Directory listing tips

• Popular directories became popular because they are generally easy to use, and specifically so for listing yourself. Take advantage of all the options to give yourself exposure is as many relevant categories as possible.
• When a directory limits the number of categories (or tags) where you can list yourself (such as 5 for WeFollow, 10 for Twellow), browse all the categories that are relevant to your personal brand and then choose the best trade-off among the categories that you ‘must’ be in and the categories where you can rank highly e.g. on the first page of listings for that category.

User directories

WeFollow – to add yourself, click here.

Then, enter your city and choose your 5 ‘interests’ which will determine in which categories you appear in WeFollow (elsewhere on the site, they’re called tags).

One annoyance- be careful of the fine print at the bottom of the page, in particular where WeFollow ‘offers’ to have your Twitter profile page link to your WeFollow profile page. Otherwise, I like WeFollow for the simple reason that it works- it has definitely brought some people to me and vice-versa.

Twellow – Click the ‘Register for FREE’ link in the upper right-hand side of the homepage to begin. Annoyingly, Twellow then requires giving your Twitter username and password (even though other sites only require that you be logged in to your Twitter account).

Once you do that – which you should, because it’s worth the risk – you’ll also give your email address and sign up. Twellow will analyze your Twitter profile page and pull in as much information as possible to create your Twellow profile page and make suggestions for which categories you should be in. Important: You’ll need to validate those suggestions and/or add other categories before you actually appear in the directory’s listings.

While WeFollow’s profile pages are very simple and attract new followers solely based on your public Twitter statistics such as follower count, Twellow’s profile pages are much useful, with the options to add links to your other social media profiles and letting you include an ‘extended bio’, handy for giving visitors more reasons to follow you.

Just Tweet It – this 3rd Twitter directory is the most complicated to join. Register here by giving a username and email address, to which you’ll be sent a password and a link to a Profile editor page (WordPress bloggers will recognize it) where you can fill in some more personal information and choose a new password if you like.

Once that’s done, head on back to the homepage to add yourself to a category from the dropdown menu at the top. For each category, you need to enter a short bio (and it doesn’t need to be the same text each category, important for the multi-niche personal brand), then click ’send’. You can add yourself to a maximum of 5 categories.

List directories

While WeFollow, Twellow and Just Tweet It are directories of Twitter users, the following are directories of Twitter Lists.

There are 2 ways to get into List directories- either by getting your Lists added (by you or someone else) and/or by being on Lists that were added.

Listorious – add a List to the directory by clicking Add List. Listorious will then connect to your Twitter account, using it to generate a simple profile page for you like this, and display a form asking for a List’s url, one-line description and descriptive tags. A nice touch is the check to see if the List actually exists when you submit it, catching any typos. Once your List is added, a dedicated List page is created, and the List automatically enters Listorious’s rankings, which are calculated by number of followers.

TweetDeck Directory – this directory was relaunched in December 2009 to focus on Twitter Lists. To make an entry, “just create your List and once it starts getting followers, it will be discovered automagically and included in the directory”. Perhaps, but using TweetDeck’s search I couldn’t find any of my Lists in the directory, and I suspect the reason is that I created them directly on Twitter.com. In other words, it seems that the TweetDeck Directory only discovers Twitter Lists that were created or updated using TweetDeck. Category rankings, such as Jobs & Careers, are by List follower count.

Bonus

Geofollow – calling itself the ‘Location Based Twitter Directory’, Geofollow’s main draw is just that: instead of being organized by category, listed users are organized by location. Don’t worry- you can still use up to 3 tags to differentiate yourself among the locals or be found by your personal brand.

Other directories worth considering

• Tweetfind
• TwitDir
• TwitR

I originally published a version of this article on the terrific Personal Branding Blog.

Subscribe to JobMob via RSS or email and follow me on Twitter for more ideas about using Twitter for job search and personal branding.

Related posts:

• 5 Ways Twitter @Anywhere Will Help Grow Your Personal Brand
• A Quick Way To Measure Your Personal Brand Using Twitter Lists
• 25 Easy Ways To Grow Your Personal Brand in 5 Minutes
• Twitter Personal Branding Q&A #2: Twitter Usernames, Personal Brand Managers and More
• 39 Most Popular Facebook Pages In The World for Job Search

Read on to find out why that is, but first…

The poll results and what they mean

Here are the official results of the poll:

86% You did it alone

Not much surprise here, you probably wrote your own resume too.

8% Someone else (mostly)

This poll answer could have been clearer, but I think voters did understand that it was for the case where the main writer of your resume wasn’t you or a professional resume writer. Perhaps it was a family member, a friend, a school counselor, a job search coach, a career center staffer, etc.

When I found my job at Amazon, a friend helped translate translated my resume into French. He did a great job, and the result was memorable in a completely unintentional but positive way- there were some Quebecois expressions that got a chuckle from French recruiters.

6% A professional resume writer

A little surprised at this result, I expected it to be lower, as in closer to 2-3%.

However, combining these last 2 results means that 14% of resumes are not written by the job seeker.

I take this as a good sign that people are beginning to appreciate more how relying on experts can get them expert results.

Why was this poll so accurate?

Although the final poll received 201 votes, the percentages were almost identical as when there were only 20 votes, and they barely changed over the next 3 1/2 weeks. In other words, although the vote count increased steadily while the poll was open, the bar chart you see above kept the same bars throughout.

If you liked this article, you’ll enjoy [POLL RESULTS AND ANALYSIS] How Much MONEY Have You Spent on Your Job Search?.

Subscribe to JobMob via RSS or email and follow me on Twitter for more job search insight from the JobMob Community.

Related posts:

• [POLL RESULTS AND ANALYSIS] How Long Have You Been Job Searching?
• [POLL RESULTS AND ANALYSIS] Which Social Media Network Are You Using MOST in Your Job Search?
• [POLL RESULTS AND ANALYSIS] If You’re Looking For A Job, Did You…
• [POLL RESULTS AND ANALYSIS] How Much MONEY Have You Spent on Your Job Search?
• [POLL RESULTS AND ANALYSIS] How Much Time Do You Spend Job Searching Every Day?

A 2006 study discovered that “a candidate’s skills mattered slightly less than likability.”

True story

At a former company of mine, there was an engineer who was overwhelmed with work. We’ll call him Tom. This 8-year veteran of the IT department – his first job, still a young guy – clearly had too much on his plate and it resulted in delayed projects and even undelivered projects.

Finally, Tom’s boss convinced company management to grant them a headcount so that a 2nd engineer could be hired to help the first one.

To their good luck, they quickly found a very smart, talented engineer who was immediately available for a full-time role and Steve was quickly brought on board.

During his first year on the job, the new engineer blazed a trail. Steve…

• completed many projects, including new ones that he’d suggested, and which created new potential streams of revenue
• documented internal procedures for the first time, which led to careful analysis and efficiency improvements
• wrote software that made other team members’ jobs easier
• gave an internal class on new, business-critical technology and
• even participated in the recruiting of engineers in other parts of the company.

And all this while Tom continued to struggle with his workload, resulting in delayed projects and even undelivered projects.

Unfortunately, times were tough for the company and as part of their cutbacks, they decided to lay off one of these engineers.

Which one do you think was laid off – Tom the straggler or Steve the star?

You guessed it right- Steve’s first year on the job was his only year on that job.

Why the layoff choice

Like the stereotypical nerd, Steve had some social skills issues. He was very sharp at understanding the root of a problem quickly and at a proposing a good solution just as quickly. However, his matter-of-fact manner irritated team members who felt that he made them look bad as a result of not having seen the solution themselves.

Also, Steve’s analyses led to much constructive criticism. Even though Steve was a target as much as anyone else for his own criticism,  the pre-existing team culture had none of that and the team – including the manager! – didn’t want it.

Contrast this with Tom, who’d been in his job for years with the same people, who were by now all comfortable with each other and who’d built their team culture together.

Conclusion

Tom was liked, so he kept a job that he struggled at.

Steve wasn’t liked, so he lost a job that he excelled at. However, he then moved on to another company that had a more success-oriented culture. He excelled there too, and was liked.

Just because you’re not liked doesn’t mean you’re not likable.

More reading

• Fool vs. Jerk: Whom Would You Hire?

I originally published a version of this article on the terrific Personal Branding Blog.

Subscribe to JobMob via RSS or email and follow me on Twitter for more ideas on job search success.

Related posts:

• True Story: What A Group Interview Is Like In Israel
• Find Which Career Path You Need To Break Into A Targeted Company
• The Most Important Thing You Can Do to Avoid an Abusive Workplace
• True Stories About What It Means To Be Outstanding

Not sure how or why to use LinkedIn Groups on your job search?

Then read this first (it will open in a new window): Everything You Need to Know About Finding Jobs with LinkedIn Groups

60 LinkedIn Groups for Your Job Search

Currently, LinkedIn only lets you join a maximum of 50 groups. Here I’ve listed 60 so that you can pick and choose which groups are most useful for you.

This list is ordered according to member counts, and each group is described with its official text as it appears on LinkedIn.

60.		Independent Recruiters – 10,367 members – This is open forum group for all Job Seekers, Recruiters and Sales and those want to explore new opportunities and are determined to grow in leaps and bounds.
59.		CFA Careers – 10,505 members – Group to discuss careers opportunities for CFA charterholders.
58.		Online Media Jobs - 10,657 members – This group is for people offering, or looking for, jobs in Internet marketing, web analytics, testing, search engine optimization, usability, e-commerce, eMarketing, e-tail, web design, mobile marketing, and all other occupations related to doing business.
57.		Oportunidades laborales en Sudamerica – 10,842 members – Oportunidades laborales en Sudamerica – Jobs opportunities in South America online.
56.		Recruiter Development & Support Group – 11,431 members – A group for Recruitment professionals to support each other and get further training. We welcome Recruiters both from consultancy, search and selection and on-site or inhouse. The aim is to support each other and to train and develop each other.
55.		Renewable Energy Jobs- 11,825 members – The goal of this group is to connect green talent and employers & recruiters.
54.		IIM Jobs – 12,062 members – We invite all Recruitment agencies (Offering Managerial positions) to join IIM Jobs Group and post the Job requirements. (Director/ CXO/ CEO CFO /CTO / SVP/ VP/ GM Jobs). Joining this group would provide you access to the largest Network of Best MBA Brains in the World.
53.		Non Profit & Philanthropic Job Board – 12,079 members – This group is for those interested in employment in the Non Profit or Philanthropic sectors. *Jobs, sustainable development, fundraising, development, philanthropy, nonprofit, program, officers, management, charity, education, public policy.
52.		Global Jobs!!! – 12,098 members – This group is for sharing opportunities with people who are working in the fields of IT, ITES, Pharma, Finance, Marketing, Human Resources, etc., worldwide. Aims in bringing people together looking for new opportunities. This is a perfect opportunity for individuals who want to upgrade their skill set and prepare themselves for better job opportunities.
51.		Hedge Fund & Private Equity Jobs & Careers – 12,256 members – Powered by IvyExec.com, the Hedge Fund & Private Equity Jobs & Careers group’s main objective is to allow job seekers the opportunity to network with those that are recruiting within the alternative investment sector, hedge funds, private equity, venture capital, etc. & provide a platform for recruiters to post jobs and network with a target audience.
50.		Technical Recruitment – 12,260 members – This group has been created for Technical Recruiters, so that they can share their knowledge as well as they can update themselves about the market in different geographical locations.
49.		Innovative Recruitment Forum – 12,313 members – Innovation-thinking out of box is the next big thing going to drive business, this is a community where members can exchange their valuable and innovative ideas in the recruiting/sourcing Domain.
48.		JobsDirectUSA – 12,494 members – Founded in 2008, JobsDirectUSA is America’s first national job search member organization. Unlike traditional job search websites, JobsDirectUSA is committed to helping as many U.S. job seekers connect with hiring companies and bridge the unemployment gap one job at a time.
47.		EXPAT JOBS in MIDDLE EAST – 12,738 members – This group is for Job Seekers willing to relocate/ moving within Middle East countries like Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi), Oman, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Kashagan, etc. For those who would like earn a TAX FREE Expat Salary. All nationalities are WELCOME.
46.		Pharmaceutical Jobs, Biotech, Life Sciences & Medical Devices – 13,161 members – If you are actively looking for a new job in the pharmaceutical/healthcare sector or you are just someone who likes to keep an eye on what’s out there, then this group should be perfect for you. We encourage networking and significant rewards for successful referrals.
45.		Management Consulting Jobs – 13,399 members – Group for posting and discussing Jobs in Management Consulting, and for posting resumes and profiles of management consultants who are open to a new opportunity.
44.		A Job Needed – A Job Posted – 13,587 members – This group is for ALL LinkedIn members searching for employment, posting employment or recruiters helping members find employment. Post resumes, job opportunities, a job you heard about, anything that helps to put together employees and employers. Let’s make this an ACTUAL CAREER CONNECTION GROUP. This is the fastest growing, and the most productive group, providing ACTUAL value to LinkedIn Members!! Career hunters, and Career providers are actually making fruitful genuine connections.
43.		Retail Jobs – 13,804 members – Retail Jobs is a dedicated professional group for retail experienced people to share career opportunities, ideas and other useful information.
42.		Novos Planos – Empregos e Vagas Vip – 13,968 members, Portuguese/English – This network of Networking aims to train a group of Brazilians within LinkedIn to exchange ideas, business, jobs for executives, review of curriculum free, vacancies, opportunities, career success, job interview, job, job, human resources, HR, E-books, etc…
41.		The Talent Buzz – 14,218 members – The Talent Buzz group is for all Job Seekers, Candidates, Recruiting, HR, and Marketing professionals interested in networking, and being kept up to date with the latest trends in Human Resources, Diversity, Talent Management, Recruitment, Social Media, and Social Networking.
40.		The Wall Street Job Report – 14,671 members – The financial services industry is undergoing transformative changes. The Wall Street Job Report provides light and clarity on this new era on Wall Street.
39.		Latin-American Recruiters & HeadHunters – 14,692 members – Our the objective is creating a open network for all the Bilingual Latin Pros in all Business and for the Recruiters/Headhunters that search for those Talented Latin Professionals (From Canada to Patagonia).
38.		Renewables Job Market – 15,386 members – Recruit or be recruited. Let’s continue to help make this group part of the solution for global warming, environmental problems, sustainability and unemployment in this time of financial crisis.
37.		JOBS IN APAC – 15,904 members – This group is for Skilled Professionals seeking “JOBS in Asia Pacific” – East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and Australasia. Countries like Singapore, Malaysia, India, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, etc.
36.		The UK Marketing Lounge – 16,294 members – We are the largest UK Marketing, Advertising & PR group on LinkedIN with over 12,000 members. Invited members use the group to network (online and through events), share ideas, monitor trends, look for jobs & post industry-related discussions. Subgroups include; Digital Online Web, SEO, Social Media, SMO, Brand Licensing, Product, B2B, Channel, Category, CRM, Design, Charity, NfP, Communications, Content plus a whole lot more!
35.		JobAngels – 16,398 members – JobAngels is grass-roots movement dedicated to helping the unemployed find work. Become a Job Angel by helping one person find a job! It can be a friend, a colleague, a neighbor or a total stranger. And if you need help yourself, join JobAngels to locate someone who is willing to lend a hand.
34.		Oracle Jobs – 16,421 members – This Group is to connect Recruiters and Job Seekers on Oracle and share Job Opportunities in the Oracle World. You can post/seek any Job on Oracle including but not limited to Full-Time, Contract, Contract to Hire, Corp-to-Corp etc.
33.		Openreq.com (Recruiters & Staffing Professionals) – 17,987 members – Openreq LinkedIn Group, at over 16,000 members, is the largest and most pure group on LinkedIn catering to recruiters & staffing professionals. Whereas some groups accept any and all requests, we try to keep our group as pure as possible to make our members’ experience the best it can be. If you are a staffing/recruiting professional or have a business interest or service catering to the staffing industry, please join our group!
32.		Event Planning & Management – the 1st Group for Event Professionals – 18,170 members – Our community is designed to help event planners keep abreast of emerging industry trends. We encourage non-promotional discussions, sharing of ideas, & networking.
31.		CEO/CIO/COE/COO/CFO/Head/VP/ Director/President Level – 18,248 members – This group is for all passive job seekers who do not wish to go through the regular rut of going through a bunch of recruiters to finally get the job they want. This group would be a one stop shop for senior candidates to get in touch with the right employers without making it public.
30.		Job Postings and Job Boards! – 18,810 members – Jobs Career Networking HR human resources recruiters executives managers consultants alumni information technology green energy science engineering manufacturing industrial office administration open networkers US UK Europe Canada India Australia Asia California New York Texas Florida IL MA NJ PA OH USA
29.		MBA Highway | MBA & Recruiter Network – 18,982 members – MBA Highway is the Ultimate MBA Job and Internship Search Network, and this is MBA Highway’s premier career advancement networking group on LinkedIn exclusively for MBA students, MBA professionals, and employers, recruiters and HR and talent professionals seeking MBA-level job candidates. Use our group to connect with alumni and colleagues, or network with new friends and career and business connections. Visit our website to post new MBA-level job opportunities or search for jobs and internships and benefit from our online career resources. MBA Highway brings together MBAs and MBA employers into a single community for mutual career benefit and success.
28.		Green Jobs & Career Network – 19,022 members – This group is intended to be a resource for those who work in jobs pertaining to social or environmental responsibility (e.g. climate change, cleantech, CSR, green business, renewable energy, sustainability) and for those who are seeking employment or information on careers in these areas.
27.		Treasury / Finance Careers – 19,081 members – Career networking for the treasury management and finance profession. Financial officers, treasurers, cash and investment managers discuss jobs and share job opportunities and career advancement ideas.
26.		The Job Hunter Group – 19,851 members – “The Job Hunter Group” has simplified its format. We are now just a job list! No News postings… No Blog postings… No Discussion topics… No posting comments to job postings except by private reply… No Arrogance… No Disrespect… Just Jobs!
25.		Expat Network – 21,683 members – Welcome! A Network for expat networkers, expatriate services professionals, Human Resources, recruiting managers.
24.		The Job Board USA – 21,713 members – Working together, we can get everyone working…
23.		Premium Headhunting Network – 21,728 members – Professional group of top recruiters from around the world collaborating on International Assignments.
22.		Dubai Recruitment – 22,472 members – This Group is for all Dubai Recruitment Companies and people looking for jobs in Dubai.
21.		Job & Career Network USA – 22,557 members – Enhance your current job/career or find a new one!
20.		Banking Careers – 23,316 members – Career networking for the banking and finance profession. Commercial and investment bankers, financial officers, treasurers, cash and investment managers discuss jobs and share job opportunities and career advancement ideas.
19.		Financial Services Career Center – 26,020 members – The Financial Services Career Center™ connects global professionals and recruiters with opportunities, education, and resources in Securities, Insurance, Financial Advisors, Advisers, Analysts, Investments, Banking, Brokers, Agents, Wholesalers, Reps, Audit, Accounting, Finance, Mortgage, Lending, Finance, Treasury, Capital Markets, Portfolio, Real Estate, Private Equity, Real Estate, Investors.
18.		India Jobs Network – 26,748 members – India Jobs Network is for all Professionals who would like to be aware of requirements in their respective fields and for Organizations & Recruiters who are hiring. Companies & Recruiters can upload any active jobs across India to the jobs section of the Group. Professionals can check the Jobs section for requirements across sectors, across levels & across India.
17.		Career Change Central – 28,887 members – Career Change Central is a group for job changers and people in career transition to meet in a central place with recruiters, hiring managers, and career coaches. Career Change Central will offer tips for job changers, free resources, and a place for recruiters and hiring managers to post their current needs. Career Change Central is a central place for candidates and recruiters who are local, domestic, and global to interact, with the purpose of getting people working faster.
16.		Star:Jobs Professional Career Center – 33,603 members – Star: Jobs is the most efficient Group on LinkedIn to find a great job quickly: The Group works in tandem with Linked:HR, by far the largest Recruiters’ Group on LinkedIn. Linked:HR recruiters are regularly reminded to check Star:Jobs for top candidates. Also use this Group to discuss and network with other candidates, share tips, get news about the job market, and read the Jobs posted by many recruiters or available through job portals’ RSS Feed (i.e., Monster, Indeed, JobsDirectUSA).
15.		Networked Recruiter – 33,894 members – The Networked Recruiter is a destination dedicated to expanding your professional network, facilitating career advancement, and promoting the collective sharing of best practices within the field of professional recruiting.
14.		Recruiting Professionals Network – 34,791 members – A recruiting professionals network of networkers who believe together everyone achieves more! We collaborate in business referrals and share the insider’s secrets of the recruiting industry in a web 2.0 world. For vendors, direct hire, splits and best practices in recruiting excellence!
13.		Telecom Jobs – 35,210 members – This group helps all telecom professionals and recruiters to find a solution to questions and queries in terms of jobs and opportunities with Telecom Companies.
12.		IT Recruiters – 35,911 members – Group caters to All technical / IT recruiters and aims at bringing them together at one platform to discuss latest happenings, share experiences and learnings and assist each other to find jobs in IT, Software and Hardware Domains.
11.		Corporate Recruiters – 41,219 members – #1 Group for Corporate Recruiters. Group designed to connect Recruiters and to share ideas on how to leverage LinkedIn potential and improve sourcing, talent acquisition, referrals, fee splitting, and other recruiting and HR issues. If you are recruiter or involved in recruitment, then join this group.
10.		E-Recruitment Group Jobs & Resumes – 43,010 members – eRecruitment Group of Sr. Recruiters, Contact Group for Candidates and Employers, Corporate Recruiters, Staffing & Hiring Recruiters, Human Resources, Talent Acquisitions Specialist
9.		Recruitment Consultants and Staffing Professionals – 47,786 members – This is a group only for Corporate Staffing Professionals, (Agency) Recruiters, HR Managers / Directors and Employer Branding Experts to expand our network of people, ideas and share leads.
8.		Global Jobs Network – 59,919 members -Job Posts. Job Search. Post Profiles. Post Resume. Connect to Recruiters & Head Hunters. Stay connected to Leading hiring & Recruitment Professionals.
7.		JOBS 2.0 Search – 62,566 members – This group helps you find a job online using the latest in social and professional networks. Discuss the latest news, techniques and online trends to help you find that dream job. Join this group to learn from the professionals in online recruiting and hiring on how to use online social networks in your job search. Interact with recruiters as well as other job seekers to get hired for any job in any industry. Post your resume on www.resumark.com and get paid to look for a job!
6.		The Recruitment Network – 95,673 members – This group, with over 90,000+ members, aims at bringing together people looking for new opportunities.
5.		RecruitingBlogs – 105,563 members – The largest Linkedin group for the recruiting profession. Network with over 100,000 corporate and agency recruiters, HR professionals and recruitment consultants for recruiter partnerships, advice, splits, jobs, and staffing industry education.
4.		Job & Career Network – 108,373 members – Enhance your current job/career or find a new one! Jobs board information hiring employment recruiters executive corporate human resources business management recruiter consulting marketing sales technology finance media telecom tech healthcare green engineer IT HR US UK Europe Canada Asia India USA
3.		The Job Board – 147,889 members – Working together, we can get everyone working! Jobs career hiring employment recruiters executive corporate human resources business management recruiter networking consulting marketing sales open technology finance media telecom tech healthcare networkers IT HR US UK Europe Canada Asia India USA
2.		Job Openings, Job Leads and Job Connections! – 216,750 members – Jobs Career Networking HR human resources recruiter recruiters executive executives managers management consultants consulting business marketing sales information technology finance media telecom healthcare open networkers education alumni US UK Europe Canada Asia India USA
1.		Linked:HR – 294,924 members – If you are a manager, corporate recruiter, headhunter, trainer, HR service provider or consultant, join Linked:HR now! Linked:HR is the largest HR Group on LinkedIn and the most active when it comes to Group “Discussions”.

Subscribe to JobMob via RSS or email and follow me on Twitter for more tips on using LinkedIn for you job search.

Related posts:

• Everything You Need to Know About Finding Jobs with LinkedIn Groups
• The Best LinkedIn Groups for Jobs in Israel
• An Open Letter to the Recruiters of the World From Job Seekers Everywhere
• Top 40 Most Popular Facebook Groups and Pages for Jobs in Israel
• Join the JobMob LinkedIn Group Today

25 21 slots still remain open as of July 27th

The bad news about this year’s edition of the contest is that there are ONLY 25 guest blogging slots available, so you’ll need to act fast. This article will be regularly updated to show how many slots are left.

The good news is that with so many prizes to be won, every single contestant will win not one, but at least two prizes.

In this official announcement, first I’ll detail all the prizes you can win. Then I’ll explain how to enter, and more importantly, how to win. Next, I’ll show you the contest calendar and finally, give you suggestions of what to blog about.

Read on for the full details…

Prizes To Win

The grand prize winner will win:

• US$150. Sponsored by Jacob Share and JobMob.
• An autographed copy of I’m on Facebook — Now What??? Sponsored by Jason Alba.
• 1 copy of the LinkedIn For Job Seekers DVD, a US$50 value. Sponsored by Jason Alba.
• Unlimited access to 4 webinars about using social media for job search, blogging for job search, and more. A US$200 value. Sponsored by Jason Alba.
• 1 year subscription to JibberJobber, the job search tool/personal relationship manager/job search organizer, a US$99 value. Sponsored by JibberJobber.
• 1 year subscription to JobSpice’s resume builder service, a US$20 value. Sponsored by JobSpice.
• A copy of the Personal Branding Magazine. Sponsored by Dan Schawbel.

Thank you to our Gold Sponsor: Jason Alba and JibberJobber

“So what is JibberJobber? Is it a job search tool? Is it a networking tool? It is more like a personal relationship manager that allows you to do everything you need to do to manage a job search and optimize your network relationships – for the duration of your career!”

The second grand prize winner will win:

• US$50. Sponsored by Jacob Share and JobMob.
• Unlimited access to the same 4 webinars as the grand prize winner. A US$200 value. Sponsored by Jason Alba.
• 1 year subscription to JibberJobber, a US$99 value. Sponsored by JibberJobber.
• 1 year subscription to JobSpice, a US$20 value. Sponsored by JobSpice.
• A copy of the Personal Branding Magazine. Sponsored by Dan Schawbel.

Thank you to our Silver Sponsor: JobSpice

“JobSpice is an intuitive online tool that makes creating and publishing a well-designed, custom resume easy and fun. In the last six months, JobSpice has been featured on NBC, PC World, and Fast Company, and has gained tens of thousands of “Word converts” from across the globe.”

The third grand prize winner will win:

• Unlimited access to the same 4 webinars as the grand prize winner. A US$200 value. Sponsored by Jason Alba.
• 1 year subscription to JibberJobber, a US$99 value. Sponsored by JibberJobber.
• 1 year subscription to JobSpice, a US$20 value. Sponsored by JobSpice.
• A copy of the Personal Branding Magazine. Sponsored by Dan Schawbel.

Thank you to our 1st Bronze Sponsor: Brazen Careerist

“Brazen Careerist is a social network for Generation Y professionals. You come here to build a network of your peers, find jobs, and be recognized for your ideas.”

The fourth grand prize winner will win:

• Unlimited access to 1 of the 4 webinars about job search. A US$50 value. Sponsored by Jason Alba.
• 1 year subscription to JibberJobber, a US$99 value. Sponsored by JibberJobber.
• 1 year subscription to JobSpice, a US$20 value. Sponsored by JobSpice.
• A copy of the Personal Branding Magazine. Sponsored by Dan Schawbel.

Thank you to our 2nd Bronze Sponsor: Dan Schawbel

“Dan Schawbel is the Managing Partner of Millennial Branding LLC, is a world renowned personal branding expert. He is the international bestselling author of Me 2.0, and the publisher of the Personal Branding Blog.”

The fifth grand prize winner will win:

• Unlimited access to 1 of the 4 webinars about job search. A US$50 value. Sponsored by Jason Alba.
• 1 year subscription to JibberJobber, a US$99 value. Sponsored by JibberJobber.
• 1 year subscription to JobSpice, a US$20 value. Sponsored by JobSpice.
• A copy of the Personal Branding Magazine. Sponsored by Dan Schawbel.

Every other contestant, from 6th place down to 25th, will win:

• 1 year subscription to JobSpice, a US$20 value. Sponsored by JobSpice.
• A copy of the Personal Branding Magazine. Sponsored by Dan Schawbel.

Other notes about the prizes:

• Prize money will be paid in any currency supported by Paypal, using the exchange rate of the day it’s awarded. Paypal is the only way prizes will be paid outside of Israel (get a PayPal account here if you don’t have one).
• Additional prizes may be announced over the coming weeks. If you’d like to sponsor the contest, please follow these instructions.

How to enter – Easy!

1. Write a new blog post for JobMob on a topic related to job search. It does not need to be related to Israel, but it does need to follow our guest post guidelines, which also explain how to submit your entry.
2. There is NO DEADLINE for submissions but there are only 25 blogging slots available, so ACT FAST to be included. They will go quicker than you think.

Besides the need to follow our guest post guidelines, here are some additional rules:

• The contest is open to anyone over the age of 18.
• You don’t need a blog to enter.
• For your own benefit, do not republish your entry on another blog (such as your own blog, if you have one) before the contest is over. You may do so after the contest as long as you credit your entry on JobMob by linking back to it.
• Submit ONLY ONE guest post as an entry.
• NO RESERVATIONS, so please don’t email me to hold one of the 25 slots for you, but by all means email me for anything else :)
• I reserve the right to not publish any entry without justification, especially if it doesn’t conform to our rules & guidelines, but it rarely happens.

How to win

Simple: get as many people as you can to visit your guest post.

After each guest post appears on JobMob, it will enter the Contest Rankings. That page will be updated daily during the contest.

The grand prize winner is the author of the guest post appearing at the top of the Contest Rankings at the end of the contest, with the other grand prize winners decided based on their guest posts ranking in positions 2 through 5.

The Contest Rankings are determined by the number of unique visitors to your guest post during the 7 days after the post was published on JobMob. Once your guest post is scheduled, you’ll receive an email telling you exactly when your guest post will be competing for visitors.

Here are some traffic tips on how to attract maximum visitors to your entry. One hint: use social media.

In case of a tie, the winner is the writer of the guest post with the most trackbacks, Twitter retweets and Facebook shares so encourage your friends to link to your post and tweet about it as well. If you have a blog, linking to your own guest posts is fine. If you’re on Twitter, tweeting about your guest posts is fine too.

Calendar

A summary of the contest dates:

• August 1st 2010 – first guest post appears on JobMob
• September 2nd 2010 – the last possible day that a guest post will appear on JobMob
• September 13th 2010 – official announcement of the grand prize winners

Suggestions

Use the articles under the pink Best Of tab here on JobMob for inspiration. Otherwise, you can write about:

• Job search success stories (anywhere in the world!)
• Unusual job search experiences
• Your opinion on a specific job search-related topic
• Your most-liked/least-liked job search tools, websites, etc.

Good luck!

Remember- there are ONLY 25 blogging slots available, so get your entry in as soon as possible!

Subscribe to JobMob via RSS or email and follow me on Twitter for more contests bringing you the best job search ideas.

Related posts:

• Announcing the 3rd Annual JobMob Guest Blogging Contest
• Job Search Outsourcing and Other New Prizes For The 3rd JobMob Guest Blogging Contest
• Announcing the Winners of The 3rd Annual JobMob Guest Blogging Contest
• The Early Bird Winner Of The 3rd Annual JobMob Guest Blogging Contest Is…
• Announcing the 2008 JobMob Guest Blogging Contest

7 student job search trends in 2010

This randomly-ordered list was compiled by an informal survey of university & college career centers across North America. An Israeli version is in the making.

7. Avoiding the job search for now

“More… students are contemplating going straight to grad school because of the lack of employment opportunities.”

6. Taking non-career entry-level jobs

“Students who do go straight to work force are having to settle for entry level jobs that might not require a degree to get their foot in the door. That is because people who are over-qualified are filling the typical entry-level college positions.”

5. Campus involvement is leading to jobs

“Students who get involved on campus, and make an effort to prepare themselves, get the job/internship.”

4. Entitlement

“There are students who think that graduating entitles them to a management type of position or… who misunderstand the concept of hard work and moving UP the ladder”

3. Not knowing how to job search

“Many students aren’t aware of where to look for jobs (other than Monster) and… aren’t grasping the concept of (person to person) networking – not easy for 21 year olds.”

2. Using social media

On the other hand, students are definitely using social networking (social media) to look for jobs online.

1. Relying on family as much as possible

Finally, students are relying on family and close personal friends to help with their job search, which you’d expect.

Meanwhile, graduates are looking for work close to home so as to save money by putting off a move into their own rented apartment.

If you liked this article, you’ll enjoy my podcast interview with Lindsey Pollak: How Students and Graduates Should Be Job Searching Right Now.

Subscribe to JobMob via RSS or email and follow me on Twitter for more ideas about how students & graduates should be job searching (or not).

Related posts:

• Lindsey Pollak: How Students and Graduates Should Be Job Searching Right Now
• First Jobs Blog for Students in Israel
• One of The Most Common Positive Trends Among Job Seekers Today
• Shana Tova! What Israeli Employees Will Receive for Rosh Hashana This Year May Surprise You

There are many websites that let you download free Twitter backgrounds but here I specifically focus on the websites that let you generate Twitter backgrounds with your own personal branding information.

1) Twitbacks

Once you get past the annoying popup ads that appear the first few times you click a link, Twitbacks is pretty good.

After creating an account, the “create your twitter background” page with its long form of options lets you pick and choose which information you want to appear in your new background, including (non-clickable) links to your social media profiles and other websites.

A nice touch is letting you categorize your profile so that when you’re done, it’s automatically added to Twitbacks’ directory of Twitter profiles.

Not-too-expensive paid options let you choose a snazzier, less generic template or remove the Twitbacks logo that will otherwise appear on your new background image.

2) freetwitterdesigner.com

This is one cool tool.

Using a 2-step wizard interface (think of when you install a program in Windows), freetwitterdesigner lets you choose a template to begin with and then cover it to your heart’s desire with other text, shapes and images using different fonts and sizes.

The site lets you preview the results by overlaying the Twitter profile elements (like your tweet stream) or removing them so you can focus on finishing the image.

If you sign in with your Twitter account, a nice touch is to let you synchronize the Twitter Colors (link color, sidebar color, etc.) with your new background image and then upload everything all from the same page, to create one well-matched Twitter profile.

The interface does NOT let you overlap images or upload your own templates, so you can’t use the website to “upgrade” an existing Twitter background image.

As this is a free tool, your final background image will have their logo displayed in the upper lefthand corner, just like with Twitbacks (or any other free Twitter background site, for that matter). Although the logo isn’t too attention-grabbing, there’s no option on freetwitterdesigner.com to remove it.

3) twitlay

While Twitbacks limits you stylistically (in the free version) and freetwitterdesigner (almost) doesn’t at all, twitlay places itself in the middle, only letting you create a background from a template image, an additional image, title text and subtitle text while allowing you to style those 4 elements many ways.

Scroll down and click the ‘Create Now for Free’ button. If you’d like to upload your own template and/or portrait, do that next. Either way, click ‘Upload Files’ to move on to the main page, where like with freetwitterdesigner, you have a work area where you can preview your work, and tools appear around it. Twitlay’s arrows move you through the step-by-step process of creating your background image until the end, where you can directly upload the changes to your Twitter profile.

Like freetwitterdesigner, Twitlay also lets you update your Twitter Colors so that when you do upload your new background, your entire profile can be in sync from its redesign.

Which is for you?

If you like to play around with features and want a pretty result, use freetwitterdesigner, which is almost like using a graphic design program but with the added time-saving benefit of the Twitter-specific previewable work area.

However- most people should use Twitbacks. Although the results are somewhat generic-looking (hey, that’s what happens with free generators), your new Twitter background will include all your most important branding information. The site is also very easy to use, which means you can get a new background completed very quickly and it will be good enough until you’re willing to pay for a custom, personalized background.

If you liked this article, get more Twitter job search advice by joining my newsletter and getting a free copy of my ebook The Ultimate Twitter Job Search Guide.

Join Now

I originally published a version of this article on the terrific Personal Branding Blog.

Subscribe to JobMob via RSS or email and follow me on Twitter for more ideas on how to use Twitter for job search success.

Related posts:

• The 2009 Personal Avatar Size Reference Guide
• Almost 3000 Words On Everything You Need To Best Use Twitter Lists
• 5 Most Popular Twitter Directories That Will Grow Your Personal Brand
• 5 Ways Twitter @Anywhere Will Help Grow Your Personal Brand
• 100+ Free Salary Resources From Around the World in 2010

Last year’s contest was the biggest yet and I’m looking for exciting sponsors for this year’s edition, which will be even larger.

Sponsors: you will get great exposure and other benefits

How do I know this year’s edition will be the largest to date? The numbers tell all:

JobMob traffic for Jan. 1st- June 30th

• 2009: 276,593 visits
• 2010: 559,769 visits => 102% increase in visits

JobMob subscribers at June 30th

• 2009: 2332 subscribers
• 2010: 5154 subscribers => 121% increase in subscribers

What are the benefits to sponsors?

This year, there will be 3 levels of sponsorship: Gold, Silver and Bronze.

Gold sponsorship

To earn the benefits for the Gold level, a sponsor should contribute one of the following:

• More than US$500 in cash, products or services OR
• a laptop computer including all shipping & handling charges

Only 1 Gold sponsor slot is available. The Gold sponsorship has been claimed.

The Gold sponsor will be…

1. Thanked with a dofollowed link on the footer of every guest post participating in the contest. These links will stay on the articles for 1 whole YEAR.
2. The subject of a 30-min audio podcast, to be released mid-August here on JobMob, halfway through the contest, and promoted in major podcast directories.
3. Profiled in the contest announcement
4. Mentioned in a special thank you at the end of the contest
5. Tweeted about during the contest
6. Thanked in the winner announcement

Silver sponsorship

To earn the benefits for the Silver level, a sponsor should contribute one of the following:

• from US$250-$500 in cash, products or services OR
• an iPad including all shipping & handling charges OR
• a netbook including all shipping & handling charges

Only 3 2 Silver sponsor slots are still available, 1 has been claimed.

Silver sponsors will be…

1. The subject of a 30-min audio podcast, to be released mid-August here on JobMob, halfway through the contest, and promoted in major podcast directories.
2. Profiled in the contest announcement
3. Mentioned in a special thank you at the end of the contest
4. Tweeted about during the contest
5. Thanked in the winner announcement

Bronze sponsorship

To earn the benefits for the Bronze level, a sponsor must contribute up to US$250 in cash, products or services.

There’s no limit to the number of Bronze sponsors.

Bronze sponsors will be…

• Profiled in the contest announcement
• Mentioned in a special thank you at the end of the contest
• Tweeted about during the contest
• Thanked in the winner announcement

All mentions will stay in the JobMob archive forever.

Warning: Only Honest Sponsors Wanted

Last year’s top sponsor, GetFriday, never awarded their promised prize of a US$200 credit for outsourcing services. Once the contest had ended and a recipient was chosen, they suddenly stopped replying to my emails or returning my telephone calls. As a result, I’m going to be more careful this year.

How to sponsor: Easy

Use our Contact Form. Choose the subject ‘I have a suggestion’, mention that you’d like to be a sponsor and we’ll reply. To get full benefits for your sponsorship level, contact us ASAP or you might miss the official contest announcement, which will appear on JobMob between July 6th-13th.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Subscribe to JobMob via RSS or email and follow me on Twitter for more fun job search contests.

Related posts:

• Over $2000 in Prizes: It’s The 4th Annual JobMob Guest Blogging Contest
• Announcing the 3rd Annual JobMob Guest Blogging Contest
• 3rd Annual JobMob Guest Blogging Contest Has Been Extended
• Announcing the Winners of The 3rd Annual JobMob Guest Blogging Contest
• The Early Bird Winner Of The 3rd Annual JobMob Guest Blogging Contest Is…

How to use this list

• The list only includes sites that are credible or that explain where their numbers come from.
• Compare results across multiple sites for best results. Salaries are always changing and many of these sites are based on employee-submitted information.
• If you know of any other 2010 salary resources that aren’t in the list, please suggest them in the comments below.

What’s in this list?

• Salary surveys – created by surveying readers about their salaries.
• Salary databases – readers contribute information about their jobs, sometimes in exchange for access to the rest of the database.
• Salary reports – a salary report can be written from a company’s own data or compiled from a combination of salary surveys, government statistics, company disclosures, etc.
• Salary or wage search – search on a profession and the results will show typical earnings.
• Salary calculators or checkers, wage/worth estimators - you fill out a form of questions about your profession and the calculated result is an estimate of the salary you should be earning. If you’re employed, this a good way to judge how fair your pay is.

2010 Global Directory of Salary Surveys

Click your flag to jump to the links for your country:

(International)

If your country isn’t among these flags, check the other resources in the International section at the end.

Australia

1. ARN Salary Calculator – professional and academic jobs
2. LiveSalary – “a free community-based website where people exchange salary data”
3. Robert Half Salary Guides – free but requires giving contact information.
4. 2010 IT Skills & Salary Report – requires free signup
5. 2010 SEO/SEM Salary Survey Australia & New Zealand

Canada

1. Wowjobs.ca’s Canada Salary Search – lets you search on specific keywords, and even compare among different job titles.
2. Yahoo! HotJobs Salary – they actually use PayScale.com for information, but Yahoo’s interface is nicer.
3. SalaryExpert Salary Search
4. APEGS 2010 Salary Survey (pdf) – engineers and geoscientists (in Saskatchewan)
5. IAB Canada’s 2010 Interactive Advertising Salary Guide (xls)

India

1. TDS on Salary Calculator 2010 (xls) – for lawyers, requires free signup.
2. India FRESHERS – IT/Software Salary Survey
3. SalaryMap – all kinds of industries
4. Paycheck.in – general purpose for private sector, public sector and not-for-profit.
5. Google groups India Salary Trends – general, uses information from Payscale.com (see below)

Ireland

1. Salesjobs.ie’s 2010 Salary Survey Guide – sales, business development, account management
2. Accounting Technician Salary Guide 2010 – financial positions such as accountants, finance & payroll managers, etc.
3. Irishjobs.ie Salary Surveys
4. CPL Salary Guide 2010 (pdf)
5. Hudson 2010 Ireland Salary Guide (pdf)
6. Brightwater Salary Survey 2010 (pdf)
7. Sigmar Salary Survey 2010 (pdf)

Israel

1. Computer Jobs in Israel 2010 Salary Survey
2. CPS’s Hitech Salary Surveys (Hebrew)
3. Nisha Group’s Salary Table (Hebrew) – hitech, sales, marketing
4. Check Compare (Hebrew) – “the people’s salary survey”, where anyone can share their salary. Mostly hitech.
5. Dialog Hitech Salary Survey (Hebrew)
6. Maskorot (Hebrew)
7. Jobinfo (Hebrew)
8. Ethosia (Hebrew) – focused on hitech, but lists many non-hitech jobs in that industry, such as marketing and finance

Philippines

1. JobStreet Salary Report – numbers for many professions.
2. Salary, Salaries and Wages in the Philippines
3. Careerjet.ph – job listings with specified salaries

Singapore

1. Salary.sg – Your Salary in Singapore – a blog about salaries & income in Singapore where you can search for results by position
2. 2010 Hudson Salary Information 2010 – pdf downloads for different industries
3. Ministry of Manpower Wage Search
4. Ambition Market Trends & Salary Reports – Accounting & Finance, Sales & Marketing, Banking & Executives (covers Hong Kong too)
5. The 2010 Hays Salary Survey & Guide – PDF salary guides for 17 industries & professions in Singapore
6. Michael Page International’s Singapore 2010 Salary & Employment Forecast (pdf)
7. Kelly Services Singapore Employment Outlook & Salary Guide 2009/2010 (pdf)

South Africa

1. EDM Recruitment Salary Survey Results for 2010 – engineers
2. Mba.co.za Salary Survey – MBAs
3. Ad Talent Salary Survey 2010
4. EDM Recruitmernt Salary Survey Results for 2010
5. Accountants On Call Salary Survey Accounting & Finance 2010 (pdf)

United Kingdom

1. Paywizard.co.uk – will tell you what other people are earning for doing your job
2. Reed.co.uk’s Salary Calculator – a salary search engine, you can search by position and location
3. Jobs.ac.uk Salary Checker – check the salary of a specific type of job
4. ITJobsWatch tracking system – track salary trends per position
5. CWJobs’ Salary Checker
6. Michael Page International Salary Surveys
7. MSN Money UK’s Salary Centre – salary information by industry, easy to read
8. Workhound.co.uk Salary Tracker – salary search engine, nice interface
9. MajorPlayers.co.uk Salary Survey 2010 – content & editorial, creative & design, marketing, PR, and many others
10. Reed HR Salary Survey 2010 (pdf)

United States

1. AIGA|Aquent Survey of Design Salaries 2010
2. AACSB International US Salary Survey Report (pdf) – deans, professors, other academic positions by faculty
3. Glassdoor – salary details about specific jobs for specific employers or company
4. ComputerJobs.com Salary Ticker – programmers, developers, etc.
5. Salary.com Salary Checker
6. Indeed.com Salary Search
7. SalaryExpert Salary Search
8. Jobnob Salary Search – find salaries by position at specific companies
9. Job Search Intelligence Salary Calculator
10. Global Knowledge 2010 IT Skills and Salary Report (pdf) – requires free signup

International

1. PayScale – salary information for 94 countries
2. GISjobs Salary Survey – salary information from GIS professionals around the world
3. Internet Engineering Center – Salary Survey for engineers in the USA, India, UAE, Canada, Malaysia, UK, Australia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Qatar, Egypt, Italy, South Africa, Philippines, Nigeria, Kuwait, France and Japan
4. 2010 Hays Salary Guide for Asia (pdf) – covers Singapore, Japan, China and Hong Kong
5. SalaryExpert (international version) – only one position at a time can be checked.
6. Robert Walters 2010 Salary Surveys – pdf downloads for Australia, Belgium, China, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, The Netherlands, United Kingdom and the United States

Subscribe to JobMob via RSS or email and follow me on Twitter to learn how salary surveys can help you get the highest pay you deserve.

Related posts:

• 100+ Salary Surveys, Databases and Calculators From Around the World in 2009
• Jacob Richman’s 2007 CJI Salary Survey Results Now Available
• 2008 Computer Jobs in Israel Salary Survey Opens
• Jacob Richman’s 2008 CJI Salary Survey Results Now Available
• The Ultimate Global Guide to Job Salaries in 2008

How to Enter

• At the bottom of this article, leave a comment that shows off your strengths.

(If you’re not sure what your strengths are, get some ideas from How To Figure Out Which Job You’ll Excel At. Clicking this link will open a new window)

Some suggestions of what to write in your comment are:

• A job search tactic that worked particularly well for you recently or in the past
• The story of a work achievement you’re very proud of
• Or- impress me with constructive feedback about JobMob and how I can make the site better for you.

Don’t be shy…

Comment now

How to Win

Simple – Leave an impressive comment.

The winners will be the 5 people with the most impressive comments as judged by me.

You, or anyone you know, can try to influence the choice of winners by leaving more comments in support.

Comment now

Prizes

5 free copies of the hardcover edition of the recently-published Work Your Strengths (which sell for US$21.95) are available to be won, including shipping & handling to wherever you are in the world.

Rules

• Must be 18 or older.
• You can comment as many times as you like, but you can only win one prize.
• Be sure to use a real email address or Twitter account when you comment so that I can contact you if you win.

Contest Deadline

To be considered as entries in the contest, all comments must be submitted by this Sunday June 27th 2010, midnight PST, which is 10am Monday morning Israel time (check your local time here)

Comment now

Good luck!

Thanks to Amacom Publishing for sponsoring this contest with the prizes.

This contest was inspired by Scott Adams’s Attention Contest.

Subscribe to JobMob via RSS or email and follow me on Twitter for more fun job search contests.

Related posts:

• What Kinds of Contest Prizes Will Make You Jump?
• November Contest Fun
• Announcing the 3rd Annual JobMob Guest Blogging Contest
• Over $2000 in Prizes: It’s The 4th Annual JobMob Guest Blogging Contest
• Prizes Offered: Help JobMob Win the Blogging Idol Contest