Why you need to Google-stalk yourself
Have you ever heard of “Google stalking”? It’s this silly term used to describe researching someone on the internet. You may be surprised to know it, but chances are pretty good that your future boss is going to Google stalk you.
What I mean is this. Even though your boss has your awesome resume with all your qualifications, they want to know more. They want to see if your social media accounts show up, and what you’ve been posting. They want to know what else there is to know that’s not on your resume.
So, rather than wait to see what your future boss finds, do your homework. Research yourself. See what you come up with.
Search for your name with quotes (for example, “Angela Copeland”). Take a look at what comes up, both in the main Google search results, and in Google images.
Hopefully, everything that shows up will be perfect, and you’ll be proud of your search results. But, if this isn’t the case, you first want to be aware of what’s there.
Then, you have to decide if any negative results are directly in your control or not. For example, if your Facebook page shows up with a less than flattering party photo on the front page, you can update your Facebook page. If someone else with your same name has a habit of getting arrested, you may not be able to do anything directly about those search results. But, there’s power in just knowing what a future employer may see.
But, also know that you can indirectly impact negative results that appear. Digital marketers call the process of manipulating Google search results “search engine optimization” or SEO. One tactic to pushing down negative results is to generate more positive results. The more those positive results go up, the more negative results will go down.
Great examples of this are social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. If you’re posting regularly on social media, there’s a good chance your Facebook page may show up when someone searches for you. And, it could potentially displace a negative result that you don’t have control over.
Your personal brand extends far beyond what’s listed on your resume. The new “cover letter” (so to speak) is what’s showing up within the search results on Google. It’s the entire story of you, not just your professional career. Doing a little research of your own will help you to be prepared and put your best foot forward for your future boss.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
The real reason the company never called you
Interviewing for a job is an incredibly personal process – at least for the job seeker. If you’re looking for a new job, you know the frustration when a company doesn’t call you back. It stings like rejection. It can leave you reeling – wondering what’s wrong with you.
First, let me say that I don’t think companies truly understand what this experience is like. If they did, they would take the time to let you know when they’ve moved on to another candidate. They would thank you for the hours you put into their process. They would treat you like a person worthy of respect.
But, given the reality of things, this often doesn’t happen. So, let’s talk about why you may not have been hired. It may be less personal than you realize.
First, think back to how you applied for the job. Did you apply online? If so, it’s possible the hiring manager doesn’t know your name. That’s right. They may not know you have applied. That sounds counter to what companies are telling us when they say, “Apply online and if you’re a fit, we’ll call you.” But, put yourself in the shoes of the hiring manager. If you were looking to hire someone, where would you start? Chances are good you’d think of people you know. Then, you’d look to friends to recommend their friends. You wouldn’t pay attention to online applications unless you didn’t have someone in mind.
If you were selected for an interview, and gave it your very best, you may wonder why you didn’t make it through to the end. Often, when a manager decides to hire a new employee, they have a candidate in mind. That person already works for the company and they can easily move into the new spot. They have experience and insider knowledge. Unfortunately, this doesn’t stop the hiring manager from interviewing others. And, you can bet that in no interview will the hiring manager ever say to you, “We appreciate you coming. Unfortunately, this interview is for show. We already know who we’re really going to hire.” You have no way to know when this is happening.
One last reason you might have been hired – the job is not available. Of course, it was available at some point, but there are a number of situations where a job will be put on hold or canceled. For example, if the hiring manager is promoted, or leaves the company, the position may be put on hold. Typically, the company will want to backfill the hiring manager’s position first. Rarely will the company reach out to you to tell you the hiring manager has quit or was fired, so it’s doubtful that you’ll know this either.
As you can see, none of the things listed above are really about you. They aren’t about your experience or whether or not the hiring manager liked you. So, take heart. Keep applying, and keep networking. Eventually, you will hit one out of the park.
Angela Copeland is CEO and founder of Copeland Coaching and can be reached at CopelandCoaching.com or on Twitter at @CopelandCoach.
119 | Landing a Tech Startup Job – Anne Lewis, Betts Recruiting in San Francisco, CA
Episode 119 is live! This week, we talk with Anne Lewis in San Francisco, CA.
Anne is the Director of Sales at Betts Recruiting. Betts Recruiting is a recruiting agency that partners with the most innovative and rapidly growing VC backed companies. They help these organizations scale their sales and marketing teams and partner to find their crucial hires. Their team is experienced in finding talent from VP level to recent graduates and everything in between.
On today’s episode, Anne shares her tips on how to increase our chances of working at a California tech startup. She also gives us advice on how to best work with a recruiter during our job search.
Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
To learn more about Anne and Betts Recruiting, check out her website at http://bettsrecruiting.com/meet-the-team/.
Thanks to everyone for listening! And, thank you to those who sent me questions. You can send your questions to Angela@CopelandCoaching.com. You can also send me questions via Twitter. I’m @CopelandCoach. And, on Facebook, I am Copeland Coaching. Don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and leave me a review!
How to take the perfect LinkedIn photo
Let’s be honest. LinkedIn has become a critical part of your job search. It’s a wonderful place for a number of reasons:
- You can research companies you’re interested in
- You can find employees at a particular company, and possibly even the hiring manager
- You can stay in touch with your old colleagues, and they can write public recommendations for you about your work
- You can learn which jobs companies are hiring for
- You can apply quickly, and learn how many other people you’re competing against
If you’ve been hesitant to join LinkedIn, don’t try to resist. It’s not the same kind of social media as Facebook or Twitter. You need to be on LinkedIn. Your future hiring manager is looking for you there, and you need to represent yourself well.
One of the most important pieces of your LinkedIn profile is the most simple: the photo. It will make a first impression. Here are the things you need to know to make it great.
- Have a photo. I can’t tell you how many times I see a LinkedIn profile with no profile photo. You’ve got to have a photo to show people who you are. In my case, there are many people with the same name as me. It allows my contacts to pick me out from other Angela Copelands.
- Your profile photo should be a real photo of you. It should not be an artistic photo of a landscape. It shouldn’t be a cartoon of you. It shouldn’t be anything but a real live photo of you.
- Your profile photo should only be you. Just you. Not you and your date, you and your spouse, or you and your child. This site is made to represent your professional self. Unless you plan to take your date / spouse / child to work with you, keep them for your Facebook photo.
- Wear work friendly attire in the photo. Don’t wear anything too casual or too formal. Go with either business casual or business attire.
- Smile. Face the camera. Look approachable. Unless you work in a particularly creative field, this isn’t the time to make a statement.
- Use a recent photo. Although that photo taken twenty years ago might be completely flattering, it’s not current. Use a current photo. Show people what you actually look like.
You get the idea. Hiring managers are visual people. Do your homework and come up with a LinkedIn photo that represents you in the best light.
But, don’t be fooled into thinking you need an expensive headshot. A friend can easily snap a photo of you that will work great. But, do have a friend do it. Selfie profile photos aren’t appropriate for LinkedIn.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
Making friends as an adult
The title of this column sounds a little strange at first glance. But, if you’ve ever tried to make friends as an adult, you know this is a big deal. And, it’s not just because it’s important to have friends. The friends you have as an adult can have a major impact to your career.
Just last week, I met with a job seeker whose best friend helped him to land a job at a large, well-known corporation. The friend was by his side through the entire interview process, giving tips along the way. There’s just absolutely no substitute for this.
The problem is, as children, friends are almost served up to us on a silver platter. First, we have friends from our homeroom class. When we begin to play sports or join scouts, we have friends there. In high school, there are extracurricular activities.
Even if you moved for college like I did, friends were provided. In fact, one of my best friends is someone I just happened to live down the hall from in our freshman year dorm in Upstate New York.
So, what are you to do when you’ve moved to a new place as an adult? Honestly, it can be tricky and it takes time. It feels more risky than as a child because you aren’t guaranteed to spend much time together forming bonds with your new friends.
But, let’s start with where to look. Great sources of new contacts are social groups and special interest clubs. To find these groups, look on sites like Meetup.com. They often share calendars of public events. You can also look up cooking classes, and dance classes. I’ve even signed up for a car repair class before. It’s typically completely acceptable (if not normal) to show up alone. If you sign up for a group that has recurring meetings or classes, you’ll be more likely to form longer lasting bonds.
Once you’ve found a few people you’d like to know better, make an effort to connect outside of the activity where you originally met them. Invite them for coffee, or beer. Ask them if they’d like to help organize a bowling or trivia team. The more you can schedule regular visits, the closer you’re likely to become.
As an adult, one challenge you’ll face with these steps is that many people are already booked up. This is normal and it becomes more normal the older you get. People only have so much free time and the more pre-existing commitments they have (such as children and a spouse), the less available they will be. Keep your eye out for other people who have also relocated to your city. They are much, much more likely to be facing the same issues you are and are struggling to find adult friends.
Taking the time to connect with others as an adult is not only fun and good for your social life, it will help you professionally, so don’t give up – and know that you’re not alone!
Angela Copeland is CEO and founder of Copeland Coaching and can be reached at CopelandCoaching.com or on Twitter at @CopelandCoach.
Your Best Resume Ever
2017 is set to be a great year. So, let’s start off with a great resume to get us at the front of the job search line. Polishing up your resume is like polishing up your best shoes. First impressions are everything!
Here are a few dos and don’ts to get you started:
DO
- Keep your resume up to date. You never want to be caught off-guard when a potential employer asks you for a resume. Besides, keeping your resume up to date prevents you from having to think back to what you did years ago.
- Include details of your past work experience. Add in quantifiable information that will help an employer to really understand what you did. Here are a few things you can include: How many people you managed, how large your budget was, how many sales you generated, how many clients you had, how much you improved performance, how often you completed a particular task. You get the idea. There are lots of things you can quantify.
- Include your educational information, including courses you may have taken after college or graduate school. Employers want to know who you are, and this is another way to show them.
- Do include the work you’re doing outside of work. Do you run a side consulting business? Have you been volunteering at a local non-profit?
DON’T
- Don’t include your graduation year if you have any concerns about it. You may not want an employer to know your age – whether you are young or old. You also may not want to have to explain why it took ten years to finish undergraduate school due to a family issue of some kind. You don’t have to include your graduation year.
- Don’t include your GPA. Unless you are right out of college and applying for a highly technical job (like engineering), employers rarely care about this. The more senior you are in your career, the odder your GPA looks in your resume.
- Don’t leave typos. I know – you aren’t applying to a spelling bee. But, this is the thing. Many employers (MANY) say that they will toss your resume in the trash (yes, in the trash) when they find a typo. I know it’s dramatic and completely nit-picky, but let’s just play the game by the rules we’re dealt. Run spell check. Ask your most detailed oriented friend to comb through it for you. Don’t leave any stone unturned here.
- Don’t include unneeded information. You don’t need to include your reference list, or even that references are available upon request. And, almost always, you don’t need to include your high school or information dating back to high school (unless you’re right out of college and have something significant to show).
- Don’t include information about controversial views. I know you love your place of worship. I know you feel passionate about your political views. Everyone does, and I totally respect that. But, unless you are applying to a company that specifically aligns to your views, you may be judged negatively for including yours. This is a personal decision, but most people want to be judged on their professional merits when applying for a job – not their personal views.
Don’t wait! Start updating your resume now. And, once you have it in a spot you like, save it as a PDF and send it to yourself in an e-mail. That way, if you’re ever out and about and someone says, “I’d love to get a copy of your resume!” (this does happen), you’ll be prepared. You can say, “Sure, I can do that right now! What’s your email address?” I can personally attest to this: having a resume on the spot can work wonders.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
New Year’s Resolution: Find a new job. Here are 3 tips to get you started.
If you made a resolution to find a new job in the New Year, you’re not alone. According to CareerBuilder.com, more than 22% of employees plan to find a new job in 2017. And, if you’re under 35 years old, that number grows to 35%.
So what can you do to improve your job search results in 2017?
WREG News Channel 3 had the same question. This week, I sat down with Marybeth Conley and Alex Coleman to answer this question. Watch the video here, and check out my 3 tips below.
- Do more than apply online. Sadly, companies have us conditioned to only apply online. They say, “Apply online. If you’re a fit, we will contact you.” But, the problem is, this rarely works. First, their online systems are flawed and very often, a human person never actually sees your resume. Apply online first, and then look for how you can apply offline. Look for the hiring manager on LinkedIn. Attend networking events where you might meet employees. Reach out to friends who work at the company you’re interested to work for. Applying online feels comfortable, but it rarely produces good results.
- Apply even if you don’t meet the minimum requirements. There’s a total gap here between employees and job seekers. Employers will lay out a laundry list of things they want in a candidate. They put the entire list out there because it’s ALL of the things they might like. But, rarely do they expect to find all of those qualities in one person. But, job seekers won’t apply because they can’t fulfill on every single desire. Stop worrying about meeting 100% of the qualifications. If you did, you might be overqualified. If you meet 70-80% and think you can do the job, apply! Let the company decide whether or not to bring you in for an interview.
- Look at your job search like a two way street. We’d never go on a first date wondering if the person would marry us right out of the gate. Why do we do that in job interviews? To improve the outcome of your interviews, take the time to also evaluate the company. Ask yourself what questions you have. Not only will it help you make a better decision, it will help you be more calm along the way.
Good luck with your job search in 2017! Start early to win the race!
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
Listen to Yourself
You may wonder, “What’s the worst thing that could possibly happen during my job search?” Is it making a fool of yourself in an interview? Is it saying the wrong thing? Is it wearing the wrong outfit?
It’s none of these things. Hands down, the worst thing that could possibly happen during your job search is – you don’t listen to your intuition.
When it comes to looking for and interviewing for a job, you’re really on your own. Nobody else is in the interview room with you. Your spouse, parents, or friends can only judge from the outside based on what you share with them – or what they may know about the company.
So often, what makes you happy and keeps you happy in a job isn’t the name of the company you work for. It’s not the amount of money you make. And, it’s not the title you have. This is clear when you think about why you’ve left jobs in the past.
The thing that will make or break you at work is the people. It’s how well you get along with your boss. It’s how well you click with your coworkers. It’s how healthy the work environment at the company is in your department.
None of those things can be figured out by reading a job description or by looking at an online application. You probably won’t even be able to know these things just by reading company reviews online. Reviews are often general, or are about a different department than the one you’re applying for.
Unfortunately, the only way to truly know whether a particular company is for you is by visiting the company in person – and by paying attention to your gut. Very often, we are so interested in being “picked” for a job that we stop listening to our own instincts. And, sadly – it almost always turns out that our instincts were right.
Have you ever interviewed for a job and noticed something wasn’t quite right? Perhaps the boss was a little strange, or you heard rumors of interpersonal problems within the team. But, then you got the job offer and it was just too good to be true. Besides, you had no real proof there were any issues. Everything you knew for sure said things were fine.
And, they seemed fine until you started working. Then, you learned that your boss had problems and there were lots of internal issues at the company. If only you had listened to yourself, you might not be looking for a new job again, right?
The point is this – even though you want to get out of your current job, don’t be in such a rush that you find yourself back in the same bad situation. It will only prolong your pain, and your search. Try to listen to your intuition, and wait until it says good things rather than bad. In the long run, you’ll find yourself much happier, and you’ll stay at your job longer.
Angela Copeland is CEO and founder of Copeland Coaching and can be reached at CopelandCoaching.com or on Twitter at @CopelandCoach.
Stop listening to your loud mouth relatives
Now that the holidays are officially over, I’ve just got to say this: Stop listening to your loud mouth relatives. Just stop.
Have you ever had a relative pull you aside at a family event (maybe even this holiday season)? Or, perhaps they write you a long letter. They have something they just have share with you. You’re doing your career ALL WRONG.
And, how did they get this valuable information? Is it because they also had a similar career path? Is it because they also made good choices? Is it because they talk to you often and understand your hopes and desires?
NO! It’s none of those things.
I’m going to talk a little out of school here. I can because I’m not related to you. The reason your uncle / brother / cousin / grandma is offering you this invaluable advice about your career isn’t because they know what they’re talking about. It’s because they have big mouths paired with small personal boundaries, and frankly, they’re probably bored.
These are the kinds of family advice I typically hear about:
- “You’re working at the wrong company. You should work for this company.”
- “You’re in the wrong career field. You should quit your job and go back to school for this field.”
- “You live in the wrong city. You should find a job here, near me.”
- “Don’t take a job somewhere else. I know that you hate your job, but it’s stable. Just stay there.”
- “Don’t leave your job to go back to graduate school. Who cares if you want to change your career path. This is the worst decision ever! Do you know how much school costs?”
- “I know that you enjoy your career and all, but seriously – you should be making more money. This isn’t really an adult career anymore.”
- “I know that you enjoy your career and all, but seriously – your job is too high stress. You should quit and take something that would allow you to focus more on what’s really important in life.”
The list could go on, and on, and on…
Now, don’t get me wrong. I understand that their advice is probably coming from a place of love and concern (probably). But, just because advice comes from love doesn’t mean it’s good advice. Let’s be real.
As a respectable working adult, you are the only one who truly, truly knows what’s right for you, not your mom / dad / grandma / grandpa / brother / sister / cousin / aunt / uncle. You know when it’s time to quit. You know when it’s time to stay. And, you know how much stress you and your spouse can take.
Without going too far overboard, there are a few times when it makes sense to listen to a relative. For example, perhaps the relative is a successful business person who has worked in the field you are interested in. Or, maybe the relative has inside knowledge of a particular company you’re interested in.
But, the most important thing – if you’re going to listen to a relative – is that the relative RESPECTS YOUR OWN OPINION and is OKAY with the idea of you rejecting their advice if it doesn’t work for you.
Does that make sense? If the relative only wants to give advice if you’ll take it (whether or not you think it makes sense for YOU), then you shouldn’t be listening to them – no matter how smart or well-connected they might be. Their advice is biased, and it’s not coming from the best place.
At the end of the day, YOU are the only one who truly knows what works for you: not your dad, not your sister, not your grandmother, not your cousin. YOU.
So, with all that said, listen to the advice that works for you, and pay attention when advice doesn’t work for you. Pay attention so you can be sure not to use the advice that doesn’t work for you. Listen to yourself, not your loud mouth relative. Have confidence that you know what’s right, and that you are going to figure things out, in your own way.
Let me end this passionate email with a personal story. While still in college for engineering, I decided that I wanted to earn a MBA. I wasn’t sure whether I should go straight to graduate school from college, or whether I should work first. So, I talked to MBA schools and other MBA graduates about their experiences. After gathering enough information, I decided that for me, it would be best to work for three years in industry before quitting my job to go to graduate school full time. This allowed me to bring more to the classroom, and to get more out.
So, I took a corporate job out of college, and each month, I put $1,000 per month in a bank account to help pay for my graduate school. MBA school rarely has scholarships, and I knew the price tag would be big for what I wanted to do. And, since I planned to study for my MBA full time, I knew I’d need money to survive.
At the end of the three years, I had enough money ($36,000 – not bad for a 21 year old) to get started. I applied to school, was accepted, quit my job, and moved cross-country to Los Angeles. I was able to complete my MBA in 15-months. And, guess what happened? I received job offers that were twice what I was making before getting that MBA. You heard me right. I was able to double my salary in 15 months by these choices.
But, do you know what I heard before all of this happened? Multiple people pulled me aside. They told me how crazy I was, and how I’d lost my mind. They said, “You have a good corporate job. What’s your problem? Why do you need to do this? You’re going to ruin your life.” They also said, “Why do you need to quit and move to LA? There’s a perfectly good school where you are. Why are you doing this?”
I’m pretty sure that all of these people who attempted to stop me from my goals would stand up today and say that they knew I was going to succeed. They could just see it in my eyes (or some other similar B.S.).
So again, please – listen to yourself. Only you can truly know what’s right for you.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
Career Reinvention
Have you ever wondered if you might have picked the wrong career path? If so, you’re not alone.
Ask a friend, “How did you end up in your career?” There’s a good chance they’ll say that they just happened to fall into whatever it is that they do. Perhaps they happened to get a particular internship during college that happened to lead to a job. Or, maybe their parents were connected to a certain company. Or, they had a friend who contacted them about a job.
You may have started your own career out in a similar way. And, once you were on the path, you learned more about the field, were promoted, and never looked back – until now.
Typically, you begin to question your career path because of a life event. For example, maybe you’re getting a little older and you’d like to do something more meaningful. Perhaps you’ve been doing something meaningful that doesn’t pay well and you need to make more money because you’ve started a family. Or, you may not like your job – plain and simple.
Whatever the reason, the idea of career reinvention can be daunting. We often hear that it’s virtually impossible, or that we’ll have to start from the very bottom. Sometimes, a big career shift does require us to take a pay cut, but it’s not a guarantee. Neither is starting at the bottom.
The first key to reinventing your career is to take the reins yourself. This isn’t the time to fall into another career path, or to try to get your foot in the door just to test something out. It’s time to identify possible alternative careers. Evaluate your transferable skills. What are the things that make you great at your current job that you could take with you to another type of career? For example, perhaps you’re a good public speaker or maybe you know how to organize groups of people. These skills can help in all sorts of roles.
Also, think about the other skills you have that may not be spelled out on your resume. For example, you may work at a nonprofit, but on the side, you’ve been investing in real estate. Make a list of the knowledge you have that’s not outlined on your resume. Find ways to incorporate this information into your existing resume. You might add a section for volunteering, consulting, skills or leadership.
Then, make a list of what else you’d like to learn to do in the future and figure out how to get there. Do you wish you knew more about computers? If so, look for classes you can take. Look for a nonprofit, or small company where you might volunteer your services to learn “on the job.” Don’t wait for your future boss to see something in you. Find it yourself, and look for ways to nurture this new skill.
The best news is, your timing is perfect for change. What would you like to do differently in 2017?
Angela Copeland is CEO and founder of Copeland Coaching and can be reached at CopelandCoaching.com or on Twitter at @CopelandCoach.
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