This is the second week of our summer 2009 interactive
project for sharing ideas about how you, as a job
seeker with a visual impairment, can effectively use
social media for networking so you can gain meaningful
employment.
Time has changed networking into a sophisticated job
marketing tool.
30 years ago, networking for job seekers meant
casually striking up a conversation with others at a
conference, workshop or cocktail party about "work."
20 years ago, career research for job seekers became
more deliberate. Job seekers sought to expand their
networks and go directly to the "hidden" job market by
actively but discreetly doing job sector and company
research through in-person "informational interviews."
For an example of that "information interview"
approach see "Essential Career Marketing Tactic:
Writing Effective Letters of Introduction" at
http://www.esight.org/view.cfm?x=1003
Then, about 10 years ago, savvy job seekers started
doing career research online and using e-mail lists to
network with prospective employers. "Pay it forward"
and "give to get" became the norms in that online
environment, where being knowledgeable and helpful to
others are keys to expanding the scope of researching
a job - and marketing yourself as a job seeker.
Today, each of these forms of networking, when used
judiciously, can play a role for us in researching a
career, conducting company research, establishing
relationships with key contacts, gaining access to the
"hidden" job market and "selling" ourselves as a
potential employee.
But, there are now additional resources we didn't have
three decades (or a decade) ago -- online social media,
such as:
LinkedIn,
http://www.linkedin.com
Twitter,
twitter.com
Facebook,
http://www.facebook.com
StumbleUpon,
stumbleupon.com
The bottom line: As job seekers (especially those of
us with visual impairments), we can now tap our
creativity to make our career research and networking
less invasive for everyone involved. In doing so, our
job marketing efforts become more focused and more
time-efficient with less effort and a lower cost.
By using LinkedIn, for example, you can connect with
exactly the right people in the companies where you
want to work.
If you don't know anyone in a company you're
targeting, you can use LinkedIn to find a connection
who can introduce you to the company or one of their
connections who can make the introduction.
By doing so, you'll likely get higher priority
consideration for an open job you would love to have.
That social media approach gives a new dimension to
career networking, company research, and job
marketing. But, first things first: You need to have
your self-presentation (social media profile) and
letter of introduction (introduction request) in good
form before you start using the power of social
networking in your job search.
To help you get started, read "Letters of
Introduction" for advice on how to carry out your
search for the job and employer which are right for
you at http://www.esight.org/view.cfm?x=1003
Then, on the eSight Networking Forum, give us your
thoughts about this question:
How do you make your case that a colleague should
introduce you to a member of his or her social
network?
Please share your thoughts by posting them at
http://www.esight.org/link.cfm?n=1608
Read all the postings from eSight members at
http://www.esight.org/link.cfm?n=1609
Please forward this newsletter to a friend or
colleague you think would find it useful.
Did someone forward you this newsletter?
If so, welcome. I invite you to subscribe
and join the eSight community at
http://www.esight.org/member_registration.cfm
Liz Seger
Facilitator
eSight Careers Network(tm)
http://www.esight.org/
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http://www.esight.lighthouse.org/blog/
Resource Sharing
http://www.esight.org/view.cfm?x=1982
Search all eSight Job Postings at
http://www.esight.org/search_jobs.cfm
Resources for Job Hunters
http://www.esight.org/job_resources.cfm
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About eSight NetWork News
One of the benefits of membership in the eSight
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Founded in 1905, Lighthouse International is a leading
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achieves this through clinical and rehabilitation
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For more information about vision loss and its causes,
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