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#JobSearch : Don’t Let Social Distancing Halt Your Job Search. Great REad!

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With the global pandemic, many of our nation’s businesses, educational institutions, and entertainment venues have either lowered or ceased operations completely.

However, if you are in an active job search mode, there are plenty of ways you can still focus on your job search within the safety of your own home.  Meaning…don’t use a global crisis or “social distancing” as an excuse to stop your job search.

While we are all trying to deal with our own version of “Social Distancing”, it certainly does not have to stop job seekers from pursuing their dream jobs. This includes you!

Here are some tips for staying on top of your job search and getting closer to landing your dream job, even if you have to do so from home. 

Revisit Your Resume

  • Whether you are working from home for the first time or are an essential worker, take time to find your old resume, and get it ready for your job search. Your focus should be on updating your achievements, skills, professional development activities, and of course any employment or promotion changes since your last update.
  • Depending on when you last updated it, formatting may have changed, so be sure your format and writing quality aligns with today’s standards. And it cannot be stressed enough…proofread the entire document to ensure it does not have any typos or other errors. If you need help, don’t hesitate to hire a professional resume writing service.

 

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

Article continued …

Complete Your ENTIRE LinkedIn Profile

  • When you first created our LinkedIn profile, you probably filled in the basic sections necessary to get it up and running. Now is the time to fully optimize your entire profile. Look at it through the eyes of a recruiter. Start at the top and go through every section objectively. Does your profile picture still look like you? Be honest J Are your most recent achievements, your latest awards, organizations, promotions, etc. listed?
  • Think of LI as your virtual resume – it should have some of what is on your resume, in other words, all your jobs, achievements, awards, and education. The skills section should be completed with skills relevant to your current position. Make sure to use all 50 skills. Use this site for everything it has to offer―join groups, check out job postings, add to your network, reach out for recommendations, update your settings so recruiters can contact you, etc.  With so many people working remotely, people are online and not at the water cooler.

Connect with Your Network

  • Many people have more time on their hands these days and are more than happy to reconnect with past colleagues or mentors. Reach out to them, as well as other industry-specific clients who may know of openings in their own workplaces. Email, text, or pick up the phone and call these individuals, and let them know you’re looking to make a change in your career.
  • If you’re interested in certain companies, go to their websites and learn more about what they do and if they’re hiring.  If so, reach out to the “contact” person listed on the site.  Get your name out there!
    Plus, during a time of crisis is when people band together in unity. This is a great time to deepen your network even more. Reach out, offer free advice (relating to what you do if applicable), join discussions, and help where you can.

Interview Preparation is Key:

  • Interviews are still happening; they may just be through Zoom of Skype. (If you aren’t familiar with one of these platforms, learn about them and make sure that your equipment is working properly before your interview day.)
  • Preparation is key to nailing the interview, so practice answering potential questions and with a voice that is upbeat, full of confidence, and markets you and your credentials.  Practice in the mirror so you can see your facial expressions (my face gives everything away, unfortunately… does yours?).

Do your homework! Know who your audience is (this can be done when talking with the person(s) scheduling the interview with you), as well as the culture of the company. Gather all of your supporting documentation (resume, references, certifications, etc.).

As with any crisis, there are always things to do to stay positive and keep moving forward in your job search and in life.  You may not be able to meet with a hiring manager or recruiter in person right away, but you can get yourself prepared to do so in the very near future. While we are all trying to deal with our own version of “Social Distancing”, it certainly does not have to stop job seekers from pursuing their dream jobs. This includes you!

 

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 | April 27, 2020

How To Manage Your Career For The Next Decade — Three Career Trends To Watch In 2020 And Beyond.

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I have been watching careers as a consultant, recruiter and career coach for just over 20 years now. In the first 10 years, I focused on big changes in entry-level recruiting, specifically the decrease in organized campus recruiting for a more diffuse hiring process that required new entrants to the workforce to be proactive about managing their careers from day one. The second 10 years, those changes moved up into experienced recruiting, and the 24/7 job search became a harsh reality for every professional.

Today’s professionals still need to be proactive and manage their careers 24/7, but also need to manage for different careers altogether. Here are three career trends to watch in the next decade:

Everyone is an entrepreneur

Freelancing is on the rise – 1 in 3 Americans freelanced at some point in 2018, and 28% of freelancers are full-time compared to 17% in 2014. This is a career trend that is hard to undo since employers benefit from getting the specific resources they need when they need them (and save on the increasingly expensive benefits costs of traditional employees). Freelancers also report being happier than traditional workers.

The fix? Even if you stay in traditional employment, you will compete with freelancers. The most hirable professionals will manage their career (and job search) like the freelancing entrepreneurs. You have to sell yourself harder – you will need more than a resume to get hired. You have to be more targeted with your networking. Like a business, you will benefit from the publicity and will need to build a brand.

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

Continue of the article:

Reskilling is the must-have skill

AI, robotics and Big Data are some of today’s big disrupters, but there will be other disruptive innovations that add brand-new jobs and make other jobs obsolete. It is not a matter of if your job will change, but when. Today’s professional needs to know how to proactively change careers, not just search for a job in the same career –your original career choice may cease to exist or be unrecognizable.

The fix? Sure, you can research what the hottest jobs are right now, but those jobs will invariably change, and the requirements for individual jobs continually change. Rather than focus on what skills you need right now, make it a habit to continually reskill over time. Build a professional development plan, and budget it into your regular calendar. If it’s been a while since you have learned something new, start with something you enjoy even outside your career – learning how to learn, being comfortable as a student/ beginner again and building a love for learning are all helpful skills to have.

The new retirement age is never

People live into their 70’s on average, but peak earning years are your 50’s and 40’s (pay growth for college-educated women peaks at 40!). You need to be a good money manager to bank those earnings and stretch them as inflation increases and your average salary decreases over 20-30 years. 67% of seniors would prefer to not be working or to work fewer hours. One upside to working longer is that you could choose to move into a new career you enjoy.

The fix? Manage your money as closely and proactively as you manage your career. Manage your career for the ebb and flow of peak earning times and periods of unemployment and underemployment. Pursuing FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) is one way withstand career volatility. Reskilling and embracing an entrepreneurial approach (as noted above) will also help with career longevity. Since you need to focus on longevity, you also need to guard against burnout and keep yourself engaged and excited about your work. Finding success stories, like this 104 year old artist who sold her first painting at age 81, can help.

You have choices for where to take your career

It might sound scary to think about working longer, but it also means you have the time to build a career you love. It could be a lot of work to reskill, but it is also an opportunity to learn different things. It takes a different approach to manage your career like an entrepreneur, rather than an employee but it puts you in control.

Today’s professional has choices. Does that make you feel overwhelmed or excited? Are these trends an obstacle course to endure or an adventure to begin? How will you choose to approach this new decade?

 

Forbes.com | January 5, 2020 | Caroline Ceniza-Levine

#YourCareer : How Taking Control Of Time Will Make You Successful And Happier.

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We always hear people lecture us—usually our bosses and parents—that “time is money”. Time is an incredibly valuable finite resource. While you can get more money, we can’t create more time.  

Going into the new year and decade, it’s important to think about how you can maximize your time to fast-track your career. Just think about how quickly the last ten years flew by. When we reach the year 2030, you’d love to look back and relish all your amazing accomplishments. One of the best and smartest ways to achieve long-term success is to take active, thoughtful control of your time. Instead of squandering it mindlessly, you need to leverage time to your best advantage.

Most people lament that they are overwhelmed with work, responsibilities, family obligations and annoying chores. It doesn’t help matters that society makes it too easy for us to get distracted from our goals. Social media sucks us into scrolling endlessly through our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds, binge watching shows and movies on Netflix and engaging in other time-wasting activities.

You should develop a cost-benefit analysis of how you spend your time. If you can earn more money doing what you do best—your job and profession—compared to spending a lot of time doing tasks yourself, than it’s prudent to outsource the chores. This includes things like fixing leaky plumbing, electrical work, food shopping and house cleaning. The time spent on these tasks takes away precious time that you could be enhancing your career or spending it with your family. The chores should be delegated to others. The time spent on your career will return massive dividends.

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Question: Want the ‘the best/current articles/blogs on the web’ on Job Search, Resume, Advancing/Changing your Career, or simply Managing People?

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

Continue of article:

You also need to consider the dollar value of your time. Think of how much each minute, hour and day is worth to you. Contemplate what activities would result in furthering your career. For instance, if you are an attorney and bill out hourly rates ranging from $200 to $500, it’s a waste of your time, energy and money to mow your own lawn, shovel snow from your sidewalks and clean your home.  Put a price tag on your time and things will become more clear.

At first blush, this sounds arrogant and elitist. After digesting the concept, it’s simply practical. A landscaper may charge you about $50 bucks a month to take care of your lawn and a high school kid will happily take $30 dollars to shovel your driveway. While they are doing these chores, you can bill an extra few thousand dollars. You also avoid blowing out your back, slipping on the ice and doing a poor job on pruning the shrubs. You’re far better off allocating projects out to others and using the time to grow your career.

It’s also important to say ‘no’ to people. There are so many daily requests made of us at work and socially that takes up too much time without any benefits or upside. It seems harsh to do, but you need to protect your time from the intrusions of others. The more you allow people to consume your time and energy, the less you have to devote toward your career and life. This does not entail being mean or rude. When a friend asks you to help them move, you’re better off chipping in for a professional mover than schlep a couch and bed up five floors of a winding, narrow staircase.

According to Harvard Business School professor, Ashley Whillans, its smart and prudent to spend money to eliminate the stresses of repetitive chores. Your money buys you the precious commodity of time. Whillans emphasizes the happiness that is derived from the time taken back by not having to engage in certain tasks that you don’t like and are not good at.

In a TED Talk, Whillans says that “using money to buy ourselves out of negative experiences,” such as mundane and monotonous housekeeping and laundry is essential to de-stressing. She takes the concept further by asserting that it’s worth paying more money in rent or a home purchase closer to work as the time saved in commuting is invaluable. Her research shows that “buying time” leads to greater happiness and cuts down on the daily stress of life.

The concept may make some people feel guilty and uncomfortable. We’re always told to save money and do things ourselves. There is a little discomfort with paying people to deliver our  food, fold our laundry, drive us places and do all the unpleasant tasks. Instead, Whillans says to focus on all the value you have with the extra time saved, which will lead to greater happiness.

By taking control of time, it will make you more successful in your career and happier in your life.

 

Forbes.com | December 26, 2019  | Jack Kelly