Brenda's Blog

Recently on LinkedIn there was an interesting discussion within the BC Career Dev. Assoc. group about Maslow.  An article was included for discussion,”Social Network: What Maslow Misses”, by Pamela Brown Rutledge, in which she contends that none of Maslow’s needs can be met without social connection.

Here’s my reply:

I agree with the others that social media facilitates in-person connecting, although I have some great connections (personal AND business) with some folks I’ve never met….some have been for years and we’ve collaborated globally. I have several very good friends abroad and have never met! Some I’ve Skyped with (more technology) or been on Internet radio shows with (more technology), etc. But for sure…I agree, it is a tool.

Re: Maslow’s. Coincidentally I actually refer to it at one point in my Social Media Savvy workshop. I correlate the hierarchy to the way many people utilize social media (without the in-person connection). I’ll share with you…

Survival–while perhaps not on such a literal physiological level, some folks began using social media because they felt they needed to in order to survive in business (CDPs included!) Some have done it because they were told to, some years ago because they felt it was the innovative way of business.

Safety–Once getting started, then the need for safety enters in. (I hear it all the time!) Fear about putting info/pictures/details/resume, whatever “out there”, fear of getting hacked (which I have been), etc.

Belonging–Once the safety issues are at bay and people start becoming more active in SM, then they start to find like-minds, seek out groups (“tribes”), etc. Many get excited to watch their follower/connections numbers grow.

Esteem–Then as people post/tweet, they share and feel good when their posts/tweets are shared, liked, commented, and so on. They want to feel respected, receive recognition, feel confidence, competence, and so on.

Self-actualization–We come into our own. facilitate our own growth and are interested in fulfilling our potential.

Transcendence (the oft forgotten)–We give back, helping others through their process.

The beautiful thing about life and learning is that there are many points of view…

Interested in finding out how to utilize Social Media with your Career Exploration or Job Search process?  You can catch my talk about it on CareerCzar radio: bit.ly/nX65EF Look forward to your comments or questions!

The following is from one of my guest bloggers, Martin Yate, CPC, Author of Knock ‘em Dead: Secrets & Strategies for Success in an Uncertain World.

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How to Quadruple Your Chances of an Interview

The more ways you approach your target companies and hiring managers, the faster you will get into conversation with the people who can and will hire you. Let’s say you respond to a job posting by uploading your resume; that gives you one chance of getting an interview.

You can quadruple your chances of an interview if you also:
• E-mail your resume directly to the manager by name with a personalized cover letter. This alone will double your chances of an interview.
• Send a resume and personalized cover letter to that manager by traditional mail, and you will triple your chances of an interview. Don’t smirk at the idea of traditional mail. We all like a break from the computer screen, so delivering your sales message and resume this way can be very effective. When you do this, note in the cover letter that you sent the resume by e-mail and that this additional approach is because you are really interested in the company and “wanted to increase my chances of getting your attention.” Doing this demonstrates that you are creative and not a technological Neanderthal.
• Make a follow-up telephone call to that manager first thing in the morning, at lunchtime, or at 5:00 P.M. (when he is most likely to be available and picking up his own phone) and you will quadruple your chances of an interview.

Remember, a successful job search is all about getting into conversation with people in a position to hire you as often as possible. The more frequently you get into conversation with managers whose job titles signify that they have the authority to hire you, the faster you will land that new position, because you have skipped right over the hurdle of being pulled from the commercial resume database; you have sidestepped the corporate recruiter’s evaluation process, and as a result you have the attention of the actual decision-maker and the chance to have a conversation, to make a direct and personal pitch.

Getting a resume to someone by name with a personalized pitch gives you a distinct advantage, never more important than when the economy is down or in recovery. At such times your competition is fierce and employers actually do recognize and appreciate the initiative and motivation you display by doing these things, especially picking up the phone and calling: All these approaches act as differentiating factors in your candidacy.

The above is an excerpt from the book Knock ‘em Dead: Secrets & Strategies for Success in an Uncertain World by Martin Yate, CPC. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.

Copyright © 2011 Martin Yate, CPC, author of Knock ‘em Dead: Secrets & Strategies for Success in an Uncertain World

Author Bio
Martin Yate, CPC, author of Knock ‘em Dead: Secrets & Strategies for Success in an Uncertain World, is a New York Times and international bestseller of job search and career management books. He is the author of 11 job search and career management books published throughout the English speaking world and in over 50 foreign language editions. Over thirty years in career management, including stints as an international technology headhunter, head of HR for a publicly traded company and Director of Training and Development for an international employment services organization.

Within the profession he has a global reputation as the thought leader on job search and career management issues. He has lectured on four continents and has maintained a coaching practice since 1991.

The current recession is the 5th he has helped people navigate over the last 30 years.

For more information please visit http://www.knockemdead.com and follow the author on Facebook and Twitter.

This question came up in one of my LinkedIn groups: “What do you think about posting your tweets to your LinkedIn account? I read an article that was complaining about people who hook Twitter up in LinkedIN to push tweets automatically. What do you think about this strategy? … Yay or nay?”

My response:

My opinion is that messages are NOT suitable across various platforms.

RE: Twitter & Linkedin. If I’m involved in a Twitter discussion group or event utilizing a hashtag (#), I would find that communication irritating and irrelevant to my LinkedIn followers unless they understand the context. Also, instead of a DM, sometimes in Twitter you might use an @ mention response…again, I don’t feel this is necessary for my LinkedIn followers to see.

Solution: Rather than automate, when in Twitter if I’m tweeting something I think may be useful to my LinkedIn network, I use the hashtag #in. When in LinkedIn, (as I have the Twitter application installed), I simply check the Twitter button if I want my Tweeps to view. While this approach may be considered more time consuming than automation, I consider it to be mindful and considerate to my valued network.

When facilitating Social Media workshops, these are definitely suggestions I ask others to consider.

Just my two cents…