Networking

{Click here to read the original article on Careerrocketeer.}

As an introvert leader, it’s no mystery to you that you need to expand your network. Nevertheless, that knowledge has done very little to prompt you to do anything about it – has it?

It’s a lot like losing weight. You know you should be exercising and eating right but you just never get around to doing the right thing for yourself. Read more

{Click here to read the original article on Real Simple.}

Whether you’re happily employed or seriously hunting for a new job, schmoozing is smart policy. But what if you’re the type who’d rather stick needles in her eyes than “work a room”? Here are five super-helpful strategies from the pros. Read more

{Click here to read the original article on The Muse.}

When it comes to your career, sometimes it feels like you could use all the advice you can get. From picking the “right” career to actually excelling in it, there’s certainly a lot to learn.

And that’s why we’ve gathered our all-time best career advice. From starting out at the bottom of the totem pole to advancing to a more senior position to – who knows? – maybe even branching out to open your own business, we’ve collected 45 of the best tips for whatever stage you’re at in your career. Read more

{Click here to read the original article on Careerrocketeer.}

Back in the job market for an executive role? You may have encountered (or wondered about) potential age discrimination when putting yourself “out there” for an executive job search.

If you find yourself experiencing rejection in your job applications, the possibility of age discrimination may seem all too real.

Yet, it’s possible that you’re actually CALLING attention to your age – more so that your leadership qualifications. Read more

{Click here to read the original article on Real Simple.}

Whether you’re looking for a new job or just want to network, use these tips to make your profile more effective.

You’ve friended just about everyone you’ve ever met on Facebook (including your crush from the summer of ‘89). You’re a pro at curating deceptively easy dinner-party recipes on Pinterest. And on Twitter you have a couple of hundred followers reading your 140-character zingers. Yet all this time you’ve hesitated to join LinkedIn. Are you missing out? Here’s a guide to the career-networking website, along with ways to navigate it if you do sign up.<!–more–>

Who should use LinkedIn?

If you work in health care, finance, marketing, event planning, law, technology, consulting, human resources, or sales or at a nonprofit, “the site is a great place to connect with people who can help you professionally, and vice versa, whether you’re job-seeking or networking,” says Victoria Ipri, the CEO of Ipri International, a Philadelphia-based marketing firm that specializes in LinkedIn strategies. About 26 percent of companies research potential employees on the site, according to a 2013 CareerBuilder study. Feel free to skip membership, however, if you’re contentedly self-employed with a trade like personal organizing or gardening; you’ll be able to market yourself to clients more easily on Facebook.

Should you connect with your best friend?

What about a stranger? Your college roommate is a nurse, and you’re an accountant. So you can’t really assist each other professionally, right? Not necessarily. “You’re not just connecting with a person, but their network as well. She may have a link to someone who could help you,” says Viveka von Rosen, the author of LinkedIn Marketing ($30, amazon.com). For the same reason, it’s also wise to consider accepting a request from someone you don’t know. “When you receive a random invitation, look at the sender’s profile and determine if it is a quality connection for your needs and circumstances before accepting or rejecting it,” says Ipri.

What’s the best way to grow your network?

Use the site’s “People You May Know” tool (located on the right side of your page) to reach out to professionals with similar backgrounds and connections. If you’re interested in working for a particular company (IBM or Procter & Gamble, say), go to its page and click to “follow” it, then look at the list of people who work there. Next, find an employee whose path you would like to emulate, then invite her to connect, says Nicole Williams, the resident career expert at LinkedIn: “To demonstrate that you would be a meaningful connection, write a note that conveys that you have done research on her employer and her personal accomplishments.”

How frequently do you need to check in?

Every day for a few minutes, and once a week for about a half hour. That’s how much time you’ll need to write to a new connection and to participate in a group discussion. Keep in mind: “Hiring managers are 10 times more likely to look at your profile if you post something at least weekly,” says Williams.

Should your profile page replicate your résumé?

It should be even more detailed. Think of it as your résumé, plus everything else that you couldn’t fit on it, like video clips of speeches that you’ve given and news articles about your work, says von Rosen. The more thorough you are in describing yourself, the easier it is for an employer to assess your qualifications. So go on—toot your own horn.

{Click here to read the original article on Careerrocketeer.}

A while ago I wrote a piece titled…

“No” may not be final!

The point of the article was that it’s not unusual for a company to be interested in hiring a particular candidate even after they rejected them for a position they were initially pursuing. The article gave a number of reasons to be sure to let the employer know you would still be interested in pursuing other opportunities at the organization as something appropriate arises. Read more

{Click here to read the original article on Careerrocketeer.}

When I openly discuss Introverted Leadership, it gets a lot of reaction. The one that interests me the most is when people don’t know for sure they are an introvert. All they know is that they face daily challenges that come from their own tendencies.

Are you facing challenges due to your own behavior?

My view on this is that it doesn’t really matter if you are an “official” introvert as measured by the Meyers-Briggs assessment. What matters is that if you are faced with some introverted tendencies (which we all have at times) – do they get in your way of achieving your goals? Read more

{Click here to read the original article on TheMuse.com.}

I watched Wolf of Wall Street recently, which inspired several flashbacks to my days in finance, working in the pit for a large bank. Seeing those crowded trading desks and excited sales traders reminded me how hard most of those people worked to try to get ahead.

Probably too hard. Read more

{Click here to read the original article on LinkedIn.}

The process of job search has changed from the old days of searching the job listings in the classified section of the newspaper. Technology and the internet have changed every aspect of our lives of course, but other factors have impacted the way employers hire people. Job seekers must execute a diversified strategy and employ a variety of activities to leverage as many career options as possible.

Employers have become more sophisticated in ways that impact job seekers significantly. Job applications must be analyzed and dissected prior to resume customization. Many employers prefer to bring in professional and technology staff as contractors before hiring them ‘permanently’. The recruiting industry provides targeted outsourcing, consulting services and permanent placement opportunities in ‘niche’ markets that were unknown 15 years ago. Read more

{Click here to read the original article on Careerrocketeer.}

I had a discussion with a senior level executive recently about the best way they can find a new job. I was encouraging them to network with as many people as they can to gain information, leads, and referrals.

They were cynical of the recommendation. Read more