According to a recent LinkedIn networking survey, globally and in the U.S. men are savvier online professional networkers than women. LinkedIn defines online professional networking savviness as the ratio of connections that men have to connections that women have and the ratio of male members on LinkedIn to female members.

Some of the survey results may surprise you; according to their data men in the cosmetics industry are better networkers than their female counterparts but women in the ranching industry are better networkers than their male counterparts. Maybe this is because both of these groups are the minorities in their respective fields, so they feel they need to network more to make the right connections and get ahead. You can read more about the survey here.

I don’t believe that networking is a gender-specific activity and I think both men and women can be great networkers. But LinkedIn does offer some great tips for how to leverage the power of LinkedIn to better manage your career, so be sure to check these out.

Be prepared
Before you attend any business event, use LinkedIn Mobile to see where people work, what position they have, how long they’ve been there and if you have any connections in common. Make sure your own profile has your full work history, education and skills so other professionals can learn more about you.

Mingle
Your LinkedIn network should be made up of at least 50 connections you know and trust, but you should also actively look for new connections and move out of your comfort zone. If you only talk to people you know, you’re less likely to find new opportunities. Find new connections by joining LinkedIn Groups focused on topics you’re passionate about. Look for working parent groups or groups related to the environment so you can meet professionals who share your interests.

Put your scorecard down
Great networkers don’t have a “gimme gimme” mentality. They focus on connecting and helping new people. Opportunities often arise when you reconnect with people you’ve lost touch. Look at your LinkedIn Homepage like your own professional dashboard chock full of useful reasons to reach out to your network. If you see that a connection just got promoted or landed a new client, shoot them a note to say congratulations and ask them what they are working on.

Representative Anthony Weiner has fessed up and admitted that he was the one sending lewd photos of himself on Twitter and that his account was never hacked. I write a lot about managing your online presence and digital dirt during a job search but the same rules apply for people who are trying to hold on to the jobs they have. Here are 5 tips for Weiner and anyone else out there dabbling in social media or even just corresponding via email.

1. On Twitter, when you only want a message to go to one person (a DM or direct message) double check your messaging options (best to do this with both hands on the keyboard).
2. Don’t assume a private DM on Twitter is really that private. After all, it is the Internet.
3. Don’t put anything online that could be sliced and diced, misinterpreted or taken out of context.
4. Don’t put anything online that you wouldn’t want your grandmother (or your wife!) to see.
5. Don’t jeopardize a career that took years to build with one stupid picture or 140 character message.

Feel free to post additional tips for Weiner here.

Office team recently surveyed 500 HR managers at companies with 20 or more employees and asked the following question.

“In your opinion, how likely is it that profiles on networking sites, such as LinkedIn and Facebook, will replace traditional resumes in the future?” Their responses are below.

I think the survey is interesting, but I wonder if we are asking the wrong question. Is it that online profiles will replace the traditional resume or simply allow them to evolve naturally? I tend to think the later. Social media offers another platform for sharing information and marketing yourself…two things that are critical during a job search. Social media and online platforms facilitate the process of matching candidates with employers. It doesn’t need to be one versus the other. Whether your resume is on paper, online, or somewhere else is not the point. What’s important is that the information that describes you is clear and compelling with quantifiable results and that people know who you are. Having a profile on LinkedIn will be no better than having a resume posted on a job board if the job seeker is doing nothing to facilitate the relationship. Relationship trumps resume and LinkedIn profile. Use LinkedIn but go past building a profile. Build real relationships…with real people. And once you start the relationship, take it offline. People hire people, not resumes or profiles.

This week my mom will celebrate her 80th birthday. We have two things planned for the big day. Head over to the Verizon store to compare Droids and iPhones and then pop by the Mac store to price out a new laptop.

Ever since I can remember, my mom has wanted to stay on the cutting-edge of technology. Back in the late 70s, she immersed herself in Wang manuals so she could make the transition from an IBM Selectric to a computer. In the 80s, she was the only one in the house who took the time to figure out how to program the VCR. In the 90s she embraced the Internet and became vigilant about her anti-virus protection. By 2000 she seemed to be on a first name basis with everyone in tech support at Dell. And a few years ago she discovered video chat and uses it to stay in touch with my brother’s kids who she doesn’t get to see nearly enough.

So it’s no surprise that my mom now wants a phone with a data plan and a Mac. She’s always understood the importance of keeping up with technology. In the 70s she did it to protect her job and her livelihood. After that she did it because she was truly fascinated with what technology could do and how it could improve the quality of her life. She also knew it was important to stay relevant.

Older job seekers frequently worry about being eliminated from an employer’s consideration because of their age. And while I’m not denying that ageism exists, I think the real issue that hurts an older job seeker’s chances is relevance. If an older worker can’t prove that they have kept up with technology and leading-edge concepts for their industry or job function, they will lose out to their younger counterparts that appear more “in the know.” So how do you counter potential age bias and quickly show hiring managers that you are just as relevant as the next applicant? Here are a few suggestions.

1. Add your LinkedIn url to your resume and create a LinkedIn strategy. Placing your LinkedIn url alongside your contact information on your resume shows employers you are using LinkedIn to network and be found. Adding the url to your business card is a great way to say “here’s my resume” without actually handing someone a copy. Including the url gives the contact the option of learning more about you online. Check out I’m on LinkedIn… Now What??? to learn how to leverage LinkedIn for job search.
2. Get on Twitter and start having relevant online conversations with opinion leaders in your industry. Acknowledging the power of Twitter and becoming an active user can help accelerate your job search and get you on the radar of decision makers in your industry. Spend a little bit of time lurking to see how others are using the tool and then jump in. To learn more about how Twitter can help you in your job search check out The Twitter Job Search Guide.
3. Attend a Tweet up or a Meet Up. Tweet Ups are live meetings where people who have connected on Twitter can meet in person. Meet Up is a site where you can find people in your geography who are interested in the same topics as you (both professional and personal) to arrange meeting in person in a group setting.
4. Take the time to learn something new. If you’ve been a writer or editor for a traditional publication, learn how to use blogging software. If you are a mainframe computer specialist, learn a new technology. If you are a PR professional, learn how to manage social media communities to engage your audience. You get my drift. Figure out what is leading-edge for your industry and learn how to do it.
5. Lose phrases like “back in the day.” You will quickly turn off recruiters and hiring managers if you spend too much time focusing on what worked in the past. Back in the day, my mom could “take a letter” like nobody’s business and push the return bar on her manual typewriter with speed and agility. But that’s not really relevant in today’s world, so why waste precious space on a resume or time during an interview referencing it?

While I was writing this post, my mom called me. Her life and priorities have changed a lot over the past few months after dealing with my father’s illness for over a decade. She now has a lot of free time and she wanted my advice on how  to score a work at home gig. I think she could do it and be a tremendous asset to someone. She may be old, but she will always be relevant. Shouldn’t you be too?

I read a lot of resumes that start off with applicants describing themselves as passionate, visionary, out-of-the-box thinkers, dedicated, “roll up their sleeves” professionals, and big picture thinkers. Perhaps they believe these phrases elevate the professionalism of their resume or make them sound more committed to their work. But I think this type of language works against you when you are crafting your resume. Here’s why.

1. You sound like a cliche. When you incorporate these types of terms into your resume to make you sound unique, you actually sound like you don’t have an original thought in your head. Hiring managers read thousands of resumes with these same claims every year. If it wasn’t that interesting the first time around, it certainly won’t be interesting after the 1,000th resume. The same is true for LinkedIn profiles. You can read colleague Louise Fletcher’s post about this here.
2. No one will ever find you. Many hiring managers search for candidates by using applicant tracking software or performing targeted keyword searches on LinkedIn. I guarantee you, no one is keying on the search term passionate or visionary to find their next top executive. They are searching based on key skills and competencies.
3. You won’t look different than your competitors. Anyone can say they are dedicated or the top in their field. Until you can prove it with a strong overview of your accomplishments, no one will believe you are any different than all the other candidates vying for the same opportunity.

Skip the flowery language and stick to the facts. Tell employers how you can solve their problems and what skills you have leveraged in the past to help companies make money, save money, and save time. Your resume will be a better, more engaging, and more credible read for hiring managers.

In honor of Halloween, this month’s Career Collective topic is scary resume and career mistakes. Here are the top ten mistakes I see job seekers make.

1. Inflate their qualifications or lie on their resume. While a resume is not a legal document, it should be an accurate representation of your experience and achievements. I advocate for showing your employment history in the best possible light, buy lying is never wise.
2. Forget to proofread their resume. One of the easiest ways to show an employer you don’t pay much attention to details is to submit a resume with a typo. Check, double-check, and triple check your document. Use spell check and ask a few different people to proof the resume before sending it to employers.
3. Send the same generic cover letter to every employer. The cover letter is the perfect opportunity to make a connection with the employer and explain how you can help solve their problems. Don’t go vanilla here. Tailor your cover letter to the employer and position you are applying to.
4. Neglect to research the company before the interview. With so much information on the Internet there is no excuse for not knowing about the company you are interviewing with. Use Vault, Glassdoor, WetFeet, Jigsaw, and LinkedIn to unearth important information about the companies and people you are interviewing with and don’t forget to take advantage of the research resources available at many public libraries.
5. Ask everyone they know for a job. Unless you want your friends and colleagues to stop returning your calls, don’t just ask everyone you know for a job. Instead ask for information about a company, a person, an industry, etc. Let your contacts know you value their knowledge and insights. Through these exploratory conversations they may be able to point you in the direction of a possible job opportunity even if they can’t help you land that job directly.
6. Neglect to send a thank you letter following an interview. It’s not just a courtesy. It is an opportunity to make a second impression on the person you just interviewed with and remain top of mind. Send the thank you letter within 24 hours of the interview. A few paragraphs with a thank you and a recap of why you are the perfect match for the job can help keep you on the hiring manager’s short list.
7. Fail to leverage their network. Some people feel that reaching out to their network for contacts means asking for favors. It doesn’t. See #5.
8. Snub social media. Imagine being able to go into the offices of everyone you know and look through their Roledex (remember them). That’s what social media sites like LinkedIn and Twitter allow you to do.
9. Complain. It’s easy to blame the company or the economy for your job search frustrations. But it won’t get you a job any faster. Find a few close confidents you can vent to and don’t spread your frustration to others. Keep a journal to help you chronicle your search journey and help get your feelings out.
10. Give up. This is perhaps the scariest one of all. And there are a lot of people out there that have given up. Unemployment benefits won’t last forever. At some point you will have to get back in the game. If you have dropped out of the race for several months, getting back in is much harder. Keep at it. Plan job search activities every day. You will be scheduling meetings with friends and colleagues, doing Internet research, building your online network, working on your resume, practicing your elevator pitch, etc. There is a lot to do. Job search is a full-time job. Now’s not the time to take a vacation.

Read what my colleagues have to say about scary resume and career mistakes here.

• Where Are the Wild Things, Anyway?, @WorkWithIllness
• Is Your Job Search Making You Feel Like a Smashed Pumpkin?, @DebraWheatman
• Hiding in Plain Sight, @WalterAkana
• Don’t make these frightful resume mistakes, @LaurieBerenson
• How Not to Be a Spooky Job Seeker, @heathermundell
• A Tombstone Resume:Eulogizing Your Experience, @GayleHoward
• Oh, Job Search Isn’t Like Trick or Treating?, @careersherpa
• A Most Unfortunate Resume Mistake No One Will Tell You, @chandlee
• Oh no. Not the phone!, @DawnBugni
• Halloween Caution: Job Seeker Horror, @resumeservice
• Boo! Are you scaring away opportunities or the competition? @MartinBuckland @EliteResumes
• Your Career Brand: A Scary Trick or an Appealing Treat?, @KCCareerCoach
• How to avoid mistakes on your resume, @Keppie_Careers
• Sc-sc-scary Resume Mistakes, @erinkennedycprw
• A Flawed Resume is a Scary Prospect, @KatCareerGal
• Job Search Angst: Like Clouds Mounting Before a Storm, @ValueIntoWords
• Does Your Career Costume Fit You?, @expatcoachmegan

I’m headed out to Dallas to present a hands-on workshop on social media strategies for job seekers to my colleagues at this year’s National Resume Writers’ Association Conference.

Resumes are an important marketing tool, but I believe that a resume is naked without a corresponding social media strategy. Over 90% of recruiters perform Internet searches on candidates before making a hiring decision, and more than half of employers solidify their decision to hire based on a strong online presence. Today’s job seeker needs a robust and digitally distinct web presence in order to compete for positions in the 21^st century. If someone searches for information about you online, what will be found? Ask yourself these questions.

• Do I exist online?

• Am I a “John Doe” who is difficult to locate online because there are many people out there with the same name?

• Is the information about me online relevant to my professional identity and is it accurate?

• Is there any damaging information about me online that a hiring manager could uncover?

If  you don’t currently have a strong or targeted online presence, the good news is that you can create and manage one very quickly and move from digital dud to digital rock star. Here’s how our online identity program works.

1. Comprehensive audit of your online identity. We will scour the Internet to uncover all mentions of you and your affiliations online. Based on our findings we will make recommendations for placement on online identity and networking sites to build your digital footprint and create new and sustainable visibility for your candidacy.
2. Traditional and online bio. A powerfully written, branded bio placed strategically across multiple online identity and networking sites can quickly build your value proposition and facilitate a dialogue between you and the hiring authority. We will create a bio that focuses on your core competencies, market differentiators, and compelling stories of professional success.
3. Profile creation. Once the online audit and bio are completed, we will make recommendations for profile placement on up to five online identity and networking sites. Each package is customized to the needs of the individual client. Online communities each have their own tone and culture and we will match your brand to the online communities that are most likely to contribute to your career success. We manage all administrative aspects of the profile creation for you including password creation, linking, image uploads, signature lines, and content development.
4. Online identity management coaching. We will teach you how to effectively maintain your profiles and optimize their value in just minutes a day through a one-hour tele-coaching call and electronic tips sheets.

Just interested in a particular online identity or networking tool? We can customize any of our packages to meet your needs. Want to learn more about our online identity services and receive a custom price quote? Contact us directly to discuss your specific needs.

Despite all the information available about “netiquette” and the importance of networking strategically online, I continue to get dozens of  mystery online networking requests. Sometimes the connection is as weak as being a member of the same group (with 50,000 other members) or as bizarre as asking for a face-to-face meeting based on the fact that we reside in the same city.

Something strange seems to happen to some people when they network online. It’s as if some people think that none of the common rules for building relationships exist. Could you imagine ever saying any of the following things over the phone or in person to someone you don’t know?

1. I’ve seen you walking down this block in the neighborhood before. Want to meet for coffee?
2. Someone told me we used to work for the same company that employs 20,000 people. Want to chat sometime?
3. I found your number in the phone book. Maybe we have something in common.
4. I heard through the grapevine that you work for a company where I would really like to work. Can you tell me more about what it’s like to work there?
5. I found you in the 1997 student alumni directory. I’m a graduate of the class of 1980. Would you like to compare notes?
6. I know I’ve never actually met you before and you have no idea who I am. But someone suggested I say “since you are someone I know and trust, I would like to add you to my network.” Does that work for you? (Hint: that’s verbatim from a LinkedIn template that people seem to use whether they know you or not).
7. You looked like someone I should know so I followed you home, made note of your address and then did a search to find your phone number. Would love to meet formally sometime.
8. I found your name and number written on a cocktail napkin at a local restaurant and I decided to call you. I figured, “what do I have to lose?”

Of course you wouldn’t say any of these things! So why do people think this approach will work online? If you are using LinkedIn or other social media tools to connect with others, create authentic relationships and recognize that the affinity will grow over time. Even on Twitter where there are generally no gatekeepers for connecting with others, it’s still advisable to follow the person for awhile and create a supportive and non-threatening dialogue before bringing the relationship face to face.

I am a fairly open connector on LinkedIn as well as other social media platforms. But I have to know a little bit about you and why you want to connect before I accept. Isn’t that just common sense?

For anyone interested in connecting via LinkedIn, you can find me here. Just be sure to tell me how you found me and why you think we should connect.

The September issue of Oprah Magazine features four women at various stages of their careers: the stay at home mom returning to work, the single mom laid off from her position and seeking a new challenge, the recent college graduate looking for her big break, and the boomer trying to make a career transition later in life.

I was fortunate to work with these women along with colleagues Louise Fletcher and Nancy Collamer to help them create a strategic job search plan. While each one has a different end goal, the course they need to take is in many ways the same. Here are some of the top tips shared with the women.

1. Ask for information rather than a job. When you ask someone if they know if anyone is hiring there is a simple yes/no response (usually no) which leaves the conversation at a standstill. Instead of asking about job openings, ask your contacts if they would be willing to talk to you to share information…about an industry, a company, a recruiter or whatever else will help get you one step closer to the ultimate hiring manager. Asking for a jobs can make the other person feel uncomfortable; asking for information can be flattering.
2. Get on LinkedIn. With 60M+ users LinkedIn has become a “must have” resource for recruiters searching for top talent. If you aren’t on LinkedIn, recruiters may come to the conclusion that you are not current, not serious, or not good enough at what you do to be in the running for their openings.
3. Be on-message. Prepare a succinct, compelling pith about what you are looking for and why you are qualified. Keep this message consistent in your resume, your online profiles, and your conversations.
4. Reach out to companies directly. Do you dream of working for Google, Starbucks, JPMorgan Chase, or the Red Cross? If so, let the employer know that. More and more companies are filling positions through employee referrals and social networking and many never even post their open positions. Become an insider by reaching out to companies and expressing your interest before they have a job opening. If you can become top of mind with them, you increase the likelihood of being considered, should a position become available, or better still of having a position created for you based on the outstanding value the employer thinks you could bring to the organization.

After several weeks of job search preparation, (and some fabulous hair, makeup, and wardrobe makeovers courtesy of Oprah Magazine’s creative team), the women are out working their contacts, setting up networking meetings and interviews, forwarding resumes, and working with recruiters.

You can read more about each woman’s transformation by picking up the September issue (sorry, no link currently available) on newstands now.

According to the second annual Social Recruitment Survey conducted by Jobvite, (via Career Management Alliance), employers are recruiting several ways: employee referrals, professional online networks, social networks such as Facebook and Twitter; and the traditional sources, including search firms and job boards. The survey clearly shows a preference based on the quality of candidates and cost-effectiveness for employee referrals and professional social networks, to recruit candidates. Some highlights of the report:
• 76% plan to invest more in employee referrals and 72% plan to invest more in recruiting through social networks
• 80% of companies use or are planning to use social networking to find and attract candidates this year
• 77% of respondents said they use social networks to reach passive candidates who are not actively seeking employment
• 24% of candidates disclose their social networking presence when applying for a job.

Use of Social Networks:
• LinkedIn use grew from 80 percent in 2008 to 95 percent of respondents in 2009 and Facebook use grew from 36 percent in 2008 to 59 percent in 2009
• Twitter, ranked third with 42 percent of recruiters using the tool to source candidates
• 66% of respondents reported that they had successfully hired a candidate who was identified or introduced through an online social network