Tradeshows & Job Fairs

Hello all,

So spring is on the way... well officially it's here, but weather-wise we have have a ways to go.

Every spring, the minds of young men and women everywhere turns to... um... EMPLOYMENT!

I was a new-grad a few years back, right in the peak of the recession actually, and found it tough.  I'm sure at this point in time it isn't much easier.

That being said, I do recall the Trade Show Displays that would grace my campus every year around this time promoting different companies and possible internships.



For the most part, I found them to be a a frantic tossing of resumes amongst the vinyl banners and would leave with some swag and a ton of pamphlets... but is this helpful? Is it effective?

With this approach I always felt like a number, yet never felt there would be an ROI.

I have blogged about interview tips and how to answer some of the tougher interview questions  that may come up - but this blog is going to be more about approach, or at least my take on it.

1. Start early

If you are in first year, great - you should speak to your career counselor about a co-op or internship program at your school... Experience trumps grades in most cases.

2. Network 

Or as we used to say - make friends.  Meet people from a variety of programs - take advantage of social or extra-curricular things in school.

3. Have an opinion

...and then share it!  Through things like blogs, or LinkedIn, or even Facebook and Twitter - share!  Your name should be able to be found on Google and the results should be positive... Alot of recruiters admit to 'Googling' applicants, so let them see how well-informed and professional you are.

4. Help people

It's the golden rule... what goes around comes around.  However you want to say it, just help other people - it is a good thing to do and may go along way to supporting point #2 above.

5. Be open

When I first graduated, I was very narrow-minded.  I only wanted to work in HR and nothing else; looking at other options and realizing the advantage of being young will open you to other experiences... at the very least you'll have a well-rounded resume


That's my 2 cents... what about my other HR colleagues?

Any advice for our new or soon-to-be grads?

Wiki's and the New Employment Relationship

I was watching a video from Jack Welch today and his take on WikiLeaks, and how it impacts those of us in Society and in Business.

He makes some great points.

For the average citizen, Julian Assange exposed a number of secrets that exposed the government in ways they would have never wanted to be seen... Many applauded him as standing up against 'big brother' and facing him head on.

The government... Well he pissed 'em off plain and simple... Not only did he read their diary, but he shared it with the world!

But what about those of us in business?

As Jack Welch says, "Trade secrets are trade secrets - there is no way you want them outside the company."

Like the recipe for Coca-Cola, there are some secrets that provide the competitive advantage companies need to stay in business and giving them away is grounds for punishment!

So how do we overcome this?

Well internally, everything the company does should have buy-in and people should know the reasons why things are happening the way they are... Albeit this is not always easy.

Also, it should be defined what is internal knowledge (not for sharing) and confidentiality agreements need to be signed.

Externally, listen to stakeholder and consumer opinions.  Think of how the actions you are taking will be perceived.  The perception of a company can change over night... Look no further than BP.

Porter's Five Forces: Revisited

I found that over the past month or so, I keep referring to my Competitive Strategy book by Michael Porter.

While so much has changed in the business world, there are lessons and models that continue to prove themselves true.

For those of you that are not completely familiar, here is a link
for an illustrated overview of Porter's Five Forces



The reason, I think, I find myself reading Competitive Strategy again is because of the economic climate we are in.

To me, there seemed to be less focus on competitive advantages during the 'good times', but now more than ever there is this sense of having to prove yourself in the workplace, which I think is great, but certainly says alot about human nature.

Have you found this?



~Ian

CHRP/SPHR Certification

Do you have an HR designation?

I have found that alot of people, especially those under 30, want to have a designation behind their name to seperate themselves from the competition in the job market.

I personally have my CHRP for this reason, as well as the fact that I think if you are going to be considered a 'professional' in your field, you should subscribe to a certain standard.

That being said, what is the reason you want/have/don't have a designation?

~Ian

Personal Branding

As information flows more freely, the easier it is for you to access information on companies, products, services, vacation destinations, and everything in between; but what about you?

Yes - People can find out pretty much whatever they want about you, especially if you are on Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIN, or have a blog of some kind.

So What?

So why not use this to your advantage? Start by Googling your name - what do you find?

Whatever you have found, a potential employer could have found as well. So from here, you have to think "when my name gets Googled, what do I want people to find?"

When consdiering this, think about the type of job you would like to have in 1-2years (maybe sooner). Start getting your name out there in the right places.

If you want to be seen as knowledgable in business topics, start commenting on posts/articles from the Economist on Twitter.

If you want to be seen as a fashion expert - maybe start your own blog on latest trends.

The point is, create depth to your 'brand' by pursuing different avenues that will allow others to see you as a subject matter expert.

A great book I recently read on this was Six pixels of seperation by Mitch Joel.

Joel goes into great detail discussing how people can build their online profile and ultimately enhance their exposure through various online mediums.

Have you taken steps to increasing your personal brand? What have you done? What would you suggest to others?

~Ian