Interview with Personal Branding Pioneer William Arruda is a post from: Executive Resume Branding

Founder and President of Reach Personal Branding, a global leader providing personal branding certification programs and branding for companies, organizations and teams, William Arruda is an accomplished entrepreneur, author and executive coach. But first and foremost, he’s a public speaker, sought-after to deliver keynotes across the globe on personal branding, social media and employee motivation.

His client list reads like the pages of Fortune Magazine. Adobe, British Telecom, IBM, JPMorgan, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley and Starwood Hotels are just a few in a long list of clients.

Working through the Reach program myself to earn the Certified Personal Branding Strategist credential, I learned firsthand how powerful and affirming defining your brand can be. The personal/executive branding process I’ve developed for my clients is adapted from the Reach process.

His book Career Distinction: Stand Out By Building Your Brand, co-authored with Kirsten Dixson and published by John Wiley & Sons, is a definitive step-by-step guide enabling you to determine how others perceive you, reshape those perceptions to achieve your goals, and communicate your message about your personal brand clearly and consistently.

Ask William about personal branding and you’ll get a mile-wide grin, crackling energy, and a lively discussion of how personal branding can make every facet of career and life more engaging, fun, and successful.

When and how did you learn about personal branding and decide it would be beneficial to you?

In July of 1997, I read Tom Peter’s article the Brand Called You in Fast Company magazine. When I read it, I was working for IBM in Boston and decided I was going to leave and start the first personal branding company.  Of course, then IBM offered me a role in London and then in Paris – and I couldn’t turn down those opportunities, so I didn’t actually leave until 2001!

Tell me about the genesis of Reach and what differentiates Reach assessment and personal branding programs from others.

When I founded Reach, I built a structured personal branding methodology that is based on corporate branding theory. It has been proven with hundreds of thousands of careerists and entrepreneurs around the world. It has been refined over the last eight years.

Our assessment, 360Reach, is the only assessment focused exclusively on professional reputation – and it has been refined with feedback from some of the nearly one million people who have used it.

I’m struck by your contagious enthusiasm and by how passionate you are about your work. What do you most love doing in your professional life?

I love helping people get what they want from life. I love giving people permission to be themselves. I love working with Reach-certified Personal Branding Strategists all over the world. There is so much I love about what I do. Perhaps my favorite thing is delivering keynotes. I really enjoy public speaking and I get to talk to so many different people all over the world! My work has taken over my life because it is so rewarding and fun!

Digging deep to uncover one’s personal brand can be challenging and sometimes painful. When you first did your own branding work, how did you feel about the introspective process? What did you learn about yourself that was surprising?

You are right. That first piece – the ‘who are you’ can be challenging and frustrating. That is why a lot of people go directly to expressing their brand without uncovering it. Of course, that’s a recipe for failure.

In going through the branding process, perhaps the most profound thing I learned about myself is my need for collaboration and community. When I launched Reach, I was lonely. That’s one of the main reasons I started the Reach personal branding certification programs. Now, I have over 500 colleagues in 21 countries! It helps me be my best.

How often do you revisit and refocus your personal brand?

Every day.  I always ask myself  questions like – “Is this on-brand for me?”  “Is my brand still relevant to my target audience?” “What have I done today to build my brand?”

What misconceptions and misinformation about personal branding bother you the most? Do you think that some people will never get what personal branding is all about?

There are two:

1. Personal branding is about creating an image. I think personal branding is based in authenticity – that means knowing who you are. Many people are not willing to ‘unearth’ their brands.

2. The do-it-yourself approach is effective branding. There are lots of people out there calling themselves personal branding experts who are advising people to ‘be visible.’ They suggest creating home videos, joining every social media site, etc. This will actually detract from brand value. You aren’t going to impress someone with a poor-quality video you posted to YouTube that you created in your bedroom or a conference room in your office. If your career is important, you should work with professionals.

In your keynotes on personal branding, are audiences at first resistant to the concept? Do you see lightbulb moments in them when it all comes together?

Some people jump on the brandwagon right away. Others are incredulous. Once people realize it is about authenticity and they understand that it is essential to career success, most embrace the idea. I use a lot of real-world examples in my presentations – so I think people ‘get it.’

How has people’s estimation of personal branding changed since you first started Reach?

When I started there were five of us in the world offering personal branding services. Now, there are thousands. Also, when I started, personal branding was mostly a real-world activity. Web 2.0 provides a lot more opportunities for personal branding – but the process has remained the same.

Why do you feel personal branding is essential to career advancement, especially in today’s economy?

Because there are lots of other people who want the same job. Branding allows you to differentiate yourself by highlighting what makes you exceptional – so you stand out and attract the attention of hiring managers and executive recruiters. In the future, jobs won’t be advertised. Ideal employees will be found through real and social networks and Google searches.

I work with C-level and senior executives, mostly 45+ years old, who often are resistant to embracing social media for job search and healthy career management. As someone who takes full advantage of social media, what words of wisdom do you have for them to encourage them to do the same?

It’s not an option. C-level executives need to be visible internally and externally. They need to attract employees to work for them, demonstrate their leadership, be visible to clients and business partners, etc. You can’t be an effective senior executive by hiding from the people who need to know you. Social media is the best tool to help you connect with your brand community.

What is your absolute favorite online branding tool or strategy – something you couldn’t live without?

Blogging. It is the best tool for demonstrating your thought-leadership and building community. And you can express your personality and highlight your strengths with what you write and how you write it.

Blogging is my favorite, too. I urge my clients to get involved with blogging in some way, even if it’s only a blog commenting strategy, to steadily build a branded online presence. What impact has blogging had on your professional success?

It has been huge. I thank blogging for a lot of press I have received, people joining the Reach certification programs, partnerships that I have established for Reach. I have a whole community of people I connect with regularly, thanks to blogging.

I recommend that executive job seekers use their resume and bio together as the foundation for all online and offline career branding. You’ve talked about the career biography replacing the executive resume as a better representation of people’s promise of value. Do you think resumes are obsolete?

I think resumes are still necessary – companies require them, but bios will become even more important in the future. Resumes are limited in their ability to demonstrate what makes you exceptional and they are typically void of personality. The Human part of Human Resources is becoming more important in the new world of work. Bios allow you to paint a portrait of who you are.

William Arruda’s keynotes and professional development solutions are inspiring, unique and steadfastly focused on results. He uses his highly energetic and enthusiastic style to pump adrenaline into meetings or conferences. For more information and to contact William, visit his website.

Visit the  Reach website to find out about their personal branding certification programs and personal branding for companies, organizations and teams.

Related posts:

What Is Personal Branding?

10 Steps to Uncovering and Building Your Authentic Personal Brand

8 Hot Tips to Build Personal Branding Into Your C-level Executive Resume 2.0

Working With Executive Recruiters: Interview with Jeff Lipschultz is a post from: Executive Resume Branding

Great advice on recruiting the recruiter, executive job search, personal branding, social media, interviewing, and executive resumes.

Jeff is a founding partner of A-List Solutions, a premier recruiting firm in Dallas-Fort Worth. He has hired engineers, IT and finance professionals, sales reps, technicians, Six Sigma and Lean experts, and managers of many talents.

What brought you to recruiting?

I have always loved the aspect of building strong teams in business.  At my last company, I built a consistent process to ensure we recruited the best talent.  At the company before that, I was the HR department.  I have always centered my work around the people first, then the product/service. When the opportunity came to partner with a very experienced professional to start our own firm, I jumped at the chance.

What sets you and your firm apart from others who work with the same kinds of candidates? What’s your brand?

Many larger firms need to focus on the numbers game.  They need a high volume to ensure they meet their overhead expenses.  We keep our expenses low by leveraging creative means for marketing and building our network.  This allows us to have more in-depth relationships with our clients and our candidates.  We like to think we are part of our clients’ team charged with bringing in the best talent by truly understanding their needs for the present and long-term.

What jazzes you most about your work?

The challenge of putting all the right pieces together in the puzzle.  When you’ve got the right candidate for the right client, everybody wins and everyone is happy.  This is not trivial.  You are impacting people’s lives and that is powerful stuff.  And I know this is an overused phrase, but I really do like helping people.

What do you feel are the greatest misconceptions job seekers have about recruiters and working with them?

The number one misconception is candidates think if they get a resume into a recruiters hands, he/she will instantly land a new job.  The reality is “timing is everything.”  If the right job is available and you’re the top candidate, you may get the job.  In most cases, it is better to be passively looking and let the recruiter come back to you when the right job surfaces for you.

Another misconception may be that all recruiters are the same in terms of quality and motivation.  Just like any occupation, there is a large spectrum of performance in this industry.

You’ve blogged about how job seekers should “recruit a recruiter”. What are the important questions to ask when interviewing recruiters?

Candidates should ask recruiters what type of positions they have filled in the last six months.  This is a strong indicator of what jobs they work on most.  They can also ask the industries and geographic region.  It’s good to ask how long they have been a recruiter, but keep in mind experience over two years is fine (but obviously, the longer the better).  Another very direct question to try:  When and where did you place a candidate who has a resume similar to mine?

By the way, word of mouth is the best assurance you can have. Start with your network when looking for a recruiter.

What are some of the biggest mistakes job seekers make in working with recruiters that can hurt their chances of landing jobs?

One of the biggest mistakes is not telling the recruiter everything about you (your “real” salary requirements, gaps in employment history, unique requirements for employment).  Recruiters hate surprises late in the process.  Realize that when they present a candidate, they are putting their reputation on the line.  Businesses frown upon getting introduced to candidates who are ultimately not a fit for the job.

Some job seekers don’t listen to the advice the recruiter gives them (how to approach the interview, addressing the personalities at the company).  Recruiters make their living by knowing the finer points about their clients.  Their advice is usually dead-on-target.

A minor annoyance to recruiters is a lack of response by job seekers.  Usually, recruiters are moving very quickly on a project.  A candidate who doesn’t respond to emails or calls can be dropped from consideration.  Clear and constant communication is essential.

How do you source the candidates you work with? Do you use LinkedIn and other social networks heavily?

I use every networking avenue available to me and this does include all the Social Media networks like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.  However, many times, these tools lead to a person who may know another person who might be a fit.  I talk to as many people as I can to extend my network as far as possible.  Sometimes, this includes networking with other recruiters.  I do leverage job boards, too.  The Internet offers many ways to find people with the background required for many jobs.

How important is it for executive job seekers to be on LinkedIn? How about Twitter and Facebook?

It is critical to be on LinkedIn.  Most recruiters leverage it.  Twitter is good for reaching out to certain networks and being “available” online to recruiters who search those bio’s.  It is good to follow recruiters on Twitter as they often tweet their job openings.  Facebook is a good tool for presenting your personal side.  As long as you keep your content clean and interesting, recruiters/employers can learn more about you before they call you.  The same could be said for a personal blog.

What problems can arise when candidates work with more than one recruiter?

The number one issue is being submitted to the same job twice.  A job seeker should always ask what company the recruiter plans to submit their resume to.  If you’ve been submitted by another recruiter, simply say so.  Being submitted twice does not double your chances of being picked.  Quite the contrary.

When working with more than one recruiter, try and branch out geographically or by industry.  If two recruiters overlap too much in their opportunities, you may start to annoy one of them who is always the second to tell you about the same job.

How does a job seeker OWN the relationship with the recruiter?

The job seeker needs to be the one who touches base once in a while (email is fine) with updates on their search or the job (promotions, new skills or projects) – any new developments that might be useful information for fitting you to a job should be shared. 

Recruiters deal with a lot of people.  Don’t expect them to remember you right away if it’s been a while since you last talked.  Give them a chance to pull up your information in their database and check their notes.

To build a stronger relationship with a recruiter, you should offer them leads on new jobs that you’ve heard of.  You can also introduce them to colleagues of yours that may fit their current job searches.  You need to “give to get.”

What process do you use to screen resumes? Do you prefer a certain style for executive resumes?

The ideal resume has a concise summary at the top that includes what the job seeker has done including some key accomplishments.  This tells the recruiter what kind of job you are looking for.  Below that should be the chronological list of jobs where each lists responsibilities and additional accomplishments.  The jobs that relate to the job currently sought should have more bullets than lesser roles that no longer are of interest.  Focus on the aspects of your career you wish to pursue.

As a recruiter, I look for a match between experiences, accomplishments, and results to the requirements of my client.  I also look for a progression over time in responsibility or complexity of assignment (answers the question: has the candidate shown growth in their career?).  I also look for signs that the candidate really enjoys their job (do they belong to associations or write blog posts about their expertise). 

Knowledge is power.  I also evaluate if the candidate knows the industry, vendors, project challenges that come with the role.  In other words, how far up the learning curve are they already for the job I’m looking to fill.

What are some of the worst mistakes you see candidates make on their resumes?

A poor quality resume quickly projects the impression that the candidate does shoddy work.  There is an expectation that the resume has been written, rewritten, reviewed, perfected and tweaked again.  It should be perfect.  Signs of poor quality include: poor or inconsistent formatting, spelling errors, irrelevant content, and a weak or too generalized summary.  An objective statement is obsolete these days and should be omitted.  I would avoid the overused phrases, too:  great communicator, motivated, team-player.  All this is proven in the accomplishments if you’ve got good ones to share!

Do you sometimes review a candidate’s bio instead of, or before, their resume?

If a bio is written well, it can be the first thing I review.  It should be specific enough to convey to me what the candidate does best.  Some include specific skill sets that make it even easier to see if there is a potential match.  Basically, if I see a chance for a match in the bio, I read the resume. 

How important do you feel personal branding is in executive resumes and bios, and job search in general?

Personal branding is becoming a standard for job seekers, but also for those looking to progress in their own company.  Doesn’t everyone want the local “rock star” on their team—it is a competitive advantage, right?  I know of a recent promotion of a colleague of mine who made it clear he was an expert in his field and the company leveraged his talents by giving him more opportunity to execute on his expertise.  For job seekers, you want to be known in your community.  You want your name to be synonymous with your specialty.  You want recruiters (and opportunities) to find you, and not have to go and find them.

What are some important job search interviewing tips you can share?

The key to interviewing is to prepare and take ownership of the interview.  Don’t have the attitude that you should just show up and answer some questions.  Preparation conveys interest in the job, which is essential.  Have great questions to ask during the interview that shows you did some homework on the company (asking when a decision will be made is a waste of a question—you can ask on the way out of the office, if need be).  I offer many more tips in two different guides I wrote highlighted in my recent blog post, Interviewing is Easy…If Done Right!

What words of encouragement do you have for executive job seekers who are overwhelmed by the new rules of job search?

You are not expected to be a job search pro instantaneously.  After all, it is not typically your full-time job.  Tackle each tool available for job searching one at a time and ask questions of experts.  Leverage all your resources.

Expect that the process will take some time and you might come in second once or twice.  Keep in mind that as you roll along in the process, you are building momentum towards the goal, even with setbacks.  All the effort is cumulative—it will lead to your final result, a new opportunity.
 

Jeff has worked in many industries developing and marketing a wide spectrum of products and services while leading large-scale corporate initiatives.  Jeff has worked at several Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, and small OEM.

He earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin and University of Illinois-Chicago, respectively.  He has a Master’s in Business Administration from Southern Methodist University with a focus in Marketing

Jeff Lipschultz writes on his blog about the challenges of finding the best jobs as candidates and finding the best employees as companies.  He also blogs about technology, employment trends, and sometimes quirky observations of society. Jeff is a featured writer for Job-Hunt, a top employment and job search portal, where he provides advice to job seekers on working with recruiters and optimizing their search efforts. He is also an avid road cyclist, die-hard Cubs fan, volunteer teacher, but most of all a hubby and dad of two great kids. Follow Jeff on Twitter at and Link In with Jeff on LinkedIn.

Interview with Dan Schawbel – Me 2.0 Personal Branding is a post from: Executive Resume Branding

Personal branding expert for Gen-Y Dan Schawbel recently published his groundbreaking book Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success, which outlines his proven 4-step process for building a powerful brand and focuses on how to use social media tools for personal brand building.

In our interview, he discussed how his methods transcend generation or professional level and apply to c-level executive career success as well.

Congratulations on the publication of your first book, Dan! You’ve put together a wealth of information about personal branding that will surely benefit anyone reading it. What would you say differentiates your book from others that teach people how to build and leverage their personal brands?

Me 2.0 is the first book about personal branding written by a millennial (myself) for the millennial audience and is the first book to focus primarily on how to use social media tools for career success.  Most of the feedback I’ve received has been that Me 2.0 can benefit those at any career level and even companies, who are interested in recruiting Gen-Y or building their own brands through these new tools.

When and how did you learn about personal branding and decide it would be beneficial to you?

Before I knew the term “personal branding” existed, I was very interested in self-marketing and marketing, in general.  I didn’t really understand networking and I wasn’t too comfortable with it when I was in college, so I had to fight for every internship.  I had eight internships by the time I graduated and that wasn’t even enough to get me the job I wanted quickly. 

I got the internships by marketing myself with a CD portfolio, custom resume and cover letter, business card and website.  I stood out to employers by doing things others had not. I eventually got a job when I graduated at EMC.  About a year later I read Tom Peter’s article and everything clicked for me.  I was starting to become a heavy social media user and I started my own blog around Personal Branding.  The rest, as they say, is history.

What process did you use to uncover and develop your personal brand? How did you feel about the introspective process? What did you learn about yourself?

I used my own process that I talk about in Me 2.0, which is DCCM or discover, create, communicate and maintain.  I’ve learned a lot about myself as I’ve traveled through this never-ending process, such as what my strengths are and what my weaknesses are. 

By understanding both, I know who to seek help from and how to allocate my time.  I really push people to go through this process because if you don’t know who you are or have goals, then it’s nearly impossible to be successful.  One of the smartest things I did in the beginning was to claim my own niche.

In the recent video interview you did with Jun Loayza, I was struck by how passionate you are about many things. What do you most love doing in your professional life?

This is a very tough question because I love everything I do.  I’d say that presenting to groups of people is what I enjoy the most because I get to connect on a different level.  The internet won’t ever replace human interaction.  Speaking about personal branding and hearing questions about individual situations is what excites me.  Although I get a lot of the same questions, there are always ones that challenge me and get me thinking.

We all read a lot of misinformation about personal branding in blogs and other social media. What misconceptions bother you the most? Do you think that some people will never get what personal branding is all about?

I think the misconception that bothers us all the most is that personal branding is about selfishness and is for self-centered individuals.  Most people don’t understand what personal branding is and they think it’s just a made up word.

What is your absolute favorite online branding tool or strategy – something you couldn’t live without?

My blog is the one tool that has never let me down.  It has changed my life, whereas social networks have marketed the blog and helped build the community.  I think everyone needs their own digital real-estate, whether it’s a blog or traditional website.

What was the biggest lesson you learned when you began incorporating personal branding in your business and career marketing?

The biggest lesson I learned was not to spam people.  Whether it’s leaving your blog address in a comment or sending a mass email to 100 bloggers telling them to write about you, spamming is the route of all evil.  You should be more targeted at your attempts to build your brand and build relationships.

I work with C-level executives, mostly 45+ years old, who often are resistant to embracing social media for job search and healthy career management. Many have never even heard of LinkedIn! As a millennial who takes full advantage of social media, what words of wisdom do you have for them to encourage them to do the same?

I’m starting to recommend a new website for those who don’t understand the web and it’s called Zimplit.com.  It allows anyone to create their own website without coding knowledge and it’s all web based. 

Also, I would recommend that they start small and then grow their brand as they become more comfortable and confident.  They should claim their names on social networks and establish branded profiles.  Then they should ease into figuring out how they can best use the tools for their own career.

I urge my clients to get involved with blogging in some way, even just commenting on relevant blogs, to steadily build a branded online presence. What impact has blogging had on your career success?

Blogging has changed my life for the better.  There are hundreds of millions of blogs but most fail because people don’t market them.  It takes a very long time to develop readership on a blog, so you have to be passionate about what you write about and you have to be committed to publishing each week.  I’ve realized a lot of indirect benefits from blogging, such as speaking gigs, consulting and launching my various companies.

Do you have any advice or words of encouragement for job seekers at any professional level who aren’t particularly tech savvy and baffled by today’s job search 2.0? If they concentrate on just one thing to build their personal brands online, what should it be?

They should have their own website or blog.  Use Zimplit to create your own website for free or use WordPress.com to create a free blog.  Both of these services require no programming or tech skills.   It’s all about figuring out what you want to do and using the tools to help get your voice out there.

With over 100,000 results for his name in Google, Fast Company calls Dan a “personal branding force of nature.” He is the founder of the Personal Branding Blog®, which was the #1 job blog by Careerbuilder in 2008, is an AdAge top 50 marketing blog and is syndicated by Reuters, Forbes, Fox Business and other major networks.  Dan is also the publisher of Personal Branding Magazine®.

Related post:

10 Best of Personal Branding Strategies, Lessons, and News

Q & A With Jason Alba: The Inside Skinny on Using LinkedIn to Accelerate Executive Job Search is a post from: Executive Resume Branding

Jason Alba is the CEO and creator of JibberJobber, a powerful free-for-life online tool that helps you manage your career – from job search to relationship management to target company management – and much more.

After a corporate downsizing impacted Jason in 2006, he experienced firsthand the difficulties of conducting a job search. Drawing on his extensive computer software and IT experience, Jason analyzed the job search process and developed JibberJobber.

With the second edition of Jason’s book, “I’m on LinkedIn – Now What???”, due out any minute, I wanted to check in with him to find out what’s new in the new book and ask him to share some of his tips on extracting the best value and leveraging LinkedIn for executive job search.

What new information and features will we find in the second edition of your LinkedIn book? Do you share any new tips about using LinkedIn and getting the most out of it?

When I started the second edition I had two goals: to clean up the content from the first edition, and to update anything that needed updating because of technology changes in LinkedIn.  I actually rewrote the entire chapter on Groups, and changed chapter 10, which used to be called “Services” and is now called “Companies” … aside from that, there are content and tip updates and changes to just about every chapter – at least 500 edits went into this book!

Many CEOs and top-level executive job seekers who come to me have never heard of LinkedIn and don’t understand the importance of social media in today’s executive job search. What can you say to them about the value of LinkedIn?

Well, first, you aren’t alone… but I strongly encourage you to get on the ball.  Your competition (probably younger) is participating in social environments like LinkedIn, and many recruiters depend on LinkedIn to find talent.  If you aren’t there, you aren’t being found, but your competition is.  Also, doesn’t it make sense to understand the current landscape?  Not having a LinkedIn profile or strategy kind of tells me you don’t really care about the current landscape … so what other current things are you going to be behind on?

Do you have any sage advice or words of encouragement for those who aren’t particularly tech savvy and baffled by today’s job search 2.0?

Two things: First, take it one step at a time, and second, realize that 9 out of 10 hyped things aren’t critical.  If you do NOTHING else, you need to have a LinkedIn Profile and strategy.  I think the next most important thing an executive could do would be a professional blog, like those I recognize in my monthly You Get It award, but I realize that’s a commitment.  Applying Pareto, I’d say you are 80% there if you just have your LinkedIn strategy in place. 

How important has LinkedIn been for you in building JibberJobber and your personal brand?

It’s been pretty cool to grow my network and develop relationships with people I never would have come across.  I have met people critical to the future success of JibberJobber and my business through LinkedIn, and over time we’ve been able to nurture our relationships.  Of course, during this time I stay on-brand with my messaging to remind them who I am, what I do, and I’ve seen them advocate for me because they know my brand well.  Just having a network doesn’t do it, you have to put your brand in front of your network regularly.

What kind of results are you seeing for your own LinkedIn efforts?

I have a 5 year plan with JibberJobber and have made contacts with people who will play a significant role in that plan.  Aside from that, I’ve been able to expose my book and I’m sure make sales because of my LinkedIn strategy, as well as become branded as a LinkedIn expert for speaking and consulting.

What is your regular routine with LinkedIn? Are there certain things you do each time you log in? Do you update your profile regularly?

There are a few things on my Profile that I put in place once, and I’m good with that.  Like, my vanity URL (linkedin.com/in/jasonalba), and my websites, and my picture.  Aside from that, I finally updated my Summary and feel good about that.  I don’t expect to change my Profile for quite a while, and I don’t think people need to after they get it done right.  Aside from that, I export my contacts and import them into JibberJobber so I can manage the relationships better, I participate in Answers, and I have started to participate in Group Discussions. If my network were small I would work on growing it strategically.

What are the biggest mistakes people make with their LinkedIn profiles?

Too little information.  I hate going to a Profile and seeing nothing there.  I want something compelling, something credible.  Sell me on your value, no matter what you do or what your situation is.  You are probably well-accomplished… I want to read that on the Profile without having to go to Google to learn more about you.  Aside from that, if you aren’t actively involved in communicating with your network, you are missing a huge opportunity to create evangelists.

What is the most important thing to do with LinkedIn for personal branding and job search?

Again, make sure your Profile is as good as it should be for who you are.  And then, use LinkedIn as a tool to help you nurture relationships and make connections.  Don’t treat your LinkedIn connections like you treat that stack of business cards on your desk … nurture relationships!

Do you have any special tricks to share about taking advantage of all that LinkedIn offers?

If you want to be proactive, participate in Answers and Group Discussions.  It’s an excellent way to get your name in front of your network, and their contacts.  Make sure you are not spamming, rather you are adding value to a discussion.  Also, if you want to get a lot of value out of searching on LinkedIn, consider Shally’s cheatsheet, which you can find at the top of my ImOnLinkedInNowWhat blog.

What was the biggest lesson you learned when faced with your job search in 2006, that can help others? How were you able to turn around your failing job search?

Many lessons. One was that my resume sucked.  It looked good, and everyone thought it was great, but in the end, it wasn’t getting me interviews.  I should have realized there was a problem in that part of the job search process and gotten help right away.  Another lesson I learned was that sometimes life has a way of changing plans on us.  I had my career goals mapped out, and thought I knew how to get to where I wanted.  And then I ended up being an entrepreneur, which is something I had wanted to do but didn’t think I would be able to do.  It was scary and exciting, and a path I didn’t think was possible, but it happened. Maybe your next step will be something totally unexpected.

Tell us about the benefits of JibberJobber for managing executive job search and overall career management?

I refer to JibberJobber as a career management tool, because we are in transition so frequently.  We need to manage relationships, going beyond just tracking phone numbers and email addresses.  JibberJobber is to you what salesforce.com is to a sales professional, and you should use JibberJobber during your entire career (even between job searches).  Aside from the critical relationship management, JibberJobber allows you to do other things that Meg would recommend, such as manage your “target companies”, log important accomplishments in a job journal, wordsmith your response to “tell me about yourself”, etc.  We’ve taken as many ideas from career and networking professionals as we could and created a place to actually do what they tell you to do.

Jason Alba specializes in social media, with an emphasis on getting professional or business value out of various social tools. Along with managing JibberJobber, the gold standard in career management technology, Jason maintains four blogs, including the JibberJobber blog, and is co-author of I’m on Facebook – Now What???