Job search notes: excuse to listen, learn and leverage

Obsessing? In the job search work team, some of us referred to some of this as "stalking". 

Obsess Much? How Staying Busy Keeps You Sane During Job Search.

by Tim Tyrell-Smith

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Maybe another reason to justify your time spent networking!

Does Social Networking Provide Health Benefits?

by Jason Jacobsohn

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And while this article is focused on what non-profits can do, you can easily follow this advice to listen for opportunities within your targeted job search market.

How to translate social listening into good twitter conversation that supports your objectives

by Beth

If you want some help in understanding how to leverage this, please let me know.

Digital learning

PBS is in the midst of creating a follow-up program to “Growing Up Online” called “Digital Nation: Life on the Virtual Frontier.” The website invites people around the world to send in their stories about life online and their digital experiences.

If you are interested, you can read more about this here

The ethics of the web

Jay Rosen in this talk captured at the Carnegie Council explains the ethics of the web.



I would suggest to go read the full and original posting at Wesley Fryer's Moving at the Speed of Creativity. He does it well!

Hold the date! October 17th - NewBCamp

Why hold the date?

Are you interested in the new social media technologies? Would you like to learn more about blogging, podcast, Twitter, Facebook, etc? Then the event being held at New England Institute for Technology in Warwick, RI is the one for you.

But I am a beginner?

No problem, this event is geared to the beginners. Yes, if you have some knowledge is this area you can still learn but it is targeted for the "newbies", hence NewBCamp.

How much does it cost?

Only $10. For the price of a movie, or a couple of coffees, you can gain the information you need to keep up with the technology. Don't fall behind. Participate at NewBCamp on October 17th

Tickets go on sale on October 1. The link and additional information will be provided as soon as the registration is open.

BTW - yours truly is scheduled to lead a couple of sessions on blogging and social media 101. If you go, be sure to say hi!

job search notes: quick tip for LinkedIn

A quick and easy way to find what jobs have been posted to LinkedIn.

1 - Sign in to your LinkedIn account
2 - Open the Jobs tab, input your search criteria

• for example in this screen shot, I used "project manager"

3 - Click on the "Date" to sort the posted jobs by descending date. This will show you the most recent postings in date order.

Screen shot image captured via FireShot.

What tools do you use in your job search effort?

fun together

I have long believed in the power of teamwork and the "Power of We", this video shows planning, coordination, togetherness, and careful execution. As a result, it qualifies as a good experience.



I hope you enjoyed this!

How do you create a good experience?


Thanks to @mcleod who tipped me to this via Twitter.

How far do you open the kimono?

Sharing and collaboration raise the learning possibilities. The "Power of We" is something I continually explore and look to leverage. "How far do you open the kimono?" is frequent question somewhere in this discussion. Via David Warlick I find this approach:

Open Notebook Learning

from 2¢ Worth by David Warlick

How far do you open the kimono?
Are there some topics or projects that would be more conducive to this approach than others?

Five for Friday

Here are some good links to share from recent cruising amongst my RSS Reader.

By the way, if you don't have an RSS Reader, I would consider getting one. If you have a Google account, the Google Reader is waiting for you. If you don't have a Google account, you might consider Bloglines. Both are free services. Both provide similar functionality. I did use Bloglines for years before converting to the Google Reader to take more advantage of the inter-operation available with all of Googles' applications and tools.


1 - one of the better explanations I have read of the distinctions amongst Replies, Mentions and Direct Messages.

Concise Guide to Understanding Replies, Mentions and Direct Messages on Twitter – Part 1 of 2

from TwiTip by Lara Kulpa

2 - Seth Godin has another good example of the new version old ways of marketing

The platform vs. the eyeballs

from Seth's Blog by Seth Godin

3 - I recently wrote about finding space between two things to create or make a difference. Here is a very current example of making a difference by using moral imagination!

How to make a positive from an extremist's actions: Use your moral imagination.

from 37days by Patti

4 - From FastCompany, a good story about design that I twittered about on Thursday:
"I don't use the phrase 'design thinking.' Here, it's about creating more value"
http://tweetthistext.com/26568 thx to @pattidigh

5 - and finally as it is the 25th of September, it is also Rapid Fire Learning over at the Joyful Jubilant Learning blog. Yes, if you are a new reader, please say that out loud: "Joyful Jubilant Learning blog". Isn't that a mouthful! It magically brings a smile to your face. It does, amazingly! Learning is fun! So click on over and find out what I learned this month.

job search notes: mothers have good Project Manager skills

I have long used the analogy that mothers make natural project managers. The schedules they juggle, the coordination and negotiation they do daily as part of managing their family activities are all part of the project manager skill set.

At the Harvest Festival in downtown Franklin on this past Sunday, I met someone else who agrees that with analysis. In fact, Linda Waters had just published this:

Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io

Do you agree?

You can connect with Linda via LinkedIn
or check out her website here

side step the perceived limitations

"I wanted to sidestep the perceived limitations and reputations of both 'time management' and 'work/life balance' genres, which tend to be bland and focus on incremental improvements. The term lifestyle design," said Ferris, was intended "to create a category of one where I defined the rules and set the standards. Don't be better at following the guidelines and constraints that accompany a common label - be different and call yourself such. If the concept or category you create catches a foothold, you're the first to mindshare. Let the rest of the world that follows be compared to you. Particularly in a world where power is often measured in links, this puts you in pole position."

The quote is from Trust Agents by Chris Brogan and Julian Smith.

Ferris is Tim Ferris, the author of "The 4-Hour Workweek".

Prepare for the next wave!

I saw the Google Wave demo earlier this year and was impressed, it does take conversations to a new level. What technology actually lies behind the wave I didn't fully appreciate until I read this:

http://www.jasonkolb.com/weblog/2009/09/why-google-wave-is-the-coolest-thing-since-sliced-bread.html

Thanks, Jason! This makes sense to me. I agree this should not be ignored!

6 characteristics of a Trust Agent

I have finished reading, or devouring the book by Chris Brogan and Julian Smith, Trust Agents. In the course of my reading, I marked several parts. Marking a book used to be verboten when I was in school. It has become something of a habit, part of my learning process, as I have gotten older. It has also helped that the books I now mark are my own and not school books meant to be returned and reused by dozens, if not hundreds of others.

The main ideas behind the concept of trust agents are contained in these six characteristics:

1. Make your own game
2. One of us
3. The Archimedes Effect
4. Agent Zero
5. Human Artist
6. Build an Army

Subsequent chapters of the book develop the story behind these ideas. My book markings will help to illuminate the ideas.

The quote is from Trust Agents by Chris Brogan and Julian Smith. The explanation is my own.

job search notes: the job - pay matrix

The text in this article

How to Make Knowledge Work Fun

by Larry Stybel

can be explained by this matrix:

	Like	Don’t like
Paid	Fun	Work
No pay	Give back	Insanity

In what quadrant would you like to be?


What do you need to do to get there?

Updated 9/23/09:
To determine the value of your time you can use the process outlined by Christopher S Penn in his posting here

Another Steve Sherlock did well!

More information on the significance of the archeological discovery by Steve Sherlock is now coming available:

The jewelery was discovered by archaeologist Steve Sherlock with the help of the Teesside Archaeological Society.

The pieces are of such high quality that it is widely believed to be a royal burial ground which adds to the wonderful story behind the jewels. The cemetery at Street House has five high status female graves and one sword burial, with the stunning finds thought to date from the second half of the seventh century (after AD 650). During this time the Northumbrian royal family was being established in and around the smaller areas of Bernicia, north of the Tees and Deira across Yorkshire.

Well done, Steve!

To read the full article, please click through here

Not the kind of thing you would call yourself

"Trust agent isn't the kind of thing you would call yourself. That's like people calling themselves gurus, divas, goddesses, or experts. Let other people call you that."

A trust agent is not born but developed overtime. Not claimed but ordained by acclamation!

The quote is from Trust Agents by Chris Brogan and Julian Smith. The explanation is my own.

Learning from all things 9

The learning continues all this ninth month of the year two thousand nine over at the Joyful Jubilant Learning blog.

I had a good run along the Blackstone River Bikeway today and found the nine mile marker. A good excuse for a brief stop to take a photo before continuing. The river was running along my left as I headed south. The old canal way was mostly still and reflective along the right. My feet took the middle path.

What are you learning this month?

If you are looking for some inspiration, check out any one of the entries this month at the Joyful Jubilant Learning blog here


Note: I am honored to be a member of the Advisory Board for this fine group. This is not a paying position, it is an exercise in exploring collaborative learning within a virtual group.

Follow the yellow brick road

Tom Asacker has published his newest article, actually an update of something he did some time ago but still very much relevant.

P.S. Never forget the true lesson of the Wizard of Oz. Act like the person (or brand) you want to become and it will eventually become your reality. Good luck.

Sounds just like being a trust agent doesn't it?

One of my all time favorite movies, The Wizard of Oz. You can read the full article here:

Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io

job search notes: Twitter, email, and good tips

In reviewing the RSS feeds that I follow, I find these worth sharing.

1 - From Sean Nelson, a primer on Twitter's language:

Do You Speak Twittinese?

from Social Media Sonar by Sean

2 - From Tim at Spin Strategy, a book recommendation

Two Great New Resources For Job Seekers - Here's The First!

from Spin Strategy - Blog by Tim Tyrell-Smith

3 - Jeremiah makes a good point about email being a big social network

Interlaced: Email and Social Networks

from Web Strategy by Jeremiah by jeremiah_owyang

4 - and also from Jeremiah, 3 things on getting a corporate social media job. These three apply to other positions as well.

Want A Corporate Social Media Job? Demonstrate These Three Essential Qualities

from Web Strategy by Jeremiah by jeremiah_owyang

That's Greek to me

Have you ever said "That's Greek to me"?

Something complicated, something that didn't make a whole lot of sense would usually draw that comment. At least in the days before 'political correctness' became all so important.

My daughter is getting to develop a better understanding of Greece and its history, art, language and culture by spending her college semester abroad. Due to the wonders of technology, she is only a Skype call away.

You can join in with her explorations by viewing her journal online (and better yet, subscribing to receive her updates automatically).

This phrase (That's Greek to me) may become a forgotten part of your vocabulary!

Did you know? - updated

Version 4 of the "Did you know?" video was just released. It is just as full of information as it was initially although the effect now is just as staggering.

What are you doing to stay current?



What can you do with your phone today?

How much of a digital native should you become?

Note: email subscribers should click through to view the video on the website.

Blogversary - Happy 5th!

Another blogversary just blew by this week. Hard to believe that posts began here 5 years ago!

2004 saw the beginning of this blog with the posting of my current book reviews

2005 saw a two part post reflecting on the process. Part 1 and Part 2

2006 was a reflection on the moment including a good quote

2007 was a time when the blog was posting on Franklin before Franklin Matters came to life in November

2008 I was busy spending the week celebrating the publication of Patti Digh's Life as a Verb and didn't recognize the 4th anniversary until the 23rd.


So what is happening right now?
I am getting ready to work a 3-month contract position
Continuing to plan for a Laid Off Camp for the Attleboro/Providence area
Interviewing candidates for the Franklin election this November

and Greg Greenway's song verse is running through my head:

Every little day the world's brand new,
the sun comes up and the clouds roll through.
Everything else is just up to you.
Every little day the world's brand new.  

And you can hear Greg perform the song here:

job search notes: Job Fair take aways

The recent Job Fair sponsored by the United Regional Chamber of Commerce and hosted at the Living Waters Church in North Attleboro featured two good speakers; Ann Crawford and Bill Napolitano.

Ann spoke during the morning and started by talking about knowing your comfort zone, being comfortable with it, and learning to move outside the zone. Moving outside the zone is sometimes where the real grow occurs and where we may need to go.

 

The best thing Ann did was as she finished,  she gave us an exercise to get up and network with those around us (that we did not know) in the audience. It was a good way to start and a great way to get everyone talking. Some of the conversations lingered for a while.

Bill spoke about "straight talk" during the afternoon. In the course of the week, there are 168 hours. He asked us to quantify how we are using them? Consider that you are working for commission. How are you spending your time? Are you doing something to earn for today, earn for tomorrow, and keep learning to stay current?

One good reminder on building our brand Bill shared was with the story of the McDonald's commercial and the line "Two all beef patties..." Most folks can still recall the line years after the commercial was aired. But because it was aired so many times, so much repetition, folks can still recall it in detail. If we were only as consistent with our message, our elevator pitch, consider how much that would help us!

job search notes: in the space between (video)

In the space between two things, you can find and make your own way.

The Monday Morning Memo from the Wizard of Ads features two videos today where folks have taken advantage of the space between to make their own.

The video from Rocketboom about the Renegade Cabaret




And this a capella performance in tribute to John Williams and Star Wars:



Action required:

1. Look for some space between two things!
2. Make your own way!

Note: for email subscribers, you will need to click through to Steve's 2 Cents to view the videos.

job search notes: Job Fair - day 1

JobFair_90913_LinkedIn, originally uploaded by shersteve.

Tricia White reviewed the basics of setting up and using your LinkedIn profile in one of the workshops available at the Job Fair today.

The Job Fair is sponsored by the United Regional Chamber of Commerce and held at the Living Waters Church in North Attleboro (off Exit 5 of i95).

The Monday schedule for the job fair looks like:

10:00 AM – Doors open, over 20 firms hiring

11:30 AM – Speaker: Ann Crawford, Life Coach

1:00 PM – Speaker: Bill Napolitano, Institute for Business Excellence

4:00 PM – Doors close

For additional information (directions, etc) and to register online check here

job search notes: 10 good info links

1 - The inside story on how the best guide (The LinkedIn MBA) that I have seen for LinkedIn came to be. This also includes info on how to obtain it.

LinkedIn User Guide

from Social Media Sonar by Sean
2 - A short recap of what you should be doing to market yourself.

Building your Personal Brand

from Spin Strategy - Blog by Tim Tyrell-Smith

3 - Good interview tips

Top 10 Tips for Interviews – Videos from Interns Over 40

from TheEssayExpert.com by The Essay Expert

and from the SlideShare Newsletter

The 7 Must Read SlideShare Presentations for Job Seekers
These seven presentations are handpicked by the Applicant Blog at applicant.com. They also got some love from from getthatjobonline.com

1. Effective Job Interviewing from Both Sides of the Desk
It is gives great advice by looking at both sides of the job interview. My favorite tidbit is, "Your Awesomeness is not self-evident."

2. 10 Job Search Attitudes that Will Get You More Interviews
Short, but sweet. I think attitude is often an overlooked piece in the job hunt puzzle. My favorite tidbit is, "I will search as if I don't need a job."

3. Rethink your Job Search
This reads a bit like marketing material for JobTiger, but is still has good content. My favorite tidbit is, "Tap into job openings that may not have been published."

4. Leveraging LinkedIn for the Job Search
A great little walkthrough on using LinkedIn for your job search. Favorite tidbit, "When you find a connection, leverage it to find other connections."

5. 10 Commandements of Job Search
This is the presentation by the Applicant Blog, and it stresses staying positive. "Ignore the fact that your friend, uncle, aunt and even your mother-in-law is unemployed. It's about you."

6. Job Serach with Social Media & Mobile
This is a great presentation that covers LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter & some mobile apps. "Maxims remain the same ... tactics are very different."

7. Converging Trends Impacting Your Job Search
It covers a lot of ground discussing marketing trends, social media and what networking means today. "Become a content expert ... shift, cull & create content"

Feeding off the Dogwood

The dogwood fruit are ripening and attracting the robins (shown here). Soon the squirrels will be in amongst the branches, trying to hang on to reach the fruit without falling off.

9 things

Celebrating the occurrence of 09/09/09 on Wednesday, I managed to take only three pictures of nine things. The other six will get captured some time.

Looking out the front window, there are nine panes of glass

In the dining room, there are chairs for nine to sit and eat

 

Set out on the table are nine colored cups for an after dinner drink

What did you find for nine on 09/09/09?

Deja Brew listing updated

How busy has it been?

So busy I didn't make it to either of the Deja Brew brewing or bottling sessions this time around. Here is what was done for those keeping track. We now have brewed a total of 58 kettles. 45 different beers, 11 of which we have done more than once.

Rusty Anchor Lager	A very tasty Anchor Steam style. Nice bronze color.
Blueberry Ale	A delicious ale. It smells good, tastes good and finishes clean
Wachusett Pale	Nicely hopped with a beautiful color. Good for a summer stroll
Dunrovin Stout	ACBBD – Very similar to Guinness! Awesome Stout
Tim’s Dim Wit Bier	Spicy & flavorful. Similar to Blue Moon Belgian White
Ray's Bock	Our version of the Mai or Helles Bock. Flavorful & high Alcohol

job search notes: Obama's advice

Did you see President Obama's address to the students at Wakefield High School (Arlington, VA) and others across the country yesterday? He welcomed them back to school and spoke directly to their challenge. Much of what he said can be applied to those of us on the job search as well.

Take 19 minutes to view this:



The job searchers responsibility (students) as outlined by President Obama:

• "Unless you show up, unless you pay attention, unless you put in the hard work"
• "Responsibility to yourself to discover what you are good at"
• "You might not know what it is, until you try"
• "No matter what you want to do in life, you will need an education to do it. You can not drop out of school and drop into life"
• "There is no excuse for not trying"
• "Set your own goals, do everything you can to meet them"
• "The truth is being successful is hard ... you won't necessarily succeed in everything the first time you try"
• "You can't let your failures define you, you need to let your failures teach you"
• "Don't be afraid to ask questions, don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it"
  

Job Fair - Schedule of Events

The United Regional Chamber of Commerce Job Fair will be held Sep 13-14 at the Living Waters location in North Attleboro. The updated schedule of events looks like this:

Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io

For more information (and to register for this free event) check here

Labor Day (video)

A YouTube video compiled from History Channel snippets on the history of Labor Day:





found via

Video - The History of Labor Day

from Free Technology for Teachers by noreply@blogger.com (Mr. Byrne)

Labor Day

The was a good article on Labor Day in the Boston Sunday Globe Ideas section:

The truth about Labor Day

from Boston Globe -- Ideas section by Thaddeus Russell

I tend to approach something that proclaims to be the "truth" with suspicion. The interesting point for me being the duality of views about Labor Day. The duality of views extends to other topics. For example, the President announced an address to students on what is the first day of school for many and there is something of an uproar about this address. As previous Presidents did similar addresses, there like was something of a similar uproar. If there wasn't, then that would be a story.

What ever you do with your Labor Day, please enjoy it.

job search notes: you own reality

Yes, you own your personal reality. No one else does. They can contribute to it. You own it.

The NE Revs game last night was disappointing. KC to their credit came out a step ahead of the Revs and they got the early goal. The Revs started coming back only to loose Shalrie Joseph to a red card in the 23rd minute. The contact was a foul but not worthy of a card, yellow or red . The inconsistency of the officials is a problem. This particular lead official has given out 8 reds in the 11 games he has been lead. Isn't the ref determining his own reality. He sees what he sees and does what he does. The fact that he may interpret something differently than thousands of others viewing the same game doesn't concern him. He owns his own reality.

Do you own your reality? How close to the real world is it?

If you need a reality check, The Power Of Impossible Thinking by Jerry Wind and Colin Crook is a good place to start.

Go east, young ladies!

Actually the phrase was

"Go West, young man," Indiana newspaper writer John Soule's 1851 advice, would be popularized by Horace Greeley and serve as the mantra for nineteenth Century American migration.

Quote source

Doing the opposite of the advice, the girls are off to Europe: Carolyn to spend a semester studying abroad, Allison to spend a few days vacationing with her sister before Carolyn starts school.

Somebody needed to go along, right!

So they are off to Europe and we go to cheer on the New England Revolution tonight.

Job help is on the way!

The United Regional Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce:

Job Search Sunday, September 13th 12:30 PM – 5:00 PM

Career Fair Monday, September 14th 10 AM - 4:00PM

Where:

At Living Waters Church, 15 John L. Dietsche Blvd, North Attleboro MA.

Do you or someone you know need help finding a job?  Then you are welcome to these FREE EVENTS.

Job Search Sunday will offer career development courses like:

• Using Social Media to Network by Tricia White (at 1:30 PM)
• Ten Tips for the Tongue Tied by Lee Ann Childs (at 3:30 PM)
  

Career Fair Monday will include companies who are actively hiring and seminars on "Staying Motivated While Unemployed."

Keynote speakers Include:

• Ann Crawford , Life Coach (at 11:30 AM)
• Bill Napolitano, Institute for Business Excellence (at 1:00 PM)

To register for this click here

For additional information contact

Jen Osojnicki at the United Chamber, 508.695.6011, jen@unitedregionalchamber.com

job search notes: learn by walking

What would you learn by walking almost 5000 KM? Christoph did a very cool video/timelapse of his personal external changes during his journey.

The Longest Way 1.0 - one year walk/beard grow time lapse from Christoph Rehage on Vimeo.

What would you learn by walking?

Visit Christoph's website for additional information on his walking journey here

From the Twitter stream

@SeanENelson the graphic http://tinyurl.com/n4eft6 makes sense Sean!

from shersteve - Twitter Search by shersteve (Steve Sherlock)

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RT @chrisbrogan: Holy cats! A lot of work in this post by @jadecraven - http://bit.ly/uQKyg me: and very well done!

from shersteve - Twitter Search by shersteve (Steve Sherlock)

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"we could learn a lot by structuring the workplace to please the people who work with us" http://tweetthistext.com/20975 from @davidzinger

from shersteve - Twitter Search by shersteve (Steve Sherlock)

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"she turned her blog about homelessness into a plum internship" http://tweetthistext.com/20967 via @eeUS @danschawbel

from shersteve - Twitter Search by shersteve (Steve Sherlock)

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"Social media works, it is a question of how you use it" @mchammer #gravsum

from shersteve - Twitter Search by shersteve (Steve Sherlock)

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"if it doesn't damage the brand, it may damage the fantasy" MC Hammer #gravsum - social media good for many but not 4 all

from shersteve - Twitter Search by shersteve (Steve Sherlock)

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MC Hammer "perception has trumped reality!" #gravsum

from shersteve - Twitter Search by shersteve (Steve Sherlock)

If somebody would have predicted

If somebody would have told me that I would build a website(blog) for a customer, listen to a live stream of a social media conference (#gravsum) at Harvard featuring MC Hammer (amongst others), and then conduct a conference call with 5 talented people interested in bringing a LaidOff Camp to Providence or Boston; that all of these things would happen in one day, I'd have said they were crazy.

But! Yes, but. It did happen. Monday, August 31!

1 - The website (blog) will be revealed later. There is a review and approval process before releasing it to the world, all good.

2 - There were several take aways from the Harvard conference (Gravity Summit). I was able to tweet and capture many of my instant reactions during the MC Hammer portion I did spend time with. Briefly, MC Hammer (@mchammer) is a trust agent. From what I heard him say, he could have helped Chris Brogan/Julien Smith write the book. The video clip that follows picks some great highlights from the full day of the conference. MC Hammer wasn't the only one with great things to say about how to use social media for business. Gary Vaynerchuk (@garyvee), Ramon DeLeon (@Ramon_Deleon), Rodney Rumford (@rumford),



3 - The conference call kicked off our planning process for LaidOff Camp. We have work to do so stay tuned as we make progress.

It is September 1, what are you accomplishing today?

Community contributors are appreciated

As a joyful jubilant learner, I love the community we have developed over the internet. Yesterday, to close out August and to hint at what is coming up in September, the 9th month of this year, the JJL blog highlighted 9 of our contributors.

I had the pleasure of spotlighting Paul Diamond. Please feel free to click through and read the full post including all the comments. That is were the real joyful jubilant learning takes place!