Posts Tagged ‘HireFriday 2.0’

The Relationship Between Your Resume Writer & You? When Should You Hire A Resume Writer? When Should You Go It Alone? Do You When To Hold 'em? When To Fold 'em?

Margo Rose, Founder & CEO of HireFriday and HFChat follow me on Twitter: @HRMargo

This week, HFChat addresses the relationship between you, your resume, your resume writer, and your career.  How important is a resume?  Will a resume get you a job, or will it get you an interview?  Do you know when to hire a resume writer?  How do you select a resume writer?  How do you vet a resume writer?  How can you tell when it’s time to fish and cut bait when the resume writer simply isn’t for you?  Should you even bother hiring a resume writer when there are so many free resume formats and tools online?  All of these questions are fair game…but they are not the key questions of focus.   Your comments, editorials, and feelings about this topic are welcome in Friday’s HFChat.  @TomBolt is our co-moderator.  His wisdom in the recruitment community is unsurpassed.

I love this topic, because I have strong opinions it.  I also have an open mind about your strong opinions as well.  That’s what makes HFChat so compelling.  We keep an open mind about all view-points.  The only thing we ask for in return is common courtesy.  Personal, or professional attacks will not be tolerated.  Twitter is a gentile sometimes, and shrill others.  However, I’ve set the tone of HFChat as a civil, helpful, friendly, and open channel for exchange.  It is also a breeding ground for vigorous debate.  I love debate, in fact I welcome it.  All that I ask that there be no personal attacks during the chat.  If you want to attack somebody on your Twitter stream, that is your business.  Personal attacks will not be tolerated during our discussion.  It’s just bad form, and it shuts down open dialogue, and civil debate.

Why do I bring up these guidelines for discussion?  I am a Twitter chat enthusiast.  I have observed Twitter chats that have escalated into brutal exchanges.  I don’t believe in brutal exchanges during any Twitter chat.  If I have something downright personal to say to someone, I’d rather take it offline, or simply debate with them one on one.  Enough said.  I joke around with my colleagues all the time.  Most of us know the boundaries, where to start, and more importantly, where to stop.  Do I rant on my blog from time to time, sure I do.  It’s my blog.   I am an identity blogger. Offering editorials about what I observe in the human resources, and recruitment space is what I do here on HRMargo.com.

Here are the questions for your consideration.  Let’s examine the relationship between resume writers, and the #HireFriday job search community.  The following are the questions that will appear in tomorrows chat in sequential order:

1. Should one hire a resume writer, or go it alone?
2. There are a lot of free tools out there, so how does one make an informed decision?
3. What is the best way to select a professional resume writer?  How do you vet a resume writer, and make an informed decision?
4. What is the best way to communicate with a resume writer if you are not please with their process, or progress?
5. Resume writers, what do you want job seekers to know about your job?
6. Job seekers, what do you want resume writers to know about your search?

Typically, I like 3 questions for a one hour chat.  This is a meaty topic.  We may need to do this in two parts.  I’m not sure.  We may or may not get through six questions.  I prepared 6 questions in case the online chat stagnates, or loses focus.  Honestly, I think the first three questions could consume an entire hour.  We will get to as many questions as we can, and will answer as many questions as possible.  I have invited my favorite resume writers to participate.  I have also encouraged the professional human resource community, and recruitment community to participate as well.  What I love most about Twitter chats is that you just never know who will show up, what will be said, and how you can help.  The point is to help as many people as you can.  Remember, job seekers: you can help too.  Each of you has a valid point of view, an area of expertise, and are tremendous resources to our HireFriday Community.  That, and I love you.  I am one of you.  You are a part of my life, and I am a part of yours.

Sincerely,

Margo Rose, M.Ed, Human Resource Development

Founder & CEO of HireFriday

http://linkedin.com/in/margorose I accept all linkedin invitations from members of #HFChat and the #HireFriday Community.  Just mention HFChat or HireFriday in your invitation, and you will be welcomed into my network with open arms.

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Today’s theme song is about empowerment, and fun, and brilliantly hot. I download this on my ITunes.

What do airplanes, shooting stars, and wishes have in common with unemployment?  The lyrics discuss the wish upon a shooting star, let’s face it couldn’t we all use a wish right now? A wish right now might just lift a spirt, and encourage a heart.  HireFriday is here to help.  That is why I am disclosing my personal story of tragedy and loss.  Sometimes you have to lose it all to appreciate what you once had.  I know I did.  Unemployment is hard.  HireFriday can help.  People need to believe things will get better.   This is particularly true for the downtrodden, and the unemployed population.

Today, a debate raged on twitter during the animal blogtalkradio show. Should a candidate be pigeon holed into accepting a lower salary? Economic hardship can motivate desperate thoughts, and even depression. There are people who are so desperate they say, “I’ll take anything,” or ” I just want and need to work.” Are you one of those people? Do you ever fear losing your home, and cutting back way beyond the life style to which you have become to be accustomed? Have you taken a cut in pay or accepted a lateral position due to economic hardship?

This recession, or “deflationary depression,” as some economists refer to it. It’s taking a toll on humanity around the world. It’s not just people in the United States. The statistics for unemployment are bleak. Europe has been hit with record high inflation, and unemployment. It’s hard to maintain a positive attitude, and yet that is the most important thing a job seeker can do.   Job hunters have to be optimistic, empowered, and strong. They have to sell their skill sets, and present themselves as crucial resource people. Attitudes are contagious, is yours worth catching?

It’s important that people looking for a job adopt a consultative role during the interview; identify the problem, and provide concrete examples about how you’ve been able to solve those problems.  Tell a story about how you brought about outstanding results. Speak in terms of cost savings, and revenue generated. The more concrete your examples the more powerful your “sales pitch” will be. Remember, you are selling “You & Co.” Be the brand you wish to project. Hiring managers like to hear a positive attitude coupled with positive outcomes. A positive attitude is contagious, and a negative attitude is a turn-off. Is your attitude worth catching? Learn how to turn your answers into a vibrant story. When you can tell a compelling story about yourself, and you abilities, it makes you an attractive candidate.

Let me share a deeply personal story.  I grew up raising and training dogs.  When I started my career in human resources and recruiting, I secretly wished of owning a pet boutique, fast forward 15 years.  I jumped in, and like many new businesses I closed my doors within the first 3 years.  I remained in the pet industry until almost 2009.   Let me tell you the whole story.  When I closed The Paw Spa a few years ago, I felt as if the world was closing in all around me. Within a 6 month period, my Mother died of Alzheimer’s disease. I was deeply in love with a man who ended our relationship. My Brother died of kidney failure, and I had a serious injury at work. One month before I closed The Spa, an employee had mopped up after a dog doo accident. I was running from the cash register over to one of the tubs, and I slipped, fell, and cut open my right eye. I was bleeding profusely. I saw stars. My employee had clocked out before the accident, and I was alone, bloody, and in excruciating  pain.

Puppies make me feel better! Then again, who doesn't love a puppy?

Two wonderful regular customers stopped by and found me bleeding.

They rushed to my side. One of them rushed to Caribou Coffee to get ice, and a towel. The other stayed by my side, and asked me if I was OK. It was apparent I had a concussion. She helped me call a close friend who rushed to The Paw Spa, and took me immediately to the hospital. My eye required 8 stitches. I was devastated, and afraid I’d be scarred. I was disoriented, and confused. I went home to heal. I couldn’t eat, I didn’t even want to drink. All I wanted to do was go to bed, and pull the covers over my head. I wanted to remove the seemingly cruel outside world entirely. This was only one short month after my Mother died. I lost the will to go on with my life. Without my Mother, life felt meaningless. I didn’t just lose a Mother, I lost my best friend. She was the dearest person in the whole wide world. She was all I had left. When she died, a part of me died with her.

I was sad, and grief stricken. The grief after my blessed Mother’s passing would come and go in waves. It took a full year for me to heal the loss of my Mother. We were extremely close. The early stages of the recession devoured my profits. The recession ate my job. It became abundantly clear, it was time to close. I’m a spiritual woman. I believe in signs. The writing was on the wall. When I closed The Paw Spa, I grieved the business just as if I had lost a lover.

You see, the business replaced all of my relationships because I had to work extraordinarily long hours. My metaphorical ship was sinking, so was my soul. I felt as if I had no one to talk to, and no where to turn.  What’s worse, as a small business owner, I was afraid to file a workers compensation claim to heal my back, and wrist pain, and to pay my hospital bills.  A lawyer told me that’s what it was there for, and yet, I owned the business. What was I supposed to do, file a claim against myself?  I spent years in HR observing these claims. Urghhhhhhhhhhh. My Paw Spa clients loved me.  We missed each other terribly.  I kept seeing their dogs privately.  One customer insisted that I come work for him, and gratefully, I did.  I was his pet nanny.  I traveled with the family, cared for their dogs, and daughter.  I was a part of their family. But then came the unemployment, and that was hard. Painfully hard.

There were times back then when I preferred the company of dogs to people. After I lost my Mom & Brother, the dogs were the only family I had left. I felt safe with dogs.

HireFriday wasn’t even on my radar at the time. I sure could have used an emotional cheerleader at the time who would bolster my spirits. What I found is that my grief was so intense after the multiple losses in such a short span of time, I had become a burden to my friends.

I turned my grief inward. I grieved the loss of my business, and my job. I know how hard unemployment can be which is why I believe my background both professionally, and personally can be an added benefit to job seekers. I understand what protracted unemployment feels like. Don’t be surprised if you encounter hiring managers, recruiters and HR professionals who may be not so “compassionate.” Some employers discriminate against unemployed people. This brings up such powerful feelings of outrage, it’s hard to put my them into words. Suffice it to say, this practice is clearly wrong, short sighted, and completely insensitive.

This ravenous hunger for the passive candidate gives me pause to wonder. I’ve come to the conclusion that passive candidates are cool, but active candidates rule. The term “passive candidate” is an antiquated recruiting industry term (that refers to people who are not currently looking for a job.) There are two different types of candidates: those who are actively seeking employment, and those who are not. Today, a recruiter said, “let’s do away with that term altogether.” I doubt that will happen anytime soon. I think companies should absolutely hire unemployed people period. If I could bundle all the sharp and desirable skill sets of the unemployed population, I could build an empire, and so could you.

We have to push back on this culturally endemic problem before it becomes a society anomaly. It’s time we embrace the skills, knowledge, and abilities of unemployed people. Social media communities, social media learning, and strategic social media alliances are helping people grow during this economic down turn. While hard times lie ahead we have to band together as a society, rather than tear one another down. Hiring unemployed candidates stimulates the economy, and fortifies businesses during this crucial time in our country’s history. This is no time to turn our back on the unemployed population, rather let’s give them jobs, and as a recruitment, and human resources industry band together to turn this disarming trend around. Everyone wins, candidate sourcers find great people, and wonderful resumes, recruiters get great commissions, human resource professionals build their talent bench, and have the opportunity to reduce their costs of hire and retention.

Daily motivation is important, particularly when you are unemployed. Unemployment is hard. HireFriday can help, of this I am convinced. My boots on the ground approach to social learning, and online job search can and will accelerate your re-employment. This is my passion, and compassion piece. I want to help everyone who wants to work finds a job.  While I realize this post might elicit extremely strong feelings, this is my blog, and I am entitled to my own opinion.

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Margo Rose's HireFriday 2.0: A Boots On The Ground Approach To Your Online Job Search (Service Mark, Copy Right 2010)

Since I wrote the first Guidelines For HireFriday in May of this year, our community has grown exponentially.  As an omnipresent social media community, or more accurately, cluster of online communities; we have learned new lessons about how to grow, and incorporate best practices that will benefit: the job seeker, the recruiting community, the job board community, the executive coaching community, the resume writer community, the human resources community, and the business community at large.   HireFriday is going viral, and as we grow, we want to maintain the interactive, interpersonal communication that makes it one of the most unique new media communities in the digital space. I make it a point to interact with every single person in our community. It is the 1:1 that makes this so rewarding for me.

Social Media doesn’t describe what HireFriday is, or what it has become.  We are a social media community, we also have a cluster of new media communities popping up on blogs around the world.  HireFriday launched in France last Friday.  Each Country that replicates our model is adding its own international twist.  We have a facebook page, and a new facebook group which I am limiting in size in order to provide one to one attention with each of its participants.  My professional goal for HireFriday is NOT to grow large, but to grow smart, slow, and steady. Because this is my passionate quest, I do not want to lose the personal touch I give each person in our community.

In order to avoid brand confusion, and chaos I have chosen keep the spot light where it belongs: on the job hunter, the job search evangelist, the unemployed person, the passive candidate who wants to go public, but not quite ready.  Bottom line, what makes HireFriday important is its focus solely on the job seeker.  Unemployment is hard.  HireFriday can help.  What we as a community do is lend a hand, and encourage a heart. Lou Bonica put it well when he said, “HireFriday reminds the job seeker that they are not alone, or forgotten.”

Twitter does not need another job board which is why, for the time being, we will not adopt HireFridayJobs, as suggested on a blogtalkradio show I appeared on this week.  That would adversely affect my business model, and my business partners who make their living as twitter job search engines.  Monster.com was the first adopter of HireFriday.  TweetMyJOBS also incorporates @tweetmyresumes is a dynamic, and high quality resource. I formed a strategic partnership with Gary Zukowski. Gary is the heart and soul of the twitter job space. I met Gary at the ERE Conference in March. I had him on my show, and was favorably impressed. He reached out to me, and offered incredible ideas, and advice. We hit it off, the rest is history. Please follow @tweetmyresume. Recently, I connected with @Workway. I suggest you follow them, and follow their leader @WhatsWithDiane. They reached out to me, and I’m excited they wrote such a nice blogpost about HireFriday.

As you know, jobseekers can create a Public Profile on TweetMyJOBS.com, and there’s a button they can click to tweet their resume.  As I consider the gigantic job boards, and the small Mom & Pop job boards, I realized in short order, I don’t want to compete or play in that space because I am a CANDIDATE ADVOCATE. HireFriday is growing in leaps and bounds. It needs a full-time community manager, and I have promoted myself into the job.

HireFriday is growing, and I’m growing with it. It’s time to explore what the buddhists call “right livelihood.” It blends my vision for Compassionate HR with HireFriday Community Management. It’s time to monetize this venture in a way that maintains the ethics, integrity, dignity, and respect of each person in the stream. I want your input about how I can do this in a way that provides value to you.

In addition, I am a dot connector.  I connect the dots, make matches, and connections with people across, throughout and around networks.  For years I’ve been saying, ” you are either networking or not-working.”  In essence, we are all on different trajectories in our careers.  This further explains my intense passion for shining light on job seekers, and keeping the HireFriday stream on twitter exclusively for JOB SEEKERS, and UNEMPLOYED people.  Yes, I’m capitalizing those words, because I want to emphasize how profoundly important job seekers are to me, my heart, my mission and my vision for what HireFriday was intended to do from its inception.  

Guess what, I’m not selling out to outside interests.  I carefully pick and choose ethical, dignified, authentic, and respectful partners in the recruiting community.  The ethical, compassionate recruiters have profound reach and resonance, and can be uniquely helpful to our community. I want to make an honest living, and work only with people who are doing the same.

This week I announced a new partnership with Paul Paris (also known as @Paris22) he’s affectionately referred to as The Ex Recruiter.  I am encouraging my community to be as omnipresent as I am.  Participate in Paul’s Employment Cafe.  Participate in #WorkWednesday. Be present in #JobAngels. Watch the #Jobs & #Career Stream, and as I frequently say, “Job Seekers: Think Like A Recruiter.” Before I share too much, let me just say that some very exciting services are about to be offered with the two of us coming together. Now, what you’ve been waiting for my top 5 tips for getting the most out of HireFriday this week.

Here are my top 5 tips for getting the most out of this week’s HireFriday on Twitter:

1. Use your real name in your tweet. It will make it easier for recruiters, hiring managers, human resource directors to find you.  HireFriday is a brilliant inbound marketing experience. Use it, and make it work.
2. If you choose to tweet through tweetmyresumes, do you buzz, or another service, put your name first, followed by an industry recognized job title that will tickle the search engines, and candidate sourcers radar.  They are watching you. The world is watching this human community experience. This is your chance to shine.  Do the research.  Go to google and find out what those job titles actually are, how they are indexed, and how they are written in the applicant tracking systems.  Research the job boards.  What do they call your job title?  Is it what you think it is, or is it called something else? Is your job industry specific? Or do you care about which industry you are in now? Figure it out before Friday.  Do not think outside the box.  Rather, get inside it.  Squeeze in tight and niche yourself.   Even if you are a generalist, you best make sure you are stripping out key words so people will find you.
3. Location, location, location.  Is it important? If it is, say so, if it is not, say so-clearly, so that people can identify whether you are a realistic candidate for the position.
4. Industry: if you are a java developer (consider yourself the unicorn) everyone the world is looking for you.  I’m not entirely kidding.  If you are in Information Technology hash tag #IT #Java #C++.  If you are in #HR hashtag #HR #EmployeeRelations #Benefits #Compensation #SPHR #PHR #Training #LeadershipDevelopment #StrategicPlanning you get my drift.  If you are an #OrganizationDevelopment Specialist hash tag #OD #Organization #Assessments #Diagnostics #MBTI #DiSC #OrGCulture or whatever aspect of OD you excel.  In future workshops, I will teach you how to research and break down the components of your job so you can hash tag them appropriately.
5. Create a bit.ly link (or another link shortener if you wish) to your resume or linkedinprofile.  My personal preference is a link to the linkedin profile because it does two things. 1) It builds your network and your professional brand, and 2) if your linkedin profile is well written, it can be even better than your online resume for lots of reasons (I’ll discuss this in future posts).

The volunteer job seeker evangelists make HireFriday the special community it is. If I left out your name, please don’t be offended. Instead will you please leave a comment.

My faithful readers know how much I love a theme song. Today’s theme is hand picked for my job seeker community. I’ve Got A Feeling by The Black Eyed Peas. I’ve Got A Feeling That HireFriday is going to be a good day, HireFriday is going to be a good, good day, that today is going to good day. (My Personal Ring Tone 2009)

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HireFriday Boot Camp Workshops and Coaching Now Available by Margo Rose

Have you ever written a book? This is the first book I’ve written. I’m convinced it won’t be my last. One day, I want to write a book about my Father, Rolly Schwartz, the man who trained olympic champions. Rolly is in 7 halls of fame, has been honored, and met 2 American Presidents (Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter). Daddy was my hero. He was involved in Olympic Boxing for more than 50 years. He used to say, “A winner never quits, and a quitter never wins.” He trained Cassius Clay (when he was an amateur boxer). I’ll never forget when he’d come to our house to dinner (when he lived in Kentucky). I was just a child, but I thought I was looking up at superman. Dad trained the greatest boxers who’ve ever lived. Now I know where I get my spunk.

He inspired me to champion others. As the founder of HireFriday on twitter, facebook, and linkedin, that’s just what I do. Unemployment is hard. HireFriday can help. I created a job seeker stream, not a job stream which is what makes my community special. I take tremendous pride in extolling the virtues, talents, skill-sets, and strengths of the job seekers in the HireFriday community. I cut my eye teeth on outplacement back in the 90′s. I was a project career consultant for Right Management, an internationally recognized outplacement firm.

It was then I knew helping job seekers was, and is my path. When I tap into the deepest part of my soul, and ask myself, what do I care about professionally more than anything else? The answer is crystal clear. It is to help unemployed people accelerate their job search. This is the basis of my book. I have a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Development. The Career Development element of my educational training was the favorite part of my studies. I knew then there was a book inside me trying to get out.  I used to be a corporate trainer, and outplacement consultant.  I started working for Right Management, a nationally recognized outplacement firm while I was still in graduate school.  I took to the work like a duck to water. Working with job seekers brought me so much joy.  This book is my labor of love.

The book begins with my own journey of career transition from organization development, to owning The Paw Spa, and back into human resources. As a social media strategist, I knew it was important that I communicate the best practices I’ve learned to others. Life is meaningless unless there is a purpose, a purpose grounded in spiritual roots, and sound career development principles. I wanted to impart not just job search strategies, but also how to lift your spirits when the job search gets you down.

One of the most difficult parts of my own experience with career transition is the discouragement that comes with rejection, it’s so demotivating. I used to feel invisible, and forgotten. I never want the job seekers in the HireFriday community to experience the sense of despair and isolation that I experienced. I lifted myself up out of the rut of discouragement, but I didn’t do it alone. The recruiting, HR, and career and coaching community lifted me up, encouraged and empowered me, and most importantly I felt like I belonged to a community.

Follow Friday isn’t useless, people still find interesting people to follow through the stream on twitter. Whenever I saw a row of names without description, my eyes would glaze over. I grew bored and weary of #FF. I knew there had to be a better use of my time and energy. It started when I gave out the coveted HRMargo awards. I selected 1 or 2 people, and described what they do best, and why I thought they were super stars. Everybody loves awards. It got to a point that people started to dm me asking when their award was coming.

That’s when I got the idea for HireFriday. We were on the heels of an ugly recession, and I thought, “hey wouldn’t be a great idea if everyone who tweets #FollowFriday would tweet #HireFriday instead?” Think how many job seekers we can help. The idea became viral, and is now in Canada and the UK. My book shows job seekers how to leverage their social media connections to find their next job. I discuss boots on the ground strategies for how to figure out what you want to do next, how to do Internet research, how to create a social media friendly resume, how to determine the best online job search sources, and how to align all of these resources with you goals.

I’m excited beyond description to share my book with the world. I hope you will enjoy it too.

Before Friday, polish your resume and linkedin profile and get ready to post it to our twitter stream, and facebook and linkedin group.

Today, I selected a motivational theme song that’s funny, and joyful. I now give you, “Who Let The Dogs Out.” This is the dance remix. If this doesn’t get you jumping, I don’t know what will. Celebrate your beautiful life.

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