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5 Tips for Using Social Media for Job Search Success [INFOGRAPHIC]

Dr. Sarah David — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 22:41:26 +0000

5 Tips for Using Social Media for Job Search Success

Today's job searchers have a full arsenal of socially savvy tools at their disposal, from professional networking sites to social sites that allow you to reach out to former colleagues and old friends. Read on for 5 top tips to use social media to your advantage during your job search!

1. Know the Tools

If it's been a while since you've explored the job market, you might be a little hesitant to use social media tools as part of your job search. Fortunately, there are a number of well-known, vetted sites that will allow you to safely post your professional information. LinkedIn has been steadily growing in popularity; it's a must use site for the serious job seeker. The best candidates take time with their LinkedIn profiles, including a professional photograph, and carefully worded description of your experience and current career goals. In addition, you may want to try using more traditionally "social" media for your professional needs. Both Twitter and Facebook allow for the careful cultivation of a professional online persona that can give you an advantage in the current job market. Twitter is great for sharing and communicating with other professionals in your field. Follow what leaders are reading and thinking about in your industry, and it may just lead to some insight as you search for the perfect position to fit your skills and interests.

2. Reach Broadly

Once you've started making connections via LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Google+, consider reaching beyond your trusted network of close friends and associates. Oftentimes the people with whom we share a loose connection can serve as a bridge to part of a larger professional world. Identify people in your desired industry by browsing through some of your mutual friends and connections, then don't be shy from asking for an electronic introduction. Casual, friendly questioning via social media is a great way to learn more about your ideal job and it may even lead to an offer down the road.

3. Hitting the Right Tone

When using social media to promote yourself professionally, it's important to strike the right tone. Consider the industry where you plan to seek employment. Is it most important to appear friendly and approachable? Or should you adopt a more conservative, authoritative tone? Either way, it's important to remember that even in the field of social media, respectful language and professional grammar never go out of style.

4. Perfect Your Pitch

As you begin to reach out to friends, colleagues, and new connections, try to boil down your vision of your professional self to a few pithy words. What are the key points about your experience that you want to communicate? Once you've identified these strengths, interests, and/or goals, it will be easier to naturally cover these points without sounding too "sales-y."

5. Leave Them Wanting More

Social media sites can be a great place to showcase examples of your work. Use the full power of the web by linking to completed projects, past clients, or online publications to give a better picture of your experience. However, be careful to not overexpose your work. Consider creating short excerpts of your professional portfolio to include on your social media profiles. Give potential employers just enough information to want to know more about their next potential hire.

In Closing…

By exploring ways to leverage social media, you can catapult yourself above other candidates for your job search success. Happy Searching!

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Dr. Sarah David is the Founder of Social Savvy Sarah…A Personal Branding and Social Media Consultancy Providing Social Media Strategies to Build Your Brand and be Socially Savvy! She works with a World-Class Team to provide a "One-Stop Shop" whether you are a "Do-it-Yourselfers" or need "Done for You" services for all of your social media needs. From Fortune 500 corporations to institutions of higher education, entrepreneurs or professionals looking for career advancement, we will help you Build Your Brand and be Socially Savvy! To learn more sign up for her free exclusive personal branding and social media marketing updates at http://www.socialsavvysarah.com.

New Year…New Career! Explore Your Career in 5 Easy Steps [CAREER INFOGRAPHIC]

Dr. Sarah David — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 17:48:04 +0000

New Year…New Career!

Explore Your Career in 5 Easy Steps

What better time than the new year to Jump Start Your Career! The first step in exploring careers is exploring within yourself and asking the question, “What is most important to me?” You want to choose a career that interests you. It is very important to realize that this decision does not always define or determine your career. Many people will, at some point, pursue occupations unrelated to their ultimate dream job. What do you feel passionate about? By discovering yourself, you will learn your Interests – what excites you. Skills – things you do well;

Values – what is most important to you; Personality – why you do the things you do. This exploration is accomplished by moving through 5 stages of Career Development:

1. Self Assessment/Exploration

· Learn about yourself by taking assessments such as a personality assessment, Strengths assessment or personal branding assessment. These assessments are designed for specific things such as measuring your interests, values, personality and garnering feedback from others.

· Talk with a Career Coach or Career Counselor who will be able to assist you with this which can be an overwhelming process. Career Coaches/Counselors will be able to assist you with interpreting career assessments, choosing a major if you are considering a college program, career exploration, career advancement, transition or reinvention, job search and interview preparation.

· Identify your motivated skills – skills you enjoy using and incorporate those into your decision. A word of caution: no test, workshop, class, computer program or career coach or career counselor will answer the question of what you should do with your life. The answer can only come from you! Please use these resources to assist you in making an informed decision.

2. Career Exploration

· Investigate the world of work. Do Your Research! Find out what jobs will be suitable for you. You will discover information about the occupation or business opportunity you are considering such as: job outlook, potential earnings, training/educational requirements and related occupations. One of my favorite sites that I use in helping clients discover career options is the Occupational Outlook Handbook.

3. Goal Setting & Decision Making

· Identify where your goals and interests intersect the world of work whether you are working for yourself as a business owner or as an employee for a company.

· Next, make a decision about what you would like to pursue.

· I wrote a complete blog post on Goal Setting.

4. Testing your career

· Resources to explore interests and gain career-related experience

o Internships/Co-ops – These are great opportunities to “try out” your career option whether you are just starting out or reinventing yourself for a new possibility.

o Volunteer – Some of the best experience comes from volunteering. You gain valuable experience.

o Part-time employment – Get a job in your career of interest.

o Community Resources – Community Groups, Chambers of Commerce

o Course Sampling – Online Courses, College Courses, Self-Study Courses

o Informational Interviews – Talk with someone who is doing the job you are interested in pursuing. Ask questions such as; What do you enjoy most about your position? What are the challenges? How did you land in your position?

o Career Events – Attend seminars, job fairs and other Career and Business related events for maximum exposure.

o Find a Mentor/Coach – These are people that will help you stay focused and provide you accountability to assist you in reaching your goals.

5. Action/Implementation – Act, Re-evaluate, Modify and Move Forward!

In Closing…

By exploring your career and identifying what you bring to the table, you can develop a fantastic foundation for your career. Happy Exploring!

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Your Personal & Professional Wish List for 2013 [INFOGRAPHIC]

Dr. Sarah David — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 20:20:06 +0000

Christmas Wish List: Your Personal & Professional Wish List for 2013

Last week we discussed Goal Setting for your success. With that in mind consider what's on your personal and professional wish list this holiday season.

In Closing…

Be sure to add your personal and professional goals to your wish list. Consider what you hope to see accomplished and all wrapped up as it relates to your goals under the tree by this time next year.

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S.M.A.R.T. Goals for Your S.A.V.V.Y. Brand (INFOGRAPHIC)

Dr. Sarah David — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 01:00:42 +0000

S.M.A.R.T. Goals for Your S.A.V.V.Y. Brand

Goal setting is the cornerstone of success! Without them we don't have a clear roadmap of where we are going. Here is a SMART way you can meet your goals to help you build your SAVVY Brand!

S = SPECIFIC: The goal you set should be simple and straight to the point. It has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal. To set a specific goal you must answer the six “W” questions:

1. Who: Who is involved other than myself?

2. What: What specifically do I want to accomplish?

3. Where: Where do I want to accomplish my goal?

4. When: When do I want to complete my goal?

5. Which: Which challenges might I encounter? (requirements)

6. Why: Why do I want to accomplish this goal? (reasons, purpose or benefits)

M = MEASURABLE: Your goal should be measurable. You should develop a benchmark or starting point (number) to measure your progress. Many people set goals and will never know if they have attained them or not. “To be happy” or “To be successful” is not a goal because there is no starting point or number to benchmark. To make your goal measurable ask questions such as:

1. How much?

2. What percent?

3.How will I know when it is accomplished?

A = ATTAINABLE: When you identify high-priority goals, your mind begins to figure out ways to achieve it. Instead of asking “Can I do this” you begin to ask, “How do I do this” to make it happen. You begin to get motivated and excited about what is necessary, you get the training and skills and/or resources needed to accomplish the task and develop the plan to make it happen. You begin to see opportunities that were previously overlooked that bring you closer to reaching your goals.

You can attain just about any goal you set when you have the steps planned out. Develop an action plan to successfully complete baby-steps, put them on paper, and set a time-line to move you through the steps. As you take each step that you’ve planned, your goals will seem more attainable. You will grow to match your goals. Your confidence grows as you move through the steps towards your goals. You then see yourself accomplishing the goal, which is just the fuel that is needed to propel you forward.

R = REALISTIC: You and you alone are the only one who can determine if you have a realistic goal. What is realistic to you may not be realistic to someone else. Don’t “should” all over yourself. It must be your goal not a “should have” or “ought to” statement. Your objective must be believable and realistic to you. Imagine yourself completing the task. What does it feel like? Although believing is great it is far from actually doing the work needed to accomplish your goal. Set high expectations but then take the baby steps to get there. Here are 3 things to ask yourself in being realistic about achieving your goal.

1. On a scale of 1-10, how committed are you to completing this goal?

2. Have you ever accomplished anything similar in the past?

3. What circumstances must exist to accomplish this goal?

T = TANGIBILITY: You MUST set a time frame with a clear deadline. A goal must have a target date for completion. If you want to make a million dollars but don’t set a timeline for it, you have no reason to take any action. Think about if you want to obtain a degree or advanced degree. You have a degree plan to follow each semester or quarter in order to complete the process. Once you complete each of those classes scheduled each semester and meet all the requirements you can look forward to graduation. If your deadline is too far in the future it is too easy to blow off and goof around. If it is set too close, it is too difficult to meet and it is discouraging. Many times when setting goals we want it accomplished yesterday so it is often easy to get discouraged. Take your time and pace yourself.

Begin Now! Identify a goal and put your goal timeline into your planner.

Use a Coach! A coach will help you grow by keeping you focused on your goals. Not only are they great cheerleaders but they challenge you to think “outside the box” and try things you may not ordinarily do. It is easy to get stuck, have a setback or lose sight of your goal and the coach is there to help you stay on track. A coach will reflect back to you your strengths and successes that you often cannot see yourself. They will believe in you even before you believe in yourself.

Enjoy the Process! Celebrate each milestone. As you accomplish the baby steps in your goals and reach milestones be sure to enjoy and celebrate them along the way. Don’t get ahead of yourself and worry about the tasks and goals you have not yet accomplished. Focus on the present and look at how much you have accomplished thus far.

In Closing…

Use these S.M.A.R.T. goals for Your S.A.V.V.Y. Brand so you can be:

S = Successful

A = Authoritative

V = Visible

V = Victorious

Y = "YOU"nique

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Project a Positive Personal Brand

Dr. Sarah David — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 01:33:21 +0000

Project a Positive Personal Brand

I wrote about this some time ago but since I have been receiving a lot of questions around branding I thought I would revisit. According to a UCLA study, 85% of all decisions are made with our eyes. Think about how visual our society is today and the lengths we go through in marketing to visually appeal to consumers.

Visual appeal is one element that drives your personal brand. Before you sell anything, you sell yourself first. By taking the time to do this correctly, you can create a desirable and in demand brand.

The way you dress and carry yourself has a remarkable impact on the people you meet professionally and socially and this greatly impacts how they treat and respond to you.

With a well-defined personal brand you gain tremendous advantage over the competition in the market place. The personal brand you project affects others’ decisions as to your intelligence, character and ability, and determines whether or not they want to do business with you.

Think of yourself as a company with one employee – you. Ask yourself this question: “How much time, money and energy have I spent in developing a “personal brand” that is unique enough to sell to my market?” Many people have invested thousands of dollars in education, professional development and their personal image as a part of their brand development.

To project a strong personal brand, you need to brand yourself and your business (no matter how small) the same way large companies brand their businesses. This is not a hobby or part-time job; this is your business so make your brand recognizable just like the bigger companies in the marketplace.

Large, successful companies understand the power of “branding” a product. They spend a lot of time, money and energy to create a “brand” that is appealing enough to sell their product because they want to make sure that the buyer has a strong connection with that brand.

You can make your personal brand do the same thing for your business or career as well, by:

Taking a good hard look at yourself-inside and out. Take a self assessment if you need to get to the root of you.
Examine your honesty and integrity, as well as your outward appearance.
Remove or repair the things that you wouldn’t like if you saw them in another person or business, and strengthen those things in which you place value upon and admire.

This is what creating and projecting your own personal brand is all about and will set you apart from others. Think about how you want your customers, clients or colleagues to perceive you, what about you will convince them to buy or do business with you, and then make whatever changes are necessary to live up to your brand image.

In Closing…

Personal Branding is a lifelong journey whether you are branding yourself to represent an employer or your own business. Regardless of what you do or where you go, your personal brand follows you and it becomes a calling card to others as to what you are known for in your niche. Spend the time you need to nurture and develop it and it will represent you well.

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The First Step to Find a Career You Love!

Dr. Sarah David — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 01:35:41 +0000

The First Step to Finding a Career You LOVE!

Assess Your Strengths

(Portions Excerpted from "Jump Start Your Career Now"

“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power. If you realize that you have enough, you are truly rich.” – Te Ching

When considering any type of opportunity, the first step on the road to career advancement is to take inventory of your strengths. Think about what you do well or what others have told you that you do well. Think back to when you were a child. What did you love to do or what did you dream of doing when you grew up? As a little girl I was creative and loved to draw and paint. I always chose the role of “teacher” when I played “school” with my sister and our friends. It does not surprise me that today, I love the creativity I have as an entrepreneur and teaching others how to discover, enhance or monetize their gifts.

One way to assess your strengths is to compare them to job descriptions that require those skills. The first thing we do when we consider a new business or career opportunity is “hunt” by researching information on the Internet regarding the possibilities. On our “hunt,” we discover the requirements by way of the description based on what the employer or client requests. Those descriptions are wonderful clues to how we should evaluate ourselves based on our own strengths and talents. For example, here are the requirements for a Search Engine Marketing Manager.

You can do this for any opportunity. You would match up your talents and skills with what they are requesting. Is there a match? If so, you would be a great candidate. If there are items in the requirement that you are unfamiliar with then this would be a great opportunity for you to gain experience in this area. You can do this in a number of ways.

1. Take a class at a local college,

2. Do a self study course,

3. Work with someone who can teach you…such as a coach or mentor.

There are other ways to assess your strengths such as taking inventory of your strengths, skills, and talents. We offer a free personal branding assessment to help you get started. You can do an entrepreneurial, career, personality, 360 or other assessments that will allow you to get a snapshot of where you stand. You can also do a self assessment by answering a few of the questions below.

When Assessing Your Strengths Consider the Following:

What are you naturally good at doing?

What do people say you are good at doing?

What do you enjoy?

What skills do you use when you are doing what you enjoy?

In Closing…

Spending some time in deep reflection can go a long way in helping you assess your strengths and then put them to work doing something you love!

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Want to Stand OUT on LinkedIn? Be OUTstanding!

Dr. Sarah David — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 00:49:04 +0000

4 Tips to Stand OUT & Be OUTstanding on LinkedIn

LinkedIn has a variety of features that you can utilize to really help you stand out. The number one step before implementing any of these tips is to have a fully optimized profile. Next you have to be sure you engage with your audience. There were 4 ways that the LinkedIn blog recently published to help you stand out from the crowd. Here is my savvy take on the nitty gritty:

1. Your Professional Photo

Don't let this be you!

Put your best face forward with a professional photo. I find it interesting that there are still people on LinkedIn who do not have a photo as a part of their profile. As a personal branding and career coach, I always encourage people to dress for the job they want and Linkedin seems to agree! Be sure it is a recent photo and truly reflects who you are today. If you have gained or lost 50 lbs then your photo should reflect what you look like today. There is certainly no excuse for you not to have a photo as a part of your professional LinkedIn profile. This photo should be professional in nature. Not your standard profile pictures that you find on Facebook. Be sure to invest in professional photos to leave the perfect first impression.

2. It's All About the Update

Examples of some of the Linkedin Applications

Professional who share content on LinkedIn once a week are 10 times more likely to be contacted for a job or business opportunity. Be sure to share your expertise. I constantly get connection requests and great feedback from my status updates. This is a great way to stay top of mind with your niche and share valuable information that then in turn gets shared to others. You can connect your WordPress blog through the special app on LinkedIn and each time you do a blog post it will automatically show on LinkedIn. How convenient! I love being able to hit one button and accomplish more than one action. You can also incorporate your Twitter feed on LinkedIn so it is visible within your profile. There are a variety of great LinkedIn Applications to explore. Be sure you are sharing valuable, quality content that others are happy to share with their network.

3. Create A Schedule

Take time to create a schedule for your LinkedIn updates. As mentioned earlier, you can add LinkedIn apps to your profile to automatically update when you do something on another platform. You can use social media management tools such as Hootsuite to schedule and manage your updates. Also be sure to take time to share live, up to the moment updates as well.

4. Keep it Positive & Professional

LinkedIn is a professional resource for over 175 million users. You want others to have positive interactions with you on LinkedIn. It is definitely not the place to rant, complain, argue or air your dirty laundry. It surprises me what people will do and say on social networks particularly Facebook and Twitter. Don't do it! LinkedIn is a professional platform in nature and these types of actions could come back to bite you later when you are just about to be offered that dream job or sweet business deal. Always be professional…but professional can also be fun! Follow others who have positive content and companies you want to connect with too! Content should add value for you so you want to be providing value to others as well.

In Closing…

With more than 175 million professional users on LinkedIn, it is important for you to find small strategies you can implement to stand OUT. A professional photo, status updates, scheduling and sharing valuable positive content are great starters to help you be OUTstanding on LinkedIn!

Supporting You One "Savvy Step" at a Time!

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5 Tips to Get Your Dream Job Using Linkedin

Dr. Sarah David — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 02:42:41 +0000

5 Tips to Get Your Dream Job Using LinkedIn

LinkedIn has proven to be a great networking site where you can advance in your professional career. Having a strong network connection on LinkedIn entails great opportunity of finding your dream job. Your professional colleagues, classmates, co-workers, and friends might be connected with someone who used to work or is still currently working at the company you would like to get in.

Before making yourself known, you will have to prepare yourself for the introduction. Remember, you only have one opportunity to impress a person so make sure that you have all the professional qualities needed for the job and the company.

Here are 5 tips to help you with preparing yourself for getting your dream job using LinkedIn:

1. Build Your Profile

Your LinkedIn profile represents your online image. How you present yourself through your profile influences the way professionals see you. Be creative in building your LinkedIn profile. Include all your relevant professional experiences and be specific with the information. Upload a professional headshot. Having a picture of yourself makes people better able to relate to you. A professional photo also makes you more memorable.

2. Connect to People You Know

You have to be confident in terms of getting a connection. Connect with people who might be good for your professional career and ask for endorsements and recommendations. You never know who others are connected to. You might find out they know people on your list of dream companies. They may be able to recommend you to contacts within companies they are connected with to expand your network.

3. Join Groups

Expand your network by joining groups. Actively participate in your group to enhance your image. You can answer questions and give advice to fellow group members whenever someone addresses particular topics that involve your niche. Be sure to provide accurate information. You can also tap into your personal experience and expertise.

4. Ask for Recommendations

Recommendations are very important in your professional career when using LinkedIn and helps tremendously in acquiring your dream job. Hiring managers and recruiters read your recommendations and take them into account when evaluating your qualification. Recommendations also boost your profile quality. It is likely that hiring managers and recruiters may know the person who recommends you.

5. Research the Company

The best way to get into the company and getting your dream job is to research the company and details of the job. Be sure to identify the company’s background and goals. Do you have the right qualification to help them achieve their goals? Are your skills and qualifications a good fit for their needs? Do you have experience in their business areas? If you can positively answer all of these questions then go on and apply for the job.

In Closing…

I would like to encourage you to utilize the connection power of Linkedin to help you obtain your dream job and make valuable connections.

Supporting You One "Savvy Step" at a Time!

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Jump Start Your Career Now!

Dr. Sarah David — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 06:30:18 +0000

Jump Start Your Career Now!

Now Available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Press Release: Those Seeking Career Advancement, Get Help In New Book By Personal Branding Expert Dr. Sarah David

Renowned career & social media strategist, Dr. Sarah David announces the release of JUMP START YOUR CAREER NOW: 50 TIPS TO PROMOTE YOUR PERSONAL BRAND FOR CAREER ADVANCEMENT, TRANSITION OR REINVENTION to help readers define and launch their own personal brand. Click HERE to read the full Press Release.

As many of you know, I have been working on a book project and I am so happy to finally announce the release of Jump Start Your Career Now! 50 Tips to Promote Your Personal Brand for Career Advancement, Transition or Reinvention (Nice Media, November 5, 2012). It has been a long labor of love and I am so happy to be able to share it with you! It is jam packed with great tips to help you in your career success whether you are an entrepreneur, professional or small business owner…just starting out or looking to reinvent yourself with a new career.

Jump Start Your Career is designed to arm readers with information to make the biggest image and career impact possible. If you have ever struggled with using social media for your career or feel like your brand needs a makeover, this book will help break the process down into easy to digest steps.

You will learn how to:

Promote Your Personal Brand
Position Yourself as an Authority in Your Niche
Assess Your Strengths
Unleash Your Expertise
Do What You Love
Make Lifelong Connections
Leverage the Power of Your Social NetWORK
Present a Professional and Impactful Image

It is my goal to start a career empowerment movement that will inspire and support others in creating a work life on their own terms that can be more flexible, accommodating and in alignment with their overall life goals. I am confident that we can create this movement together.

Click HERE to order your copy.

Partner with Me

Dear Friend,

Thank you for the opportunity to share my mission to inspire others to unleash their expertise, do what they love and Jump Start their Careers NOW! It is my goal to start a career empowerment movement using social media that will inspire and support others in living a work LIFE on their own terms that can be more flexible and accommodating and in alignment with their overall life goals. I am confident that we can create this movement together.

Click HERE to find out how to become a partner.

In Closing…

I would like for you to take a good long look at where you are currently in your career and ask yourself. Are you doing what you love? If the answer is YES…Congratulations! If the answer is NO…then consider why not and the next step you will take to Jump Start Your Career Now!

Supporting You One "Savvy Step" at a Time!

Share with me below your #1 challenge in your current career as an entrepreneur or professional.

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7 Actions to Take Now on Linkedin for Business [INFOGRAPHIC]

Dr. Sarah David — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 01:30:27 +0000

7 Actions to Take Now on Linkedin for Business

Are we connected on Linkedin? Take a moment to connect with me there at drsarahdavid@gmail.com. I would love to add you to my professional network.

In Closing…

Take these quick and easy steps to get yourself ready to collaborate and connect on Linkedin.

Supporting You One "Savvy Step" at a Time!

Share with me below how you have used Linkedin to grow your business or advance your career. Looking forward to hearing from you!

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