Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Proactive
Job Search in the Twin
Cities
Darren Kaltved
Associate Director, Career Services
School of Public Health
WORKSHOP AGENDA
NETWORKING
What is Networking?
Resistance/Beliefs about Networking
Types of Networking (informational interviewing)
Steps of Networking & Practice
Bumper Sticker
How to construct your sticker
PERSONAL BRANDING
Is perception reality?
SOCIAL MEDIA
LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter
Applications
Customization, Interpreting Job Postings, Skills
NETWORKING
Establishing & maintaining
lines of communication with
others
What is Networking:
Networking is about relationships.
People connecting with people
Finding some common interest between the people who are
talking to each other: kids, dogs, book, golf, managers, ( like
you did in the introductions) or a mutual friend/acquaintance
Information exchange
Information gained and contacts made
Introverts can use the written word (especially email) and referrals to get the
ball rolling.
Talk to people you already know well to get job leads (i.e. family members, close
friends, people close to them).
Join at least one professional association and attend related events this
strategy is uncommon, but the most beneficial.
An informational interview is an interview that you initiate - you ask the questions.
The purpose is to obtain information, not to get a job.
STEPS
Identify the occupation or industry you wish to learn about : Assess your own
interests, abilities, values, and skills, and evaluate labor conditions and trends to identify
the best fields to research.
Prepare for the interview: Read all you can about the field prior to the interview.
Decide what information you would like to obtain about the occupation/industry. Prepare a
list of questions that you would like to have answered.
Identify people to interview: Start with lists of people you already know - friends,
relatives, fellow students, present or former co-workers, supervisors, neighbors, etc...
Professional organizations, the yellow pages, organizational directories, and public
speakers are also good resources. You may also call an organization and ask for the name
of the person by job title.
Conduct the Interview: Dress appropriately, arrive on time, and be polite and
professional. Refer to your list of prepared questions; stay on track, but allow for
spontaneous discussion. Before leaving, ask your contact to suggest names of others who
might be helpful to you and ask permission to use your contact's name when contacting
these new contacts.
Follow Up: Immediately following the interview, record the information gathered. Be sure
to send a thank-you note to your contact within one week of the interview.
WHERE TO STARTWHO TO
TALK TO
Start with people whom you feel comfortable talking with.
Graduate assistantships, internships, work connections
Family, friends, colleagues anyone they recommend
Mentors
Mini-bio (who are you, what is your specialty, why you are unique, and
what are your aspirations (short-term)
End with an open-ended question for the recipient
HIM: Im Carl. Its nice to meet you, Jane. What brought you here tonight?
YOU: Oh, my friend Maggie is one of the organizers. Ive never been to a meet-up before. How
about you?
CARL: I come to this group occasionally, and always have fun when I do. So, are you a
marketing person?
YOU: Im an Events Planner. I work for High Point Events, a national event-planning firm, and
Im the local person here in Springfield. I plan and execute events from bar mitzvahs to
corporate sales off-sites, everything from choosing the venue to arranging the content, audio
visuals and budget to create an unforgettable emotional experience for the participants. I work
with most of the big hotels in town and many of our largest employers, from XYZ Labs to
Charisma Confections and many others. Ive been in the business for eight years, and I love
what I do.
CARL: Wow.thats outstanding. Gosh, you know what, I just spotted my old boss coming in
Ive got to go say hello. Nice to meet you Angela er, Paula? Sorry have a great evening!
BORING
BETTER EXAMPLE
A typical networking conversation tends to flow more like this:
YOU: Oh, my friend Maggie is one of the organizers. Ive never been to a meet-up before. How
about you?
CARL: I come to this group occasionally, and always have fun when I do. So, are you a
marketing person?
YOU: Im an event planner, so Im in the same vein. I didnt see any event planning meet-ups so
I tagged along with Jane at this marketing one.
CARL: So, what sorts of events do you work on? Do you work for yourself?
BUMPER STICKERS
Easier to memorize and more conversational
I speak for organizations that want to help their people have better, more
profitable conversations
OR
It keeps the focus on the two people in the conversation (or three, or
more) rather than on anyones job description (which may well be the
least interesting thing about you, in any case).
It doesnt hijack the conversation and turn it into a sales pitch, or run
the risk of appearing to do so.
It is polite!
FOLLOW-UP IS KEY
Follow-up is often the most overlooked part of networking.
Remember, any contact you have with a professional (info interview,
interview, event, etc.) you should always follow-up.
www.minnesotanonprofits.org
www.iseek.org/ or www.indeed.com
www.linkedin.com
SO WHAT DO YOU DO
LINKEDIN
WORLDS LARGEST PROFESSIONAL NETWORK ON THE INTERNET
Helps you exchange knowledge, ideas, and opportunities with a broader network of
professionals
Over 433 MILLION members from over 200 countries/territories (49 % in U.S.; 61% outside
U.S.)
Members include executives from ALL FORTUNE 500 Companies
Over 2 MILLION company profiles
Professionals are joining LinkedIn at a rate that is faster than two new members per second.
46% of employers use LinkedIn to research new hires (Careerbuilder.com)
85% use LinkedIn or Google to search candidates (NACE)
82% of Fortune 100 companies use LinkedIn for their Corporate Hiring Solutions
According to the Harvard Business Review, 80% of jobs are obtained through networking
In 2008, social networking sites, including blogs and LinkedIn were used more than email
(Nielson Online)
Darrens Profile
LINKEDIN FEATURES
Key Features:
People (keyword based)
Groups (shared interest; quality vs. quantity)
Companies (the inside scoop side door approach)
Skills & Areas of Expertise (MORE)
Jobs
Why Participate:
Make and maintain connections; Good learning tool; and can be used to
promote events
Follow industry leaders
Share knowledge; interact with others and get advice
Creating and marketing your brand demonstrate your expertise
To learn about occupations, employers, recruiters and job opportunities
PERSONAL BRANDING
PERCEPTION VS. REALITY
Do you think perception is reality?
Robin Williams
Steve Martin
BRANDING
Self-Awareness
High Emotional Intelligence
Self-Esteem/Confidence
Passion
Awareness of strengths/weaknesses
Assess yourself: Be certain you know your own values, skills, strengths, and
work criteria.
Apply for positions that match your qualifications: Apply for positions for
which you possess most of the required qualifications - even if you don't possess
all of the skills listed in the job description. (60% rule)
Steps:
1. Go through the position description and highlight all keywords that represent
your Skills, Knowledge, and/or Experience.
2. Incorporate these keywords into your resume (use their lingo)
3. Select the 3-5 that are your strongestthis becomes the Summary section of
your resume and is what will be narrated in your cover letter
SIDE DOOR APPROACH
Work With Winners - Successful organizations and coworkers aid and abet
your ability to accomplish your career goals, enabling you to grow on the job
and developing useful professional/lifetime connections
Stretch Your Soul- A healthy career not only serves you, it serves others,
your community, and your country as well. It regenerates your pride in what
you do and your enthusiasm for doing it.
Pace Yourself - Discipline yourself and your boss to set aside time to recharge
your passion and capacity for work.
Thanks for
coming!Darren Kaltved
Associate Director, Career Services
dkaltved@umn.edu
www.linkedin.com/in/darrenkaltved