Lindsay Olson

Interview Tips from FINS

A funny interviewing tips ad campaign from FINS… enjoy!

Where Job Seekers Should Be Online

The Wall Street Journal reported this week that companies are decreasing their spending on job boards and refocusing their recruiting efforts by using employee referral programs and social networks like LinkedIn and Facebook. So if you haven’t updated your online presence recently, now’s the time to do it. This week I wrote a blog post for US News and World Report On Careers about the tools job seekers should consider to stay visible online.

Check it out: Where Job Seekers Should Be Online

What sites, tools, or applications do you find helpful?

Seven Reasons Not to Blog

By PR columnist Alison Kenney.

I recently sat down with a friend who wanted advice on how to bring his professional association up-to-speed on social media. As an association that serves those in the marketing profession, he was a little embarrassed by their lack of social media involvement.  So I showed him how to build a group page on LinkedIn and Facebook and how to start a Twitter feed.  Then I told him NOT to blog.

I know there’s some irony in me writing a blog post about why you shouldn’t blog, but I have some good reasons:

1. Lack of time. Since my friend’s role in this association is in addition to his regular, full-time paid job, the effort of writing the blog would be done after-hours, on his own time.  And writing a blog, especially one that represents a professional organization, takes time – time to come up with compelling topics that haven’t been covered elsewhere (which means making time for lots of reading), time to write and edit the posts to get just the right tone, and time to do this on a regular basis.
2. Lack of fresh content. Some people think that a blog is a good place to aggregate content or simply another channel for broadcasting messages to reach new audiences. And, for some blogs, this is the case.  However, to gain significant traction among readers and respect in your industry, this should not be your approach. Instead, consider reason #3.
3. You can link to other blogs instead. If one of your goals in blogging is to be seen as a “thought leader” (quotes come directly from hundreds of us PR folk), why not use that space on your web site to create a blog roll or links to the best or most popular bloggers in your industry? This is a good idea for associations or group organizations as it allows them to showcase members’ blogs or the posts of industry leaders.
4. You’re not a good writer. Even though the word ‘blog’ sounds so very casual when you say it, writing an actual blog involves a degree of writing skill. Not everyone can write a blog because not everyone can focus a thought or argument or find a compelling point of view, e.g. the CEO who turns every topic or trend into a reason to promote his or her company’s products.
5. You don’t have a well of content to draw from. Perhaps you’re the still-in-school intern who knows WordPress, but not much about the business or the industry. Or perhaps you’ve held the same job for 35 years but aren’t particularly curious about others in your space. Either way, your blog posts aren’t likely to be very riveting.
6. You plan on posting once a month, or at least until your cache of blog post topics runs dry. Honestly, it’s better not to have a blog than to have one that is infrequently or seldom updated. It’s confusing to readers and can also reflect poorly on the rest of your web site.
7. Understand that blogging isn’t a panacea. Blogging is only one piece of the marketing pie. And contrary to what some ‘experts’ and ‘gurus’ will tell you, it’s not a quick or cheap way to attract or interact with desired audiences.

So what should you do instead of blogging? First, try commenting on other blogs. Commenting takes more thought and effort than just retweeting a link, but comments are searchable and you can drive traffic to your web site or another online profile by including the link in your comment. Commenting on other blogs can help you build a reputation online without the hassle of managing your own blog.

Alison Kenney an independent PR practitioner with more than 15 years of PR consulting experience. She is based on Boston’s North Shore and has worked with organizations in the technology, professional services and consumer industries. She writes a bi-monthly PR column on LindsayOlson.com. You can find her at www.kprcommunications.com. Learn more about Alison Kenney.

How Managers Can Improve the Hiring Process

This week’s US News and World Report post covers the other side of the hiring equation: the employer’s hiring process. We make assumptions about a company based our our interaction with the hiring team throughout the process. And those assumptions affect the company’s reputation as an employer. It may still be an employer’s market, but that doesn’t mean job seekers aren’t making their decisions and declining an offer based on your process – and talking about it! Read the post on On Careers: How Managers Can Improve the Hiring Process

What advice do you have for employers?

Tips for Evading the Salary Question

Do you get choked up when asked about your salary during an interview? You’re not alone. That’s what I talked about this week on US News and World Report’s OnCareers blog. Here’s an excerpt:

It’s hard not to panic when asked about salary during a job interview—and it will inevitably come up during the interview process. This can be especially difficult when switching industries or moving to a new city.

But how you respond to questions about how much you want to make will directly affect your future compensation package. That means that gracefully dealing with salary questions is one of the most important interviewing skills you can master.

Here are some key points to consider when discussing your salary requirements with a potential employer:

Timing. When you’re asked about salary early in the process, recognize it as a screening tool to either bring you in for an interview or eliminate you from consideration. For this reason, do not include your salary requirements in a cover letter.

Instead, salary discussions should come toward the end of the interview process, when the company already wants you and understands your value—when you have more leverage. Salary ranges tend to be more flexible once the employer knows you’re the perfect candidate. Few hiring managers will let their perfect candidate get away because of a small gap in salary range.

For the remaining four tips on how to evade the salary questions, check it out on the blog: Tips for Evading the Salary Question