Inspiration going into the weekend...

This excerpt is from 'Working Girl' by Julie Z. Rosenberg, and exemplifies the same out-of-the-box thinking I promulgate. Enjoy!

When looking for my first job out of college, I followed the advice of a mentor who told me that advertising was a good place for smart English majors to start their career. I immediately decided to look for a job on Madison Avenue. This was in 1993. The job market was wretched that year, though I realized that plum jobs at top agencies were always hard to come by, I knew I'd have to be creative to get an advertising job without experience or connections.

I didn't go to the classifieds, rather, I started reading the advertising column in the business section of The New York Times. One day while perusing the industry notes, I noticed something beautiful. A job opportunity waiting to happen.

"John Follis is leaving Follis/DeVito/Verdi over 'philosophical differences' and is opening up his own shop."

Perfect. I figured that the renegade executive needed to staff up his new agency - pronto! I immediately called 411 (this was before information was readily accessible on the Internet) but his number was not yet listed. I was only able to get the former agency's name and so, by default, I wound up faxing my resume to the remaining DeVito/Verdi. Upon receiving my resume, the president called immediately. We set up an interview for the next day. I was hired within the week.

Wow. Follow Julie's lead.

Using Linked In to its potential...

I know, I know. Everyone tells you to "use Linked In to network and find a job." However, nobody tells you how. If you're like most people, you've got a laundry list of 'Contacts' from college, past jobs, and professional associations. That's a start. Now what?

Now, it's time to really harness the power of Linked In:

1) Update the 'Tell your network what you are doing:' text box DAILY. You could say things like a) "Follow me on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/employmentalist"; b) "CONTEST: First person in my network to provide me with a job lead that results in employment wins $250!"; c) "Searching for a Business Analyst position in New York City"; and so on and so forth.

2) Spend time in the Q&A section of the site. Ask intelligent questions. When people respond, personally message them to thank them for their response, discuss what you liked about their response, and ask them to connect. You've now added a new contact to your network. Also, answer questions and establish 'Expertise' by providing the proverbial 'Best Answer'. This ties back to establishing yourself as a subject matter expert (SME).

3) Join Groups and actively encourage discussion by posting and responding often. Build ties within the Group and add contacts.

4) If there are certain people who you feel might be able to help you in your job search, reach out to them with a private message.

How else have you successfully used Linked In?

Can $150 buy you employment? YES.

Jacob Share, 33, started an email chain by sending his resume and job search objective to his family and friends. He asked them to send it on to others and offered a monetary prize in the amount of $150 to the person who led him to a job as a Web Development Manager.

"The process went quickly after I sent my initial mailing to almost everyone I knew," he said. "It only took one friend's forward beyond that initial mailing to get a referral that lead to the ultimate job offer."

A perfect example of the power of networking within your "sphere of influence". Are you leveraging your network?

(Story from CNN Money)

Does your community know who you are?

How involved are you in your community? My father sat on the City Board of Art in the city where I grew up. He and a committee would propose various art projects for the purpose of city beautification. It required minimal involvement, but paid handsome dividends, as he was able to expand his network and referrals poured in, not to mention, he was able to tout this experience on his CV. Help your community, and your community will help you in return.

Have you sought out volunteer opportunities to get involved in your community?

Guerrilla Job Hunt Plan...

Would you start your own business without a business plan? If you answered "yes", consider this statistic: 80% of small businesses without a business plan will fail in their first 5 years. Now, I'll ask again, would you start your own business without a business plan?

Case in point, planning is essential. It amazes me, how lackadaisical people are with their job search.

"I'll send out a resume today, maybe two tomorrow. I've seen some good job listings on Monster."

That's it?? If this sounds familiar, it's time for you to make some serious changes in your so-called "strategy". It's time to get militant and create your guerrilla job hunt plan. Keep in mind, the more aggressive you are with your plan, the better the probability you'll have interviews set up in the coming days/weeks. What goes in a guerrilla job hunt plan?

1) A weekly resume distribution quota. Say, 5 *tailored* resumes every day, Mon-Fri. That would be 25 resumes per week, and 100 resumes per month.

2) Make a spreadsheet of 10-15 companies you'd be happy working for in your industry. Create columns in the spreadsheet for Company Name, Company Address, Contact(s), Telephone Numbers, and Emails. Then, go knocking on doors with your personal brand kit.

3) Make a list of upcoming career fairs in your area this month. Then, attend.

4) Update your Facebook and/or LinkedIn profile to make it clear to your network that you're on the market, and what you're looking for in a job. Be particular.

5) Attend 2 networking events this month.

...and so on, and so forth. Remember to track your progress as you execute your plan. Seeing your progress on paper compels you to continue on your path to gainful employment, and rise above the doom and gloom that the mass media outlets portray.

Have you created and executed your guerilla job hunt plan?

Professional Networking Group...

There are many professional networking groups out there. For example, BNI and LeTip. Simply Google "Networking Groups" and you'll find a plethora of options. The nice thing about these professional networking groups is that it is often mandatory to provide leads for others in the group, as they'll do the same for you. This forces you to be proactive in seeking opportunity for others, and in turn, opportunity should land on your plate. That's the idea, anyway. Regardless, it requires you to interface with people on a regular basis, which is markedly better than sitting at your computer, pecking away at the keys.

In a tough economy, you must leave no stone unturned. Start looking for a Chapter in your local area and attend an introductory meeting.

Have you joined a professional networking group yet and exchanged leads?

PowerPoint Resume...

Anthony's PowerPoint Resume

View more presentations from Career Corps.

For all those visual people out there, here's a career "document" that will make you happy. I know I hate sifting through piles of black-and-white resumes, which all start to look the same after I've been reviewing the stack for 10 minutes. This is a refreshing take on a traditional process. The Microsoft PowerPoint presentation resume.

Before embarking on this path, I STRONGLY recommend you learn a thing or two about the fundamentals of a good presentation. Just like the video resume, if done improperly, this format could hurt you more than it could help you. Here are two of the best books on the market for learning the fundamentals of a good presentation: 1) Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds, and 2) Slideology by Nancy Duarte.

Have you created and prospected with a Microsoft PowerPoint resume yet?

Plastic makes perfect...

Jobs come and go, as do the business cards you carried while working for a particular company. However, as part of your own personal brand identity kit, it is recommended you create personal business cards. These personal business cards can always be carried on your person, affording you the opportunity to hand them out at any time, to any contact. In an ideal world, you'd have a Web site or Web resume, to which the business card would drive traffic. This way, your new contacts can learn more about you. A tastefully crafted plastic business card will always do the trick, capturing attention at every turn, and compelling your new contact to learn more about you.

For the best plastic business cards in the industry, check out PlasticPrinters.com. Print your custom set ASAP and start networking like never before.

Have you created a set of distinguished plastic business cards for distribution to your network and potential employers?

Video Resume...

Worried that HR won't get a chance to meet the "person behind the paper"? Worry not! Now, you can let your personality shine through. Remember: dress sharp, speak with conviction, and plan out what you're going to say and how you're going to say it. Posting a sub-par video resume will actually hurt you more than it will help you. Smile, you're on candid camera!

Have you created a video resume yet?

Crowdspring...

I suppose the overarching message in this economy is "stand out." If you're still handing out the same boring black-and-white chronological resume month-after-month, with no results, it's time for a refresh. Consider a career document that will get you noticed - designed by a professional. Crowdspring is a site where you post your project (in this case, a resume design), specify your budget, and let multiple "creatives" submit designs. It's a piece of cake. Have a look at the Web site at http://www.crowdspring.com.

Have you used a Graphic Designer to create an eye-popping resume?

Elance...

Let's face it. It will take time to find a job in this economy. Instead of watching your savings dwindle and worrying about the future, take action and try your hand at freelance work in addition to your full-time job search. Who knows, if you're really talented, perhaps you can make a full-time income at it?!

To view and apply for freelance jobs, visit Elance. Also, check out this 4-minute YouTube video from FOX Business.

Have you considered trying freelance work, while looking for a full-time job?

Visual CV...

This is the latest in resume-creation technology, and if I had to bet the farm, I'd venture to say that it will eventually render the traditional Microsoft Word resume obselete. The nice thing about this tool is that it really allows your personality to shine through - and you don't have to be a technical wizard to create one. It is very user-friendly. This new resume format promotes the display of visuals, from a professional headshot, to awards received, to graphical representations of results achieved, and so on and so forth.

Time spent creating a Visual CV, is time well-invested, in my opinion. To create your own Visual CV, go to http://www.visualcv.com.

Have you created and distributed a stunning Visual CV yet?