#YourCareer : Personal Branding For People 50+. Yes, we Know that Age Discrimination in Hiring and Promotions is Alive and Well.

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Personal branding is essential for every career-minded professional, whether you’re looking to land your first internship or you’ve just been promoted to the C-Suite. It helps you stand out from your peers and gives you the opportunity to become influential and indispensable—not to mention incredibly happy at work.

But personal branding is nuanced and takes on different areas of focus depending on where you are in your career and which generation you’re part of. I have seen a lot of discussions lately about career prospects, concerns and opportunities for people who are 50+. Fawn Germer, author of the upcoming book Coming Back: How to Get the Job You Want When You’ve Lost the Job You Need put it this way “The rules changed for those of us who are middle aged. We saw our parents start a career and get rewarded with respect, money and opportunity the older they got.

These days, the word “experienced” seems to be equated with the words “has been.” Since we’ve been around the longest, many of us are drawing the highest salaries in the room, but it is not lost on management that younger, less-expensive employees can deliver more because they truly are tech savvy and up on trends. It’s on us to re-educate ourselves and broadcast a brand of relevance and viability. The bad news is that it takes some effort. The good news is that really, it’s not that hard.”

 

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

Article continued …

So how can people in this age group ensure that their personal brand traits keep them relevant, compelling, influential and in demand in this new all-digital world of work? Whether you’re happily employed or seeking your next big gig, here’s how to position yourself for success and fulfillment if your chronological age exceeds 49.

Start with authenticity. Effective personal branding is always rooted in authenticity, not blatant self-promotion. Wendy Marx, author of Thriving at 50+ and a reinvention and personal branding coach, said “Personal branding doesn’t come naturally to many 50+ people – they often are unaccustomed to promoting themselves. They think their credentials and experience speak for themselves and that branding is unnecessary spin. Actually, your personal brand is being true to yourself, while making yourself accessible and engaging.”

These five actions help you accentuate your differentiating attributes, showcase your expertise, and exude genuine confidence while eliminating impediments—both real and perceived.

Master the Mindset

Yes, we know that age discrimination in hiring and promotions is alive and well. At the same time, we know that if you tell yourself you are at a disadvantage or you focus on how unfair the world of work can be to the 50+ set, you’re putting yourself on the back foot. “On the back foot,” which by the way comes from cricket, means putting the weight on your back foot because you’re having to play defense. That’s no way to move forward in a career, or anywhere else. Instead, put your best foot forward with a positive mindset. These messages likely apply to you and should be your mantras:

  • I have deep knowledge that makes me compelling and differentiated
  • My years of work give me an edge over younger, less experienced professionals
  • My confidence and strong sense of self make me ideal for dealing with change
  • I have a long track record of delivering exceptional results

Develop Digital Dexterity

If you’re 50+, you were not born with fingers on keyboards that opened the doors to the whole world. Companies need every employee to be internet savvy and digitally fit regardless of role, function and yes, age. Today, every job is digitally enabled on some level. Whether you work in market research, customer service or sales, being digitally savvy is essential. Resume.io advises clients that “employers need to know that you’re as technically proficient as someone 20 years younger.” Prove that you’re up to date with the latest tools and platforms by including them in your resume. This includes skills you’ve learned in lockdown; research by The Knowledge Academy states it can take as little as 10 days to learn a new technical skill!

Deliver A Powerful First Impression

Today, people will form their first impressions of you online. When someone wants to check you out, they’ll turn to Google. And what Google says about you is who you are. When your online ID shows that you are vibrant, innovative, confident and engaged, people who are checking you out will want to get to know you. Start with your LinkedIn About because it will be the most-read version of your bio. Use it to demonstrate your credibility and likability.

Show Your Social Savvy

One way to demonstrate your digital fitness is through social media. Now, before you moan or stress out, consider this: You can create a powerful online social media presence in just 9 minutes a day as long as you make a daily commitment. And you need not be visible on every platform from Instagram to Tik Tok, LinkedIn to SlideShare, YouTube to Facebook. Focus on LinkedIn (it’s truly the most powerful professional social network) and just one other tool where your target audience can always be found.

Master Video

If you’re interviewing for a new job, you’ll be doing a lot of video interviews. The interview itself is an opportunity to show that you’re on top of the latest and probably most prevalent form of business communications. When you master video, you’ll stand out in all the ways that matter. That means being skilled at both synchronous video (Zoom meetings, Webex, Google Hangouts) and asynchronous video (videos to demonstrate thought leadership, video messages from you sent to people on your team, clients, etc.). Even those who do a lot of video meetings aren’t terribly skilled at it. This previous article will help you understand what you need in order to avoid being an on-camera catastrophe.

Being 50+ is a career asset when you adopt the mindset. Apply these strategies so that your personal brand becomes all about one important fact: You offer something unique and highly valuable.

Author: William Arruda is a founder of CareerBlast and co-creator of BrandBoost – a video-based personal branding talent development experience.

 

Forbes.com – August 2, 2020

#JobSearch : Why Your Online Job Search Strategy Is Failing You (And How To Fix It). A MUst REad!

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If you’re looking for a new job and haven’t received a lot of bites from the online applications you’ve sent, you’re not alone.

Waking up to an empty inbox after emailing countless resumes can be frustrating and demoralizing, which can further hinder your job search efforts. And although a weak consolation, it may be helpful to know it’s not your fault. Unfortunately, the odds are against you in an online search. Here are some stats you need to know:

Taken together, it’s clear networking has a distinct advantage over online applications. However, networking isn’t a speedy process. Building relationships takes time and if you’re in a dire situation, you may feel this isn’t an option (yet, you already have a network and it may be more robust and helpful than you realize – see here).

 

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

Article continued …

So, your best bet may be a combined approach – spend time cultivating your network while also strategically applying to open roles you find posted on the internet. Here’s a step-by-step process to get started:

  1. Update your LinkedIn. Whether you’re building new connections or conducting an online search, your LinkedIn profile will be one of the first stops most people make to get to know you. Ensure you have a professional photo, results-oriented “About” section that connects your strengths to the outcomes you provide and brand alignment with your target career goal. This will not only clearly communicate to others what value you provide to the marketplace, but also may help recruiters and others looking to hire to find you! Bonus step: While you’re at it, clean up your social media, removing questionable content that may cause an employer to think twice about hiring you.
  2. Build your LinkedIn connections. One of the most overlooked advantages of building a robust list of 1st level contacts on LinkedIn is how this exponentially increases your 2nd level connections. It’s often these 2nd level contacts who lead to job opportunities. Scroll through your text messages or emails to find people you may not yet have connected with on LinkedIn. Consider dormant contacts – those former colleagues, old neighbors, college friends, etc. you’ve lost touch with over the years – and send a personalized message asking to re-connect. Don’t discount people you see a few times each year like your dental hygienist, accountant, or barber. You never know who may be in someone’s network. Bonus step: Reach out to recruiters who work for companies on your target list, with a brief personalized message of what you value about their organization.
  3. Create your target company list. Even if you’re applying to roles online, you don’t want to only be reactive to what pops up in your search. It’s helpful to be proactive by creating a list of companies you’re interested in and immersing yourself in learning about their market updates, searching your contacts (1st and 2nd level) for who you may know (or wish to meet), and watching their progress to anticipate hiring needs. Follow your top companies on social media and create Google alerts to stay updated without losing a lot of time. Bonus step: Steve Dalton’s “2-Hour Job Search” is a methodical, detailed process for building a robust target company list.
  4. Follow up. Taking a one and done approach to applying to jobs online will mean a lot of waiting and little progress. Identify the recent roles you’ve applied to and begin to search your 1st and 2nd level contacts for connections. Then, reach out to ask for advice or insight on how you can make your application more competitive. Also, don’t hesitate to send a brief, diplomatic message to the recruiter (or hiring manager if you can find that information on LinkedIn, which you often can), to let them know you’ve applied for the job and are interested in the opportunity to share more about your background. This may prompt them to review your LinkedIn profile (which is now a fantastic representation of the value you offer to their industry), and even potentially get you fished out of the ATS abyss if your application landed there. In the online hiring game, you need every advantage, so don’t be a passive bystander. Bonus step: If you find a connection willing to shepherd your application directly to the hiring manager or HR, ask. There may even be an employee referral bonus in it for them if you get hired.
  5. Write for the machine. While you may be tempted to use creative formatting to make your resume stand out, the online application isn’t the place to demonstrate your skill with specialized fonts and fancy templates. Since most companies use Application Tracking Systems (ATS), without a direct referral you’ll be at the whim of the technology. There are several different ATS platforms with some of the more popular being Taleo, iCIMS, Jobvite and Workday. Pay attention to the file type needed (e.g., if they ask for a .pdf, don’t submit a Word doc), and use key words from the job description. Bonus step: Confirm your resume was received. Although having an internal employee shepherd it to the hiring manager is best, emailing the recruiter (LinkedIn is also acceptable, although I wouldn’t recommend an actual invite at this early stage) to politely verify receipt is completely acceptable and may be the difference between getting an interview or receiving an autogenerated rejection.
  6. Include a compelling cover letter. You may have seen mixed reviews on this step. A popular data point circulating is only 7% of cover letters are read, but remember that’s out of the 25% that make it through the ATS. Plus, I’ll let you in on a secret – your cover letter will only get read if your resume passes muster, so that’s another reason the statistic may be so low. Once it’s determined you have the skills to move to the next round, a recruiter will want to learn a bit more about why you’re looking. The cover letter serves this purpose, and a tailored one will increase your chances of getting an interview. Bonus step: Skip the generic cover letter. It’s obvious if you don’t invest and will reflect poorly. If you’re applying to so many roles you don’t have time to tailor the letter, then it may be wise to re-evaluate your approach. You may be throwing spaghetti at the wall just to see what sticks and this is an obvious (and disliked) strategy to recruiters, and a waste of time for you.
  7. Have a different conversation with the people you know. While building new relationships takes time, you already have a group of family, friends and others in the community who already love and trust you. And, they’d likely be happy to help you succeed in your career. Be specific about what you’re looking for, including company names or people in their network you’d like to be introduced to. The people closest to you are likely regularly asking about your search, so don’t change the subject or shy away from this conversation. Actively be ready for this question with an ask. While your friends don’t have jobs falling out of their pockets, they do have connections you don’t know. Bonus step: Compile a personal board of directors to assist with your search. Perhaps you have 3 – 4 friends or family members who are open to help and able to be objective. They can give you feedback on your resume, partner with you on mock interviews and keep an eye out for potential opportunities. The average tenure in a role is about 4.2 years, so you can offer to return the favor when it’s their turn to make a pivot.
  8. Use your time wisely. You’ve likely heard, “finding a new job is a full-time job” and that can feel pretty true. Since we all have a finite amount of time and energy, divvy up your resources wisely by spending more time building your connections and relationships than applying online. Not only will you increase your odds on the online jobs you apply for when you’re able to begin to find referrals, but you’ll open up your options to opportunities that may never make it to the internet. Bonus step: Carve out some of your time to assist others, whether in their job search or with other challenges. Generosity is one of the best ways to build relationships.

Happy hunting!

 

 

Forbes.com –  July 27, 2020  –  Dawn Graham

#JobSearch : How To Successfully Self-Motivate Yourself To Seek Out A New Job. As you Face the Adversities, Recall Why you’re Enduring the Torture.

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You may have just lost your job—joining over 53 million other Americans—or have been in between roles for months now. You may be part of the millions of folks who are worried if they’ll be downsized too.

 

In the face of a never-ending lockdown, crumbling economy and horrific job market, it’s excruciatingly hard to get up out of bed each morning and motivate yourself to start your job search. For many people, life is like the Groundhog Day movie, as everyday is endlessly repeating itself.

No matter how down and out you feel and want to pull the covers over your head and stay in bed all day long, you must fight back against this desire. You can’t give up. Dig deep and find the inner strength to push forward; otherwise, you’ll never find a job. Yes, it’s easier said than done.

Here’s what you need to do to get yourself motivated each and every day.

Start With Little Baby Steps

We all hope to get what we want right away. In this environment, it won’t be easy to find a new job in short order. This will be a long and arduous journey, but it’s achievable and you will prevail.

Start with small incremental steps. Push yourself to get off the couch. Stop scrolling through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. When Netflix sends the message asking if you’re still watching—because you’ve been binge-watching for six hours—it’s time to shut off the television.

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

Article continued …

Prepare An Attack Plan 

You can’t get anywhere if you don’t know where you’re going. Establish a goal for yourself. Know the type of job you want and the companies you’d like to work for. Then, start searching job boards for openings at these places and seek out the hiring managers and others who could get you in the door.

Update your LinkedIn profile and résumé. Tailor them for the specific jobs you’re applying for. Build your network. Introduce yourself to recruiters that specialize in your niche.

Change Your Mindset And Improve Your Game 

Start weeding out all of the toxic people in your life that are holding you back. You don’t have to discard them, but—perhaps—put them on a temporary mute. Find a group of people who are mutually supportive, positive, like-minded and make you feel good about yourself. This will be your tribe that you can kick around ideas, share job leads and commiserate with.

Interviewing in this current environment is like entering a Tough Mudder challenge, along with participating in a marathon and triathlon all rolled up into one event. You’ll be forced to drag yourself through the muck, scale walls and leap over seemingly insurmountable obstacles in your path. Even when you are totally exhausted, you must find inner strength to keep going until you reach your goal.

To have the endurance for this overwhelming feat, you should start a regiment of eating healthily and getting sufficient sleep and exercise. Cut out the junk food, alcohol consumption and drugs. Eat right, sleep well and exercise. You should have a balanced diet and workout routine, go to sleep early and wake up early. If you don’t do this, you’ll constantly feel tired, rundown, cranky and irritable. These traits don’t go over well in your interviews.

Talk To Yourself Like You Would To A Person In Need

We’re all our own worst critics. We constantly look back at all of the bad decisions we’ve made over the years. Negative thoughts are allowed to run rampant through your mind. You need to change the way you talk to yourself. Start by being kind. Forgive yourself of all of your former mistakes and faults. Reach out to people you’ve wronged and apologize to them for your transgressions.

Then, start replacing the self-defeating ruminations with positive affirmations. Make a mental list of all of your strong points and positive attributes. When the bad thoughts start creeping in, immediately substitute and remind yourself of all of your awesome qualities.

Celebrate Each Tiny Victory

Your ultimate goal may be finding a new job. This could take a long time. You need to reward yourself for all of the little victories along the way. Savor every small win. Keep each win—no matter how tiny—in your memory bank. When you’re feeling down and out, replay each and every time something positive happened or when you overcame obstacles in the past. It will boost your confidence and remind you that you’ve confronted and surmounted tough times in the past.

 Find Your Larger Purpose 

It helps to keep motivated when you have a larger purpose guiding you. Think of the reasons why you want to find a job—above and beyond securing employment. Is it that you will be able to have sufficient funds to buy a home, pay for your kids’ college, save for a long retirement or give money to charity and the needy?

As you face the adversities attendant with the job search, recall why you’re enduring the torture. Having a purpose and working toward a meaningful goal can power you through the darkest days.o

 

Forbes.com –  July 28, 2020 – Jack Kelly  Senior Contributor

#JobSearch : How To Elevate Your Confidence And Succeed In The Interview. A MUst REad for All !

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When you’ve lost your job or are deathly afraid that you’re next in line to be downsized, it’s easy to lose your self-confidence. It’s understandable to question yourself. “Did I do something wrong? I’m one of the hardest workers at the office. Why was it me?” Even if you intellectually acknowledge that you were part of a large-scale layoff, you still feel awful.

It’s hard to shake it off. You avoid friends, family and former co-workers, as you don’t want to talk about the job loss. The well-meaning sentiments saying that they’re “sorry” kind of make you feel worse.

This feeling follows you around and into the interview process. You’re a little off your game. You don’t speak with the same authority you used to have. There’s a sense of foreboding and dread—waiting for the moment when they ask about the reasons surrounding your downsizing. You start to stumble, get a little agitated and come across somewhat defensive. After the interview is over, you know you didn’t do your best and now feel even worse.

It’s not your fault. Over 53 million Americans are out of work and many more millions are worried about losing their jobs. This is a common occurrence. Even in the best of job markets, people lose their jobs.

You may think that it’s just you because most people generally don’t talk about the bad things that happen to them. When asked how you are doing, most people respond, “I’m doing great!”  Since you believe them, you wonder why everyone is doing well and you’re not, which chips away at your self-worth.

Here’s what you can do to rebuild and elevate your confidence.

Knowledge Is Power

Learn everything you can about the company and the people you’re interviewing with before the meeting. You want to know what the company does, its products and services, how the company compares to its competitors, recent news updates, stock price, employee turnover, management team and reputation.

Look up the interviewers and their managers on LinkedIn and other social media platforms. Find out if you know people in common, if you went to the same schools, they live close by to where you reside, the sports teams they root for, the backgrounds of people they’ve recently hired and other relevant data points that can come in handy during the interview.

As you accumulate all of this intelligence, it will infuse you with confidence. You’ll probably know more about the company than some of the interviewers and believe that you already have a good feel for the people you’re interviewing with. This increased knowledge will make you feel smarter, ready to go and more confident.

 

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

Article continued …

Spend A Lot Of Time Preparing For The Interview

Nothing helps build confidence more than having faith in your experience, skills, background and talents. Take the time to thoroughly review the job description and learn as much as possible about the role. Then, think of how your skills relate to the demands of the role. Write down all of the positive attributes and experiences you possess that are highly relevant for the job.

Prepare an elevator pitch, in which you can sell yourself. Practice the pitch over and over again. Rehearse it out loud, as it always sounds better in your head compared to when you first tell it to someone else.

Think of all the types of questions that they may ask you and craft your answers. Practice them as well. You don’t have to memorize it, as it could come across too robotic. It’s preferable for some of your answers to be a little raw, as it shows that you’re speaking directly from the heart.

All of this preparation and practice will elevate your confidence. You’ll go in excited, as you can’t wait to share all of the great and valid reasons as to why you’re the best fit for the role.

Turn Your Negative Thoughts Into Positive Beliefs

Many people go into interviews thinking that the odds are stacked against them—given what’s going on. With that attitude, you will lose the battle before it’s even begun. Put aside all of the negative thoughts racing around through your mind. Replace them with positive affirmations. “I will get this job. I am uniquely qualified for the role. I can offer value and make your company a better place.” Fill in your own mantras. Keep repeating them to yourself. They will soon replace all of the negative thoughts.

One of the secrets of hiring managers is that they simply want people who can come into work and get things done without being difficult. It’s enlightened self-interest, as this type of job seeker makes the boss’ life easier. If the employees are doing well, it’s a positive reflection on the manager. When the hiring manager senses your knowledge, enthusiasm, motivation, drive and confidence, they’ll believe that you can and will get the job done and be interested in hiring you.

 

Author: Jack KellySenior Contributor Careers  

Forbes.com –  July 27, 2020 

#JobSearch : 5 Job Search Situations Where Networking Is Not The Best Next Step. Networking is Helpful Only When You are Prepared.

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Networking is so helpful to a job search that one might assume it’s the right next step in all situations. However, this is not the case, and trying to get a networking meeting rather than taking another, more appropriate action can even hurt your job search. Every impression counts. The questions you ask, the help you ask for and the information that you don’t know all make an impression during your networking.

Here are five job search situations where networking is not the best next step – and what to do instead:

1 – You have no idea what you want

Sure, it’s helpful to talk to things out with other people, and that’s true for getting ideas for your career. However, when you approach people as someone who doesn’t know what they want, you appear undecided (commitment issue?), unsure (confidence problem?) or unprepared (laziness?). The other person might be willing to brainstorm with you, but they also might feel like it’s too big a question to solve. How would they know what you should do with your life?

Don’t network about anything too general. Have at least some idea of potential career moves, and use the meeting to test these specific ideas. Do research in advance about what your target careers would entail, and tailor your questions to how the other person can specifically help you. For example, if you are looking to switch industries and have narrowed down your possibilities to media and tech, reserve the media questions for your media connections and the tech questions for your tech connections. This way, you appear focused, prepared and respectful of their time.

 

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

Article continued …

2 – The questions you have can be answered by basic research

I once heard from a graduate of my alma mater, who wanted to talk about her career change into management consulting. At the time, I had just pivoted my own career from management consulting to executive search but with a management consulting focus, so it made sense that this person would want to speak with me. Since we had so much in common – same school, both career changers – I readily agreed. (Pointing out common affinities is an effective way to land networking meetings!) However, her opening question for me was to name the top companies in the field.

Don’t ask questions that can be answered by basic research. Do that research in advance, and use the networking meetings to verify the information or get nuanced information. For example, had this alum let me know what she was seeing as the top competitors mentioned in the field and then asked if I agreed or asked if I would name different companies based on her interest in a specific sub-area, then I would have seen her as someone who had put in some work and was going the extra step. Instead, I felt used that she wanted to shortcut her research and just ask for the answers.

3 – The contact who offers to refer you to HR doesn’t know you well

It is always helpful to get someone inside the company to pass on your resume for a job opening. However, it is less helpful when the person referring you doesn’t know you at all. Therefore, if you have a networking meeting with someone at a company where there is an open job that you want, but you do not know that person well, I would not ask that person to submit your resume. If they offer to submit it, I would thank them profusely and I would possibly let them submit it later, but first I would ask for information (here are eight better things to ask for than a generic introduction to HR).

When a networking contact doesn’t know you well, any referral they make on your behalf isn’t going to be that strong. At best, it will be something like, “I have never worked with this person but we have a mutual friend who knows great people so this person must be great.” Maybe, but now the recruiter or hiring manager has to believe that you’re such a good judge of people that you have vetted that your friend can vet their friends – that’s a long chain of trust. It may make the company give you a second glance, but if the hiring team has any doubts, your tenuous networking contact won’t be able to advocate for you and probably won’t want to put themselves on the line. They may even have offered to submit your resume just to cut the meeting short and will be a lukewarm advocate at best.

4 – You reach a recruiter who doesn’t hire for what you want

Yes, recruiters are great networking connections to have and not just for your immediate job search. Experienced recruiters have knowledge of their market, a broad perspective on career issues and a wide network. Recruiters are definitely on the top 10 list of people you should have in your network.

However, many recruiters specialize in a specific industry or function, and if you are outside that area, then a recruiter’s knowledge, feedback and network will be less relevant to you. If a recruiter is internal to a company, they will be most relevant about jobs specific to that company, and your networking efforts should be focused on multiple companies. Too many job seekers make reaching recruiters, any recruiters, a top priority. It’s best to focus on hiring managers, who are the ultimate decision-makers, or recruiters in your target area. To reach these people, you need to have a background that clearly shows your value to them. If your resume, LinkedIn profile and responses to commonly asked questions don’t yet make that value crystal-clear, focus on these supporting tools first before you squander a networking meeting.

5 – You reach a recruiter who hires for what you want – but you’re a career changer

If you are a career changer, recruiters are not helpful, even if they specialize in the area you want. I say that as a recruiter and a multiple-time career changer – I would never hire myself! A recruiter’s job is to filter people out, not make an exception, and a career changer is always the exception. If you are a career changer and you have existing recruiter relationships from your former career, these recruiters may be even less helpful if they try to convince you to stay where you are (after all, that’s where they can place you).

It’s always more effective to network with a hiring manager than with a recruiter, and for career changers this is even more important because it’s the hiring manager that can make an exception. However, networking whether it’s with the recruiter or the hiring manager is not the best move for a career changer, until you have something to talk about in your new career. If you don’t have knowledge of your new area and some demonstrated results (it can be from volunteer work or consulting, not just another job), then talking to people, especially influential people like hiring managers and recruiters, is premature.

Networking is helpful only when you are prepared

I certainly don’t want to discourage networking as part of your job search. People hire people, so it is critical that you connect with people and not just submit your resume to faceless job postings. That said, you want to make the right impression when you network. You want to appear focused, knowledgeable and prepared. The person you’re networking with can refer you to be hired, if not hire you outright. You don’t want to squander that opportunity for your job search.

 

Author:   Caroline Ceniza-Levine

Join my Land A Job You Love coaching group, starting on August 5. Details and sign up at SixFigureStart.com/ Group-Coaching. Get custom feedback on your job search based

…

Forbes.com –  July 26, 2020

#JobSearch : How to Create an Effective Job Search Plan. The Landscape of Job Searching has Changed Drastically Over the Years.

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Not too many people truly enjoy the time they spend searching for a new job. While working with an executive resume writer can be an enjoyable and pleasant experience, it’s not the first place executives want to be at any given day. Sometimes you can’t control how long it takes an employer to hire a candidate, but you can take some steps to use your time more wisely and shorten the search process.

Here are a few effective time management tips to consider when job searching.

Know Exactly What You Want

Think about your past experience, what value you bring to the table, and what you actually want to do. There may be some aspects that are non-negotiable, so be sure to identify those in your thought process. Just remember to be realistic in this regard so you don’t eliminate yourself from too many potential jobs. Once you know exactly what you want out of a job, you can start writing an effective resume geared toward it.

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

Article continued …

Be Realistic When Setting Goals

If you’re unemployed and looking for a job, it’s usually unrealistic to think you can spend eight hours per day on a job search. Burnout is just as real with a job search as it is with jobs themselves, so consider designating a couple of hours each day to work hard at it. This can involve visiting a professional resume writing service, networking, tweaking your social media profiles, and more. Setting realistic goals will help you prevent burnout and keep you motivated.

Network

Many job openings are filled through networking rather than through traditional channels. Your time can be spent wisely by attending and actively participating in networking events. You never know whom you might meet at these events, so always be sure to bring your best. And it’s wise to also ask an executive resume writer to take a look at your resume to ensure it’s polished and ready to go.

Get Professional Advice with Your Resume

You don’t want to waste any time sending out resumes with mistakes on them. You could essentially be spinning your wheels with your job search and not even know it. Get ahead of any potential issues by working with a professional resume writing service upfront. They can help identify and fix any problems on your resume and modernize it for today’s job searching landscape to make your time be spent more efficiently.

The landscape of job searching has changed drastically over the years. The days of looking in newspapers or job boards are gone, especially for executive level positions. You need to have a game plan in place and work your plan to achieve your ultimate goal.

 

FSC Career Blog Author:  Ms. Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, CERW, CEMC, is a Certified Professional Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, named one of Forbes “Top 100 Career Websites”. Considered an influencer, she is consistently listed as a “Top Career Expert to Follow” on Twitter and LinkedIn.

FSC Career Blog –  July 27, 2020

#JobSearch : The Three Skills You Need To Succeed In Your Job Search. Must REad!

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We’re almost five months into the Covid-19 pandemic—with no end in sight. Our nerves are frayed and tension runs high. If you’re in between jobs, panic may be setting in right about now. You read about 53 million Americans filing for unemployment benefits since March and start fearing that it may take many more months to get a new job. In the back of your mind, there’s palpable worries that you may never find another job or it won’t be anywhere near the level and salary of your last position.

Tough times make tough people. This is a uniquely brutal job market unlike anything we’ve seen before. What worked in the past won’t necessarily work today. You have to cultivate, develop and execute these three skills to survive and thrive in this unprecedented, cruel job market.

You Need To Have Grit

Grit is defined as possessing perseverance, fortitude and resilience. It’s building a coat of armor around you to endure and withstand the blows that you’ll take. Grit is the steely determination to make yourself strong and impervious to the challenges you encounter. It’s digging down deep inside yourself and finding the fire in the belly to become unstoppable.

You will face unrelenting rejection, disappointments and dead ends in your pursuit for a new job. After spending hours, days and weeks completing dozens of lengthy applications and submitting hundreds of résumés, you won’t hear a peep from the companies. Interviews will be capricious—cancelled minutes or hours before it was scheduled to start. You’ll go on half a dozen interviews and then get ghosted and never know what really happened and why you didn’t hear back.

Having grit provides the inner strength, mental rigor and toughness to keep you going in the face of adversity. It will push you to jump over all of the hurdles in your way, run through brick walls and kick down doors to get to the opportunities you want and deserve.

 

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

Article continued …

Stay Flexible And Nimble

Prior to the pandemic, the job market was relatively hot and it was much easier to interview and find a great, new job. Now, it’s even tougher than it was in the aftermath of Sept. 11 and the financial crisis of 2008. It’s possible that the type of job you previously held doesn’t exist any longer, relevant appropriate jobs have relocated to less-expensive cities or outside of the country and companies want to hire applicants for a lower wage than you’re seeking.

As time goes on, you’ll need to reassess the situation. If you’re doing the same thing each and every day, it may be time to start considering other options—as opposed to continuing to knock your head against the wall. Think of pivoting into something a little different. Assess your core skills, background and experience and check into how you can apply them to a different job or career. You can then expand your search to include these other types of roles. Casting a larger net will yield more results.

This may be the time to reinvent yourself. It’s a little more challenging than a pivot. It will require you to take a few steps backwards to later advance. Consider what you really want to do next. Ask yourself what’s your passion and love—that can also pay the bills.

Find out what you need to learn or the credentials required to start anew, then re-create your career. It’s not easy to start all over again, especially if you’re of a certain age and previously earned a good living. However, in desperate times, you need to take desperate measures.

You may also have to consider relocating to other locations that offer more job opportunities or a lower cost of living. Try applying for jobs outside of your commuting distance and tell them that you’d like to work remotely. The worst they could do is say, “Sorry, we can’t do that.” You could simply reply, “Please keep me in mind as remote/work-from-anywhere is becoming the new standard.”

Become A Sales And Marketing Guru

Ages ago, back in 2019 and early 2020, you could have an adequate LinkedIn profile, contact a few friends and former colleagues, send out some résumés and have a good likelihood of getting interviews, which could lead to job offers within a reasonable time frame. Those good ol’ days are now from a bygone era. You now have to work 10 times harder to get a fraction of the results.

Since it was a good job market for many people, it’s natural that your interviewing skills atrophied a bit. You didn’t have to be hardcore to get a job, so you likely became somewhat complacent—expecting that the job opportunities would fall into your lap. That won’t fly now. You have to be energized and do everything in your power to get noticed.

This entails actively and effectively networking on social media sites, such as LinkedIn. Approach networking with thoughtful purposes with an endgame in mind. Reach out directly to hiring managers and the internal human resources professionals responsible for hiring.

Cold call or email recruiters who are active in your space. Request a video meeting and sell them on yourself. Ask them to share opportunities with you. Do this with a number of other recruiters so you have several people championing your cause. If—and when—your calls and emails aren’t answered, you can’t let it discourage you. Keep knocking on doors until one opens up for you.

It may feel awkward and uncomfortable, but you need to contact old acquaintances, former colleagues, college alumni and anyone and everyone that you can think of who could potentially put you in touch with the appropriate persons at a company that has the right job for you.

Salespeople develop a thick skin and accept “no” as part of the process. They view rejection as all part of the game and one step closer to a “yes.” Sales is all about the law of large numbers. The more people that you get in front of, the greater chance you have of someone purchasing your product. If you keep plugging away, not letting the rejections get to you, something will eventually give.

In this current job market, the key to successfully finding a new job is having grit, allowing yourself to be flexible and learning how to effectively sell yourself to recruiters, people who could offer introductions to opportunities and prospective employers.

Author: Jack Kelly
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Forbes.com –  July 24, 2020

#JobMarket : In A Scary Sign Of The Times, LinkedIn Plans To Lay Off 960 People.

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In a sign of the times, with a little bit of irony, LinkedIn—the go-to social media site for white-collar professionals—announced that it is laying off 960 workers.

In an open memo from LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky to his employees, published on the platform, he wrote, “LinkedIn is not immune to the effects of the global pandemic. Our Talent Solutions business continues to be impacted as fewer companies, including ours, need to hire at the same volume they did previously.”

Roslansky said in the note that LinkedIn, similar to many other companies, is trying to adapt to this new and different environment and needs to “make some hard calls.” In a desire to offer transparency to his workforce, Roslansky offered, “After weeks of discussion and deliberation, the executive team and I have made the extremely difficult decision to reduce approximately 960 roles, or about 6% of our employee base, across our Global Sales and Talent Acquisition organizations.”

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

Article continued …

Chris Russell, the managing director of RecTech Media and 20-plus year expert on recruiting technology and job boards said, “The layoffs at LinkedIn are not surprising given the fact that thousands of recruiters have lost their jobs due to Covid-19.” Russell points out that a substantial portion of the social media platform’s revenue is derived from recruiters purchasing pricey subscriptions and job postings. With fewer recruiters, he said, “They have less people to sell into right now.”

Russell noticed that the downsizings in the job board space “have been happening for months since it was kickstarted with the ZipRecruiter layoffs in late March.” ZipRecruiter, whose advertisements dominated radio shows and podcasts for a while, laid off almost 500 employees, according to the Wall Street Journal—representing over 30% of its workforce. At the time, Ian Siegel, the CEO of the job board said, “Our customer base looks like the U.S. economy by size, geography and industry.” Siegel added, “The U.S. economy is hurting and we regretfully have to do what is necessary to make sure we are there for the great American comeback story to come.”

 

Forbes.com –  July 21, 2020 – Jack Kelly  Senior Contributor Careers I write actionable interview, career and salary advice.

#JobSearch : Why Having A Career Coach Means Escaping Your “Hamster Wheel”? In our Modern, Highly Dynamic, Algorithm-Driven World, Time is Everything.

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In our modern, highly dynamic, algorithm-driven world, time is everything. The hiring process is changing dramatically, leaving many of us lost when we try to find a new job or make a change in our career.

So with the gargantuan amount of information available online on all topics imaginable, it might seem pretty easy to find the answers that will make us feel, if not entirely in control, then at least less lost in our job hunt. You just read online all sorts of interview tips, follow many guidelines to improve your CV or find different advice on how to land a job and you are there. But, are you really?

Having all this openly available, one can rightly doubt the need for career coaching at all. Many would probably argue that hiring a coach is a waste of time and money, which, to be honest, can be so true if you end up with someone who is barely an expert.  However, I am a firm believer that two heads are always smarter than one and if we use an expert’s long experience and wisdom to go ahead professionally, it might be beneficial in so many ways. Because, at one point in our lives, we all come to realize that we don’t know what we want from our job anymore, that we are not happy, that we are not challenged enough, or we just don’t see our career path so clearly anymore.

Mothers surely know how hard it is to get back to work after maternity leave and find out that their career path is everything but clear. New graduates, due to inexperience, usually have problems with job search at the very career start. Many of us, after a considerable number of years, want to change career path and follow another professional passion. Moreover, in so many cases we don’t see or know our full professional potential. It is tough for a person to be objective, positive and proactive in such moments of self-doubt and inner-confusion.

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

Article continued …

So how to move from this status-quo position? Is it possible to do it on your own? Well, the answer entirely depends on you. You can try working this out on your own, or you can ask for a help people who have spent years dealing with this kind of situations. If you choose the latter, you have various options – single session group coaching, several weeks long group coaching, traditional one-on-one coaching and one-on-one virtual coaching through different video conferencing platforms (blissful technology!).

So, you are probably wondering what is it that a good career coach can do for you to help you improve your career? First of all, he/she can help you to understand better who you are, what you really want and how your talents and expertise match your expectations. You can count on coach’s external objective and realistic assessment of your professional situation. This further helps you formulate and follow a successful career strategy related to job search, promotion, career change, return to work, or when you decide to start your own business.

As a consultant and coach, I’ve seen how just a tiny help and push in the right direction can be significant and even life-changing for my clients. Things are not always clear and simple. One-on-one coaching in a virtual setting gives the best results because the location doesn’t matter. People can genuinely focus on things that are important during a coaching conversation within the comfort of their own home, which, believe me, brakes so many barriers that otherwise keep people from moving forward with resolving their current professional dilemma or status. Why? Because, if you are in the middle of a coaching session together with other people in the environment that is entirely new to you, it is hard to talk to a coach (a stranger) about your deepest fears, doubts and worries related to your career. Virtual career coaching builds a sheltered space to strategize and face some of the biggest professional, as well as personal, challenges.

A coach actively listens to you and your coaching session is entirely about you, and this leads to the heart of issues very quickly. So, you benefit from a coach’s customized, timely and individualized intervention, appropriate advice and suggestions – main prerequisites for a coaching session to be successful and with substantial impact on your professional (and personal) life.

Do you need to be truly listened to?  Do you need a keen ear and an open mind for resolving your work-related status, troubles or dilemmas? Start today.

I profoundly understand the importance of tailoring the coaching session to the needs of each of my clients individually, and I use the latest coaching methods and models.

FSC Career Blog Author:  Ms. Olivera Andjelkovic,  Executive Career Coach & Consultant ➡️ Helping clients stand out and land their dream jobs.  Learn all the possible ways to advance and improve your career.
Feel free to visit :   https://www.oliveracoaching.com/careercoaching
FSC Career Blog –  July 22, 2020

#YourCareer : 5 Strategies to Boost Your Personal Brand. Building a Personal Brand is Hard, but it is Critical, here’s How.

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You, no doubt, have heard about the importance of personal branding. You’ve even decided to start working on your own brand…but what’s next? This is a very common question that has been asked by several senior level professionals just like you.

As it turns out, building a personal brand is hard, but it is critical, and you can do it! Here’s how.

  1. Do a Self-Evaluation

Keep in mind that every employee, and especially every senior level professional, has something significant to offer a company. You will have to tap into just what your skills and expertise are before you begin crafting your personal brand. In fact, this is the first step of c-level personal branding. It may help to approach this issue from the perspective of an employer and figure out what traits are most desirable in any employee, then work backwards to hash out what makes you unique from every other applicant out there. Craft a story about yourself for your hiring audience to read.

  1. Start Pruning Your Presence Online

Whether you’ve ever done this or not, now’s the time. Google yourself! It will actually help you figure out one of the most important parts of branding yourself—your name. Keep track of how you’re mentioned online and whether it’s in a negative or positive context.

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

Article continued …

  1. Be Strategic About Your Online Activity

Now that you have an idea of how you’re perceived online, you’ll have to make sure to keep these perceptions under control. Don’t post anything you wouldn’t want potential employers to find later on. If you’ve already engaged in online activities that you wouldn’t necessarily want employers to discover, you will generally have the option to delete them—but be careful! You can never completely erase something from the Internet once it’s there. In the meantime, you can do damage control by carefully considering what you post and only letting pictures and other forms of media slip through if they contribute to your efforts toward personal branding for senior level managers.

  1. Begin a Blog

Blogging usually isn’t something executives think of when it comes to boosting c-level personal branding. The benefits are proof enough for you to consider starting one, though. Experienced executives have a lot of knowledge that may be beneficial to many other people. You would be surprised how many executives search for information online. Getting noticed for articles you write is a great way to enhance your branding. It can also increase your network. Putting a link on your LinkedIn profile to let your connections know where to find your blog is a great way to share your knowledge and build your brand.

  1. Identify Others with Successful Brands

You can find other people who’ve built personal brands by connecting with those who are in either the same industry or are alumni from your alma mater. Search through LinkedIn and reach out. Connect with these people as soon as possible for tips on how to better construct your personal brand. If you play your cards right, these new associates should prove valuable!

The concept of personal branding seems simple enough, yet many professionals don’t quite understand the ins-and-outs of it. Personal branding is an ongoing process that can take years to develop, but only seconds to destroy. The real secret to branding is identifying your unique traits and communicating them consistently in everything you do.

 

FSC Career Blog Author:  Ms. Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, CERW, CEMC, is a Certified Professional Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, named one of Forbes “Top 100 Career Websites”. Considered an influencer, she is consistently listed as a “Top Career Expert to Follow” on Twitter and LinkedIn.

 

FSC Career Blog  –   July 21, 2020