Are you LinkedIn for your Job Search?

Written by: Sandi Vidal, BBA '88, Executive Director of Christian HELP

 

 Social Media has become a major player for recruiters to find future employees and for them to research potential candidates.  Having a presence on social media can have its ups and downs.  If you are a crazy party animal and you have a ton of pictures on Instagram that you wouldn’t want your parents to see… you might be taking a risk when it comes to what you put out in the cyberworld.

LinkedIn is the largest professional networking site out there with over 200 million members in 200 countries. It is a trusted source for branding, networking, and research. If you are job seeking, it gives you the opportunity to get your profile out there, connect with people you know, network with those you don’t, share common interests, and share wisdom through relevant articles and comments. It is also the one place where you don’t have to worry about visibly placing your resume when you have a job!

So, how do you get started? 

·         Go to Linkedin.com

·         Set up a profile page- complete it with the care you would give a resume

·         Add a professional picture (I stay away from using my favorite Mr. Potato Head shot that I use on Facebook)

·         If you have a website to list, hit other and it will allow you to name it rather than using the generic

·         Upload your address book

·         Search people you know and invite them to connect

·         Get recommendations (I have seen these work as references!)

·         Look for groups to join (Like the Toppel Career Center )

·         Search for jobs

·         Be a Contributor by posting articles and commenting on postings

 

Having a great LinkedIn profile will give you a chance to connect with and meet people you may not have access to in real life.  Also, you can see how you are connected to people who know people at companies you are interested in.  When I added my company to LinkedIn, I found people who were connected to us rather than having to add them. The great thing for you is that you will be able to find them too.

This is just one of many tools in your search, but it is a powerful one to use, even after you start your career.

Sandi Vidal, BBA ’88, is a graduate of the University of Miami. She currently runs Christian HELP and the Central Florida EmploymentCouncil in Orlando, Florida. She is a subject matter on employment with a bi-weekly column in the Seminole Voice and a regular contributor to the Huffington Post. Sandi is married with 3 children and 3 cats.

Toppel Stars: Daniela Noguera

Meet Daniela Noguera, a University of Miami senior currently working as a Web Producer at Telemundo Networks/NBC Universal.  Daniela will graduate from UM in May 2013 with majors in Broadcast Journalism and International Relations.  We asked Daniela to share how she found this position and offer any advice for other Canes going through the job search process.

 How did you find out about the position?

I was contacted by my mentor who took care of me while I interned in the Telemundo Digital Media department in fall 2011. The funny thing was that she wrote on my Facebook wall saying "Dani, what are you doing for the next few months?" and the rest is history.

Did you have internships before applying for the job?

Yes, I had an internship with Telemundo's Digital Media Department. Then, I was hired to work for them in May 2012.

What was the interview and recruitment process like? 

Everything was smooth, as if it was meant to be. In fact, I believe it was meant to be. From the moment I set foot in Telemundo's offices, I knew I was in the right place.

What made you choose the company?

NBCUniversal and Telemundo have a special characteristic that no other company/network has. There is a sense of unity, growth and innovation. Telemundo is a family, that wants all of its people to succeed. They encourage you to put your ideas and have a voice. Its pure love for what I have for NBCU and Telemundo. 

If you could give one piece of advice to other job seekers, what would it be?

Just be yourself, show people what you can bring to the table. Remember, you are 1 in 6 billion, we all think and act differently, so everyone has something new to offer. Do not be afraid to think outside the box and express your ideas, but most importantly, always have faith. 

 

Success Beyond UM: Nicki Marko, Former Peer Advisor

Title/Employer Casting/Discovery Studios

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your current job/employer.
During my freshman UMX class, Toppel came and gave a presentation on how to best prepare ourselves for our careers after college. I remember the presenter mentioning that most employers like to see at least 2-3 internships on a resume, so I immediately got to work. I interned at a TV production company in DC (Ventana Productions) the summer before my sophomore year, Discovery Communications the summer before my junior year, and then at Miami World Cinema Center during my senior year. During this time I also worked as a peer advisor at Toppel so I made sure I had a killer resume to show off all of my experience. Needless to say I was very disappointed when I was unable to find a job upon graduation, despite my preparation during undergraduate career. My disappointment was intensified as all of my fellow peer advisors had landed amazing, well paying jobs of their choosing. I spent the summer in Japan with my parents to try to decide my next move. I did have a few interviews via Skype but none seemed to work out. I returned to the states and started waitressing, while applying for what seemed like hundreds of jobs online during my free time. Almost six months had passed since graduation and I was still jobless, until one day a contact I had made through my internship at Discovery (2 years prior) called me about a position in casting for TLC. I interviewed on Monday, was offered the job on Tuesday, quit my waitressing job Friday and started that very next week. I am working in casting for TLC's season 3 of "Hoarding: Buried Alive". So, in the end it was thanks to the connections I made (and kept) during my internships that landed me my first job in the biz.

What was your major(s)/minor(s) in school?
Majored in Video/Film and Anthropology

When and how did you begin to get involved with your career development while at UM?
I focused on landing internships in my field because at the end of the day it’s not what you know it’s who you know, especially in the TV/film industry. Or at least, that has been my experience. I also was a peer advisor, so I saw firsthand the importance of getting internships, interview and networking experience, and being proactive about job searching and career development.

What services/resources at the Toppel Career Center did you find to be the most helpful?
I think one of the most dreadful, yet a helpful experience is to participate in a mock interview. Especially if you have it recorded.

What advice would you give to students as they plan for their career?
I think being successful is a combination of being prepared but also being open to opportunities that you may not have planned for. I think one of the most important things I learned while working at Toppel is that every second is an opportunity to network. You never know who you will meet and what opportunity it may lead to.

Success Beyond UM

Written by Claire Arritola and Priyanka Surio

Working at the Toppel Career Center comes with many perks; it is considered one of the best jobs to have on campus. Being a peer advisor prepares us for the professional world in all aspects. This has been proven through the success of a former Peer Advisor, Steve Glasser ’10. Steve graduated last May with a major in Marketing and a minor in Sport Administration and went on to work for his dream job, ESPN! Always enthusiastic about the sports arena, it was only his destiny to end up as a Production Researcher for ESPN Stats and Information. He went from sharing football stats and information in the office to writing sports articles for ESPN New York. He made it to the end zone after much persistence, using the strategies he learned at our career center to score that touchdown. He is starting off his career to a great start and we only see greater things in his future; soon he will be hosting the halftime show for national football games, sharing his valuable and insightful input. We can’t wait to see what our future holds!

They're Not The Same Old Jets (So Far) - Written by Steve Glasser