Mark Anthony Dyson, Author at The Voice of Job Seekers

Interview with Lauriana Zukowski Co-Founder of TweetMyJobs

Editor’s note: Lauriana and Gary Zukowski are the founders of TweetMyJobs. Lauriana and I have communicated through Twitter throughout the last 2 years and witness that her kindness and wisdom transcends 140 characters daily. She is very passionate about helping job seekers, and frequently tweets information and inspiration for them. Her mission reaches beyond connecting job seekers with jobs. Lauriana is influencing and equipping job seekers through content sharing , and inspiring them with hope. Both of us share an affection in supporting U.S. Veterans re-entering the workforce.

Lauriana’s bio: Lauriana Zukowski, co-founder of TweetMyJobs, is a big advocate of social media and job search. She regularly tweets information that is related to careers, work place concerns and jobseeker tips. She is also a strong supporter of our Veterans who are entering the workforce. She is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with a Bachelors of Science and has a Masters degree from Northeastern University. Lauriana is the mother of five children. You can find and follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/laurianaZ.

How did you and Gary come up with the idea?

Unemployment was (and still is) sky high. Back then it was close to 10% yet there were millions of jobs available on hundreds of different job boards. Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter were relatively young but their power in changing the way companies could do business online was obvious. We instinctively knew that leveraging this new technology was a smart way to help job seekers connect with employers. We focused on Twitter initially because of the real time nature of the service. Real time is crucial for both seekers and employers because they want their problem solved fast. Twitter enables this better than any other platform and has grown into an incredible ecosystem.

What need then did you see that was missing from job seekers connecting with recruiters/employers?

Two needs really – matching and distribution. It’s difficult for employers to distribute their open positions to job seekers because the old model relies on seekers finding them. We are disrupting this by pushing jobs to seekers where they are and not relying on them coming to us. We then match them – not just based on the preferences of the 2 parties but also on their social graph. There’s a reason you are more likely (20x) to get a job when you are introduced to a company. By leveraging a seekers social graph we can now enable better matches than any of the traditional online models can.

What need is missing now?

There’s still plenty of work to be done. Social recruiting is real but now we have to enable small and medium size businesses who employ the majority of Americans to have access to these tools. We are trying to do this through our work with government. Today the City of Atlanta is using TweetMyJobs as their platform to help local businesses distribute their jobs and get matched with local Atlanta citizens.

Is this form of recruiting driving down the cost of hiring?

Absolutely. Our customers are seeing incredibly low costs per hire by using our system because social recruiting enhances 3 things (1) speed, (2) yield and (3) reach – more quality candidates faster.

Are there parts of the hiring process that has become easier for hiring companies while using TMJ?

For sure. There are a few things I would point to. First, our solution is as easy as pushing a button – no effort needed on the part of the hiring company as our technology takes care of everything. Second, the recruiter no longer needs to worry about what sites to post their jobs to as we do the hard work for them. We take the jobs directly from their site and post them not only to social networks like Twitter and Facebook but also to job aggregators like Simply Hired and Juju. Finally, we cut out the middle man job board and send candidates directly to the hiring company. So if you see a job on Twitter and click a link, you will go directly to our customers ATS system. That means you get more candidates to build your talent community.

What can a typical job seeker expect to experience using TMJobs?

We provide job seekers with great job matches, where they want them, when they want them. A job seeker only need visit TweetMyJobs once, tell us what role they desire, in what industry and what location and where they want us to deliver job matches that fit their preferences – Twitter, Facebook, email or mobile. If they give us access to their Facebook social graph by activating the Who? button application we will not just send them jobs that match their preferences but also let them know when one of their friends can help them get referred. That’s what moves a relevant job match to a great job match. Everyone knows you are more likely to get a job when you are introduced to the hiring company and we now facilitate that through TweetMyJobs.

How long does it take to sign up and how long does it take to see jobs?

It takes 2-3 minutes to sign up and, at the end of the process the seeker will be presented with relevant job matches. As soon as new jobs are posted on the system, we instantly notify (if that’s what the seeker wants) them of new jobs. Any new job posted on the system is literally instantly distributed to Twitter and Facebook.

Now that you are partnered with the Atlanta Development Authority, how will your partnership function?

One quick clarification, we are powering the City of Atlanta jobs platform. This is a platform to help facilitate the City and Mayor Reed’s Hire Atlanta initiative by enabling any job seeker in Atlanta to be matched with any employer hiring in Atlanta. In the same way as TweetMyJobs works seekers get job matches, where they want them, when they want them. Businesses are able to distribute their jobs for free. This is a platform specifically for the City and citizens – so it is very much a public-private partnership. The platform also will also provide powerful employment analytics to help facilitate executive decisions by the City.

Can you talk about the new Facebook initiative and joint venture with Job.com?

We are very excited about our partnership with Job.com which is one of the largest career sites online today with more than 33 million members. Job.com has integrated our Who? button across its site to enable its members to have a competitive edge when applying to jobs. The “Who?” button utilizes a user’s Facebook friends to alert a job seeker when they have a connection at a hiring company. The button lets the job seeker instantly see if they have any first or second degree Facebook connections at the hiring company and then to directly request a referral through Facebook. Once on the Facebook app, job seekers can tap into their contacts to request introductions at the hiring company, gain tips on how to apply, or to simply build their professional network. The Who? button is also integrated on TweetMyJobs, Internships.com and a number of other job sites.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.

Want A Real Career Lesson? Learn From Don Cornelius

Here’s a career lesson from a place you wouldn’t expect. Many of us who grew up when Soul Train began wanted to emulate all the dances. Some of them were easy to do, other dances took coordination that few of us had.

It was cool. It was more than hip. It was enlightening.

I wanted an afro and bell bottoms. Eventually got the afro, and the bell bottoms, but too late. Mesmerized by Soul Train as a music fan, I don’t know what I was diggin’ more, the dancing and the music, or the culture.

Years later, I have not forgotten the way the show made me feel. Because of muscle memory, I can still do the “bump,” “the robot,” “the washing machine,” “the muscle,” and “the penguin.”

Soul Train has been off the air for several years now, and many of us, black, white, yellow and brown remember what Don Cornelius did during his career. Like Cornelius, we push past the lack of resources, means, and opportunity to achieve success. How we show it varies from person to person, and possibilities of opportunities.

Note what the competition is doing, then smash it with a locomotive

Don Cornelius started an entertainment show that featured stars who pantomime songs while young people dance in 1970. Sounds like “American Bandstand” doesn’t it? Yes the same genre, but Soul Train carved its own niche (also fighting off copycats). What made Soul Train different was the way it shaped culture, the distinct sound of music it showcased (especially the first few years) and how the show commanded the black community’s attention. Career lesson: Time and work should strengthen your product making it yours and original.

Stay on your personal brand track, even when errors in judgment derail it

Cornelius focused with the show’s brand passed up meaningful opportunities such as putting the name Soul Train on the title track of a song written for the show. The song “The Sound of Philadelphia” was one of the biggest songs of the decade. Career lesson: Many job seekers will mis-identify opportunities as good and bad. When you mistakenly miss a good opportunity, don’t be afraid to ask for another opportunity. Yes it’s humbling, but no, there’s no shame.

Train stops to allow others on board, and continues to the next stop

Don Cornelius stopped hosting the show in the late ‘90’s mostly as a business decision for the show continue to appeal to young adults. Career lesson: For many job seekers, allowing others to take over is not a choice. For many people it is the beginning of new opportunities, and a chance to have more control of the future. Experience never goes to waste as it becomes a part of character.

The same reason Soul Train is remembered, is the way older job seekers can stand out: People can recall how you make them feel, and make them change what they do. Soul Train changed what we did on Saturday afternoon, how we danced, and how the music changed our lives. Job seekers who exhibit changes in process, people, and technology successfully will impact the way co-workers do and forge forward.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

Inclusion: Jobseekers Can Stand Out By Change Of Name

This is Black History Month on the calendar, yet I like to think of this as “Diversity and Inclusion Month.” Because it is the “…content of character…” that is most relevant today, and not by name or label, or change of ethnic name, but by character.

Diversity and inclusion is a fight that is as real as the “Thrilla in Manila.” In the “land of the free…” more than a few Americans are still slave to indifference to ethnic names. There are employers that respond indifferently to non-traditional names, and still slight candidates as a result.

I have addressed this before,

I have a diverse set of clients in the past three years who came to me because their strategies were not working. Out of the changes we made to their resume and interview style, we used two simple strategies to apply for jobs and on his or her resume:

Modify the name on the resume (ex. from “Latoya” to “Lynn”, “Miguel” to “Michael”)

Remove the address and zip (area can determine culture or color)

Remove social, political, or service organizations that traditionally are one race

Any cultural identifiable associations with sports (once remove a client’s college tournament “Sweet 16” appearance)

Race Matters in Hiring, No Matter How Nice The Cheshire Cat Grins, posted December 5.

Discrimination is still an issue, if not for color, gender, religion, body weight, affiliation, or stereotype, you have been a victim of profiling of some kind. If diversity isn’t enough, the real challenge is with inclusion.

In an article from Time magazine in 1960, Miriam Makeba, a world-renowned African singer was asked to give her real and full name.

Zenzile Makeba Qgwashu Nguvama Yiketheli Nxgowa Bantana Balomzi Xa Ufun Ubajabulisa Ubaphekcli Mbiza Yotshwala Sithi Xa Saku Qgiba Ukutja Sithathe Izitsha Sizi Kkabe Singama Lawu Singama Qgwashu Singama Nqamla Nqgithi.

http://ideas.time.com/letters/whats-in-a-name/?iid=op-category-notable#ixzz1kiDIyeJe

Originally printed February 29, 1960, Time Magazine

That is 189 characters, and thirty names.

Can you imagine announcing her at the beginning of a concert performance? If you were an employer, would you disqualify this person based on her name?

Now back to changing ethnic names. After five years, people reject Barack Obama’s citizenship based on name despite his the proof of his authentic Birth Certificate. It’s a shame. After four years, there are people who are convinced that his birth certificate is a lie because of his name.

Here are some take-a-ways that I hope everyone remembers:

1. Your name does not brand you

Regardless of your name accomplishments, contributions, and solutions brand you. If changing your name will help, then change it.

2. Take pride in your name, and take greater pride in what you offer

The more you understand the value of what you fix, the better you can position your career to employers. It’s not a quadratic formula, it’s addition and subtraction. It is just getting complicated by the order of operation.

3. Don’t be afraid to modify, adjust, and re-position how you appear to employers

Although not everyone has to change, but if you want to change your name or brand, is to take control of your online presence. I have several suggestions:

I have a friend who successfully change her ethnic first name and use her second name, also used in her online profiles and family. I suggest Google Plus as a way for job seekers to get their name out in the Googlesphere to be found by recruiters and potential employers. Google Plus content on profiles index are expedited, and can crush your competition if prominent enough.
Network with your new name and brand as if it has always been. Remain consistent in all communication, and let others know how to find you, and what you offer. Even when you re-label skills, it should be clear that the function is the same but the name is different.
There’s nothing with changing your Twitter, Facebook, and Linked In accounts too. Tell your family and friends ahead of time why you are changing your name. It will make sense to them if you tell them the story.

Do you have a story of ethnic challenges? Please share of how you have overcome, or still dealing with race and diversity. What obstacles did you leap over to get hired?

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