A fun site that makes a word “cloud” of oft-used words and phrases is wordle.net. However unexpected opportunities present themselves with Wordle that will allow you to see the ‘big picture’ of your resume development. From your existing resume, highlight the entire document and click on “Edit” and “Copy”. Now make your way to the wordle.net site, paste your text in the space provided and click on “Go”. What do you see? Do you see action words, key words that define your industry and market, a powerful representation of you? Or… do you see a predominance of passive words such as “responsibilities included” or “duties”.

Your Wordle resume cloud will be able to point out in a visual sense the passive or powerful nature of your resume. Does your cloud represent you the way you see yourself?

Just for fun, here’s my cloud taken from the home page of Top Margin here

The buzz today is about networking. Everyone networks as we have been told it is the key to penetrating the hidden job market.

That’s true. Absolutely.

You find out more through talking to people than you ever could ploughing through the classified ads, which let’s face it, represents the largest pool of candidates for one job you’re ever going to be up against and where competition is the strongest. When someone says to you: “There were 800 candidates for that job” I’ll bet you it was advertised in the paper or on the internet. Makes sense doesn’t it?

Yell the loudest and you’ll get the most attention. From everyone.

Then there’s networking.

Today, savvy jobseekers are posting profiles on Linkedin and Twitter, Facebook, Naymz and more all trying to connect with people who they hope will be able to do something for them. The problem is, no-one exactly seems to know what they are doing. Sure, add someone to your Linkedin list. Go for it. Now where’s the job?

To many people, networking means asking for a job.

For example: “I found Fred Smith. He used to work with me ten years ago at ADD Corporation. I asked him to be my buddy on Linkedin, he agreed, I asked him if he had anything at his company and he said ‘no’! So I guess this networking thing doesn’t work at all!”

This is common. People are running around adding contacts to online networking sites and then not knowing what to do or why they did it!

Let me share a recent success story of one of my clients. A senior executive, you’d think it would be relatively easy to pick up a new gig right? Wrong. Senior executives get the “You’re too qualified” tag daily. Once an individual has been a C-Level executive then recruiters and employers pigeon-hole him or her immediately. And when you’re at the top of the pyramid just how many opportunities that are within that narrow confine do you think there are? The average unemployed executive looks for his next gig solidly for a period of between 6 and 12 months. 6-12 months of wasted talent while “needle in haystack” jobs arrive. (And then of course you still have to be the successful candidate even when they do come up).

Here’s how my client, used his network to create a job that didn’t even exist.

First, he made contact with vendors, clients and past colleagues. Of course he made it known he was seeking a new opportunity, but there was no pressure. They didn’t have to do anything for him. There were no expectations or obligations. They were off the hook so free to accept a catch-up over coffee without the need to act.

In one particular conversation, the networking contact talked about the challenges of his job; just as we all do from time to time he bemoaned a project that had started out badly and was continuing to go “pear shaped”.  The candidate’s ears pricked up.

A project not going well? Had he just heard an opportunity?

One casual coffee and the candidate knew that there was a problem to be solved.

He also knew he could solve it.

Now the challenge. How could he get before and convince the main players that he was their knight in shining armour? The candidate contacted his network that he knew would have access to information on this project. More casual coffees and lunches, helped him build a greater understanding of this high profile project from a diversity of sources. Piece by piece the candidate started to put together the jigsaw. Snippets of information slotted together and key decision makers were pinpointed.

It was time to leverage his network to get an introduction from his friend on the project who was by now keen to involve someone else to take the pressure off.

At first, the meeting with the senior executive was just a “Let’s have a chat” session. However as the candidate demonstrated an in-depth knowledge of the project based on the picture he had put together, it was clear to the decision maker our candidate was going to be valuable.

The company was interested. Very interested.

In fact, after internal discussions, a position was created to deal with this project’s problems.

Guess who got the job? And from a candidate pool of one. Why start a recruiting campaign when the solution was before them?

This is the power of networking.

A job that didn’t exist, exists now. Cobbled together from some casual coffee and chats, a keen ear, insight and the confidence to find and present a solution to the person who needed it most and at the time he needed it the most.

The Reach Online Brand Calculator has assessed me (Gayle Howard), as being on the top of the “Digitally Distinct” tree. This is the nirvana of online identity meaning the first three pages of Google provide 80% on-brand, positive information.

So what about you? Before you are interviewed you can assume that recruiters and/or employers will Google your name.

What will they see? Digital Dirt such as an image on Flickr of you sleeping, dancing with a lampshade on your head or wearing an offensive t-shirt? Perhaps your next employer will find an insensitive comment about your past employer on an association forum?

Then again, you could be Digitally Disastrous: There could be nothing about you on the web; not a solitary piece of information about who you are. Depending on your level of experience, this could be a significant problem. Imagine a Chief Executive Officer who has never made a statement, spoken at a public event, or who has never been quoted in a magazine!

As a jobseeker there is a 90% chance you will be searched for digital dirt or information about you online. Whether you are digitally disastrous, digitally dabbling (sporadic pieces of information that do not provide a consistent picture of you) or digitally dissed somewhere, the idea now is to over-ride the negative with the positive. Lessen and counter negative perceptions with the new on-brand you.

Creating a new professional Linkedin Profile (along with Ziggs, Naymz, e-Cademy, Plaxo and more) has many advantages:

• Profiles are rapidly indexed by Google. When someone Googles your name the likelihood is that the social media profiles will pop up before anything else. It will be the presence you want people to see.
• Linkedin Profiles provide a definitive outline of what you stand for and what your current situation is. By letting people know you are available and looking for your next opportunity, you’ll reach recruiters and headhunters scouring the site for new talent.
• Linkedin Profiles allow you to re-connect or establish relationships with business professionals who are in the position to make something happen for you.

Linked-in Versus Traditional Résumés
The Linkedin profile is an online gallery of your experience and a powerful networking tool. It is shorter and uses different marketing and communication techniques. The Linkedin profile complements your job search through online identity raising and branding, but it is not used in place of a traditional résumé and cover letter.

Our solution to your needs:

OnBrand-ID Programs.

• UltraLink-ID: We create a Linked-in profile for you using a combination of your responses to our Linkedin worksheet and your existing resume.

• ID-Link: We strategise your presentation and produce a Linkedin presence for you from the resume we have already created. The result: a compelling online advertisement for your services.

• Cyber-ID: Your complete social media package includes the development of a Linkedin Profile and establishment of identities at the leading social media sites: Ziggs, Naymz and Twitter. We’ll even set you up on Twitter so you can follow recruiters, job search sites, human resources companies and job boards. Start “twittering” and build your band of followers too. You never know what connections you can make.

We are really excited about our solutions as they use the immediacy of technology and networking and provide a middle pricing structure for individuals with needs separate to the full-service resume development and personal branding programs. Check the details out now at www.topmargin.com/catalogue.html

I am proud to announce Top Margin’s newest strategic alliance with Digital Career Services, via their program called “Win the View.” WinTheView is a solution that prepares and educates senior level and on-the-rise jobseekers to win interviews and build reputations through a start-of-the-art, online presentation tool. The President and CEO of DCS, Ken Diamond, explains this easy-to-use and effective tool. “WinTheView allows jobseekers to formulate a very comprehensive, impressive and strategic presentation that demonstrates past accomplishments, focuses on strengths, and provides company interviewers with a true insight of how the jobseeker will hit the ground running. The high level of preparation and quality presentation can dramatically improve interview performances and increase a candidate’s chance for getting the job”.

I am thrilled to that Ken has chosen us at Top Margin to bring this groundbreaking tool to Australia. For almost 20 years, Top Margin has been a leader and innovator in matching top quality services to the needs of jobseekers. This service, providing Top Margin’s clients with a true competitive edge, is yet another company first. I look forward to a long association with Ken and to start ramping up our clients’ interview successes in this increasingly competitive environment.

Ever thought of searching for a job from SEEK by using key word spelling booboos? Check this link out: http://is.gd/nEzt

Amazingly, there are 359 jobs currently in the SEEK database with the name “Manager” misspelled as “Manger”. Think about that. People seeking manager roles are missing these jobs and therefore the pool of candidates could potentially be smaller if you start searching for commonly misspelled words. Next time you’re looking for a keyword, try the “manger” search. You may just find your dream job!

By the way, I couldn’t let this little spelling lesson go by without bringing this link to your attention. This company is sorely in need of a proofreader more than anything! http://is.gd/nEsB