Lamplighter Newsletter Volume 7, Issue 24 June - July 2015

The Lamplighter

Volume 7, Issue 24 June-July, 2015

SILENCE MAY HELP YOU EXPRESS YOURSELF

By Jerrold (Jerry) Clifford

People have opinions on almost everything. Often, we like to express those feelings. People seem to get satisfaction out of making their feelings known and they even feel good about themselves and have pride in accomplishment when they feel they have made a strong case for their viewpoint. Like them, however, we don’t always consider that some occasions are better than others for making our personal views known.

Job interviews are probably not the best time for espousing personal philosophies.

When a company invites a candidate for an interview, chances are they feel the candidate has met a company’s job requirements. Companies use the interview to help decide between multiple qualified people and to see if a candidate is a match to their culture, work ethic, and overall business philosophy. In other words, whether there is a fit.

Hiring managers want to know if a candidate can solve a problem or resolve a situation that needs addressing. In most corporations, acquiring a qualified individual can in-

volve a process which first requires gathering approval to hire the individual along with arranging for associated funding.

Notifying interested parties (job posting, advertising) and establishing the interview process (and sometimes other tasks) are additional required steps requiring corporate resources and funding. Companies are leery of making hiring mistakes and seek reassurance that they won’t be acquiring someone who is opinionated or will talk about issues that the company is not addressing or are not related to the situation they are trying to address. To support this, HR interviewers will ask questions to filter out people who don’t meet corporate philosophy.

Sometimes proficient interviewers will phrase questions to a candidate in such a way as to elicit feelings. They will converse in language designed to get the interviewee to express their philosophy. If an interviewer feels that the prospective employee does not belong in their zone, he/she is not likely to get an offer.

Although you have an absolute right to have opinions and in the United States the Constitution guarantees your free speech, the interview is not the time to express your private feelings.

Keep in mind, if you determine that the company has opinions that disagree with your viewpoint you may decide that you do not wish to work for them. While being careful not to burn any bridges, turning down a job offer is a strong way to express your philosophy.

Index to Articles & Sections Silence May Help You Express Yourself From the Editor's Desk Am I Diversified?

Rod's Remarks Barb Daisak's Tech Tips Articles from the World Wide Web Writer's Block Lamplighter Survey Contributors and Staff Page 1 of 13

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The Lamplighter

Volume 7, Issue 3 June-July, 2015

From the Editor’s Desk Aida Rodriguez

Many thanks to our generous contributors (past and present) who over the years have generously shared with us their experiences and expertise through their articles. Your contributions have made The Lamplighter newsletter fulfill its mission of helping professionals who are in transition (either physically or mentally) find suitable work positions.

Also, we would like to invite you (in the spirit of NETWORKING) to take a little time out from your busy schedule, sit down, take a pen and paper, compose a short letter or article for The Lamplighter and just to let us know how you are doing. We would love to hear from you! Please send your communication to: Aida Rodriguez, adelaida.rodriguez1@verizon.net, Phone# 908-565-0309 Jason Alba Barbara Alexander Sam Anson Michele (Young) Battista Danielle Bullen Scott Chase Jerrold “Jerry” Clifford Aaron Cohen Laura Cohen Anthony (Tony) Colón Rod Colón Tony Cretella Barbara Daisak Thomas Donohue

Tish Edwards Ken Eisenberg Dom Fruges Don Gabor Barry Goldberg Denise Hamilton Peter Hansen Ruth Harenchar Chip Hartman Sandee Hemphill Thomas Kenny Richard Kroh Stephanie Lichtman Wanda Megaro

Bruce Newman Eric Nilsson Orietta Ramirez Carl Reid Tiana K. Reid Norman H. Reiss Aida Rodriguez James Scott Markirah Shaw Phyllis M. Shelton Amanda Sherman Tara Sosa Mala Subramanian

“The first Father's Day in the United States was celebrated in Spokane Washington on June 19, 1910. It was proposed by Mrs. John B. Dodd in 1909. Her father, William Smart raised six children alone after his wife died in childbirth. He was also a civil war veteran. It wasn't until 1966 that Father's Day was declared a national holiday in the U.S. and it wasn't until 1972 that the special day happened every year.”

On July 4, 1776, the thirteen colonies claimed their independence from England, an event which eventually led to the formation of the United States. In 1870, the U.S. Congress made July 4th a federal holiday. Each year on July 4th, also known as Independence Day, Americans celebrate this historic event. The most common symbol of the holiday is the American flag, and a common musical accompaniment is “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the national anthem of the U.S. www.military.com

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Volume 7, Issue 3 June-July, 2015

The Lamplighter AM I DIVERSIFIED?

By James Scott

On Jim Cramer’s, Mad Money, there is an educational segment for call-in viewers who give him a list of their investment stock holdings and ask, “Am I Diversified?” His quick analysis and advice is a big part of the edutainment value of the show.

And even his detractors acknowledge his expertise and the value from that portion of the show.

In business, the benefits of a diversified workforce are both well documented and intuitive and supported by rigorous empirical research like this 2010 study from Kellogg School of Management, 2010 Kellogg Diversity Study. If you have ever worked for a company that truly practices the diversity that many companies simply preach … folks that walked the walk … you know the power of diversity. Like the many voices that combine to enrich an inspiring choir, a diverse company can reach a cadence for success that is transcendent.

But most of us don’t know much about diversity, or how to build a diverse company. Speaking as a CFO whose career has been mostly centered in technology companies, our industry challenges go beyond the “glass ceiling” that rightly gets so much media attention. A diverse environment goes way beyond the minimal EEOC requirements for a legal work place. The EEOC prevents discrimination based on the following: age, disability, equal pay or compensation, genetic information, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, retaliation, sex and sexual harassment. All of those factors need consideration for diversity, a focus on race and ethnicity is common. Is that enough?

Let’s explore some public data. In 2014 Google bravely published their diversity profile: Google 2014 Diversity Profile. Keep in mind; this is one of the most progressive companies in the technology industry. Google is actively trying to drive diversity and create a millennial culture nurturing high performance and fast growth. Here is their EEO-1 report: Google EEO-1 Report. 30% of their workforce is women, but only 8% of their executives are female. In the technology industry that is actually a good showing. How does that compare to the workforce total that shows a 53% male/47% female mix? (See Figure 1).

How does your company compare?

How is a global company unable to recruit Hispanic and Black candidates from a worldwide university pool of graduates? Google is one of the greatest companies to work for in the world. But they have a lot of work to do here and are doing better than their peers. The technology industry has been subject to numerous lawsuits related to gender, sexual, religious and age discrimination that indicate a troubling pattern. Twitter Gender Discrimination. Facebook Sex Discrimination. Google Series of Age Discrimination Issues.

So, time to ask, are you diversified? Or are you rationalizing your diversity profile? Take a look at your company profile and look for diversity. Check out the facts online and try to figure out if you really are diversified. Realize too that this is a picture of what is actually reported and not really a picture of the desired state. Is matching this good enough for your company, or can your company do better? Click here to view the latest Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey data. Take a look at your age profile too. Is 21% of your company workforce over the age of 55? Does it match the chart shown in figure 2?

Research strongly supports the fact that diverse companies are more likely to be successful, and maintain a higher level of employee job satisfaction. Embracing diversity is a good thing, and advocating for diversity is good for your company, career and happiness. Look around, is your company diversified?

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The Lamplighter

Volume 7, Issue 3 June-July, 2015

How Do You Lose Trust?

By Rod Colón and Chip Hartman

It’s far easier to lose trust than to acquire it, but the truly bad news is that, while losing it occurs as a fleeting effortless moment, recapturing it — at least back to its original levels — can seem like climbing Mt. Everest with a backpack full of bowling balls.

Let’s examine some broken trust scenarios to see how a few ill-considered actions cause substantial damage the CEO of Me, Inc. trust profile. As you read these items, try to keep the full irony of the situation in proper perspective: As members of the social network LinkedIn, the bond of group responsibility pulls on all of us with equal force, yet in a moment of weakness, loss of composure, or a sudden and overpowering urge for the quick fix, we can suddenly lose sight of our niche within the community and do severe damage to our trust equity, equity that may have taken months to build. We’re then forced to expend an inordinate amount of time and energy to recapture it, if that’s even possible.

1.

Magic Bullet It’s terribly easy in today’s age of information overload to fall victim to the allure of the magic bullet. This typically happens when someone, usually under great stress and perhaps otherwise well-intentioned, caves in to the pressure of finding the easy way out of a particular networking challenge. It usually takes the form of a careless phone call or e-mail message in which members clearly step out of bounds with regard to the Me, Inc.’s core values of integrity, respect, responsibility, and compassion and can make them appear smug, aloof, brazen, presumptuous, self-absorbed – even imperious and condescending.

Magic Bullet people have trouble accepting the fact that the Me, Inc. has processes in place for establishing good, solid connections. They become agitated, abrupt, and occasionally flat-out rude when they discover that these processes will not be circumvented just to fit their specific timetable.

They also tend to forget that there’s another Me, Inc. member on the receiving end of the hostilities, and that the recipient will be completely justified in viewing the offensive behavior as a breach of trust, especially if the use of procedural shortcuts seems to be part of a new and disturbing pattern.

Worse, there are no internal rules preventing victims from sharing the unpleasant incident with other members, so gaining a reputation as a Magic Bullet person is tantamount to committing networking suicide.

2.

Entitlement Mentality This method of trust degradation occurs when someone chooses to remain stuck in the old, traditional “employee” mind set instead of gradually migrating to the new paradigm of being the CEO of his or her own business. Those who remain predisposed to wearing an “employee’s hat” have a strong tendency to feel entitled to receive a certain type of treatment, usually related to the preservation of stature they once held within a company’s organizational structure and having little to do with actual accomplishment or proven competence.

True CEOs do not allow themselves to be perceived in this manner since a dependence on entitlements reveals weakness and an inability to take care of one’s own affairs. Those who abuse trust by indulging in the Entitlement Mentality often do so by making absurdly selfcentered requests of others that, tragically for them, tend to have the effect of broadcasting their audacity — and their insecurities — all in the same breath.

3.

Reciprocity Failure There are people out there who have a tough time with reciprocity. They just don’t get it. Although it’s not a complex principle and although it’s highly unlikely they don’t grasp it, they nevertheless have a great deal of trouble practicing it.

Unfortunately, within the operational framework of Me, Inc., reciprocity is the transactional currency that members exchange in order to build trust and develop relationships. As relationships develop, we can’t use cash, credit cards, or PayPal to ensure their continued success.

Networking currency is built on the trust standard, not the gold standard.

Those who fail Reciprocity 101, especially in a team environment where the natural rhythm of give-and-take has already been adopted as the norm, quickly lose the respect and trust of others. They allow themselves to be branded as an unreliable, bankrupt link in the chain.

4.

Deception or Hidden Agendas Deception and hidden agendas represent a special type of poison for relationships that have managed to build up moderate levels of trust equity over time. This behavior mechanism is particularly insidious because

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Volume 7, Issue 3 June-July, 2015

The Lamplighter those who become victimized justifiably feel a sense of betrayal once the deception is exposed. The response can range from bitter disappointment to undiluted outrage.

Willful deception is not a minor offense. In all of the ways in which trust can be damaged, this is one that almost always provides the most difficult path back to restoration since it is rooted in a willful disregard for the rights and feelings of others.

Of course there are people who just have a difficult time expressing their intentions well, and they can certainly be forgiven and coaxed to improve their communications skills. Some just misstate an occasional fact or two, so no real harm is done. But for others, sorry to say, duplicity and deceit are hardwired into their genetic makeup and couldn’t be removed with a fleet of bulldozers.

It’s worth pointing out that hidden agendas have a nasty habit of exposing themselves in the most embarrassing and inopportune ways. Those who deal in deception very often find themselves publicly humiliated when the truth eventually illuminates their dark side. Bottom line: Garbage in, garbage out.

5.

Withholding Information, Communication Failure, Gossip Being a reliable conduit of good, dependable information is the mark of an esteemed Me, Inc. member.

The flip side of this is willfully engaging in the spreading of misinformation or information that is known to be suspect or questionable.

The behavior of regularly dealing in the spread of questionable information is gossip, and gossip plays fast and loose with the bonds of trust. Some researchers actually believe gossip in the workplace is a form of violence, an actual form of attack. This is because offenders often feel they must emote frequently, aggressively, and with no regard for diligent fact-checking. Workplace email is one of their favorite weapons; ironically, it’s also one of their biggest trapdoors since more and more companies are adopting a zero-tolerance policy on using e-mail indiscriminately and irresponsibly.

6.

Closed-Mindedness Although all of these trust-busting scenarios weaken or destroy bonds of trust between members, some are notable for their ability to cause genuine hurt and pain.

Closed-Mindedness is not one of them.

Closed-Mindedness is practiced by those who are totally and completely inflexible about certain matters and could not be encouraged to examine an opposing viewpoint if they were offered weekly shipments of gold bullion direct from Fort Knox. Their single-minded ‘exclusionist’ view precludes them from even considering alternatives and options.

As a link in the Me, Inc. chain, those who practice closed-mindedness cause a great deal of frustration and anger on the part of those who’ve just received the latest tirade of inflexibility. What makes this an anger event instead of a pain event is that no one ever believes there can actually be people out there who are so rigid in their beliefs and averse to giving even minimal consideration to other points of view.

The questions that trigger the anger response go something like this:  How can this person ever believe he/she will ever be taken seriously – about anything?  With that level of inflexibility, how is it possible to conduct even the simplest business with them?  If there is an unwillingness to budge from one’s point of view, ever, about anything, then why would I want to invest any trust in such a person?

The answers, of course, should be quite obvious.

The Secrets to Negotiating

By Rod Colón

Negotiations Negotiations are unique to each individual and to each individual client engagement. For every negotiation you undertake, maintain a CEO's mindset with clarity and purpose as your goals.

Ask yourself if this is a short-term gig or a long-term engagement. The answer is directly tied to the financial status of ME, Inc enterprise. Remember that this is a critical matter to your Personal Board of Directors. Depending on the situation (if you're currently unemployed your compensation is zero) you may have to settle for a client on a short-term basis while you continue to look for better, mid-and long-term opportunities.

Other points to remember about negotiations: •

•

• •

• •

This is a business to business discussion. You are a CEO so act accordingly.

You are on equal footing with the client — provided you have a service the client is looking to engage.

It's all about negotiating the details.

Depending on the level of mutual interest, every offer has some wiggle room.

Always ask “Is this your best offer?”

Never say "no". Instead, offer a counterproposal that you are prepared to accept.

The Basics Salary negotiations usually take place either at the end of an interview or after a formal job offer has been

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Volume 7, Issue 3 June-July, 2015

The Lamplighter made. If possible, delay discussing salary until after you receive a formal written job offer because you will have more negotiating power at that point. Before interviewing for a job, prepare for possible salary negotiations by researching the following: 



The current range of salaries for the work you hope to do at your level (entry? Intermediate? Advanced?) in your region of the country. Check trade journals and organizations in your field, or ask a reference librarian for help in finding this information. Job listings that include salary can also be helpful.

Salaries made by people you know at your level and in your line of work. Attend local organizational meetings in your field or contact officers of local or steer you to useful contacts.

If a potential employer requests your salary requirements with a resume, consider your options carefully. If you provide a salary that is too high, the company might never interview you; if you provide a salary that is too low; you may have no opportunity later in the hiring process to negotiate for a higher salary. However, if you fail to follow the potential employer's directions and omit the requested information, an employer may disqualify you on principle. If you choose to provide salary requirements, always do so in a range (for example, $35,000 to $40,000).

If an interviewer asks your salary requirements toward the end of the job interview, you can try these strategies to delay salary negotiations: 









Say, “What is the position budgeted for?” If they respond with a range indicate you can work within the range indicated Or, say something like "I am sure that this company pays a fair salary for a person with my level of experience and qualifications" or "I am ready to consider your best offer."

Or, indicate that you would like to learn more details about the position discussing salary; point out that your primary goal is to work in a stimulating environment with growth potential, not to earn a specific salary.

Or, express generally a strong interest in the position and the organization without referring to the salary.

Or, Emphasize your unique qualifications (or combination of skills) for the job and what you can do for the company that other candidates cannot.

someone at your level in your line of work in that region of the country. Here is the range format: Salaries less than 50k (give a 10k range) Salaries from 51k to 100k (give a 20k range) Salaries from 101k to 150k (give a 30k range) Salaries from 151k and above (give a 40k range)

For example, you could say, "I would hope for a salary somewhere between $102,000 and $132,000, but of course this is negotiable."

Negotiate Like a CEO (DO NOT RELINQUISH YOUR CEO MIND-SET) Once salary negotiations begin, resist the temptation to accept, immediately, the first salary offer you receive. If you have done thorough research, you will know if the first salary offer is at the low, middle, or high end of the salary range for your level of experience in your line of work. If you have little or no experience and receive an offer for a salary at the low end of the range, you will realize that the offer probably is fair and reasonable. Yet, if you receive the same low-end offer but bring considerable experience to the job, you can negotiate for a higher salary that is more reasonable for someone with your background and credentials in your line of work in your region of the country.

Never say that you are unable to accept a salary below a particular figure. To keep negotiations going, simply indicate that you would have trouble accepting the first offer but are willing to accept a new offer that you put on the table. Let them say NO.

5 Core Skills

By Rod Colón

If the interview or company demands to know your salary requirements during a job interview, provide a wide salary range that you know would be reasonable for

When working at a client begin to demonstrate these 5 Core Skills as the CEO of Me, Inc. Your Board of Directors will appreciate you for it.

Visionary The CEO of Me, Inc. must be a visionary. They must have a clear, bright, compelling vision to provide the people they lead and influence with a sense of direction and purpose. Their vision sets the context for strategy, mission, and goals, it serves to lift people’s expectations to the possibility of creating a more desirable future together. Even when the CEO of Me, Inc. is not directly involved in creating the client’s vision, they can use it as a guidance system and a touchstone for themselves and the people they lead. The CEO of Me continually connect themselves and others to the vision of the client.

Servant The ability to be “in service” is a vital component of the CEO of Me. To become servants, the CEO of Me must mentally place themselves in that role, visualizing

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Volume 7, Issue 3 June-July, 2015

The Lamplighter themselves in an upside-down role in which the CEO of Me serves others in the organization who, in turn, serve the customers. It is a huge mindset shift and is difficult to achieve. It is the rare leader who steps back and looks, listens, and appreciates the wonder of humanity surrounding them. Truly helping and being helped by others is an awesome experience, one we do not spend much time pondering. Making a real difference in people’s lives is a privilege we all search for. As the CEO of Me you are in a position to accomplish this by touching people in ways that honor them for the special people they truly are the opportunity to serve others as a leader is a gift.

Coach The CEO of Me can vastly increase their leverage by becoming coaches. Each of the other roles the CEO of Me plays are enhanced by the abilities they develop when learning to coach, because coaching is a communication process that focuses on connecting people to performance. Coaching helps people to clarify objectives and to discover more effective approaches for achieving those objectives.

Facilitator To “facilitate” means “to make easy.” The purpose of facilitation is to draw people and their ideas out and to connect them (like an alchemist combines substances) with other people in a way that leads to positive outcomes. The CEO of Me facilitate communication, change, collaboration, healing, connection, decision making, continuous improvement, and more. This list is incomplete but provides a sense of the initiatives, activities, and processes for which the CEO of Me needs to assume a facilitative role. The paradigm-breaking portion of the role is to empower others to act on the clients’ behalf by relinquishing control. This is easy to say and harder to accomplish.

Role Model The heart of the CEO of Me is to model the attitudes and behaviors valued by the client. Those near the top of the client organization, by virtue of their highly visible positions, possess and incredible amount of influence over people’s attitudes and behaviors. They define the culture by the words, action and deeds. They set the tone, pace, expectations, and standards for conduct across the client. The shadows they cast are bigger than life, endure after they are gone, and constitute how they are remembered. *** Source: “The Heart of Coaching” by Thomas Crane ***

Surveying the Hidden Job Market

By Rod Colón

Many have asked me, “Rod how do I tap the hidden job market?” Below is a framework/guideline to start your process as the CEO of Me, Inc. … enjoy and have a great weekend.

Testing the Waters of the Hidden Job Market: 1.

2.

3.

4.

Log in to your LinkedIn account.

Use LinkedIn’s advanced search feature to locate five companies or businesses that are safely considered to be in your “domain of preference” (or “space”), i.e., the industry – and even the niche within that industry – for which you see yourself a part.

Now using the People filter, locate friends or associates who work at those companies or businesses.

Your goal should be to identify individuals to whom you have a LinkedIn connection (Level 1 and 2).

Once you’ve established the identity of your LinkedIn connection (working at a company that either specializes in or clearly includes the type of work you do), set up time for a phone call. Prepare to gather business intelligence from the conversation and use these questions as guidelines:  I’ve been hearing that the “ABC” software application is really taking off in the XYZ industry.

What are you hearing?” (document both question and response)  What kind of trends do you see with [your identified career niche] within the “XYZ” industry?” (document …)  Who would be a good source of information so that I can learn more about the … … project or the … … business or the … … industry?” (document …)

Leveraging Relationships Are The Foundation Of Successful Job Searches!

Now is a good time to put things into perspective.

We’ll stand back for a moment and examine the real reason we’re putting connections and relationships under the magnifying glass.

In order to do this, you need to think about why the “traditional” method of job searching is such a failure.

For many people, the traditional methodology goes something like this: 1.

2.

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Update a resume you’ve had on your computer for the last three years or so Drop in a few relevant “keywords” that match up with a job description you’ve spotted on an Internet job board (e.g., Monster, Dice, CareerBuilder, etc…)

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The Lamplighter 3.

4.

Submit this resume – along with a cover letter if invited to do so – to the job board.

Wait for a response.

It should become almost painfully obvious that the reason this “Black Hole” approach to job searching fails – consistently – is that there is no human-to-human interaction involved in the process.

At what point do you engage someone on the telephone and ask questions about the position and/or your suitability for it? Most of the time, job descriptions never provide telephone numbers or other contact information. You are, in effect, being SHUT OUT of a process in which real, “live” connections do not exist! You are literally throwing yourself at the mercy of a piece of software called a job board, crossing your fingers for good luck, and WISHING for a successful outcome.

It’s time to put the pieces together in a logical, realworld manner. In order to find and land a position that’s best suited to your skills, talents and abilities, you need to first have a network of trusted contacts that can help you bridge the communication gaps that litter the “Black Hole” landscape.

Instead of wishing for a result, you must plan for a result by initiating interaction between you and those around you. And the initial bridge-building is what we call “making connections.”

The successful job searcher in the 21st century therefore does the following: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Forges connections whenever and wherever possible Tests the connections for viability – “does this person have the potential to be a valuable part of my personal network?”

Allows the connections to evolve into relationships as trust and reciprocity deepen over time Nurtures the relationship by bringing value to the table – constantly Maintains the relationship through frequent contact and ongoing support Fine-tunes the relationship to the point where he or she is comfortable making a request for help or support Aggregates all of his or her relationships into one seamless “warm, trusted network.”

If it’s done properly, the individual can tap anyone in his or her network to ask for a favor or to lend support in a job search effort.

Volume 7, Issue 3 June-July, 2015

feedback or advice or tip isn’t enough to inform a decision about your career trajectory. But combine and compare multiple streams of information as the analysts who monitor tsunamis, and their blended perspectives produce rich intelligence.

Network intelligence isn’t useful only in times of trouble. We need it in good times and bad, which is why we should be constantly tapping our networks for multiple streams of information about everting from job opportunities to market trends to changes in office dynamics.

So it starts with a simple connection and ends with an entire network of people ready and willing to help you.

Now … Can you see the benefit of this approach compared to the “Black Hole”?

Welcome to This Issue’s Tech Tip! Have a social media, tip-n-trick, or “know-how” article to read and share? Email me!

We will publish it in upcoming issues bndaisak@verizon.net And many Thanks to Eric for this month’s must read!

Your posts are always welcomed!

Check our next issue for another great Tech and Social Media Tip!

The benefit of our networking methodology is that LinkedIn will start checking to see if you've you have coworkers, business colleagues, allies, and acquaintance each with unique sphere of influence that can lied on your résumé relay different bits of information. They work at different AJ Dellinger, The Daily Dot Apr. 23, 2015, 1:54 PM companies, maintain different interest, live in different Everyone fudges their résumé a little bit, either to cities. In the same way that one sensor alone can’t tell you bolster accomplishments or sweep shortcomings under very much about the trajectory of a tsunami, one person’s Page 8 of 13 Return to Index

The Lamplighter the rug, because lying is the easiest way to make yourself look good. But LinkedIn is having none of it. Thanks to a newly granted patent, LinkedIn may soon be able to fact check everything you claim on the site.

The patent for a “Interactive Fact Checking System” was first filed in 2013 by inventor Lucas Myslinski and has been acquired by LinkedIn. According to the description of the patent, the interactive service “automatically monitors, processes, fact checks information, and indicates a status of the information.”

In theory, it doesn’t sound all that different from Facebook’s new system to flag false stories and hoax posts or its decision to add “satire” tags to fake news stories, except the system would run user claims through an automated wringer and see if they hold up. So you better not be lying about that award you got for “Outstanding Achievement” at your job in 2003.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/linkedin-will-startchecking-to-see-if-youve-lied-on-your-rsum-20154 (Posted by Jerome Greene Senior Oracle Developer Analyst in Hiring for Hope and our JobAngels Program LinkedIn group)

This Is How LinkedIn Is Taking Over the World In just over 10 years, LinkedIn has accomplished some tremendous things. But it looks like it's just getting started.

Volume 7, Issue 3 June-July, 2015 Read more>> http://www.inc.com/justinbariso/how-linkedin-is-taking-over-the-world.html

(Submitted to PSG - Professional Support Group of Dover, NJ LinkedIn group by Joe Schmidt)

What Not to Tweet in a Job Search Plus, how to use Twitter for networking and career opportunities.

By Robin Madell April 6, 2015 | 9:21 a.m. EDT

How significant can one tweet be? As publicist Justine Sacco’s Twitter debacle shows, an insensitive tweet can derail your career (and in some cases, more than that).

More recently, the backlash over tweets by Trevor Noah , Jon Stewart’s replacement as host of "The Daily Show," shows that it’s risky to tell jokes others may view as derogatory against certain groups, even if you’re a comedian.

The moral of these stories is that while Twitter can help a job search and boost business when used appropriately, failing to understand acceptable usage can cause recruiters, prospective employers and professional contacts to shun you rather than seek your services. Here are some basic tips when it comes to using Twitter for networking and looking for new career opportunities: Read more>> http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outsidevoices-careers/2015/04/06/what-not-to-tweet-in-ajob-search

By Justin Bariso

In 2011, I started working for myself after leaving my job of 13 years. I knew how important it would be to leverage my contacts. I also knew my network needed to grow--fast.

It wasn't long before I discovered LinkedIn. At the time, I had never heard of it. It appeared to be a mix between an online résumé and electronic Rolodex. I would spend hours daily on the site: learning the platform, perfecting my profile, building connections and strategizing.

I devoured blog posts like "What Your Profile Picture Says About You" and "How to Get 200 Views a Day on LinkedIn." I read so many 'Influencer' articles I could tell you Richard Branson's favorite brand of toothpaste.

That was just three years ago, but since then the platform has changed dramatically. Just yesterday, the company announced its latest acquisition, online learning platform Lynda.com, for the hefty price of $1.5 billion (that's billion with a b). The goal? According to LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner: "Together, we can bring opportunities and access to knowledge that everyone deserves."

Man vs. machine — Could robots wipe out needed jobs?

Automation is transforming how small businesses operates in the city.

By Anne Field April 14, 2015 10:00 a.m.

For Kelly Fallis, automating the back office of her five-year-old company, Remote Stylist, has meant the difference between turning a profit and "bleeding money like crazy," she said.

For her first few years in business, Ms. Fallis had separate systems for tracking customers, orders, accounting and other functions that didn't talk to each other. That resulted in significant inefficiencies—and out-of-control back-end costs. Finally, Ms. Fallis, whose five-person company allows customers to order furniture online and tap the expertise of stylists, took action. She introduced new systems that automatically update all the appropriate databases when new information is added.

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Volume 7, Issue 3 June-July, 2015

The Lamplighter It took about a year to get it up and running, but now, according to Ms. Fallis, she's cut costs by approximately $50,000 a month, and her staff is about half the size it was before. "We've gotten costs under control," said Ms. Fallis, whose Manhattan-based company has under $1 million in revenue. "It's changed my life."

See more at this link: http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20150414/S MALLBIZ/304129995/man-vs-machine-couldrobots-wipe-out-needed-jobs

Secrets to Surviving in the Twitter Jungle Anne-Maria Yritys MBA | Published on Mar 25, 2015

A (starter´s) guide for the usage of Twitter, including basic facts and relevant information about how to gain followers on Twitter.

Slideshow starts at this link>>http://www.slideshare.net/annemariayritys/se crets-to-surviving-in-the-twitter-jungle-46254761

(Posted by Ron Rice MBA-CPA, Systems-Risk consultant Financial reporting & systems, AML, SOX, Controller & Writer, Big 4 in PSG's of NJ (Professional Service Groups of New Jersey) Statewide LinkedIn group)

5 Things Hiring Managers Want From Job Seekers How to impresses (and how to annoy) potential employers.

By Arnie Fertig Dec. 16, 2014 | 10:42 a.m. EST

Has your job search only been met with frustration in 2014? Wouldn’t it be great to start the new year with a new job?

Let’s assume you have all the experience, knowledge and skills necessary for role you seek. You might think that's all that should be important. But then your applications get ignored, and the answers you do get amount to a pile of rejections. You might ask yourself: “What’s wrong with this system?”

Step back, and use this season to get a better sense of the process in which you are engaged. Try looking at it from the vantage point of human resources screeners and hiring mangers. When you forget your own frustrations and focus instead on how to make those of the hiring manager disappear, you’ll turn your résumé and your presence into presents that every hiring manager will prize.

Keep reading here: http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outsidevoices-careers/2014/12/16/5-things-hiringmanagers-want-from-job-seekers

5 Things You Should Know About HiringManagers

By Mark Feffer | Apr 30, 2015

Now that most introductions happen over email, it’s safe to say that email communication has become as important as or even more important than writing cover letters. With this in mind, here are my top five tips for communicating effectively over email:

Hiring managers are under constant (and enormous) pressure to find the right tech candidates to fill particular jobs. At the same time, they’d rather leave a spot empty than hire a talented candidate who won’t get along with the existing team.

Most tech candidates think that showing off their technical skills during an interview is enough to nab the job. But hiring managers, tasked with ensuring that both product development and group dynamics run smoothly, will tell you that perception is wrong: The hiring process is often fraught with politics, and “gut feel” matters as much as the candidate’s ability to program or manage tasks.

Keep reading: http://time.com/money/3832100/email-tips-jobhunting/

Read more: http://news.dice.com/2015/04/30/5things-youshould-know-about-hiring-managers/

How to Write Emails That Will Land You a Job James M. Citrin April 23, 2015

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The Lamplighter

Volume 7, Issue 3 June-July, 2015

5 Stupid Reasons You Weren't Hired (Even Though You Were the Best Candidate) Jeff Haden Influencer Ghostwriter, Speaker, Inc.

Magazine Contributing Editor Apr 12, 2015 Hiring the right people is critical for any business. Bringing in the wrong person not only not only wastes time and money, it also creates a ripple of negativity that impacts every other employee -- and therefore the business.

So why, when you're the perfect candidate, do companies still not hire you? Here are five reasons they end up hiring the wrong candidate:

position. You will be asked for far greater detail on your skills, abilities, and experience. You’ll likely endure a lengthy wait time after applying to hear if you’re being considered. And when you get started on your search, it might be difficult to even figure out where you fit. So, to bring a bit more clarity to the process, here are 12 tips to help you navigate the federal job application process: See the tips: https://www.govloop.com/community/blog/12tips-navigating-federal-job-application-process/

(Posted in Job-hunt Help LinkedIn group by Mark Boelte Job Search, Resume and Interviewing Specialist, Presenting at Job Fairs, Job Search Groups and elsewhere.)

See the reasons here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/6-stupid-reasonsyou-werent-hired-even-though-were-best-jeffhaden

(Posted by Paul Davis in New Jersey Networking Group LinkedIn group)

6 Interview Tips From Tech Recruiters

by Derek Loosvelt | April 16, 2015

There’s no way around it: interviewing can be stressful.

However, with a lot of preparation and, more important, the right kind of preparation, interview stress can be mitigated. To that end, below you’ll find six interview tips from recruiters in the tech industry. These tips will help you prepare for an interview in this highly competitive field and should also help to alleviate a lot of your interview stress.

The following was adapted from the Vault Career Guide to the Internet and Social Media.

Click this link: http://www.vault.com/blog/interviewing/6interview-tips-from-tech-recruiters

12 Tips on Navigating the Federal Job Application Process Heather Kerrigan April 7, 2015

Applying to a federal job is far different than applying to your run-of-the-mill private sector

What Should the Subject Line Say for Job Search Emails?

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Lisa Rangel

Savvy job seekers are sending email correspondence directly to new and existing contacts to follow up on job postings, to ask for job lead referrals and to inquire about exploratory job interviews. Normally, job seekers know what they want to say and get to the point in the body of the email on the email’s purpose. But then they get to the subject line…..”What do I write in the subject line?” is the question I am often asked. After all, it is the email’s first impression—it is critical to get it right! Well, here are a few ways to successfully tackle this head scratcher of a dilemma. NOTE: no tactic will work each and every time, but using your judgment to choose which tactic can work best to capture the reader’s attention can improve the odds that your email is read.

Keep reading>> http://chameleonresumes.com/2012/05/14/whatshould-the-subject-line-say-for-job-search-emails/

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The Lamplighter

Volume 7, Issue 3 June-July, 2015

Nine Networking Email Subject Lines

6 punctuation marks you might be using incorrectly

by Vault Careers | May 11, 2015

Networking through email is a useful and effective way to reach out to busy professionals without being intrusive. However, as they are, in fact, busy professionals, it is important to craft a concise, specific subject line that will prevent the recipient from immediately trashing the email. Subject lines that identify who you are and what you are seeking are most likely to elicit a response. Below find a variety of email subject lines that can be customized to fit your needs.

See the Subject lines at this link: http://www.vault.com/blog/networking/ninenetworking-email-subject-lines

Punctuation is the art of clarifying how a group of words falls together into contractions, clauses, and sentences. Unfortunately, it is not at all clear how some punctuation marks should be used! Let’s take a look at several popular, though confusing, punctuation marks.

Even if you think you’ve got the topic all sewn up, it’s worth having another look.

Get on your mark here: http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2015/05/punctu ation-marks-incorrect-use/ (Posted in Between the Covers Editing and Proofreading Services Private Group LinkedIn group by Loukas Ioannou Managing Director, PROCESS ELT)

Don’t interrupt yourself

Proofreading Pays Off

By Merrill Perlman May 4, 2015

One thing that writers, and by that we mean journalists, fiction writers, public relations people, speechwriters and people of that ilk, love to do is interrupt themselves.

They do it with dashes, they do it when making comparisons, they do it just because they can.

Take our opening sentence. A reader is trying to form an image of what the sentence is trying to say, and starts with “writers.” To envision what the writer is doing, saying, or being affected by, the reader needs a verb. In this case, 16 words separate our writers from their verb, “love.” In that space we have things that change our reader’s view of what we mean by “writers”; without any action to connect them, though, the reader is left hanging, unable to “see” what those writers are doing, in all their forms.

Keep reading: http://www.cjr.org/analysis/dont_interrupt_yourself. php

May 13, 2015 by Fiction Editor Beth Hill last modified May 13, 2015

For many writers, proofreading is not a favorite pastime. You may dread it, or you may laugh and wonder if you need your eyes checked when you find obvious errors on the tenth read of a section of text when you never noticed the error on the first nine passes.

Today I want to encourage you to face proofreading with a positive attitude. Whether you intend to selfpublish or pursue traditional publishing, you need to proofread your stories. Or you need to hire someone to do it for you. Or you need to twist the arm of a friend, maybe nudge a buddy with the memory of a recent favor you did for her.

Keep reading: http://theeditorsblog.net/2015/05/13/proofreadingpays-off/

Lamplighter Survey As you can see, a number of changes have been made to Lamplighter to make reading easier and more enjoyable. The articles have been crafted to be both lighthearted and informative, and navigation through Lamplighter has been made less clunky.

Please take a moment to answer the four Survey questions by clicking this link:

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Volume 7, Issue 3 June-July, 2015

The Lamplighter

Lamplighter Volunteer Contributors Jerry Clifford is a Project and Program Manager experienced with all aspects of software project development. As both employee and consultant he worked with some of the nation’s premier companies including AT&T, Cisco Systems, and Merck. He holds a graduate degree in mathematics, earned certifications in project management and information systems auditing (CISA) and was elected to two terms as President of the EDP Auditors Association, New Jersey Chapter. He is the published author of several technical and non-technical books on topics ranging from computer math to car repair and carpentry.

Rod Colón — ETP Founder Master Networker, Professional Development, Executive Coach, Speaker, Author Host of the Weekly Radio Show "OWN YOUR CAREER" Rod Colón Consulting, LLC 732-367-5580 www.rodcolon.com Rod is the author of the book Win the Race for 21st Century Jobs

Carl E. Reid, CSI — Executive Director www.carlereid.com Chief Operations Officer| Running the Business of "ME" Tel: 201-222-5390 Empowering Today's Professionals - www.ETPNetwork.org Carl is Foreword Author in book Win the Race for 21st Century Jobs

James Scott Binary Tree - The CFO- Focused Financial Growth Optimizer Creative creator CFO with twenty years of senior executive level leadership experience supporting fast growing technology enabled-companies. Provider of organizational and financial framework to enable managers, employees, vendors, and customers to contribute optimally to company success as measured by customer satisfaction and bottom line results. He is also an Ambassador for the NJ Technology Council and a member of the NJTC CFO Advisory Board

Lamplighter Staff Adelaida (Aida) Rodriguez is the Editor-in-Chief and Contributing Writer of the Lamplighter Newsletter.

She is a Project Manager Professional (PMP), Business Analyst/ Consultant at the Warranty Recovery Specialist, LLC adelaida.rodriguez1@verizon.net 732-404-0255 Eric Nilsson is the Compositor and Contributing Writer for Lamplighter. Eric enjoys the art and science of newspaper layout. He has been an IT consultant at the Professional Service Group of New Brunswick and previously worked for North Jersey Media Group (Bergen Evening Record) as a Project Manager and Programmer/Analyst. Interests include economics, history, and journalism.

Email: ericnilsson@earthlink.net; LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/ericsnilsson Barbara Daisak is the Lamplighter Contributing Writer & Proofreader. In addition, she is a Learning, Training, & Development Specialist and Microsoft Certified Master Instructor. Barb is also an Instructor Adjunct with the County Colleges of New Jersey with specialties in the Technology Training Divisions and Corporate Training Programs.

Phone Numbers:732.863.4948 ― 732.616.2397-mobile Email Barbara at: bndaisak@verizon.net

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