Jennifer McClure`

Equipping people leaders to navigate change — and design the future — with boldness and purpose.

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Mastering the Art of Virtual Networking: 5 Steps to Build Powerful Connections Online

Remember back in the day, when the most common form of networking was to shove your business card in people’s faces at Happy Hour events or to offer to buy them a cup of coffee, so you could “pick their brain”?

Ewww.

Of course, that was never an effective way to build relationships, but in today’s digital world, gone are the days of forced interactions and awkward coffee meetings.

Today’s networking landscape is all about building genuine relationships and offering value.

So, how can you connect with new people and build relationships that matter in an increasingly digital-first world?

Focus on Giving, Not Getting:

Instead of collecting contacts, share your expertise and insights online. Engage in industry conversations, offer thoughtful comments, and participate in discussions happening in the comments section.

Be a source of value, and people will naturally be drawn to you.

Be a Social Butterfly, But Smarter:

LinkedIn and other online platforms can be goldmines. Share your expertise by actively participating in industry conversations, not just lurking! Like posts that resonate with you and comments that you feel add something of value.

Engaging in a meaningful way can prompt others engaged in the discussion to want to connect with you.

Be Intentional and Authentic:

Personalized messages go a long way. When reaching out to someone, mention something specific you admire about their work or a shared interest.

Show genuine interest in connecting, not just adding another number to your network.

Embrace Virtual Learning Opportunities:

Online events and webinars are goldmines for networking. Participate actively, ask insightful questions, and engage with others in breakout rooms or chat sessions.

Remember, it’s about quality interactions, not just quantity.

Follow Up and Keep in Touch:

Building connections takes time and effort. Follow up with people you meet online, continue the conversation, and offer your help or support whenever possible.

Remember, meaningful relationships are two-way streets.

Networking in the digital age is about authenticity, adding value, and building mutually beneficial relationships.

Focus on creating a network where support, knowledge exchange, and opportunities flow bi-directionally, and you’ll get much farther than a cup of coffee or a brain-picking would ever have gotten you before.

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My Best Career Advice to Position Yourself for the Job You Want [Replay]

A career change is a huge thing that many of people are dealing with right now, whether they feel stuck in their current job or they just want to do something different that they enjoy.

But how do you position yourself for the job that you want?

As an employee, you’ve got to figure out how to get noticed to move your career ahead and make sure that you’re getting the interactions and developing the relationships that you need. That being said, networking and relationship-building is a two-way street. Leaders also need to figure out how to provide a safe space and environment for their people to connect, even in remote and hybrid environments.

In episode 92 of the Impact Makers podcast, I’m sharing a conversation that I had with Chris Villanueva when he invited me to be a guest on the Career Warrior podcast to chat about networking, relationship building, and how the changing world of work impacts both job seekers and human resources leaders.

Chris is the CEO & Co-Founder of Let’s Eat, Grandma, an online resume service that helps professionals rebrand themselves to land interviews for their dream jobs. Recently ranked by The Balance as the best resume service of 2022, Let’s Eat Grandma helps people during one of the most stressful areas of life – the job hunt. They’ve assisted over 7,000+ paying clients with their resumes, and hundreds of thousands more through their blog and the Career Warrior Podcast.

Topics Discussed In Today’s Episode:

  • The future of work, and what both job seekers and HR leaders should be paying attention to.
  • The skills that will be most in demand in the workplace of the future.
  • Will working virtually affect your career negatively, versus being present in an office?
  • Should job seekers try to negotiate remote work, if it’s not part of the job offer?
  • How to properly build relationships and networks when many people are working remotely and networking less.
  • How to position yourself for new opportunities when you’re interested in making a career change.
  • The worst things job seekers do with their resumes that annoy HR and hiring managers.

LISTEN TO IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 92

Listen on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts or Spotify

People & Resources Mentioned In This episode:

Let’s Eat Grandma Career Warrior Podcast

Career Warrior Podcast #274 – The Future of Work for Job Seekers with Jennifer McClure

Let’s Eat Grandma | Best Resume Writing Service

Chris Villanueva LinkedIn

The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Tim Ferriss

Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World by Gary Vaynerchuk

Julie Turney / HR@Heart Consulting Inc.

Personal Brand Workbook

Steve Browne

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Is It Still Possible to Build Your Personal Brand Using Social Media in 2023?

Impact Makers Podcast Episode 075

We’re off and running in 2023, and I hope that you’re finding your footing after digging out of your email inbox, and resuming the regular rhythms of meetings and deadlines.

If you’re like me, you’re likely back to being busy – maybe even overwhelmed once again, so I thought I’d share some thoughts with you this week about one of the prime culprits of overwhelm for many of us – which is of course, is social media.

What used to be a great platform for connection, building personal relationships, and building your brand has now sucked a chunk of time out of us. And it has led us down this path where communication is made less civil, and sometimes, even hurtful.

Do I still think that leaders who want to stay current with business trends, and what’s happening in the future of work should be active on social media?

Yes, I do, because there are still ways you can use social media to grow your career or your business.

Today, let’s walk down the social media memory lane to see how these platforms have evolved over the years.

As you seek to continue to build your brand or grow your career this year, I’m diving into what’s working and what’s not working with these different social media and online platforms, in the next few episodes.

Next week, I’ll start with the most impactful of all – LinkedIn.

Make sure that you’re subscribed or following the Impact Makers podcast in your favorite listening platform, so you don’t miss an episode.

And, if you’d like to make an impact on someone in your network today, please share this episode with them, so they can embrace the future of work, and develop and grow the leadership skills necessary to make a positive impact at work and in life, right along with you!

Topics Discussed In This Episode:

  • The evolution of LinkedIn and how it’s helping business people until now
  • Twitter then and now
  • How Facebook has become a ghost town now
  • The popularity of Instagram today
  • Should leaders be active on social media?
  • Using social media to build meaningful relationships

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 75

Key Quotes From This Episode:

“We have to be intentional and strategic about how we spend our time [on social media] consuming content, and how we create and share content to attract and engage the right people who want to hear from us and want to hear what we have to say.” ~ @Jennifer McClure

“I also still believe it is possible to build meaningful relationships with thought leaders, peers, and professionals in your industry and career field. But it takes time and more than a daily picture of your favorite cup of coffee to make those things happen.” ~ @Jennifer McClure

Connect with Jennifer:

Send her a message [https://jennifermcclure.net/contact/]

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_mcclure/

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcClureSpeaker

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Expert Resume Tips to Achieve Success in the Modern Day Job Search with Chris Villanueva

Impact Makers Podcast Episode 068

Looking for a new job? How do you stand out from the crowd and make sure your resume gets noticed?

If you’re planning to use the same resume you created 10 years ago, well, that probably won’t be too useful. Times have changed, and so has resume writing!

There are actually things you need to be intentional with when it comes to showcasing your strengths and making sure you’re getting your message across.

Today, I’m joined by Chris Villanueva, the CEO & Co-Founder of Let’s Eat, Grandma, an online resume service that was ranked by The Balance as the best resume service of 2022.

Chris shares some of his best advice for job seekers and career changers related to creating resumes, cover letters, and LinkedIn profiles that will get you noticed, and also help you connect with your dream job.

We also talk about how to overcome some of the challenges that we all face with building new professional relationships in an increasingly hybrid or remote work environment.

Finally, Chris answers the burning question: One page resume or as many as it takes?

Topics Discussed In This Episode:

  • What has changed over the last few years when it comes to resumes.
  • The power of using keywords on your resume and LinkedIn profile to assist you in being found for the job you want.
  • How to address gaps in employment on a resume.
  • How your LinkedIn Profile should differ from your resume.
  • The biggest frustrations job seekers have with recruiters and hiring managers.
  • How we can build relationships in a world where many people are working virtually.
  • Why you should invest in a resume writing service to accelerate positive results in your job search.

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 68

Key Quotes From This Episode:

“Your resume is a marketing piece that you have so many eyeballs potentially on, but you have a very short amount of time to make an impact with that one little document.” ~ @Chris Villanueva

“A cover letter…goes beyond the resume in that it can tell an actual story, it can tell your why or even your philosophy of how you work as a professional.” ~ @Chris Villanueva

“I think folks should ask themselves, ‘If I were a recruiter or hiring manager and I was simply typing in some keywords to find the ideal candidate, which ones would I use to target that person’.” ~ @Chris Villanueva

People & Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

Workplace from Meta

Chris Villanueva LinkedIn

Let’s Eat, Grandma

Let’s Eat, Grandma Career Warrior Podcast

Impact Makers Podcast Episode #66 – My Best Career Advice to Position Yourself for the Job You Want with Jennifer McClure and Chris Villanueva

Show Sponsor:

This episode of the Impact Makers Podcast is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Everybody’s talking about the metaverse these days, but Workplace from Meta is different – I mean, the clue’s in the name, right?

Workplace is a business communication tool that uses features like instant messaging and video calls to help people share information. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work – a future in which your job isn’t just something you do, but something you EXPERIENCE. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected, and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

Connect with Jennifer:

Send her a message [https://jennifermcclure.net/contact/]

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_mcclure/

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcClureSpeaker

Written by

My Best Career Advice to Position Yourself for the Job You Want

How do you position yourself for the job that you want?

A career change is not easy, whether you feel stuck in you current job or just want to do something different that you enjoy.

As an employee, you’ve got to figure out how to get noticed to move your career ahead.

However, leaders also need to figure out how to provide a safe space and environment for their people to connect, even remotely.

I recently connected with Chris Villanueva, CEO & Co-Founder of Let’s Eat, Grandma, an online resume service that helps professionals rebrand themselves to land interviews for their dream jobs.

He invited me to be a guest on the Career Warrior Podcast, which he hosts, and we had a great chat about networking, relationship building, and how the changing world of work impacts both job seekers, and people leaders.

Chris and his team have graciously allowed me to share it so, sit back, and get ready for the best advice I’ve got for you to position yourself for the job you want – at least in 2022!

Topics Discussed In This Episode:

  • My thoughts on the future of work, and what both job seekers and HR leaders should be paying attention to.
  • The skills that will be most in-demand in the workplace of the future.
  • How to properly build relationships and network when many people are working remotely and networking less.
  • How to position yourself for new opportunities when you’re interested in making a career change.
  • The worst things job seekers do with their resumes that annoy HR and hiring managers.

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 66

Key Quotes From This Episode:

“It’s really hard to establish connections when we are online behind a screen and connecting with people.” ~ @Chris Villanueva

“Just because it isn’t paid experience doesn’t mean it’s not valid experience that can end up pushing you to get more interviews.” ~ @Chris Villanueva

“You can always do something different.” ~ @Jennifer McClure

People & Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

Meta from Workplace

Let’s Eat Grandma Career Warrior Podcast

Career Warrior Podcast #274 – The Future of Work for Job Seekers with Jennifer McClure

Let’s Eat Grandma | Best Resume Writing Service

Chris Villanueva LinkedIn

The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Tim Ferriss

Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World by Gary Vaynerchuk

Julie Turney / HR@Heart Consulting Inc.

Personal Brand Workbook

Steve Browne

Show Sponsor:

This episode of the Impact Makers Podcast is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Everybody’s talking about the metaverse these days, but Workplace from Meta is different – I mean, the clue’s in the name, right?

Workplace is a business communication tool that uses features like instant messaging and video calls to help people share information. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work – a future in which your job isn’t just something you do, but something you EXPERIENCE. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected, and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

Connect with Jennifer:

Send her a message [https://jennifermcclure.net/contact/]

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_mcclure/

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcClureSpeaker

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