A job You Love

A couple of months ago, I lost a big project with a client. I was really gutted and wanted to get some work quickly. The day after I received a phone call from a recruiter: a company is looking to recruit a recruitment manager. I thought it would be a good idea to have different income streams. So I went to the interview to see what it was about.

www.laurentbrouat.com

Happy new year to all the readers of HRZone!

To celebrate this new year, I offer you a doc on what is a CV in 2010 with a model of CV...
and surprising figures.
Here is the link, enjoy it and leave your comments!

http://www.laurentbrouat.com/?p=648

www.laurentbrouat.com

I have been receiving dozens of emails wishing me a happy new year and a merry Xmas from clients, providers, or contacts. But it is highly impersonal, I am just one of them.

Handwritten cards are a much more efficient way to let you contact remember you, it is a polite and delicate way of paying attention to someone. In this world of automation and paperless, a handwritten card is another way of communicating how much this person is important to you.

I must say that it is not green but you can use recycled paper, and buy your cards from charities…

A handwritten card shows that you care for your network even if it is a professional network.

You send a relevant, anticipated and personal message to your contacts that is what matters.

How would you react if you receive:

a) a general email wishing you a happy new year

b) a handwritten card wishing you a happy new year

Think about it, and you will come up with the same idea.

Handwritten cards are the perfect way of reaching your network with a personal touch, a personal care, something different from other people.

www.laurentbrouat.com

I see many people updating their status with “Looking for a job” or “Looking for new opportunities”

But do you think you make the most out of Linkedin? Do you think it is going to attract recruiters?

I think it is not the best thing to do for your reputation or your personal brand.

Why?

Because you position yourself as someone asking for something, asking for a job, waiting for things to happen, you are being passive!

Instead you could put on your linkedin status that you attended a conference in your industry, you could share articles about your business, or even promote your next speaking gig.

That is a much more efficient way to make recruiters aware that you are an expert in your field, that people refer to you.

“I am looking for a job” does not need to be publicized that way.

You appear to be passive and not proactive.

Show off your skills by sharing, engaging, organizing, offering, giving…

That’s how you will be contacted by recruiters!

www.laurentbrouat.com

Almost every day now, I receive requests for connections on linkedin. I think  linkedin is a wonderful tool…but people don’t respect some basic rules.

Actually these are common rules. When you meet someone at a networking venue, do you say “I would like to connect with you?”. You start a proper conversation, and explain why you want to connect with her.

On linkedin it is exactly the same, 90% of the time I receive that: “I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn” (or in French as now there is a French version of linkedin!).

People are not bothered to put a proper personal message, at least saying Hi, and explaining why the connection request.

It is so annoying…linkedin used like that seems to be mass connection competition. Some people seem to think: “oh he looks interesting, let’s connect”(or “oh I just lost my job he looks interesting”).

No personal message, no Hello, nothing.