Join me for our free webinar on 3/24: “Winning a Successful Career Transition”

Hi Everyone,

I’m co-hosting a free webinar next Wednesday, with the ever-popular LinkedIn expert, Oscar Garcia, and Cory Hiromoto, who is a career expert on many social platforms.

We were on the All-Star Recruiter Panel a few weeks ago that had over 650 registrants. When over 150 stayed on after it ended for an extended Q&A session —  I realized there are many important questions you all have for a smarter job search.

So, we decided to host our own event to go into more depth on the big questions from that night – and with a live Q&A to specifically answer your questions.

Sign up below — and we look forward to seeing your smiling faces on Zoom!

Sue

Winning a Successful Career Transition
Wednesday, March 24^th
7:00 – 8:30 PM PDT

Register for this FREE webinar here:

Transitioning careers can be like riding a big wave. Scary, exciting and fast-changing.

In this FREE webinar, you’ll learn vital tips from the experts to turn the power of the wave in your favor.

Has your job been impacted by COVID? Are you employed yet considering a job or career change?

No matter your situation, it’s smart to pivot and find new ways to navigate the waves of change to find and create your best work.

Register now for this free webinar if you:

• Struggle with how to make your career story compelling to a recruiter or hiring manager
• Need to position a gap in your resume effectively (COVID, caring for children or a sick loved one)
• Would like help identifying strong industries to target
• Want to use tools like LinkedIn to market yourself successfully

Join us to get fresh tips and industry insights from a lively panel of hiring and career experts, followed by a Q&A session with the webinar attendees.

Oscar Garcia is the Founder and Chief Empowerment Officer of Aspira Consulting, a Silicon Valley training and consulting firm. He is an introvert turned international speaker. Oscar has given over 400 seminars and trained over 16,000 professionals across five continents. His training style is of a “practrainer” – he actively practices what he trains others to do. He is also the host of the dynamic and engaging podcast, Career Talk With OG. As Chief Empowerment Officer, Oscar empowers you so opportunities come to you.

Cory Hiromoto is the Founder of Career Shakers and a Fortune 100 recruiter for one of the biggest and hottest companies. He has helped corporate professionals change careers and find their next job. He has spoken on the radio, workshops, technology events, and has a YouTube channel where he posts weekly career content.

Sue Connelly is the Founder of The KIT List, and President of Connelly Communications. Sue founded the KIT List community of over 72,000 job seekers, employers and recruiters to “help great people find great jobs.” It started when she was helping friends who had lost jobs. Sue’s REAL job is a marketing consultant creating marketing strategies and programs through Connelly Communications for high-tech and biotech companies.

You’re invited to two events! Job Strategies Expert Panel on 5/20 and Salary Negotiations on 5/21.

Hi Everyone,

I’ll be on a panel along with some savvy industry experts on how to land your dream job (or get a promotion!) on Monday, May 20th.

The second event the following evening will cover Salary Negotiations.

Both events are free and you are welcome to come — and to share this invitation with friends and colleagues. Due to space limits, you must register first!


Job and Career Panel Sponsored by LinkedIn Local
Monday, May 20th
7:00 – 8:30 PM
Northside Branch of the Santa Clara Library
695 Moreland Way, Santa Clara, CA

Join us for a lively and informative panel discussion sprinkled with important tips that could make the difference in nailing your next job, with some great stories as examples — and a few laughs as well!

Hear from the expert panel:

• Oscar Garcia, the ever-engaging and inspiring Linkedin and networking expert and founder of Aspira
• Sue Connelly, the founder of The KIT List
• Krista Mollion, our LinkedInLocal Bay Area Host
• Albert Qian, the founder of Albert’s List
• Connie Brock, the former Program Manager at ProMatch (which has been an excellent resource for many KIT List members!)

Register* (for adults ONLY) at:
https://nslinkedinlocalmay2019.eventbrite.com

NOTE: Registration does not guarantee entry if you’re not on time for the program and the doors close. 

Santa Clara City Library has teamed up with LinkedInLocal Bay Area to provide potential job seekers tools to increase their network. We have assembled an all-star job and career panel that will help you get to your next promotion or job opportunity.

About LinkedInLocal:
LinkedInLocal is a community driven initiative, of super-keen LinkedIn users, not affliated with Linkedin company, to take online connections offline, by hosting local professional networking events worldwide. In just one year, it has really taken off and at last count has 20,000 members in 61 countries, with almost 650 hosts and co-hosts. Read more here and about the SF Bay Area group  here.

 

Salary Negotiation Seminar
Tuesday, May 21st
7:00 – 8:00 PM
Northside Branch Library
695 Moreland Way, Santa Clara, CA

Salary negotiation is one of the most difficult skills for job seekers to master. According to Monster.com, 43% of workers think they are underpaid. Learn how to get paid adequately negotiate your salary!

Learn how to:

• Effectively research your position’s peak compensation.
• Figure out your opening job offer.
• Advocate for your knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• Decide when to accept or decline a salary… and do it gracefully without scaring your future employer.

Register* (for adults ONLY) here: https://nssalarymay2019.eventbrite.com

*A ticket does not guarantee entry to the program if you do not arrive on time. Any leftover seats will be given away to the waitlist after the doors open. Doors will close immediately after the event begins or after the event reaches capacity. Your attendance to this program grants permission to the City of Santa Clara to take your photograph and/or your child’s photograph for marketing purposes.

 

See you next Monday at the panel event! And you’re also welcome to sign up for the Salary Negotiations event the next evening.

Here’s to finding a job that you’ll love!

Sue

 

Join us for the “FriendWorking” Networking Event on 8/15

Hello Everyone,

I am speaking at an event next week on how to network in a more personal and authentic way, with the idea of helping others first. I call the idea “FriendWorking” since it taps into the magic of friends helping friends.

Though I’ve hosted KIT List FriendWorking events over the years, I’m actually the guest speaker for this event hosted by the Association of Strategic Alliance Professionals (ASAP).

Now that that the ASAP has already invited their members —  I can now invite our KIT List people! But there is a limit of 40 spots, so the event will close soon.

This is also open to anyone who would like to network in a much more effective and enjoyable way!

Join us for this special evening of FriendWorking to grow and deepen your network by connecting in more meaningful ways. 
I will be teaching the same techniques that I share at the KIT List events — and have everyone mix and meet through some fun and very informative exercises!

Grow Your Network Under the Summer Sun (“FriendWorking” Event)

Wednesday, 8/15

6:00 – 8:00 PM

Workspan

950 Tower Lane, Suite 1975

Foster City, CA

Please register here by 8/14

NOTE: There is a $30 charge for this event since it is hosted by the Association of Strategic Alliance Partners, and it is not a KIT List event.

Just remember, a stranger is just a friend you haven’t met yet! It’s worth it to make the effort to get out and meet new people and see what magic unfolds…

I hope to see you there!

Sue

1/17 Networking Event: Using Social to Land Your Job from a LinkedIn Expert

Hi Everyone,

I heard Oscar Garcia, former Community manager at LinkedIn, speak at the Santa Clara Library a few months ago and was very impressed with his tips and strategies which he shared. I learned things I didn’t know about! I’m going to this event, too!

The Santa Clara Library is hosting another event with Oscar — combined with a networking opportunity to put your social skills to work in a comfortable and in-person environment.

Kick off the new year with some effective and positive networking — and land your dream job.

Here’s to a very special 2017 for all you!

– Sue

 
Networking 101: Socializing to Get Your Next Job (Free Event)

Tue, January 17, 2017
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM PST (networking after)

Santa Clara Library – Northside Branch
695 Moreland Way
Santa Clara, CA 95054

Register (space is limited):
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/networking-101-socializing-to-get-your-next-job-tickets-30599289298?utm-medium=discovery&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-source=strongmail&utm-term=listing

Most people are finding their next job opportunities or promotions through their network. Gone are the days of sending in your resume through the computer. It is not about “what you know” as much as “who you know” that could get your next job.

Learn from Oscar Garcia, CEO of Aspira (and former Community Manager at LinkedIn) on how to cultivate and maintain a thriving network to find our next opportunity.

Then following Oscar’s presentation, there will be a networking after-party at Yan Can Asian Bistro in Rivermark where you can work on your socializing and networking skills (it’s just across the street!).

This program is sponsored by the Santa Clara City Library Foundation and Friends.

5 Ways to Building Meaningful Connections on LinkedIn

Hi Everyone,

When I saw the “Top Entrepreneurs in the Bay Area on LinkedIn” with my friend Jayne Brodie’s wonderful face on that list, I asked her to share her methods for doubling her network with our KIT List community. Read on!

– Sue

I have actively been using LinkedIn for the last 3 months to grow my business, and have learned very quickly that making strong connections on LinkedIn is very similar to making strong and meaningful connections live.

During these past few months, I’ve doubled the size of my LinkedIn Network, increased the size of my personal sales by 18%, and made some powerful and profitable new connections; and equally important, my sales funnel is full.

Now more than ever with the holidays in full swing, it’s a great time to leverage LinkedIn as a way to solidify connections and keep in touch.

Here are My 5 Steps to Building Meaningful Connections:

1. Clearly identify your target market – who are you looking for?
   Before you start your search using LinkedIn, first create a profile (in Word or Excel) of your ideal connection and then list keywords to search for them.  Be clear about who you’re looking for and what their key traits are…some examples would be entrepreneur, wellness coach, personal trainer, jewelry designer, whoever is a candidate for buying your services, or connecting you to someone who would buy or fill a need that you have in your organization. You can narrow this down by zip code or geographic area as well if your services are local, or go national or international if they are not.

2. Look for people that are active on LinkedIn, with over 500 connections.
   Since you are using this platform to network you want to find others that are doing the same. In both the laptop and mobile devices, this feature is in their profile summary at the top of their profile page.

3. Create “Advanced Search” criteria to narrow your search down and find commonality with your market.
   You can do this by zip code, what college you went to…any key phrase. On a laptop or desktop, this feature is located to the right of the search bar at the top of the page. (At this time, this feature is not available on mobile devices.)

Advanced Tip: You can look for multiple areas in common with connections as well which boosts response rates. Example: If you market to personal trainers, you could look for personal trainers that are also alumni of your college, have a specialty within their profession, or that share another common interest or have a really specific need you could fulfill.  This gives you multiple touch points to begin your connection with. You want to show you’ve done your homework (it’s a fast process) and stand out from the crowd.

4.  Reach out with a personalized message about what you have in common with them and why you want to connect.
   Don’t send out the standard LinkedIn connection message, and don’t pitch your services right away! Your goal is to build rapport, relationship, and create a true connection. Not everyone will respond. It’s truly a numbers game and you have to reach out to enough people to find those true connections.

Advanced Tip: When you hit the “Connect” option a drop down list will come up with options about how you know this person / why you want to connect. I always choose “friend” so LinkedIn doesn’t question that connection. Go down to the “Include a Personal Note” section and type in a personal note.

Example: With the personal trainer example we started with, here’s what I would write if I coached personal trainers and was looking for connections: “Hi Paula! I saw your profile and wanted to connect as we have so much in common. We are both alumni of XXX and I work with Personal Trainers!” That’s it!  You will stand out by creating curiosity and being relevant. By going the extra mile and really creating that relationship (and interest) up front, your acceptance rate will be higher and you’re inviting a conversation right away.

5. When the connection is accepted, reach back out and start a conversation.
   I never say anything about myself until asked, I ask questions about them — what they do and how LinkedIn is working for them, what types of clients do they work with, or how is business going? Whatever seems most relevant to them by what they’ve put out there on their profile. Sometimes this means going back and forth five times, sometimes once. When the conversation gets going, I always take it offline with a phone call or coffee. The chat feature is amazing to start the ball rolling, but it’s not a true conversation tool.  The key is to leverage it to then begin the real conversation offline.

When there is engagement after a few back and forth messages and if it’s a good match, take it offline so you can have a real conversation. The messaging component of LinkedIn has opened up so many doors, but it’s still a messaging platform. Conversation creates connection.

Top Tips to Keep The Momentum Going

1. Set a time on your calendar to work LinkedIn every day.
   15 minutes a day will go a long way. Make a goal to reach out to 5 new people a day and start connecting. If you can make it 30 minutes it will go that much faster. The key is consistency.
2. Over time your messaging folder will be really full. Avoid the temptation to just follow up and stay in the chat feature.
   To keep that sales funnel full, you must be doing two things…adding new people to it AND following up with those with whom you’ve started conversations.
3. Once I started offline conversations, I moved these connections over to my regular CRM system so I could track them and keep everything systematized in terms of follow up.
   The good news is you will build a lot of new connections…and make sure you have a way of tracking them that works for you.

 

About the Author:   

Jayne Brodie is a lifelong entrepreneur. After a long and successful career owning an ad agency, she made a career change after turning 50. You can learn more about Jayne and connect with her on LinkedIn. She was able to reach the “Top Entrepreneurs in the Bay Area on LinkedIn” by the daily activity listed above and continues to leverage LinkedIn in support of her rapidly growing business, coaching women entrepreneurs on how to create residual income streams alongside their busy lives.