In today's economy, being smart is not enough to get you interviews, contracts and opportunities. A lot of your competitors know many of the same things -- or more -- than you do. To stand out, you have to show that you bring a distinct quality that your clients value.
Social networking can help.
Sites such as Facebook or LinkedIn make it easy to create a place on the Internet for yourself or your organization. The hardest, and most important parts of this work are in how you establish yourself online.
Determine a persona for your site. What makes you distinct, and why would someone want to connect to you? You may want to do some competitive analysis before you start. For example, if you're smart about an unusual but valuable topic such as transfer of development rights, see if anyone else is actively writing about it in a blog or a social networking site. If they are, how could you write about it differently? (Maybe you could take a different approach to the same, or you could write from a different angle. If the other writer is casual, you could be more academic, or vice-versa)
Give that persona a personality. How do you want your readers to think of you? As the smartest person in the world on a subject? As someone who just tells it "like it is?" As edgy and not afraid to be controversial? Think about who you want to be your clients, and what kind of voice they would respond to.
If the site is for a division or organization, talk with the other members of the organization about what the shared voice of the group should be. This will make it easier for different members of the organization to contribute to the site.
Communicate early and often. Figure out things to talk about to stay on the radar screen of your readers. Don't have anything to talk about this week? Check out a news site, such as Planetizen, and offer your thoughts on what you read. If the topic is interesting enough to talk about it with a colleague, it's probably interesting enough to put on the Internet. Writing can be a lot of work, so if you're not used to writing often, try posting once a month. Then do more as your schedule allows.
Showing posts with label social networking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label social networking. Show all posts
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Networking to the hidden job market
Editor's note: The following is a republication of an article that appears in the September 2010 edition of Northern News, of the Northern California Chapter of the American Planning Association. Courtesy of Northern News.
By Steve Piazzale, Ph.D.
“It’s who you know.” You’ve heard that one before, right?
Research tells us that 80 percent of jobs are obtained through
personal contacts, yet most job hunters spend 80 percent of their time
answering computer job board ads. So what can you do to get that job
you want and deserve?
All job seekers or changers need to get out and meet people. Start
by making a list of everybody you know who might even remotely
help you find out about a job or career in which you’re interested.
This includes former co-workers, employers, family members, friends,
customers, suppliers, vendors, professionals (such as your doctor,
lawyer, or accountant), members of your church and alumni—the list
is almost infinite.
Once you’ve made this list and are clear about the kind of work
you’re pursuing, start contacting these folks and clearly and succinctly
tell them what you’re looking for. Ask them if they have some time to
chat about what they do and your search strategy. It’s best not to
directly ask for a job because most likely they’ll just say they have no
openings. Instead ask for information—how to improve your résumé,
any additional training you need, specifics about current industry
trends, other people you could contact, what meetings you should
attend, and what you should be keeping up to date with.
Not everyone will give you new contacts, but slowly and surely
you’ll build a large network of folks with whom you can stay in touch.
The beauty of this is that none of your calls will be cold calls—you’re
always contacting people using the name of someone they know.
This network then becomes your eyes to the “hidden” or emerging
job market. By staying in touch with these new contacts, you’ll hear
about opportunities as they emerge and before they’re listed on job
boards, giving you first crack at them! Plus your contacts are now
beginning to know you and can speak to your qualifications, in
essence serving as a reference.
Bottom-line: get out and interact with people, attend professional
association and alumni functions as well as other get-togethers. This
might be a bit outside your comfort zone, but give it a try even if it’s
a bit at a time. I think you’ll find it’s well worth the effort. And
remember as Woody Allen once said: “80 percent of success is just
showing up.”
“Being able to do the job well will not necessarily get you hired; the
person who gets hired is often the one who knows the most about how
to get hired.” —Richard Lathrop, author of “Who’s Hiring Who?”
(1989, Ten Speed Press)
Steve Piazzale has a Stanford University Ph.D. in sociology with extensive
training in psychology, and is a career/life coach. His website is www.BayAreaCareerCoach.com
By Steve Piazzale, Ph.D.
“It’s who you know.” You’ve heard that one before, right?
Research tells us that 80 percent of jobs are obtained through
personal contacts, yet most job hunters spend 80 percent of their time
answering computer job board ads. So what can you do to get that job
you want and deserve?
All job seekers or changers need to get out and meet people. Start
by making a list of everybody you know who might even remotely
help you find out about a job or career in which you’re interested.
This includes former co-workers, employers, family members, friends,
customers, suppliers, vendors, professionals (such as your doctor,
lawyer, or accountant), members of your church and alumni—the list
is almost infinite.
Once you’ve made this list and are clear about the kind of work
you’re pursuing, start contacting these folks and clearly and succinctly
tell them what you’re looking for. Ask them if they have some time to
chat about what they do and your search strategy. It’s best not to
directly ask for a job because most likely they’ll just say they have no
openings. Instead ask for information—how to improve your résumé,
any additional training you need, specifics about current industry
trends, other people you could contact, what meetings you should
attend, and what you should be keeping up to date with.
Not everyone will give you new contacts, but slowly and surely
you’ll build a large network of folks with whom you can stay in touch.
The beauty of this is that none of your calls will be cold calls—you’re
always contacting people using the name of someone they know.
This network then becomes your eyes to the “hidden” or emerging
job market. By staying in touch with these new contacts, you’ll hear
about opportunities as they emerge and before they’re listed on job
boards, giving you first crack at them! Plus your contacts are now
beginning to know you and can speak to your qualifications, in
essence serving as a reference.
Bottom-line: get out and interact with people, attend professional
association and alumni functions as well as other get-togethers. This
might be a bit outside your comfort zone, but give it a try even if it’s
a bit at a time. I think you’ll find it’s well worth the effort. And
remember as Woody Allen once said: “80 percent of success is just
showing up.”
“Being able to do the job well will not necessarily get you hired; the
person who gets hired is often the one who knows the most about how
to get hired.” —Richard Lathrop, author of “Who’s Hiring Who?”
(1989, Ten Speed Press)
Steve Piazzale has a Stanford University Ph.D. in sociology with extensive
training in psychology, and is a career/life coach. His website is www.BayAreaCareerCoach.com
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Conference networking tips
Whether you're a gregarious extrovert or a shy introvert, the tips below can help you get the maximum benefit from a conference.
Engaging and disengaging individuals
Do you have a professional development tip you would like to share? Have a question that you would like to see answered here? Please send it to Leo at vazquezl@rutgers.edu
Engaging and disengaging individuals
Most professionals go to conferences to meet other professionals. So it's perfectly appropriate to go over to someone and introduce yourself. Make sure that the person is not otherwise engaged in a tight conversation or other activity.
You don't need a "line." Just introduce yourself, say what you do and where, and then ask the people you talk to their names, what they do, and where they work (or used to work.)
Aim to spend more time listening and asking questions than talking. Most people love talking about themselves. Everyone appreciates being listened to.
Asking "how," "why" and questions asking for clarification are good ways to keep your audience engaged.
If you're not interested to someone, you can quickly excuse yourself by saying something like, "It was a pleasure to meet you," and walk away from the conversation. If you're not comfortable being so direct, you can pretend to have a phone call or urgent message.
Don't worry if someone excuses him or herself after a few minutes. He or she may have different networking goals than you.
Aim to get at least five business cards per day of the conference. On the back of each one, write a note to remind you when and where you met the person and a word that indicates what you talked about.
Ideally, you would follow up with everyone you met. At least follow up within a week with those people who you would most like to meet or engage later on.
When talking to someone for the first few minutes, avoid trying to "sell" your organization, services or program. Work to make the person feel comfortable with you. If the person gives you his or her card, you're welcome to follow up.
Increasing your visibility
You don't need a "line." Just introduce yourself, say what you do and where, and then ask the people you talk to their names, what they do, and where they work (or used to work.)
Aim to spend more time listening and asking questions than talking. Most people love talking about themselves. Everyone appreciates being listened to.
Asking "how," "why" and questions asking for clarification are good ways to keep your audience engaged.
If you're not interested to someone, you can quickly excuse yourself by saying something like, "It was a pleasure to meet you," and walk away from the conversation. If you're not comfortable being so direct, you can pretend to have a phone call or urgent message.
Don't worry if someone excuses him or herself after a few minutes. He or she may have different networking goals than you.
Aim to get at least five business cards per day of the conference. On the back of each one, write a note to remind you when and where you met the person and a word that indicates what you talked about.
Ideally, you would follow up with everyone you met. At least follow up within a week with those people who you would most like to meet or engage later on.
When talking to someone for the first few minutes, avoid trying to "sell" your organization, services or program. Work to make the person feel comfortable with you. If the person gives you his or her card, you're welcome to follow up.
Increasing your visibility
Do you remember the person who sat in the back of the room during the presentation and asked no questions? Neither does anybody else. Make yourself more visible by asking questions or asking a speaker to add to an earlier comment that he or she made.
Disagreeing directly with the speaker, or adding a tangential comment, can make you look pushy or arrogant.
Feel free to introduce yourself to the speaker(s) at the end of the session. In most planning and related professional conferences, the majority of presenters do not get paid. Many are themselves looking to increase their own visibility or awareness of their ideas.
Special tips for networking at mealtimes
Disagreeing directly with the speaker, or adding a tangential comment, can make you look pushy or arrogant.
Feel free to introduce yourself to the speaker(s) at the end of the session. In most planning and related professional conferences, the majority of presenters do not get paid. Many are themselves looking to increase their own visibility or awareness of their ideas.
Special tips for networking at mealtimes
If you came with colleagues or associates, sit at different tables. You don't need to network with your friends or co-workers.
If you see empty seats at a table, ask if you can join the group. When there is an appropriate opportunity, engage the people closest to you.
Avoid ordering or eating long pastas (spaghetti, linguini, etc.) or any food with a lot of sauce. It could get sloppy, which could distract your audience.
Avoid a table where everybody sitting there is "huddling." Those people have probably closed the networking circle and you would find it difficult to enter without seeming pushy. On the other hand, if someone at the table isn't part of the huddle, he or she would probably welcome some conversation.
Chain networking
Chain networking is the practice of networking with people who are networking with people you already know. It works best if you go to the conference with friends or co-workers, or already know people at the conference.
If you see that your colleague is talking with someone, feel free to join the group. Introduce yourself by your affiliation with your colleague. This will make the other person more comfortable in speaking with you.
If your colleague joins you while you're networking, make the introductions.
Networking with groups
When three or more people talk together, they tend to form groups. Read their body language to determine if you should try to join them.
If they form a closed circle (facing one another, backs to rest of the room), avoid trying to join them. You might be perceived as an interloper.
If you are on good terms with someone in a closed circle, you can probably enter it comfortably.
If the circle is more open, you can try to enter it casually. For example, you can listen from the side, and at an appropriate moment say something like "that's an interesting point. Why do you think that?"
Networking around conference sessions
If you don't need the continuing education credits, or aren't interested in any of the sessions, hang around the hallways outside the session rooms. You'll probably find others like you there.
Avoid standing in the refreshment line during the coffee breaks. Lines usually give you an opportunity to network with only two people at a time.
If you're looking for a job
Fight the urge to ask the person you just met if there are jobs available at his or her workplace. Instead, ask if there is someone you could follow up with to 'learn more about' the person's office.
In this economy, it's ok to let someone know that you're in between jobs. It's better to say your position was cut, or you were one of several laid off. If that's not the case, or you don't want to say any of those things, call yourself an independent consultant.
If you see empty seats at a table, ask if you can join the group. When there is an appropriate opportunity, engage the people closest to you.
Avoid ordering or eating long pastas (spaghetti, linguini, etc.) or any food with a lot of sauce. It could get sloppy, which could distract your audience.
Avoid a table where everybody sitting there is "huddling." Those people have probably closed the networking circle and you would find it difficult to enter without seeming pushy. On the other hand, if someone at the table isn't part of the huddle, he or she would probably welcome some conversation.
Chain networking
Chain networking is the practice of networking with people who are networking with people you already know. It works best if you go to the conference with friends or co-workers, or already know people at the conference.
If you see that your colleague is talking with someone, feel free to join the group. Introduce yourself by your affiliation with your colleague. This will make the other person more comfortable in speaking with you.
If your colleague joins you while you're networking, make the introductions.
Networking with groups
When three or more people talk together, they tend to form groups. Read their body language to determine if you should try to join them.
If they form a closed circle (facing one another, backs to rest of the room), avoid trying to join them. You might be perceived as an interloper.
If you are on good terms with someone in a closed circle, you can probably enter it comfortably.
If the circle is more open, you can try to enter it casually. For example, you can listen from the side, and at an appropriate moment say something like "that's an interesting point. Why do you think that?"
Networking around conference sessions
If you don't need the continuing education credits, or aren't interested in any of the sessions, hang around the hallways outside the session rooms. You'll probably find others like you there.
Avoid standing in the refreshment line during the coffee breaks. Lines usually give you an opportunity to network with only two people at a time.
If you're looking for a job
Fight the urge to ask the person you just met if there are jobs available at his or her workplace. Instead, ask if there is someone you could follow up with to 'learn more about' the person's office.
In this economy, it's ok to let someone know that you're in between jobs. It's better to say your position was cut, or you were one of several laid off. If that's not the case, or you don't want to say any of those things, call yourself an independent consultant.
Do you have a professional development tip you would like to share? Have a question that you would like to see answered here? Please send it to Leo at vazquezl@rutgers.edu
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Keeping your ear to the ground online
Blogs, discussion boards and interactive websites are great places to find out what's being said about your program, plan or project. Unfortunately, there are so many, it is hard to keep track of them all.
A number of online tools can help. Mashable (which offers "social networking news") provides a list of tools that help you scan blogs.
I use Google Alerts. It sends me emails whenever a website, blog, video site, news site, or other online source publishes something new about a topic that I selected. Since it searches by words or phrases, I sometimes get updates that are irrelevant. (BOCEP, the acronym for the Bloustein Online Continuing Education Program, is a phrase or acronym used by other organizations.) But otherwise I find it easy to use and useful.
--Leonardo Vazquez, AICP/PP
A number of online tools can help. Mashable (which offers "social networking news") provides a list of tools that help you scan blogs.
I use Google Alerts. It sends me emails whenever a website, blog, video site, news site, or other online source publishes something new about a topic that I selected. Since it searches by words or phrases, I sometimes get updates that are irrelevant. (BOCEP, the acronym for the Bloustein Online Continuing Education Program, is a phrase or acronym used by other organizations.) But otherwise I find it easy to use and useful.
--Leonardo Vazquez, AICP/PP
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
LinkWithin
