rome wasn't built in a day

Have you ever read Moby Dick? I did for school. Was not a fan. Was a little slow for my little attention span. Wish I had the cliff notes. Today, however, I can share with you the cliff notes version of a recent job search event I went to. 

The Advertising Women of NY, or AWNY, is a local, professional association that has brought tremendous value to my life. The association has a career development arm that offered an event this month that focused on digital job searching. [would have been cool if they really took on the digital theme and streamed the event online] 

I saved my job search shekels and $35 later was registered for the two hour event. Half hour was spent networking and an hour listening to a panel talk about online job searching. Pammy Brooks from 24/7 Real Media (moderator), Rochelle Geller from Rochelle Geller Associates, MaryAlice Almendinger from Google, and Virginia Hanchar from Mediacom composed the expert panel. Here's what the ladies had to share about online job searching:

PB - 24/7 Real Media

• LinkeIn is a game changer.

RG - Rochelle Geller Associates

• LinkedIn is a great resource to use when romancing a company.
• Just because LinkedIn is available and convenient is not a reason to present an informal or unprofessional side.
• Right now hiring managers are looking for big picture thinkers and in the weeds workers.
• When delivering the experience of you, consider your intuitive and empathic sense of self. 

VH - Mediacom

• Aim for positively assertive when following up on a job interview. 
• Researching a company gives a candidate competence and confidence. 
• Take the time (or money) to have a complete online profile created to represent you. 
• Don't underestimate your relationships with people. It's like managing an PR campaign for yourself.

MA - Google

• When Google gets a resume, a real person reviews it. 
• Aim to make all your communications powerful and valuable. 
• Don't apply for multiple positions at one company at one time. 
• We use key words to create boolean searches for qualified candidates. 
• Google looks for four things in a candidate: experience, cognitive ability, leadership in your professional or personal life, and "Googliness".
• A candidate will be considered questionable if we see inconsistencies across resumes and online profiles. 

it's crunch time

Think Amazon's 1-Click ordering. Think social media buttons at the bottom of any internet article. Now think online job submission. This digital combo is LinkedIn's recent attempt at streamlining the web employment process.

“Our goal with Apply With LinkedIn is to help every professional put their best foot forward, anywhere across the web when they take that leap to apply for a new position,” - Jonathan Seitel, LinkedIn Technical Product Manager

Reviews are mixed about the Pros and Cons.

PROS

*Helps potential employees hit application volume numbers faster.

*3 clicks to application and 0 cover letter.

*Uniform and searchable submission data for employers.

CONS

*Mass employee impulse applications.

*Employees in the relationship building process are being undermined. Eroding LinkedIn's job board point-of-difference that it creates personal and direct connections from employee to employer.

*Increased time and money waste for employers having to sift through an even larger applicant pool. Good candidates getting the boot because there are too many considerations.

Technology help or hinderance? You decide.