Written by: Connie Huber PHR SHRM-CP
DO YOU LOVE LINKEDIN?
If you are not a LinkedIn advocate, perhaps the recent article, “9 Reasons to Love LinkedIn” by William Arruda will convince you why you should love LinkedIn. ROI research recently conducted a study where 95% of the respondents said LinkedIn is the most important social network account.
According to Arruda, there are 9 reasons why you should love LinkedIn.
1. It’s big. LinkedIn is the largest professional network of over 400+ global members.
2. It shows up first. Your LinkedIn profile is likely to show up at the top of Google search results.
3. It helps you stay in touch. LinkedIn allows you to easily keep in touch with former colleagues and friends.
4. It provides Google Juice. Your LinkedIn links & directs people to your website and others that are important to you.
5. It’s comprehensive. LinkedIn is a one-stop resource for managing all your contacts.
6. It lets others speak for you. Personal branding is essential in sharing what a great professional you are. LinkedIn lets you validate your brand through other professionals’ endorsements and recommendations.
7. It’s always available. LinkedIn’s new version is mobile and available 24/7.
8. It’s exclusively focused on business. LinkedIn is a proven entity for those professionals focused on their career.
9. It helps you keep the saw sharp. LinkedIn provides access to luminaries and their latest thinking. A number of groups and their conversations will increase your knowledge. You also can find mentors, staff and find people to coach and mentor outside your company and even outside your industry.
Keynote
“Get LinkedIn or Get Left Out”
Did you know your resume is your obituary? When Ted first made the comment I was taken back. But when you think about it for a moment your resume truly is a review of your past accomplishments and professional roles. LinkedIn gives a more current summary of who you are as a professional, your interests and branding.
LINKEDIN FUNDAMENTALS
Why should you be on LinkedIn?
• Connectivity, raising your brand & visibility
• To be found!
Networking tool for professionals
• 450+ million subscribers
Power of Networking-Approximately 87% of jobseekers find their new job through networking.
• Engage with people. “Connections are good but relationships are gold”.
How many connections should I have? Most people have 70 or less. The more connections you have the better off you are in finding a job. Strive to have more than 500.
• Who should be in your network? It should be someone you know including prior employment, family or friends.
Based on 3 degrees of separation. Your goal is to get your resume to the hiring manager.
WHY SHOULD I BE ON LINKEDIN?
Find jobs, people, groups & associations, target companies
Most recruiters & hiring managers use LinkedIn exclusively
Create your own unique URL like www.linkedin.com/in/tedrobison
Have a good profile. Privacy, do not use your home address or phone number on LinkedIn or resume. Keep in mind you will be searched by others.
PERSONAL BRAND & IMAGE PROMOTION IN YOUR PROFILE
Keywords & SEO-How do people find me?
Picture- It is mandatory to have a current professional photo.
Headline: Job Title Plus-Tag line. Headline/Tag line should avoid saying unemployed. Say such things as “open to new opportunities” or “innovating wellness into people’s lives.”
Summary: Style is most important. S.E.E.S. includes skills both hard and soft; experience; expertise & style. Do not include a resume.
• Style -> Value Proposition -> Differentiation.
Skills & Experience: Endorsements, try to get 8 altogether. Include 2 bosses, 2 peers, 2 customers, & 2 subordinates.
GROUPS & ASSOCIATIONS
How many groups & associations should I have? 30-50
3 reasons to join a Group or Association.
• Target Market-Personal Interests-Professional Association
How can groups help me raise my brand & image?
• Participate in discussions, demonstrate & promote yourself as a subject expert.
Build your own group.
• Used for “job title” keyword.
• Raise your visibility.
HIDDEN JOB MARKET – TARGET COMPANIES
Hidden Job Market – 80%
Create a Target Company List (30-50)
Build Relationships at Target Companies.
Follow Target Companies.
Phoenix Business Journal – Book of Lists
PREPARING FOR INTERVIEWS
Research Interviewers – Helps you connect.
• Know their hobbies, jobs, groups & interests.
Research Company
• Product, Services, Competitors.
• Perform Informational Interviews.
(How do I fit, culture, core values?)
Know your Value Propositions.
• Give reasons to hire you vs. just experience & skills.
FINAL COMMENTS
If someone says you’re overqualified, Absolutely Abby encourages you to say “I am absolutely qualified” & then share why you are qualified.
According to a recent LinkedIn Survey, the top three things a recruiter looks for in a candidate are motivation, execution ability & cultural fit.
Ted encourages you to view Ted Trembath’s LinkedIn profile for an outstanding LinkedIn profile.
“What really matters in the networked age? Relationships. Relationships help you find opportunities, resources, make decisions more effectively, and manage a long-term investment and a lifetime career.”-Reid Hoffman, Executive Chairman and Co-Founder, LinkedIn
HIRING COMPANIES
Cox Communications
Amanda Jane Borowski, Talent Acquisition Manager
Sandi Elliot, Regional Sales Manager
Cox Communications is a broadband communications and entertainment company and is the third largest cable provider in the nation. With more than 6 million total residential and commercial customer relationships, over 22,000 employees and a firm commitment to education, the Cox team is widely regarded industry leader. Cox has earned multiple distinctions in customer satisfaction, diversity practices and company strategy.
Cox benefits become available as of day 1 and are very robust including the offering of a pension program. Cox Communications’ success is built on its dedication to a set of core values. Examples of typical positions include Account Executives, Senior Sales Engineer, Retail Sales Associate, Customer Service Representative, and Sales Manager. Cox has an employee population of 3400 employees in Phoenix.
If interested in opportunities with Cox go to the website. Select External Candidates and review postings to discover desired job. Be sure your resume reflects the job you are seeking and review openings on a frequent basis!
Maricopa County
Loretta Price, HR Staffing Consultant
Maricopa County’s mission is to provide regional leadership and fiscally responsible, necessary public services so that residents can enjoy living in a healthy and safe community. Maricopa was established on February 17, 1871 and has an employee population of 13,000. If interested in Maricopa County, begin by searching open positions at Jobs.maricopa.gov.
There is a mandatory requirement to complete an application to move forward in expressing your interest. In addition, you will need to meet the minimum qualifications of the job to be considered and establish an account before completing an application.
Enterprise Holdings
Casey Miller, Talent Acquisition Manager
Enterprise was founded in 1957, operates in 80+ countries, 90,000 employees and growing, and revenues of over $19 billion. Some of the reasons you may want to consider a job with Enterprise include promotion from within, performance-based promotions and pay, on-going training, unlimited opportunity, full benefits and values focused.
Available positions are Management Training Program, Car Sales Account Executive, Account Fleet Executives, Staff Accountant, Customer Service and Sales. Enterprise has multiple openings including 100 immediate part time drivers. If interested, apply online.
Express Employment
Daria Buss, Owner
Express Employment has openings for administrative, commercial and professional job opportunities and works with the top companies in our community to help you find the perfect fit. You become eligible for medical benefits on your first day of employment. Benefits also include dental, vision, short-term disability, life insurance and holiday & vacation pay. Employees are offered flexibility in employment with part-time, full-time or contract work. In addition, training & development is a key perk working at Express.
Express is locally owned & operated; and is the largest privately held staffing company. Current openings: Accounting Assistant, Customer Account Advisor, Dispatcher, Scheduler, and Bilingual Office Assistant. Express also has some exciting internal opportunities including Outside Sales/Business Developer, Bilingual Front Office Coordinator and Part-time Contract Recruiter. Interested applicants should visit the website.
Resources
City of Phoenix
Waleed Alani, Employment Specialist
Waleed shared with the group the latest unemployment statistics and noted there is currently a healthy job market. At the moment, there are approximately 71, 179 available jobs in the Phoenix area. Indications note fall 2016 will continue to offer a robust number of employment opportunities. Openings include retail, hotel management, project management and nurses. Some of the top skills being requested are bilingual, quality assurance, IT networking, quality control and IT networking project management. A sampling of hiring employers include Banner Health, Honor Health, CVS Health, Dignity Health, Pizza Hut, United Healthcare, Bank of America, Well Fargo and Oracle. Waleed shared there are a lot of small businesses in the Scottsdale area. For more details go to Mag Mapping or ims.azmag.gov to see a full list of employers hiring.
Waleed highlighted the different skill development packages offered by the City of Phoenix. Those include Seminars available to the public; Level 1 Package-Skills Match the Job Market; and Level 2 Package-Research Pathways to Higher Wages. Seminars include: Arizona Job Connection (AJC), How to Create a Winning Resume, Perfecting Your Interviewing Skills, Mock Interview Lab, Understanding LinkedIn, Leveraging LinkedIn, 21st Century Job Search Seminar, and Job Clubs. The 3-day sessions are focused on ways to jumpstart your job search. Topics discussed are Social Skills, Creating and Implementing a Job Search Plan, Interviewing, and Long Term Career Management. The 3-hour session emphasizes Employability. For more details on the Skills Development Packages, reach out to Waleed at waleed.alani@phoenix.gov.
Phoenix Public Library has a number of E-Resources available. With your Phoenix Public Library Card you can attend nearly 500 online classes, adult learning center, video resume, learning languages and career guidance center.
Dynamic Worldwide Training Consultants
Rodger Brubacher, Director of Continuing Education
Dynamic Worldwide will prepare you with an edge in this competitive job market. DWWTC offers programs and certificates in professional development, cyber security programs, advanced cyber security programs and information technology. DWWTC was awarded the 2015 Juniper Platinum Education Partner of the Year for its award winning instruction. The facilities are state of the art and maintain a low student to instructor ratio. Instruction is available on multiple platforms. DWWTC is licensed by the State Board for Private Postsecondary Education; certified through Arizona@Work; and approved for Grant Programs. For more information, please visit the website.
Closing
Jessica Pierce, Executive Director, Career Connectors, closed the meeting by thanking North Phoenix Baptist Church and the volunteers. The next Career Connectors meeting will be in Scottsdale on Thursday, September 15, 2016 and features Brenda Cunningham as speaker for the topic “Crush the Pink Slip: Get Back to Work in 60 Days”. For additional information on this event and future events, please visit the event page.