Tag Archives: networking

LinkedIn – How to Gain Quality Connections

Posted on January 24, 2019 by Lisa

As a professional career coach, I make an effort to be active and stay connected on LinkedIn. I regularly advise my clients on how to create effective LinkedIn profiles. I also teach them on how to use LinkedIn to gain quality connections.

There are a number of things LinkedIn users frequently do that reduces their effectiveness. One very common mistake is not customizing connection requests. I am continually amazed at the number of form requests I get to connect, from people I do not know. This is a serious LinkedIn rookie mistake. One that dramatically decreases the likelihood of me (or anyone else) accepting your connection request.

Quality vs. Quantity

Unlike Instagram, the primary goal on LinkedIn is not to amass a high quantity of connections. Rather it is to establish quality connections. Knowing how to network, both online and in person, is an essential tool for any job search. One of the most effective ways to create quality connections, provided you use it properly, is to leverage LinkedIn’s alumni tool. It gives you access to all your college alumni, sorted by location, field, major, among others.

Making the Request – the Right Way

If you are going to reach out to someone on LinkedIn, please do it the right way. Always craft a short, customized note to accompany your request, even if you know the recipient and especially if you do not. Let them know why you are interested in connecting. Also indicate what you hope to gain, and offer, in return for a possible connection. Do this and you’ll dramatically increase the number of your quality connections.

A Strong Profile

Next, to leverage LinkedIn effectively, you also will need a strong profile (All Star status). Without a strong profile, even the best crafted connection request will fall short. According to the Muse, professionals with an All Star status profile are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities through LinkedIn.

I am confounded when I see profiles with no headshot or cover photo. Having a professional-looking headshot (e.g. no photos in obvious wedding guest attire) is critical. Why? Profiles with photos are 21 times more likely to be viewed and 9 times more likely to get contact requests. But if you look like you just finished giving the wedding toast, skip the photo until you can post a professional one.

To summarize, to gain more quality connections:

First, make sure your profile is polished and you have a quality headshot and cover photo.
Next, leverage the alumni tool.
Then craft a customized connection request.
Finally, send a short thank you message to your new connections.

Follow these tips and you’ll soon be on your way to adding quality connections. Need help creating or strengthening your LinkedIn profile? Contact me to find out how I can help you get your profile to All Star status in no time.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged job search, LinkedIn, networking |

15 Things to Do on Winter Break

Posted on December 1, 2017 by Lisa

There’s nothing quite like endless papers to write and final exams to set you dreaming about winter break. That said, sleeping in late and lounging on the couch binge watching Netflix is not the best use of your time off. Nor is it likely to impress your parents.

Ramping up your job search over winter break will help you make the most of your senior year. Having a job lined up before graduation or better yet, by spring break, is the best way to really enjoy your final time on campus.

Here are 15 things to do on winter break to make the most of your senior year. (more…)

Posted in Career Advice, College Student, Job Search, Resumes & Cover Letters | Tagged career advice, college grad, job search, networking, resume |

10 Tips to Conquer your Networking Anxiety

Posted on July 28, 2017 by Lisa

If you’ve recently graduated from college and are looking for a job, networking is, by far, the single most effective tool in your job search. Yet many recent grads fear networking and fail to grasp why it’s so important. Understanding why you need to network and how to do it effectively can help you move past your networking anxiety and on your way to finding a great job.

According to a recent study published on LinkedIn, 85% of jobs are found via networking. Career experts agree that the majority of your job search time should be spent networking. In my experience as a career coach, my clients who actively network find jobs in nearly half the time as those who don’t. (more…)

Posted in Career Advice, Job Search, Networking | Tagged anxiety, networking |

Counting on a bit of Irish luck in your job search?

Posted on March 17, 2016 by Lisa

It’s St. Patty’s Day and we’ve all heard about the luck ‘o the Irish. The expression actually has its roots in a bit of irony. Rather than necessarily being lucky, the Irish leaned into their positive attitude to get through a history filled with difficulties. If you’re counting on a bit of Irish luck in your job search, a little never hurts but a positive attitude and lot of hard work will work better.

In ‘1001 Things Everyone Should Know About Irish American History,’ author Edward T. O’Donell, shares that the origin of the expression started in America and comes from the gold rush years. “A number of the most famous and successful miners were of Irish and Irish American birth . . . Over time this association of the Irish with mining fortunes led to the expression ‘luck of the Irish.’ Of course, it carried with it a certain tone of derision, as if to say, only by sheer luck, as opposed to brains, could these fools succeed.”

All my Irish friends are very smart and I’m sure that you’re no fool if you’re reading up on job search advice. After you’ve finished celebrating St. Patrick, whether it’s with a parade, a green beer, a pub crawl or a hearty Irish stew, here are 3 things you can do that might bring more luck, a preferably results, to your job search.

Narrow your focus. If you’re not sure what you want to do, this can be very hard but an unfocused, overly broad job search will mean more effort and time on your end, fewer results and more disappointment. You can narrow your search a number of ways: by profession, industry, geography or by targeting specific companies. Spend some time early on thinking about what you want in a job and what you are naturally good at, and use that to narrow your focus.
Mine your connections. Irish pride runs deep and so does their loyalty to true friends. Lean into your friends and family for advice and introductions to others who can expand your network. Do the same for your friends too. A broad circle of friends may be your best job search secret weapon.

There are good ships and there are wood ships,

the ships that sail the sea.

But the best ships are friendships

and may they always be.

“If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with blarney.” Great advice for a bar conversation, but terrible for an interview. Always prepare for an interview, do your research, know your strengths and how you can put them to work for the company. Even if you might not have the highest GPA, a positive attitude, self-awareness and being likeable will take you a long way.

An old Irish proverb states: “The future is not set. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves.” Wonderful advice for job searchers. Ádh mór to you.

Posted in Career Advice, Networking | Tagged job search, networking |

Surviving the Job Search Rejection Blues

Posted on December 30, 2015 by Lisa

photo by David Blackwell via Flickr

Surviving the job search rejection blues requires a thick skin, a very thick skin. For recent college graduates, the job-hunting experience likely may be the first time you have faced rejection, at least in the quantities that job searches tend to produce. This also includes the silent rejection that comes when your resume enters the black hole and never resurfaces. Nearly half of all applications never make it past the initial screening process. (more…)

Posted in Interview Tips, Job Search, Networking | Tagged college grad, job search, networking, resume |

6 Tips on how to move to a new city without a job and not go broke

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Lisa

Moving?

1. Start saving. I know I am stating the obvious but it is important and most Americans don’t have great savings habits. Saving comes in a variety of forms, from socking away cash, to selling off possessions to eliminating all but the most essential expenses. Before you make a move to another city, it’s advisable to have a minimum of 3 months of living expenses. You need to have cash to live and running up credit card debt to finance a move without a job is a lousy investment. (more…)

Posted in Job Search, Networking | Tagged job search, networking |

The one job search tool you probably aren’t using and need

Posted on June 2, 2014 by Lisa

C2C College to Career, Maine's premier career services site for college students, recent grads and young professionals

What if there were a secret tool that could open doors to great jobs where you had an inside track that others do not have? If you have just graduated from college and are embarking on your job search, you are likely feeling a bit overwhelmed. Where do you start? Are you spending hours, or days, or weeks, looking for jobs online, applying and hearing nothing back? Trust me, this is not the best way to find a job, and here’s why. (more…)

Posted in Networking | Tagged college grad, Cover Letters, job search, networking |