Archive for December, 2008
The “Art” of Networking (or rather, 1 Simple Tip for Networking…)
December 29th, 2008 • Comments Career Advice
Tags: Networking, Social Media
I actually have two posts that I’m working on right now, but given the lighter nature of this one as compared to the other one, I figured I’d write this one first. The second post will be up soon.
On my previous post, Ken commented:
I’d love to see a post about true networking — I think there are many grads out there who think they understand it but don’t properly put it into action. Networking is so much more than just walking up to people and saying “Hi.” It’s knowing where they are, what they’re up to, and cultivating a relationship that pays you dividends in the long run. It won’t just help you get a job, it will help you be successful when you finally land it, and create a back-up support system if you lose it.
While I’m a little flattered that Ken thinks that I’m an expert on networking, I also felt obliged to share my thoughts on how to network.
How are YOU looking for a new job?
December 23rd, 2008 • Comments Career Advice
Tags: Career Searching, Online Presence, Social Media
It’s been a week full of holiday parties and reunions of friends, so the blog has been a little neglected. However, a conversation I had at one of the parties with a product designer struggling with her job application approach inspired the topic for this entry. One of the things I find – especially when talking to younger people – is that while people may understand their industry or their specialty very well, they don’t understand how to best differentiate themselves when applying for jobs, or presenting themselves. (I suppose this makes sense – after all, this is partially why the recruitment industry exists.) Too many people mindlessly submit resumes to HR departments or career e-mail addresses with generic cover letters and a resume template that is right out of Microsoft Word. Is this your process? If so, what is it that makes you different from everyone else out there? Sure, you can hope that they read every resume, but with a job market oversaturated with candidates, you should be doing what you can to make yourself noticed in the process. Don’t worry; if you’re skilled and present well, there will ALWAYS be jobs out there for you. After the break, I’ll offer some questions that you should be thinking about when going through your career searching processes.
A Passionate Toronto Community – what a great thing!
December 18th, 2008 • Comments Communities
Tags: Communities, Passion, Toronto, Toronto Social Media
Today at lunch, I had a great conversation with a co-worker, where we discussed some of the going-ons that I’ve had in my life lately, and he pointed out the difference in the way I spoke about certain things compared to others. (Sorry to be vague, but it’s kind of Google-critical at this moment.) Specifically, what he pointed out was the passion at which I discussed some of the things I’m working on at the moment. I knew as soon as he mentioned it that I was going to put a post up about it. More after the break.
