by infonistaadmin | Sep 27, 2016 | Job Hunting, Professional Branding
Yeah, yeah, yeah – you keep hearing that you should have at least a few recommendations from significant others (like previous bosses, not your spouse) on your LinkedIn profile page, but really – is it that important?
Actually yes, and the reason it is that important is a concept called “social proof” – which is when someone respected by others affirms your worth or value to them. In the same way you’ll try a new restaurant because your friend the foodie swears it’s terrific, social proof lets us substitute the judgment of a trusted friend, colleague, or professional for our own first-hand knowledge. Based on their (knowledgeable) judgment, we’ll give it a go.
Forms of social proof
In the online world, there are a number of ways to provide social proof. For example: (more…)
by infonistaadmin | Sep 13, 2016 | Job Hunting
Recently several students I was working with asked for resume tips – sort of a generic list of broad concepts they could use to shape their efforts. Since resumes aren’t my specific area of expertise, I turned to others I know who are resume experts for some good guidelines I could share.
The following represents a consensus of their expert advice: (more…)
by infonistaadmin | Aug 29, 2016 | Job Hunting, LIS Career Options, LIS Career Strategy
Informational interviews can be a terrific way to explore career paths, companies of potential interest, and specific types of work. But they’re also a great opportunity to build your network, professional reputation, and insider insights about specific employers while – if you approach them thoughtfully and with advance preparation.
How to Make the Most of Your Interview
You know that you never, ever use an informational interview as a sideways approach to landing a job interview – basically, that’s the fastest way to get bounced out the door. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t reap other cool benefits from your informational interviews. (more…)
by infonistaadmin | Aug 23, 2016 | Job Hunting
It’s time.
Perhaps it was a new (and somewhat crazy-making) library director. Or a change in management policies. Or a redefinition of your job responsibilities. Or the company’s move away from the values that had originally brought you onboard.
Or maybe you’ve just outgrown a job that you loved.
No matter the reason, it’s time to move on.
But like all smart professionals, you know it’s a lot easier to get a new job while you’re still employed. Solution: time for a stealth job search. (more…)
by infonistaadmin | Jun 20, 2016 | Job Hunting, LIS Career Options, LIS Career Strategy, LIS Students
Anytime you’re asking a favor of someone, it feels a bit awkward, and information interviews are no exception.
Generally, you’re asking someone who’s both successful in their career and really busy to give you their time and attention out of the goodness of their heart. (Okay, occasionally for a cup of coffee or a quickie lunch….) Yep, that usually triggers our automatic “do not impose on people” response, but it’s time to get over your hesitation. Why? Because informational interviews for which you’ve done your homework can be one of the most effective ways to advance both your career knowledge and your career (think network building and professional visibility) ever. (more…)
by infonistaadmin | May 30, 2016 | Job Hunting, LIS Career Options
Whether you’re a student soon to graduate and getting ready to hit the job market, an employed professional seeking to make a job change, or a now-unemployed practitioner trying to identify or create new opportunities, LIS job hunting can be an adventure (feel free to substitute your preferred adjective here).
According to David E. Perry, co-author of Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 3.0: How to Stand Out from the Crowd and Tap into the Hidden Job Market Using Social Media and 999 Other Tactics Today (Jay Conrad Levinson, co-author, Wiley, 2011), “Every job search is a sales and marketing campaign.”
Although, generally speaking, sales and marketing don’t come naturally to LIS students and professionals, if you approach looking for the right job as a process to move you from point A to point B (okay, and include some sales and marketing), both the job search – and your spirits – may improve. (more…)
Yeah, yeah, yeah – you keep hearing that you should have at least a few recommendations from significant others (like previous bosses, not your spouse) on your LinkedIn profile page, but really – is it that important?
