New Year's Eve

Here it is: New Year's Eve.

I was listening to my husband, his friend and his brother this week, and in the middle of their conversation on the poor state of our economy and the possibility of a crash like we've never seen before, I reminded them of this:

It's important to be careful, and to take into consideration the possibility of negative outcomes when we make decisions about our futures.  But in the end, whether we have money or not, what will keep us happy is to be surrounded by the people we love, to display confidence and to be personally optimistic.  Those were the biggest lessons learned when I was out of work beginning in June 2008 to September 2009.

My wish to all of you for the New Year is that you be surrounded by people you love, that you continue to be confident and to inspire, and that you never lose your optimism.

Happy 2012!

The 10 Red Hot LinkedIn Tips for Job Seekers

Someone in one of my groups tipped us off to this excellent article.  To summarize:

1. Get connected to 250 people on LinkedIn - that's the gasoline in the tank
2. Join 50 LinkedIn groups - that's the engine oil
3. Post a daily status update - that will keep you top of mind with your connections
4. Participate in three group discussions a week - to be heard and recognized as a smart person
   
• HAPPENLink is a good place to be heard and recognized as a smart person, too
5. Search and save job searches - this is like having your own virtual assistant scouring for jobs 24/7
• It's a good idea to do the same in Indeed.ca and Eluta.ca
6. Download LinkedIn JobsInsider toolbar - this will tell you who you know who know people at the company you want to get a job at
7. Follow the companies you are interested in working for - you will get notified of new hires as well as people who move on, among other things
8. Search for people you know at the companies you apply to - it's a great way to find out if you have a first level connection who knows someone you can contact
9. Optimize your profile for your keywords in your headline, skills and job titles - use the keywords for skills, knowledge and abilities that your future employer is looking for
10. Spend at least one hour a day on LinkedIn - you have to put some time in if you want results

Job seeking is work.  And it involves taking some risks: reaching out to your connections, making statements and arguing your point in a group discussion, exposing yourself to potential employers.  It also can be a lot of fun.  Go for it!