I travel quite a bit these days.  2011 has me in the cities of London, New York, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Washington DC, Raleigh, Chicago, San Francisco, Austin, San Antonio, Destin, Vancouver, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Tulsa, Toronto, and many more. 

Everywhere I go, people marvel at the fact that, although I spent roughly the first half of my life in Oklahoma, and the second half in Texas, I don't have much of an identifiable accent.  This is fairly common among residents of the two places I have lived the most, Tulsa and Dallas. 

Few can even agree on whether these places are considered to be in the Midwest, Southwest, or South.  Personally I've always considered Tulsa more Midwest, and Dallas more Southwest.  But that's just how they feel.  A Google search will leave you confused as to what is technically accurate.

I think regional accents in this country are fading somewhat.  You wouldn't know it by media stereotypes, or even most of our Presidents.  But are we slowly becoming less distinct?  If so, that makes me nostalgic for the good old days when it was clear from whence you came, and not just based on whether you said soda or pop. 

I'm a little jealous of folks with a good, strong, American accent, even though in the UK I'm told I have one.  I know better.  My accent is generic, and I'm tired of it.  It's bad enough that I've had to recruit and hire people with cool accents from all over the world.  I don't even have a cool accent from my own country.  So I'm going to start speaking with a very fake, and totally inappropriate "native" accent wherever I go.  Yes, just like Madonna in England.

When I travel to Atlanta this week to speak at the HRevolution conference, I'm going to talk just like Foghorn Leghorn.  And when I hit San Francisco the week of May 17th to speak at the Social Recruiting Summit, I'm going with Keanu Reaves.  Totally.  And in Vegas the week of May 24th for the HR Demo Show, I'm going to sound exactly like Christopher Walken - I know he's from Queens, I just really want to do his accent.

You dare me?  Tell me your favorite American accent.  Maybe I'll work it in on one of my upcoming trips.  Dude.

I was recently interviewed for an article, How to get the most out of LinkedIn, on MSN/Careerbuilder, that posted earlier this month.  The article is very well written, by Alina Dizik, and I highly recommend it to job seekers, or anyone else wanting to get the most from Linkedin.  Below I have posted her original questions, and my answers, in full, for your reading pleasure.  Enjoy.

- What should you have on your LinkedIn profile if you’re looking for opportunities? A candidate should tell a good story that describes who they are and what they do well.  You also need detailed job descriptions in your work history going back at least 10 years.  The more relevant detail and specific keywords that you include in your profile,, the easier it will be for recruiters and employers to find you when they search for appropriate candidates for their openings.

-  Is there anything with settings you should be careful of?  Be careful about including everything you post to Twitter on your Linkedin Profile.  If you are a Tweeter, it's a good idea to update your Linkedin profile with Tweets that showcase your knowledge or some content that relates to your skill set.   But too many people fall into the trap of posting all Tweets there.  That can sometimes be too much.

-  How can you use the "Who Viewed Your Profile" section to your advantage?  You should be wary of connecting with users "Who Viewed Your Profile" immediately.  It can be unsettling if someone who's profile you just viewed immediately requests to connect with you. Make a list of those people and connect with them the following week or find them on Twitter and connect there first.  

- What are some LinkedIn tools that you should be using?  Use the apps available on your profile page to import content into your page.  Apps that automatically import your blog posts, SlideShare presentations, etc. help your profile to rank higher in search results.  The idea is to get more eyeballs on your Linkedin profile.  Also update your status once or twice per day with something that would be interesting to your targeted employers or prospects.

-  What types of forums/groups/etc. should a person join?  Join groups that relate to your industry, skill set, or location.  All are good for networking for jobs.  Also do a search for people who might be in a position to hire or refer you for jobs and companies you are interested in.  Join and participate in the relevant groups they are in.  Then, after you have been a good contributor, perhaps go back and ask those people to join your network.

-  What types of people should you connect with (how many times do you need to work with someone to make them your LinkedIn contact)?  Linkedin recommends that you only connect with people who you know.  So definitely connect with as many people who you know that are Linkedin users as possible.  After all, any of your friends or colleagues might know someone who could be a great lead for you.  Beyond that, connect with people who appear to be active in the groups in which you are networking.

- Are there any mistakes or misconceptions about this method of job searching?  The top misconception is that if you just create a Linkedin profile, then you should get calls from employers or recruiters.  Not so.  You must optimize your profile with plenty of specific information that relates to your skill set; and participate in Linkedin groups, Q&A, and status updates.  You must also grow your network.  The more active you are, and the more people you connect with, the more people will see your profile.

- Is there anything else you’d like to add?  Make sure you give prospective employers an easy way to contact you.  If you have no email address or phone number listed, it might be tough for someone who is not a 1st level connection on Linkedin to contact you.  The whole idea is to be contacted. 

Today, Jason Seiden and I hosted the first episode of a new radio show, Beyond Social, that we are doing for our social media strategy and training company, Ajax Social Media.  Jason did a nice summary of the show on the Ajax Blog that I posted below.

Tune in to blogtalkradio.com/beyondsocial every Thursday at 10am CT for more great tips to improve your social profile for business on Beyond Social.  And follow the conversation on Twitter at #BeSoc. 

You can listen to the first episode where we discuss the psychology of profile pictures here:

Beyond Social Episode 1 - Profile Photos 

by Jason Seiden

Big thanks to John Jorgensen (@jkjhr), Jeffrey Ringgenberg (Evolyte), Carol Roth, and of course, Steve Boese for joining Ajax hosts Craig Fisher and Jason Seiden for today's show. Notes from today's episode:

1. You need a photo. LinkedIn registers a 40% uptick in click-throughs to photos that have photos vs. ones that don't.
2. Your photo matters. There is actually quite a bit of behavioral science behind what makes a great photo.
3. A good photo is one that drives engagement. This was implied in the show but deserves to be stated explicitly; we don't care as much about making you beautiful as we do about helping you achieve your goals.
4. Men, unless you know how to smile, you might be better off... not smiling. Many of you look like you're in pain or unsure of yourself. Also, biologically speaking, there is a male/female dynamic at play as well, and women are not necessarily predisposed to favor smiling men.
5. Men, think about engaging in something interesting, or putting yourself in a setting that suggests an interest beyond work.
6. Men with pets works on dating sites, and we can personally vouch for it working on Twitter and blogs. (We haven't tested this theory on LinkedIn.)
7. Women, smile and look at the camera.
8. For both men and women, pure physical attractiveness does not account for as much as attractiveness in the compelling sense of the word.
9. No party shots—don't have someone else's collar visible in the corner of your profile pic.
10. Don't get hung up on "professional" vs. "personal" It's a "profersonal" world, and the two are intertwined.
11. Your photo should be consistent with your story. If you're in a creative field, you might want a photo that's a bit more... creative. If you're selling insurance benefits, you might want a photo that demonstrates loyalty, stability, and/or family values.
12. Keep your photo consistent. Your visitors are busy; don't suddenly be Gene Simmons tomorrow. That said, keep your photo up to date—no 12 year old photos of you a full head of hair and 35 pounds ago!