There has been a lot of discussion around how work style differs between the Millennials and Boomers. With contrasting stereotypes, such as Millennials feeling entitled to fast promotions, and Boomers being out of touch with the technology of today, people are questioning whether the age gap can be overcome.

The first quarterly report I’ve written in partnership with The Hartford, titled Tomorrow @Work, terms this dynamic the “Generational Mashup.” Employers need to appeal to a variety of generations simultaneously to be successful, and employees of different generations must learn to work together to be successful.

Read the rest of this post on the Personal Branding Blog…

Today’s post is from my friend and colleague, William Arruda. Dubbed the “Personal Branding Guru” by Entrepreneur, William is the founder of Reach and author of

Even if you just landed your first job or are still in the early days of your career, you can move yourself outside the regular hierarchy of your company and be seen as a leader. How? Become your organization’s most fervent brand ambassador.

In my new book, Ditch. Dare. Do! my coauthor and I say “Being a steward for the brand gives you an opportunity to connect with others throughout the company; it enables you to increase your visibility, demonstrate your commitment and attract opportunities.”

In a Gallup survey, employees were asked if they know what their company stands for and what makes it different from the competition – and only 41% strongly agreed!

What does that mean for you? It means you have an opportunity to stand out from your peers and get on the radar of senior leaders. Being a corporate brand evangelist is one of the best ways to build your personal brand.

Here are five actions you can take to become a visible and valuable brand ambassador:

1. Learn.

Connect with your marketing colleagues to get clear on the corporate brand – attributes, positioning, etc; and become familiar with your company’s marketing messages – advertisements, social media pages, web sites, etc

2. Integrate.

Look at everything you do every day and decide how you can integrate more of the corporate brand into it. For example, if your company’s brand is all about creativity, think about how you can make your meetings, emails, agendas, etc. reflect that creativity

3. Team.

Work with your team to inject more of the corporate brand into what you do and how you work as a team

4. Commit.

Add a brand-building action to your annual commitments and make sure your manager knows how important this is to you

5. Evangelize.

Promote corporate marketing campaigns through your social media channels.

Thank you to William for sharing these tips today!

Not surprisingly, when this recruiter has a job to fill, he reaches for the smaller stack of referred applicants first. It’s simply more efficient and effective to check out candidates who come with a recommendation from a trusted friend or colleague.

So, how do you get your resume into the coveted short stack? Here are some tips:

1. Put people first.

Instead of starting your job search with job postings, start with the people you know. Where do they work? Where did they used to work? Who do they know? What advice and introductions can they provide?

The new LinkedIn Jobs makes this easy by showing you all of the companies (that are currently hiring) where you have LinkedIn connections. Just scroll down the main Jobs page to “Jobs in Your Network” and start browsing opportunities. You can also visit theLinkedIn Company Pages of the organizations on your prospect list and view anyone in your network who currently works or used to work there.

2. Gather information and build relationships.

Now it’s time to reach out. Before you apply for any position, try to speak with or have an email exchange with someone who has worked or currently works for the employer — in other words, conduct informational interviews. Your goal in these conversations is not to ask for a job or even to ask for your resume to be passed along. Not yet. Your objective at this point is to gather information that will help to: 1) give you an edge when you do apply for a position, and 2) build a relationship with the person providing the information so that in the future this person will make a referral.

Here is what you might say in an outreach email to an existing connection:

Hi Rachel,

I hope all is well – I loved the recent article you posted on LinkedIn about the new iPhone. As you may know, I am in the midst of a job search and I was wondering if you would be willing to provide a bit of guidance. I am very interested in a position in IT support at Nike and I know that you worked there for several years. Would you be open to a brief phone chat or to answer a few questions by email to provide some insight into how Nike hires and what they look for? I would be so grateful for your time and very happy to return the favor.

Thanks,

Lindsey

Read the rest of this post on the Official LinkedIn Blog…

Image: LinkedIn

Today’s post comes from my friend Elizabeth Grace Saunders, the leading time management expert for Generation Y. Elizabeth calls herself a “time coach” and is the author of the recently released

As a member of Gen Y, you have some advantages when it comes to time management, such as quickly understanding new technology and thriving in quickly changing work environments. But sometimes your natural strengths can keep you from having the best time investment when you transition from college to career. As a time coach, I’ve seen that Gen Y can benefit from these three tips:

1. Set the Pace, Instead of Letting Technology Set it For You

Just because someone sent you an e-mail or text, doesn’t mean that you have to respond right away. It’s essential that you set the pace of your workday so you can get important—not just urgent—items done. For example:

• Block out “communication free” times when you want to focus on a big project. This could include turning off your phone and going to a location without wi-fi access.
• Set the expectation that you will respond to e-mails in about 24 hours so people don’t get used to an instant response.
• Limit the amount of time you spend on social media or avoid it completely at work so can stay focused.

2. Decide Whether Flexible Really is Best For You

Given the connectedness in our world, it’s tempting to think that flexible hours and work locations will give you the optimal level of productivity. However for many people it doesn’t, and you could actually accomplish more and feel less stressed if you had more structure to your day. To find out what’s best for you, try out these strategies:

• Notice if you get more done and then have more fun (without guilt) outside of work if you set standard hours instead of having them vary from day-to-day.
• Observe whether or not you increase your productivity by being at an office or away from it. Where do you feel the most motivation?
• Pay attention to the type of activities you need to get done and the location and time that best suits them. For example, you may find that doing day-to-day items is best during the morning and early afternoon in the office. But then if you need to write a report or work on a complex problem, that you should head over to a coffee shop or the library in the late afternoon.

3. Respect Other Generations’ Relationships With Time

Gen Y tends to have a more relative sense of time such as perceiving arriving five or even 15 minutes after the posted meeting time as still “on time,” while other generations often believe that you should arrive at 3:55 pm for a 4 pm meeting. Of course a particular sense of timeliness can vary from person to person. But these tips can help you to show respect for your co-workers and thrive in your work environment:

• Pay attention to the company meeting norms. Does everyone arrive five minutes early or do the meetings tend to start late? Then try to match your behavior to your environment. It makes you look professional and dependable.
• Be observant of the expectations around deadlines. Does a due date of Tuesday mean that you have it e-mailed to your boss by 9 a.m. or that it needs to arrive some time before midnight? Sometimes deadlines don’t matter as much and other times they’re extremely important. Get clear on the expectations and try to work within them.
• Respect the pace of decision-making and action. Sometimes, it’s tempting to get impatient when you feel like everything is moving slowly and you don’t understand why you need to do more research before moving forward. Instead of feeling frustrated and perceiving other generations’ requests as attempts to thwart your plans, respect the fact that they have more experience than you do that may make them aware of potential issues you’ve never faced.

By following these three time investment tips, you can thrive in your work environment as a member of Gen Y.

Don’t despair. It may take some extra effort to land a job after a long period of unemployment, but it is absolutely possible. Here are five Es to guide you:

1. Explanation

First and foremost, it is a mistake to hope that employers won’t notice that you are currently out of work. A gap in your LinkedIn profile or your resume is certain to raise a red flag. You need to address it directly.

Depending on the reason for your time away and your personal comfort level, you can either explain the gap at the beginning of your LinkedIn profile Summary or in your InMail correspondence or cover letters to recruiters when you apply for positions. In whichever place you choose to give your explanation, do it quickly, honestly and positively.

Here’s an example if you stopped working because of a layoff:

I am a creative, client-focused public relations professional with deep experience in the financial services industry. Since ABC Public Relations closed its financial services practice in June 2012, I am currently seeking a new opportunity to join a large agency.

Here’s an example if you stopped working for personal reasons, such as childcare:

I am a corporate generalist attorney with substantial in-house legal experience. For the past three years, I have focused on raising my family and I am now eager to commit my substantial energy to a full-time position as an in-house counsel for a small- to medium-sized company.

Read the rest of this post on the Official LinkedIn Blog...

Image: iStockphoto

With those goals in mind, here are three career trends I’m predicting for 2013 and tips on how you can incorporate them, with the help of LinkedIn, into your New Year’s job search:

LinkedIn profiles replace resumes
We’ve seen this happening for some time — people leading with their LinkedIn profile vs their resume. I believe 2013 is the year that many employers will rely more on LinkedIn than traditional resumes to make their hiring decisions. Employers may still request traditional resumes, but those will take a backseat to your LinkedIn presence. The reasons why are numerous: a LinkedIn profile provides so much more information and richer context for one’s career path, skills and experience; a resume limits you to one or two pages while a LinkedIn profile is unlimited; and your LinkedIn profile is public, so employers consider it to be more trustworthy (i.e., very few people lie on their LinkedIn profiles because their connections would quickly call out any untruths or exaggerations).

In some ways, your LinkedIn profile needs to mirror your resume. Factual information, such as your job titles, dates of employment and educational credentials, need to match exactly. And your overall skill set, experience level and areas of professional focus need to remain consistent so you don’t appear to be two completely different job candidates.

Beyond those basic similarities with your resume, your LinkedIn profile is completely customizable. To make your profile most appealing to employers, first craft a compelling, keyword-rich headline, such as “Big Idea Salesperson with Track Record of Success in the Construction Sector.” Not sure what to say? Gather inspiration by researching the LinkedIn profile headlines of some successful people who have the type of job you want.

Next, add a professional photograph to your profile to help recruiters match your name with your face when they meet you in person. Then, make sure that the rest of your profile acts as a more comprehensive version of your resume, including all of your experience, unique accomplishments, measurable results (e.g., “decreased average customer service call wait time by over 2 minutes”) and recommendations from former colleagues and managers.

Once you feel your profile is the best it can be, tap a few trusted friends or family members to review it with a critical eye. Specifically, ask them two questions:

1. Is it clear from my profile what kind of job opportunities would be a good fit?
2. Is it clear what makes me unique and valuable?

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If your friends can’t answer these questions, or their answers are not what you’re hoping for, then go back to the drawing board.

One last point: remember that your LinkedIn profile is a living, breathing representation of you, so regularly revisit your profile to make sure it’s up-to-date with new accomplishments. You can also keep your profile fresh and appealing to recruiters by frequently sharing interesting articles or brief commentary about topics that matter to you. These shares appear right at the top of your profile in the “Activity” section, so they will keep your profile looking active and compelling.

Read the rest of this post on the LinkedIn Blog…

Image: iStockphoto

I love the mission of the organization — Levo is the Latin root of the word “elevate,” which captures the organization’s mission for professional women to ascend together and achieve their career dreams – and I had fun answering questions from Levo Leaguers about social media and personal branding.

Here are some of the tips I shared for networking and building a strong personal brand through social media:

• Take a “clicks and mix” approach to networking online. “Clicks and mix” is a phrase I borrowed from my friend and social media expert, Diane Danielson. It means to combine the online and offline in your networking efforts. For instance, you can get an introduction via social media, but then make a date to meet for coffee. Never hide behind your computer screen.
• Get serious about your LinkedIn profile. The very top of your LinkedIn profile is the first thing people notice. Make sure you have a great professional headshot on your profile, and make sure your profile headline is a broad description of who you are, including keywords that a recruiter or client might use to search for you.
• Use Twitter as a research tool. Think of Twitter as your own personal news feed. Create a stream or list) where all you’re following are companies you want to work for or clients you want to pursue. Have a stream or list that is totally career related. (You can follow Ashton and Lady Gaga elsewhere!)

Click over the the Levo League blog to read more tips!

If your dream employer appears on this list, you’re certainly in good company. But it also means you’re up for some intense competition. What does it take to land a job at one of the world’s most sought-after employers? Here are some tips:

It takes confidence. Yes, it can be challenging to apply to a top organization, but don’t take yourself out of the running before you take the first step. The very first step in landing a job with your dream employer is believing it’s possible. You’ll never get a job you don’t apply for.

It takes a good fit. That said, you have to be realistic about what opportunities you pursue. Just because a company is popular doesn’t mean it’s the right career or cultural fit for you. Take time to thoroughly research a potential employer by exploring that organization’s website and reading through its LinkedIn Company Page. The “Careers” tab of any Company Page will provide information about that organization’s culture, and the company’s status updates — which you can follow by clicking the “Follow” button in the upper right hand corner of any Company Page — will alert you to the organization’s current news and priorities.

I also recommend following a potential employer’s competitors (which you can generally find under the Insights tab of the Company Page under “People Also Viewed”). Research how a potential employer compares to its rivals in terms of culture, services, career opportunities and more. If you prefer another organization’s activities and positioning, then perhaps that company is your dream employer instead.

Read more on the LinkedIn Blog…

Image: iStockphoto

For job seekers, this sense of a new beginning can inspire you to inject new energy into your hunt. In particular, the fall season is a nice time of year to reconnect with members of your college or university alumni community, who may be feeling nostalgic for their school days as well (particularly if you have a good football team!).

Here are some tips for connecting and reconnecting with fellow graduates of your alma mater:

1. Join your alumni community. The first essential step is to become a member of your university’s alumni group on LinkedIn. Virtually every college and university in the world has one or more, as do many high schools as well. Go to the Groups Directory and search for the name of any educational institutions you attended. You’ll find that some schools have multiple groups, so join as many as appeal to you.

Once you’re a member, scan the group’s Discussions, Members and Jobs for networking opportunities. For instance, join a discussion of fellow alums talking about your industry, comment on an article someone has posted or introduce yourself to the Group Manager, who is often a representative of the Alumni Association (often a very connected and helpful person).

You can also start your own discussion, perhaps posting an article with a few personal comments or posing a question to group members. Or, you can introduce yourself and your goals: “Hi fellow Tigers: I’m new to the group and excited to connect with fellow alums. I’m currently looking for a job as a graphic designer and eager to connect with any other job seekers or design folks. Happy to help anyone I can. Thanks!”

Remember also that LinkedIn permits you to send a message or connection request to anyone with whom you share a group on LinkedIn (as long as that person has opted to accept such messages), which will help you build one-on-one relationships with individual group members.

Read the rest of this post on the LinkedIn blog…

Image: Trinity University

If you are a recent or soon-to-be college graduate, you are probably getting a lot of bad advice.

For instance, at some point a responsible adult—a professor, your dad—may have encouraged you to continue your education after college. What about law school? Stable, prestigious, high salary, what’s not to like?

Here’s today’s reality: According to the National Association for Law Placement (NALP), only 65.4% of those who received JDs in 2011 were practicing law nine months after graduation. Which you need to do to pay off the loans: those graduating from private law schools in 2011 had an average debt of $125,000. Even if you do get a job your salary isn’t likely to be up to the task of paying that off anytime soon.

So should you listen to your English professor and get a PhD? Not if you want to be a professor. The Chronicle of Higher Education regularly reports on the job hunts of frustrated candidates spending months or years applying for the small handful of discipline-specific positions available, jobs you’re only eligible for after five, seven, even ten years of graduate education.

What about business school? Even if an MBA program is willing to let you in immediately after college, think twice. Getting an MBA doesn’t necessarily help you compete for jobs; rather, it puts you into a new applicant pool, one filled with competitors with at least a few years of experience.

So what’s an unemployed new grad to do?

Keep in mind that what your parents and professors are probably seeking for you is stability, a soft landing for you that lets them sleep better at night. But employment stability no longer exists in most fields, including those like law or academe that historically were considered quite safe from the vagaries of the economy. Once you let go of the idea that you’re going to stay in the same place—the same job, the same organization, the same career—you may find yourself willing to consider options you haven’t so far.

Several years ago I conducted a research study on businesspeople who graduated from college during the economic downturn of the early 1990s; I was curious to see how they had navigated their career paths given their difficult launch. In the beginning, they had largely taken a path of least resistance, taking on jobs like restaurant hostess, liquor store clerk, or office temp in order to pay the bills (sound familiar?). When I interviewed them they were in their mid-to late-thirties, and all had ultimately managed to achieve career success on the surface: gainful employment, and a level of prestige and income that they could be proud to report to their alumni magazines.

But they weren’t all happy where they’d ended up. Most were satisfied, but others had continued on that path of least resistance for over a decade. They took advantage of new opportunities as the economy improved, but without really stopping to ask themselves how their interests were developing over time.

The lesson to be learned here is take what you can get for now, but keep seeking advice from people you meet who are doing things you think you might want to do. Pay close attention to how your interests grow and change, and jump on any opportunity that will teach you something you want to learn, broaden your professional network, and that will be looked on favorably by future employers (and, yes, graduate schools).

Your first job does not need to define you, and there is no reason a poor job market should rob you of a rewarding career. Take from someone who has seen the long view: You have more control over your professional fate than you think.

Sharon Belden Castonguay, EdD, is the Director of the Graduate Career Management Center at Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business in New York. She also maintains a private practice, SBC Career Consulting.