#JobMarket : Recent Large Layoffs Shatter The ‘We Are A Family’ Myth. Where Do You Think the Team or Family Concept is Today?

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The belief that a company is a family has irrevocably been busted. When times were good, tech companies offered top talent substantial pay packages, perks and amenities. Now that the economy has shifted, around 119,155 people have been laid off from startups and tech companies just this year, with more losses projected.

Families Don’t Fire Their Kids

When things go wrong, a family does not fire its kids. However, this is what is happening now. CEOs offer yoga and meditation studios and free laundry services and meals, blurring the lines between work and home life.

Once leaders like Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and self-appointed chief twit Elon Musk made business decisions harming the financial standings of their respective organizations, large layoffs were ordered.

Zuckerberg announced that 11,000 workers would lose their jobs. Meta has had to contend with its disastrous foray into the metaverse, privacy issues and the ascendancy of TikTok stealing its thunder and market share.

As things turned terrible, instead of cutting his own compensation, Zuckerberg’s knee-jerk reaction was to downsize hardworking employees and contractors. He’s one of the wealthiest people in the world. If the company was truly a family, the patriarch would have accepted blame and taken other cost measures instead of letting so many people go.

Musk went from being heralded as one of the best entrepreneurs of his generation to creating a dysfunctional family at Twitter. There was no love when, upon his arrival, he ousted top executives “for cause” to allegedly avoid paying their multimillion-dollar severance packages.

Musk’s predecessor, Jack Dorsey, promised at the beginning of the pandemic that his tweeps could work remotely forever. That promise was dashed as Musk called for everyone to return to the office. There was little to no consideration that workers moved outside of their San Francisco headquarters and were unable to commute or changed their lifestyle based upon Dorsey’s message. His management style seems familiar to some family members who are stuck in one-sided toxic relationships. A steady stream of management and workers are divorcing themselves from the chaotic so-called family.

Sam Bankman-Fried, the CEO of the FTX crypto exchange, was believed to be a boy genius. He was thought to be worth more than $16 billion. He had naming rights at a stadium, Tom Brady and other stars shilling for him and was the second largest donor to President Joe Biden.

Within 48 hours, Bankman-Fried’s empire and reputation crashed. There are allegations that he ran his Bermuda-based digital-assets platform as an alleged Ponzi-type scheme. He was accused of using customers’ assets to fuel high-risk trading and other questionable activities.

FTX filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Friday and Bankman-Fried, in a statement, announced that he will be stepping down as CEO of the company.

Although the trading was conducted by a bunch of “kids” in a penthouse apartment shared with Bankman-Fried, the head of the family wouldn’t place his workers and customers in such a precarious position. Investors may end up losing all their money. Not only will workers lose their jobs, they’ll be investigated by several regulatory organizations and likely sued by innocent investors to get their money back from the alleged fraud that was perpetrated.

 

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Article continued …

It’s Not A Family; It’s Just Business

For decades, corporations have branded themselves as a big, happy family. It’s not just a job you’re accepting, it’s entree to a new family. Self-serving makes it feel as if the employee is valued and will be taken care of and appreciated.

The reality is completely different. It’s transactional. You’re hired for a specific role and offered pay for your time and services. If you exceed expectations and are highly productive, you’ll be rewarded with more money, bonuses and promotion.

If you don’t meet expectations, you’ll be placed on a performance improvement plan and scrutinized by human resources, your immediate boss and senior-level executives. If you don’t improve, according to the company’s assessment, you’ll be shown the door. This is not what being part of a family is all about. In a family, you love and support everyone unconditionally.

The family mantra is insidious. It makes you feel that you need to work hard and put in long hours and weekends to please your bosses, as you want mommy and daddy’s approval. If you don’t work hard enough, there is the pressure that you’re letting down your brothers and sisters.

To be generous, perhaps some C-suite executives do feel that the workers are part of a big, happy family. That mindset was a vestige to the 1950s when a person didn’t have to go into debt with college loans, would take a job with a local company and stay there for most, if not the entire duration, of their career. It was a more paternalistic period. This is not the case anymore.

Your Company Is More Like A Sports Team

The workplace is more like a sports team. The franchise owner seeks out the best players and offers them huge compensation packages. The big payouts are designed to motivate the players to win. Winning games brings in attendance at the stadium, lucrative television and online contracts, selling more merchandising and other revenue flows.

The owner and managers love their star athletes. However, once their talents start fading, the owner will trade a beloved player to another team for a better, younger rising star. It’s the same at companies. If you do well, you’ll be rewarded. When you don’t produce, you’re gone.

Forbes.com | November 11, 2022 | Jack Kelly 

#JobSearch : 5 Unusual Mistakes You’re Making In Your Resume. Unusual Resume Blunders that Could be Costing you the Interview. Great CheckList.

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If you’ve put a lot of time and effort into crafting your resume, not hearing back from countless applications can become disheartening. By now, we know all of the common mistakes that are likely to see your resume overlooked. For example, spelling and grammatical errors, poor formatting, or overused clichés will see your application rejected quicker than you can say ‘hardworking and dynamic professional’.

But did you know that there are also some more unusual resume blunders that could be costing you the interview as well?

By getting to grips with the following mistakes, you can eliminate these lesser-known errors from your next application and increase your chances of being invited in for an interview.

Using an unprofessional email address

Your email address occupies just a small space at the top of your resume, and yet the effect it has on how you are perceived by employers is huge. This is even more true when you’re applying for senior roles, where perception and reputation are vital.

If you have a quirky email address that you’ve had since you were a teenager, it’s best not to give this pride of place on the top of your resume, as it will look unprofessional and can show a lack of attention to detail.

So, if your email reads something like ‘TopGolfer99@gmail.com’, it’s best to create an entirely new email address for your job hunt.

In most cases, it’s best to simply claim an address using your name, or a close variation of your name if it has already been taken. For example “SteveJones1968@gmail.com”

It’s also important that you don’t use an email address connected to your existing job, especially if you are trying to keep your job search discrete.

 

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Article continued …

A bad file name

You’ve spent hours crafting your resume, and the final stage is to hit save and submit your application. But too many professionals fall at this final hurdle. It’s important to remember that the filename will be visible to recruiters when you attach your resume to an email or application, so it must look professional.

It must also be clearly labeled, so the hiring manager knows whose resume they are handling, and they can quickly find your resume when searching their database.

Saving your resume with a name like ‘My resume – draft 3 – FS job’ does not give the best impression. Firstly, it looks clumsy. Secondly, it might also give away that you’re applying to multiple roles at once. Although you are perfectly within your right to do this, it can show you’re less dedicated to their specific company and position.

Although it might not always be a dealbreaker, a bad file name can look unprofessional and could see your resume rejected before it’s even been opened.

Making unproven claims

It’s vital that your resume includes impressive facts and figures that showcase your achievements. However, you need to make sure that any claims you make are substantiated and that you can always offer proof.

This doesn’t just mean being able to back up your facts and figures. It also means that if you refer to an organization as an ‘industry leader’ or to yourself as ‘the number one marketer’, that you can back it up.

Of course, recruiters might not examine every tiny detail on your resume, but if they do look into it and find out you’re making false claims, it could potentially cost you the job. So instead, stick to hard facts that you know you can prove.

Including salary expectations

You want to get the most from your job offer. Of course, you do. But including your salary expectations or history on your resume can be a major red flag to hiring managers.

If you set the bar too low, you’ll short-change yourself, and if you set the bar too high, your resume might end up on the rejection pile. Not to mention you can harm your negotiation power further down the line.

Plus, talking about money too prematurely can imply that you’re only interested in the job for the money and not because you’re genuinely passionate about the company or position.

So, unless a job advert specifically asks you to include your salary expectations, it’s best to leave this off.

Stuffing your content with keywords

Including relevant keywords on your resume is important, so don’t neglect this. However, over-stuffing your application with keywords can quickly backfire. It means that your resume won’t read naturally and can look clumsy and confusing.

It’s always important to write your resume with the recruiter at the forefront of your mind. It needs to be persuasive, read well, and be written for real people, not just for ATS scanners, so you need to get the balance just right.

Although they may seem smaller, these unusual mistakes can be just as detrimental to your resume as the larger, more common errors. Therefore, it is important to keep these in mind when writing your application and check your resume thoroughly before you hit send.

 

Forbes.com | November 11, 2022 | Andrew Fennell 

#JobSearch : What You Need To Do To Successfully Bounce Back From A Layoff. Downsizings will Continue Until Inflation Falls from Around 8% to 2%.

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The job market abruptly ricocheted from a war for talent to layoffs becoming commonplace. The Federal Reserve Bank’s inflation-fighting measures include raising interest rates, and leading companies to downsize employees to cut costs.

Downsizings will continue until inflation falls from around 8% to 2%. This may take one to two or more years. Many Americans will, unfortunately, lose their jobs. Here is what you need to do if you are laid off from your company.

Work On Your Mental Health And Emotional Well-Being

Losing your job is a traumatic event. There is a loss of income, fear of what to do next and a loss of identity that’s wrapped up with your career. It’s normal to feel anger and resentment. You’ll feel depressed and anxious. The loss of your routine will be disorienting. There will be an absence of the esprit de corps you had with your work buddies.

It’s easy to start feeling isolated and adrift. You avoid talking to people, dreading the point when they ask about your job and you have to relive the painful experience all over again. Many people who lose their jobs socially withdraw. They are ashamed of the job loss, their ego is wounded and it takes a toll on their self-esteem.

Take some time to process what happened. Don’t bottle your emotions. Share with your family and friends what happened. It’s okay to grieve and feel sorry for yourself–just for a while. Then, you need to move forward. If it’s hard to bounce back, seek help from a therapist.

 

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Article continued …

Hiring Managers Want Positive People–Not Complainers

If you carry the resentment baggage to an interview, it won’t go over well. Interviewers are attracted to positive, enthusiastic and motivated candidates. If you come across angry or talk poorly about your former boss, co-workers and company, it’s not a good look. The hiring manager may feel that you are a malcontent who blames everything on others. It may be hard, but cast aside your negative feelings.

Show up to an interview exuding confidence. When the subject of the layoff comes up, say, “My manager said that this was no reflection on my work. In fact, she said that I was one of the top performers. Unfortunately, with the mass layoff, I was impacted. Despite the temporary setback, I’m excited about the future. This may have pushed me to try something new. If I weren’t let go, I’d probably be with the company for another five or more years. Now, I have the chance to pursue new and exciting opportunities. I’m so happy to be here for this interview. The job looks great. I love your company’s mission and my skills are a perfect fit. If I wasn’t let go, I would never have thought of applying. It’s great how things can turn out so positive.”

Looking For A Job Is Your New Job

Get in touch with recruiters, career coaches and résumé writers. Contact people in your network to see if they know of any job openings. Target the companies you want to work for and find out if you know anyone who works there. Ask them to share your résumé, along with a recommendation for the job you want at the organization. Go on LinkedIn to post comments, articles and short-form videos to position yourself as an expert in your field to gain attention. Put together an elevator pitch. Practice role-playing commonly asked interview questions.

The Practical Logistics

Although your emotions will run high, don’t sign a severance or other agreements without evaluating them appropriately. Get everything you discuss at the exit interview and with management in writing, so there are no surprises down the road. Consider asking for a reference for when you start interviewing. Find out how your termination will be positioned in future references.

As you leave, remain professional and don’t burn any bridges by getting into ugly fights and no-win battles that could work against you when you seek a new job. Was there another– possibly discriminatory or illegal–reason why they fired you (i.e. race, religion or age)?

File for unemployment. Start preparing how you will position this event to prospective interviewers. If you’ve been putting off any healthcare appointments, make them now while you still have coverage.

Stay Active

Use this time to start a physical exercise routine to keep you occupied and healthy. Exercise, walk, do yoga or Pilates, join pick-up basketball games or ride your bike.

Utilize this time to catch up on all new developments within your field. Maintain a positive attitude, no matter how hard it is to do so. Consider finding temporary, part-time work or some management consulting. Start thinking about your next career move. Help others or volunteer.

Don’t ever give up hope. Keep pushing forward and remain positive and strong. The best-case scenario is that you will find an even better job and earn more money than before.

 

Forbes.com | November 10, 2022 | Jack Kelly 

#YourCareer : Meta Lays Off 11,000 Workers—How To Cope With Being Downsized And Prepare For A Difficult Job Market. Great Read!

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In a memo to his workers, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced he’s laying off 11,000 people, representing around 13% of his workforce. Compared to the chaotic way Elon Musk summarily dispatched thousands of Twitter employees, Zuckerberg came across as contrite, empathetic and apologetic.

In the company memo, he wrote, “Today I’m sharing some of the most difficult changes we’ve made in Meta’s history.” The chief executive took responsibility for the layoffs. “I want to take accountability for these decisions and for how we got here. I know this is tough for everyone, and I’m especially sorry to those impacted.”

In addition to the downsizing, Zuckerberg plans to reign in expenses by cutting costs and enacting a hiring freeze.

Meta isn’t alone in downsizing its staff. The startup and tech sectors have cut 104,791 jobs in 2022, according to Layoffs.fyi. Snap, Apple, Microsoft, Intel, Stripe, Lyft and an array of other tech companies have enacted layoffs or hiring freezes.

As a leader in the tech space, despite losing 70% of its stock price and squandering billions of dollars in its disastrous foray into the metaverse, other companies will follow Meta’s lead. Tech and non-tech businesses will feel that if the mighty Meta had to cut staff and costs, they should also consider these options.

The rationale for Zuckerberg’s aggressive hiring spree was prompted by the pandemic that accelerated everyone moving online. E-commerce boomed, and this was thought to become the new normal. Meta miscalculated, believing that this trend would be sustainable. After being locked up for two-plus years, people wanted to go outside and enjoy experiences, such as going to a baseball game or concert, traveling to see family or going on a much-needed vacation.

 

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What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Did you know?  First Sun Consulting, Llc (FSC) is celebrating over 30 years in the delivery of corporate & individual outplacement services & programs to over 1200 of our corporate clients in the U.S., Canada, the UK, & Mexico!  

We here at FSC want to thank each of our corporate partners for the opportunity in serving & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment!

 

Article continued …

Why Tech Companies Aggressively Hired

In a competitive field, hiring is seen as an arms race. Each company wants to recruit and retain the best and brightest talent. It’s a preemptive strike to get highly skilled people before their competitors do. Once hired, they’ll hoard the talent.

Managers, being human beings, feed their egos by building a fiefdom to make themselves look important. Social media companies, like Meta, need to invest heavily in personnel to oversee the moderation of daily posts.

Once a person is brought aboard, it’s hard to let them go. There is always a threat of litigation, accompanied by bad publicity, if a person is laid off and accuses the company and its management of discrimination. There is also the basic case of inertia—continually adding headcount on autopilot without questioning if it’s mission-critical or not.

Compassionately Letting Go Of Employees

Zuckerberg’s approach to layoffs was reminiscent of how Airbnb let go of workers during the height of the pandemic. CEO Brian Chesky gave a masterclass in empathy by taking great pains to ensure he took care of his workers, who unfortunately had to be let go.

Zuckerberg said, “There is no good way to do a layoff, but we hope to get all the relevant information to you as quickly as possible and then do whatever we can to support you through this.”

He offered a clear plan to the impacted workers. The company will pay 16 weeks of severance, along with two more weeks for every year of service—no matter how long they worked at the social media platform. People will be paid for their unused paid time off and receive their November 15, 2022 RSU vesting. Health insurance will be covered for six months, and Meta will offer career transition services. For those here in the United States on visas, the company plans to provide guidance and help.

Zuckerberg expressed his gratitude to his team, “This is a sad moment, and there’s no way around that. To those who are leaving, I want to thank you again for everything you’ve put into this place. We would not be where we are today without your hard work, and I’m grateful for your contributions.”

What To Do If You’re Laid Off

Losing your job is a frightening, painful and anxiety-inducing event. It’s especially problematic in a contracting economy, while other firms within the same sector are also downsizing and enacting hiring freezes.

Not only do you feel the loss of your job, but you’ve also temporarily lost your identity that’s tied up with your career. It’s disorienting when you’re cut off from all the colleagues you’ve worked with for the last number of years, and your daily routine is altered.

You will experience a range of emotions. There will be anger over being selected for downsizing. Some people become despondent or depressed. A job loss could cause you to lose confidence. In this current environment, there is real fear about finding a new job and having enough funds to get through this rough patch. The first thing you must do is practice self-care. Take time to process what happened. It’s common to grieve the loss and feel sorry for yourself. However, after a while, you must move forward.

It is important for your mental and emotional health to continue socializing with others. Withdrawing from social engagements is not helpful. There is nothing to be ashamed of. Be honest with people about your situation. You’ll be surprised to learn how many people have been through the same situation. Seek out therapy or consult with a mental health professional if you are having a hard time.

Get in touch with recruiters, career coaches and résumé writers. Contact people in your network to see if they know of any job openings. Target the companies you want to work for and find out if you know anyone who works there. Ask them to share your résumé, along with a recommendation for the job you want at the organization. Go on LinkedIn to post comments, articles and short-form videos to position yourself as an expert in your field to gain attention. Put together an elevator pitch. Practice role-playing commonly asked interview questions.

It Won’t End With Meta—Be Prepared For Future Layoffs

Workers in the tech and startup sectors need to brace for escalating layoffs. The current economic conditions will cause tech companies of all sizes to reconsider their hiring policies to stay competitive and solvent.

The era of artificially low-interest rates is over. Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell seeks to significantly bring down the 40-year, record-level inflation rates to 2%. To achieve this goal, Powell said there would be a lot of “pain.” Jobs will be cut and hiring freezes will continue to be implemented. Workers will be closely monitored and put on performance improvement plans, as the low-end producers will be targeted for downsizing.

The Fed’s intention of raising the borrowing rates to more than 4% substantially changes the way businesses will operate. By comparison, in March 2020, interest rates were at around 0 to 0.25%. The access to cheap money enabled companies to go on a hiring binge.

When corporations borrow money at a high rate, they need to return a multiple much higher to pay back the interest and debt, employee salaries and the daily costs of running the business. The hurdles will be higher than what the tech firms became accustomed to. Some companies won’t be able to survive this new environment. Private equity firms or companies with the capital to purchase assets at a discount to their prior prices may take them over.

In this new, more austere environment, you’ll need to make yourself indispensable at work to survive. Always keep your eyes open for new opportunities.

 

Forbes.com | November 9, 2022 | Jack Kelly 

#JobSearch : How To Hack Into The Hidden Job Market. A MUst REad!

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Job hunters primarily focus on scouring job boards to find their next role. Little do they know, they are missing out on the hidden job market, a treasure trove of jobs that are not posted online. People unfamiliar with the hidden job market feel excluded from a secret stash of exclusive jobs unavailable to the average job seeker.

However, the reality is more mundane. Companies, for a variety of reasons, don’t want to disclose certain job openings. Discreetly replacing a manager, hiring from within, employee referrals and not wanting to publicize the salary ranges make some job listings unavailable to the public.

The Best Ways To Access The Hidden Job Market

Find A Recruiter

You want to find and align yourself with several top recruiters in your field of expertise. These headhunters maintain close relationships with company executives, human resources and hiring managers. They are trusted to find the best talent for their open opportunities. Some of these roles are exclusive to the recruiter and not posted to the public.

Discretion is required in sensitive situations, such as replacing a high-profile manager or looking for an outsider to run a department instead of picking an internal employee. Companies will contract recruiters to conduct these stealth searches. The headhunters selected are experienced in the job requirements and industry sector. They have vast experience and a database of appropriately skilled candidates.

The recruiter will clandestinely contact on-target people who have the right background for the role. They’ll tell the candidate that the job is confidential and the applicant needs to keep the information to themselves. If the executive recruiter has a solid reputation, the person will understand and comply. There will be some people who feel uncomfortable and politely bow out of contention.

 

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What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Did you know?  First Sun Consulting, Llc (FSC) is celebrating over 30 years in the delivery of corporate & individual outplacement services & programs to over 1200 of our corporate clients in the U.S., Canada, the UK, & Mexico!  

We here at FSC want to thank each of our corporate partners for the opportunity in serving & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment!

 

Article continued …

Networking And Social Media Sites

Tapping into your network of friends, family, co-workers, former colleagues and bosses, college alumni, neighbors and other folks for job leads is an effective way to penetrate the hidden job market.

Another effective strategy is to find a friend or a loose tie that works at a target company you want to work for and ask for an introduction to the right hiring personnel.

You want to stand out on the social media platforms that cater to your job and career. For example, if you are a white-collar professional, LinkedIn is the right platform for you. Start by targeting the companies that you’d love to work for. Then, send invitations to people who look like they’re involved with hiring to get on their radar screen. Create posts, interact with other people in your space, upload videos and write articles. This will position you as an expert in your field. Recruiters, hiring managers and corporate talent scouts will start reaching out to you.

Employee Referrals

Hiring managers love employee referrals. They feel that if an internal employee recommends someone, they must be good. Otherwise, if the person bombs, the person who referred the candidate will suffer the ill will of the boss. Some companies offer an attractive bonus if the referral joins the company.

To save money from not using the services of a recruiter and demonstrating that the current employees get the first crack at newly opened internal jobs, human resources will first look for talented insiders. The company won’t place an ad for this job, as they want to focus on the people who already work at the organization.

If there isn’t a current employee with the right experience for the job, and you are able to find this out, you could send an unsolicited résumé. Since no one from the outside knows about the opening, you’ll stand out.

Why Companies Keep Jobs Hidden

There are instances in which a manager is on a performance improvement plan and may be at risk of being let go. The human resources department doesn’t want anyone to know that the person may lose their job. If the company posts a job description, there is a strong chance that the targeted individual or someone who knows them will decipher that the job listing is for the company and specifically to replace the manager.

Another similar example is when a new role is created, but the company feels that no one within the unit possesses sufficient skills to get the promotion. The business will want to keep recruitment a secret so as not to invoke the ire of the team. If the workers recognize the job description, employees will angrily confront their boss, demanding to know why they weren’t even offered an interview and went straight to finding an outsider.

Companies need to disclose salaries and salary bands with the new pay transparency laws. In the brief time it’s been activated, companies have already gamed the system by providing ridiculously wide spectrums, such as $50k to $300k. Rather than play this game and get called out for it, more jobs will be placed in the hidden job market.

Forbes.com | November 8, 2022 | Jack Kelly

#YourCareer : Is Your Company Preparing For Layoffs? Here Are 4 Subtle Warning Signs. Here are Four that Are Easy to Spot (Once you Know What to Look for).

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With the recent spate of company layoffs, job cuts loom large in employees’ consciousness these days. There’s even been talk that the quiet quitting phenomenon has abated as employees fear for their jobs.

How can you tell if your organization is prepping for layoffs? There are obvious signs, like a memo from the CEO announcing a push for efficiency. Or the hiring of a consulting firm known to specialize in process improvement, efficiency, or cost savings. Or the departure of some of the firm’s top-level executives.

There are also more subtle signs that a company is readying itself for layoffs. Here are four that are easy to spot (once you know what to look for).

#1: Hints In Earnings Reports And Other Communications

Companies are notoriously bad at communicating openly with employees, especially about the challenges the company is facing. In Leadership IQ’s study, The Risks Of Ignoring Employee Feedback, we discovered that only 15% of employees believe that their organization always openly shares the challenges facing it. Ironically, if an employee believes that their company always openly shares its challenges, they’re about ten times more likely to recommend the company as a great employer.

The point is that there’s a very good chance that you won’t receive a clear message from the executive team about financial struggles, let alone impending layoffs. However, there are other ways to find clues. For example, if your company’s CEO speaks at industry events or investor conferences, you can often find their presentation slides. And there can be a wealth of insight hidden in those decks.

If your company is publicly traded, you’ve got quarterly earnings reports and other financial disclosures to peruse. You won’t always find the word “layoffs” in those reports, but you might find references to “cost savings,” or “efficiencies,” or other euphemisms.

 

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Article continued …

#2: Changes In Your Manager’s Behavior

From the more than one million leaders who’ve taken the test “What’s Your Leadership Style?,” we know that over half of managers employ a Diplomat leadership style. The Diplomat prizes interpersonal harmony, and they’re the social glue and affiliative force that keeps groups together. They’re social, giving and typically build deep personal bonds with their employees. And Diplomats work to avoid having people feel uncomfortable or anxious.

If your boss has historically operated like a Diplomat leader, but recently they’ve appeared less gregarious, more reserved, less cheerful, and more cautious in their conversations, something is going on. There’s no guarantee that the change is the result of impending layoffs, but it could be.

Think about how a manager who cares deeply for their employees while sworn to secrecy about impending layoffs might react. Their discomfort could cause the exact type of behavioral changes noted above.

#3: Changes In How Your Manager Spends Their Time

The study “Optimal Hours with the Boss” discovered that the median time people spend interacting with their boss is three hours per week. (That’s not enough time, of course, as the study found that the optimal amount of time to spend interacting with one’s leader is six hours).

The key here, though, isn’t whether your leader spends too little (or too much) time with you; it’s whether that time has changed recently. If your leader used to spend six hours per week conversing and meeting with you, and now that number is one or two hours, something is going on. Similarly, if your boss used to rarely talk to you, and now they’re meeting with you every day, that’s also a sign.

#4: A Recent Low-Performance Review

Sometimes a performance review is just a performance review. But if you’ve had a history of fairly bland, or even glowing, performance reviews and now you’re getting a negative review, that might be a sign that something is afoot.

In Leadership IQ’s study on performance appraisals, we discovered that only 17% of people think their performance appraisals are always open, honest, and meaningful, and only 22% of people always think that their leader actually distinguishes between high and low performers. If you’re suddenly receiving lots of specific and negative feedback, perhaps it’s the company laying the groundwork for laying-off people they deem as less essential.

None of these signs are guaranteed precursors of layoffs. But they are signs that something is happening, and when it’s your career on the line, they’re signs worth attending to.

 

Forbes.com | October 31, 2022 | Mark Murphy

#YourCareer : How To Protect Yourself From The Fed’s Inflation-Fighting, Layoff-Inducing Policies. What You Need To Do Right Now. GReat REad!

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Many companies have announced layoffs, hiring freezes and rescinded job offers. Businesses allow for attrition without replacements. Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell continuing to hike rates, until there is evidence that inflation is abating, means that you must carefully manage your career.

Higher interest rates are deliberately meant to cool the economy. It becomes more expensive for businesses to borrow money to build new projects, make acquisitions and hire personnel. The policy weakens growth, which could lead to a recession followed by layoffs.

The Fed Increased Interest Rates And Plans To Keep Hiking Until Inflation Is Under Control

The Fed followed through with its plans and hiked interest by 75 basis points (one basis point is equal to 0.01%) on Wednesday. Powell said he is committed to continually raising rates to ease the stubbornly record-high inflation.

Rates have been pushed to their highest level since the Great Recession at a range of 3.75% to 4%. In March 2020, interest rates were at around 0 to 0.25%. Powell said this wouldn’t be the end, and the Fed has no plans to pause hikes. The goal is to get inflation down to 2%, which will take a while.

The interest rate hike spooked investors. The S&P 500 finished down 2.5%. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 1.55%, while the Nasdaq composite slid 3.4%.

 

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Article continued …

What You Need To Do Right Now

Speak with your supervisorto ascertain the safety of your position. Directly ask if the company is planning for any near-term downsizing. If the conversation’s outcome leaves you with some trepidation, start searching for a new role to hedge your bets. Never quit without another job already securely lined up. The Fed’s program will cause job losses. You don’t want to be in between roles in a rapidly contracting job market.

If you want to keep your job, go to the office five days a week. There is a proximity bias that favors people who are around all the time. By showing your face, being productive and making yourself indispensable to your boss, you’ll have a better chance of being saved from layoffs. In comparison, remote workers fall off the radar of managers and high-level decision-makers. It’s easier to lay off a person you don’t see or interact with regularly, aside from being on a video call once in a while. Old-school middle managers still have an inherent bias of distrusting people working from home, believing they are putting in minimum effort.

Update your résumé and LinkedIn profile. Quickly find recruiters who specialize in your field. Ask colleagues and former co-workers in the same field who they had success with and could recommend their services. When meeting with a headhunter, be honest and share your background, experiences, education, talents and other skills that set you apart from others in your space. Let them know the companies you want to work for, an acceptable salary range and your work-style preference.

This is not a time to be demure. It will take some chutzpah, but reach out to old friends, college alums, neighbors, co-workers, former colleagues and managers, members of your church, temple and other organizations and the people you’ve become friends with online. Let them know that you are conducting a stealth job search. Ask if they have any leads on hidden jobs not posted online, or if they know someone who works at a company you’d love to join. When you get a chance to interview, ask tough questions to ensure you’re jumping from the pan into the fire.

The U.S. is no longer in the 2021 era of the stocks, crypto and everything-going-up bubble. Avoid taking too much risk with your investment portfolio. Pay off high-interest-rate credit cards and other debt to cut costs, as the interest rate will escalate. Curtail spending and put aside emergency funds.

Look into ways to diversify your income stream. This will include gig work, a side hustle or starting a small business. Consider going back to school or taking online courses to learn new skills to make yourself more marketable.

Most of all, practice self-care. Cultivate a positive mindset, exercise, eat healthily and spend quality time with friends and family.

 

Forbes.com | November 3, 2022 | Jack Kelly

#JobSearch : How To Avoid Making The Top 5 Virtual Interview Faux Pas. If you Make these Interview Missteps, you’re Undermining your Chances of Landing the Job.”

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Ask any job seeker the worst possible thing to happen during a virtual interview, and they’ll likely say having a spotty internet connection. However, ask potential employers the same question, and you’ll receive very different answers.

According to a recent survey of employers by TopResume, the world’s largest resume-writing service, job candidates’ are making huge mistakes when interviewing virtually. And because the study found that one-third (33%) of employers offer an exclusively virtual interview process, and only one in five (20%) participants stated that most of their company’s interviews take place in person, nailing your virtual interview is paramount.

“Although virtual interviews have become a ubiquitous part of the hiring process, even as more companies are requiring employees to return to the office, our data shows many job candidates have yet to master the art of the virtual interview — and it’s sabotaging their candidacy,” said Amanda Augustine, career expert for TopResume, and a certified professional career coach (CPCC) and a certified professional resume writer (CPRW).

Fortunately, unlike faulty Wi-Fi, these missteps are completely within a candidate’s control to mitigate.

 

Here’s how to avoid making the top five virtual interview deal-breakers:

1. Make eye contact and pay attention

The number one complaint among potential employers is when candidates avoid eye contact or stare into space. A lack of eye contact signals that you’re disinterested or distracted, so make a point to focus on your device’s camera. In addition, close out extra tabs, silence notifications, and remove anything from your view (including your phone) that could pull your attention away from your interviewer.

 

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Article continued …

2. Tidy up your space

And speaking of being distracted, make sure that everything behind you is a mess-free zone by opening up your video call app and ensuring everything within your screen is spic and span. Sitting in a messy room while conducting a virtual interview increases the chance that your interviewer will focus more on your piles of paper and dirty laundry than they will on you and what you have to say. Plus, it sends a message that you don’t care about how you present yourself or don’t value the potential employer enough to tidy up.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re participating in a phone screen, interviewing via video conference, or meeting in person,” said Augustine. “If you make these interview missteps, you’re undermining your chances of landing the job.”

 

3. Close out all inappropriate tabs and apps

No one—especially a potential employer—wants to see extracurricular activities and interests on your laptop. Leaving inappropriate tabs or apps open when screen-sharing is a huge no-no for virtual interviews, so close out all non-interview-related windows before starting.

4. Skip the “fun” backgrounds

You know that hilarious Zoom background you use while chatting with your buddies? Don’t dare use it while interviewing. Ditto, anything you think is clever or cute. Using an unprofessional background is high on the list of potential employer turnoffs, so be sure to use a neutral background or none at all.

5. Make your interview space a “no-interruptions” zone

If you’re interviewing from a shared environment (aka your living room), take the time to alert others that you’ll need a quiet space for the duration of the interview. And if required, get temporary help to watch young children and control pets. Being interrupted by your family members is a mistake easily avoided with proper planning.

Though these faux pas top the list of virtual interview don’ts, not surprisingly, there are other behaviors employers find highly offensive, regardless of the interview format. Potential employers frown on candidates lying, arriving late (without a valid excuse), badmouthing a current or former employer, appearing disinterested in the opportunity, and being unprepared.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re participating in a phone screen, interviewing via video conference, or meeting in person,” said Augustine. “If you make these interview missteps, you’re undermining your chances of landing the job.”

 

Forbes.com | November 3, 2022 | Amy Blaschka

#YourCareer : How To Move Forward When You’re Overwhelmed By Uncertainty. There is a Yiddish Proverb, “We plan. God laughs.” GREat Read!

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Unknowns are a fact of life. We can do our best to plan our upcoming days, weeks, and even months down to the 15-minute block to try to create structure and certainty in our work and in our lives, but in the end, it likely won’t matter—something invariably comes up that makes our plans irrelevant. There is a Yiddish Proverb, “We plan. God laughs.” The certainty that we had hoped to achieve, and the sense of security that comes with it, quickly dissolves.

If we put massive amounts of time, effort, and energy into trying to control our personal and professional lives, and the environment within which we operate, we’d be fighting a losing battle. We each need to find a way to live with some gray area, navigate ambiguity and uncertainty, and learn how to find opportunity within it.

Susannah Harmon Furr and Nathan Furr show us how to do this in their book, The Upside of Uncertainty: A Guide to Finding Possibility in the Unknown. In this column’s previous article, I shared the four stages that the husband-and-wife team layout for transforming the fear associated with uncertainty into excitement about yet-unrevealed possibilities.

Decoupling uncertainty from feelings of fear and anxiety

You don’t need to be a massive risk-taker to acclimate yourself to step into the unknown. A mindset of being willing to try new things and being willing to go into a project without knowing how it will end is extremely helpful. So, too, is taking smaller steps at first.

“You need to be able to reframe risk from something that is dangerous, bad, and needs to be avoided into a feeling of ‘wait for a second, what if there’s something here for me?’” says Susannah. If you go in scared, it’s going to color the entire experience—or keep you from giving it a real, honest shot in the first place.

“People should also take small steps toward trying things,” she continues. “If you put yourself on every frontier right away, there’s no way you’re going to be successful.” Just like you would ease into many other things in life, increasing your risk and uncertainty tolerance will go a long way toward taking bigger leaps in the future. Each small success in dealing with uncertainty can be built upon to develop this competency.

 

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Article continued …

 

Navigating the unknown

Uncertainty is inherently uncomfortable, but according to the Furrs, dealing with uncertainty is a muscle that we can build. It can be a new thing for many people to wrap their heads around, they say since something like “uncertainty competence” isn’t really in our lexicon. But, as Nathan points out, uncertainty is something that “philosophers and thinkers have been wrestling with forever.”

But talking about it as a skill to develop certainly is a new phenomenon. The pair recommend a number of tools on their website to help individuals acclimate themselves to uncertainty. They also point out that managers and leaders should look to utilize these types of tools when training their teams. A healthy appetite for uncertainty is important for growth, both for individuals and organizations.

Additionally, using your values to guide you—rather than basing success on goal-oriented markers—will keep you going forward. “Ask yourself what kind of leader you want to be, the legacy you want to leave,” said Nathan, as the long-term view can help you achieve the right perspective to get through the trial-and-error part of stepping into uncertainty for the first few times.

It can also be helpful to assign probabilities to the different outcomes of an unknown situation. “It’s not just either a horrible disaster or things are good,” Nathan says. “We’re often obsessing about the worst-case scenario. But if you assign probabilities to the possible outcomes, it’ll be pretty clear that the worst-case scenario is probably a very, very small probability.”

Behaving “as if”

Another way to get through the fog of uncertainty ahead of you is to act “as if” the desired outcome of the uncertainty has already happened or is assured to happen.

Sometimes you’ll hear this referred to as “fake it till you make it,” but that often refers to a surface-level, temporary act. Actual changes in mindset—and the ability to embrace uncertainty—can be behavior-driven when it’s on a lasting basis. If you act, for example, “as if” you’ll get that promotion, this change in behavior can be a reassuring reminder to yourself through the time leading up to that opportunity. You’ll feel like you’re capable of doing that position, and that you’re already filling those shoes.

“If you act ‘as if’ for longer, you start to believe it can really happen to you, that it’s inherently who you are,” explains Susannah. That confidence can go a long way toward settling the anxiety and fear that comes with uncertainty.

“Modeling this behavior is important for leaders, too,” adds Nathan. If a manager is unable to deal with uncertainty ahead, that lack of confidence will be contagious and the whole department is likely to suffer. On the other hand, acting with confidence and capability even in the face of the unknown will not only help you gain the trust and respect of those you lead—but it can help you believe in yourself more, as well.

What to do when you start feeling overwhelmed

Even with all of this preparation and mindset shifting, and even after a lot of practice, we’re still likely to feel overwhelmed when faced with uncertainty from time to time. It’s important to embrace our humanness, Susannah says—to accept that not only are we not going to know everything, but it’s still going to get the better of us from time to time.

Figuring out how to shine a realistic light on these setbacks as opposed to letting yourself feel burdened with failure is a big part of emotional hygiene, which the Furrs describe as “consistent and skillful care of our emotions.” They recommend allowing yourself to ride along with the natural cycle of ups and downs; to seek out comfort, connection, and community to sustain yourself; and to actively keep hope alive when things aren’t going well.

“Emotional hygiene is so powerful,” Susannah shared. Not dwelling on, or actively pushing against, negative beliefs that are holding us back will go far. Doing so will also make sure you have a healthy reserve of energy for the times when the overwhelm does still arrive. “Even when things are going right, they’re sometimes harder, or they take longer, or come with more setbacks or costs than anticipated.”

It’s important to remember that all of us have the capacity to deal with uncertainty, but we can all still feel overwhelmed on occaision. “Nobody has infinite capacity to deal with uncertainty,” Nathan offers.

“You’ll talk to some innovators that say, “I love uncertainty, I eat it for breakfast.” But what they’ve actually done, if you dig down, is created all these islands of certainty that they can visit to help them endure uncertainty when they need to do so. For some, it might be a habit, routine, or ritual. For others, it could be a community of like-minded people that will help in those times of anxiety.”

Whatever they look like for you, discovering those islands of certainty can help you get through difficult times when you’re navigating the unknown.

 

Forbes.com | November 2, 2022 | Rebecca Zucker

#BestofFSCBlog : Over 12K Reads! How To Find A Job Between Now And The Beginning Of 2023. Waiting for the First of the Year is a Very Bad Idea. A MUSt REad!

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If you start searching for a job now, you’ll benefit from the needs of companies to quickly hire before the holiday-season slowdown. If you miss this window of opportunity, position yourself to be ahead of the crowd for early next year.

It’s both an exciting and challenging time for job hunters. There are only two months left in 2022. Historically, once it gets close to Thanksgiving Day, the hiring process starts grinding to a halt. It’s one of the few times of the year when Americans collectively agree on something: they ease back on work and focus on family, friends and social activities. After being cooped up at home, people will be more eager than ever to take extended vacations and long weekends.

You want to be a contrarian. This entails some delayed gratification. Stay the course while most other job seekers take a break during the holidays. With fewer people applying for jobs and interviewing, you’ll stand out.

The odds will turn out in your favor if you keep hustling. It’s a numbers game. If you continually submit résumés to target companies, get job leads from your network and contribute content on LinkedIn to get noticed, there is a higher probability of achieving interviews leading toward a job offer.

This may seem crass, but there will always be some bosses who desperately need to hire someone quickly. They’ll lower their requirements, increase compensation and acquiesce to your work style preference, including working from home as an enticement. By being persistent, you could end up in the right place at the right time, leading to a job offer you never thought was possible.

 

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What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Did you know?  First Sun Consulting, LLc (FSC) is celebrating over 30 years in the delivery of corporate & individual outplacement services & programs to over 1200 of our corporate clients in the U.S., Canada, UK, & Mexico!  

We here at FSC want to thank each of corporate partners in the opportunity in serving & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment !

 

Article continued …

The Challenges You’ll Face

It becomes harder to secure a new job as vacation schedules and personal days are taken, making the hiring process clunky and inconsistent. The human resources person is away when you are available to interview. When the HR representative returns, the business people you need to meet with are not around. The in and out of workers involved with the hiring process creates a loss of momentum. Other end-of-year corporate priorities start taking precedence over the recruiting and onboarding process.

During the last few months of the year, businesses start focusing on closing their books. They conduct annual reviews, determine who will get a promotion or raise and those slated for layoffs, and commence working on the new budget and headcount allotments for 2023.

Many white-collar professionals receive a bonus and stock in addition to their base salary. During this belt-tightening time, corporate leadership is not inclined to buy out five-figure bonuses and stock options to induce job seekers to leave their current employer. Their rationalization is that it’s prudent to wait until candidates receive their bonuses and new salary numbers.

Once a job hunter knows their numbers, they’ll either immediately begin a job search, due to feeling disrespected over the lackluster total rewards package, or happily remain with their firm because their needs were met.

Sometimes companies have a use-it-or-lose-it budget. Management allocates a specified amount of funds toward hiring new personnel. If the supervisors don’t hire in 2022, the bosses will contend that the open jobs are not mission-critical and will withdraw the job listings. Savvy, experienced managers understand the game and will aggressively look to see if they can hire someone quickly. Otherwise, they’ll lose the budget for next year.

Focusing On Finding A Job In Early January

Despite the clunkiness of November, December and early January, it makes sense for you to keep interviewing. You need to be mentally prepared that most jobs will linger until mid-January 2023. What you hope for is that there will be at least a small number of job openings that managers want to hire eagerly.

Instead of sitting on the sidelines, take action. The holiday season is a great time to rekindle old relationships. Get in touch with former co-workers, college alumni, people in your community, folks you met online and others to build up your network. One of the best ways to find a job is not through responding to a job advertisement, but to have an insider at a company recommend you for the role.

Seek out recruiters who are active in your field. You want them to know all about you. Sell them on your talents, experience, work history, a record of accomplishments, emotional intelligence and communications skills. Since most headhunters work on contingency searches, they only get paid if they successfully place you. Therefore, the recruiter is highly incentivized to extol your virtues and aggressively pitch you to their clients.

Everyone has areas upon which they can improve upon. Find a mentor to help you devise a plan to accelerate your career. They could offer advice and guidance throughout your job search and career. Utilize the services of career coaches and résumé writers. You can find them on LinkedIn. These career experts provide interview tips, ensure that your résumé looks current and sharp, help with role-playing an interview scenario and offer constructive criticism and feedback.

Write out an elevator pitch. Similar to a catchy commercial on TV or radio, you want to be able to offer your value proposition in a tight, upbeat, excited 30-seconds-to-a-minute sales pitch. It’s also akin to when a politician gives their stump speech with the same talking points.

The goal is to clearly and concisely offer what roles you had at your current or prior firm, some of your great achievements and how your background, talents, education and skills perfectly match the job. Talk in an enthusiastic, but not too over-the-top manner.

Additionally, take a look online for frequently asked questions by interviewers. Then, practice answering the standard, “Why do you want this job? Why should I hire you instead of the other applicants? Can you please tell me about yourself? Where do you see yourself in five years?”

 

Forbes.com | November 1, 2022 | Jack Kelly