Business networking rules - Part2

Dos
People expect from you being:
- interesting
As I said, we are bombarded with too much information. means also, that people are desperately looking for a valuable source of information. Be specific, accurate, consistent and concise

- good looking
Appearance is a crucial. Human is a visual creature. If you offer a nice image of you on the web to your audience, you have satisfied to a great expectation

- genuine
By entering the world of social media you expose yourself by bringing your authentic self to the table. The purpose of "social" media is above all to instil a personal bite. Don't be shy show some personality and give a piece of your

- reliable
You have to deliver what you promised at the time you promised

- listening
Respect the time people give you for advise, information, knowledge etc by always jotting notes, not necessarily on a book: you have plenty of media to do so! 
As well, information is at hand and researching someone online before interacting will get you respect

- positive
People are fond of fresh and smiley attitude. Even if complains can sometimes be justified, you should not sit on, but move on

- proactive
As I said, your dream job is at hand waiting for you. But you have got to make it happen. Broaden your networks via forums, blogs, events etc and think of how you can articulate those people together

- "connecting people" - Nokia.
Wherever you can offer your help, make introduction, link like-minded people, share articles that someone may like, go for it.

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Author - Kevin Simonnet

Business networking rules - Part1

The protocol
Online networking is pretty recent to those last years. Even professionals in communication/marketing still make (huge) mistakes. We are experimenting a new way of communication and rules are still formalising as we go.
But there are some fundamentals:

Don't
- ignore the rules of the group. For example, recruiters post job ads in the common news feed. This is perceived as flooding, irreverent and commercially aggressive

- pester. Just as you wouldn't do in real life with phone calls, consider the fact that we are nowadays bombarded with too much information. And we just lack time and sometimes the energy to respond.
Leave at least 1 week before following up and offer a solution to your contact's busy schedule: put yourself in their position and suggest several slots

- shout. Using CAPS LOCK is like shouting. No one likes to be shouted at

- beg. Networking isn't about you; but them. Like the old saying that goes: "You catch more flies with honey than vinegar", don't come across as desperate. Instead demonstrate your passion and offer your help

- accept someone in your networks without a notice. Ask the new comer in what way you could be of an help. That will also be a reminder about how you met

- add someone without an introduction. You know how intrusive it can be to receive a connection request  from someone you never heard of!

Please consider sending at least a message before. Anyhow, if you follow the methodology I give you, you should not even think about it! :D

Author - Kevin Simonnet
Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

How has social media changed the recruitment process - Part2

Drive your career

Social media has enhanced networking. You are given the access to people you could never imagine get in touch with a decade before! This multiplies the possibilities and empowers you with a great asset.

Now you can build your own tactics and strategy to break into a targeted circle of decision makers. Trough referrers you can be introduced to key people that will then promote your profile and help you reach the decision maker for this particular job you covet.

Individuals are now able to do their own job hunting and drive their careers in the direction they choose.

Brand name marketing

Building your image on the web is a hard and long path to follow. However, it is to last for long. That gives you the opportunity to cover a longer period of time and move to a more ‘passive’ search.

One of the main issues in recruitment is struggling on time: from the initial business need and the time the job has to be filled, there are just a couple of months! HR has then to be really organized and have to choose between the candidates that are, at this time, available. That leads, most of the time, to a default choice.

By adopting a passive search strategy you merely avoid the time criteria. And you give the opportunity to a broader range of recruiters or hiring managers to identify you!

Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Author - Kevin Simonnet

How has social media changed the recruitment process - Part1

From 2D to 3D!

Social media allows both, candidate and companies, to promote themselves. Being able to take a proactive approach, revolutionizes the whole process.

In addition, that stretches the period devoluted to the hiring process and broadens the channels of sourcing. 

Broadcasting

Before, the only format we could use was the hard-copy Cv. It’s  formal and focused on the professional knowledge. 
Moreover, we were to synthesize it to one page! How can you decently sum up several years of your career into a single page?!

Now we have access to much various channels, each one to communicate specifically on a certain aspect of our profile.

For example, Linkedin is the extension of our existing hard-copy Cv: it allows you to talk about what is “between the lines” in your ‘work history section’. As well, you can expose more about your personality, your beliefs and objectives in the ‘summary section’

In brief, social media gives the opportunity to show different facets of you.

Enlightenment

It has made talent come to lightening. Experts are excellent at what they do, but not everyone work in media! 
By enabling self-promotion at an individual scale, talents became far more visible and accessible not only at a national range, but globally.
As a result, our networks expand to a richer talent pool, in which we can identify the best person with a larger choice.

Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Author - Kevin Simonnet

Networking strategy - Part13

HOW TO ASK FOR A RECOMMENDATION #3

6- According to your personal brand
You can kindly make suggestions that you think are attuned to your personal brand image. Make sure to vary the treat to focus on. People will appreciate it as instilling creativity.

7- Results and achievement
You mention them in your Cv. Why not having them asserted by a thrustful professional?
Ask what direct impact your service produced in terms of figure and subsequences of your positive input. You could get surprised!

8- Offer the choice
Clearly say that you have considered asking your referrer to put his reputation on the line for you and that you would understand if he would not feel like vouching for you.

9- Accompany it with a call
We are submerged by emails in nowadays crazy work pace. Receiving a call can help have a break, share a fun chat that will put a smile on your referrer's face and give him a slot to kindly do it. (Moreover, think about the impression on his colleagues around an open-plan office, as being so important that he is asked to assess the career of others ;-) !

10- Thank your referrer
After achieving all those steps and reaching the magic endorsement, please don't forget to show your gratitude.

Here is an example:
"Hi X,

I'm building my reputation on the web and to earn credibility I would really appreciate that you spend 5 minutes of your time thinking about what you liked about collaborating with me: 3 particular things that come to your mind!

To help you with it, I've given you some suggestions. However, the best reference will come from your personal point of view (maybe something surprising to me!)

- Proficiency at blogging,

- Creativity: entrepreneurship at developing a new valuable solution

- Consulting: valuable advice I gave you to enhance your networks, web presence, way of managing (self drive motivation, team leading etc).

I understand that I'm asking you to engage your online reputation. Therefore, it's important that you truly feel like vouching for me. Feel free to ask me for more information.

Thanks in advance for helping me out!"

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Author - Kevin Simonnet

Networking strategy - Part12

HOW TO ASK FOR A RECOMMENDATION #2


9 tips to have a stunning recommendation 

1- Give it a kick start
Even if you think that the most genuine endorsement would come naturally form your referrer, (and consequently, that you should not intervene to orientate it) you would be better not to leave your referrer facing the "blank sheet".

2- Give a piece of you
What more involving than striking the emotional chord of your referrer. You're asking for a favor and a personal feed back. Therefore, you should first give an insight of what motivates your request: explain your current objectives and why this recommendation is an important part of the jigsaw.

3- Encourage your referrer
Tell him how important he is to you and value his effort as making a big impact on your career.

4- Offer guidelines
Most professionals are to busy with their job, concerns with their private life ... and would just lack of time and imagination; not necessarily the willing!

Border it by :
- specifying her/him the time he will spend doing it
- asking for 3 different remarkable points. 

Those can be:
- deed
- achievement/result
- relate a story
- quality
- trait of your personality
- strategic vision of the market
- promising personality
etc
There is no restriction! This can be something achieved in the past or a potential to realise; a professional proficiency or a personal demeanour.

5- Assert with examples
Nothing more concrete and assertive than associate with a real-life example every point. 

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Author - Kevin Simonnet

Networking strategy - Part11

HOW TO ASK FOR A RECOMMENDATION #1

Assert your reputation

We understand how important our reputation on the web can be. One of the most efficient ways to build credibility is to have the recognition of our peers.

We want all the endeavours we put into delivering great outcomes to be assessed by people who, themselves, are well known to be reliable professionals.

However, there is a way to ask. Even if, in most instances, we have closely collaborated with the desired referrer it can come to be tricky.

Don't wait for the rain to fall: do it!
You know you want it. A recommendation can make a big difference when brought to the attention of prospects, investors etc. 
Actually, it will make a bigger impact than any self-promotion because it comes from a third party and it is a testimonial of a personal experience:  much more trustworthy because of its authenticity.

You are worth it To preserve this genuine authenticity, you might think then that it should come naturally as a compliment. 
But you know you deserve it!  Just go for it and ask. You might have great surprises of people truly keen and revealing qualities you wouldn't think of!

In my next post, I'll give the tips&tricks to have a stunning recommendation!

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Author - Kevin Simonnet

Social media: what difference? - Part2

The features = your skill set

The big thing with social media is that they are free and accessible to learn, enabling private individuals with knowledge like:

- Branding: also called "brand name marketing", which consists in creating content (name, communication, visual, sound bite, concept, service delivery etc) around an identity. 
- Promotion: publishing content has given a voice to bloggers and producers 
- Advertising: several ways like posting or commenting are free and you can include a savvy message
- Public Relation: by generating an interest around news, making the "Buzz" or simply feed an audience
- Community management: gathering people together and manage the interactive participation
- Analytics/SEO (Search Engine Optimisation): you can optimise the ranking of positive results and broaden your web presence 
- Sales: the product you want to sale is you. Learn how then brave cold-calling
- Marketing: you can communicate how valuable you can be and what you can offer to an organisation, applying a structured strategy implying relationship, internal/external, integrated and socially responsive marketing
- Web/Digital: acquiring knowledge on multiple platforms allows you to commute them into an integrated usage
- Project management: Establish, organise and execute a planning and tasks

Your contribution

By taking you online, you offer an exposure to your:

- Identity: Social media are above all diluting the boundary between your "social" and "professional" life
- Interactivity/Conversations: Once you pop (out), you can't stop. Initiating a dialogue with a community will make people expecting a response. Ignoring your followers is worse than doing nothing at all.  Social media requires daily attention
- Sharing: you have to offer (for free) first, to get eventually a feedback. Generating this interest is the hardest step: "to get traction, you have got to get attractive"
- Presence: Establishing your presence on the Web will make you visible to the rest of the world
- Reputation: Since what you promote is you (even through a service) people will identify your standing amongst others. It's based on trust
- Relationships: by pro-actively networking your final point is to meet in person: virtual doesn't mean there are not real people behind!
- Groups: The more ‘social’ a network becomes, the bigger the group of friends, followers, and contacts. What you want is to grow a community.

The purpose of it?

As you might have noticed, this is all what a Marketing Department does at a company!

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Author - Kevin Simonnet

Social media: what difference? - Part1

Cv is just a resume
Prior, there was the hard copy Cv with one formal way to apply for a job.  It can only answer one question: what is our skillset? That implies a one-way communication in an ultimate job interview.

A change in the job market
Gen-Y
These people, among whom I belong, took advantage of the Web 2.0, globalisation and the digital revolution. But also, had to face the 2000 dot-com bubble burst and the repetitive crisis that have followed with its high level of unemployment.

Leading challenges such as:
- With technology the skills required are evolving so quickly that adaptation has become crucial

- the subsequent unemployment is more the consequence of a volatil and versatil job market. The remaining number of jobs have increased but are now emerging in new areas, both technologically and geographically speaking

- globalisation has allowed competition from everywhere in the world. To keep abreast of the market, the Gen-Y has to be internationally mobile at an early stage (Leaving the household for studies, Erasmus, first experience in a multinational etc)


A whole new opportunity
Breaking the limits and opening up has empowered us with the opportunity to recast the fundamentals: religion, culture, identity, social conventions, life balance etc; for a whole new world.


More than a new technology..
Social media is now offering a way to grasp the digital world. Across the different platforms, we can make your own exposure. 

Each one dedicated to a particular aspect:
For instance, LinkedIn is mostly about career advancement, work relationships, networking, achievements and group membership whereas YouTube’s primary features are sharing, entertaining, conversation, recognition and creativity.

..an empowering tool!
By creating our content online on several aspects of our profile, we make a big picture: our image on the market. From there, we can manage our online reputation.

Gen-Y has grown up with the idea of a precarious situation, not only regarding employment but many different aspects of our lives. We are now fully prepared to:
- drive our career, 
- be comfortable with Freelancing,
- evolve with the trends,
- choose our personal path.
This makes us, in return, being demanding towards organisations.

In the next post I'll explain you how to use social media.

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Author - Kevin Simonnet

Improve your LinkedIn - Part4

HOW TO CREATE A CUSTOM URL

First, what for?

A shorter and custom url will make it:- easily memorable- reserve your domain name- user friendly by inserting a more design logo with an innovative extension (cf. in/). That will suit with the other web sites ones, like Twitter. What surveys say.

- Finally, it will demonstrate your proficiency of social media.
Thereby, that will enhance your profile broadcasting when using it in, for example, the details of your cover letter or your email signature.

How do I do?
1- On the very top right hand side, point the mouse on your name (without clicking), wait until the window opens, again choose "Settings"








2- In the section "Helpful link" click on "Edit your public profile"










3- Scroll down to "Your public profile URL" section.

Improve your LinkedIn - Part3

YOUR BEST PROFILE PICTURE #2

5 tips to look amazing!

Attitude&Assumptions
People will draw a picture of you unconsciously by what they feel from your image. Make sure to communicate something personal of you: a warm smile, a youthful attitude, a pleasant look..

Professional attire
Think about the perception you want to reflect. Either friendly but professional as part of the Gen-Y, or serious and sharp..  it is your image, part of your brand. Not only the conventional suit&tie will suit you. Think about your dream job and dress for your first day.

Background
It can be whether a texture, for an emotional impression (look here for the meaning of colours) to show your true color^^; or, an environment, like having the logo of your company behind you to communicate a strong corporate spirit.

Interesting angle
It's not the formal one required on your passport! As I said, you're communicating a visual identity. Find the right angle to offer an insight of your personality.

Motion
Conveying an impression of movement will reflect a more natural and sincere behaviour and will tell much more than the classical static one.

Even if that can seem to be superficial, don't overlook the power of visual identification! That will, at least, show that you made this extra effort and that you consider others.

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Author - Kevin Simonnet

Improve your LinkedIn - Part2

YOUR BEST PROFILE PICTURE #1

LinkedIn is now a standard in recruitment, and even in business in general. As a recruiter, I systematically Google my contact. Not only the job seekers, but employer and whatever business relationship!

The LinkedIn profile tells longer than you imagine.

What's behind?
For someone who don't know you, this is the first personal contact, the first impression! Visual memory will be printed over your written presentation. Because of too many content on the web, image is the lightest thing our mind can catch.

Moreover, think of LinkedIn as a highly credible professional site, and you come to understand that it forms your public image: your personal brand visual identification! In other ways: your "logo".
This is a photo you can re-use for the numerous other sites you use, to broadcast and build your image on the web.

You'd better have one!
I know that the preparation for a good one can be fastidious, but let me tell you that is worth the effort!
A blank one will attract to you suspicion, an impression of lack of completion, lackluster motivation and even a disrespectful attitude. What surveys say. 

Above all, it will reflect an inexperience in social media, from which your visitor might deduce about your:
- aptitude at evolving and continuously learning to keep abreast on innovation
- your fit within the requirements of your industry
- motivation at following trends
- your networks (and networking skills!)

For the rest of the people that has already met with you, it can be useful to recognize you among loads of homonymous.

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Author - Kevin Simonnet

Improve your LinkedIn - Part1

HOW TO STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD #1

Make it more personal

Profile picture
One that suit the environment you work in (dressing, style, attitude…) with a smile, on a side angle.

Summary
Give an overview of your personality (what passionate you, how you team work..), your professional beliefs, your objectives, the project you're currently working on.

Employment history 
Tell the story that is "between the lines": not the one already written on your Cv, but this original version you would give to an hiring manager to strike his interest on your particular profile.

Earn credibility

Recommendation
At least 5: 
- colleague in a different field, 
- counterpart, 
- direct manager, 
- client, 
- expert (guru or fellow member of a recognized association of professionals) in your area.

Certification
Get a membership of a recognized association of professionals in your field. When accredited, update your job title section

Broadcast yourself

Links
Add links to your blog, website / article, publication / Twitter, Google+

Furnish with an attached portfolio
You can add applications to your profile. The “add section” button below your summary is a link for all of them. I recon Box Net, Blog and Publication.

Video
Make video as an introduction of you

Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Author - Kevin Simonnet

Networking strategy - Part10

TRACK DOWN YOUR INFO SOURCE

Be creative

Here are some identified sources:

-          Your school’s alumni network
-          Conferences in your industry
-          Job fairs
-          Former employees

-          New hires and recently left ones

-          Seasoned employees or industry veterans

-          Member of an accredited group in the industry

-          Twitter feeds

-          LinkedIn: in your level 2 or 3 LinkedIn network

-          Publication: the author of an article interviewing your target hiring manager

manager

Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Author - Kevin Simonnet

Networking strategy - Part9

CONDUCTING AN INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW #2

The aim

Remember that your goal is to get a feeling of what working at a particular company or in a specific industry is like, an inside scoop or a distinctive tip to make your application stand out. 
And even if you are tempted to, resist asking for a job.

The outcome

Moreover, you can fall on great surprise: this person may appear as far from the decision process and in fact, be closely related to the hiring manager (on a private level for example). 

The outcome may result in a way you can not anticipate.

What is different?

Even if it is considered as to be a lower stakes conversation with a non decision maker, it is still a professional interview. And the same rules apply: be on time, dressed appropriately, choose a nice location etc and obviously, prepare this interview. 

The only difference is that you will be more likely to lead the interview and get to ask the questions. Being prepared with questions, don't mean that you are ready to fire off.

You have to turn it to a relaxed, fresh conversation and round smartly, with draped questions, the topics you want to cover by keeping a framework in your mind.

Be smart

Start on a positive note. Break the ice by asking your info source how he came to this job or company, or what makes him happy with this current role.

Example of draped questions:

-          Is the industry in a state of growth or decay

-          How long has he been in this position for? Has he evolved within the company?

-          What parts of the job does he enjoy the most? What change in the job or industry are to be anticipated?

-          What are the trends to follow? And how the company adapts to innovation? And what about the training of the employees?

-          What should be improved? What are the main struggles the company is facing and how?

-          What are the priorities? The projects on going or in preparation?

-          Who would be the next person to talk to and why? Ask a description of this person and what, according to him, will interest this new person?

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Author - Kevin Simonnet

Networking strategy - Part8

CONDUCTING YOUR INFORMAL INTERVIEW

6 key info to gather

The importance of your informer

This is your first step in the door of your target company and you would not like to miss it. Make sure to have previously gathered as much information on the company as you can, online and from your networks, in order just to assess with the informer and validate the impression you have, based on your assumptions.

What you want to know

1- Basics

-         Foundation date

-         Founder

-         Number of employees

-         Revenue

-         Main products

-         Industry

-         Locations

2- Strategy

-         Mission or vision

-         Innovation

-         Top 3 goals

3- Challenge

-         3 main current projects

-         3 struggles the company is facing

-         3 main competitors

-         Position on the market

4- Reputation

-         Web presence

-         Recognition

-        Partnership

-        Recent news

5- Ethic

-        Values

-        Working environment

-        Advancement

-        Management style

-        Training

6- Salary

-        Wages / advantages

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Author - Kevin Simonnet