5 best practice tips: use social media to engage, not enrage followers

Everyone should understand a few “best practice” guidelines so that they can maximize their brand awareness and establish a positive online presence.With all the social media sites that are available now, and as a growing number of people discover and use them, the result may be the tendency to share too much information, too frequently, or annoy followers with excessive self-promotion.

What is effective communication via social media, and specifically, what is the right level to engage others without driving them away? How frequently should one send out updates, post new messages, or update their status / profile? For many, these answers may depend on what the goals are – growing a network for business building, sharing information / industry updates / late-breaking news, or building a wide network to help with a job search.

No matter what the intent for using a social media site, sharing something of value or "free" will serve one well and begin building a positive brand for an individual. Blasting out numerous updates too often, or trying to "sell" someone, may label you as a self-promoter who shares “anything and everything”, and even run the risk of being viewed as a “spammer”. 

You want to "engage", not "enrage" followers.There are many social media sites that could be reviewed, but LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook remain the most widely used, so I will focus on them. Given their huge following, and with users numbering in the millions, I coined the phrase social media "power trio" to refer to these popular sites in a previous article, 3 sites to help in your job search: the social media 'power trio'.

1. Use the social media “power trio” – LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook wisely

Here are ways to help, not hurt your personal brand, with these sites.

LinkedIn

• Profile updates - keep this current, update it every time you update your resume. Also update when you add new files, SlideShare presentations, book recommendations, or a new website.
• Twitter - add your Twitter ID so connections can find & "follow" you on Twitter.
• Link or News - share items that have value; something your connections might want to share with others. Some examples of content that will add value / pique the interest others: recommendations to great articles, blogs from industry leaders, useful links, tools, tips, late-breaking news, and upcoming events, something funny, thought-provoking, or unusual.

Best practice tip -

Do NOT post status updates describing a laundry list of all your daily / weekly meetings. Focus on sharing content that has value for others, and don't post too many updates. A good rule of thumb is post status (Link or News) updates at least every week or two, and avoid excessive daily updates, remember - it's "quality", not "quantity" that matters.

Twitter

• What’s happening? - Twitter's status update window is probably best used for sharing and gathering valuable content - links, tools, tips, news, views, recommendations, quotes, interesting or humorous posts from others. This is really a great site to wisely use the 140 characters to recommend the work of others or share your own content with a brief headline and link to a blog, website, or recent article. (Think 80/20 rule - promote others 80% of the time; only 20% personal or The thirds rule - 1/3 = industry related; 1/3 = about your field/company; 1/3 = about YOU).
• #hash tags - add the # tag to categorize important posts, breaking news, etc. so that they are captured and can be retrieved by you and others later.
• Lists - adding the Twitter ID of others to lists you create is a great way to validate that their tweets are valuable and worth sharing. The number of times a person's ID appears in a similar list throughout
  the 'twitterverse' is a strong indicator of how well their posts mirror their brand. List examples: social-media-marketing, job-career-experts, personal-branding.
  • If your Twitter ID is not appearing in the lists that support your brand objective, it may be time to take a closer look at your tweets and the signals they are giving off. Maybe a change of content or tone to deliver the right message is in order.

Best practice tip -

Think BEFORE you send - ask yourself "so what?" "Thinking "so what" at the end of a message is a good test to pre-qualify whether the message may have value (for someone other than you). Are you tweeting something that your followers will want to share with their connections? 

A message that shares information about a great new social media tool, career networking event, or late-breaking news probably passes this test. What one had for breakfast or sharing boring, mundane, daily details, adds little value, and does NOT pass the test.

- From a previous article, Best practices tip: post high value messages to build your brand

Facebook

• Profile / Info - keep Work and Education, Contact Information current with career experience, accomplishments, current websites, or blogs.
• Groups - join groups in your industry, field of expertise, and those that match your likes and interests
• Profile / Info/ Likes and Interests / Pages - "Like" pages that support your business or career goals, hobbies, music interests, civic clubs / organizations, etc.
• Create your own page to promote a new business, website, or blog, and share something of value - information, links, industry news, articles, "free" downloads with friends and followers.
• Networked Blogs - follow blogs of industry leaders, friends, similar business interests; submit you own blog for others to follow 
• SlideShare - share your latest PowerPoint presentations
• My LinkedIn Profile - be sure to add your LinkedIn URL so that others can find & view your profile information on LinkedIn.
• Photos - share business-related, interesting, fun, or unusual photos here.
  • A word of CAUTION: To maintain your personal brand, and ensure your online presence is not compromised, DO NOT post risque, controversial, or wild-party weekend / vacation pictures here. REMOVE any pictures that may damage your brand. This is especially true for job seekers and
    those in career transition. Most employers these days are very aware of social media sites, and will check all of them to verify that a person is a good candidate for a position at their firm. Any
    non-professional photos that present one in a bad light can be a 'deal-breaker' and cost one a job opportunity.

2. Send out high value messages to build your brand

"Do your messages add value? Would others want to share them?

Facebook asks, "What's on your mind?"; Twitter asks, "What’s happening?"; LinkedIn has a "Share an idea, article, question or update" window. The problem is too many people take this literally and often post messages describing their day-to-day mundane activities. Most people don't really want or need to know about one's daily routine.

Think "what are you focused on?" What value message can you post that others may want to read and share with others?" - From Examiner article, Best practices tip: post high value messages to build your brand 

"Share really useful links, news related to your field, things that are really funny or inspirational, or inside information about your business or blog. The key is to make sure almost every message is something that people will want to share with their friends. 

Here’s something that many people who use social media don’t understand: if you send out too many messages, people might stop following you or might even block you, because you’re flooding their inbox." The secret is to try to make every message you send, or at least a high percentage of them, high-impact messages. Limit yourself to high-impact messages to reduce the time you spend communicating."

- From 'Focus on sending out high impact messages' article by Leo Babauta, May 14th, 2009

Protect your brand - send out messages that add value. Learn to be selective - “less” is “more” 

3. Resist the need to "follow" or "friend" everyone who sends you an invite.

Everyone using social media sites will surely get Facebook "friend" requests, LinkedIn "connection" requests, and will most likely get new "followers" on Twitter.Learn to be selective - "quality” is better than “quantity” when it comes to
connecting. If you get a request from someone you don't know, share nothing in common with them, and they were NOT suggested to you by a friend - why would you connect with them? In the case of Twitter, you do not need to "auto-follow" someone back.

Best practice tip -

Decide if there is any risk involved BEFORE you accept a "friend" request or "connect" with them. View their profile in advance and see if you have any common interests, business or otherwise, that might be mutually beneficial to both of you. On Twitter, check out the websites of any new "followers", and also view a sample of their tweets. If you like what
you see - follow them back, otherwise NOT following them poses no real threat; you can always "block" someone from following you later. Connecting with someone you are not familiar with could lead to receiving "spam" or "buy my stuff" type messages. 

4. Avoid any "negative" or "controversial" messages at all costs

Social media sites can prove very beneficial for optimizing online presence, personal branding, building relationships, and growing a wide network to promote a business or help with a job search. 

Reminder: anything negative you share on the Internet is "permanent" and never goes away. Be very cautious of the content and tone of messages you send out; you cannot assume the person you sent the message to will not share it with others.A really negative comment can come back to "bite you" and permanently hurt your brand. Likewise,
avoid any highly controversial subject matter, "sensitive" political issues, personal attacks, or inflammatory remarks in your messages or comments. 

Take the "high" road, keep it "professional", or you may lose friends / followers. Remember: people did not connect with you, only to have you message them with your political commentary, or inappropriate remarks. 

5. Learn, Listen, Engage, Share, Build, Grow

I originally shared the six points listed here in my online marketing article, 6 social media marketing tips for e-Commerce. The concepts seem applicable for any online marketing plan, and are worth repeating as "best practice" recommendations for effective brand building with social media.

• Learn - about social media, how to leverage it for information gathering, branding, and marketing.
• Listen - to what others are saying about your company / product / industry.
• Engage - your connections and customers frequently, recommend them, follow their conversations, offer your help and services, and be a “problem solver” for them.
• Share - something of value to your social community – discounts, giveaways, downloads, memberships, e-books, or other “free” offerings.
  * You have to give in order to get.
  * Build your brand as someone who shares valuable content.
  * Look for opportunities to share articles, sites, links, and breaking news.
  * Support industry leaders by recommending their work, and sharing links to their websites.

Best practice tip: don't just connect with someone in order to sell them something.

• Build - relationships and maintain them with frequent follow ups, updates, and phone calls. 

* Leverage social media as a catalyst to build “online” connections to get “offline” meetings.

• Grow - a strong, dynamic social media presence to expand your business network, and cast a wide net to reach more potential followers / customers.

Click here to view the Examiner article.

Top 25 LinkedIn Groups ALL Job Seekers MUST Join

One feature you job seekers may not know about or have fully explored is LinkedIn Groups. LinkedIn Groups are free to join, and you can choose to join up to 50 groups from a list of thousands of user-created groups for literally just about anything. Not only do these groups provide you access to connect with and contact fellow group members who could become future partners, employees, investors, customers etc., but the groups’ newly updated discussion board feature can provide more networking opportunities, answers to your questions and insightful advice, tips and support. You can also join the groups' subgroups and contribute answers, comments and your own expertise to the groups’ discussion boards to establish your own online personal brand on LinkedIn.

Last year, I published a list of the top 20 LinkedIn groups for job seekers which became a very popular resource on Career Rocketeer. It's been over a year since the list originally went out and some of the groups have changed and new groups have emerged. Therefore, I have updated the list and am pleased to present the Top 25 LinkedIn Groups ALL Job Seekers MUST Join to help you build your brands and launch your careers:

1. JobAngels - Non-profit job search network of professionals helping other professionals find job advice and opportunities.
2. Executive Suite - Community of over 100,000 US-based executive-level and recruiter members.
3. Star:Jobs Professional Career Center - Group working in tandem with Linked:HR, the largest Recruiters’ Group on LinkedIn, to help top candidates find jobs quickly and efficiently.
4. Career Rocketeer - Career Launch Network - Fastest-growing professional network for personal branding, career search and career management, bringing job seekers and employers, recruiters and career experts together for mutual success.
5. The Talent Buzz - Group for job seekers, recruiters and HR professionals interested in expanding their professional networks.
6. Helping Friends Career Network (LI2HF) - Business and career network where entrepreneurs, hiring managers, recruiters, and talented professionals worldwide can make meaningful win-win connections.
7. JobsDirectUSA - Official job search group on LinkedIn for JobsDirectUSA.com.
8. Career Change Central - Group linking job changers and professionals in career transition with recruiters, hiring managers and career coaches.
9. CareerLink Network - Community providing job seekers spiritual, physical, social, mental, economic and personal growth to meet their ever-evolving needs
10. Jobs Alert - Job search group for middle and senior-level managers worldwide.
11. A Job Needed - A Job Posted - Group is for all LinkedIn members searching for employment, posting employment or recruiters helping members find employment.
12. Looking for a Job? - Group designed to allow job seekers to share ideas, network, post jobs, advise on job market trends and ultimately help them find work.
13. MyCredentials - Career Presentation - Group helping members to network, expand their resumes and enhance their interview skills.
14. JibberJobber - Career Management - Network for executives, professionals, students and all those involved in the career services industry, including counselors, coaches and resume writers.
15. ResumeMaker Career Network - Forum connecting qualified job seekers with hiring managers and corporate recruiters as well as allowing candidates to discuss and share career opportunities.
16. Personal Branding Network - Consortium for all professionals looking to build powerful personal brands.
17. Indeed.com - Official job search group on LinkedIn for Indeed.com.
18. Project: Get Hired! - Motivational support group exclusively for job hunters to share creative strategies and stay motivated.
19. Job-Hunt Help - Discussion group for job seekers sharing advice and leads and networking to help one another.
20. IMPACT Hiring Solutions Job Search Network - Discussion and networking forum for executives seeking job opportunities.
21. Global Jobs Network - Network for all professionals who would like to be aware of requirements in their respective fields and for organizations & recruiters who are hiring.
22. Job Openings, Job Leads and Job Connections! - One of the largest groups for job seekers on LinkedIn.
23. JOBS 2.0 - Group helping job seekers find a job online using the latest in social and professional networks.
24. The Job Board - Networking group for professionals seeking jobs and recruiters seeking candidates.
25. Self-Recruiter® - Job Search & Career Management - Discussion and networking forum helping job seekers become their own specialist, their own career counselor, and their own recruiter.

*These 25 groups are not listed in any particular order.

---

Author:

Chris Perry, MBA is a Gen Y brand and marketing "generator," a career search and personal branding expert and the founder of Career Rocketeer and Launchpad.

Original Article

5 Ways to Stay in Touch with Your Extended Network

When it comes to thinking about staying connected with your extended network,  especially if you

have a large one, it can almost be as daunting as, say, public speaking for a lot of people. But, it can be broken down into manageable steps. The most important thing with networking is that you stay in touch with those you connect with and you make every effort to keep a relationship going – even if you don’t “need” something at the moment.

Here are our five best tips for continued networking success.

1) Pass Along Articles of Interest to Your Contacts

One great way to stay in touch is to pass along anything of interest to your contacts. You want to continually demonstrate that you’re not only passionate about your industry (and follow it regularly), but also that you are genuinely interested in your contact’s best interest. It never hurts to reach out to someone you know and say, “Hi, John, I came across this article and thought of you. Perhaps you’d find the statistic on the growing demographics of 18- to 24-year-olds interesting for your research. I hope you’re well. All my best, Paul.”

2) Keep Your Network Posted of Your Updates

We recommend that you touch base with your contacts at least twice a year. A year can be quite a bit of time, and a lot can happen. If you are hired for a position, pick up a new internship, move to a new city or start a new blog, these are all reasons to update your network on what’s happening in your life. It’s also important that you use these opportunities to thank those that have helped you become who you are or get you to where you are today.

3) Remember Special Occasions

This can be a hard one. In a perfect world, we would all remember everyone’s birthdays and important events, but unfortunately, real life can get in the way of that. If there are certain members of your network who are your friends on Facebook, make it a daily habit to look at the “Birthdays” reminder to see if there’s anyone you should reach out to. And this doesn’t mean you should leave a generic “Happy Birthday” on someone’s wall; rather take the time to type out an e-mail and let the person know you’re thinking of them. It doesn’t take a lot of additional effort, and it’s an easy way to stand out from the “Facebook wall clutter.” In addition, keep an eye on big events announced by your contacts. If you want to get into public relations and you see that your friend launched a new campaign, send them a congratulatory note.

4) Create Google Alerts for Your Contacts and/or Their Businesses

One great way to keep tabs on a contact or his or her company is by creating a Google Alert. It’s free and takes less than a minute, and the service can send you valuable information on a colleague that you might have been too busy to notice. Then, when you see big news about someone or his or her company, take a minute to send an e-mail and follow up. If you’re not sure how to set up a Google Alert, check out our recent post on the CareerSparx blog, “Your Dream Employer? Do More Than Google Them.”

5) Follow Them on Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn

Again, the idea is to stay connected with your contacts and what’s going on in their lives. If you see that a birthday is coming up or something important just happened, make note of what you see on your social media accounts and follow up via a personalized e-mail. Another tactic is to hit “like” if they post something produced by their company on a Facebook profile, or retweet a Twitter update for a big project of theirs. They will appreciate the support, and you will achieve your goal of staying connected and on their radar.

By following these five easy tips, you will be able to stay better connected to your network. And as you’ll see, it really isn’t as hard or as overwhelming as it seems. Best of luck.

Original Articl

TWEAK your way to better workplace life

Katy Piotrowski, M.Ed., • katy@careersolutionsgroup.net. • 

Last week, Cultivating Colorado Leaders, a local MeetUp group, got together to discuss how to achieve career happiness. Small changes leading to big payoffs was the theme. These were some of their top TWEAK tips:

T - Tap into talents. Work doesn't feel so much like work when you're using your natural gifts. Ferret out assignments that play into your best strengths and happiness will follow. Example: one cheery chef described trying a number of culinary jobs before hitting upon teaching cooking classes, a specialty that makes great use of her talents in training. As she said, "It took a while to find my fit, but it was worth the search!"

W - Work at it. Prize perks - plum projects, flexible schedules, status and recognition - typically come to those who attain a level of excellence in what they do. Achieving that expertise requires a significant investment in skill building (a minimum of 2,000 hours is a good guideline). If you long for the rewards of excellence, add to your skill set one small step at a time.
E - Explore and experiment. Millions of career options exist in today's world of work, so finding your satisfying niche is more possible now than ever before. To keep tabs on cool trends in your specialty, input relevant keywords into your favorite search engine (such as "advancements in customer service technology") to learn how things are evolving. When you hit on intriguing developments, take the next step to experience it yourself.
A - Always bring your A-Game. Your current career circumstances may be challenging, yet you are in complete control of your attitude. If you struggle to maintain an optimistic outlook, consider counseling to help you see more clearly what steps you can take to get to a more positive place.
K - Be "Kooky" to kick your results up a notch. Small risks can lead to big rewards, and breaking out of your box can help you get noticed. One joyful jewelry specialist now partners with non-profits to help raise funds, while growing her business in a meaningful way.

Katy Piotrowski, M.Ed., is the author of "The Career Coward's Guides" and provides career and job search support with Career Solutions Group in Fort Collins. Call her at (970) 224-4042 or send e-mail to katy@careersolutionsgroup.net.


Original Article

Five Mistakes Online Job Hunters Make

By ELIZABETH GARONE

In a tight job market, building and maintaining an online presence is critical to networking and job hunting. Done right, it can be an important tool for present and future networking and useful for potential employers trying to get a sense of who you are, your talents and your experience. Done wrong, it can easily take you out of the running for most positions.
Here are five mistakes online job hunters make:
1. Forgetting manners.
If you use Twitter or you write a blog, you should assume that hiring managers and recruiters will read your updates and your posts. A December 2009 study by Microsoft Corp. found that 79% of hiring managers and job recruiters review online information about job applicants before making a hiring decision. Of those, 70% said that they have rejected candidates based on information that they found online. Top reasons listed? Concerns about lifestyle, inappropriate comments, and unsuitable photos and videos.
"Everything is indexed and able to be searched," says Miriam Salpeter, an Atlanta-based job search and social media coach. "Even Facebook, which many people consider a more private network, can easily become a trap for job seekers who post things they would not want a prospective boss to see."

Don't be lulled into thinking your privacy settings are foolproof. "All it takes is one person sharing information you might not want shared, forwarding a post, or otherwise breaching a trust for the illusion of privacy in a closed network to be eliminated," says Ms. Salpeter, who recommends not posting anything illegal (even if it's a joke), criticism of a boss, coworker or client, information about an interviewer, or anything sexual or discriminatory. "Assume your future boss is reading everything you share online," she says.

2. Overkill.
Blanketing social media networks with half-done profiles accomplishes nothing except to annoy the exact people you want to impress: prospective employees trying to find out more about on you.
One online profile done well is far more effective than several unpolished and incomplete ones, says Sree Sreenivasan, dean of students at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He made the decision early on to limit himself to three social-networking sites: Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. "There is just not enough time," he says. "Pick two or three, then cultivate a presence there."

Many people make the mistake of joining LinkedIn and other social media sites and then just letting their profiles sit publicly unfinished, says Krista Canfield, a LinkedIn spokesperson. "Just signing up for an account simply isn't enough," she says. "At a bare minimum, make sure you're connected to at least 35 people and make sure your profile is 100 percent complete. Members with complete profiles are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities through LinkedIn."
LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter are the three most popular social networking sites for human resources managers to use for recruiting, according to a survey released last month by JobVite, a maker of recruiting software.
3. Not getting the word out.
When accounting firm Dixon Hughes recently had an opening for a business development executive, Emily Bennington, the company's director of marketing and development, posted a link to the opportunity on her Facebook page. "I immediately got private emails from a host of people in my network, none of whom I knew were in the market for a new job," she says. " I understand that there are privacy concerns when it comes to job hunting, but if no one knows you're looking, that's a problem, too."
Changing this can be as simple as updating your status on LinkedIn and other social networking sites to let people know that you are open to new positions. If you're currently employed and don't want your boss to find out that you're looking, you'll need to be more subtle. One way to do this is to give prospective employers a sense of how you might fit in, says Dan Schawbel, author of "Me 2.0" and founder of Millennial Branding. "I recommend a positioning, or personal brand statement, that depicts who you are, what you do, and what audience you serve, so that people get a feeling for how you can benefit their company."
4. Quantity over quality.
Choose connections wisely; only add people you actually know or with whom you've done business. Whether it's on LinkedIn, Facebook or any other networking site, "it's much more of a quality game than a quantity game," says Ms. Canfield. A recruiter may choose to contact one of your connections to ask about you; make sure that person is someone you know and trust.
And there's really no excuse for sending an automated, generic introduction, says Ms. Canfield. "Taking the extra five to 10 seconds to write a line or two about how you know the other person and why'd you'd like to connect to them can make the difference between them accepting or declining your connection request," she says. "It also doesn't hurt to mention that you're more than willing to help them or introduce them to other people in your network."
5. Online exclusivity.
Early last year, Washington's Tacoma Public Utilities posted a water meter reader position on its website. The response? More than 1,600 people applied for the $17.76 an hour position.
With the larger number of people currently unemployed (and under-employed), many employers are being inundated with huge numbers of applications for any positions they post. In order to limit the applicant pool, some have stopped posting positions on their websites and job boards, says Tim Schoonover, chairman of career consulting firm OI Partners.
Scouring the Web for a position and doing nothing else is rarely the best way to go. "When job-seekers choose to search for jobs exclusively online– rather than also include in-person networking–they may be missing out on 'hidden' opportunities," says Mr. Schoonover. "Higher-level jobs are not posted as often as lower-level jobs online. In-person networking may be needed to uncover these higher-level positions, which may be filled by executive recruiters."
Write to ELIZABETH GARONE at cjeditor@dowjones.com

Original WSJ Article

Tips for transitioning from a stay-at-home parent into a career-track professional

I took about five months of maternity leave after my daughter was born. It felt more like five years when I returned. 

In my first few months back on the job, I could barely manage to get to work without yogurt smeared on my clothes. Report breaking-news stories? Write on deadline? Yeesh.

Now imagine returning after taking off years to raise a family.

I talked with Carol Fishman Cohen, co-founder of iRelaunch and co-author of Back on the Career Track: A Guide for Stay-at-Home Moms Who Want to Return to Work, which came out in 2007. What tips, I asked her, can you give someone who is looking to rejoin the workforce after taking time off to spend with family?

She offers seven tips for styling your own personal relaunch, as she calls it: (And you can also keep up on advice from Fishman Cohen and her co-author, Vivian Steir Rabin, at the Back on the Career Track blog here.

Relaunch or not -- you decide. Basically, you need to fully think through your feelings, needs and issues about whether you are ready to return to the work force. What are your childcare needs? Do you have family and spousal support? Are there other issues, such as a recent move or a spouse that's just changed jobs that can complicate returning to work?

Learn confidence. Your co-workers from the past remember you as you were, she said. It can be a "huge confidence builder" to get back in touch with co-workers from the past and hear their enthusiasm about your decision to return to work, she said.

Another way to help build that up? Start talking. Talk first with your nonjudgmental friends and family about your interest in returning to work and what you want to do. At first, you might not sound so polished. But talking it out lets you practice and get feedback on what you're saying or how you're saying it. Broaden the audience to people you know more casually. All of this is a kind of rehearsal for an interview down the road. The more you rehearse ahead of time, the better you will sound.
    
Assess your career options. You need to figure out if your skills and interests have changed. You want to look at each of your prior significant work and volunteer experiences, look at all the pieces of those jobs and identify the ones that you love doing and think you're best at. You might find that you were exactly on the right career path to begin with, she said, and want to return. Or you might find that your old career is no longer compatible with your lifestyle.

Update your professional and job-search skills. Subscribe to industry journals, attend conferences, get back in touch with your alma mater which may offer alumni career services.
     
Consider whether you need to update your training by taking classes at a community college or enrolling in a certificate program. For some people, schooling provides a networking or internship opportunity that may translate into a full-time job.
    
Volunteering with nonprofits can often provide relevant experiences that are resume-worthy, she said.
    
Network and market yourself. Set up an online professional profile on LinkedIn. Join professional organizations, alumni groups and other associations through your LinkedIn profile.

"Nothing beats getting out of your house," she said. "We hear over and over, 'I sent out 100 resumes and I'm not getting any responses,'" Fishman Cohen said. "You can do that if you want, but your most productive networking is going to be in person.

That means going to parent-teacher organization meetings or soccer games or political committee meetings, she said. Have conversations with people about their work -- and once in a while, you'll connect with someone whose interests are similar to yours.

Channel family support. Make sure you talk with them and strategize how you're going to handle child-care, pick-ups, housework or other needs that will arise with your absence.

Handle the job -- or find another. Be strategic about your relaunch, but if you end up having to take a job that's not your ideal, work on a plan B. Don't necessarily turn down a contractor position or one that offers less responsibility because you can show your skills and earn more responsibility over time.

Those are the official seven tips. But she has a few other pieces of advice to keep on track.

Be relentless. Keep going and keep moving forward. If you land a job interview and it doesn't turn into an offer, don't give up.

Pair up with a relaunch buddy. Find someone who is also interested in returning to work. Then set up a regular time to check in with that friend about how your week's efforts are going. This provides you with a scheduled check-in, so that you keep making progress, as well as gives you a sounding board.    

And one more tip -- how do you discuss the years that you took off to stay at home?
One reason the networking piece is so important, she said, is because that information will already be out there before you get to an interview. At that point, she said, don't apologize. "Be very brief about it and move on. For example, you might say "I took a career break to take care of my kids, but I can't wait to come back to work. One reason I was so excited about this job is...." and move the conversation on to talk about your qualifications and skills.   
    
IRelaunch has several online resources, including a readiness quiz and a resume guide on its website. It also has compiled a list of dozens of career re-entry programs -- including some free ones -- that people can look into as well. 

-- Helen Jung

Original Article

Promoting Your Job Search When You're Employed

By ELIZABETH GARONE

Q: How should you go about advertising yourself on LinkedIn when you are already employed? It seems like you wouldn't want to be too overt, since people from your present company are likely to see your posting. Is it OK to note that you are open to job queries?
A: You are right to assume that someone from your company probably will view your profile at some point, so it would be best not to announce that you are actively looking for another job. Luckily, there are ways you can subtly let it be known that you are open to opportunities.
"Your LinkedIn profile is public, which means that everyone has access to it in and out of your company," says Dan Schawbel, author of "Me 2.0" and managing partner at Millennial Branding LLC. "You can, however, be cautious and avoid sending public updates that you want to quit your job or that you hate your manager."

Unless your company knows that there are extenuating circumstances – such as expected layoffs, you're relocating, or you are seeking opportunities in a different field – you won't want to advertise your availability, says Catherine Ricker, vice president of human resources at Affinity Federal Credit Union in Basking Ridge, N.J. "Colleagues, and possibly your supervisor, are likely to learn of your search, which may send the impression that you are unhappy with your current employer or manager, even if you are not, and cause the employer to question your commitment to the organization," she says.
Instead, use your profile to detail you prior work experience and to emphasize your present job position title, job responsibilities and future career aspirations, suggests Ms. Ricker. "Solicit professional recommendations for posting on your LinkedIn page and direct prospective employers accordingly," she says. She recommends joining groups in your specific field of interest. "Savvy recruiters generally seek out potential candidates through these groups," she says.
When job hunting in "stealth" mode, get comfortable using your account settings, recommends LinkedIn's senior public relations manager, Krista Canfield. For example, many users don't know that they can adjust their settings so that their connections won't be notified each time they update their status or make changes to their profile. "That way, if you suddenly decide to connect to 15 local recruiters, your boss won't notice that these folks have been added to your network via status updates," says Ms. Canfield.

On the flip side, LinkedIn users often forget to indicate that they are interested in career opportunities and that they will accept messages from other members. If you disable these features, you'll be making yourself much harder to contact and could lose out on job opportunities.

Mr. Schawbel recommends approaching your LinkedIn headline as a "positioning statement, detailing what you do and who you do it for." In addition, you'll want to figure out the keywords a recruiter would use to search for people in your desired field and include them as part of your profile. "This way, recruiters will find you, and you'll start getting job queries for positions that you're truly passionate about," says Mr. Schawbel.
"Above everything else, make sure you update and expand your profile," says Ms. Canfield. Users with complete profiles are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities through LinkedIn than those with incomplete profiles, she says.
Write to ELIZABETH GARONE at cjeditor@dowjones.com

Original WSJ Article