I think it's time to break up my string of unemployment articles for a look at how you can increase your chances of getting a new job. As you know and as I mentioned in one of my previous pieces, Six unemployed people per job posting in the Rochester area (44th out of 50 metro areas), it's a very difficult job market, so having an edge when it comes to your job search protocol can be the difference in getting an interview or getting ignored.
On January 19, I had the pleasure of attending the Personal Branding and Job Search seminar hosted by Debbie Harper of Harper Hewes Executive Search at the Webster Public Library. The 90-minute seminar had a full house of about 80 and it proved to be very informative as well as entertaining.
Debbie is an executive search and recruiting consultant with over 20 years of experience. Seminar attendees were given the personal branding perspective in the context of job search, including what recruiters are looking for when they search for candidates to fill job openings.
Debbie emphasized that in a difficult and challenging employment market, it's vital to have a clear and consistent brand that promotes your strengths.
I asked Debbie if she was willing to answer a few questions and offer her insights into the recruiting process and how to look your best when developing your brand and she was happy to do so.
Q: Debbie, how long have you been an executive search and recruiting consultant and when did you start Harper Hewes Executive Search?
A: I opened Harper Hewes Executive Search in 1993 after spending five years with a large national firm. We’re small by design and provide a high level of service to our clients. Our philosophy is to begin with the end in mind – we really focus on making solid and lasting placements. In 2008 I was certified as a Certified Employee Retention Specialist (CERS) and bring this specialized knowledge to each search assignment. In addition to executive search and recruiting we’ve recently added retention consulting and payrolling / employer of record services. Later this year we’ll be launching a new interim executive site.
Q: What are the most dramatic changes you have seen in the recruiting process over the past ten years?
A: In some ways it hasn’t changed at all. Recruiting has always been about people – and that hasn’t changed. While jobs are created by companies, people work for people. And people hire people, not resumes. Understanding the role, the culture and the business impact of the position are crucial to effecting a successful placement. In addition to vetting for skills and ability, the candidate and company must be in sync regarding tho goals of the position and the criteria that determine success or failure. An effective recruiting process yields long term business solutions. People sometimes equate recruiting with sourcing names, but it’s just one piece of the puzzle.
That said, the tools of the trade have changed tremendously. Ten years ago some people were still making the transition from fax to email, you could still find “want ads” in the newspaper and the big job boards were all the rage. As recruiters our challenge used to be finding the needle in the haystack. With the exponential growth of social networks - sites like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter among others - there is no shortage of information. Now our challenge is finding the right needle in a stack of needles. And of course, the trick for job seekers is standing out among the millions.
Q: While branding has become a ubiquitous term, what exactly is branding and how does it help in the job search?
A: My favorite definition of branding comes from Duct Tape Marketing. “Branding is the art of becoming knowable, likable and trustable.” When applied to the job search it means going beyond posting your profile. It’s an opportunity to showcase a body of work that documents your accomplishments, defines your value and establishes your credibility.
Q: While branding is a constant process, what are three branding principals that must be followed during the job search?
A: I encourage people to focus on the “C’s”: Clarity + Content + Consistency = Credibility
- Clarity: Defining yourself is probably the most difficult part of the branding process. Before you can implement a branding strategy you need to clearly understand what – or in this case – who – you’re branding. Who are you? What are you looking for? What makes you unique? Why would someone hire you, engage your services or partner with you?
- Content: This is how you prove that you are who you say you are. Your online profiles are a great place to start. Beyond that, creating content that is useful to others in your field is the fastest way to establish yourself as an expert. You can do this via a blog or commenting on others’ blogs, asking and answering good questions on LinkedIn, participating in industry specific discussion groups and forums, and of course, tweeting. Not everything you post has to be created from scratch. There’s nothing wrong with passing along valuable content (with attribution.)
- Consistency: Branding is not a once and done kind of thing. While I firmly recommend quality over quantity in your branding strategy, you’ll want to establish a regular process for getting your message out there.
Q: During your seminar you mentioned "brand busters." What are three brand busters that job seekers should be aware of?
A: Let’s remember the purpose of branding in the context of job search, which is to establish your credibility and help you get found. My top three brand busters would be:
- Inadvertently branding yourself as a professional job seeker, rather than as an expert in your profession. Many job seekers spend the bulk of their time networking with and developing content for other job seekers. From a branding perspective the bulk of the effort should go to networking with people in your industry and creating content that demonstrates your expertise in your field.
- Inconsistent messaging. Most people have several business profiles on the web – LinkedIn, ZoomInfo, Twitter to name a few. Your profile and messaging needs to be consistent across all. Discrepancies in work history, titles, roles and responsibilities are a huge red flag.
- Careless or inappropriate social media usage. The majority of companies admit to using social media to check out candidates during the hiring process. Misspellings, unflattering photos, and political commentary can derail your search, as can the perception that you’re screwing around on Facebook and Twitter during business hours. Post “your song of the day” or recipe for chicken soup on your own time.
Q: Are more companies hiring now, or are your clients still cautious about hiring?
A: We’re seeing a definite uptick in hiring across the board, both in our practice and in our recruiting networks. It’s taken longer than we wanted but it’s happening. There are several things in play. First, companies have cut so deeply that many aren’t in a position to react to the improving economy without hiring additional people. Second, as the economy improves, the baby boomers that held off retirement will proceed. Third, and perhaps the most significant impact can be found in a number of employee satisfaction surveys, the most recent being published by the Conference Board. American workers are unhappy. Many feel that they have borne the brunt of the economic downturn; working harder and being rewarded less. Surveys from late 2009 indicate that over 50% intend to change jobs “when the economy improves” and the Conference Board survey published last month found that 22% are already planning to change jobs this year.
This impacts the job market in several ways. We’ll see some net new (or recreated) positions. We’ll see baby boomers exiting the workplace, which will create a need to back fill existing positions. And the high degree of employee dissatisfaction will lead to a good deal of churn as people leave their current positions for what they perceive to be greener pastures.
Q: Is there something people can do right now to get started toward improving their brand?
A: Sure – the easiest place to start is with your name. Make sure you’re using your name consistently throughout your online presence. In my case, I had a lot of Deb, Debbie and Deborah references that I had to hunt down and standardize. Then make sure you’re using your first and last name in the “from” of your emails (don’t just use your email address) so the recipient can find your emails easily. Include an email signature with your complete contact information, including your email address and preferred phone number. It makes it easier for the recipient to grab the info and pop it into their contacts or database.
Q: How can people contact you for further information or to schedule an appointment?
A: They can find me through our website, Harper Hewes Executive Search (http://www.harperhewes.com), or connect with me on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/harperhewes . There’s a lot if information on my blog as well: http://blog.harperhewes.com/.
I want to thank Debbie for offering her insights into the recruiting process and branding strategies that are important during the job search. Your brand matters, especially when looking for that new job.
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