Category Archives: Networking

Should we be looking to Groucho to understand the future of networking relationships?

groucho

IPhone
Android
Google
Tablets
LinkedIn
Facebook
Smartphones
Potential life outside the Milky Way
Cyber crimes

 

We have thrust ourselves into the next industrial revolution. The only difference between the 1880′s and now is that the end product is 1/1,000,000th the size. With more content, knowledge and information being shared every second, how do we absorb it. More importantly, when do we have time to interpret and respond to that content before the next piece is fed on our plates? We no longer have to share content in real time; we can schedule when real time will be.

The pressure is building. Which will explode first, the robotic brain or the human brain?

I am done with the dramatic portion of this commentary.

Where can I possibly be going with this?

I believe we are transgressing back to a simpler time when connections were about two people working together for the common goal. That goal can be a job, a collaboration or a project. Needless to say, relationships are becoming more and more critical in the employment community as technology is fighting harder and harder to build on innovation and gain market share.

This is an interesting conflict to wrestle with.

black-and-white-shake-hands

Let us look at the state of career IT solutions:

  • Programs are developed in IT solutions that monitor activity levels.  As individual move closer to a change (loss of job, move, etc.) they tend to become more active including updating profiles and resumes.
  • We are no longer identified by the wealth of experience we bring to the table but by a series of skill tags.
  • We are not people but a brand.  Some a simple brand while others saturate the market with their image.
  • Business cards are not exchanged, meetings are not had; We are officially engaged with a Facebook friend request, a LinkedIn request or a Google+ circle initiation.
  • The summation of our growth and development is summed up with visual or verbal sound bites and our performance is rated by the number of +1 or likes we receive.
  • Big brother is watching.  The difference between Big Brother of old vs. new; He doesn’t have to try very hard to find dirt on you.
  • Jobs are posted everywhere but no one is hiring?  How bizarre.
  • If it involves physical effort, there is an app for it so sit back and relax.

Where exactly does Groucho Marx come into the picture?  As you can see from his famous mirror scene, the impostor was trying to convince Groucho’s character that he was looking at himself in the mirror.  By mirroring his moves, he was creating a relationship.  One of deceit but still a relationship.  Throughout his career Groucho would  befriend woman, professors, government leaders and con men offering them the world and then dancing the night away in the end.  Sometimes it takes an old film to remind what is still the most important thing in our lives; the relationship.

Connecting with others, not by common tags or mutual friends but by the respect and passion their have for their career choices is critical for you to continue to grow.  We live in an employers market and most likely will for the rest our lives and perhaps our children’s.  Opportunities are limited and skill requirements more specialized.  Now is the absolute time to find those that share your passion; your energy and you desire to continue to grow.

Network with them.  Not through a network but human interaction.

Without that element, we are lost in a cyber melting pot.  Once you fall into the deep abyss, there is no turning back.


Listen Up Ladies – Let Sarah Ivens Tell You How to Make Your Interview Memorable

How To Make Your Interview Memorable

Provided by: Sarah Ivens, author of A Modern Girl’s Guide to Networking, published by Piatkus

Interesting interviews
You’re selling yourself and trying to improve your future – so what makes you think you can turn up in a dirty shirt with a hangover. You must be interesting, alert, clean, smart, entertaining, honest and humble.

In fact, let’s make it simple. These are the things you must not do:
Do not arrive late. Look up where you’ve got to get to and leave with 30 minutes to spare for traffic, emergency toilet trips, and so on.
Don’t dress like a tramp. You make the greatest impact in the first 17 seconds of the interview, and in that time all the interviewer really has time to take in is your personal hygiene, your wardrobe choices and your handshake. Keep colours subdued, patterns simple and do be conservative – gold lame mini-dresses are never good, least of all in an interview.
Even if your mind has gone blank and you’re feeling like an extra from Shaun of the Dead, remember not to zombify totally. Smile, make eye contact and sit up straight.
Research! Why are you better than the many other qualified, charming modern girls who have applied for this job? Read up, learn the facts and prepare a few sensible, relevant questions for the end of the interview.
Don’t smoke, drink, chew or blow gum bubbles during an interview. ‘Nuff said.
Yes, the interviewer wants a full answer – but not War and Peace. Don’t go rambling on and on and on. Keep your answers clear and focused. Also, on the subject of chit-chat, do not interrupt the interviewer or talk over the top of them. Make sure you listen properly to everything they say.
If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all. Keep it shut rather than backstabbing and bitching your current company, colleagues or boss. Moaning and nastiness will send out the wrong vibes and you’re better than that.
When the person asks what your weaknesses are, use only the ones that can be turned around into a lesson learned or a positive. Think carefully about your qualities, skills and accomplishments to sell them without over-selling them. No one likes a show off.
Fit your interview banter to the job and the company you’re applying for. Practise the interview in front of a mirror or with a friend. Explain how your career history and education would benefit the company.
When your time is up don’t just go on about your salary expectations and what kind of package you desire; you should leave the interview with a firm goodbye speech stating why you want the job and why you’d be brilliant at it. And, again, a good, firm handshake.
Holly, 29
‘In my job as a recruitment consultant, I see it all. But the most impressive interviewees are those who have real passion and spark. They’ve done their research but they’re not boring you with it or asking you lots of questions. They want the job – they tell you as much. Their answers are short and to the point, and they look me in the eye when they’re telling me. My pet hate is fidgeters – I don’t trust applicants who can’t sit still. If you get nervous, sit on your hands or hold a copy of your CV to stop the wriggling.’

How to be impressive on the phone
Whether you’re doing a phone interview, a conference call or cold-calling a company you’d love to work for, a good telephone manner is essential. Try the following:
Smile – you can hear it in your voice
Keep a pen, paper and calculator to hand in case you need them
Don’t smoke, chew or slurp – those sounds travel
If you stand up your voice sounds stronger and more authoritative
Pace the call, don’t rush and let the other person speak
Avoid ‘er’, ‘um’, ‘huh’, and the rest they’ll make you sound dumb


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