes are negative but if people assume you’re smart and good with a computer because of your race… I think that’s evidence of a stereotype working FOR you. While most people that aren’t black choose to chalk this theory up to paranoia, I’ll spend my time trying to be helpful instead of debating that idea.

Let’s state the obvious. Unemployment in the U.S. is over 10% and everybody is looking for a job. I’m entertaining offers and I have a job… soooo that leads me to believe that a lot of jobs are getting a lot of applications. Also, in tough times you have people with multiple degrees taking jobs just to get their foot in the door or worse yet, bills paid and food on the table. It’s a competitive market out there and I think you have to make yourself stand out. Hence… marketing yourself in a recession.

So here are my thoughts:

1. Use your network.
   In business school they always talked about leverage. Well leveraging your personal network of friends, former colleagues & managers is an important piece. When you apply for a job online, you are one in a stack. It’s been proven over and over that people hire based on recommendation. If you have established yourself on social networks, use them. I’m not just talking LinkedIn. Why not update your status on FB or Twitter to include the job you’d like to do? Could you upload your resume to those sites? Of Course! Send a group message to all your friends, whatev! You’re on the hunt here for your next big thing!
2. Get out of the house.
   I love my apartment just as much as you do but you’re not going to find a job sitting at the computer on theladders.com all day. Soooo you might as well get out of the house. Heading to your nearest pub probably won’t be as useful. So be strategic. Check out what events are going on around your profession. There’s a Social Media Club that meets locally. If you’re a marketer, it might be worthwhile to hit up one of their events. Use professional associations to keep you plugged in to the profession while you’re waiting for a gig. My advice is to leave the resume in the car but start talking to people. If you don’t know them I wouldn’t start with Hi, I’m looking for a job. Just socialize and try to get some cards. If the topic comes up you can mention that you’re currently in the market for a new gig but focus on what you’ve done. Life is one big interview.

More later on this topic my friends. Unfortunately (or As luck would have it) I’ve got to head to work… after all I’d like to stay employed.

In the meantime, share thoughts and questions if you have ‘em and I’ll be sure to speak to those in the next post!

I am doing some really cool things with video that I’ll remember to blog about soon!

One of the lessons my parents taught us was that we have to be aware of the people we surround ourselves with. I chose to pursue relationships with individuals that are smart and forward thinking. For that approach – I have grown in leaps and bounds.

I’ve been thinking about this lesson in a more professional context. As I think about my next career step, I want to be aligned with the “company” I keep. I’ve developed a list of questions I want to answer before making a decision about my next employer:

• Does this company reflect, through its people and practice, values that I believe in?
• Does the company articulate a vision that I can more than give a sleepy nod to?
• Does this company place real emphasis on helping the community?
• How will this environment be supportive, but challenging?
• What opportunities exist to help employees get better?
• How does the company manage talent? Is there a visible career path?

You should think about it too. If you’re building a career at a company how would you answer these questions. Would you be satisfied with the answers? As a professional it’s not enough that someone wants to hire you. What are they offering?

If you do in fact enjoy the Company you keep – there are great benefits. You are more satisfied with your career, you feel a part of something bigger than just you and overall work doesn’t seem so much like work.

At least, that’s what I think. What do you think? Help me finish the list.