Friday, June 3, 2011

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 08:27 AM PDT

I am forever grateful to my LinkedIn network and love doing whatever I can to help my connections in their networking efforts. I enjoy being a piece in the puzzle as they network to find employment, grow their businesses, hire talent, share best practices, ask questions, learn, knowledge share, reconnect with former coworkers, etc. With a large network, that’s a lot of effort and a big time investment, but it’s all worth it and I love to pay it forward. What goes around, comes around and my wonderful network has helped me in more ways than I can count.
That said, there are some requests that cross the line, in my opinion, and I think that folks should remember to leverage their network without taking advantage of it. Here are 10 of the most common LinkedIn networking mistakes that I see:
1. Can you endorse me?
Lots of us are open networkers, meeting new folks and connecting with them for mutual networking purposes. I’m here to help you network and will do what I can, but if I’ve never met you and have zero interaction with you yet, please don’t expect me to write a LinkedIn recommendation for you. I’d like to think that my endorsement means a little bit more than that!
2. Can you help me find a job?
Sorry folks. A recruiter is someone who finds candidates to fill jobs, not someone who finds jobs to employ candidates. This is a very key mistake that many, many people make. I’m happy to send you my advice for job seekers, but I’m not a professional “job finder”… Those really don’t exist, folks!

3. Do you know of any job openings that fit my profile?
Rather than coming to me with such an open-ended question, having done zero research on your part and expecting me to do all of the homework, please make some effort and do a little legwork ahead of time. First off, please read my profile and realize that I work for one company and only recruit for that one company. I’m not a headhunter or a professional “job finder” (see #2 above). Secondly, visit our careers page, apply online and then come to me with some specific positions of interest in mind. I’ll gladly do what I can to put you in touch with the appropriate decision-makers. Having done some homework on your end will not only speed up the process, it will also put less of a burden on the person you’re asking for help!
4. Can you please send me John Doe’s email address?
If folks wanted their email address to be public knowledge, they’d put it right on their profile (and many of them do, so please check there first!). If not, then it’s really not my place to give out their email address to others. Instead, use the “Introduction Request” feature on LinkedIn. I’ll gladly pass along the introduction request to them on your behalf and then they can decide if they’d like to follow up with you.
5. Do you know anyone at Acme Company?
Probably! In fact, I probably know (or am connected to) dozens of people at that company. Rather than asking me to stop what I’m doing and run a search of my database to find a list of all possible contacts at a company, please do a little homework and run a search yourself. You can easily find out the answer and then send an introduction request to me (or perhaps someone else in your network) who can introduce you to the perfect target contact. After all, only you know the reason why you want to reach out and who the best contact person at that company might be.
6. I’m interested in a position at Acme Company and would like to apply for position #1234. Can we set up a time to speak?
Great! But please note that I have not worked for “Acme” Company in seven years, so an interview with me won’t get you very far… Oops! Please read my profile carefully before reaching out for help.
7. Can you please look at my resume and send me your feedback / suggestions?
Holy moly… this one really gets me! As much as I’d love to help, these requests would take up a full 40-hour workweek (or more!) if I complied with every such request I receive. Resume writing is a very time-intensive process that requires two-way discussion, extensive editing and re-writing, etc. Professional Resume Writers charge big bucks for their services because it’s no easy task. This request is something that I simply don’t have the bandwidth to help with, unless we’re married, related by blood or you promise me your firstborn.

8. Let’s chat on the phone, grab coffee sometime, meet up for lunch, etc.
Often times, these requests are intentionally vague, asking for time on my busy calendar, yet not disclosing the reason for the meeting. It would be much more professional and forthcoming of you to disclose the full details up front so that I can decide if it will be a good investment of my time. And even if the reasons are legitimate, please don’t be offended if I can’t take you up on your offer… I’m a busy working wife and mother with a jam-packed calendar who is already struggling to get everything done in a day!

9. Hi Tracy / Hi {FirstName} / Hi trusted friend / Hi James
When reaching out to contacts on LinkedIn, please be sure to get their name right. “Tracy” is close (but still wrong), {FirstName} is clearly some mass email error, “Trusted Friend” is obviously an impersonal email blast (and immediate delete on my part) and no, I’m not some guy named James! haha It’s the quickest way to turn off your recipient… please personalize the note and get their name right!
10. Love your picture. Let’s link up and will you friend me on Facebook?
LinkedIn is a professional networking site, not Match.com. Please refrain from trying to “pick up” your connections or come across as a stalker! Ew. Immediate trip to my “Remove Connections” page!

What are some of the funniest or most inappropriate requests that you’ve received on LinkedIn? Please share them below… I’m sure there are lots of other great examples out there!
Stacy Donovan Zapar

San Diego, CA, United States Most Connected Woman on LinkedIn ~ Blogging about Social Media, Networking, Technology, Recruiting, Job Search Tips and Life in Sunny SoCal. Pay it forward!

The Work Buzz's Latest News: You won’t hear “you’re hired” if you spell it “your hired”

You won’t hear “you’re hired” if you spell it “your hired”

Posted: 02 Jun 2011 02:20 PM PDT

Each spring, schools from around the U.S. send their best spellers to Washington, D.C., for the Scripps National Spelling Bee. At the Bee, a moderator tosses out words that most of us have never heard before, and these prodigious pupils rattle off a stream of letters as if stromuhr and Laodicean are everyday words. If you saw the film Spellbound, you understand how gripping this display of linguistic skills can be. You've got silent Ks and hidden Ms and tricky origins that complicate words. It's so exciting even ESPN broadcasts the Bee.
We watch in awe as students a fraction of our age spell words we never heard before and probably will never hear again. Yet, judging by the amount of typos I see on a daily basis (including the ones I write), many of us are having trouble with some basic words. Ridiculous doesn't have an e; too is not the same as to. These misspellings don't mean we're not as smart as the youngsters at the Spelling Bee, it just means we're not as focused on accuracy as they are. Yet, we should be because spelling matters, especially when you're looking for a job.
Rather than let spelling be something you don't think about much or a terrifying monster that looms over every cover letter you type, we think you can easily handle it. Here are a few tips for impeccable spelling and why it matters on a job hunt:
1. Check (and check again) the names of companies, references, interviewers
Names are some of the easiest words to spell incorrectly because there are no definitive ways to spell them. Thom or Tom? Stacy or Stacey or Staci? Don't ever assume you aced the spelling the first time, especially when typing out the name of the hiring manager of people you interviewed with. Check e-mails, business cards and online profiles to ensure you're spelling their names correctly. Failing to do so will be a glaring error that suggests you have no attention to detail.
Above all else, spell your name correctly. You laugh now, but believe me, it happens.
2. Don't rely on spell check
Listen, spell check is an amazing invention that has made life easier for everybody. However, it's not perfect and shouldn't be used as the authority on all things spelling. For example, a good spell check might catch some grammatical mistakes, but it won't always know that you meant "through" instead of "threw." Both words are spelled correctly but they're not interchangeable in the least. If your résumé boasts of your "righting" abilities, don't expect a call from the hiring manager.
3. Avoid slang
Thank you, Internet, for making us forget that "want to" is actually the grammatically proper way to say "wanna." The same goes for “gonna,” “whatcha,” and “srsly.” We're a world that loves abbreviations, especially in e-mails and texts, but they don't translate well to the professional world. Using abbreviated netspeak in an informal e-mail is fine, but when you're trying to impress a potential boss stick to standard English. Employers want to know that you'll be a strong representative of their brand, so prove you know the difference between "b4" and "before." For realz.
4. Have a proofreader
The hardest part about making sure you don't misspell something is knowing what you might be misspelling. Not everybody's blessed with the spelling gene, and it never occurs to some people that supposedly and supposably are not interchangeable words, and some people won't even acknowledge "supposably" as a valid word. The easiest way to solve this conundrum is to let someone else look over your résumé and cover letter because they might catch a mistake you didn't even know you were making. Have your significant other, friend, roommate or even your (hopefully smart) child take a look before you hit send.
5. Stick with the language you're comfortable with
One surefire way to ruin your writing is to use words that you think make you sound smarter. In reality, they don't. Not only will your syntax will sound weird because it's not natural to you, but you are also going to be using words you don't know how to spell. Suddenly your attempt to sound sophisticated has turned your correspondence into a word jumble that looks like an eye chart. Save yourself the headache and write in a way that makes you feel comfortable while still using proper, traditional grammar.
Another reason you want to display your most honest writing is so that you've set an accurate expectation for your writing. Pretending you're someone else in order to get the job, only to be unable to perform at that level on a daily basis, is not going to be fun for you or your boss. Be honest in your writing style.
Not everyone is a gifted speller, and it's a skill that's more important in some occupations than in others. However, in today's world where many of us spend our days sending e-mails and writing reports, knowing how to communicate with error-free writing is a skill you can't afford to lack.
How has spelling played a role in your career? Does it not matter or is it one of your most used skills? Have you had a boss who relied on you because he or she couldn't spell in the least? Let us know.

Should Employers Be Allowed to Hire Only Nonsmokers?

The Monster Blog

Should Employers Be Allowed to Hire Only Nonsmokers?

Posted: 02 Jun 2011 04:57 PM PDT

It's a complex question: In May, we asked Monster.com site visitors whether employers should be allowed to require that employees be nonsmokers. More than 3,000 people responded (19% of them identified themselves as smokers).

Some employers believe that hiring only nonsmokers will keep insurance costs (and sick days) down while keeping productivity up. But even many nonsmokers seem to see smoking as a personal choice that employers should have no say in -- a majority of them (and, less surprisingly, a majority of smokers) say that employers should not be allowed to refuse to hire smokers.

Here are the results:

Should a company be allowed to require that its employees be nonsmokers?

*3,237 respondents

Today, Radio Iowa is reporting that a Des Moines hospital has announced a nonsmokers-only policy: starting July 1, prospective employees of Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines will have to submit to a urine test that will check for nicotine. The report says that a representative of the ACLU has called the policy legal, although some states have forbidden similar policies.
What do you think of policies like this? Should employers be allowed to say "No Smokers Allowed"? Share your thought in the comments section.

Office Romance: Pitfalls, Problems and Warnings | Career Rocketeer

Office Romance: Pitfalls, Problems and Warnings

Posted: 02 Jun 2011 03:30 AM PDT

There is no age group immune to the potential of an office romance. There is also no way of telling how one will turn out and the impact it could have on you and your career. If it happens to you and you are in those early stages of discovery, it's also somewhat impossible to keep your head about you to realize the can of worms you may be opening up. Workers get into these relationships every day and every day people get fired, sued and derailed by what seemed so right.
Office romances can spark easily because of the proximity, frequency and availability of like-minded people. You have many things in common with your co-workers; and when you add the sexual attraction that comes with it – POW! This also falls into the category of things your mother never told you. People don't talk about this issue all that much, so you may not realize what the issue is.
Granted there are places, like law enforcement, where "fraternization" is encouraged. These are the exception, because those jobs demand employees' time and commitment at a level most people outside of that community don't understand. I'm not addressing those work environments.
The situations I am addressing are quite common and here are some serious things to consider:
Company Policy. Many companies have policies that address their tolerance of inter-office dating. Some companies will go so far as to terminate the offending couple. Violating policy is clearly a career-damaging act even if you don't get fired. It also doesn't do much to enhance the relationship.
Sexual Harassment. If one person is in a position of authority or management, dating can be perceived as anything from sexual harassment to favoritism by the peers. Even if both people enter into the relationship voluntarily, you have to think about the worst-case scenario. What if the relationship breaks off and the subordinate in the relationship decides to claim sexual harassment? It's hard to think things will go bad, but it's in that context where the worst is likely to happen.
Favoritism. You have to also consider the favoritism reaction. The peers will start grumbling amongst each other; and it will eventually work its way up the food chain. When it arrives at the higher up's office, most likely there will be demands of fairness, missed opportunities and a whole list of issues. While none of this is likely to be valid, the perception is the reality for others and that will weigh heavily on many people's minds. Your judgment is now questioned. Not good.
Performance perception. As people in the office start noticing the lunch and coffee breaks, they will also start creating stories about both of you slacking off. This creates a dysfunctional environment, because they may not trust that you are focused or as committed as you were before the fling started. When you miss something (which we all do periodically), it will confirm their belief about you. You've now created your own perception issue.
Let's not forget, this is a romance thing. The statistics aren't in your favor that it will be a long term relationship. When it stops and you're still working together, you are now faced with working with an EX. It won't matter who had the break up idea, facing each other will be difficult. The post break up could negatively impact your performance, which you may be powerless to change. You are faced with a minimum of uncomfortable situations to a maximum of not holding it together well enough to do your job.
It's understandable how an office romance can develop. However, there are so many compelling, career- changing reasons to avoid them that I hope this serves as an early warning to stop and take a breather before going further.
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Do Recruiters and Hiring Managers Read Cover Letters?

Posted: 02 Jun 2011 11:00 PM PDT

Do you need a cover letter for your resume? The answer is, "Yes!" Recruiters and hiring managers read cover letters for three main reasons.

To get this useful advice and many other helpful career resources, visit us now at CAREEREALISM.com.

5 Simple Career Success Factors

Posted: 02 Jun 2011 10:30 PM PDT

For senior executives, these 5 career success factors will probably work more as a reminder. For career newbies, these factors will be your guide.

To get this useful advice and many other helpful career resources, visit us now at CAREEREALISM.com.

[Career Reality] 7 Things You Shouldn’t Put on Hold for Your Career

Posted: 02 Jun 2011 10:03 PM PDT

If you feel like your career is stalled and your life needs to go on hold until it's fixed, then you cannot miss this insightful session!

To get this useful advice and many other helpful career resources, visit us now at CAREEREALISM.com.