SandraTedford, Author at The Voice of Job Seekers

Job seekers, it is about the work you do and the value others experience. This story is a powerful reminder of how you make people feel resonates the most. Years ago, I had an older friend named Gina who was a quite woman, modest dresser, and very dedicated to her family and friends. She cared about everyone in her life, and served them to no end. The children on her street respected Gina and her children. They looked up to her.

It wasn’t that Gina was a vocal person. In fact, you would never know who she was from any other mature woman. There were young men who flaunted bravado with their friends but became like children when they passed her by. I always wondered what made her tick.

I was friends with Gina’s daughter as well who had very high regards for her mother. So I know it wasn’t a show that Gina received the respect of a titan in her neighborhood.

Years later, when Gina passed away, something very unusual happened at her funeral. First, there were a lot of young people in attendance. Particularly teens, and young adult men and women.

They were all very late. Remember that.

The funeral started late as well. Although the service was long, it was compelling. Many people in attendance shared about Gina. The preacher was very passionate in his words. But then, an older woman came up and introduced herself as Gina’s boss. For some reason, the audience was very quite as she shared about Gina’s work.

1) Gina was never late in 20 years for work, and never called in sick

2) She was respectful and kind to everyone

3) There were times that she was told to go on vacation. She was very dedicated to her job and did it with 100% proficiency

4) Gina never lied or mask an error. Gina was the most trusted employee in the company

Gina’s boss also said something else that was stirring and memorable to the audience. She said (paraphrased),

“To all of the young people in attendance, I want to say that many of you have love for Gina and so much disrespect for yourselves. Gina loved you as she loved he daughters. She was your hero who left you an example for you to follow and emulate. You would have disappointed her as she taught you the value of time and loyalty.”

When Gina’s boss was finished, the crowd erupted. Who knew that Gina was a superstar at work?

Job seekers, will you be remembered like Gina?

Are you on time? Do others say you’re dedicated? Respectful? How are you remembered? Is there anyone tooting your horn for you?

If you have truly left a positive career mark, others will evangelize your personal brand for you. That is better than your résumé. To have others brag about you.

You might have that reputation where others would rave about you! Do you think having people rave about you would help your job search? Why? Why not? Please, comment below. Testify!

About Sandra Tedford

WETALKtoday stands for "Web Entrepreneurs Talk" and provides a platform for business and tech savvy entrepreneurs with information and resources to grow their business in the new economy.

Editors note: Sandra Tedford (@WeTalkToday), CEO of WeTalkToday.com and her guest post aligns with my belief that job seeker’s discretion using social media is essential to the job search.

Have you ever posted to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, only to discover afterwards you had typos, misspelled words and used more words than necessary?

Then you think better change that, because all my old classmates who thought I was so smart in the tenth grade will see this.

Gotta protect the rep, right?

Effective communication, in business and as a job seeker can either make or break your chances at landing that much coveted contract or getting hired.

When we post to social media websites, we sometimes find ourselves editing our words to make sure we don’t sound like an idiot.

That’s a good thing.

However, what do you do when someone throws fighting words at you? Maybe you’ve pushed the limit, by responding with a few choice expletives. Well, maybe this one doesn’t apply to you.

Nevertheless, it’s essential for everyone participating in online discussions of some sort to be a good communicator. What we write is just as important and can have lasting impact, as the pictures we post.

We share about vacations, new restaurants, celebrities, shopping experiences, online purchases, friends, family and the list goes on. Sharing our experiences helps us express ourselves to others.

When we post to social media websites and the post is long it forces us to choose our words carefully. Being a good communicator can open doors that you didn’t even know were there. Here are a few tips to use to make communicating easier and a lot less time consuming.

1. Don’t Be Long Winded. Replace words with a larger character count, with shorter words of a similar meaning. Writing on Facebook and Twitter in particular, forces us to be concise in the words we use to convey our thoughts to the reader.

2. Be Prepared To Give An Answer. When we write online we may be subject to criticism when someone disagrees with our post. How would you respond? Are you short, using some very choice expletives to convey your thoughts? Or, do you turn the other cheek?

3. Provide Value Added Feedback. When you comment on someone’s blog, provide comments that offer value to readers. The articles author and the readers will appreciate you taking the time to provide thought provoking feedback, rather than the standard “great article” or “good post”.

If a potential employer or company looking for a contractor to do business with, contacts you on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter, what would you say? And yes, they are looking on Facebook and Twitter. Would you be embarrassed by your posts or tweets? I’m not saying everyone has to be buttoned down, however, make sure whatever you post online today, is not going to somehow embarrass you in the future.

About Sandra Tedford

WETALKtoday stands for "Web Entrepreneurs Talk" and provides a platform for business and tech savvy entrepreneurs with information and resources to grow their business in the new economy.