The 99-page book highlights the basics in the job search process – resumes, networking and interviewing – by offering many examples and illustrations to follow. Each chapter ends with “Deal Breakers” every seeker should avoid like do not make repeat calls or emails to recruiters asking if your resume has been received.

Her commentary also mentions recruiter truths such as: recruiters normally do not read cover letters, and touches on recruiter’s volume of applications and workloads and one can stand out from the rest.

Job seekers neglecting the insight from this book are receiving a career kiss of death.

The move is to the importance of syndicating, distributing or sharing the content. That is where the action is. How good are you at this? Your syndication effectiveness is going to determine the relevance of your content.

With content overload, we must screen it to stay focused. However, we must scan content to stay innovative. It is a tricky balance.

Moving forward, we must focus on fewer content topics and give more time to syndication – repeat this process periodically with slightly updated versions of content – so that the content actually becomes relevant over time.

There is just too much content.

I was recently called out by @Handshake20 regarding my whereabouts – online and offline. Offline, you do not see me attending as many events. Online, as you can read from my blog, there have not been as many posts. Partially because of a self-imposed fast on all media on the Sabbath, which has been sporadic and hard to do, but very helpful.

My role with the City of Roanoke was very public and I interacted with a lot of people – all of whom I am grateful to have served. After a stint with Rackspace and now the Director of Undergraduate Career Services for the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech, I have tried to be more laser focused and am trying to learn the word “No”.

I read a great post by Seth Godin and he asked where do great ideas come from. One of his answers was “not from watching TV” and from “reading books”. Here are some books/ideas that have influenced me and may be helpful to others:

• 80/20 Principle – Focus on the 20% that yield 80% of your results. It applies to many aspects of your life.
• 7 Habits – Focus on Quadrant 2 activities like relationship building. Slow is fast and fast is slow.
• Strength Finders – Focus on developing strengths (mine are Activator, Responsibility, Connectedness, Belief and Command). Yours?
• Purple Cow – Focus on the remarkable. It is your most effective marketing strategy.
• Purpose Driven Life – Focus on personal faith and serving others. It’s not about you!
• Next Generation Leader - Focus on leading others and not on the 2% you will unintentionally intimidate and threaten.

Therefore, I am behind on new technologies and the details of social media and out of the loop on local issues. What have I missed? It is more about what I have gained. Thanks for asking @Handshake20.

Establish user-generated online calendar of things to do in the region and use the calendar on other content sites

The number one thing YPs wanted was a user-generated web site of things to do in the region. Finally, two different groups stepped up simultaneously to deliver a site, yet both having a unique niche. MyScoper.com and RoanokeNights.com both have been very successful in communicating things to do in the region. By having an open source site created by the community, more events are showcased and therefore enhancing the perception of things to do. Also, syndicating the site on other region-centric content sites has also assisted organizations in not having to dedicate a person to do it manually.