First Post-Grad Job

IMAGE: FLICKR, JOHN REISER

BY BOB MYHAL8 HOURS AGO

For college graduates, the reality of finding a job has never been more imminent.

There's a bright side for this generation's grads: The number of smart digital tools and technology resources at your fingertips is increasing by the day. Check out these digital tactics that can help secure introductions, interviews and the highly sought-after offer.

1. Unlock the “key” to LinkedIn

There’s no question that you need to have a LinkedIn profile these days. What you might not know is that using keywords is a critical technique for leveraging your LinkedIn profile: Recruiters searching for candidates hone in on specific keywords that correlate with a job description. So make sure that your profile highlights the terms being used by your would-be employers.

To accomplish this, look closely at the job descriptions you are responding to and considering, and then make sure your profile (as well as your resume) aligns with the keywords found in that job description. For example, if the positions you’re applying to call for a "Social Media Community Manager" and you're listing your previous experience as "Twitter Ninja," then you may be missing a tremendous opportunity to align your credentials directly with the description.

2. Drill down to niche job boards

Companies create niche job boards to narrow a talent pool down to a dedicated, unique and engaged audience, which makes them excellent places for a job seeker to start their search. For instance, Dice and Mashable’s Job Board are great sites for those with tech talent seeking to connect with potential employers.

Ask around within your network, do research online and scour the publications that pertain to your industry to locate the niche job boards (and even LinkedIn groups) that might prove lucrative for your desired career path.

3. Convert your smartphone into a career center

There are dozens of apps for the job seeker — focused on everything from finding jobs to building a resume. If you're unsure about which of these are the real deal and which are a waste of time, here are a few standouts.

• JobAware: This free tool combines resources, job searches, progress tracking and city comparisons.
• Resume Builder Pro: An app that helps you easily update your resume to reflect your most current information and experience.
• Interview Questions Pro: In familiar flashcard format, this app provides a helpful resource for interview prep and practice.
• SuperJobSearch: This tool offers everything from job listings by region or profession to search advice.
• iPQ Career Planner: An app for “job matchmaking” that helps candidates identify the types of jobs they're best suited for.
• LunchMeet: A unique networking app to help you meet up with other professionals for lunch.

4. Own social media; don’t let it own you

The toga party pics probably need to come down — or at least be placed into a private album where potential employers won't have easy access to them. But beyond tidying up, social media is an excellent tool to showcase your personality and career achievements. Here are a couple tips for using it to your advantage.

• Put your best face forward (literally): Make sure your social profile pictures are professional and convey the “personal brand” you want to present to employers.
• Be consistent: Does your resume say you are currently interning at an ad firm, but your LinkedIn page says you’re working in a restaurant? The discrepancy might raise red flags for recruiters and hiring managers. Make sure your information across social networks is up-to-date and aligned with your resume.

5. Prep for a one-way interview

Video interviews are becoming increasingly common thanks to the time and money savings they offer. Beyond two-way interviews, many companies are using one-way interviews for pre-screening. (Think of this as a hybrid format that falls between phone screens and face-to-face meetings.) To nail your interview, try these tricks.

Source: http://mashable.com/2014/05/11/new-grad-hiring-tips/

LG Announces Three New G Pad Tablets

IMAGE: LG

BY STAN SCHROEDER4 HOURS AGO

LG has announced three new G Pad tablet models: The G Pad 7.0, G Pad 8.0 and G Pad 10.1.

Exact specifications of these three devices, which now form LG's G Pad series alongside G Pad 8.3, have not been revealed. However, the main difference between them seems to be the screen size: 7, 8, and 10.1 inches.

Why launch three differently-sized tablets? LG's answer is simple. According to Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of the LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company, “unlike smartphones, tablets are not one size fits all. So we designed the G Pad Series for a diverse target audience, some who prioritize portability while others want the best multimedia experience possible.”

All three tablets will feature LG's proprietary features such as Knock Code, which lets you unlock a device with a combination of taps, and QPair, which lets you connect to an Android phone and see call and message notifications on the tablet.

Priving and availability, as well as other details about these three tablets, will be announced "in the weeks ahead."

Source: http://mashable.com/2014/05/12/lg-announces-three-new-g-pad-tablets/

13 Most Commonly Asked Twitter Questions

I get asked a lot of questions about using Twitter for business, so I thought it would be helpful to compile a list of the most common ones in this blog post. Where possible, I have also tried to include a link to a relevant blog post for further reading.

Please let me know any other questions you have in the comments at this end of this post!

 1.  Is Twitter even important to my business?

With so many social networks to choose from, many business owners struggle with whether or not Twitter is really important to have in their social marketing mix. While it’s certainly possible to have a successful business without being active on Twitter, there are tons of wonderful opportunities you could be missing out on, including increased referral traffic, the opportunity to build your brand, professional networking and the ability to reach a global audience.

For more reasons your business should be on Twitter, see my post 12 Simple Reasons to Use Twitter to Grow Your Business.

2.   Is my ideal customer even on Twitter?

The short answer is this: You won’t know unless you actively look for them there! While you can look at Twitter’s demographics to get an idea how likely it is your target market is active there, it’s only through actually using the network for a while that you can get an accurate measure.

Some ways you can find your ideal customer on Twitter include:

• Using a tool like Twellow to search through public tweets organized by category. This enables you to search relevant categories for new people to follow.
• Search for relevant keywords using Twitter Search to find conversations happening about your brand, products or niche.
• If your business or content is largely news related, or if real-time information sharing is important to your business, your ideal customer is probably on Twitter; in terms of sharing news, there is no better social network than Twitter.

3.  Can you actually sell stuff on Twitter?

Yes and no. If you’re looking to directly sell your products or services using your Twitter feed, you’re likely going to end up being disappointed.

If, on the other hand, you’re looking to find leads that will ultimately turn into sales, you will find Twitter absolutely invaluable! There are a number of ways you can find qualified leads on Twitter…but keep in mind that for any of these to work, you first need to become a consistent, trusted source of help and information.

• Search for tweets looking for recommendations
• Host Twitter chats or parties
• Create a custom landing page and link to it from your Twitter bio
• Keep your posts short enough that they are easy to retweet

For more ideas, see my post How to Get More Leads on Twitter.

 4.  How do I get more followers?

Ah, the age old question! Some of my best tips for getting new followers are:

• Consistently creating new content people will want to share
• Use your keywords in your Twitter bio so the right people can find you
• Keeping your tweets short enough that they are easy to retweet
• Using relevant hashtags so people you aren’t connected to can find your tweets
• Following and interacting with people in your niche

There are lots more tips in my post, 15 Tips to Get and Keep More Twitter Followers!

5.  How do I find TARGETED people to follow?

It is easy enough to find people to follow, but what you want is quality over quantity. You want to be following people who can potentially have an impact on your business, and this means being somewhat choosy about who you follow.

Finding targeted people to follow isn’t difficult if you know where to look. In fact, the same method you would use for finding your ideal customer on Twitter can be used here: Using Twitter’s on-site search to find hashtags and keywords related to your business or niche, and using tools like Twellow to find Twitter users by category. In addition, you’ll want to take a look at influencers in your industry, and see who they’re following and interacting with.

6.  What should my profile include?

The goal of your profile is to grab the attention of those looking at it, and to act as an invitation for them to connect with you.

Your profile should include:

• A professional profile photo
• A branded header image
• A branded handle (username)
• Your geographic location (especially important for local businesses)
• A well-written bio free from typos and including relevant keywords
• A link back to your website
• A custom background image

For more bio ideas, see my post How to Build a Rockstar Twitter profile.

7.  How often should I tweet?

This will vary depending on your business and niche, so I’d encourage you to test this out with your audience.

That said, research seems to indicate that an optimal number is 4-5 times per day. The most important factor is that you’re consistent in your posting frequency…meaning if you can only bring yourself to Tweet once or twice per day, at least be willing to commit to doing that every day.

 8.  Should I connect my Facebook and Twitter account?

Great question! I actually don’t recommend connecting your Facebook and Twitter accounts. While it can seem like a great way to save some time, it’s important to keep in mind that the ways you’ll use Facebook and Twitter will likely be very different.

For instance, a mention or retweet showing up on Facebook doesn’t make much sense, and can give the impression that you’re too busy or too lazy to post to each account separately. Same goes for hashtags: these are definitely still more relevant on Twitter than on Facebook.

If you’re pressed for time, I’d suggest using a tool like Hoostsuite that will you manage your cross-platform social media efforts more efficiently.

9.  Should I have a Protected or Public account?

By default, your Twitter account will be public. This means anyone on the net can see everything you’re doing on Twitter (apart from direct messages, or course). If you’re using Twitter as a way to build your brand, reach new customers or increase your online visibility, I would most definitely suggest leaving your account public.

If you are really concerned about privacy, about the content of your tweets going ‘viral’, or about new people being able to find you and read your stuff, there are probably better tools you could be using: like sticking with email for instance J

10.  Who should I follow back?

Should you follow back everyone who follows you? I would argue no. Don’t feel as if you’re obligated to follow back everyone who follows you. Instead, take a look at your new followers, and ask yourself if they’re relevant to your business or niche. If it’s obvious that they will have nothing valuable to offer to you or your business, there’s no reason you need to feel you have to follow them back.

That said, there’s a fine line between being selective and being too picky…when in doubt, follow them back. After all, you can always unfollow them later if need be!

11.  What is a hashtag on Twitter?

A hashtag is simply a keyword or keywords preceded by the number sign (#), that help Twitter users find messages on a certain topic. Hashtags help you build your audience, as they allow people who aren’t following you to find your tweets and potentially follow you. They are also useful for you to find targeted people to follow and tweets that you can share and comment on.
For more help with using hashtags for your business, see my posts 5 Rocking Hashtag Tools and 7 Reasons Why Hashtags are a MUST in Your Marketing.

12.  How do I get more retweets?

Getting your content retweeted not only feels great, but it goes a long way to helping expand your online visibility and gain new followers. Some of my best tips for getting more retweets include:

• Producing great content that connects with your audience
• Placing a retweet button on your website
• Using hashtags and the @ sign
• Asking for a retweet
• Be a retweeter yourself
• Keep your posts short if you want them to be retweeted

For more tips, see my post How to Get More Retweets on Twitter.

13. What is the difference between a direct message and a reply?


To put it simply, direct messages are private whereas replies are public. Replies give you a way to have a public back and forth conversation that others can read and contribute to. Private conversations that you want tokeep private, on the other hand, are best kept to direct messages.

Source: http://kimgarst.com/13-most-commonly-asked-twitter-questions