“In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is.”~Yogi Berra

Play Ball!

I love baseball. Especially non-MLB. Little League.  High School. Independent Minor League Baseball.  Baseball at its best. Fewer steroids, fewer and less rowdy fans, but still that lovely green grass of a baseball field so lovingly called a diamond and the smell of hot dogs and beer. One local minor league team, The Orange County Flyers, has a great tag line: Orange County’s Greatest Show on Dirt.  I just love the sport; watching a team get it together and make something magical happen, like a double play or a close call at home.

“All pitchers are liars or crybabies.” ~Yogi Berra funny

I also love networking.  Several years ago, I received tickets to see the Flyers at a Chamber of Commerce networking luncheon.  Ms. Marketing Manager for the Flyers stood at the front of a full room and said, “Anyone who who wants tickets, come see me after lunch. I want to pack the stadium, so I have as many tickets as you would like for free.” I found her afterward, made my request and she handed over seven general admission tickets and said, “Enjoy the game.” I smiled broadly…, did I mention I love baseball? So, I took my son and several of his friends to the game.  We had a great time!

“I just want to thank everyone who made this day necessary.” ~Yogi Berra

The rewards of networking are not typically a baseball game. Sometimes, they are even richer. Sometimes, networking results in a new client or even a new job. Maybe, if you are lucky enough, a new friend. The rewards of teamwork are not typically another number in your win column or a call of “Safe!” at home plate. The real rewards go hand in hand with networking and socialization. So often we hear individuals say, “I’ll just do it myself.” or “I want it done right, so…” Well, you can’t really do this thing completely alone. You have to have clients, customers, colleagues, partners…, your network.

Legendary basketball player Michael Jordan made a poor attempt at professional baseball but, above all else, he understood teamwork.  He said, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.”  Teamwork and intelligence. So, step lively at the plate, swing for the fences, make the saving catch, and slide when you need to.  But know there’s a bench waiting to receive, tweet, update, blog, share, and forward whatever you toss their way.

Truly comprehend that your team’s a lot bigger than it used to be.

Rayanne Thorn, @ray_anne is the Marketing Director for the online recruiting software company, Broadbean Technology.  She is also a proud mother of four residing in Laguna Beach, California, and a contributor for Blogging4Jobs.  Connect with her on LinkedIn.  

What do you get out of the ride?

Community. It seems to have been the talk of the town for a few years now.  And as of late, the “talent community” talk has quite a few excited but still others baffled that this concept could even subsist, let alone – money be made from it.  For those of us who have worked hard to build our own databases – NOT thought of as communities – it seems silly to consider a “quick money” utilization of the virtual handshake.  Oh sure, I am the first to advocate always getting something for yourself.  But should this be any different than what we have always done?  When I was a PTA President, I hung out with other concerned moms.  When I was very active in theater, I lingered backstage.  When I participated in a church, I spent the majority of my free time with others in that congregation.  We have always created our own communities, just not with dollar signs attached.  So, I guess my individual principles and ideals are challenged by this fairly new idea of a business: talent community.  And in this challenge, I will either learn or I will teach.

Some may disagree with me. There are those who will say that all should be wonderful and perfect in the sandbox. That all the toys should be shared and that no one should go home unhappy. Part of what makes a community tick and thrive is the differences that each of us brings to the table. Not everyone gets a trophy. Like cogs that work together to keep the machinery running, differences of opinion and challenging ideas are what drive innovation and changes of thought.

What a boring world it would be if each of us had the exact same principles and beliefs. If there weren’t arguments or issues that sometimes stand in the way, what kind of progress would we truly see? None. We would continue on, doing the same things, thinking the same thoughts, with no desire to learn more, for why should we?

The reasons we participate in a community are threefold. We simply want to be a part of it all – to keep the heartbeat going.  We want to be heard – to share our ideas and thoughts, to teach.  And we want to listen – to learn – to take away something from a discussion anything that makes our life or job easier or helps us to do it better. Sometimes we give, and sometimes we take. And that’s ok.  Problems arise when it is forgotten that conflict is good for a community. Sparks are needed to start an engine and keep it going. Static status, never changing, never learning – all lead to stunted growth. There is much to learn here, there is much to share. We each provide a different viewpoint, a different spark.

So, with this in mind, are those reasons considered and met by all who participate in talent communities?  Who gains the most from a talent community?  It really is just a pond where only a few fish get fed.  And such ponds do not exist for long.  We don’t need to rethink and rename community, we just need to face reality.  It’s a database.  It’s a rolodex.   It’s a list of names or organizations to draw from and meet your needs.  And occasionally, those names’ and organizations’ needs are met, as well.

Rayanne Thorn, @ray_anne is the Marketing Director for the online recruiting software company, Broadbean Technology.  She is also a proud mother of four residing in Laguna Beach, California, and a contributor for Blogging4Jobs.  Connect with her on LinkedIn.  

Taking a look back when I first started college, I wish I had known what I knew today about the job search. I figured once I get out, I will have a degree and employers will be throwing themselves at me. Unfortunately, the recession happened, and the veterans in the job world were taking all the entry-level jobs.

Here I was, happy about graduating, but depressed about finding a job. After two months of being jobless, I realize it was no longer about using my degree, but about obtaining an income to pay the bills. I have talked with several students that have recently graduated or who are about to graduate and they are all in the same boat. The advice that is constantly circling around the Internet varies depending on who you talk with and their profession. For instance, if you are attempting to land any form of marketing job, you’ll have those marketing professionals scrutinize your work while HR professionals will be looking at it from a different angle.

I’m growing fonder of creating lists of the things I wish I had done while still in college. So here is a just a few that I wish I would’ve known and executed.

Value your Network

I didn’t start appreciating those within my circle of influence until about my junior year. I knew the President of the university, I knew directors of various offices, and I was pretty well known by most faculty and staff in the Business department. However, I didn’t start talking to them about my future employment options and how they could assist me. I don’t believe in Career Services because I have yet to hear a success story that was directly because of the department. Career fairs and resume workshops are nice, but you can get those same things without visiting your college’s Career Services department. Use your network to your advantage.

Get an Internship

I cannot express how much real-world experience trumps scholastic knowledge. For that reason, the veterans that didn’t go to college are getting all the jobs. Employers should start looking towards younger generations because we have more to offer than real-world experience. It’s weird that employers still have to list that you must be proficient in Microsoft Office products. Don’t graduate without having some real-world experience. Even if all you did was file build your resume to make it look like you were way more awesome. Don’t lie though.

Forget the 4.0 GPA, Get Involved.

I’m not saying don’t do well in school, but don’t just aim for that 4.0 GPA and not be involved at the same time. I recently heard the saying A students work for the B students, C students own the business, and D students are the geniuses€ I think that is true in some respect. You don’t want to focus all your energy on achieving perfect grades. Three things I wish I had been more proactive with while attending college. I’ve built my post-college network and it would’ve been a lot easier when the recession wasn’t shot. I’m told wait until the beginning of the year, but another person told me that they mentioned that she has been waiting for the beginning for several years now. A degree in itself is not as effective as the network you build and the friends you make.

What kinds of things did you do in college and what do you wish you had done? Let us know!

Blake McCammon, is an intern at Xceptional HR. Connect with Blake on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.  Blake is a recent grad of Northeastern State University with a degree in Business Administration.  During school he created and managed his university’s social media strategy. He is currently the co-moderator for the Twitter chat, #genychat which takes place every Wednesday at 9pm EST.

Networking and relationships are key to any successful business whether you are a job seeker, recruiter, business professional, or entrepreneur.  Beyond.com goes beyond a traditional job board and allows for professionals to network with other professionals in an online location that is secure and specific to the job seeker’s industry and location.  I like niche networks because they are targeted and specific for both parties and niche networks can help you cut through the clutter and establish and build real connections with industry leaders and recruiters.

And according to Beyond’s website they are the world’s largest niche network.  Their 2010 Q1 report mentions that, 70% of Beyond.com job seekers are experienced with more than 5 years in the workforce.  And because niche job networks are typically smaller they are also more affordable for employers to advertise their openings.  In Q1 of 2010, 52% of newly registered companies on the Beyond network employed 50 or less employees.

To hear more about niche networking from Beyond CEO, Rich Milgram, check out this video below live from the 2010 SHRM Global Conference vendor area.

Thanks again to Beyond.com for sponsoring me and fellow SHRM Blog Squad member, April Dowling for part of our trip to San Diego.

Photo Credit by me, JMsquared of an Italian Window Niche.

So how about those informational interviews? They’re a fantastic way of intelligence gathering and getting your name out there for potential openings.  They’re great practice for actual job interviews but without the crushing nervousness. You can ask for feedback and the interviewer won’t feel the pressure of having to hire.  Heck, sometimes I just pick a name out of the phonebook and ask them to meet with me.

But let’s dig a little deeper into our bag of tricks and talk about something you may not have thought about. Rather than concentrating solely on mid to upper level people or managers consider reaching out to people just a few years out of college. They can be a source of great job search information, advice and encouragement.  They’ll know the duties and requirements of entry-level positions and most will be happy to help someone close to their own age.

Use your network to find some names. Talk to your Alumni Association, frat/sorority or other student organization. Get it out on Facebook that you’re looking to talk to a recent hire. Go to LinkedIn, get into the Advanced Search/People area and start plugging in your criteria. You can direct your search in different ways but what you’re looking for are people you have an association with.  Where you went to college, groups you have in common and friends or connections you share will give you a starting point. Any sort of commonality can help break the ice and make your contact more receptive to meeting with you. Regardless of how you find them make contact, ask for a few minutes and be polite if they say no.

Of course the rules of info interviews still apply: promise you’ll take no more than 20 minutes and stick to it, have your questions ready to go and be flexible if schedules get in the way. Make sure to confirm the day before and be cordial if they need to bump you, have some dates and times ready to go to facilitate a fast reschedule.

This is such a great way to network and polish your interview skills. But be a bit careful; don’t be too informal or spend too much time talking about other stuff. Yes, the new Vampire Weekend is great but get over it. Keeping it professional is still important, this connection may ultimately refer you for an opening and if they’re not one hundred percent confident you can pull it off you’re just somebody they met with and that’s where it ends.  And people, do I really need to tell you to send a thank you note? I’m a throwback and prefer an actual piece of paper with actual ink, with actual thoughts and an actual signature. But however you do it info interviews are a great way to get yourself out there.

Photo Credit Meds.

Vote for Lisa’s blog in the Job Search Blogger contest by casting your vote and leaving a comment.  Contest ends May 11th.

Lisa Correu, Principal/Job Search Advocate has over seven years of recruiting both with a recruiting firm and within the largest employee owned ad agency in the US. I’ve seen thousands of resumes and most of them were bad. I’ve met hundreds of people who couldn’t tell me who they are and I’ve recruited people that looked great on paper but froze during their interviews.  If you don’t know how to promote yourself guess what? No one else will. But it’s not that hard, it just takes some time and creativity. And when it works you’ve set yourself ahead of the vast majority of job seekers.

Leveraging your network is extremely important in your job search.  Collaboration is no different.  It’s essential in making your job search happen and with positive results. The job market is extremely competitive.  Because of this, it is easy for companies and hiring manager’s to overlook qualified candidates because they are inundated with hundreds or thousands of candidates for one solitary position.  Our friends and network can help make us stand out in a crowded market placing our name squarely and frequently in front of the eyes of the decision maker multiple times and multiple ways.

My friend, Bryon Abramawitz (The HR Technologist) feels the same way about the job search which is why we’re teamed up to bring you the 10 Most Creative Job Search Secrets (Guaranteed).   Bryon lists his Top 5 Job Search Tips on his blog HERE and mine below.

1.  Google Alerts. Set up a google alert for your name, common misspellings, and your target companies. Stay up to date on what people are saying about you and your company(s) of choice.

2.  Use KnowEm. This service protects your brand and creates profiles for you on up to 350 social media accounts. There is a fee associate with this service, but I guarantee it is worth your time.  You provide KnowEm with a profile picture and bio, and they do the rest opening and setting up your profile with just a click of a mouse.

3.  Canvasing. This is a common practice among groups and Greek organizations in college. Build a guerrilla PR team and start canvasing helping to market yourself both online and offline. This could be in the form of offering free window washing services in the downtown area for executives or flash mobs at public areas or events if you are a creative.  Online your PR team can promote you by recommending you on LinkedIn, commenting and promoting your blog, and singing your praises.  Divide and conquer is an great strategy that will provide fantastic results in half the time.

4.  Weekly Profile Updates. Update your CareerBuilder, Monster, LinkedIn and other job board profiles weekly (or twice a week) to keep them fresh, current, and at the top of the search results. This makes it easy for recruiters and hiring managers to find you.

5.  Host Your Own Event. Host a cocktail mixer at your home or favorite classy bar. Invite friends & ask them to invite a friend. You control the guest list and will be sure to meet and welcome each new guest. Make your job search intentions known in a casual and fun atmosphere.

The job search doesn’t have to be a lonely and solitary place.  By using our friends, colleagues, network we can have a little fun, differentiate ourselves in the competitive marketplace, and land  a job that fits our experience and personality.  Visit Bryon’s blog post for the remaining 5 Job Search Tips in our Top 10 Creative Job Search Secrets–Guaranteed collaboration.

Photo Credit Work Strategically.