Social Media Glossary

Here are definitions for 120 social media marketing terms, from AddThis to Zooomr.

Building a Better LinkedIn Profile

Most of us have our resumes or work histories posted on LinkedIn, but to stand out from the crowd, you need to do better than that. Here are 6 tips to make yourself more marketable to prospective employers. Also check out 5 common errors to avoid, so you can better capture the attention of recruiters.

Career Advice from the Co-Founder of LinkedIn

Here are 8 pieces of wisdom from Reid Hoffman.

How to Handle a Phone Interview

According to this article, a phone interview is primarily a way for companies to screen you out of their candidate pool. This would be especially true of larger companies that get flooded with resumes. To avoid getting caught off guard and blowing your chances, screen out phone calls from unfamiliar numbers, and call the interviewer back when you are ready.

Interviewing: the Question Behind the Question

From Mashable, here's a list of 10 good interview questions, and what the interviewer is really trying to learn about you in each case. Whatever you answer, be prepared for follow-up questions.

Shyness/Introversion in the Workplace

In some industries, it's commonly believed that remaining silent during business meetings is career suicide. The Wall Street Journal explored Why People Don't Speak Up in Groups to help us understand this phenomenon. It turns out that not speaking up is more common in women and surprisingly, those with higher IQs, according to the study cited in the article.
I'll add a few of my own tips for those hesitant to speak up in meetings. In my experience, speaking up early in the meeting is key. It breaks the ice for you and sets the tone for you to be a contributor in the meeting. The longer you sit there without saying anything, the harder it will become. Before the start of the meeting, chat with the other attendees. Ask them questions about themselves, their opinions, etc. You don't want to overshare, but let people know you a little too. Finally, if the meeting concerns a subject matter that you don't have much expertise in, you can participate by asking thoughtful questions. Yes, questions are once again your friends.

Research shows that more people talk when the size of the group is small. The larger the group size, the smaller the ratio of participants. So if you want to practice being more active in meetings, speaking in a smaller group can be much less daunting. Remember, people probably want to hear your thoughts and questions. You are there to add value. Like everything else in life, the more you practice, the easier it'll get.

On a related note, check out the Harvard Business Review's blog for The Introvert's Guide to Networking, if you need some encouragement in this arena.