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How to resign without burning bridges behind

At some point, every worker is faced with the dilemma of whether or not to leave his or her current employer for a better job.

If you do decide to jump ship, you are then faced with the question of how to do it right.

Even if you dislike your job, you should still make every effort to leave on good terms. You never know if you will need a reference later on or, if staying in the same field, your paths will cross again.

Here are a few tips that will help you remain in good standing with a former employer:

BREAKING THE NEWS

Once you have decided to quit, compile a list of people who you want to personally tell the news first. Your direct supervisor should be at the top of that list. Next, your supervisor’s manager - assuming you have had professional contact with this person. You will also want to include any mentors that you have at the organisation.

If you have close colleagues that you trust would not spill the beans too soon, you can tell them as well.

After telling your manager, submit a brief resignation letter explaining that you are leaving and when your last day would be.

Next, talk with your supervisor about how the news would be shared with the rest of the company. Your supervisor would likely confer with you about what to say when asked why you are leaving. Be prepared with a response.

There are few instances where quitting over the phone or via email are acceptable. Unless you and your supervisor rarely see each other, due to geographical distance, for example, it should be done face to face.

GIVING NOTICE

The amount of notice you give depends on several factors:

What does your new employer want? Your new employer may want you to start right away. You may not, however, be able to leave so soon. Most should be willing to accommodate the need to give an appropriate amount of notice.

Usually, two weeks is the minimum, but up to four weeks may be more realistic. Being conscientious of how you leave can help the new employer to see that you are a loyal and professional worker.

How long have you been with the current organisation? The longer you have been there, the deeper your roots. You have likely accumulated a great deal of institutional knowledge that is not necessarily written anywhere. If you want to leave on a high note, it is best to give your employer sufficient transition time.

How anxious are you to go? Do you see the new job as the next in a series of progressively more exciting opportunities or as an escape hatch from a dungeon? If it is the latter, the less notice you are compelled to give.

In rare instances, your current employer might ask that you stay on for a longer period after giving notice. They might desperately need you to complete a project in which you are the lead. You can choose to be flexible, but aren’t required to. Be careful not to get drawn into a prolonged goodbye.

Also keep in mind that if your current job deals with sensitive company information or you are leaving to join a competitor, your employer may decide to end your employment effective immediately.

If your job falls into one of these categories, make sure you are financially prepared.

WRAPPING THINGS UP

Quitting is likely not a decision that you came to lightly.

Expect co-workers to inquire about why you are leaving. Don’t make up reasons, but rather, focus on the allure of the new opportunity.

Be honest, but keep it brief and consistent. People will talk and you’ll seem disingenuous if their accounts conflict.

Be realistic about what else you are able to get done in the remaining time. Share your list of priorities with your supervisors and allow them the chance to provide input on what is most important.

After giving notice, shift from getting work done to getting work organised. Whether you have provided two or six weeks for your transition, the time will go by faster than you expect. The best way to leave your employer in good standing is to provide a solid transition plan for the next employee.

Make a detailed list of projects and their status, draft a memo describing important technical facts about your job, leave behind a list of key contacts and organise the files on your desk and computer.

You might find yourself working longer hours during this period, and that is okay. If you are working double the hours, however, that is not acceptable and you should discus with your manager. Ensuring that you aren’t being taken advantage of is a critical element of a dignified departure.

THE EXIT INTERVIEW

The last hour of your last day has finally arrived. You’ve cleaned out your desk, surrendered your security card, and made your way down to human resources for an exit interview. When the HR manager asks for feedback on the organisation, however, what do you say?

If your experience has been positive, the answer is easy. But if you have concerns about your manager or someone else at the company, how honest should you be?

The information gathered in the exit interview, theoretically, is to be used to make improvements. With that in mind, be sceptical of any guarantees of confidentiality.

Therefore, you should ask yourself what you hope to accomplish by raising any concerns. If you believe that what you say may contribute to a positive change, it may be worth taking the chance. Otherwise, keep quiet.

Whatever you decide, make sure your comments are constructive.

Don’t use the exit interview as a venting session. If you decide to speak up, be tactful with your criticisms and come prepared with concrete suggestions for improvement.

The information gathered in the exit interview, theoretically, is to be used to make improvements. With that in mind, be sceptical of any guarantees of confidentiality. Don’t use it as a venting session.

Resume Objectives are brief statements you use to let prospective employers know the type of position you are seeking. It is vitally important that you are able to demonstrate to the hirer that you have clear career goals and know what it is you want.

Your objective should be short, probably no more than one or two lines and should contain information about the job title, the functions of the job, your field of interest and possibly your preferred work setting.

Be extremely careful that your resume objectives don’t sound like you, you, you. All employers are looking to recruit individuals who are going to assist them to achieve their business objectives. You must get over how you would be of benefit to the employer.

Avoid weak objectives like “looking for sales position with opportunities for advancement.”; or, “looking for management in a challenging position.”

A strong objective would be something like “looking for a position in sales management where my extensive experience can be utilized to increase sales, through the building of high performance sales teams.”

When compiling your objective statement use the following questions to assist you:

1. What do I want to do?
2. Where do I want to do it?
3. What level of responsibility do I want?
4. For Whom or With Whom do I want to do it?

If, for example you answered

1. What? Sales
2. Where? Indoors in Financial Services
3. What Level? Management
4. For Whom? Multi-national Company

Your Objective would be: Management of telesales team for Multi-national Financial Services Company.
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New job-seeking tool? It’s the network

The business of online networking is growing, and part of the reason is that people are using their networks to recruit and job-seek. Jeremy Hobson found that, just like it is offline, it’s less about what you know — it’s who you know.

Lisa Napoli: I’ve never counted how many friends I have in the real world. But in the online community of Facebook, I have 75.

Now, the people who run these social networking sites don’t just think of them as digital popularity contests. They’re banking on them doing some good for your career. What got us thinking about this was that MySpace opened new offices in San Francisco this week and said it was hiring 200 new employees.

The business of online networking is growing, and part of the reason is that people are using them to recruit and jobseek. Marketplace’s Jeremy Hobson found that just like it is offline, it’s less about what you know — it’s who you know.

Jeremy Hobson: It’s a sunny afternoon in San Francisco, and I’ve asked Mark Gentry to take a break from his day job as a recruiter and join me at the Embarcadero. We’re at the water’s edge in the shadow of the Bay Bridge, with thousands of lunching downtown workers just a block or two away.

It’s a rare outing for Gentry, because he says these days, recruiting is done almost entirely on the Internet.

Mark Gentry: A good recruiter is living online.

And, he says, a good job-seeker should be as well. Because the old way of finding work doesn’t cut it anymore.

Gentry: Right now, if you sent me a resume in a envelope, there’s little chance that I’ll even open it. And the first thing I’m going to do when I get it is I’m gonna look online to see where you are. And if you’re not online, then I’m going to think, well, why aren’t you online? Are you even current to the market? Do you even understand what’s going on in the world?

If you are online, there’s a good chance Gentry can find you. He’s found jobs for thousands of people after looking at their profiles and the people they’re connected to on social networking sites. Sites like Facebook, Myspace, Ryze, Xing and most of all, Linkedin.

Scott Nelson: You come to Linkedin to get business done, basically.

That’s the company line from Scott Nelson at Linkedin’s headquarters in the heart of Silicon Valley. The site has 15 million users, and Nelson says it’s growing by a million a month.
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You are looking for a career that is fulfilling and exciting. One that will get you out of bed in the morning with a smile on your face. So you begin looking for that career. Weeks go by. You are still stuck in that life-sucking job. How do you keep motivated enough to do the work it will take to find your next career?

The key to success that is most often ignored or forgotten is this… Take time to celebrate! I can hear you saying, "I have nothing to celebrate. I am stuck in this job and I haven't made the career change I want." My answer is find something to celebrate. Researchers show that people we consider successful tend to focus on their past successes . People who we would consider failures tend to focus on their past failures. We get more of what we focus on. Plus how motivating is it to focus on past and current failures? It doesn't get you out of bed filled with energy to work on moving towards a new career!

I will share with you two simple activities to help you focus and celebrate your daily successes. (Yes, you have them!) The first activity is a "Success Log." Peter Thigpen, a former vice-president at Levi Strauss & Co. kept a "Success Log" on his desk. Anytime he had a success whether it was big or small he wrote it down. Everyday he wrote at least a couple of entries. Sometimes the entries were about work, sometimes they referred to success in his personal life. When he had a bad day or when he was about to do something uncomfortable like make a speech to the board of directors or negotiate a big deal Peter pulled out his Success Log and read his previous entries. Doing this kept him focused on success and prepared him for a confident speech or negotiation.

Start a Success Log today! I don't want to hear that you have nothing to write down! Are you out of bed? Did you get the kids off to school? Did you drive safely to work? All of us have many successes everyday so write some down! Give yourself credit. Most of us have a double standard in regards to taking credit. When we complete something successfully we tend to downplay it. In contrast when we make a mistake we tend to blow it up and take full credit. Not fair! It is time to take full credit for our successes instead. Focus on success.

The second activity to help you focus on success is the "Mirror Exercise". Every night before bed simply look in the mirror, right into your eyes and say your name… I appreciate you for _______ today. For example I might say, "Leanna, I appreciate you for going on a run today." or "I appreciate you for making that hard phone call." List five successes you have had today. When you are done look yourself in the eyes and say, "I love you." Many people have trouble with this last part because they truly have a hard time loving themselves. Do it anyway because as you change careers you need the confidence that will come from loving yourself. If you can't look into your eyes at first then look away and say it. It will get easier.

In order to have courage and motivation to take the risks necessary to have a career you love you need to gather strength from your past successes. You need to celebrate each step of the way. Doing this will not only give you confidence but it will help make this career change journey exciting and fun.

Leanna Fredrich works with professional and executive women in the 2nd half of their careers who are burned out and don't know what to do next. She helps them go from burned out to fired up by finding meaningful and passion-filled work. Are you serious about creating an amazing life? Get the FREE report, "The Top 10 Secrets to Finding Your Passion-Filled Career." To get your report go to http://www.LeannaFredrich.com

With every post about people who have found fulfillment or passion in their careers, I receive e-mails from readers who haven’t yet figured out what would give them satisfaction. Michael Melcher, a career coach and author (who has successfully reinvented himself a number of times), has a terrific exercise to help begin the process. I invited him to share it here.

In his words:

    Many clients who see me don’t know what they want to do with their careers. They have multiple interests and don’t know how to choose among them. Or they earn a lot of money doing something they find boring or which requires onerous hours, but fear they won’t be able to make a living doing what they actually like. Or they have done so much self-analysis that they can speak very fluently about their “issues” but find it difficult to make actual decisions. Or they are thinking about a new direction, but don’t want to blow it, so are hesitating about what to do next. Or they feel completely blank.

    In a situation like this, more thinking is probably not going to help. When it comes to career and life change, thinking is overrated. What you need is a way to get beyond your own subjectivity, without simply adopting another person’s subjectivity. One method is to create a right-brain file. Another is to interview five to 10 people who know you in a structured way.

    To set up the interviews, create a short questionnaire (six to eight questions) with questions like:

    * What are three things I do really well?
    * What are three things I don’t do so well?
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Making Use of the Web in Your Job Search

In a little over a decade, the Internet has completely transformed our lives, including the way many of us search for jobs. If you’re able to create a résumé using word-processing software, to use a Web browser and to send and receive e-mail, you may want to use the Internet in your job search. This article assumes you have at least those basic skills. If you also know how to create a Web page or have someone who can do it for you, that’s even better.

To help you determine how best to use the Internet in your job search, consider the following:

* the importance of Internet knowledge in the job I am seeking
* the skills and knowledge I need to make the best use of the Internet in my search
* the appropriate résumé format to use on the Web
* the best way to use the Internet to find and target the perfect employer

What You Need to Know
Will I be able to find a good job even though my Internet skills are pretty basic?

This depends on the type of the job you are looking for. Many jobs today require some knowledge of how to use the Internet. A graphic artist who is looking for a job creating Web pages has to know how to use the Internet. On the other hand, it may not matter whether a chef, a musician, or an accountant knows how to use it.
I am looking for a high-tech job. Can I do my entire search on the Web?

You may be able to do everything on the Web, but some employers prefer a mix of high-tech and traditional methods. For example, you can submit your résumé by e-mail, but you may also be asked to send a copy on quality paper by ordinary mail.
What to Do
Be Clear about Your Goals in Terms of a Job and the Kind of Organization You Want to Work For

If you plan to look for a job using the Internet, you need to have already decided what you want to do, identified your marketable skills, and created a winning résumé. The Web is a huge resource, and if you are not completely clear about what you want, you could waste many hours—if not days—searching aimlessly. A key thing to think about in any job search today is the importance of Internet knowledge and skills, especially if your goal is to work in a high-tech organization. The way you go about your job search can be a good demonstration of your ability to use the Internet, particularly in the way you present your résumé.
Decide on the Electronic Format or Formats for Your Résumé

The following is a summary of the types of electronic formats in which you might be asked to submit your résumé:

* as a scannable résumé, typed in a traditional font, such as Times New Roman or Arial, that is easily recognized by an optical character reader (OCR). Do not use bold or italics. It is strongly suggested that you include keywords related to the job position and to your field of expertise throughout the résumé. Do not use bold or italics. It is strongly suggested that you include keywords related to the job position and to your field of expertise throughout the résumé;
* as a text format résumé, attached to an e-mail, or included in the body of an e-mail, which any word processor can read. It loses all formatting but is easy to send quickly to a potential employer;
* as a Web-based résumé, a nontraditional résumé that you post on your Web site, typically broken up into its components—work experience, specialized skills, education, and references. Each of these could have its own page of content;
* as a CD-ROM résumé, burned onto a compact disk and, typically incorporating a multimedia presentation of your skills and qualifications.

If you need to learn how to prepare any of these formats, consult the resources at the end of this article. Then contact potential employers to find out which they would prefer to receive. Generally, a high-tech organization will ask you to submit one of the more high-tech résumés.
Search the Web for Potential Employers and Gather Information

You can find a gold mine of employment information on the Web using a search engine such as www.google.com, www.yahoo.com or one of the employment databases listed below. But first narrow your search by listing your personal job requirements. Employment databases generally organize their data by the type of business activity, the size of the organization, and its location. If you drill down through these categories, you can eliminate large numbers of potential employers very quickly. Once you have found the organizations with jobs that meet your requirements, you can visit their Web sites to screen even further. Their Web sites can be found either in the employment database or by using a search engine.
Track Your Progress

Once you have decided which organizations you are interested in, set up a database to track the information you gather about each and the actions you take related to each, for example, when you sent letters and résumés, which type of résumé you sent, the responses you got, phone calls you made, and who you spoke to and what you discussed.
Network Using the Internet

E-mail is one of the easiest and most effective ways to use the Internet for networking. You can e-mail contacts within your industry to learn about trends, potential job openings, or for the names of specific contacts within an organization. Other possible ways to use the Web for networking include:

* e-mail lists or listservs—a technology that allows you to send simple e-mails to a large number of people. All e-mails and responses are seen by everyone registered on the list. This is useful for asking questions about what is happening in a particular field or industry, or to get information about an organization. However, you may want to participate as an observer for a couple weeks to get an idea of what is acceptable before you post any messages of your own. Most listservs do not encourage direct job searches;
* newsgroups or USENET—which focus on a particular field and/or location. You will need to visit the Web site to see what information is posted before you can reply. Use one of the search engines to locate a newsgroup that encourages job seeking and job posting or visit www.availablejobs.com/newsgroups for access to many newsgroups;
* chat rooms—an excellent way to network in real time. Chat rooms are Web sites on which several people use text messages to communicate interactively. People who participate in chat rooms based on your interests will likely be able to provide you with valuable information and potential leads.

Create Your Own Web Page

You no longer have to be a “techie” to create your own Web page. Most major Internet Service Providers (ISPs) offer free or inexpensive Web pages to their subscribers. However, if yours does not, you can quickly and easily set up a free Web page on www.geocities.com by using simple templates and adding you own text. You can include your photo, résumé, samples of your work, and any articles you may have written for professional journals. You may also want to purchase your own domain name (www.nsi.com). A domain name allows you to create a more elaborate Web site that includes multimedia—video, audio, art, photos—and anything else that you think will showcase your skills and abilities. A domain name can be especially important to a high-tech organization or to one looking for an especially creative person in the arts or advertising, for example. A domain name also allows people to find you more easily on the Web.

Make sure you put you e-mail address and Web site address on all correspondence, in e-mail signatures, and on your business cards.
What to Avoid
You Have No Clear Goal and Plan

If you find yourself wandering aimlessly around cyberspace, it probably means you have not taken the time to clearly define your career goals. The Web can be overwhelming to job hunters who have not done their homework, and many go back to searching the newspaper’s classified ads. Only a small percentage of job openings are listed in the classifieds. The Internet is where it is happening today. If you are having a hard time narrowing your focus, you might want to ask a career consultant to help you.
Your Approach on the Web is Too Casual

People commonly interact on the Web in an offhand way, using abbreviations and ignoring typos and misspellings. If you are job hunting, however, you cannot risk being that casual. Hundreds of thousands of people may see your online communications, including, you hope, the people in organizations seeking employees, and they will be looking for someone who communicates in a professional manner.

The hidden job market is a substantial source of good jobs that many job hunters overlook.

We hear all the time about the many job sites on the internet and the multitude of job openings. We look in the local and national newspapers and see more job openings. But do you know that up to 75% of job vacancies are never shown in the media. If you want to find the right job with the right employer an important consideration is using the good old fashioned detective work to uncover the unpublished job vacancies.

This does not mean you ignore the newspaper, the job websites or other options in your job search. Uncovering a job in the largely hidden job market is to take action, every day. The hands-on approach will pay dividends as there are more job opportunities than ever before.

The first step in getting started in your job hunt is to remain positive; you’ll get a lot of “no’s” so recognize its part of the process. Remember for every no you get you’re one step closer to your ideal job. Applicants who show enthusiasm, are confident and express an ongoing positive attitude are always in demand.

The second thing to recognize is that looking for work is basically a long-term investment. The right job with the right employer may pay you a million dollars or more. The employer may invest $100,000 or more to put you on the payroll. Now is the time to build into your job hunting plan the necessary telephone skills, employer and business segment research, and networking strategies that will contribute to your success.

With there two important components of our job hunting program being worked on we turn to the underground or hidden job market. Here are some strategies to get you started in your detective work to help uncover a job in the hidden job market that fits your career goals, and very important, with a great employer.

1. Tell as many people as possible about your job hunt. Develop a short (no longer than 20 seconds and two or three sentences) summation of your skills and what job you’re looking for. Practice this short pitch until it’s second nature. Have a miniature or short hand resume to hand out. Keep records of who you talk to. Always ask for referrals. Follow-up with hand written thank you notes.

2. Research the local newspapers and local business journals; go back six months or longer. What employers are expanding? Who bought out a competitor? Who is moving an operation to the area? Who got promoted to a new position that is growing? Now research the employer, use your contacts to get in to see the hiring official before the jobs or position is advertised.

3. Do market research on companies and jobs that you would ideally like to work in. Find suppliers, distributors and competitors. Get information from the yellow pages. Are there any small businesses that are growing within the sector? If so, make contact with that smaller employer to determine if there are any openings. Be persistent, don’t stop at the first no, situations change, go back periodically.

4. Determine ways to expand your network. Is there a professional association you can join? Job forums on the internet? Attend local meetings of the Chamber of Commerce? Any community projects you can be involved with? All will expand your job hunting circle and help you tap into the hidden job market.

5. Complete the circle. Keep in touch with people that have provided you with referrals or any job hunting assistance. At the second or third contact they may come up with new ideas or sources of possible jobs. Keep good records on when you talked with someone and what you discussed. Plan your follow-up contacts.

6. Research resources such as professional journals, association directories, and other organizations for possible jobs in the hidden job market. The contacts gathered from these sources can be invaluable. Use the reference librarian at your local library. They can be a big help.

The above six ideas should get you started in your detective work on finding the right job in the hidden job market. Remember stay positive, think longer term, and keep good records with appropriate follow-up. With organized detective work you’ll be well on your way to uncovering the right job with the right employer.

John Groth is a former HR executive and career coach. Go to Career Network Plus and find great resources valuable articles and a free seven day career planning guide. Discover up to date career and recruitment strategies at our blog; all to assist you in planning and managing your career.

Dying to get that job? Don’t use a video resume

A year after Aleksey Vayner’s video resume made him a laughingstock on Wall Street and YouTube, he’s still searching for a job.

“Negative consequences are still felt,” the 24-year-old wrote in a recent interview conducted by instant message.

While still a senior at Yale, the aspiring investment banker had pursued a position at Swiss bank UBS. Capturing Wall Street’s attention might not normally be easy, but Vayner did it — with his 11-page application, including a photograph of himself and the video resume. In the 6 minute 43 second clip, he bench-pressed 495 pounds, karate-chopped seven bricks and served a tennis ball at 140 mph, according to the captions. Despite the extraordinary achievements detailed in his application materials, Vayner landed no interviews — other than with the media.

Although Vayner’s video resume is the most publicized flop of its type, many career experts warn that video resumes are usually a bad idea unless you are trying to get into show business.

“It’s not a very practical way to gain competitive distinction,” career coach and author Wendy Enelow said. “And in fact, it can totally backfire.”

That’s because some candidates use video resumes to show flair but end up making an unwanted impression.

We saw that with Vayner. Although Vayner’s video resume appeared so excessive that it inspired a wave of spoofs, he meant it — for real.

Vayner said he aimed to convey the philosophy of his late martial arts teacher:

“Discipline is a virtue above all others,” he said in the interview. “To be the best you have to be extreme, and the more you suffer, the more you get to fly with your own wings.”

But many missed the message — and instead called him conceited.

“I was very upset that I was wrongly portrayed as an arrogant individual,” he said. (Vayner, who has avoided media interviews in recent months, said he preferred to chat by instant message because he didn’t want to disturb his ill mother, with whom he is living.)

Besides making the wrong impression, many candidates just don’t look professional on video. One applicant who posted his video resume on YouTube walks on screen, presumably after hitting the “record” button, settles into his seat and then finally gives his spiel. Others squirm in their chairs, flip their hair — and stiffly read from prepared notes.

“They could potentially be hurting their candidacy if the quality is not good,” career consultant Barbara Safani said.
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Own Your Google Reputation with these Ten Suggestions by Andy Beal

Google is no longer just a search engine. With your potential customers, future employers, and members of the media turning to Google for information about your business, Google has become a reputation engine.

In helping clients with their online reputation, I’m consistently asked how they can push out negative content that appears on the first page of Google for a search for their name. Whether they were fined by the SEC, ridiculed by an ex-employee, or investigated by their local newspaper, they share one common goal: get that negative result off of the first page!

Of course, it’s near on impossible to make a negative Google result simply disappear—although there are some black-hat SEOs that claim to have that gift. Instead, your best approach is to provide Googlebot with a healthier diet of web content that shows your reputation in a positive light.

On that note, here are my recommendations for the best web content to fill up the first page of Google results.
1. Get your own web site.

It sounds simply enough, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, you’d be surprised at the number of individuals and companies that haven’t registered their own branded domain name and thrown up a web site. Registering yourcompanyname.com or yourpersonalname.com and adding a basic web site is a sure-fire way to occupy one of the top ten Google listings for your name.
2. Start a blog.

If you love and nurture a blog, it will likely become a great asset in your reputation management arsenal. But the great thing about a blog is that it tends to rank well, even when left un-watered. Blogs are the cactus of online content. Wordpress.com and Blogger.com both provide free blogs and free hosting. Add just a few posts, keep it targeted to your name—that means use it in the blog title, posts etc—add a few links and bake for a few days. It will be on the first page of Google in no time.
3. Add a sub-domain.

If you’ve put a lot of effort into growing your main web site, chances are there’s an opportunity to add a sub-domain. Sub-domains are great. Google considers them as separate from your main site, but they still include your main brand. There are a lot of great reasons to add a sub-domain: careers, corporate info, and product info. Take a look at jobs.marketingpilgrim.com as an example.
4. Create a social networking profile.

MySpace.com profiles can rank well for your personal or company name. When you sign-up, be sure to use your real name—using a nickname won’t help with your Google reputation—and enable the option that lets you pick the URL of your profile. myspace.com/companyname works a whole lot better than myspace.com/12345678.
5. Create your own social network.

If a social networking profile ranks well in Google, how much more so your own social network? Ning.com will let you create your own customized social network. Better yet, you can pay just $5 a month and point your own domain name at it. Take a look at www.marketingpilgrim.tv for an example.
6. Create a business profile.

You should join LinkedIn.com because it’s a great tool for networking with your peers. You should also join LinkedIn as it allows you to talk about yourself, link to your other Google-friendly web content, and customize your profile URL. Wouldn’t you rather your potential employer find your LinkedIn profile on Google, than that run-in you had with your last boss?
7. Share your photos.

Flickr.com is very Google friendly. Upload photos of you, your company logo, your products, etc, and label them using your name. Add some comments to each photo (including your name) and Voila! You’ve just added a dozen pages of content, each labeled with your company name! Be sure to do the same when selecting your profile name for Flickr too.
8. Claim your identity.

Naymz.com is a blessing for those looking to control their Google reputation. It effectively lets you create a profile and then link out to all of your other profiles. Whereas LinkedIn is heavy on the networking-side, Naymz is more of a holding-tank for your brand. Best of all, Google seems to love it!
9. Create your own Wiki.

If you’re facing a Google reputation nightmare, you may be tempted to create a Wikipedia profile for yourself. After all, Wikipedia ranks all over Google, right? Bad move. Not only is it hard to get one approved, but they’re totally unbiased. That DUI incident, you’re trying to cover-up, will likely make its way on to your profile. Not good. Instead create your own wiki and build your profile that way. Wetpaint.com is perfect for this. You can focus it on your personal name, or your company name. The best part is that you get to decide who contributes to it.

10. Get a free page from Google.

I’ve saved the best until last. Ok, I lied. While a free page from Google Page Creator (googlepages.com) isn’t the best web content for managing your Google reputation, there’s something satisfying about having Google help mend your reputation.

So, there you have it. While these shouldn’t be used as a “get out of jail free card”—you should avoid a reputation nightmare to begin with—they’ll at least help you re-build your Google reputation.

Preparing for a Tough Job Interview

To ace your next one, try some of the same preparation techniques used by police officers competing for highly competitive promotions

I recently gave a communications lecture to a group of big city police officers. Most of the men and women were lieutenants preparing for the most important job interview of their careers—promotion to captain. The selection process is intense. These officers only get the opportunity to apply once every four years, and only a few will make it. Some are nearing retirement, so for them it could be the last chance to attain the rank of captain and all that goes with it: increased responsibility, higher visibility, more pay, and a far better pension for the rest of their lives.

Holding the rank of captain in a police department means communicating with various audiences: staff, commanders, media, elected officials, and community groups. So it makes sense that far greater weight is given to the oral section of the exam than in tests for previous positions. What’s fascinating is that how these job candidates perform on the oral exam will account for more than 50% of the grade.

Here are three techniques officers I met used to prepare for their grueling interview process. They could help you ace your next job interview:
1. Role-Play

Some of the officers I spoke to meet every week to study and conduct mock interviews with each other. They ask the toughest questions possible and critique each other on their answers. And get this—they even bring video cameras to the exercise so they can review their performances.

Most job candidates fail to prepare adequately. Preparation means more than simply reviewing possible questions in your head. It means sitting across from someone playing the role of the questioner. It means rehearsing answers to every potential question (or category of questions). It means placing a small video camera on a tripod and recording your interview. Put yourself through a mock interview scenario to succeed during the real deal.
2. Command Attention

I was impressed by the fact that during their practice sessions, role-playing began before participants had even stepped into the office. Since the actual job interview begins as soon as you knock on the door, the job candidates rehearsed how they would stand, walk, and make eye contact to everyone in the room. You see, as officers these men and women know the importance of a commanding presence—body language that commands authority, confidence, and respect.

People make impressions about you in the first 90 seconds of your conversation. That’s not much time for conversation; it’s your body language that communicates competence. Confidence begins with a firm handshake and eye contact. Enter the room with a warm smile and maintain solid eye contact. During the conversation, feel free to break eye contact briefly but maintain eye contact for 80% to 90% of the conversation. It reflects confidence and control. Your body speaks volumes before you open your mouth; make sure it’s leaving a positive impression.
3. Dress the Part

Before I began the lecture, I overheard two officers discussing what they would wear during the job interview, including the color of their shirts. Again, this is something few job candidates put any thought into. Dress like the position for which you’re interviewing. Police captains are visible in the community and must pay attention to the impression they make when speaking to groups.

When deciding on what to wear, pay attention to your body type and your hair color and skin tone. Complement your body type with clothes that fit properly (hint: spend the extra cash to get your clothes expertly tailored). Also complement your skin tone and hair color. If you have gray hair, a gray shirt and a gray suit will make you look, well, gray. Add some color to stand out.

After spending time with the police officers, I left with an even greater appreciation for those men and women whose job it is to protect and to serve. They were professional, prepared, friendly, articulate, and smart—everything an employer would want! I learned as much from them as I hope they learned from me.

Carmine Gallo is a Pleasanton, Calif. communications coach and author of the upcoming book, Fire Them Up!