“In the aftermath of a layoff, style is critical.”

So says the Wall Street Journal, which ran a story today on revamping your style and adjusting your attitude in the wake of a job loss. One interviewee, Michael Guarini a former president of the health division at Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, says he ditched his usual business casual duds and now wears formal business suits to all networking meetings, even with long time acquaintances.

Why go fancy, you may ask. Shouldn’t your skills speak for themselves? Even the Journal admits that dressing up can cause some eye brow raises and a few “I hope you didn’t wear a suit for me.” comments. But ultimately, Guarini gets noticed. He is remembered for looking polished, professional, and serious. If you’re serious about your job search, you should look the part.

The author of the article, Christina Binkley, delves into the psychological aspects of the post lay-off makeover as well, urging the unemployed to hold their tongue and not bad-mouth their former employers in a reactive rage.  This is something we’ve emphasized in former blog posts and columns as well. But no matter how logical it may seem, Binkley points out that in a state of anger and emotional distress even the most collected business person can lose their cool.

How to avoid a meltdown before it happens? It seems Binkley’s only recommendation is to take some time off before jumping into the “dating pool,” likening a lay-off to a break up. She offers some post-meltdown suggestions and ways to keep your communication direct, but in terms of skipping the damage control, taking a vacation seems to be the best answer to the problem.

This advice is certainly smart and sounds like a logical way to let emotions melt away before contacting people about your job search. But is it really realistic? Not everyone can afford to just take a few weeks off. Not to mention if you’re suddenly unemployed, what are you taking time off from? I think this refers to the job search itself, networking, etc. However, with most job searches taking months these days, stalling the inevitable with a few weeks of down time seems counter intuitive.

Other suggestions for cooling off? Talk to your spouse, your loved ones, an old friend who has nothing to do with your industry. Avoid friends in the same line of work, because as Binkley does point out, many executives think they are venting to friends in the office and then their vented frustration turns into office gossip. Talking it out is healthy and talking to someone separated from the situation will offer a different perspective and allow you to see both side of the equation. That’s what friends and loved ones are for, right?

So, blow off that steam and dust off your suit and dress shoes. A whole new, happier, more stylish you is hitting the job market.

With the downturn in the economy the numbers of college grads looking to intern in their field of interesting are growing. Finding paid work is no longer a guarantee and many view experience in the industry of their choice as more valuable than a paycheck in an area they have no interest in (ie waiting tables or serving coffee.) But with growing competition, many companies are offering internship services that guarantee a position in a given field, some even with room and board. The New York Times featured an article on the phenomenon of paying for an unpaid job.

Author, Gerry Shih, writes,  “But many educators and students argue that while the programs bridge one gulf — between those who have degrees from prestigious colleges or family connections and those who do not — only to create a new one, between the students who have parents willing and able to buy their children better job prospects and those who do not.”

If you could buy your way into the perfect job, wouldn’t you? But what if you can’t? Is there financial aid for for less fortunate people who want to pay to get a job that won’t pay them?

Another issue Shih brings up is if students have their parents pay for their opportunities, how will they learn the skills to get one themselves.

“Other college advisers cautioned that while the desire to help is understandable, parents who pay for an internship program are depriving their children of the chance to develop job-seeking skills or to taste rejection before they have to fend for themselves.”

As so many of the career experts we have quoted note, failure has only led to their success. If students and recent grads never have the opportunity to fail, will they ever learn the tenacity it takes  to succeed?

What are your thoughts on this interesting new trend?

Whether you’re a seasoned veteran of your industry or returning to the game after many years away, the same job finding techniques ring true. Sue Shellenbarger wrote an interesting piece for the Wall Street Journal yesterday that focused on mother’s returning to the work force after a child-rearing hiatus. Take a look at the article here.

Among the strategies the women in the article use to get their feet wet in a new (or old) industry, are group sessions while their kids play for practicing interviewing skills and sharing resume tips, volunteering at non profit organizations to build new skills and keep old ones sharp, doing pro-bono work to re-create a name for oneself and get back into the swing of things, and settling for lower wages and titles than in previous positions.

These sacrifices and techniques have helped the women featured to get back to work, even in the down economy. But what’s interesting is that these savvy ladies are using the same types of tricks and strategies that those who never left the business world are employing due to lay offs. Volunteering and interning are more popular than ever for professionals who are used to a pay check, whether it be for networking purposes or acquiring new skills. Once out of a job, role-playing to prepare for interviews is an essential part of job search preparation. And of course, many, many executives have been forced to take on lower salaries and less prestigious positions.

Interestingly, though, is how one woman in the article was chosen for a position because she was knew to the field and brought a fresh perspective untainted by traditions or other companies’ methods. The article also notes that after a haitus, only 39% of employees return to their original career, suggesting looking into new options and new industries might be a wise route to take.

So, while you might have never left your field and have been a faithful employee for years and years, if you find yourself laid off during these hard times, it might be wise to take a note from these mom’s who are stepping back into the fray after years of time off and finding success through trying something new, through giving back, and through diligence of course.

By Beverly Weinstein

Start with securing your contacts before you’re in the job market. Part of your value as a potential candidate to any employer is your professional relationships. Those relationships are also an essential tool in looking for a job. Don’t take them for granted, don’t stop building them, and don’t underestimate new technology in helping you with the task.

I’ll be exploring the importance of using professional social networking in this column. Other job search basics will be covered in the coming weeks.

Where Are You Storing Business Contacts?

If you’re old enough, you probably had a Rolodex, the old office staple, perched somewhere on your desk. When you left your job, it was something you usually boxed up and took with you. Then enterprise messaging platforms (like MS Outlook) started and contacts went on your computer and your company’s corporate server which, in turn, allowed for seamless transfer to your company-issued PDA. Whether you should back up your Outlook is certainly a consideration, but I’ve found a surprising number of people that don’t.

So even if you have hundreds of names in your business contact files don’t assume they will always be available. Parting company with your job means parting company with your computer and your mobile device, along with all the information contained in both.

It’s time to take a close look at the importance of the professional social-networking sites, not as a substitute for Outlook but as another contact resource.

Secure Your Contacts

If you haven’t started using a professional social network like LinkedIn, what are you waiting for? If you have hundreds of Outlook contacts and 30 LinkedIn contacts, you’ve got it backwards. Linked In is a click away, and one of the great perks of social networking is that you never have to worry about it disappearing if your hard drive crashes, if you’re away from your computer, or if you leave a job. It’s always floating around the Internet waiting for you to hop on.

Some Easy Building Blocks

LinkedIn enables you to upload contacts from commonly used email services, including, Yahoo, Gmail and AOL or by uploading a spreadsheet of them. This only takes moments, no matter how large your network is.

You can keep adding to your network. If you’re a PC Outlook user, a tool is available to make connecting even easier. Every time you get a new email, it allows you to automatically invite the sender. You don’t even need to go to LinkedIn, because the site is”linked in” to your Outlook.  For step-by-step installment instructions, stay tuned on www.dearbev.com for a post with all you need to know.

Other Benefits

OK, you may be thinking: I’ve backed up my Outlook, why do you need to do any more?

• It’s easier to keep track of your contacts, and you don’t have to do the work. On Outlook and other address books, you make the changes, but on LinkedIn, the contacts do it for you and you receive notifications of changes your connections make, such as new jobs, new titles, new locations.
• It’s faster to send a blast email or message letting people know you’re in the job market. You can send individual notes, too, with the guarantee that the recipient will receive a notification from LinkedIn. If you’re contacting someone you haven’t spoken to in some time, you need not worry about falling into their spam box.
• Finally, more and more individuals, as well as recruiters,are using LinkedIn to communicate job openings and search for candidates. So what are you waiting for? Start connecting.

This is just the start of your job hunt. First, you need to gather and nurture your connections and contacts. Next, I’ll look at how to make them work for you.

By Beverly Weinstein

If you’re looking for some relief from the job search blues, there are plenty of organizations offering career seminars at an affordable price. They may be just what you need to lift your spirits and gain some solid career advice at the same time.

The prices to attend vary as widely as the organizations offering them and the caliber of the people leading them. Horizon Media did a free job advice session recently as a goodwill gesture. New York Women In Communications (WICI) offered an affordable “Night of the Coaches” open to members as well as non-members. The price was $41 for non-WICI members and as low as $16 for student members.

I thought I’d sample one of these seminars and along with my research assistant, took in four of the 10 WICI sessions. The evening featured 10 coaches and 10 different topics, ranging from Business Networking that Gets Results to Expanding your Freelance Career. The crowd was diverse, ranging from baby boomers to newly minted and recently laid-off millennial communications professionals. Although this is a women’s organization, there were a few men in attendance. While all sessions had something to offer, some were richer than others.

Here are some highlights: “Negotiating In a Tough Economy” was led by coach Alexandra Duran, founder of Career Transitioning. She offered some great advice and then opened the session up to Q&A, going around the table of 10 to make sure everyone had a chance to participate. The following are some of the key talking points:

• Women underestimate their value when they negotiate for a salary. They leave up to 25% on the table.

• Learn to negotiate better by practicing with a friend or colleague before you talk to the hiring manager about money.

• Make sure to negotiate for title, authority and resources to make ensure you’ll be successful in the new job.

• Don’t think you should be paid less even if it’s a tight economy.

• Never go into a job interview without first researching the company. It will help you demonstrate your value.

• When negotiating for title make sure you know what is standard at the company as well as within the industry.

“Entrepreneurship & Starting Your Own Business,” led by Terry Yoffe, managing director of Try Coaching, took a different approach. Yoffe spent the hour giving each member of her group time to talk about the business they wanted to start and encouraged other members of the group to offer advice and comments.

“Stepping Up for Yourself Nicely with Words and Actions” hosted by Daylle Deanna Schwartz, president of Project Self-Empowerment, focused on problems that plague women in the workforce. Schwartz, the author of several books on women and self-empowerment, suggested practical tips for working women on how to be heard and respected at work. Considerable focus was placed on basics before opening up to general discussion:

• The importance of your body language

• Annunciation and speaking slowly to portray an air of confidence

• Speaking with expectation, ie: not “Can we set up a meeting?” but “When are you available for a meeting?”

“Beyond Facebook: Surviving & Thriving in the new Digital Era” was led by Esmée, an interactive content producer, and focused on digital media and specifically on the go-to professional network, LinkedIn. Esmée showed a power point presentation detailing the specific areas of LinkedIn that should be utilized to up the ante on virtual networking, putting the most emphasis on joining Groups; making introductions to connect with new people; and participating in discussions to establish yourself as an expert in your field.

While the topic of social networking is far deeper than Esmée could delve into in the time allotted, it was a great starter course for beginners. For professionals really looking to become social media experts, however, a seminar devoted to the topic might be a more practical option.

This event was just one of the many that are held constantly nationwide. We’ll be alerting readers to upcoming events in New York we think will be helpful in the coming weeks.

Read the column on MediaPost.

*** Correction to today’s MediaPost column: The published article on Media Post contains an error regarding the name of Alexandra Duran of Alexandra Duran Career Transitioning. Please visit her website at www.alexandraduran.com or email her at alexandra@alexandraduran.com for more information on her great services. We apologize for the error in her name.***

This edition of “The Steam Room” is a little less steamy and a little more helpful than the last. Today’s guest blogger goes by the nom de guerre, Penelope Golightly.
The blogosphere is full of top ten lists and do’s and don’ts for searching and landing a job.

Here’s another list on that theme, but with a twist; instead of do’s and don’ts, ratings of the most mentioned tips are served up for your summer salad of job-hunting:

1. Networking events in your core industry – 1 Stars
Regular life is networking, events are good to be seen, catch up with people and say hello. Expectations should be kept at a minimum for these.

2. Networking events slightly outside your core industry – 2 Stars
A winner because the business has more overlap then ever before. Spent your career in the TV sales? Maybe it’s time to attend one of the great digital conferences that are out there. You’ll see some folks you know, and meet some new people. You’ll also learn some things!

3. Reading-up – 4 Stars
There’s so much to read out there everyday and week (especially Bev’s column!) But I was once told that if you want your boss’s job, read what they read. So do a few trade-offs each week of something that you’ve been devouring forever for something new. It will broaden your perspective.

4. Twittering, Facebooking and Linked-In’ing – 5 Stars
Digital social networking has become so usual that it’s pretty much a must-do these days. To make this work stronger for you, create a regular plan for your Facebook and Twitter status updates and become someone that people want to read posts from.

5. Create a core group of advisors – 10 Stars
Pick people that you admire to be an advisor that you can check in with at least twice a month on a regular basis. Selecting people who are not only in a position to help you think through situations but can advance your brand is a plus.

6. Exploratory Interviews – 8 Stars
Practice will make you a better interviewer because you will get more comfortable hearing yourself talk. It will also take out any sting you may be feeling over leaving your last employers. Plus, exploratory interviews are a great way to meet recruiters and potential hiring managers. Someone recently told me to ‘practice your story about yourself and like it, because you are going to be telling it over and over’. These types of interviews are great to hone your story.

7. Create your Own Job – 6 Stars
This has been a frequently mentioned tactic; find a company you want to work for, look for gaps in their current staff and approach them on a role. Sounds good. Also sounds hard to do.

8. Be a guest Blogger – 7 Stars
Driving traffic to your own blog is tough, but being a guest-blogger gives you a built-in audience for what you want to say.

9. Polish Your Resume – 3 Stars
It’s hard to know if professional written resumes (or CV’s) are worth it because it depends so much on the audience. Polishing your resume might not be that important, but keeping it current, especially if you are doing pro-bono work is key.

10. Do some pro-bono work – 10 Stars
You want to work, right? Then take the plunge, and work for free in an area that interests you. You’ll broaden your mind, meet new people and maybe even create your own job along the way!

Being in the business of spouting career advice, I find that one of the best sources of advice for job seekers is sometimes overlooked and that’s those who have in fact accomplished this insurmountable feat, those who have found a job in these impossible times.

Not only do their stories give us insight into what it takes but they are inspiring and shed some positive light on the daunting matter at hand. The New York Times profiled one lucky victim of the recession who spent 6 months unemployed, but in the end came out on top and not just with any job, with a job he created for himself. Have a look…

By Joe Kroog As told to Patricia R. Olsen.

Photo by Kevin Moloney for The New York Times

LAST November, I was laid off from a database marketing company in Louisville, Colo., a Denver suburb, for economic reasons. Six months later, I found another position, at Kutenda, a provider of online marketing tools for small businesses, in Broomfield, Colo., also near Denver.

After a six-month job search — and some soul-searching — Joe Kroog, 36, is senior director of product management for Kutenda in Broomfield, Colo.

Several things about my job hunt surprised me, including its length. I thought it would only take a couple of weeks to find a new job, or at most two months. I never expected to be out of work six months.

Other people would probably say that six months doesn’t sound bad at all, but it was to me. Even though the news media played up the job losses and how bad the economy was, I wasn’t worried. I had been a technical product manager, and I thought I had good qualifications.

My wife, Jill, was supportive of my job hunt. She’s a stay-at-home mom and entrepreneur who gives seminars to new mothers on achieving balance in their lives. She kept reassuring me that something would come along and that I shouldn’t feel overwhelmed as the main provider.

We have two boys under the age of 6, and I wasn’t financially prepared for such a long layoff. We were going through our savings, and we started discussing whether Jill should go back to work full time, or perhaps find a part-time job with benefits. We decided that she’d need a salary of at least $50,000 if we were to put the boys in day care. She took a full-time job until I was hired and now works as a marketing consultant.

Now that I’ve settled into my new company, I’m of two minds about that period of unemployment. On one hand, I still think that my expectation wasn’tunrealistic. I honestly felt that I stood a better chance than many other candidates. It’s my competitive nature.

On the other hand, I’ve talked to a number of executives in a business organization I belong to — vice presidents, chief information officers and chief financial officers — who were out of work much longer than I was.

I followed the standard advice, and I think I did everything a job coach would have told me to do. I tapped into a network of colleagues and friends and told everyone I was job hunting. I got a few leads, but the job possibilities all fizzled.

That motivated me to try to build a bigger network, but after a while I decided that this wasn’t the best approach. I was spending too much time having to explain what I did as a product manager in the software industry. The role can differ, depending on the company and the industry.

I scoured the job boards and set up a search agent, which automatically sent job openings to me via e-mail. But nothing came of that, either. I looked for job leads on Facebook, too. Then I thought that Twitter might help. I tried following companies I had submitted a résumé to, and those I had heard were hiring. The volume of messages was overwhelming, however, and most of what I read had nothing to do with job leads.

Next, I set up a Google alert for job titles to see which companies were hiring, and I applied to them. That didn’t turn up any interviews, either. I decided instead to try to learn more about the companies that were posting the jobs.

Once, I ended up helping a company president define the position he wanted to fill. He kept mentioning the title of product manager, but I told him that the company needed someone who was concerned about future product strategy, too. I explained that in my experience, small technology companies often start with a good idea, assemble a development team, build the product and start marketing it. At the same time, they need to design a plan that considers their customers and addresses the future of the product.

That conversation made me do some soul-searching. I decided that I wanted to do more of what I had described to that executive. I wanted to be a product marketing manager, more customer- and market-focused than in my former product-manager position, which was an operations role and more technical.

I visualized what I wanted this position to be like and wrote a list of bullet items about the job and my ideal company.

I wanted to lead a team in a technology company and be responsible for a product line, and I wanted the opportunity for advancement. I also wanted to be involved in online marketing, which I believe is the way of the future.

I LEARNED about Kutenda when a contact in a business marketing association said her company had a marketing position available. The role was marketing coordinator, which was too junior for me. But I had read about the company and was interested in its technology. Kutenda manages Web sites, pay-per-click advertising campaigns and e-mail campaigns.

I told the contact from the association that if the company needed help in determining future product features, I was good at that. She talked to the C.E.O., and I interviewed with him.

When the two of us sat down together, I told him my ideas, he liked what I had to say and he hired me. I had never talked myself into a role in a company before.

I’m working on product strategy and market plans, and I’m developing ideas for new products. I feel that I’m perfectly suited for the job.

See the story at the New York Times.

Whether you’re currently employed or looking for a job you may want to check out the NY Women in Communications Career Coach Roundtable. The event will feature well known coaches covering a variety of topics from “How to Reinvent Yourself in Challenging Times” to “Surviving and Thriving in the New Digital Era”.

This seems like a worthwhile event that is especially relevant in the current economy. We’ll be attending and reporting on some of the sessions so check back next week for feedback.

Fee to attend is modest, $41. It includes some networking before the event plus  two coaching sessions.  Each session can accommodate 10 people. NY Women in Communications has over 1000 members, so if you’re interested don’t wait to sign up.

“Night of the Coaches” will be held next Tuesday, June 30^th at NYU Kimmel Center. Go to their Web site at www.nywici.org for details.

By Beverly Weinstein

For job hunting and personal branding, social media is a free and easy way to network and communicate, but as more and more sites are bombarded with business banter, it’s essential not to cross the line between strategic networking and shameless self-promotion.

Social networking began, as its name suggests, as a purely social tool, and while some sites target the professional pack, such as LinkedIn and Plaxo, most still retain a social aspect that should be respected. For those who want to take the leap and combine social and professional, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Keep it Social on Facebook and Twitter

Facebook’s professional potential is being realized far more than in the past and having taken to the Twittersphere in recent months to engage with readers and answer more career questions, I’ve learned that many users aren’t looking to engage; they’re looking to sell, sell, sell.

·Your contacts are friends, not an audience
It’s important to remember that when you invite someone to connect on Facebook, you’re sending them a “friend request,” not a business contract. Send friendly notes and wall posts, not robotic blurbs filled with advertising jargon. Too much advertising is viewed as obnoxious on these sites, where the core goal is friendly and mutually beneficial interaction.

·Don’t bombard people with too many links
Linking to your blog or Website is the best way to make interesting content you have to offer go viral, but sending out 50 reminders a day is overwhelming to readers and likely to get you ignored or worse, “de-friended” or “unfollowed.”

·Engage
Networking is a two-way street and only working for yourself is a quick route to isolation. Read what other users post, comment, re-post or re-tweet it if you like it. In other words: converse with people, don’t just talk at them. When you do promote a service, ask your connections what they think about it, for suggestions and opinions.

·Unite the personal and professional
While some might find it strange that people update their status with their every waking thought or action, posting more personal messages humanizes your digital presence and lets your connections in on your life, not just on your business. People are much more likely to be interested in what you’re doing if they understand your endeavor and the person behind it.

·Control Your Twitter Impulses
Follow someone, they’ll follow you. It’s pretty much how it works on Twitter. Many users want lots of followers, but don’t want to deal with sifting through tons of useless messages. But don’t follow people, just to un-follow them once they’ve returned the favor. They’ll notice and do the same. Use an application like Tweet Deck to sort your contacts into groups. Seek out people who would benefit from your product or brand. Creating the perception of popularity won’t get you ahead.

Be Polite on LinkedIn

It might sound obvious, but some people forget their manners in virtual interactions. LinkedIn, as the premier professional network, can serve job hunters as a gateway to a pool of potential employers. But pushing yourself or your brand on practical strangers won’t get the kind of attention you want.

·Gate Keepers
One important feature of LinkedIn is the ability to request introductions to second- and third-degree connections. But do as you would in real life; don’t just assume someone will do this for you. Ask nicely and be sensible. Asking a direct competitor for access to a connection they have doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.

·Don’t Make it Awkward
If you met someone once at a networking event or symposium and want to connect with them, be sure to write a personal note reminding them who you are. Without some context, you put them in an awkward spot and might be deleted as spam.

·Keep away from strangers
Don’t try and friend people you don’t actually know in real life. Some sites, like Twitter, are more accepting of this kind of interaction, but LinkedIn has a gated-access policy that requires you to have had a previous interaction with your connections. Don’t try and connect without an introduction. You’ll be viewed as intrusive.

Learning to engage most effectively on the Web is a process, especially as new innovations and techniques arise. Ineffective techniques, however, will lead you to networking dead ends.

Alyse Walsh contributed.

Read the article on Media Post.

“Here I was four hours into being unemployed and I already had a phone interview,” he recalls. “I was like, Wow, this is going to be impressive.”

“Welcome to the new rules of the job hunt. Gone are the days of simply posting your résumé on CareerBuilder, e-mailing former colleagues and trolling company websites for open slots. These days, if you’re serious about being hired, you really put your computer and PDA to work. That means getting word out on social sites like Facebook and MySpace, sending instant job-search updates via messaging feeds like Twitter, and meeting new people who might be able to lend a hand through Web-networking outfits like LinkedIn and Ryze.”

So says a recent article in Time that details the job hunt of Brian Ward, a software architect. Brian lost his job on a Friday and found a new one in only eleven days.

Eleven days!

And who does Brian have to thank for his speedy success? The old world wide web. And of course, his own perseverance and quick reaction time.

“As the sole breadwinner for his wife and three kids, Ward knew that he had to get a new job quickly. He found himself unemployed at 5 in the afternoon; by 8 that night, he’d called four people he knew in Ohio who did the same sort of computer work he did, as well as his college buddy Lyell, down in North Carolina. “I’d been using Twitter and Facebook and LinkedIn, but in a very passive, extracurricular way,” says Ward. “I knew Lyell was big into the Twitter scene. He immediately began blasting information out to contacts he had, sending them back my way.” Over the weekend, Ward updated all of his online profiles. He uploaded a fresh résumé to LinkedIn, the professionals’ networking site, and sent out a message to all 200 of his Facebook friends, letting them know he was looking for work.

One of them, a pal from high school, wrote back Sunday night. He now worked for a tech company in Louisiana, and asked if Ward would be interested in being put in touch with the Web-development group. Ward eagerly agreed and had a phone interview the next day. “Here I was four hours into being unemployed and I already had a phone interview,” he recalls. “I was like, Wow, this is going to be impressive.”

Ward didn’t end up with that job and although he did find one soon after, he says it wasn’t easy. Getting laid off still stung and rejection upon rejection wasn’t the best feeling either. But to fight those blues, Ward says the social networks he was tapping into helped him form a support system. Some didn’t turn up any job leads, but he came across a lot of other people in his shoes to commiserate with.

Ward only slept a few hours every night and woke up at 4 or 5 a.m. and tweeted. He joined groups in LinkedIn, many that didn’t even have to do with his industry and soon he had a myriad of different types of people sending out his resume or putting in a good word. In the end, the job came through an old Facebook friend, and get this, it was one he hadn’t imagined would provide any leads. It’s the perfect example of why Facebook can be a valid business tool. Reconnecting with old acquaintances, colleagues, and friends made all the difference for him and it can for you, too.

Ward was also upfront when he got the interview with his soon-to-be employer: “He said he needed to find a new job quickly and was interviewing at other companies, too. The next day, he had an offer. “It’s still all about connections,” says Ward. “What’s changed is how you do it.”

Read the full article here.