Finding the Work You Love

Getting LinkedIn

The old fashioned Rolodex seemed like such a great invention in its day. The device managed to hold all your scribblings and business cards in a single circular wheel and if you were ambitious or motivated enough to alphabetize everything and keep the information current, you could actually keep track of business associates, customers, and friends. Unfortunately, the Rolodex had one major drawback: If someone changed jobs or moved your card was toast. In fact, you could find yourself back to square one and completely out of touch.

Fast forward to the Digital Age. The Rolodex is DOA, though I'm certain you can still find one at an office supply store near you! More than 35 million people have turned to LinkedIn, which allows you to post your essential contact information and a resume online. This alone makes it a valuable tool for connecting to others. After changing jobs or moving, a quick update to one's profile keeps everyone connected. No more falling out of touch.

But LinkedIn serves as more than a way to post data and stay connected. It's also a way to network with others, ask questions and hold discussions, mine leads, and possibly find a new job. Corporate recruiters routinely scan LinkedIn for promising candidates. You can also check a job listings section, reverse check on hiring managers and other executives at a company, showcase your expertise or talent by participating in industry discussions, and let others know you are looking for work.

Meanwhile, small business owners can also use LinkedIn to amp up opportunities. You might expand your network and find new customers, give and receive references and recommendations, conduct market and business research, and post job listings of your own.

One of LinkedIn's most valuable features is the ability to view the connections of friends and colleagues. This creates a sort of "six degrees of profesional separation" that harnesses the full power of the Internet. It doesn't take a genuis to figure out that these individuals could represent new clients or customers as well as employers. But it can also help you reconnect to former colleagues and alumni groups.

Here's how LinkedIn works: When you join, you create a profile that summarizes your education, accomplishments, and work history. You then invite colleagues, clients, partners, and others of your choosing to “link in” to your network (and, conversely, they invite you). Once a person accepts, you can view his or her profile and other connections—as well as the additional people those connections know. LinkedIn offers a basic service that is free. For $20 to $200 per month, it also provides premium business accounts with more powerful features.

As with any networking tool, the bigger your investment in time and energy the greater your return. Last week I talked about using Twitter, the latest online service. While it's tempting to fire off a string of cliches (i.e. "Don't fix it if it ain't broke"; "Why reinvent the wheel?") just remember this disturbing fact: in today's business environment, standing still is the equivalent of moving backward. As other adopt these tools and use them to gain an advantage, you may find yourself a relic of a bygone era. Not exactly a comforting thought for an older worker.

But the opposite is true as well. Don't think that LinkedIn, Twitter, or any other service is going to automatically and single-handedly solve all your problems and catapult you to the top of the job market. In the end, finding the work (and job) you love is all about embracing a well-rounded approach and achieving balance in the quest for success.

The Working World is All Atwitter

Finding a job is never easy. For fifthysomething workers (or older) it may seem as though a foray into a new career or job is akin to entering an alien world straight out of Star Wars. You may hear words like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter and feel completely overwhelmed.

Today, let's take a look at Twitter and how it can help you land work. The microblogging site lets you post 140 character updates and ramblings. Think of it as text messaging on steroids. Other people follow you and you follow those you are interested in. You can message others and carry on public or private conversations online. Hence, the reason this service is called social networking. It's really all about exchanging news, thoughts, and ideas with others from all corners of the globe.

Here's where Twitter can prove valuable: If you have expertise on a subject--whether it's budget travel, marketing, or Web design--you can post news, tips, information, and more. Over time, and assuming you are providing valuable information and useful links--followers will gain respect for you and look to you for expertise. In essence, you're branding yourelf and establishing a reputation in a given field.

But gaining a following is only half the task. You also need to figure out who to follow. Some individuals play the numbers game and follow as many people as they can, in the hope that others will follow them back. But it may be wise to look toward a narrower group that's in line with your professional interests and aspirations. You can use the Twitter search tool for areas of keywords and common interests. Once you identify people who match your criteria, you can follow them and hope that they follow back. Again, over time, your trusted circle becomes larger and more powerful. If you're doing things right, you will find yourself connecting to other experts and authorities in your professional field.

This is where Twitter emerges as a powerful tool. It's then possible to expand these connections beyond Twitter and into e-mail, the telephone, even in person. Coffee or lunch isn't outside the realm of possibility once people get to know and trust each other. Moreover, many companies and professional recruiters monitor Twitter and look for promising candidates.

If all of this seems like a good deal of work, well...it is. But like any effort, the time and energy you invest will pay dividends down the line. A few things to know, however:

1. Don't expect overnight results. You must build a following and establish connections with others you want to follow well before you actually need it. This process can take weeks or months. It requires that you post items regularly and participate in discussions. Remember, the more you give the more you get back.

2. You must learn how to use Twitter effectively. You need to set up a good profile. Not surprisingly, there are rules and eqitquette you must follow. Step outside the boundaries and you are like to find yourself spinning your wheels and going nowhere.

3. Be careful what you say. Don't badmouth anyone and understand that although you don't see all the people out there in Twitterland, they are there...and seeing your Tweets. More than a few individuals have short-circuited their job or career search by posting something dumb.

4. Enjoy the process. Try to have some fun with networking online and getting more familiar with social netowrking in general. As with anything in life, good things often happen when you're not trying too hard and forcing the action.

5. Don't think of Twitter as simply a way to find a job. Building a network can lead to many additional dividends, including new friends, emotional support, and freelance or consulting gigs. Keep your radar up and remain open to new opportunties.

Finding the work you love can take many forms. Twitter is just one of them. But these days it pays to think social--and in networking.

Personal Branding Makes a Mark

These days, branding is everything. Product manufacturers spend millions of dollars developing names and brands--so they can stand out in an increasingly crowded marketplace. You should think branding too. It can help guide your career and help you achieve greater success, says Dan Schawbel, personal branding expert and author of the forthcoming book Me 2.0 (Kaplan, April 2009).

In today's sagging economy, personal branding is more important than ever. I recently caught up with Dan and asked him how older workers can develop a unique brand both online and offline.

Q: What is personal branding?

A: Personal branding is how we market ourselves to others.  It's a process.

Q: Why should job seekers think about it?

A: Right now, there are 3.3 job seekers for every job and there have been more than 1.2 million layoffs this past year.  Job seekers have no choice but to differentiate themselves based on their unique skills, passions and overall brand.  It's a crowded marketplace out there for talent, so if you aren't an ambitious job seeker, who understands that the old ways of applying for a job are history, then you are going to have a very tough year ahead of you.  Recruiters are already Google'ing your name or searching for it on social networks.  You won't exist to the world if you aren't found and the best way to be found is to use social media tools to create a virtual ad for yourself, your personal brand.

Q: What are a few of the challenges for older workers in terms of branding themselves effectively?

A: Older workers have a tough time branding themselves because they have already been branded many times by colleagues and it's hard for them to reinvent themselves.  Also, they are seen as lacking technological proficiencies, such as expertise in social media.  They are used to using the phone, a fax machine or email, while the younger generation prefers instant messaging and social networking.  Older workers are at risk in this economy because company's can pay younger workers half their salaries to do the same caliber of work.  Many older workers have neglected their inner passions, so they end up stuck in a career that may provide for their family, but not cater to their career aspirations.  It's hard to switch careers when you're older because you've already built up a resume in a specific area and don't have the skills to transfer.

Q: What branding strategies and techniques are most effective, particularly for workers age 45 and over?

A: I would recommend that same branding strategies, in general, for almost anyone.  This means that you still have to have a personal branding toolkit, composed of a resume, cover letter, references document, LinkedIn Profile, website and, depending on your area of expertise, a portfolio.  I think it's important that you forget about your job title and start thinking about a personal brand statement.  Based on everything you've done in the past, how do you want to position yourself for now and in the future?  A personal brand statement explains who you are, what you do and who your audience is.  For me, it's "the leading personal branding expert for Gen-Y."  Use that framework when constructing your own.  If you operate a business, then it's important you have a separate website and link back and forth between your website and the company's.

Q: What are the biggest mistakes people make when branding themselves?

A: A lot of people don't brand themselves properly.  Some select a general topic instead of a niche, which others don't align their expertise with their passion (personal branding fuel), so their careers don't take off.  Others fail to set smart goals, such that they have a clear destination.  I've even seen some people get so much feedback from their peers on what their brand is that it doesn't even resemble who they are inside.

Q: Is it necessary to rebrand one's self from time to time?

A: Madonna would say yes to this question, but I think it depends on who you are, what you want to do in life and your current position (financially and in your career).  I don't think it's always about rebranding, but more about staying relevant to the times.  As the tools change, you have more channels by which you can convey your message, but you remain the same.  It's not about the technology.  It's about who you are inside and, if you figure that out, your brand will naturally grow on the outside.

Q: Anything else that job seekers should be aware of?

A: Job seekers should stop sitting around and stop sleeping for 9 hours each night.  If you want to make your dreams come true you have to earn it by working hard and working smart.  If you build a powerful personal brand, especially online, opportunities will be attracted directly to you, without you having to apply for them.  Just ensure that your brand is consistent both online and offline because otherwise that brand promise won't be kept and you won't get the job.

If you'd like more information and additional resources, check out Dan Schawbel's branding Website: www.personalbrandingblog.com.