Wednesday, July 27
Salary Question - What is Your Current Salary?
When companies ask you about your last salary they are trying to screen you out. This is a high risk moment and hence you want to delay the salary discussion for later in the hiring process. The representative from the company is trying to make sure there is reasonable alignment of your salary requirements and their salary range. The following is just one example of the value you'll get when you use Interview Mastery. Here is a recommended response when this question is asked early in the interview processes (before they have decided to hire you). First is the overall strategy then specific examples of how to respond to this question.
The overall strategy is to delay stating a specific salary number until the company has decided to hire you. Any discussion of compensation before this time runs a high risk of eliminating you from further consideration.
Response Strategy
- I was paid well and in line with job market conditions.
- You'd be happy to discuss salary history later in the hiring process
- You're interested in the opportunity so far
"I was paid well in my last position and in-line with market conditions and the results I delivered. I will be happy to discuss my compensation history in detail when we have decided that I'm the right person for this position."
If they asked again; "I realize that you need to make certain that my salary expectations are consistent with the salary range. To ensure we are aligned, please tell me the salary range and I'll let you know how my salary matches the range."
If they ask yet again; "When deciding on a position I consider the following factors; quality of the opportunity, quality of the company and the people I'd be working with, long term growth potential, location and compensation. Compensation is the least important criteria I use to evaluate a position. So far I'm impressed with what I have learned about this opportunity and remain very interested."
Remember that the first person to give a number is at a disadvantage. You want to discuss salary only when they are absolutely convinced they can't live without you. It is at this point that you have negotiating leverage and not until then.
Craft a response that feels comfortable for you and practice saying it. Decide right now that you are not going to discuss salary until you are ready.
Best of luck on your next interview. It is the most important moment in your search for a better position.
- Michael Neece
CEO Interview Mastery
Job Seeking - The "7" Deadly Sins
The 7 Deadly Sins of Job Seeking
Are you making recruiters cringe? Waiting by the phone to hear back from a hiring manager?
Wake up.
You’re sabotaging your own job search. Take a deep breath and ask yourself if you’ve fallen for any of the 7 deadly job-seeking sins:
7) I Have an Unsavory Web Presence: Really? In this day and age? Get that Facebook cleaned up, those Flickr albums locked up. Treat Google and your name like it’s a second resume.
6) I Have Bad Grammar: It doesn’t matter if you’re a CEO or an entry-level candidate, you’ll be judged by your writing competency. It’s not necessarily a deal breaker, but glaring typos are a bad sign to see on your resume, cover letter, or Thank-you letter. Speaking of which…
5) I Don’t Have a Thank You Letter: You need one. After every Interview. A quick email will suffice, but a personalized handwritten letter says a bit more.
4) I Immediately Want To Know How Much It Pays: Compensation is a tricky subject. If you bring it up too soon, it’ll look like your priorities are misaligned. You’re saying you don’t care about the company, the job itself. Money is immodest, don’t start a conversation with it.
3) I Skip HR and Send My Resume Right to the CEO: This “advice” pops up now and again from those who think there’s a fast-track to the hiring process. You’ve been fed a lie. The CEO is too busy for your gimmicks. Follow the proscribed avenues first – then try going “around” to get into the company.
2) I Don’t Have a Customized Cover Letter and Resume: You should have at least 3 or 4 resumes saved on your computer for different jobs. Never lie about your skills, you’ll be found out – but you might want to highlight different aspects of your career (aside from your transferable skills across industries) and SHOW don’t TELL how you accomplished various goals.
1) I Went On the Interview. I Must Be All Done: Time to sit back and wait by the phone right? No. Keep applying to positions and going on interviews. Nothing is a done deal until you hear, “you’re hired.”
Job seeking is a full time job – one that you probably don’t want for long! Work smarter, not longer and you’ll have that handshake in no time.
Tuesday, July 26
Tips for Working with a Recruiter
6 Tips for Working With Recruiters
It’s still a tough economy out there. Last month, the unemployment rate rose to 9.2%. Maybe you’re one of the millions out of work and hunting for a job. You’ve tried job boards, employer’s websites, and called everyone you know. Still no luck. Maybe it’s time you considered contacting a recruiter.
Whether you’re unemployed or just looking for a change, recruiters can help. It’s THEIR job to help you get hired and that’s what they get paid for. Here are five tips to help you get in touch with a recruiter and get your career back on track:
1) Find a Great Recruitment Agency: The recruitment agency you choose to work with will be a stepping-stone to finding your recruiter. Some agencies have better reputations than others. Do some research online and choose one with a strong track record. If you’re on Linkedin (you should be!) there’s countless opportunities available if you just put in the time and effort.
Some agencies will allow you to build a profile through their site and start from there, but should always call the firm anyway and introduce yourself right away.
2) Meet and Greet: When you find your recruiter, your first task will be to have a quick discussion. Even if the first talk is cordial chitchat, it’s best to learn right away whether the two of you will ultimately be compatible. Try to be patient and gracious – the start of any business relationship is unsteady and requires some tact.
3) Be Open: When you start working with a recruiter, you’ll immediately realize you’re in for a long-term relationship. The recruiter will want to know all about you, and everything you’ve done. Don’t panic! Foster this positive partnership and learn to trust each other. Be honest about your history and your goals.
4) Never Lie: As a follow up to the last point, honesty and Integrity are the golden rules here. Don’t try to hide unsavory details from your employment past or obfuscate certain expectations (Salary requirements, travel requests, etc.) They’ll only come back to haunt you as your job search progresses.
5) Work Together: Make sure your resume is up to date and don’t be afraid to ask your recruiter for advice. They have a wealth of industry insight to offer as well as the inside scoop on the companies you’ll be shooting for.
6) Commit: Your recruiter will keep your information on file until they find a good match for your skill set. Go on the interviews they set up for you and keep a positive attitude. If you loose steam halfway through the process and give up – you’ve wasted everyone’s time. The perfect job is out there for YOU, and your recruiter is going to help you find it.
The candidate-recruiter relationship should be symbiotic – you’re both working for (roughly) the same goal. Recruiters should generally have your best interest in mind. Treat the relationship like a partnership and be open and honest – recruiters can be a highly effective conduit into a new job.
Company Face Off: Are You a Mac or a PC?
Take the Quiz
For years, consumers have self-identified as Mac or a PC people, a label fueled in part by Apple's Mac vs. PC ads. Some research about the two companies' customers was even done by Hunch.com and it showed that many of the stereotypes are true: Mac lovers are typically younger and more likely to live in urban centers, while PC enthusiasts tend to be more politically conservative and prefer Harleys over Vespas.But let's not forget the army of designers, programmers and sales staff who work for these brands. What kinds of people work at Apple and Microsoft and what are the companies like as employers? Data from PayScale.com revealed some interesting differences in median salary, benefits and work culture. Who Pays More?PayScale data shows that Apple's starting median pay is $43,100, while Microsoft's is almost twice as much: $86,900. Median age (33 at Apple, 35 at Microsoft) and years of experience (eight at Apple, nine at Microsoft) are roughly comparable at both companies, so what gives?Al Lee, director of Qualitative Data at PayScale.com, says the value of the companies' stock is a factor. "Anybody in the tech sector who is looking at the total compensation package with equity, stock options, is going to reach a much different conclusion," he says. "That's the kind of thing that can easily be a 10 or 20 percent difference. Stock has gone nowhere at Microsoft [in recent years] so they've had to pay more in cash compensation." Which Jobs Are Available?Lee also points to the types of jobs available at the two companies. Both companies hire high-level tech talent but Apple also employs people in other departments that aren't as prevalent at Microsoft. "They have the whole sector around the music and video licensing that Microsoft has on a much smaller scale," he adds. "All those designers, media relations people, people who are working in marketing the iTunes store are generally paid less than a senior software designer."Overall, the pay gap narrows by mid-career, when median pay is $112,000 at Apple and $127,000 at Microsoft. Packing in the PerksWhile both companies' work culture often varies by department, employees rank Apple slightly higher on overall job satisfaction, while Microsoft employees rank their employer higher on job flexibility. In fact, Microsoft employees are allowed to moonlight and one former Microsoft employee said that she organized an at-work yoga class. "You had the freedom to create your own stress relief," says Sarah, who worked as a Microsoft employee for two years and as a vendor for five.Lee says that Microsoft is also known for its generous vacation time (three weeks per year compared to 2.1 at Apple) and paternity leave policy. A current Microsoft employee says the company's healthcare coverage is the best she's ever seen. "I have zero co-pay," says Wendy. "You can order any tests at the doctor's office because it's covered. If your family is sick and you can't get to the doctor, they have doctors who make house calls."Apple employees enjoy some perks of their own -- like inspiration. A former Apple sales and marketing communications specialist, Hannah, remembers Apple's "passion about the product, passion about the work," as she puts it. Now self-employed, she says, "I still think of myself as changing the world through the work I do and that's an attitude I picked up at Apple."Just for fun, PayScale decided to put together a quiz, based upon their data about working at each company, and Hunch.com's research on Mac and PC users.
Quiz: Are you a Mac or a PC?
1. I would rather work:
a. Beneath the tall evergreens of the Pacific Northwest.
b. Tucked in the golden foothills of California.
2. When it comes to food, I either:
a. Enjoy meat and can't imagine living without it.
b. Am or was once a vegetarian.
3. At snack time, I reach for:
a. Sweet treats.
b. Salty goodness.
4. After work, I wind down with:
a. White wine.
b. Red wine.
5. Politically, I'm a:
a. Conservative.
b. Liberal.
6. It's important for my company to offer me:
a. Good paternity/maternity leave.
b. Awesome free tech toys.
7. I'd rather have:
a. A nice, big salary.
b. Stock options with good potential.
Mostly A's: You're more of a Microsoft person.Mostly B's: You belong at Apple.
Six Job Skills in High Demand
Six Job Skills in High Demand
For some time now, U.S. economists have concurred that the United States is in an innovation slump. We have fallen behind other countries in several technological fields, especially drug research and software development.
The compensation in fields that require innovation is often significantly higher than compensation in other fields. Despite this, fewer students in the states have been choosing to study science, technology, engineering and math.
According to the recently released PriceWaterhouseCoopers Private Company Trendsetter Barometer, this innovation slump is apparent and will impact hiring decisions over the next two years.
Seventy-nine percent of companies surveyed said that they plan to hire new talent during this period, and 51 percent of CEOs surveyed indicated that they need to fill certain skill gaps over the next two years to meet their company's objectives. The largest skill gaps identified were in middle management (53 percent) and skilled labor (48 percent).
The survey points out some key functional skills, in the science and technology arena, which have a high potential for aggressive hiring:
Information technology: 30 percent of companies surveyed plan on hiring technology professionals.
Engineering/design: 25 percent of survey respondents claim they will hire engineers.
Additional areas that reported a skills gap and are likely to experience future growth include:
Marketing and sales: 52 percent of companies surveyed claim they will be hiring candidates with either sales or marketing skills. In addition, 11 percent reported that they will need to hire individuals with international marketing experience in the near future.
Financial/bookkeeping: 28 percent of firms reported a skills gap in finance and plan on hiring in the near future.
Clerical workers: 25 percent of companies identified clerical skills as a skills gap and have plans to hire in this area.
Manufacturing: 19 percent of firms with a skill gap will need to hire employees with manufacturing skills.
By Barbara Safan
Living Wage Laws: Good for Workers and Good for the Economy
Ken Jacobs
In an era when the richest one percent of American households are reported to be collecting close to a quarter of the country's overall income, it makes sense to hear increasing talk about a "living wage" for the millions of workers at the other end of the income spectrum.
As New York and other cities consider new living wage policies on economic development projects, it makes sense to look at San Francisco, which has put in place extensive labor standards policies over the last decade and where a recent agreement extended living wage provisions to a major new development project at the Hunters Point Shipyard.
The shipyard agreement in San Francisco applies living wage requirements to the broadest scope of employers in a private commercial development anywhere in the United States. That it was achieved quietly and without fanfare speaks volumes about the success of the city's wage ordinances, and stands in marked contrast to the current debate in New York.
The Hunters Point Shipyard redevelopment project is expected to generate up to 10,000 permanent jobs. It will include 635,000 square feet of retail space, 2.65 million square feet of office and research and development, a hotel and a brand new NFL stadium (if the 49ers agree). An estimated 1,500 of the 10,000 projected jobs will be in retail, 1,400 in wholesale and trade and 26,000 in the service sector. As part of the agreement, all firms with 20 workers or more must pay a minimum of $11.54 an hour and provide 12 days of paid time off a year (or a cash equivalent). Employers at the shipyard will also be covered by San Francisco's paid sick leave and health care policies.
It has been 10 years since San Francisco passed its initial living wage ordinance and it is worth looking at the results.
The proposal to require employers doing business with San Francisco to meet higher minimum wage and benefit standards was highly contentious. As we are currently hearing in New York, business leaders argued that it would hurt business competition and reduce jobs, and the Golden Gate Restaurant Association successfully fought plans to extend the law to businesses on city property outside of the San Francisco International Airport.
After the law was adopted, San Francisco passed several other labor standards policies that apply to all businesses in the city, including a minimum wage now at $9.92 an hour, paid sick leave, and a requirement that employers meet minimum standards for spending on employee health care.
The evidence is strong that businesses have quickly adapted to the laws without damaging economic growth, which the developers of the Hunters Point Shipyard clearly understood. A UC Berkeley study of the living wage policy at the San Francisco International Airport found that the program led not only to significant pay increases for 12,000 workers, but employers and employees alike reported improved work effort and morale, dramatically lower turnover and better customer service. The study found no negative effect on employment.
Academic studies of San Francisco's minimum wage and health care security ordinance, including one by a former member of President George W. Bush's Council of Economic Advisors, similarly found positive effects for employees and no measurable effect on jobs in the industries most impacted by the law.
San Francisco's labor standards laws do not appear to be deterring retailers who want to locate in the city or developers looking for tenants or project financing. A new Lowe's just opened up in the city, just a short drive from their existing store in South San Francisco, which has no labor standards requirements beyond what is in state law.
What can other cities contemplating similar policies learn from San Francisco's experience? Two important new studies shed light on this.
One, by a team of economists at UC Berkeley, examined every county in the United States that borders another county across state lines and has had a different minimum wage at any time over the last quarter century. A second study, of which I was a co-author, examined employment and business growth in cities with policies placing living wage conditions on economic development subsidies. Both studies used sophisticated econometric techniques to isolate the policies' impacts and both found no measurable impact on employment.
The verdict is clear: labor standards policies of the kind San Francisco put in place improve workers' income, productivity and health, reduce turnover and decrease job vacancies; they have not reduced the number of jobs.
This is good news indeed for the workers and businesses in cities, such as New York, that are considering new living wage policies on economic development programs. San Francisco may be unique in the breadth of protections we provide our workers, but we are not special in our need to improve labor standards.
Stagnating and declining wages for low- and middle-income Americans helped create our current economic crisis. Improving wages at the bottom will be an important ingredient to get more money circulating into the economy and build sustainable growth.
Tuesday, July 19
21 Secrets HR Won't Tell You
What You Should Know About Résumés
1. “Once you’re unemployed more than six months, you’re considered pretty much unemployable. We assume that other people have already passed you over, so we don’t want anything to do with you.” –Cynthia Shapiro, former human resources executive and author of
2. “When it comes to getting a job, who you know really does matter. No matter how nice your résumé is or how great your experience may be, it’s all about connections.” –HR director at a health-care facility
3. “If you’re trying to get a job at a specific company, often the best thing to do is to avoid HR entirely. Find someone at the company you know, or go straight to the hiring manager.” –Shauna Moerke, an HR administrator in Alabama who blogs at hrminion.com
4. “People assume someone’s reading their cover letter. I haven’t read one in 11 years.” –HR director at a financial services firm
5. “We will judge you based on your e-mail address. Especially if it’s something inappropriate like kinkyboots101@hotmail.com or johnnylikestodrink@gmail.com.” –Rich DeMatteo, a recruiting consultant in Philadelphia
6. “If you’re in your 50s or 60s, don’t put the year you graduated on your résumé.” –HR professional at a 7. “There’s a myth out there that a résumé has to be one page. So people send their résumé in a two-point font. Nobody is going to read that.” –HR director at a financial services firm
7. “I always read résumés from the bottom up. And I have no problem with a two-page résumé, but three pages is pushing it.” –Sharlyn Lauby, HR consultant in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
8. “Most of us use applicant-tracking systems that scan résumés for key words. The secret to getting your résumé through the system is to pull key words directly from the job description and put them on. The more matches you have, the more likely your résumé will get picked and actually seen by a real person.” –Chris Ferdinandi, HR professional in the Boston area
9. “Résumés don’t need color to stand out. When I see a little color, I smirk. And when I see a ton of color, I cringe. And walking in and dropping off your resume is no longer seen as a good thing. It’s actually a little creepy.” –Rich DeMatteo
Secrets About the Interview
10. “It’s amazing when people come in for an interview and say, ‘Can you tell me about your business?’ Seriously, people. There’s an Internet. Look it up.” –HR professional in New York City
11. “A lot of managers don’t want to hire people with young kids, and they use all sorts of tricks to find that out, illegally. One woman kept a picture of two really cute children on her desk even though she didn’t have children [hoping job candidates would ask about them]. Another guy used to walk people out to their car to see whether they had car seats.” –Cynthia Shapiro, former human resources executive and author of Corporate Confidential: 50 Secrets Your Company Doesn’t Want You to Know
12. “Is it harder to get the job if you’re fat? Absolutely. Hiring managers make quick judgments based on stereotypes. They're just following George Clooney’s character in Up in the Air, who said ‘I stereotype. It’s faster.’”–Suzanne Lucas, a former HR executive and the Evil HR Lady on bnet.com
13. “I once had a hiring manager who refused to hire someone because the job required her to be on call one weekend a month and she had talked in the interview about how much she goes to church. Another candidate didn’t get hired because the manager was worried that the car he drove wasn’t nice enough.” –HR professional at a midsize firm in North Carolina
14. “Don’t just silence your phone for the interview. Turn it all the way off.” –Sharlyn Lauby, HR consultant in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
15. “If you’ve got a weak handshake, I make a note of it.” –HR manager at a medical-equipment sales firm
16. “If you’re a candidate and the hiring manager spends 45 minutes talking about himself, the company or his Harley, let him. He’s going to come out of the interview saying you’re a great candidate.” –Kris Dunn, chief human resources officer at Atlanta-based Kinetix, who blogs at hrcapitalist.com
Things to Know About Salary Negotiation
17. “There’s one website that drives all HR people crazy: salary.com. It supposedly lists average salaries for different industries, but if you look up any job, the salary it gives you always seems to be $10,000 to $20,000 higher than it actually is. That just makes people mad.” –HR director at a public relations agency
18. “On salary, some companies try to lock you in early. At the first interview, they’ll tell me to say, ‘The budget for this position is 40K to 45K. Is that acceptable to you?’ If the candidate accepts, they’ll know they’ve got him or her stuck in that little area.” –Ben Eubanks, HR professional in Alabama
19. “You think you’re all wonderful and deserve a higher salary, but here in HR, we know the truth. And the truth is, a lot of you aren’t very good at your jobs, and you’re definitely not as good as you think you are.” –HR professional at a midsize firm in North Carolina
20. “Be careful if a headhunter is negotiating for you. You may want extra time off and be willing to sacrifice salary, but he is negotiating hardest for what hits his commission.” –HR professional in New York City
21. “I once hired someone, and her mother didn’t think the salary we were offering was high enough, so she called me to negotiate. There are two problems with that: 1) I can’t negotiate with someone who’s not you. 2) It’s your mother. Seriously, I was like, ‘Did that woman’s mother just call me, or was that my imagination?’ I immediately withdrew the offer.” –HR professional in New York City
Monday, July 18
How to Utilize Recruiters in Your Job Search
5 Easy Tips on How to Best Utilize Recruiters in Your Job Search
Some of your most frustrating experiences as a job seeker may stem from your interactions with third-party recruiters. Much of this friction occurs when job seekers mistake a recruiter for a job search "agent." However, whether you like it or not, recruiters are often a necessary part of the job-seeking process. The truth is that a recruiter's first obligation lies in locating the best candidate for their client’s job opening. Most recruiters work on a contingency basis and only receive compensation when they make a successful placement. This type of incentive system means that the candidates with the most marketable skills will likely receive the most attention.
The close relationship between recruiters and employers means that they can often put you on the fast tract to an interview. Here are 5 sure-fire strategies that can make working with recruiters more successful:
- Do not bury important information. Due to the sheer volume of resumes recruiters see each day, you have only seconds to GRAB your reader’s attention. Be sure that your resume clearly and effectively communicates your background in 5-10 seconds. You must customize your resume to each job that you apply to, in order to specifically show how your background fits each aspect of the job description.
In addition, if a recruiter requests that you customize your resume and cover letter for a specific opening they need to fill, get on it right away. In today’s job market, any unnecessary delay could cause you to miss your window of opportunity.
- Act as your own sales person. During a job search, you must act as a sales person and market your skills and experience to others. When you contact a recruiter, give them a sales pitch of your own so they can clearly understand how you fit the job and why you are a valuable candidate. Never assume that the recruiter has an intimate knowledge of your industry. Don't be afraid to briefly clarify a few aspects of your industry, as this little bit of education may help them help you.
RECRUITER TIP: Ed Freeman of Employment Atlanta encourages you to, "Make sure the recruiter handles your specialty and has been in the business for a while. There is a lot of turnover in our industry, so it's important to find a recruiter with experience."
- Be persistent and regularly be in contact. Reach out to your recruiter on a regular basis, but always understand the fine line between being persistent and being a pain in the neck. Recruiter Tom Graumann of Integrity Search in Maryville, TN offers this advice: "Candidates need to pay attention to which companies the agency submits their resume. Too often, candidates get impatient and submit their resume directly to the company, or tell other agencies to submit their resume for the same job and it wrecks havoc on the hiring process. Some candidates feel that the more exposure they can get at a company the better, when in fact that tends to work against the candidate."
RECRUITER TIP: Jeff Goro, a recruiter for the printing and packaging industry, shares: "Candidates should send resumes to individual recruiters. When emailing your resume, do not "cc" or have a distribution list of recruiters. Nothing turns off a recruiter more than when they receive a resume sent to several hundred other recruiters. I know that candidates will send their resume to other recruiters, but I don't want to be part of a distribution list."
- Learn to be a source of information. If a recruiter arranges an interview for you with one of their clients, let them know how things went. This helps the recruiter anticipate the next step with that client. Even if you decide you do not want the position, provide your recruiter with any additional insight you’ve gained regarding what skills and expertise the employer requires. This helps the recruiter in both the selection and preparation of future job candidates.
- Do not take rejection personally. Recruiters have many reasons for not working with a job seeker; so don’t let this discourage you in your search. If possible, try to discover why the recruiter felt you were not a fit for the job. It may just be that your resume does a poor job of communicating your background.
-Mike Worthington
How to Track Down Anyone
How to Track Down Anyone Online
When you're trying to find someone online, Google's not the only game in town. In the last two years, a handful of new people search engines have come onto the scene that offer better ways to pinpoint people info by name, handle, location, or place of employment. While there's still no killer, one-stop people search, there are more ways than ever to track down a long-lost friend, stalk an ex, or screen a potential date or employee. The next time you wonder, "What ever happened to so-and-so?" you've got a few power people search tools to turn to.
Note: Stalking is serious business. When we say 'stalk,' we're exaggerating, not recommending.
Find Phone Numbers and Addresses with ZabaSearch
Look up anyone's home address(es) and phone numbers at ZabaSearch, a creepily-comprehensive people search engine that will freak you out when you search on your own name but save your ass when you desperately need a former coworker's phone number. ZabaSearch's index includes listed and unlisted numbers and addresses (though the founders say all the info is public record.)
Search the "Deep Web" with Pipl
My favorite new search engine of the bunch, Pipl digs up information about a person Google often misses, supposedly by searching the "deep web" (or "invisible web.") Pipl returns an impressive number of results for most people who use their "real" names online, including personal web pages, press mentions, MySpace pages, and Amazon wishlists. You can also narrow your search for common names by entering city, state and country, too.
Search Several Social Sites at Once with Wink
So the person you're looking for likely has a Friendster, LinkedIn, MySpace, Twitter, or Xanga account? Instead of searching each service individually, enter their full name or screen name, plus other identifying information like interests and location at Wink to do a one-hit comprehensive search of all those services at once.
Get Employment Results at ZoomInfo
Job-centric search engine ZoomInfo aggregates people and company information in one place to help candidates find the right job, but its people search tool also turns up information about corporate types especially well. ZoomInfo's information listings on people, culled from the web, include people's employment history and current job title, whether or not they're looking for a job. Search by a person's full name at ZoomInfo, and when you get too many results, filter them by geography (U.S. and Canada only.)
Find More than College Students at Facebook
Incessant notifications, Beacon, and zombies aside, one of Facebook's greatest utilities is finding people online, and it's not just for students anymore. Chances are your grandmother set up a Facebook account this year, so all those annoying emails might be worth tracking down your best friend when you were 9 years old who moved to Florida on Facebook.
Practice Your Google-fu for Better People Results
Okay, fine, you can't talk finding people online without mentioning the big G. For internet superstars you'll get great results by just typing his/her name into Google's search box, but for civilians, common names or names with double meanings, a few advanced Google techniques can help narrow down the field of results.
- Enclose the first and last name of the person you're searching for in quotes when you enter it into the search box (like "John Smith").
- Include other relevant words, like the person's profession, employer, location, or screen name, too (like banker or Austin, Texas.)
- If the person you're searching for is likely to appear on a particular web site—like a school—search only that site using the site:URL operator (like site:ucla.edu "John Smith").
- To look up people by face, search for them on Google Images to get a quick visual—especially useful for people with common names, or to determine the gender of a name you never heard before.
Get Context-Menu Access to People Search Engines with the Who Is This Person? Firefox extension
Finally, if you run across folks online you want to know more about often, search a ton of engines for someone's name with the Who Is This Person? Firefox extension. Simply highlight the name on any web page and look 'em up on Wink, LinkedIn, Wikipedia, Facebook, Google News, Technorati, Yahoo Person Search, Spock, WikiYou, ZoomInfo, IMDB, MySpace and other engines from the Who Is This Person? context menu item.
For more online sleuthing resources, check out Wendy's great tutorial on searching public records online. To make yourself more findable? Have a say in what Google says about you. Also, many of these services let you "claim" your name and add information to your results. Do a search for your own name and click the link that says, in effect, "Is this you?"
Gina Trapani, the editor of Lifehacker, likes to find and be found. Her weekly feature, Geek to Live, appears every Friday on Lifehacker.
