CAREER AGILITY USING LINKEDIN

Sun Microsystems Career Webinar

Series

Christian Gray, Reprints Desk

and

Cindy Hill, Hill Information Consulting Group

19 November 2009

ABOUT US

Christian Gray

Safari eBooks

Reprints Desk

Cindy Hill

Sun Microsystems alum 2007

Digital Libraries & Research

TODAY'S TOPICS

Your online profile

Creating an e-portfolio

LinkedIn demo

USE WHAT YOU HAVE

YOUR ONLINE PROFILE

Be aware of your digital footprint

Vanity search often

Take charge of your online profile

ONLINE IDENTITY: THE INFORMATION ON

THE INTERNET ABOUT AN INDIVIDUAL

PC Magazine Encyclopedia

45% of employers reported in a recent CareerBuilder survey (June 2009) that they use social networking sites to research job candidates.

35% of employers reported they have found content on social networking sites that caused them not to hire the candidate.

53% Person posted provocative or inappropriate photographs or information

44% Person posted content about them drinking or using drugs

35% Person bad-mouthed their previous employer, co-workers or customers

29% Person showed poor communication skills

26% Person made discriminatory comments

24% Person lied about qualifications

20% Person shared confidential information from previous employer

http://www.careerbuilder.com/

ONLINE IDENTITY, continued

18% of employers reported they have found content on social networking

sites that caused them to hire the candidate.

Top examples:

50% Profile provided a good feel for the candidate’s personality and fit within the organization

39% Profile supported candidate’s professional qualifications

38% Candidate was creative

35% Candidate showed solid communication skills

33% Candidate was well-rounded

19% Other people posted good references about the candidate

15% Candidate received awards and accolades

http://www.careerbuilder.com/

WHY HAVE A PORTFOLIO?

“Think of your career as a portfolio of work. Think of yourself in terms of a portable skill-set rather than a specific job title.”

Mark Kimeldorf

“The only job security you can count on is the transportability of your own skills.”

Joyce Lain Kennedy, “Job Talk” Columnist, Los Angeles Times

Proof of skills and learning

Opportunity for creative self-expression

A marketing and self-promotional tool for job seekers

A performance appraisal and promotional tool for employees

TRADITIONAL PORTFOLIOS

Resume

Work samples

Papers, articles

Presentations

Letters of recognition

References

Professional development

Works in progress

Research

Web projects

Documentation of achievements & awards

WHO ARE YOU, REALLY?

Use your e-portfolio to create a professional

and distinct persona

USE WEB 2.0 TOOLS TO BUILD

Visibility

Portfolio

Community of Colleagues

IT’S TIME TO CREATE YOUR

E-PORTFOLIO - NOW!

Accessible

Storage

Easy to create, easy to maintain

Easy to share

Sociability – harness the power of social media

Boost of professionalism

Allows for more freedom, creativity, information

than the traditional cover letter, resume &

references

E-PORTFOLIO TIPS

Keep it simple and clean, avoid “cutesy”

Keep it organized and think about how others are going to view and use it

Include documents & materials that highlight your skills & experience

Convert documents to PDF (security)

Keep it professional, only include materials that you would show a current or prospective employer

E-PORTFOLIO TIPS, continued

Be cognizant of naming files, sections and pages

Make your contact information visible, very easy

to find and very easy to use

Keep contact information to a minimum

Use tags & keywords, when possible, to help in

searching

Keep it current

Use it to promote yourself

PLACES TO CREATE YOUR

E-PORTFOLIO

LinkedIn

Your college alumni association

Google Profiles

Zoominfo

Facebook

Plaxo

Blogs, microblogs

Others?

PERSONAL BRAND:

A DEFINITION

Total perceived value

As compared to other choices or competitors

In the eyes of your target market

Valerie Gonyea, Career Encouragement Officer

2009 Right Management presentation

“…create information that people want. Create

an online presence that people are eager to

consume. Establish a virtual front door that

people will happily link to…”

David Meerman Scott

“…And one that employers will find.”

David Meerman Scott, www.webinknow.com Nov 11, 2008

To venture causes anxiety. Not to venture is to lose oneself.

Søren Kierkegaard

Start exploring your professional

options

Hell is where you just drift –heaven is where you get to steer.

George Bernard Shaw

Take charge of your online identity

by creating an e-portfolio

THE RESILIENT CAREER IS

Agile

Opportunistic

Sustainable

THE BIG PICTURE:

A SOCIAL NETWORK DIAGRAM

Mike

Christian 1st Degree

2nd Degree

3rd Degree

Cindy

Sun Alumni Group

Christy

Rich

PUT THIS INTO PLAY

Write up a one-page LinkedIn plan

Build and improve your profile

Request endorsements

Search “just for fun” & some serious surfing

Add some apps – go beyond the basic LinkedIn

profile

Invite friends to join – experience the network

effect

RESOURCES: LEARN MORE

The Virtual Handshake by David Teten & Scott

Allen, www.thevirtualhandshake.com

www.careerbuilder.com

Guy Kawasaki, http://blog.guykawasaki.com

Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success,

One Relationship at a Time, Keith Ferrazzi

YouTube: LinkedIn tutorials

THANK YOU

Christian Gray, Reprints Desk

cgray@reprintsdesk.com

Linkedin.com/christiangray

Cindy Hill, Hill Information Consulting Group

cindyvhill@HillInfoConsultingGroup

Linkedin.com/cindyvhill