Maximizing LinkedIn: Job Search

Wendy Stackhouse of LA Fellows Cohort 2 is now working as a Social Media Consultant for Artisan Creative, Alliance Environmental Group, and AirTek Indoor Air Solutions and as a freelance blogger for various other clients. She also volunteers as a Web Content Development Instructor for the California-Pacific Conference of the United Methodist Church. She has been writing a series on how to maximize LinkedIn on Artisan's blog and this week's post discusses how to use LinkedIn for Job Search. She gladly gives credit for her expertise to LA Fellows Instructor Larry Braman and Cohort 2 Member Jay Bernard.

She recently wrote,  "I didn’t sign up with LinkedIn until I was looking for a job. I hadn’t even really heard of it when I was working in the non-profit sector and busy with the many hats I wore there. I should have signed up earlier."

Click here to read more:
http://www.artisancreative.com/_blog/Artisan_Blog/post/Maximizing_LinkedIn_Job_Search/

Maximizing Your LinkedIn Profile: Getting Started

Wendy Stackhouse of Cohort 2 used what LA Fellows instructor Larry Braman taught her in this blog post for recruiter Artisan Creative where she is a Social Media Consultant:  Maximizing Your LinkedIn Profile: Getting Started

http://www.artisancreative.com/_blog/Artisan_Blog/post/Maximizing_Your_LinkedIn_Profile_Getting_Started/

Wendy Stackhouse of Cohort 2 discusses job search best practices that really work!

There are two best practices that have served me well in the process of landing not one role, but two, both in a new field for me, Marketing.




First is to, before every single interview, phone, in-person, panel, write out the answers to the sample interview questions. Even "Tell me a little about yourself." (Why is that the hardest one?) Over the course of my job search, my answer has changed based on what's going on with me, what the role is, who I'm meeting, what stage of the process we are in, all sorts of reasons. Some of my answers are always the same, but to have them firmly in the front of my mind right before an interview has been essential to being articulate and calm during the meetings.



Second, remember that a job interview is a chance to meet another person, to find commonalities and maybe even make a new friend. Like an audience for a performer, they want you to do well, they want to like you. Although they are judging you in a certain way, they, like you, would love to discover that you are the perfect candidate. Interviewing and networking are both chances to meet new people and start new relationships. How fun is that?



I've had a lot of interesting experiences during my job search including a Dramatic Re-enactment of an interview (the panel messed up big time) and a very strange interview with a Daily Deal site. The jobs I have landed have come from internet site searches, black hole notwithstanding. I've tweaked my resume and cover letter over and over and over. And over. I've tried making deals with my karma. The most important factor has been thinking of the entire process as building relationships, start to finish. Today I can't wait to start working with my new manager next week and getting my feet under me in my new role. I get to build a community of creative professionals and that is my mission (thanks again, Dr. Green).



Best of luck to everyone and if there's anything I can do for you, please let me know!

Wendy Stackhouse

Cohort 2

Wendy Stackhouse transitions to Public Relations

We would like to congratulate Wendy Stackhouse from Cohort 2, who recently landed a position as a Media Relations Associate at a P.R. company that is a subsidiary of a large online marketing firm. 

After making the announcement about her new job, Wendy expressed her thanks to the staff, instructors and everyone involved with the LA Fellows Program. One of the class speakers at Cohort 2's graduation, and a frequent contributor to this blog, we feel certain Wendy will be a great success in her new industry.

Well done, Wendy!