Archive for the ‘social media’ Category
The Problem with Blog-Based Resume Advice
Filed under: college students, job search, resume writing, social media, workplace | Tags: blog advice, blogging, pet peeves
Leave a Comment I realize that this post is right above a post I previously wrote about resume advice.
But here’s the deal: There are some resume guidelines that generally apply to most job seekers (“Proofread your resume for errors”). There is a lot of blog-based resume advice that doesn’t.
When I read bloggers’ recommendations to add fancy graphics to a resume or to disregard the one-page length recommendation, I cringe. Those are individual and industry-specific suggestions. What might fly for a graphic designer will not work for a non-profit professional, and so on.
I read blogs written by those in social media, marketing and other creative or technology-related industries which claim resumes aren’t even necessary anymore because they’ve been replaced by online media. Yet, my office works with over 400 employers a year that say, yes, a resume is still absolutely necessary (for entry-level positions geared toward business majors, that is). Will resumes go away in the future? Probably. But we’re not quite there yet, at least, not in all industries, at all hiring levels. Many students I work with would be grossly under prepared without a resume and would probably not do well with a 3-page resume filled with fancy, colorful graphics, either.
The bottom line is, everything has context. Be sure to consider what perspective a blogger brings to their advice and the industry in which they have the most experience. That’s not to say someone who works in one industry can’t benefit from ideas presented by someone in a completely different industry. Weigh advice from others against what you know to be true about your industry and your own experiences – which, of course, you know best – and tailor those ideas for your specific situation.
Ideas Don’t Become Reality In Your Mind So Share Them With People Who Can Help You Out
Filed under: college students, networking, social media | Tags: career management, college students, leadership, sharing ideas, vision, young professionals
Leave a Comment Last week I served as a facilitator at the LeaderShape Institute. For seven days I was locked up in a pastoral center with over 60 college students who were thinking, breathing, living leadership for 16+ hours a day. It was ridiculously intense yet powerful.
Central to the program is the process of creating a vision and putting the vision into action. It was inspiring to see students’ ideas of what could be, but even more so, the way they instantly started sharing resources to get each other started. It shouldn’t come as a surprise – Gen Y loves to work with a team to get things done – but it was impressive, nonetheless. By the end of the leadership “bootcamp” students left with a refined vision that was stronger than when they started and campus resources, community organizations and business contacts that could help make their ideas a reality – all thanks to their peers.
At the same time, I was able to take a peek at some changes to one of my favorite sites, Brazen Careerist. For a long time, I’ve been a fan of the way the site brings together young professionals and creates a community around blogging. Today their new social networking site is launching, with improved features that allow users a more convenient way to share ideas and follow the ideas of others. At a glance, users can see what other community members are reading and thinking plus share their own thoughts on a profile page:
I like how it is similar to LinkedIn but instead of being mainly focused on users’ work experience, something college students and young professionals usually have little of, it capitalizes on ideas, the future and working together. Gen Y uses collaboration all the time: organizing a volleyball tournament, building a Habitat for Humanity house, planning a pub crawl, making their LeaderShape vision a reality. The same collaboration should be applied toward career development. Campus career advisors continually preach about the importance of networking. The new Brazen Careerist site makes relationship-building and collaboration among young professionals easy and allows college students to leverage two of the best resources they have: the desire to work with others to achieve goals and fresh, interesting ideas. Head on over to Brazen Careerist and check it out.
Blog Comments and Your Brand
Filed under: random, social media | Tags: blog comments, grammar, Grammar Girl, Sister Salad, You Tube
I was in the middle of writing a new post for the Student Branding blog when I stumbled across this post by Grammar Girl about writing a good blog comment. It’s filled with great tips, so check it out.
Included in the post is a video from Sister Salad. It made me laugh out loud:
The video is an important reminder that blog comments are a part of your personal brand, so make sure they represent you in the way you want! And, proofreading is your friend.