How to Change the World

Happiness explained by @Zappos

Whether you love shoes or not, you’ve got to admire the job that Tony Hsieh and the rest of the Zappos gang has done. I got a chance to interview Tony during the book tour for his new tome. in our interview he explains the keys to happiness in life and business while being Asian-American. Check out what he has to say here.

Changing a Job Title Into a Job Mission

Do you have employees who confuse job titles with job missions? Then scoot on over to the American Express Open Forum and read "How to Change a Job Title Into a Mission."

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Learn more about leadership.

My Favorite Applications

Over at the American Express Open Forum, I provided a list of my favorite applications. Check out the list if you want to see what makes me tick.

The Perfect Interview Test

Jonathan Littman and Marc Hershon, authors of I Hate People!, have figured out a quick way to interview job candidates. The solution is easy: watch how they cross the street. I’m a “wader,” by the way.

How to Use Facebook as a Weapon

Many so-called experts are trying to fill young people with fear about what they should post in their Facebook accounts. They make the case the school admissions staff and company recruiters are going to check your Facebook page and ding you for the stupid things you did. (Who among us has not done something stupid when we were young, but I digress.)

This advice is mostly defensive: “Don’t do this,” “don’t do that,” “someday it will catch up with you, and you’ll regret it.” This is, in my opinion, back asswards. You should assume that schools and companies are checking you Facebook page and use this to your advantage. I provide more details here about how to use Facebook as a weapon.

For more Facebook news and tips, check out Facebook.alltop too.

How to Figure Out If You're Dealing With a Nutcase

Have you ever wondered about who you’re interviewing for a position, buying something from on Craigslist, dating (or, even worse, who your kids are dating)? You can do a Google search, but there are many people with same name. I discuss a service that enables you to enter a person’s email address and find his or her presence on more than fifty sites at a time. Click here to read it—before it’s too late

What Employers Want to See on Your Resume

Glenn Kelman is the CEO of Redfin, an online real estate brokerage firm. Prior to joining Redfin, he was a co-founder of Plumtree Software, a publicly traded company that created the enterprise portal software market. Prior to starting Plumtree, Mr. Kelman worked as one of the first employees at Stanford Technology Group, a startup that IBM acquired. Mr. Kelman is a member of the Board of Directors for Naviance, a hosted service for schools and colleges. Mr. Kelman was raised in Seattle and was graduated summa cum laude from the University of California, Berkeley.

“Life,” William James once said, “is in the transitions.” He wasn’t talking about weddings and graduations, but the lonely moments before, when a decision still hangs in the balance, and irrelevant details are so vivid that they’ll stick in your mind for years to come: the melted-plastic smell of a U-Haul cab; the iron sound of a public mailbox swinging shut; a paper hospital cup; a flight of stairs; a metal door-knob; a sealed envelope.

“What Are You Typing There, Wes?”
Perhaps the most terrifying transition is the one between jobs. It embarrasses us all. I still remember, at twenty-two, printing my resume in Kinko’s after midnight so no one would see me standing by the printer. The resume felt like a letter to Kafka’s Castle: What is it, I always wondered, that these people want?

The answer, I fervently believed, was parchment-colored stock. While I picked out resume paper that was probably designed for D&D scrolls, my twin brother Wes ñ our mom told him to go with me for moral support — got on a clacky IBM Selectric and filled a page with the sentence “I am the Anti-Christ.”

We were caught out by a lovely, deeply Christian high-school classmate who had once asked me to a dance but was now coming into Kinko’s to get last-minute brunch inserts printed for her wedding. She learned I was unemployed & living with my parents. Then she changed the subject: “What are you typing there, Wes?”

Premature Obituaries
Now when a friend sends over a resume for proofreading, which happens nearly every week these days, I remember how completely defenseless I felt at that moment.

Resumes are horrible documents, premature and unsentimental obituaries: our lives are rarely reduced to such a small number of facts. And writing a resume is a balancing act between feeling outrageously boastful and unimpressive. Some, like Seth Godin, have questioned whether you should even have a resume. I know many people who take whatever dreadful job happens their way just to avoid writing one.

That’s silly. No one has much experience preparing a resume, but it isn’t that hard: you just have to get out of the way of yourself so your accomplishments can speak for themselves. Having reviewed thousands of resumes, I now have a better idea of what the folks in Kafka’s Castle like to see:

Here’s What I Like:

1. A direct style: use blunt, short words. Most resumes are scanned, not read.
2. Looks: like a middle-aged man’s apartment. Nice and tidy.
3. Objective: be direct; your objective is the job you’re applying for.
4. Verbs ending in “d”: shipped, launched, built, sold.
5. Results: not responsibilities or experience — but what responsibilities and experience helped you accomplish.
6. Bullets: 3 ñ 4 results per job.
7. Numbers: increased traffic from Google 230%, decreased ad spending 40%.
8. Grades: your GPA, even if it was ten years ago, if it’s over 3.5.
9. Reviews: ratings from your last review, especially useful if you worked for a tough grader like Microsoft
10. Honors: we’ll interview an employee-of-the-quarter, every time.
11. Promotions: if your role changes, highlight that as two jobs.
12. LinkedIn endorsements: persuasive, even from your friends; excerpted & linked.
13. A link to your blog: a blog gives you online street cred. For some, it is your resume .
14. Themes: whether you care about customer service or agile software, tell a consistent story from job to job.
15. Hobbies: I always want to meet people with fun hobbies. And that’s all a resume is: a request for a meeting. At Plumtree, we received a resume from a Playboy model. A colleague forwarded it to me with a note reading, “I’ve never asked you for anything beforeÖ” I feel the same way about cyclists.
16. Two pages, max: if you’re under 30, one page.
17. Anything you did that showed initiative or passion. Eagle Scout. Math Olympics.
18. Email to the CEO: it takes chutzpah & resourcefulness to go straight to the top. The email address is easy to guess.
19. Customization: tailor your resume & especially the cover letter to the job.
20. Completed degrees: I’ve hired plenty of folks a few credits shy of a degree. Some were great; many couldn’t finish what they started. If you have time now, finish your degree.
21. Gmail address: or your own domain. Nothing says “totally out of it” like an AOL address.

Here’s What I Don’t Like:

1. Churn: stints at two or more employers of less than two years.
2. List of generic skills: just show what you actually accomplished at each job.
3. Typos or misspellings: About half the resumes I get are addressed to “RedFin.” For the other words, spell-check!
4. Photos: my favorite was of a candidate in tennis whites with a racket.
5. “Proven”: as in “proven leadership.” We all still have something to prove.
6. Printed resumes: email a Word document, web page or PDF.
7. Buzzwords: search bots love it, actual people don’t.
8. Wordiness: yes, this is the pot calling the kettle black…

But this is just one person’s (very opinionated) opinion. There are plenty of people who have more experience than I do reviewing resumes. What do you like to see?

Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn to Find a Job

Searching for a job can suck if you constrain yourself to the typical tools such as online jobs boards, trade publications, CraigsList, and networking with only your close friends. In these kinds of times, you need to use all the weapons that you can, and one that many people don’t—or at least don’t use to the fullest extent, is LinkedIn.

LinkedIn has over thirty-five million members in over 140 industries. Most of them are adults, employed, and not looking to post something on your Wall or date you. Executives from all the Fortune 500 companies are on LinkedIn. Most have disclosed what they do, where they work now, and where they’ve worked in the past. Talk about a target-rich environment, and the service is free.

Here are ten tips to help use LinkedIn to find a job. If you know someone who’s looking for a job, forward them these tips along with an invitation to connect on LinkedIn. Before trying these tips, make sure you’ve filled out your profile and added at least twenty connections

1. Get the word out. Tell your network that you’re looking for a new position because a job search these days requires the “law of big numbers” There is no stigma that you’re looking right now, so the more people who know you’re looking, the more likely you’ll find a job. Recently, LinkedIn added “status updates” which you can use to let your network know about your newly emancipated status.

2. Get LinkedIn recommendations from your colleagues. A strong recommendation from your manager highlights your strengths and shows that you were a valued employee. This is especially helpful if you were recently laid off, and there is no better time to ask for this than when your manager is feeling bad because she laid you off. If you were a manager yourself, recommendations from your employees can also highlight leadership qualities.

3. Find out where people with your backgrounds are working. Find companies that employ people like you by doing an advanced search for people in your area who have your skills. For example, if you’re a web developer in Seattle, search profiles in your zip code using keywords with your skills (for example, JavaScript, XHTML, Ruby on Rails) to see which companies employ people like you.

4. Find out where people at a company came from. LinkedIn “Company Profiles” show the career path of people before they began work there. This is very useful data to figure out what a company is looking for in new hires. For example, Microsoft employees worked at Hewlett-Packard and Oracle.

5. Find out where people from a company go next. LinkedIn’s “Company Profiles” also tell you where people go after leaving the company. You can use this to track where people go after leaving your company as well as employees of other companies in your sector. (You could make the case that this feature also enables to figure out which companies to avoid, but I digress.)

6. Check if a company is still hiring. Company pages on LinkedIn include a section called “New Hires” that lists people who have recently joined the company. If you have real chutzpah, you can ask these new hires how they got their new job. At the very least you can examine their backgrounds to surmise what made them attractive to the new employer.

7. Get to the hiring manager. LinkedIn’s job search engine allows you to search for any kind of job you want. However, when you view the results, pay close attention to the ones that you’re no more than two degrees away from. This means that you know someone who knows the person that posted the job—it can’t get much better than that. (Power tip: two degrees is about the limit for getting to hiring managers. I never help friends of friends of friends.) Another way to find companies that you have ties to is by looking at the “Companies in Your Network” section on LinkedIn’s Job Search page.

8. Get to the right HR person. The best case is getting to the hiring manager via someone who knows him, but if that isn’t possible you can still use LinkedIn to find someone inside the company to walk your resume to the hiring manager or HR department. When someone receives a resume from a coworker even if she doesn’t know the coworker, she almost always pays attention to it.

9. Find out the secret job requirements. Job listings rarely spell out entirely or exactly what a hiring manager is seeking. Find a connection at the company who can get the inside scoop on what really matters for the job. You can do this by searching for the company name; the results will show you who in your network connects you to the company. If you don’t have an inside connection, look at profiles of the people who work at the company to get an idea of their backgrounds and important skills.

10. Find startups to join. Maybe this recession is God telling you it’s time to try a startup. But great startups are hard to find. Play around with LinkedIn’s advanced search engine using “startup” or “stealth” in the keyword or company field. You can also narrow by industry (for example, startups in the Web 2.0, wireless, or biotech sectors). If large companies can’t offer “job security,” open up your search to include startups.

11. Build your network before you need it. As a last tip, no matter how the economy or your career is doing, having a strong network is a good form of job security. Don’t wait until times are tough to nurture your network. The key to networking (or “schmozing”), however, is filled with counter-intuitiveness. First, it’s not who you know—it’s who knows of you. Second, Great schmoozers are not thinking “What can this person do for me?” To the contrary, they are thinking, “What can I do for this person?” For more on schmoozing, read “The Art of Schmoozing.”

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Here are two more ways I can help you in your job search. First, for an aggregation of hundreds of newly posted jobs, check out Jobs.alltop. Second, to really stay on top of what’s the latest news about LinkedIn, go to Linkedin.alltop; this will turn you in a true LinkedIn power user. Just remember me when you’re rich and famous!

Addendum: "Using LinkedIn to Find a Job" by Kaye Monty

The Mismatch Problem by Malcolm Gladwell

Check out this great video of Malcolm Gladwell (The Tipping Point) discussing the shortcomings of today's hiring practices. He cites examples of professional sports that conduct "combines" where teams measure the performances of prospects in the hopes of drafting the future stars.

Guess what: this method doesn't work. Jobs--of all types--are more complex, and the desire for certainty increases but is manifested in measuring the wrong things. Do you hire people based on the measuring the wrong variables?

How to Escape Corporate America

Pamela Skillings is the founder of Skillful Communications, a career and communications consulting firm in New York. Previously, Pamela spent more than twelve years as a marketing executive for companies including MasterCard International, Morgan Stanley, and Citigroup. She recently published a book called Escape from Corporate America: A Practical Guide to Creating the Career of Your Dreams

1. Question: How do I know if I should get out of the company I work for?

   Answer: I talked to one corporate escapee who made her decision after a senior manager threw a Lucite paperweight at her head. That’s a pretty good sign. But for most of us, the decision isn’t quite as clear cut. No job is great all the time. You have to diagnose what it is that’s making you unhappy. Are you just having a horrible week? Is there something you can do to make your current job more satisfying? If not, you owe it to yourself to get out. If you’re not sure whether you should stay or go, check out my interactive Are You a Corporate Casualty? quiz.

2. Question: Why don’t people who are unhappy leave to find something better?

   Answer: A lot of people stay stuck in corporate jobs that don’t inspire them because they’re afraid they can’t make “enough” money doing what they love. Others don’t believe that it’s actually possible to love your work, so they try to make the best of a bad situation. Then there are those who are spinning their wheels waiting for epiphanies about their true callings before they make a move.

   I can relate to all of these feelings. I worked in Corporate America for more than twelve years. It was fun at first and I learned a lot, but I eventually reached a point where I wasn’t feeling challenged or engaged anymore. For years, I tried to suck it up and make it work. But eventually I learned that my energy would be better spent on figuring out a career path that would make me happier.

3. Question: Can bad jobs be saved or fixed?

   Answer: Yes, sometimes. It’s worth trying if you mostly like your work and your company and can clearly identify the problems that need to be addressed. You should also be aware that sometimes it’s not the job, it’s you. There’s something to be said for being able to recognize when a position or a company is just not the right fit for you.

4. Question: Is there more danger in sticking too long with a job or leaving too soon?

   Answer: No one should quit abruptly without a good career transition plan. However, there are also dangers in staying too long in a job you hate. The longer you stay stuck in a rut, the harder it is to get out.

5. Question: Then what are the components of a good escape plan?

   Answer: The first step is to take a good hard look at what’s missing in your current career and figure out where you want to escape TO when you escape from Corporate America.

   Then you must identify the best route to your dream job. That might mean getting some additional training, updating your resume, or starting your business from your kitchen table in your spare time. The important thing is to take some action and start building momentum. And you can do all of this before you quit your current job.

   A solid financial escape plan is also essential. Money concerns stand in the way of a lot of potential corporate escapees, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Even if you think you can’t afford to make a career change right now, do the math and you might find that your dream career is possible after all. You might have to make some temporary budget cuts or wait until you’ve accumulated enough in your Escape Fund to finance your transition, but you will likely discover that there is a way to make the numbers work if you’re willing to make some compromises.

6. Question: How can I get a job that doesn’t suck?

   Answer: There are a lot of great companies out there, both big ones and small ones. The key is to figure out what’s really important to you at this stage in your life and what you need to thrive. For two years in a row, Google has been ranked as the #1 Best Company to Work For by Fortune. It’s a great company, but it’s not the right fit for everybody. If you’re not comfortable working in a very fast-paced environment, a dream job at Google might feel like a nightmare. And even at a great company, you have to be careful when choosing your specific job role to make sure it fits with your talents and preferences.

   Once you define your priorities, you have to do your homework and identify which companies are right for you. Reading the rankings of best companies is a good start, but you shouldn’t stop there. Reach out to your network and see who can provide the real inside scoop on the companies you’re considering. It’s important to work for a company that you respect. However, when it comes to job satisfaction, it’s even more important to make sure that your day-to-day duties and work environment are engaging.

7. Question: How can I tell if a job is going to be good (or bad) for me during the interview process?

   Answer: Be observant, ask questions, and don’t take anything at face value. Of course the recruiter and human resources representative will tell you that the job is your dream come true. That’s what they get paid for. Often, they’re not trying to trick you; they just don’t truly understand what the job is like from the inside.

   Be diplomatic when you probe for details and save the hardest questions until you’ve got an offer on the table. If things look promising, ask if you can meet with some of your potential peers and team members. This accomplishes two goals: 1) You can get a sense of how crazy your future coworkers are; and 2) You can get a better idea of what it’s really like to work in the department from a non-boss point of view.

   Always remember to keep your eyes open for clues and listen to your instincts. I know what it’s like to end up in a job that’s a terrible fit despite the best of intentions. Looking back now, I realize that it happened because I ignored red flags that I didn’t want to see.

8. Question: What are the downsides of working for a startup or small company?

   Answer: Working for a startup or small company can be incredibly exciting and rewarding. At the same time, it’s even more important to do your due diligence when considering a job offer at a smaller firm, especially if you’re making a move from a larger corporation. Small firms tend to be more vulnerable to market forces, so you want to make sure you know what you’re getting into and believe in the company’s potential. You should also be prepared to make do with less infrastructure and fewer resources. Even senior managers tend to pitch in where needed and wear multiple hats at smaller companies. And make sure you do your homework on your CEO. The leader sets the tone for a small company and often determines success or failure.

9. Question: Is it true that if you “do what you love, the money will come”?

   Answer: Yes and no. Job satisfaction is a wonderful thing, but it doesn’t magically pay your bills. However, people are more successful and often make more money in the long term in work that they love. One of the key reasons is that you work a whole lot harder when you’re passionate about what you’re doing.

10. Question: What does it take to work solo?

    Answer: Entrepreneurial attitude is key. The most successful solopreneurs understand that they are running businesses, not just hopping from freelance gig to freelance gig. You also have to be versatile and willing to step outside your comfort zone to handle sales, client management, invoicing, marketing, and other duties that may not be your greatest strengths. You may be able to eventually outsource some of these tasks, but you will still have to understand enough to manage the work effectively. The abilities to prioritize work and manage yourself are also essential. You won’t have an annoying boss to complain about, but you also won’t have anybody else to blame if you screw up.

    On that note, I guess I better get back to work now or my inner boss will get after me.

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For more help in discovering your ideal career, go here and for a river of job listings, go here.