Let’s celebrate Monday with some quick insight into the effectiveness of LinkedIN!

Hello everyone!

Happy Monday! The following are responses I received via LinkedIn on a 'LinkedIn based' question. I think it’s really cool to see how responses differ through the various methods of advice/insight seeking. Enjoy!


Question posed via Linked IN:

Hey everyone! I don't have a post for this yet and would love to get some opinions. How can we as entry-level job seekers make our LinkedIn profiles more effective? -Thanks!

Answers:

1. Hey, Alex: here are some "To Do's" to beef up your LinkedIn profile:

* join LinkedIn groups and other professional groups related to your industry; share useful answers to questions from other group members; link to members of the group; pose questions to the group

* join and participate in alumni groups from any school or previous employer; link to members of the group * on your profile, add links to your professional blog or Twitter account (not a personal Twitter account that gives updates like "I am sitting on the porch.")

* link to everyone you admire who you used to work with and currently work with

* give and get recommendations from people you used to work with and currently work with There are other things you can do, but just doing the above will add good value to your LinkedIn profile. If you want to add even more value to your profile, link to me : )

-Mary 'marymac' MacKinnon
Available: Online Marketing Sales Strategist: drives traffic to websites to generate significant sales leads


2. I've always felt one should never hide the fact that he or she is just entering the job world. New is fresh. Fresh ideas. Fresh attitudes. As for facts: record of an internship or ad-related job is good (you have that). A recommendation by a professor, internship/job supervisor is helpful. Avoid puffery in one's text--it looks bad even for seasoned folks. Almost forgot...someone WILL see you or your book, remember to pass that goodwill onto another junior once established. Good luck, you're off to strong start.

-David Fong
Freelance Art Director, David Michael Fong Advertising Concept and Design

3. Share your ideas. You bring a fresh set of eyes to the table. This is very much a work in progress. (Boy is it a work in progress!) Approach it from a "Here's what I think needs to be done to get things to the next level and here's some thoughts on how to do it." Good luck!

- John W Scherer
John W Scherer, Founder and CEO of Video Professor, Inc

4. LinkedIn is basically a very popular place you can post your resume online for the world to view, as well as network with specific Groups. I'd say the most effective thing to do on LinkedIn for a talented person entering the job market is to know what type of job you want and write about all the talent, education, experience and knowledge you have that demonstrates how you'd be a great choice for a company to consider for an entry-level position.

For instance, let's say you've just acquired a Marketing degree and are ready to light the world on fire with your talent, you should give examples of the marketing areas you excel in on your LinkedIn profile. Are you more creative and great with branding a product/designing ads/writing catchy slogans/etc., or, are you great with analyzing demographics/managing marketing data/creating spreadsheets, etc., whatever your SPECIFIC talents are...highlight your talent in a way that a company can see how you'd tackle projects they need accomplished and how you'd be a worthwhile addition to the team.

Use your LinkedIn profile as your own personal commercial to sell your value and usefulness to your next employer. Post as much industry knowledge as you have -- remember, when the company recruiters or Hiring Managers are looking for their next intern or entry-level employee, the profiles that match the search criteria/search words will be the ones who are reviewed and invited in for an interview. It's what you can do for them -- not what they can do for you that will separate you from the pack.

- Debbie Duguay, CIR
Executive Recruiter / Sr. Staffing Manager at Kaizen Staffing

5. Never underestimate what value youth and enthusiasm brings to the discussion. Many professionals get jaded and lose sight of innovation after a while in corporate America, particularly if they have remained in one job for several years. Participate in the discussions and don't be afraid to give your opinion or ask questions. Don't stagnate, always be open to sharing ideas and listening to others and you will succeed. Be committed to lifelong learning and network with those who can provide a mentoring relationship. My sincerest wishes for success. - Molly

Molly Walpola
VP of marketing at PureOFlow

Getting a job online will work!

I had a bit of a realization today and I wanted to share it with all of you. As many of you know, I too am looking for an entry-level job in advertising. What I feel makes this blog so different is that it is a job advice forum created through the eyes of a fellow job seeker. I too am on this entry-level job search, seeking advice and then applying it to my own process.

Enter advice:

I have been applying to quite a few places via the internet, and today I received an email back from one. It wasn’t that wonderful interview I was hoping for, actually it was the complete opposite; a nicely written and personalized rejection. In this situation most would be upset by the outcome but I was quite happy. It sucks that I didn’t get it, but I now know they read my application and my cover letter. The company told me they received 100s of responses, and went through all of them. This made me realize that in order to get a job via online; you must keep pushing and responding to the online posts despite rejection and disappointment.
In general, keep in mind that people will read what you send. If you are determined enough to brush off rejection and keep on plugging, it’s only a matter of time before a company wants what you have and calls you in.
Do not give up! Keep trying, and it will happen.

-That’s all for now, Alex

The first page is really good! Interview with Craig Oda from Page One PR

As this project continues to help others, I thought it would be a good idea to seek advice and insights through digital sources. After all, this is an open advice forum, why not have the advice stem from a variety of sources?

With that being said, I was on LinkedIn the other day when I came across a job posting for Page One PR. Living in SF for quite a while, I had heard of Page One, but still took the opportunity to thicken my understanding of the company.

Page One PR is a very innovative, forward-thinking firm. The realization that traditional PR methods did not work for their clients sparked the creation of this company.

I emailed the company and explained my project and heard back from Mr. Craig Oda, who offered to answer a few questions via email. The following is the raw email received from Mr. Oda. Enjoy!

Please check out the company's website at www.PageOnePR.com

-Alexander N Harvilla


These questions are my personal perspective. Some points about me:

- managing partner at Page One PR
- executive in charge of strategy for all social media programs
- currently working on strategy with a mix of Silicon Valley startups and large tech companies like Cisco and SAP.
- started first ISP in Japan, now part of Cable and Wireless Japan
Can't help but love and embrace the US's migration towards electronic music. Awesome, right?

Begin Questions:

How did you break into the PR industry?

A group of us in Silicon Valley were trying to develop business models around open source software. We had raised $96 million in venture funding and saw that the public perception of software was critical to the success of start-ups. Having hired many PR firms, we found that the traditional way of doing PR did not adequately address the need to communicate to people online. Traditional PR especially didn't address the viral communication aspects that were so critical to open source communities. My friend Lonn Johnston decided to leave the venture-funded start-up we were at and eventually started Page One PR. He asked me to join him on this incredible journey to build a new type of PR company.

Knowing what you know now would you do it differently? If so how?

I think we were successful under Lonn's strategic leadership. In retrospect, I might have hired young, smart people earlier and built up teams around them.


When looking for a job, can one be too aggressive? Is it better to be too aggressive than too shy?


Well, that's pretty obvious. If you are a shy PR person, you're not going to stand out above the competition.

What do you think the difference is when trying to land a job at a large agency vs. a smaller one?

Smaller agencies generally want people that can take on larger blocks of responsibility more quickly with less direction. Larger agencies might be more interested in experience with the process of PR and especially dealing with the internal communication issues of larger organizations.


In 4 words, can you say something inspiring to those currently job searching?

Huge opportunity now!

How can we use cultural trends to help us find a position?

The culture is changing very rapidly. Expertise in the new elements of culture probably doesn’t exist internal to most organizations. By showcasing how the culture has changed and why your experience with the new culture is relevant, you'll be able to capitalize on the HUGE opportunities we're now faced with in the communications industry.
What are some ideas and methods we can implement to 'up' the value of our social network?
People are obviously moving from print media to online media. People are also looking for product and corporate information from their friends, not just the traditional paid influencers.

What are some methods to make ourselves more visual within social media?

Do a campaign pro-bono for a high-profile non-profit. Don't charge them in return for them serving as a reference for you.

I would love to hear your view on the importance of a multifaceted social networking profile.

A small number of strong channels are better than having a shallow presence in many channels. Ultimately, people will find out about the strength of your ideas.


I have been told that it is very important to sound "real" and more "like a person" when applying for a job online. What are some effective ways to do this?


Your employer will most likely see your LinkedIn and public Facebook profile. If you're a top candidate, they'll scrutinize your cover letter. You should send an introduction letter regardless of whether or not they ask for it.

Creating a portfolio of your work might distinguish you.


What is the importance of having a unique voice? How do we show this uniqueness without being tacky?


You need to have strong ideas. Even student-run campaigns can showcase strong ideas that will resonate with employers.


What is the most effective tool to have or use when job hunting?


If I were looking for job, I would start with my existing network of friends and try to do work for their company even without getting paid. Proof of successful work experience and products is going to be the most effective tool. Also, you're going to be top of the list to move from a volunteer to a paid position if your work is any good. Taking contract work might also help.


If SFO's ad market were a dessert, what would it be, how would it taste and how would you eat it?

Tiramisu comes to mind. It's a mixture of light layers and more dense layers with a bittersweet chocolate and caffeine kick. Get it and eat it right now before someone else does.

Enter: Pittsburgh

Hey Everyone!

The Job Safari is now beginning to post and explore Pittsburgh market info, insight and advice. Check it out starting with my video post discussing a general view of the city.

Buff up with powerful language: Kirk Miller Interview

After my visit to The Art Institute of Chicago, I decided to grab a drink at a random establishment. In general, drinking by yourself is no fun so to remedy this, I turned to the guy next to me and started a conversation. It just so happens that this gentleman, Kirk Miller, is the global account manager of Vodafone, the largest international cell phone company in the world. On a local perspective, Vodafone controls 44.8% of Verizon Wireless. I enthusiastically explained my Job Safari to Kirk, and before I knew it, he offered to be a part of it.

Kirk is responsible for two major accounts for the Vodafone business. His major duties are to:

1. Negotiate contracts and new business on the customer’s behalf with the goal of increasing Vodafone’s share of business in other companies. He fulfills these tasks by meeting with local and regional IT and discussing ways that Vodafone is the right strategic partner for their business.
2. Evaluate mobility challenges for customs and create strategic spending decisions.

In a nut shell, Kirk has a ‘Cosmo Martini’ of a job that mixes business, sales marketing and strategy.

Kirk and I met at a lovely Café in downtown Chi Town. While sitting at this cafe, the first thing I noticed about Kirk is his down to earth, humble attitude and his willingness to talk to people; character traits needed to be a part of this people-centric industry.

One thing you wish you knew:

Be persistent. It really pays off to keep plugging away and never stop.

Kirk also emphasized understanding the employer’s motivation behind interviewing you. As a job seeker, this means understanding the needs and wants of the company and using these to leverage your skills and assets.

When I asked how one could figure out a company’s motivation, Kirk simply said “just ask. By asking others what propels them to success, you are also helping brand yourself.” You can demonstrate how much you know about a business by asking the right questions.

Kirk also suggests that you recognize the importance of your brand. If you do good work, make it known without being a jackass. You need to sell your brands on multiple levels to generate a buzz about yourself.

As far as breaking into a company...

To start, the economy is forcing people to pursue opportunities harder and more aggressively. This means you need to be first, fast and different.

Kirk recommends that you skip HR and get to know people within the business. You can do this by calling the company and asking for an “informational interview” on the subject for advice on your work, via LinkedIn, other social networking sites, or you can even ask people you know personally. Don’t be afraid to "flex your networking muscle, as you know a lot more people than you might think. Simple email blasts to all of your ‘peeps’ can yield new contacts."

Also, do your research and equate yourself with the company’s business language to gain more leverage.

The Interview:

Prior to the interview, get to know the company’s challenges and ask questions about it. A smart way to do this is to look at industry reports and take note of the language. Also, state that you are aware of the poor economy and that you can contribute to business efforts to increase business.

As a side note on this point, Hoovers.com gives access to many free services without having to sign up for a subscription. This includes industry reports. - Thanks Julia Johnson :)

Kirk states that there is a fine line between showing off and showing you have done your homework. In general, the less you use the word ‘I’ the less you risk showing off. Use words like 'we,' or 'my group.'

Also, you should do some self reflection and understand how you personally measure success. If you don’t know, how can you expect to go anywhere?

Finally, do not accept no! If someone tells you no, ask why.

On the Cover Letter:

Make sure that it is well researched and never send a resume without a cover letter. Make your cover letter compelling and state your objective upfront. Limit your chance of “bullshit” by keeping the objective crisp, clean and limit it to one to two lines at most. Keep your objective directional, but not overly specific as this could limit you.

The last paragraph should have a course of action. For example, "I will call you on Friday at noon." NEVER say "I look forward to hearing from you." Finally, do not be afraid to follow up.

On Language:

This can be applied to a resume, cove letter, or interview; pretty much any capacity where you will be discussing a position. Kirk stresses the importance of using words that sell. Here is a list of Kirk’s top ten:

Increase
Growth
Expand
Collaborate
Exceeded
Lead
Managed
Team
Partnership
Responsible

Rhetorical language is extremely powerful and an excellent tool to use while in an interview. This involves proposing a question yourself to generate an answer. This is a great way to get the interviewer to ask you good questions.

Keep yourself busy...

If you can’t find a job, work on preparing yourself for when the economy does bounce back. Doing nothing is always an awful idea. Take extra classes, do some independent projects, read books and become more familiar with your ideal business.

Last words of advice:

Don’t walk into an interview with preconceived notions about a person or company. Keep an open mind; if you are offered advice listen to it, don’t ignore it. Be open to any opportunity as you never know where an opportunity will take you. Be prepared to take any entry level jobs and evolve it yourself.

FEATURED AGAIN!

http://iklanbarisgratis.info/search/Formula+for+a+Bad+Resume

Thank you everyone so much for your support! I could not do it without any of you :)

-Alex

Lets Sing of Advertising! Rebecca Sanders from Team Detroit

I’m very happy to have Team Detroit be apart of this blog. This agency takes 5 major contributors of the ad world (JWT, Y&R, Wunderman, Ogilvy and Mindshare) and places them under one roof. It is a very new-age, progressive way to conduct business and generate great ideas.


I was able to get in touch with Rebecca Sanders, head of creative recruitment. From the second we began ‘talking shop’ I could hear the passion in her voice and sense her willingness to help others succeed. Overall, she was a very powerful person to talk to.


On another note, I’ve been typing up a lot of articles as of late and feel like this blog needs a little shake. For this interview, I am going to relate all of the advice to various songs and lyrics. I hope you enjoy it!


“Thank you for the music, the songs I’m singing…” – Abba, Thank you for the Music

Don’t forget to send a thank you note. Rebecca emphasized that many fail to remember this. As a result those people are either forgotten about, or discarded. Don’t let something as simple as dropping a ‘thank you’ note destroy your chance at a potential position.


“Call me on the line · Call me call me any anytime ·Call me!” – Blondie, Call Me

A nice, polite phone call is a great way to show your interest and stand out among the rest.
Don’t rely solely on email to generate a response! HR is usually super busy and gets slammed with a ton of emails on a daily basis.


‘Questions, I've got some questions. I want to know you, but what if I could ask you only one thing…’ –Jack Johnson, Questions

Do your research and know the agency prior to the interview. Be prepared to ask questions relevant to the agency’s current clients, culture and opportunities. Rebecca also declares that “taking light notes during the interview is a great way to demonstrate your interest and impress the employer with your preparation.”


“That's all I get if this is communication…” - The Cardigans, Communication

People in the ad world get distracted easily. Be able to communicate what you can bring to the company in a short, clear, concise manner. In a nut shell, know your “raw deal”.


“Name it, rate it, tune it, print it,Scan it, send it, fax - rename it, Touch it, bring it, pay it, watch it,Turn it, leave it, start - format it.Technologic [4x]…” – Daft Punk, Technologic

To be in the ad world, you need to be digitally savvy. Get on Linkedin, facebook, twitter, etc. and post your interest for a position followed by your skills. When Rebecca needs to fill a position, she migrates through facebook and linked in to find the right people.

“Get out (leave) right now · it's the end of you and me ..”–Jo Jo, Get Out

“If you don’t adapt you will have to get out”, was a comment Rebecca made in relation to the rising of digital media. As striving advertisers, we must stay updated on the newest forms of communication. Always be doing your research and striving to say on the cutting edge.

“Think (think) think (think) think (think) think (think) think (think) think (think) You better think (think) think about what you're trying to do to…” -Aretha Franklin, Think

On a designer portfolio specific note, looks are not as important as communicating a good idea. A design portfolio should show how you think. As fresh graduates, we haven’t had the opportunity to work on real brands. Therefore we must demonstrate HOW we will work on brands when given the opportunity. Show your THOUGHT PROCESS! Use your designs to show how you see the world.


On another note, your own blog is also great way to do this.

“There are only 2 types of people in this world, the ones that entertain and the ones that observe…”-Britney Spears, Circus

Do something that will make you stand out among the rest. One way of doing this is to create a non-traditional resume or pitch. For example, I know a woman who sent bubblegum, with her resume printed on the wrapper, to various agencies. What an attention getter!

“I go humble.You're so curiously pure,only before you I'm humble,I go humble.You amaze me,only before you I'm humble.” -Bjork,I Go Humble lyrics


Be humble and willing to learn. Rebecca stated than many entry-level job seekers “toot their horn too loud.” This can cause a major disconnect between you and the employer. As entry levels, we need to recognize that we have to put in our time and climb the ladder.

“Dream until your dream come true. Dream on, dream on, dream on” – Aerosmith, Dream On


Be willing to take an internship or something that isn’t quite your dream job. In general, planning your perfect position is impossible and you must make the best out of any opportunity. Remember that a job is only as good as you make it.

“Because you gotta have faith!” – George Michael, Faith


When I asked Rebecca for some words of encouragement, she told me to be persistent, be patient and have faith. If you keep trying and stay positive YOU WILL LAND SOMETHING.

Thank you Rebecca! Your advice is an asset to us all.