Kelly Donovan

After you apply for a job, do this

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OK, so you’ve applied for that shiny new job opening… now what? Sit and wait?

What has worked well for other clients of mine is a short, targeted followup, usually via LinkedIn or email. This is assuming that you don’t know someone at the company who’s going to help you out, which is the ideal situation.

Who should you contact?

If it’s a big company with in-house recruiters, I’d go that route and look for the most appropriate recruiter to contact (hint: if the job was posted on LinkedIn, look to see who posted the job on there!).

If it’s a smaller or mid-market company, I’d probably try to figure out who the likely hiring manager (eg., your potential future boss) is. If you’re applying to be the VP of Candlestick Making for North America, is there perhaps a COO you can find on LinkedIn? Or the SVP of Global Candlestick Making?

This does involve guesswork; you’ll have to be comfortable with this being an inexact science. Yes, you might send it to someone who isn’t the actual decision maker; he or she might pass it along to the decision maker, or ignore it.

However, the risk of not reaching out in the first place is that you will be ignored anyway, since research shows you have only ~3% chance of getting an interview by applying online (unless you listed one of their employees as a referral source when you applied or have someone you know at the company advocating for you).

Example of a LinkedIn note to your potential future boss or an internal recruiter:

Hello John,

I just applied for the VP of Candlestick Making position on your website, and just wanted to reach out personally to convey my excitement about the opportunity. I’ve slashed candlestick making costs by 15-22%, streamlined manufacturing processes, and pioneered new candle scents like the best-selling “Rustic Garage.” I would love to talk with you about the value I could bring to Acme Company; I look forward to hearing from you!

All the best,
Jane Doe
[email protected]
310-555-1234

Notice how short and concise it is. We’re in the era of short attention spans, so don’t go longer. If you’re sending it on LinkedIn, the recipient can simply click through to your profile to read more about your qualifications. And if their interest is piqued, they’ll go fish out your application from the 150+ other applications in the system.

There’s no guarantee of getting an interview, but at least you’re not just sitting around waiting.

P.S.: If sending by LinkedIn, be sure to include your email address and phone number below your name so they have that handy.

This article first appeared on KellyDonovan.com

Kelly Donovan

Why you shouldn’t use an objective on your resume

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Ah, the resume objective. They were once a requirement for the top of your resume.

Now, those who are savvy about modern resume trends know that objectives are considered outdated and ineffective in today’s job market.

A couple of the key reasons objectives have fallen out of favor are:

  • The objective statement focuses heavily on what you are seeking rather than what you have to offer.
  • Most job seekers end up writing cliche-filled objective statements that are likely to result in readers rolling their eyes.

Here are a couple examples of objective statements people might have used in the past:

  • “Objective: A rewarding position within a dynamic, growing company”
  • “Objective: A software sales executive position with unlimited growth opportunities”

Doesn’t everyone want a rewarding position? Does anyone want to be in a shrinking company? What does this tell the employer, other than the fact that the person wants a marketing position (which is way too vague–there are so many flavors of marketing)?

The objective statement was intended to inform potential employers about what type of positions you are seeking and suitable for, but there are other ways to accomplish this.
What to do Instead of an Objective

You can use a summary, and possibly a headline, to convey your qualifications and the type of position you’re seeking.

Examples of headlines:

  • “Award-winning digital marketer with history of boosting website traffic, increasing conversions, and growing e-commerce revenue”
  • “Senior-level software sales executive fueling profitable growth through strategic partnerships”

Does that tell the employer more right off the bat compared to the objective statement example above? Of course it does! It hits on exactly the types of things an employer would want in a digital marketer. And there isn’t any question about what type of jobs you’re seeking–you’re obviously seeking digital marketing jobs; no confusion there, and no objective needed.

Your sizzling headline can then be followed by a summary consisting of a few bullet points, or a paragraph, or a short paragraph followed by a few bullet points. You can also include a core competencies section (a list of skills) if you want.

Nails in the coffin of the objective statement

Resume experts started using headlines and summaries instead of objectives about a decade ago, but it takes a VERY long time for every professional, executive, and career counselor to hear about the latest trends in resume writing. So there are still a fair number of folks who are using objectives and recommending objectives.

If you have a resume book that recommends the use of an objective, check to see when the book was published. Any book published more than a decade ago is likely to contain a lot of outdated information.

Here are a couple relatively recent books that emphasize the use of a summary instead of an objective:

  • Resumes for Dummies, 8th Ed. (Wiley, 2019) [I was a contributor to this book]
  • Modernize Your Resume (Emerald Career Publishing, 2016)

This article first appeared on KellyDonovan.com

Kelly Donovan

Fired because of LinkedIn?!

(From the archives – updated in 2019)

The Internet has been buzzing with news about a UK executive who is suing his former employer over a dispute involving his LinkedIn profile–news that may be alarming to many who use LinkedIn.

Based on the article about it on MailOnline, the gist is that BG Group dismissed John Flexman after viewing his LinkedIn profile and having concerns with it.

While this was an unfortunate situation, you can absolutely be active on LinkedIn without rubbing your employer the wrong way.

Here are some pointers (as always, consult with an attorney on legal issues pertaining to your particular situation).

1. Find out if your employer has a social media policy.

Many employers have adopted social media policies in recent years to manage the numerous issues that can arise from employees using sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Check to see if your employer has a social media policy or other rules that would pertain (hint: look at your employee manual). Be sure to read and understand all these policies and make sure you’re in compliance.

2. Don’t make it obvious you’re job hunting.

According to MailOnline, one of the company’s complaints was that Flexman was in breach of a new conflict-of-interest policy that bans employees from checking a check box on LinkedIn that indicates an interest in career opportunities.

That checkbox is a thing of the past, and nowadays (in 2019) LinkedIn has its feature to “let recruiters know you’re open to opportunities.” This, fortunately, is a bit more private–although it’s still possible your boss could find out if he talks to external recruiters.

At the very least you can avoid wording on your profile that makes it very obvious you’re looking for a job. Keep in mind that recruiters and employers LOVE so-called passive candidates, so appearing like you’re not job hunting shouldn’t hurt you.

3. Don’t include sensitive information pertaining to your employer.

Negative information

According to MailOnline, Flexman’s former employer was upset that he had included negative information about the company. This is a dilemma that sometimes arises in resume and LinkedIn profile writing–the need to show how much you improved a department, project, or company without sounding like you’re trashing the company.

You’ll impress employers by saying that you led a turnaround, but if you go into too much detail on all the problems that necessitated the turnaround, that could upset a lot of people at your company if they see that on LinkedIn.

Another issue is information that isn’t necessarily negative, but could damage customer relationships. For example, would the company want customers to see on an employee’s profile that he’d increased profits 25% by reducing costs on a product while simultaneously increasing the product’s price? This might be acceptable on a resume distributed selectively, but it’s not fit for the world to see, so it needs to stay off LinkedIn.

Proprietary information

As with the issue of negative information, the issue of proprietary information comes up all the time in resume and LinkedIn profile writing. We want to demonstrate accomplishments and the level of your responsibility, so including dollar amounts can be impressive. But it’s important to do that without revealing information your employer needs to keep confidential.

So, for example, instead of saying that you “managed a $16 million territory…” you might indicate that you “managed an eight-figure territory” to give a general idea of the scope without revealing proprietary data that competitors shouldn’t know.

When creating a LinkedIn profile for a client, I like to create a more concise and “sanitized” version of resume content since the LinkedIn profile will be visible to a broader audience.

Just remember that prospective employers could be turned off if they think you’re the type of employee or executive who can’t be trusted with confidential information.

The bottom line

There are always risks when it comes to employment, but I know that having an active LinkedIn presence would be a risk I would take as an employed job seeker. Just exercise caution in how you present yourself on the platform.

 

This article first appeared on KellyDonovan.com

Kelly Donovan

Introduction to “resume speak”

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Resumes are a little weird, whether we’re talking about an executive resume or a resume for an individual contributor.

You might wonder if the wording you see on professionally written resumes is grammatically correct. It’s correct (sort of).

Welcome to the world of “resume speak!”

“Resume speak” is the unique style that has become the standard for resume writing. Decision makers, executive recruiters, and HR executives usually expect and appreciate resumes written in this style.

With that being said, there is really no right or wrong in resume writing, and 10 different “experts” will give you 10 different opinions about a resume.

How resume speak is different from standard writing

1. Writing in “first person implied,” omitting personal pronouns.

Resumes should be written in first person, which means it’s written as though you’re writing about yourself. However, the standard, accepted practice is to leave out personal pronouns like “I,” “my,” and “me.” This style is referred to as “first person implied.”

Examples for present tense — for your current job:
– First person (normal writing): I develop marketing campaigns…
– First person implied (resume speak): Develop marketing campaigns…

Examples for past tense — for previous jobs:
– First person (normal writing): I launched a marketing campaign…
– First person implied (resume speak): Launched a marketing campaign…

What about third person?

Some people, when writing their resumes, use phrases like “develops marketing campaigns.” That means they’re essentially writing in third person implied, since third person with a pronoun would be “she develops marketing campaigns,” “he develops marketing campaigns,” etc.

Ultimately, it’s your resume and your choice. But the standard among professional resume writers (and my preference) is to use first person implied rather than third person implied. A reader is assuming that you wrote your resume yourself, so why would it be in any form of third person?

Are personal pronouns ever acceptable?

The occasional, thoughtful use of a personal pronoun or two on a resume can be perfectly fine — innovative, even. HR guru Liz Ryan advocates “human” language with personal pronouns in a resume, although this has yet to catch on.

In some cases, I’ve opted to use “my” or “I” on an executive resume if it allowed me to elegantly express a thought in one or two lines rather than writing a long, confusing, and nearly incomprehensible bullet.

While “first person implied” is a wonderful invention, you should not fear the occasional pronoun when there is a good reason for it. The Pronoun Police will not come to arrest you and shatter any chance you had of landing a new position.

2. Omitting articles

In resume speak, we usually don’t include as many articles as normal writing. Articles are “the,” “a,” and “an.”

It doesn’t hurt to include them, but resume statements can sometimes be more powerful when we limit unnecessary use of articles — and limiting them also conserves the limited real estate we have to work with on a typical two-page executive resume (or the even more limited space on a one-page professional resume).

Sometimes articles are necessary to ensure that the meaning of something is understandable, so I do include some articles–just not all the articles that I would include if I were writing a different type of document, like an essay for an English class.

Examples:

– Normal writing: I drove a 23% increase in EBITDA by…

– Resume speak with limited articles: Drove 23% increase in EBITDA by…

The resume speak example omits the “a” before the number, as it’s not necessary in resume speak. However, if you prefer a more natural-sounding style, it’s fine to include more articles than typical resume speak.

Additonal resources on resume speak:

http://career-advice.monster.com/resumes-cover-letters/resume-writing-tips/resume-critique-checklist/article.aspx

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/five-tips-for-better-resume-writing.html

How does resume speak translate on LinkedIn? Is there LinkedIn speak?

Best practices for LinkedIn profiles have evolved to be different from best practices for resumes. Here are some points to consider when evaluating the use of resume speak on your LinkedIn profile.

  • The “About” section works best when it’s in regular first person, not resume speak. I incorporate plenty of pronouns into an About section and write it in a conversational style.
  • For the job descriptions in your experience section, the choice is up to you. You could stick with the resume speak approach, or throw in more articles to make it sound more natural. And yes, you could even use pronouns (gasp!) if you want, although I usually don’t.

Other style considerations: one space or two after a period?

I put only one space after a period on resumes and LinkedIn profiles, which has become the preferred practice in modern times — even though you probably learned to use two spaces back when you were in school.

One space is now the standard for many types of writing, and most style guides support this. Only the American Psychological Association’s style guide continues to recommend two spaces.

Some under-40 readers will perceive two spaces as an indication that you follow outdated practices, especially if you’re over 40.

In 2020, Microsoft announced that MS Word would begin flagging two spaces as an error–a clear harbinger that the extra space is on its way out.

This article first appeared on KellyDonovan.com

 

Executive resume writing and LinkedIn profile writing

Are you an executive, entrepreneur, or rising star who might benefit from one-on-one assistance? I invite you to learn more about my work as an executive resume writer and LinkedIn profile writer. If you’d like to chat, you can book a call for a free consultation via the Let’s Talk page.

 

Kelly Donovan

3 problems with advertised job postings

When I talk to job seekers who have been unemployed for a long time, they often tell me they have been finding advertised job openings online and applying for them as their primary job search strategy–sometimes the only strategy.

Here are three problems I see with that.

1. The job you’re applying for might already be filled or almost filled.

Companies often keep a job posting up after for a while, even after they have a finalist, and sometimes even after the position is filled.

Even if the hiring manager has chosen the finalist, it’s not a done deal until the finalist accepts the offer, the employer does a background check and employment verification, and the employee starts work. This process can take weeks, and the employer may keep the job posted as a sort of “insurance policy” in case things don’t work out with the finalist.

Also, some recruiting firms and employers like to get their money’s worth out of paid job postings and continue collecting resumes for their database for the full 30 days or 60 days included in the fee they paid to the job board–even if they filled the job in the first two weeks.

2. The job might be spoken for before they’ve even posted it.

Hiring managers (eg., department/division heads) sometimes know from the start who they want to hire for a job (perhaps a networking contact, former colleague, or enterprising job seeker who cold called them effectively).

However, many companies have requirements that all jobs need to be posted no matter what. So you apply, but you never really have a chance–and there’s no way to know that. Even HR doesn’t know sometimes!

3. The competition for the job will probably be fierce.

Even though the job description might seem like it was written just for you, there could be 150 other people reading that job description thinking the same thing. Advertised job postings on the internet attract hundreds of candidates.

Despite the media’s constant crowing in 2019 about the “tight labor market,” there is still plenty of competition for desirable, high-paid leadership roles. If you want an entry-level job, you’re in luck. If you’re pursuing a manager, director, or executive role, expect competition.

I’ve had many clients get selected for interviews out of large applicant pools, so it is possible to make the cut with a strong resume and recent, relevant experience for the role. But clearly the odds aren’t in your favor when you have hundreds of competitors.

The bottom line

There’s nothing wrong with applying for advertised openings. DO apply for the ones that are a good fit. But the reasons above should compel you to not rely on advertised openings as your primary job search strategy. You have the best chance of getting results quickly if you use multiple methods for job searching, particularly leveraging relationships.

When you incorporate networking and introduction strategies, you move your job search out of reactive mode and into proactive mode.

This article originally appeared on KellyDonovan.com.

Kelly Donovan

What style is best for the LinkedIn “About” section?

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The LinkedIn “About” section (formerly known as the Summary) is the one place on your profile that can be thought of as a “freestyle” section–you can write whatever you want without any structure. However, this freedom actually leaves a lot of executives wondering what writing style to use for this section.

If you spend some time looking around LinkedIn, you’ll find that many executives and professionals use wording in the About section that reads like a resume summary, while some use content that reads like an executive bio, and others simply list some keywords related to their career. Then there are those who haven’t even bothered to add this section on their profiles.

My approach (and best practice): conversational and informal

Personally, I always go with a conversational and informal approach unless a client has a strong preference to use a “bio” type format or other approach.

With LinkedIn being a social media platform, using a first person, conversational style helps the reader feel like they’re meeting you versus reading another impersonal resume-style summary of someone’s career.

Coming across as engaging and approachable is especially critical for executives. Coming across as a personable leader will help position you as someone who can earn the buy-in of rank-and-file employees.

I’m certainly not the only advocate of this; in fact, this approach is also recommended by authors of popular books about LinkedIn, as well as leading LinkedIn profile writers, executive resume writers, and career coaches who stay on the cutting edge.

Additionally, this conversational approach is taught in the premier certification program for LinkedIn profile writing: the Nationally Certified Online Profile Expert designation from the National Resume Writers’ Association. I’ve earned this certification and renew it annually–but this was already my approach for many years prior to the creation of the program.

Draw in your readers

If you write your About section in a conversational tone in first person rather than third person, it will stand out. Read 10 profiles all written with terms like “results-oriented” and then read one that feels like the person is talking to you–it’ll be more memorable!

Additionally, after LinkedIn’s 2017 redesign, only the first 2-3 lines of the About section are displayed; to read the rest, a reader has to click “see more.” If those first couple sentences are too dry, your readers might not be motivated to read the rest. Attention spans have never been shorter than they are today.

“You do you”

There’s no right or wrong when it comes to LinkedIn. If you want something more formal written in third person, you can certainly do that.  A recruiter who’s interested in a person’s qualifications will want to reach out regardless of the writing style of the About section. The most important questions to consider are: Does it position me correctly? Is it well-written? Have I checked it for errors by reading it out loud?

Should you follow the pack?

Your natural instinct may be to look at peers in your field for examples of what to do on your LinkedIn About section. But remember: just because several peers have handled it a certain way doesn’t mean that approach is necessarily the best or most compelling approach.

The reality is that a lot of LinkedIn users don’t know what the best practices are! Many of the executives I see on the platform haven’t put much effort into their profile and clearly didn’t invest in professional help. However, there are other users who have put in effort and hired LinkedIn profile writers, so keep in mind that recruiters and decision-makers might be comparing you to them.

Also, some of LinkedIn users have an About section that consists of a paragraph written by a robot (more on that below), and robots haven’t yet mastered the art of LinkedIn profile writing.

Should you let a robot write your “About” section?

As AI permeates every aspect of our lives, LinkedIn came up with the idea to offer its users AI-generated wording for their About sections.

This (in theory) solves the problem of LinkedIn users not knowing what to say in the About section, and often not even adding the About section to their profiles because of writer’s block.

You’re probably wondering how this works. The basic gist is that if you have some information on other sections of your profile, like jobs listed in the Experience section and skills listed in the Skills section, the AI will use that information to create a short paragraph.

Unfortunately, these AI-written paragraphs are similar to cliche-filled resume summaries that do little to differentiate the person from other candidates.

When a robot tries to write

Let’s say you’re a VP of Finance. LinkedIn’s robot might say something like:

“Results-oriented finance executive with experience in the technology industry…”

While I applaud the fact that robots can write nowadays (amazing!), let’s unpack the above example:

  • That wording doesn’t differentiate you from other finance execs who have worked in tech companies. Also, your headline would probably include this information already.
  • If you think “results-oriented” is going to distinguish you, a search for this phrase on LinkedIn produces 67,000 profiles containing that term. It’s an old resume cliche that no longer impresses decision makers (instead, focus on what the results actually are).
  • The robot-generated paragraphs are bland, boring, and unremarkable. They aren’t written in the conversational, informal style I recommend. They don’t shine a light on what you’re passionate about in your career.

What’s at stake

However, if you’re a 6-figure or 7-figure executive or entrepreneur, people are forming impressions of you based on your LinkedIn profile. Recruiters, potential team members, C-suite leaders, board members, journalists–the higher you rise in your career, the more attention it will get.

To make your About section engaging, I recommend you take the time to write content that is insightful, compelling, and heartfelt.

Looking for that human touch?

If you find the crafting of your LinkedIn profile to be challenging or simply too time-consuming, I recommend partnering with an executive LinkedIn profile writer (not a robot!) who can ask you powerful questions to draw out your personal brand and intriguing insights–that’s what will make your About section memorable.

I’ve been helping executives with their LinkedIn profiles for more than a decade, and they consistently report to me that they receive more profile views and more relevant recruiter outreach after working with me. A digital native, I stay up to date on LinkedIn, and I maintain my LinkedIn profile writing certification (Nationally Certified Online Profile Expert) through the National Resume Writers’ Association.

I invite you to learn more on my executive resume writing home page, or let’s talk if you’d like to chat about whether we would be the right fit to work together.

This article first appeared on KellyDonovan.com

Kelly Donovan

8 unexpected benefits of executive resume writing

Traditionally, the purpose of a resume has been to secure an interview. Today, the advantages extend beyond simply landing interviews–and there are also some bonuses to going through the resume writing process properly that don’t have anything to do with the resume itself!

5 advantages of a professionally written resume (beyond simply landing interviews!):

  1. It gives your interviewer a road map for a successful interview. Interviewers, after all, will typically have the resume in front of them during the interview.
  2. It positions you for the level of salary you are seeking. A blah, unbranded, poorly written resume that doesn’t highlight your accomplishments in the most impressive way possible won’t position you for an increase in salary.(Thanks to renowned career guru Don Orlando for his ideas that influenced #1 and #2 above!)
  3. Even if the hiring manager knows you and wants to hire you, if it’s a larger organization, he still needs to convince colleagues and his boss that you’re the one for the job.Hiring has changed. At larger companies, there are usually several people involved in the hiring decision nowadays besides the hiring manager (hiring manager = the executive you would be reporting to). If another candidate looks incredible on paper and you don’t, the other stakeholders who don’t have prior knowledge of you and your work might be more impressed with the other candidate.Let’s face it, the hiring manager’s life will be more difficult if he has to explain to HR why he wants to hire a candidate none of the other people favor, or if his boss isn’t convinced the candidate is the best choice. Relationships are the #1 key to awesome executive jobs; but don’t assume that the relationship alone is enough. The hiring manager’s life will be easier if your resume and interview performance both knock it out of the park, and he doesn’t need to work hard to convince anyone that you’re “the one.”

    I once had a client hire me even though the hiring manager wanted to hire him. The hiring manager said he needed a great resume tailored to the position in question so he could convince his boss the candidate was the right fit.

  4. The resume is written documentation that will help sell you even after you walk out the door after the interview.

    After interviewing multiple people, interviewers often get confused and can’t remember which one was which. They may stare at a resume afterwards saying, “Wait a minute, was he the one I liked, or he was the one with the weird handlebar mustache who was rude to my secretary?”Leaving behind an impressive resume (and perhaps other leave-behind materials), and then following up with a compelling post-interview thank-you/follow-up letter, will help your interviewer remember you and help “sell” you long after you’re gone.
  5. And, finally, your professionally written resume is like an insurance policy in case your new job doesn’t work out.I’ve had clients who went to work at jobs that ended with an unexpectedly early departure. Though unlikely, there are myriad reasons why you might lose a job or decide to quit after just a few weeks or months. Job security is a thing of the past. Layoffs are common nowadays, and managing your brand and image with an effective executive resume and LinkedIn profile should be an ongoing effort.

3 positive side effects of professional resume writing:

  1. It helps you prepare for job interviews and networking conversations because it forces you to identify your personal brand, specific accomplishments and success stories, and the key messages you need to get across to your target audience.
  2. It boosts your confidence. Clients report feeling great after seeing their resume draft–especially executives who haven’t had their resume updated in several years, and those who had previously written their own resume or used a lower caliber of resume writer.
  3. It provides the foundation for a strong LinkedIn profile, and LinkedIn is an important networking and brand management tool for all professionals. LinkedIn is not something to only think about when you’re job searching and ignore when you’re employed. If you want to be continuously employed and always in demand, you want to be effective in managing your brand and online presence. This begins with LinkedIn.

This article originally appeared on KellyDonovan.com.

Kelly Donovan

Curated list of head shot photographers

A lot of my clients end up needing a new head shot while they’re working with me. Since I tend to have multiple clients in major metro areas around the U.S. and Canada, I decided to start curating a list of head shot photographers who do good work for business head shots–including LinkedIn photos. The intent is not to have every city on here, but I want to at least have some of the top metro areas.

The criteria I came up with for this list:

  • A client, friend, or trusted business contact used the photographer and recommends them; or it’s someone I know
  • AND I’ve seen the photographer’s work and believe it meets the standards I would have for a LinkedIn head shot for a client (that being said, some of these folks may specialize in business head shots more than others)

I will add to this list regularly to expand it. For the time being, please let me know if any of these existing entries need updating!

Geography

This is only U.S. and Canada (for now).

Costs

The prices charged by photographers on this list may vary quite widely. Give some thought to what budget you’re willing to invest. You might be able to get a fairly good LinkedIn head shot for a rock-bottom price (perhaps through a Groupon or just a low-cost freelancer or studio). However, at the lowest price points, it could be hit or miss. Funds permitting, you might consider making an investment in your image.

 

Photographers by metro area

New York City

Orange County, California

Inland Empire – San Bernardino County, California

Inland Empire – Riverside County, California

San Diego, California

Ohio

Boston Area, Massachusetts

Connecticut

Dallas Area, Texas

Charlotte Area, North Carolina

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

 

This article originally appeared on KellyDonovan.com.

Kelly Donovan

How to contact a hiring manager

How to email a hiring manager

Reaching out directly to a hiring manager when a company isn’t advertising an opening is a great way to network.

You can position yourself as the candidate of choice for the company’s next opening.

Also, if the hiring manager likes you, he can possibly create a job for you; this happens more often than you think!

Note: When I say “hiring manager,” I’m talking about the department head or division head or executive who would be responsible for hiring you.

If you’re a marketing director, this could be the marketing VP or CMO.

I’m not talking about human resources professionals. (Unless you’re in HR yourself.) The folks in HR usually don’t have time to network with random people!

Now, if it’s a company with an in-house corporate recruiter, by all means reach out to whichever in-house recruiter seems to be relevant. But many small and mid-market companies don’t have in-house recruiters.

Find the hiring manager’s name

So, the first step is finding the hiring manager’s name; here are some ideas:

  1. Brainstorm what the hiring manager’s likely title would be. This is usually more difficult in a large, complex Fortune 500 company. You could approach the person who would be your boss, or that person’s boss. You’ll need to think about what level you would likely be in at the company to figure out who your potential boss and boss’s boss would be. If you would be a director, you’d probably, but not always, report to a VP. In a larger company, you might report to a senior director, or in a smaller company, a director will sometimes report to the CEO or another C-level executive.
  2. Once you have a few ideas for possible job titles of the hiring manager and hiring manager’s boss, do a search on LinkedIn or Google. You’d be surprised how often a Google search for the company name and division head’s job title will pull up a web reference to the person–and there you have your name.

Contact the hiring manager via LinkedIn

Once you know his or her name through your research, you can send an InMail on LinkedIn if he/she has a profile on LinkedIn. Yes, you need a paid account to do this. You might be able to get a free upgrade.

Also, if you share a LinkedIn group with the person, you may be able to send a message for free. (Hint: if you don’t share a group, check to see if he belongs to any groups you could join.)

How to find the hiring manager’s email address

If you already know someone at the company (past or current employee) and know the person’s company email address, you’re golden.

Within any given company, all the emails usually follow the same format. So all you need is to find out one person’s email address, and you should be able to find out the hiring manager’s email address.

Here’s an easy way. Do a Google search for the company’s domain name with an “@” in front of it.

Let’s say, for example, that the company’s website is www.acme.com. Obviously, the company’s email accounts will all end with @acme.com. So just type the following into Google:

@acme.com

More often than not, you should be able to find someone’s email address in the results that come up. Doesn’t matter whose it is! It will reveal the company’s email scheme.

Based on the results, let’s say you determine that the scheme is [email protected].

If you want to confirm whether the mail box exists, one neat tool is http://verify-email.org. (However, you can easily skip this step.)

Use a web app to look up the info

If you can’t find any evidence of a company’s email scheme through your Google searching and don’t have luck with Verify-Email.org, here are some other tools that can provide you with access to some emails for free (not everyone on the planet is in their databases, but you can try and see if the person you want is in there).

Emailing the hiring manager: just do it!

At this point, you can just go for it–send the person an email or LinkedIn InMail and see what happens. My preferred method is an InMail, so that the recipient isn’t wondering “How did he get my email address?”

Either way, make sure the message is a brief, concise, and thoughtfully worded cold networking letter.

Yes, it might not be a valid address for any number of reasons, or the person might not be paying attention to his LinkedIn InMails, or maybe the person has left the company and won’t receive it. Who knows. Who cares? Just go for it. You don’t have anything to lose.

This post originally appeared on KellyDonovan.com.

 

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Kelly Donovan

Is your online presence helping or hurting your job search?

Your “digital dirt” could be haunting you.

If you haven’t “Googled” yourself lately, it’s probably a good idea to type your name into the search engine to see what results you get.

A wealth of information about most of us is at any prospective employer’s fingertips and can help or hurt your chances of getting the job you want.

“Your Google results are your new resume.” — Richard Bolles, late author of best-selling career book What Color is Your Parachute?

I won’t get into whether it’s right or wrong for employers to research candidates online. I can see both sides of the issue. Whether it’s right or not, if you want to land a great opportunity quickly, you can’t afford to overlook your online presence.

Who gets searched

In general, you’re probably more likely to be looked up online if you’re an executive or senior-level candidate, versus a blue collar or entry-level candidate. Executives are sometimes mentioned in the media and on websites and blogs, so employers and recruiters might be interested in any mentions of you online.

The likelihood of being searched could also vary by industry and job type. For example, I would expect employers to look up a marketing professional to find out if the candidate is social media-savvy, whereas employers might be less interested in an HVAC specialist’s online presence.

So, what information can help or hurt you?

Potentially helpful information

  • A strong LinkedIn profile with recommendations
  • Other social media profiles that are focused on your chosen profession
  • A blog in which you write about topics relevant to your profession
  • Posts you’ve made on social media websites that present you in a positive light
  • A personal website (eg., an “electronic portfolio,” or “e-folio” for short) showcasing your qualifications; this can include a blog
  • Positive news articles and press releases about you

Potentially harmful information

  • Social media profiles that might contain information about you that could be a turnoff
  • Posts you’ve made on social media sites that someone might perceive negatively
  • Embarrassing photos of you
  • Political donations you’ve made
  • Lawsuits or criminal records
  • Negative media or blog coverage of you

Confusing information

Another problem is that a search for your name might pull up references to others who share your name. This can be problematic. The employer might think that some of those other references are about you, and you might suffer because of mistaken identity. One way you might avoid this confusion is by using Vizibility, which helps you organize and share your online identity.

Action steps for taking control of your online presence

Research & evaluate: First, research yourself thoroughly to uncover everything that an employer might be able to find and evaluate whether any of the information about you might turn off a prospective employer.

Fix what you control: Address any negative information that is under your control, like removing all the comments you posted on Facebook complaining about your job, or setting your Facebook profile to private.

Try to fix what others control: If there is unwanted information about you on a blog or website, evaluate carefully whether it might be appropriate to politely approach the webmaster about having the material removed.

Create positive content: Set up a great LinkedIn profile, find a reason to send out a press release about something you’ve done, and consider creating a personal website/e-folio to promote yourself. (All services I offer, by the way!) A positive, professional presence on other social media services can also be helpful, depending on your industry, goals, and interest level.

If the situation is out of control

In some cases, if your online reputation is severely tarnished, drastic measures might be necessary. (This might be the case if there are a bunch of negative news articles about you online.)

There are consultants and companies who specialize in search engine optimization and online reputation management who can help you with improving your search engine results. I would be happy to refer you to a reputable provider if you are interested.

 

How common is online research of candidates?

Statistics vary regarding the percentage of employers who look up candidates using search engines and social media.

The Society of Human Resource Management released some findings on this in August 2011 (see slide show below for details). SHRM’s findings are more conservative than other figures that have been reported, but are still substantial enough that candidates need to consider their online presence.

(Also, it’s worth noting that SHRM surveyed HR professionals, not hiring managers. Some HR people are avoiding online searches due to legal concerns — considerations that hiring managers might not think about.)

Slide show of SHRM’s survey results

Social networking and online searches for screening job candidates
View more presentations from shrm

This post originally appeared on KellyDonovan.com.

Take control of your online presence! Contact me today to get started on a powerful LinkedIn profile, personal website/e-folio, or personal press release.