Well, hello lovely readers! As you know, I help people market themselves to find and land their next job, which of course usually involves an interview or two. I’ve coached them to make a fabulous impression, off they go to interview and then…nothing. Nada. Crickets followed by ‘ I thought it went so well and it’s killing me all this waiting, waiting, waiting to hear if I’ve been successful!
When it’s for a job you really, really want, the ants in your pants while awaiting outcomes can drive you crazy. Should I call? Should I drop them an email? Should I eat that second piece of cake, pour that second glass of wine? (Oops sorry, that’s my personal angst savior!). Well yes to the former, you can follow up by calling or emailing to ask if they are any closer to a decision yet because naturally, you’ll want an update and ideally, the one you want to hear. But let’s be a little more strategic here.
I recently read about a follow-up that was written in a way that caught the prospective employer’s attention. Richard (Moy) How to Follow Up After an Interview (The Muse) said ‘The beauty of it was that not only did it reinforce the fact that she was smart and interested in our company, but it was also incredibly straightforward’.
Hi Rich,
I really enjoyed meeting you last week and wanted to emphasise just how excited I am about this opportunity. Is there anything else I can forward along to make your hiring decision easier?
Best,
Caitlin
Richard states that this candidate had already completed an interview assignment and simply hadn’t heard from him as they were trying to figure out how much they could pay her.
What Richard appreciated was that the candidate had taken the initiative to make sure that they had all the necessary information needed to make a decision, without making any assumptions about whether or not they should hire her. I love this!
Now, this may not always win you the job for, after all, you are competing with several other interviewees; however, it can’t hurt to try. Reaching out can show that you’re confident and in control of your career while also giving you one last chance to make a case for yourself should the decision-makers be on the fence. After all, it’s perfectly ok to show the employer that you have a sincere interest in joining their particular organisation—and not just someone looking to find any old new job.
Good luck! and if you have a successful strategy of your own, do please share.
Hi lovely people, been enjoying my career tips so far? Excellent! Now, let’s talk about one of the most critical elements of your personal branding – your online presence.
As the world’s premier networking site, LinkedIn is where people go to check you out. To determine whether you’re worth interviewing for that job opportunity or consider whether they’d like to do business with you. To identify whether you’re worth working/networking with or that you are deserving of that business proposition. Well then, you’ll be wanting to make a fabulous first impression then won’t you? Still doubtful? Here’s food for thought: LinkedIn – the modern day rolodex
With 610 million members worldwide, 10 million of them Australian, not only will you want a profile to be in the running, you’ll be wanting to stand out yes? A starting point is to ensure your primary pieces of LinkedIn real estate are on point. Let’s go!
1. Your photo
Ever googled yourself? I did, and I was surprised to find I share my name with 17+ people, including a famous UK author and a popular Australian interior designer. My photo helps my audience find me quickly, and yours will too. Bet you’re Googling yourself right now!
Make yours clear, bright and smiling – your business face. No kids, no proudly holding the fish that didn’t get away, no standing in mining truck buckets. Kill the motorbike, the crash helmet, the race. Just bring your face.
2. Your Headline Banner (under your photo)
LinkedIn, by default, will pop your job title and company here, but why waste this valuable banner with wording that will be found in your Experience section?
Find your unique selling proposition, what it is you offer that makes you stand out, and use your banner to promote it. Here’s mine as an example: Jane’s LinkedIn Profile
3. Your ‘About’
Here’s where you’ll articulate who you are, what you do or offer in more detail, and what that means for your audience. The first two lines are critical for that’s all that’s visible, so make ’em count! Take the time to compose a fabulous statement. One that substantiates your banner statement and is compelling enough to ‘hook’ your readers into clicking ‘more’ to read on.
Although you have 2,000 characters to play with, you’ll want to make your story sharp and focused given your audience spends less than 30 seconds viewing your profile. Think carefully about the audience you want to attract and what you want them to do when they read your information. Make it distinctive and memorable, use words that are known and picture it up so that people can ‘feel’ your story. Oh! And ensure primary keywords related to your target audience are included for easy keyword searches by others.
Of course, you’ll triple check spelling and grammar (Grammarly is a great little piece of software for doing this) and have someone double-check. Throw some bullet points in for easy readability and don’t forget, numbers less than 10 should be written as a word, e.g. ‘three’ not ‘3’. ‘
4. Your Experience
Your work history helps your audience understand your career progression and where those fabulous strengths depicted in your summary were developed. Keep the job scope to one single overarching sentence and follow with a couple of quantifiable achievements, again reinforcing your banner and summary. Oh! And unless you’re planning to flip burgers at Maccas again, your ancient history isn’t necessary. Just the most recent roles and relevant to your future strategy. My background lies in retail yet that history is absent from my profile. Why? Well, for one, it was back when wheels were square and thus dates me, and it’s also irrelevant to my current personal brand.
5. Your Activity
Huh? I hear you say. Yes, your activity. The kind of articles and content you share. Let’s take a step back for context. One of the most marvelous things about LinkedIn (in my eyes) is the home page feed. In contrast to Facebook’s feed full of holidays, breakfasts, kids’ first day at school snaps and rehashed ‘remember when’ memories, LinkedIn’s feed usually comprises of business-related articles.
The LinkedIn home page feed is a great place to learn, for the best of the best business leaders are sharing best practice daily. (Branson has 16M+ followers, Gates close to 20M). Find articles aligned to your areas of expertise and share at least twice a week. An almost effortless way to market you and your brand expertise.
I follow thought leaders (influencers), channels, # tags and companies I’m interested in to ensure I’m across global best practice. I also share articles that reinforce my expertise, adding a brief comment about the article and a nod to the author. Where to find juicy things to follow and ultimately share? Pop into Settings & Privacy – Accounts – Site Preferences – ‘make your feed your own’ and simply hit ‘follow’ for all that appeal. Stay tuned for hints on how to adjust your summary as a job seeker, passive job seeker, consultant, senior executive or retiree. And of course, comments always welcome!
Hi, there lovely readers – a big thank you for following my blog! Oh! And while on the subject of ‘thank you’s’ – let’s talk about how valuable a simple thank-you can be in the world of work (after all, this year’s focus is on lovin’ that career of yours!). To the network friend who interrupted their busy schedule to respond to your question. To your new LinkedIn friend for making the effort to connect with you. To the recruiter who positioned you for an opportunity. To the interviewers who took the time to interview you.
My interviewers?
Yes, your interviewers! Sure you might have shaken hands and thanked the panel on the way out the door, patted yourself on the back for acing the interview and are now settling down to await the verdict – but you’re not done yet!
Would it surprise you to know that most hiring managers pay very close attention to how well (and how rapidly) you write a thank you email after the interview? Yes, that thank you may just synch the deal!
Prove it!
Geraldine had diligently crafted robust, quantified responses to questions she’d likely be asked as she prepared to interview for a Chief Financial Officer role. Our coaching session went well, and as I walked her to the door, she asked, ‘any last-minute tips?‘ ‘Don’t forget that follow up note, let me know how it goes and…good luck!’
When it’s for a job you really, really want, the ants in your pants while awaiting outcomes can drive you crazy. Should I call? Should I drop them an email? Should I eat that second piece of cake, pour that second glass of wine? (Oops sorry, that’s my personal angst savior!). Well yes to the former, you can follow up by calling or emailing to ask if they are any closer to a decision yet because naturally, you’ll want an update and ideally, the one you want to hear. But let’s be a little more strategic here. 
