I headed to his site and firstly noticed it was on a blog page from over 3 years ago so would it still be relevant.

But we are still in an economic downturn and still so many people fail to use social media to help them in their job search, even some of my clients don’t want to do it and need lots of encouragement from me!

LinkedIn

Much of the book focuses on LinkedIn, and I’m a great fan of this. To help my clients I worte the ebook – How to use LinkedIn to Find a New Job.

LinkedIn is future focused – the emphasis on where we are going, not where we have been.

He writes the importance of having an effective headline, it’s what people see when you ask to connect and is seen every time we make a comment this will appear, and you really want to write this as clear as can be.

He says your summary should be refreshed every 2 weeks, really, but so much remains the same – I need to think about this. I recommend updating status 2 or 3 times a week, but the summary, really?

I like the way he says that in the work experience section he suggests that the past experience supports current and future aspirations. There is so much that COULD be included so pull out the achievements to meet career goals, – good point that, and one I get me clients to do.

Recommendations are powerful and only ask for them from people who know you. Seems obvious but I regularly hear of peple being asked to write recommendations for people they don’t know – do they honestly think they will get one!

Connection Strategies

Chris Brogan says to connect with as many people as possible. Here is where we differ, I’m choosy about who I connect with and if somene sends me a generic message I take that to mean they are doing a big trawl with everyone in the ir contacts list so I delete

Write to be Read

We agree again here, be interesting and make it clear what you do and what you can do.

The ebook also covers an article

1: Template for Building a Small Powerful Network

His advice includes having a blog, asking probing questions on Twitter. Find people on Twitter and send @ messages to ask them if they want to talk about collaborating.  Then look for ways to help each other.

 2: Social Media for Your Career

He suggests building an online presence with your career in mind.  A blog is an excellent way to do this.  This should not be just formal articles but also as a means of helping people to get to know who you are.

Having a blog hosted on WordPress is recommended, and free!

He also talks about the social media resume (CV) and although he doesn’t go into detail this could be a great way to link to articles, and provide short videos. So, if you are a trainer, have a video which shows you in a training role  – how you present and facilitate.

3: Social networking

Like me Chris doesn’t think much of traditional networking events when people stand around and chat. But online networking is perfect – following people on Twitter, joining with them on FaceBook etc and Chris even mentions networks I don’t know if – Seesmic and Utterli.

4: Have a Gmail account

You get more than an email account, you also get access to Google Reader, Google Calendar, Google Talk etc.

Also consider

FriendFeed is a way to aggregate your presence and that of your friends online.

Digg and StumbleUpon and del.icio.us accounts – Use social bookmarking communities to share things you like, to find things youʼre interested in, and to grow a social view of news and information.

• Upcoming.org for events to attend in this space.
• Flickr account – for photo sharing, and gives you an easy place to put your pictures on the web.
• Skitch account – for screen captures, should you want to post a picture off your computer screen simply. (Mac product)
• PayPal account – for easy financial transactions used by many websites.
• Plaxo or Batchbook – for online contact management (always keep a backup).

And finally – be human, network because you care not because of what you want.

You can access the eBook from Chris’s site – here is the link to access Free eBook- Using the Social Web to Find Work.

Prepare, perform and follow up

Prepare

-      Research the company web site and read up as much as you can on the company and the person/people who will be interviewing

-      Review your CV and be ready to answer questions and go into more detail on anything you have included

-      Practice interview questions

-      Drive to the interview location in advance so you know where it is and where you will be able to park

Perform

-      Be confident, expect to do well

-      Dress professionally – clean and neat

-      Take a spare copy of your CV and note paper and pen in case you would like to take notes

-      Listen carefully to the questions asked

-      Maintain eye contact during the conversation

-      If any question is unclear ask for it to be repeated

-      Give specific examples to highlight your experience and achievements

-      Be ready to ask questions

-      Shake hands and thank them for your time

-      Ask about the next step in the process

Follow up

-      Take notes of what went well and any areas where you could have been clearer

-      Send a short letter of thanks, providing points of clarification where you can

Can I help you with your interview preparation? I offer a very detailed eBook ready for immediate download or you can book an interiew coaching session.

Read more details on my interview ebook

This is a very thorough resource including masses of questions you can ask. If you would like specific one to one career coaching you can read more here.

If you are not in work your commitment level should be at 100% – to be a 9 or 10 on a scale of 1-10.

Sometimes we need to accept that getting a job isn’t our priority at this time, so we need to wait till our commitment level is high.

TIP: Decide when you will allocate your time on effective job search; it’s not just browsing web sites but effective job search

Monitor how you spend your time.  That means you can adjust your goals.

IF YOU DON’T PUT IN THE EFFORT YOU WONT GET THE JOB

TIP: Do you need someone to hold you accountable?  Wee can provide accountability support if needed

1: Create a job search plan and follow it.

A plan will keep you focused, and enable you to monitor progress. It needs to include tasks to do each day, and longer term objectives. List the numbers so you have something to aim for. For example I will send out 3 targeted applications this week, get in touch with 10 people I’ve not spoken to for ages, pick up the phone and call 5 companies a day.

 2: Step away from your computer.

Too many people think that hours in front of a computer on job search sites and applying for anything however vaguely they match up. You have to go out and talk to people, and look for ways to get in front of people who may be able to offer you a job or know someone who does. This can include some voluntary work, you may meet someone who knows someone.

 3: Be willing to take a temporary job and do it willingly

Yes, you have an ideal job, but taking on a short term assignment will enable you to meet new people, build your network and perhaps get an entry into company.  If you get this type of job do not act like the company is doing you a favour, really add value by going beyond the basics of the job.

Where is your favourite place in Gloucestershire and why?

I said it was the top of Cleeve Hill, after an exhilarating walk to the top you can see for miles. Cleeve Cloud is the highest point in the Cotswolds.

Ever been on TV?

It’s actually three times and I’d completely forgotten the first time!

1997

Change That a TV furniture makeover show with Mark Curry.  (I worked with Liz Wagstaff transforming a piece of furniture)

2005

CBBC – XChange in 2005 where I was involved in historical vignettes as a 17th Century housewife.

2008

Tonight, with Trevor McDonald – Guest expert helping unemployed graduates get a job – led to my first book – How to get a job in a recession

We discussed a couple of items in the news including an article I had read in the newspaper on that people with dementia often forget to eat and drink regularly, and how sending out strong aromas from a plug in device can stimulate people’s appetite. Seems like a good idea but why prompt people to eat a ham sandwich after a strong aroma when they could be cooked a curry or something else with a nice strong smell.

We also discussed weight loss, and my book – Fat to Fantastic, and also my new book – Get that job which is due to my publisher by the end of the month, but I’m aiming for next week.  This bank holiday weekend will be my final read through.  This latest book, my 7th! Is for ICON books.  It’s another job hunting book, very practical, but also to include more psychology into the subject of job hunting.

Plus I answered some questions related to job hunting.  You can listen again via this link

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00qr7s1/Kate_Clark_Denise_Taylor/

but it will only be up till Saturday lunchtime, sorry for the short notice.

They assume they have failed as they don’t get called to interview but why can’t the employer send an email thanking them for their application and wishing the candidate well.

It’s good manners, and it takes little time.  They don’t have to find the price of a stamp they can send via email.

Would you buy something from a company who treats you badly?

This book helps us to see ourselves like a business – to identify the value we provide, the key activities we do, the resources we can use. It’s really helpful when we want to seek a particular occupation we are clear on the value we provide.

This book has been developed by 328 work life wizards, which means that everything has been fully discussed and tested and this feedback and improvement cycle has really enhanced the content of this book.

This beautifully presented book starts by asking you to consider your organisations business model to understand your organisations business model which helps you to understand how your organisation works and how your work contributes to the business. It’s really useful to think about the detail. For example, to consider the different sources of revenue, key resourcing, to consider key activities (making, selling, supporting). It then moves on to Business Model You where you take a personal perspective – your interests, skills and abilities, personality and assets. You can download a template to help you.

You look at
• Key Partners – who helps you
• Key activities – what you do
• Key resources – who you are and what you have
• Value provided – how you help
• Customer relationships – how you interact
• Channels – how they know you and how you deliver
• Customers – who you help
• Costs – what you give
• Revenue and benefits – what you get

I love the way it takes each of these key resources and provides helpful examples from real people.

The second section is REFLECT and this is where you focus on who you are and identify your career purpose. Several exercises including the wheel of life exercise, skills exercise, a review of our personality and to consider the multiple roles we play. I contributed quite a bit to this section!

You then move onto create your purpose statement and there are examples to give you inspiration, share your purpose and take action. The task is to consider the activities you enjoy, the people or groups of people you want to spend time with and the sort of actions you want to do, how you want to help people.

Lots of exercises are included to get you thinking about options and an interesting discussion of reality. There are many different ways to consider our career and work situation. You may know of the philosopher Bertram Russell who wrote that 20 people could look at a chair and all see something different. So if we feel stuck in our career we need to change our perspective.

In Chapter 7 you revisit the model and there are some great diagnostic questions to consider.

The final stage is ACT. This includes thinking of the value you create for an organisation. The costs of employing you are generally double your actual salary, are you worth that to a company?

There are many books out there to help you decide what career path to follow, this takes a different approach – a focus on modelling, not planning your work life. It is very effective.

I highly recommend this book

Denise Taylor, author of How to Get a Job in a Recession
Co-creator – Business Model You

Just noticed … if you buy the book you can see a mention to me on page 252 and for footnote 14 on page 257

Narcissists are also vulnerable to criticism and this may be one of their driving forces and lead to high levels of success, but criticism can make it hard for them to achieve.

A recent study from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has found that narcissists can be successful at a job interview; they aren’t modest and willing to talk about their strengths.  They also appear enthusiastic and, according to the study ‘tend to dress a little nicer’.

So we can take some of these qualities and use them to our advantage.  The interview is not the time for modesty; you must be clear on your strengths and be willing to give the examples which demonstrate these strengths in an enthusiastic manner.

I get asked to comment on different topics, and with my weight loss of well over 10 stones, plus my background in psychology I get asked to comment on issues to do with weight loss and healthy eating.

A couple of days ago I was asked to comment on some research – young women who lose weight do not experience rises in self esteem.

Sarah Mustillo, an Associate Professor of Sociology at the learning institute, the main campus of which is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, US, noted: “Obese white girls had lower self-esteem than their normal-weight peers and their self-esteem remained flat even as they transitioned out of obesity.”

My response is

Denise Taylor, Chartered Psychologist, commented: “Losing weight is good for our health, but qualitative research with adult females has found that in most cases significant weight loss leads to greater self esteem.

“Women regular state that being morbidly obese results in little self confidence and negative feelings, but once the weight returns to a more socially acceptable level confidence and self esteem rises.

“Partly down to looking and feeling good and being able to buy fashionable clothes, it also leads to greater confidence in taking on new activity, ranging from participating in sport to having the confidence to seek a new job.”

You can read more of the article and my comment through this link.