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Sep 2, 2009

Dad, cool it with the Twitter updates.

Have you all seen that commercial from Verizon? The one where the kids are making fun of their parents for jumping on the Social Media bandwagon with their kewl new phones? I know you have (if not, here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14CKzskjn4s).

That is what most of my friends are like as well. Hell, in my [old] office, people didn’t even want to use Instant Messaging programs. I’m not suggesting you hop on every new SocMed website to pop up (I signed up for Plaxo, not really impressed), but you need to branch out and help establish your personal brand. In my case, I was able to get a great new job from it…

Twitter can be used to help get interviews. Simple as that. You obviously cannot approach it the same way you would a typical “job board”, you have to think outside the box. How do a lot of people get hired? They know somebody within a company. Well, Twitter gives you the opportunity to meet people within organizations and build relationships with them. In addition to making new friends, you can share articles (blog or news) and have conversations that help establish your credibility. If you aren’t a social butterfly, you can at the very least get tips on how to accelerate your job search.

Here is my story. A couple weeks ago I came to the realization (I was more or less told this directly) that I was not a candidate for a promotion any time in the foreseeable future. After smoking a few cigarettes, I realized I didn’t even want a promotion – I wanted a fresh start! Becoming a manager at my previous employer meant I would no longer be a recruiter. I would be more of an account manager and have to do 3 hour conference calls and tell people what to do. I’m more hands-on than that. My reqs are my babies – I do the sourcing and calling – I don’t want to just tell people what to do and how to do it without getting my hands dirty!

I decided to call one of the experts in our field for guidance. I reached out to Glen Cathey (you may know him as @BooleanBlackBlt or via his blog, www.booleanblackbelt.com) because we have had a ton of great online conversations in the past and I wanted to finally get a chance to talk to him live. I told him about my background and what I did and didn’t want to do in my future. This early in the conversation, I had no real intention of asking for an interview because I still hadn’t done enough homework on his company, K-Force. After hearing what I had to say, he started to tell me about the career path for recruiters at his organization. I was all ears. We then both decided to start talking about the logistics of an interview in the immediate future. Glen had a Director in New England give me a call during my lunch break and the rest is history (had to do a face-to-face interview, fill out an application, etc.). I was extended an offer the day following my in-person interview and it was the best phone call I had received in years.

What do you know? I got a new job without going to Monster or CareerBuilder once. I didn’t send my resume to 100 different employers. I simply had a great conversation with somebody who felt that I would be an asset to his team. I am thrilled to be a part of K-Force and cannot thank Glen, Paul, and Abby enough for their time and support.

So what does this mean to you? If you are a job seeker and struggling to find a new gig, you really need to cut out the status quo. Recruiters are inundated with resumes (believe me, I know) and job fairs and networking events don’t really work for 99% of the attendees (based on my experience with in-person and virtual career fairs as a recruiter – this is an opinion, not a fact by any means).

Start by first figuring out what you want to do. Don’t just go on Twitter and post status updates saying “HIRE ME!” If you know the industry you want to be a part of, start doing searches for key players in that industry. Also, tweet tons of awesome material (either your own or link to other sites) to get ReTweeted. ReTweets are FREE ADVERTISING! Don’t forget to @reply other people to engage them in a 1-on-1 conversation (or invite them to follow you to Direct Message them).

Okay this has already been said and done on a million other blogs – time for some Fieldsy exclusive content.

I love Instant Messaging. If somebody you don’t know @replies you or ReTweets you, reply back and ask if they have a Facebook, Gmail, Yahoo, or AIM account. Twitter was never meant to be a chat program, and it certainly isn’t a replacement to Facebook, so use them all together. My latest example is with Jeff Moore (@jeffreytmoore), an internal recruiter for Google. Jeff ReTweeted me which obviously showed up in my @mentions column in TweetDeck. I saw that he was a recruiter and seemed really cool judging by his bio and tweets, so I immediately shot him a DM with my email and asked if he had time to GChat. We shared stories about our backgrounds and working in Boston and all that good stuff. I plan on meeting up with him soon since we work a train-ride away.

See? It really is that simple. Now I am obviously not trying to get recruited by Jeff or force-feed referrals down his throat (I know some pretty techy people), but I am looking to meet new people all the time because I love to talk and who knows, these relationships I am building now could lead to future opportunities for me.

I’ve been to TweetUps and networking events. I have over 1000 connections on LinkedIn. None of it really did anything for me. Facebook has been AWESOME for looking at pictures of people I never intend to talk to ever again – but that isn’t really doing much for my career. Twitter works. What more proof do you need?

@Fieldsy4Life

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Aug 4, 2009

So I fell off my blogging horse due to personal stuff that drove me into a never-ending downward spiral of chain smoking.

…But I am BACK. So over breakfast with @smalps this weekend, I brought up an idea I had. I truly think the world would be a better place if people understood basic psychology. Like Psych 101 in college (Intro to Psych, whatever you wanna call it). Being a psych major, I had all of this drilled into my skull for 5 years (I enjoyed college so much I stayed for an extra year). Besides learning about serial killers and watching kick-ass movies like Memento and Papillon (my recommendation to the teacher, she listened), I got to learn about what makes people behave the way they do.

While to some of you, this may be nothing new (but know-it-alls are not my target audience), others might enjoy this and maybe, JUST MAYBE, get some take-home value from it. While I’m sure all of you learned about Ivan Pavlov’s “Classical Conditioning” experiment with the dog and the bell (the dog would salivate upon hearing a bell, a “conditioned response”), I am not so sure how up to speed you are with “Operant Conditioning”.

Operant Conditioning focuses on increasing the frequency of a specific behavior, or in other cases, decreasing the occurrence of a behavior (like getting somebody to stop smoking). There are really 4 contexts to Operant Conditioning (Wikipedia lists like 7), but seeing as this is a blog about my personal and professional life[s], I will just break it down to only 2: Reinforcement and Punishment.

I truly believe that you can mold anyone’s behavior through careful modification of your own actions. Reinforcement is the idea that you introduce a positive stimulus or remove a negative stimulus contingent upon the desired behavior. If you give a dog a treat when they “sit”, that is positive reinforcement. If you take your child out of time-out when they say “sorry”, that is reinforcing the behavior of apologizing by removing the negative stimulus of time-out.

Punishment is exactly what it sounds like. You can modify behavior by REMOVING a positive stimulus or INTRODUCING a negative stimulus. I think you get the idea… The big problem with behavioral conditioning is that the stimulus needs to be introduced or removed immediately following the behavior, so the mind knows exactly why the reinforcement or punishment is there.

REAL WORLD APPLICATION

Okay so now that you are all up to speed with what I am talking about (if not, just hit up Google and Wikipedia, you got this), we can now start talking about how this can impact your personal and professional lives.

Recently at work, I met with senior management voluntarily to discuss some ideas I had for increasing productivity and morale “in this economy”. I was THRILLED to hear that they were going to implement some of my ideas. Now that I know my superiors are receptive to my ideas (and apparently take them very seriously), I am going to come to them more often when I am feeling creative. I view this as positive reinforcement. On an abstract level (you can’t just feed me doggy treats), I was essentially rewarded for my contributions and am now expected to continue coming up with process improvements.

If you want employees on your team to produce more, you need to acknowledge their efforts in real time. This is why I think “monthly contests” are STUPID (we aren’t in kindergarten any more). Since the reward is at the end of the month, it is hard to reinforce that behavior on a daily basis.

You also need to go a step beyond a “good job today”. Spend a few minutes and type a friggin email. If you have a close-knit environment, give your employee a call or text after work so they know you really appreciate it. I have had the pleasure of working with managers here that do all of the above, and it has really helped accelerate my development.

In your personal life, this can be used to change the behavior of a friend, significant other, or family member. I don’t want to call myself a life coach, but I feel that employees need to be happy OUTSIDE OF THE OFFICE to be able to produce at 110% while in the office. This is why I encourage all managers to be more than just co-workers; let your team know they can talk to you about anything that is bothering them. You old-schoolers probably don’t agree with me (“I’m here to work, not to make friends” – I hate you), but that is a whole ‘nother topic of convo.

If you are trying to change a behavior, you first need to let the person know what is bothering you. Knowing is half the battle, so first let that person know what your deal is. Also, how often do you REALLY reinforce desired behavior? WE DON’T, that is because we expect it. If you are working on developing a relationship, focus on what you like about that person, instead of what you dislike. Instead of always punishing the undesired behaviors (through yelling, slapping, poisoning their food, etc.), focus on REINFORCING the desired ones! If you are trying to help somebody quit smoking, say, “I haven’t seen you smoke in a while, you are really making me proud” instead of waiting for them to smoke and saying, “you are disgusting, that is really unattractive” (I swear this is not based on my personal life).

It is important to add that inconsistency with reinforcement is actually WORSE than with neglect. You need to consistently reinforce (or punish) in order to prevent a relapse!

Time to wrap this up. My point here is to make sure you are constantly reinforcing positive behavior and really putting a spotlight on your top performers (without making others feel like chopped liver, obviously). As humans we are CONSTANTLY learning, so there is always room for improvement. If you can’t get somebody to behave the way you want them to, don’t blame them, blame yourself first!

AF

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Jul 29, 2009

So last night I was pumped because of the positive feedback I received from the best people on Twitter. I was so pumped, I vowed to not sleep until I came up with TWO new articles to share with the world. I wrote a generic intro paragraph (not unlike this one) and then stared at my computer. And kept staring. Then it hit me- I had nothing to say.

I think it is important to distinguish the difference between "blogging" and traditional writing. Blogging is more about what you are feeling the moment you start hitting the keyboard. Traditional writing is more project-based: you have a goal and you break it down into steps, which sometimes takes multiple sittings and sounds really painful. Since the blogging piece is arguably the hardest part of the personal branding puzzle, I think I should share some insight with my fellow millennials.

TIME

One major turn-off is the time investment. "I work too much then go to the gym and cook dinner and then watch the Real World and then read Twilight. I don't have time for that crap." Sound like you? That probably means you're a pretty cool cat since that sounds like 99% of the people I am seen in public with (also known as "friends").

Guess what? I am probably busier than you. I leave my house at 7:30 every morning and don't get home until ~7:00 at night. That is almost 12 hours of my day. I get 6-7 hours of sleep (beauty sleep- I mean we know I don't need it, but still). That leaves like 5 hours of free time- you think I wanna spend it typing on a computer? Trick please, I got bicep curls to do.

Manage your time wisely while you are at work. I will not be posting every day, but if I do have some free time, I will probably write about it. I know for a fact that none of you work 12 hours straight (otherwise perezhilton.com would have ZERO hits). Maybe sacrifice reading about Jon Plus Eight (I don't know his real name, but I do know he dresses like me circa 2006) and write about what you are going to eat for lunch and why you hate men (or women or politicians).

CONTENT

Okay so what to write about. Well, I am writing a blog about writing blogs, so clearly anything is possible. Like I suggested in my previous entry, drink some vino and write about your true feelings. Do you have a secret crush on @Fieldsy4Life that only comes out when you drink Sauvignon Blanc? WRITE ABOUT IT!

[Tangent Warning] Just remember, you have a large audience in cyberspace (especially if @karla_porter and @sarahw79 pimp your blog - you both are amazing). Be careful what you write about (unless you don't want to). For example, I have very strong political opinions that I don't share since my target audience typically does not agree with me. But isn't that branding? I think so. Does the CEO of a company have to be exactly like the demographic she/he is trying to sell to (other than the CEO of Abercrombie, you ever see that guy)? Nope. I don't want my personal beliefs to turn off the hundreds of sexy people that I am trying to network (drink) with.

This brings me to my next point...

TOO MUCH CONTENT

Okay so you are a coffee [meth] [that was a joke] addict like me and you are quite the chatty Kathy. Here are some tips to prevent a bottleneck of creative content.

1. When you get ideas, write them down on paper, send a text message to yourself, or open up Word (or Open Office if you are down with Open Source) and friggin start writing that ish (baby boomers and gen x'ers, that is the PC way of saying sh*t in public).

Save the multiple articles you have for when you have blog-block. DON'T POST LIKE 7 ARTICLES IN 1 DAY. Then people will really think you are addicted to meth. Aside from getting an intervention, you will also be contributing to information overload. Space out your posts to keep everyone interested (Fun Fact: I wrote this yesterday, but am tweeting it now because my previous article was still warm).

If you are trying to romance a lady/gentleman, you don't wanna tell your life story right away. Space that stuff out (and no, it is not creepy to write down stuff to talk about - there are a lot creepier things you can be doing) (dating advice in a new post).

2. Create multiple blogs. I am already thinking about creating alter-egos online (I swear to Christ I don't hear voices) for different content. Political ranting, ranting about girls, ranting about companies that don't embrace a progressive employee culture, etc. I got a lot on my mind, but that stuff might taint the Adam Elliot Fields brand, so I am going to keep it separate (fun fact, I had to look up how to spell separate just now).

@animal (I will make an effort to mention you in each article) made a good point: most people don't have time or care about this stuff. But I don't write for those people (those are the people that order generic booze at the bar; I order Grey Goose, Sapphire, or Hendricks only); I write for the 23-25 year olds that are trying to keep up with the rock-stars that are just a few years older than us (people are like fine wines, better with age baby). Since I know most of the sexy talent management folks that I talk to are already rock-stars with this ish (that word again), I just make sure I give them a chuckle or two.

Well, that's all for now folks. Time to get some IT peeps hired :)

AF

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Jul 27, 2009

Earlier today, before my breakfast of Excedrine and Coffee (keeps me slender - #sexsells), I remembered a brief convo I had with @animal about Personal Branding. I said most of it is common sense – everything else is “smoke and mirrors”. While it may be common sense to me, I’m sure there are plenty of people who either a.) don’t know that you can use the internet to market yourself or b.) could care less (the satisfied with stat-quo crowd).

Not to discredit my original assessment, I still feel that there are FOUR basics that everyone can use to increase exposure to their “Personal Brand”. This is not only vital for job seekers, but also for existing employees who are trying to network within their field or perhaps attract new business to their organization.

Facebook

We will get to LinkedIn later, settle down. Facebook is more interactive [than LI] and gives you more of a canvas to really let your personality show. While I already have 700 people from college and high school on Facebook, I am now using it to build relationships with people I have tweeted with on Twitter. I guess that is the tip here – expand your network; Facebook can be used for more than looking at pictures of your ex.

Make sure you change your Facebook URL if you haven’t done so already! Mine is facebook.com/adamelliotfields. This makes it easy to send to people after you have had a good conversation with them.

Common sense: Make your Facebook profile PG-13. Don’t be a square, but don’t make your interests something like this: “beers, blunts, blondes lol”. Remember- you want people to be attracted to your personality first; this opens the door to further conversations about your skills that pay the bills.

LinkedIn

Put down your pens and paper, there isn’t really a whole lot to say about LinkedIn. Let’s go over the obvious: create a profile and add people! Recruiters are using LinkedIn just as much as the other job boards, wink wink.

My first tip here is to join groups based on your interests and then network with people through that group. Simple as that. Also, for the love of God, put your damn email address in your profile. If you are concerned with spam, create an email address like adam.fields.linkedin@gmail.com, just make sure you check it! I went a step beyond and posted my Twitter name, so you would have to be a complete idiot to not be able to get a hold of me. Facebook = personality, LinkedIn = skills.

Blog

You don’t need to buy a domain and a web designer (although having @smalps as my BFFL really helps). Try blogspot, wordpress, or tumblr. I personally like TwitBlogs.com because it is SO user friendly and seamlessly integrates with my Twitter profile.

Write about anything that is on your mind. Seriously, just be cool and let your personality come through. If you write about an article that is industry-specific, you can definitely get some attention to the professional side of your personal brand that way.

Just have fun with it though, don’t worry too much about the design and SEO at first. If you are a boring person, have a few drinks and then blog. Your blog could even be about getting buzzed and blogging (this could be big…)! Make your blog URL the default URL in your Twitter profile, and make sure you integrate it with your Facebook and LinkedIn pages (they have apps for that).

Twitter

Duh. Create a Twitter profile, add people, post links to cool articles, videos, songs, whatever. ReTweet people you want to get to know better.

Look at Twitter as a party (not a frat party, but like an upscale-apartment party where everyone is wearing designer jeans and drinking wine). Don’t be a soulless sales-person and hand your biz card out to everyone and move on. Instead, spend time to get to know a few people. Use TweetDeck and create a group called “Friends” (or Homies, Peeps, Brothas From Otha Mothas, etc.). This is your “Buddy List”; use it to keep track of the people you interact with on the regular. Twitter is going to be the medium you use to attract people to your Facebook, LinkedIn, and Blog pages.

Well, that’s it. This approach has allowed me to build relationships with some pretty cool people! I just got into Twitter in the spring, and went from not getting it, to being a self proclaimed master. In a few months, you can increase your network and create a name for yourself in cyberspace.

And if you are reading this and we aren’t connected online, make sure you go to http://www.facebook.com/adamelliotfields & http://www.linkedin.com/in/adamelliotfields ;)

AF

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Jul 22, 2009

Employer: Allstate Insurance

Location: Northbrook, IL

Title: User Experience Architect

For this role, I am looking for an individual with at least 8 years (per the hiring manager) experience in user-centered design, user-interface design, web concepts, usability testing, and user-interface standards. There is a lot of client interaction within this role, so strong communication skills are a must. You will also be working closely with Junior Architects, so strong leadership skills are going to be a plus.

The biggest requirement is going to be the user-centered design piece. You have to be able to provide samples and reference specific projects where you focused on the usability of the website. The experience I am looking for is very specific in terms of what this Business Unit needs, so all of the core competencies listed above must be present in your experience.

To apply online, go to www.allstate.jobs (if you do apply, please contact me immediately so I can expedite the consideration process). Feel free to @reply me and I will DM you back my contact info if you would like to discuss further.

AF

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Jul 21, 2009

Every so often I review my new followers and try to sort through the garbage and find some gems. While everyone uses Twitter for different reasons, we all agree on one thing: you will not get followed back if you aren't bringing anything to the table (like showing up to a party with just a 6-pack). After I surpassed the 1,000 follower mark, I definitely upped my standards for giving a folllow-back. So without further ado, here is my list of ways to GAURANTEE you will never get followed by moi:

No Picture: Listen, I know Twitter has bugs sometimes that make it difficult to upload a pic, but honestly, it is still a red flag. If I see no pic, I am already judging you. Assuming you don't work for an underground porn website, you are probably the type of person who got into Twitter because of Oprah. Or better yet, one of those people that gets an iPod and then gives it to me cause you can't figure out how to "put songs on it". Despicable...

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Jul 17, 2009

Anyone that is reading this knows I have a lot to say, and I am suprised that for the past 6 months, I have been limiting myself to only 140 characters!

I guess my reasons for not getting into blogging are because I have high standards for design and cannot rely on @smalps to do everything for me. Also, if you are reading this, you know I am kinda lazy (outside of the office, obviously), so figuring out all the HTML stuff just didn't really sizzle my bacon.

Hopefully this site lives up to my expectations, I have a lot of great ideas for usage:

1. More elaborate tweets (instead of tweeting "going 2 the gym", I can say in more detail what I'm doing. You get the idea.

2. For the past few months, I have been tweeting "future blog idea", well now I can share my thoughts and insight on talent management without guest blogging hehe (thanks @ryanleary, you're the man!).

3. JOB POSTINGS GALORE! If you are a recruiter (and want to hook a brother up, I can't pay fees, but I can give you props) or a candidate and you think you can help, let me know, I'll get you in process ASAP. I am specifically recruiting for Allstate Insurance Financial Technology, Investments Technology, and Technology Operations. We are looking for VERY specific skillsets, so this blog will be the platform I use to tell EXACTLY what the positions entail and exactly what type of candidate we need!

I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I am going to enjoy writing it!

AF