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#JobSearch : Employers Want – And Will Pay For – Soft Skills. Are You Focusing On Them Enough? Got Kids? MUst REad!

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Gallup and Amazon Web Services recently completed a study that assessed workers’ job satisfaction based on their digital skills, including information technology, coding, data analytics, and search engine and social media marketing. The survey showed that workers with digital skills experienced higher job satisfaction, increased wages, and felt safer from layoffs or firings. The pay bump was particularly pronounced: those with advanced skills could expect about a 65 percent premium in compensation over those without digital skills.

The importance of having some technical skills in a world where technology advances at exponential rates means that much press is given to the importance of learning these skills. And indeed, it is important to have – at some level – a firm grounding in technical topics. But far less attention seems to be given to the other side of the skills coin: the soft skills.

This Forbes article points out that employers rank soft skills higher than technical skills when hiring new employees. Knowing how to code may be critical if you’re a software developer, but those skills won’t matter if you can’t do the soft things: work well on a team, lead a project, communicate clearly, and think critically. Soft skills are particularly important if you want to take on more responsibility – they are the grease that allows you to successfully move from an individual contributor role to a leadership one. Indeed, in an article talking about the importance of soft skills to career advancement, the author references this LinkedIn survey, noting,

“Technical capabilities can only take you so far in your career. To really soar, you need skills that are harder to measure but critical to success. In LinkedIn’s … report, 89 percent of recruiters say that when a hire doesn’t work out, it usually comes down to a lack of soft skills.”

Here at Harvard Business School, our faculty have produced thousands of pages of research on the importance of soft skills. And the portfolio of online certificate programs we offer reflects this sense that while accounting and finance skills are important to a modern business, they are nothing without the more human skills. Courses centered on leadership, power dynamics, management, and negotiations are examples of those that teach “pure” soft skills. But even those courses that are geared toward the more technical skills regularly touch on the soft ones as well.

 

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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 …

You can find plenty of free content online regarding soft skills development. But learning about leadership in any meaningful way through a Google search is much harder than learning how to code in Python. To be effective, online soft skills educational content needs to utilize features like self-assessment tools, complex interactive simulations, and real-world stories to ground learning. Producing such courses can be difficult and expensive.

Even then, many are skeptical that soft skills can be taught – either online or in person. Some evidence suggests that they can. But that prompts a question: even if they can be taught, do employers pay for soft skills as they might for easier-to-quantify technical skills? There’s surprisingly less data on this. But with my years of experience as a manager and leader, I would unequivocally say “yes.” And a recent study we did at HBS Online provides evidence that soft skills do indeed translate into better economic outcomes.

In a survey of 2,000 past HBS Online learners conducted by research firm City Square Associates, 42 percent experienced an increase in salary, with an average bump of $17,000 in additional annual income. Twenty percent saw a bonus increase that averaged $14,000. That means that over the roughly eight-year history of HBS Online, the population of those who have taken one of our programs have collectively realized about $700 million in economic value. Admittedly, not every one of the respondents took a soft skills focused course; but many did. Even if only 50% of that $700 million in value could be attributed to soft skills, the numbers are meaningful and a strong indication you shouldn’t ignore soft skills development at any career stage.

A final thought: I recently sat in on an in-person executive education case discussion comprised of senior leaders from a financial services firm. The case study they were addressing related to a dysfunctional leadership team at a fictional company. The professor closed the discussion by recounting something he learned as a doctoral student after reviewing nearly 1,000 pages of research focused on leadership. He said that when he finished his review, he noted that there were ultimately only two things that matter for those aspiring to become effective leaders: hold those who report to you accountable for meeting ambitious goals and do it while demonstrating that you care.

That’s a compelling argument for the importance of soft skills.

 

Forbes.com | October 28, 2022 | Patrick Mullane

#JobSearch : Former Co-Workers Could Be Sabotaging Your Interview. You can Get Sabotaged When Applying for a New Job. A MUst REad!

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You can get sabotaged when applying for a new job. There have been many instances when a job hunter with all the right skill sets and experiences was knocked out of contention due to disparaging comments made by former employees.

Recruiters refer to this as a “back-door” reference. On an unofficial basis, behind the scenes and without the candidate’s knowledge, former colleagues get wind that a person is interviewing and go out of their way to deliver unflattering opinions about the person to people at the new company.

 

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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 …

Now, human resources, the hiring manager or other executives at the company are placed in an awkward position. They’ve received an unsolicited negative reference citing issues of the person not being a team player; they botched a big deal; are difficult to work with or some other action that raises red flags.

Armed with this knowledge, they have a couple of choices. If the applicant has impeccable credentials and is a perfect fit for the role, the company may want to bring up the negative reviews during the interview process. It would make for an uncomfortable conversation and blindside the applicant. However, raising the topic would allow the interviewee to offer their side of the story.

Some managers may elect to halt the interviewing process, offering vague comments to the candidate that they are going in a different direction, placing the role on pause or have already isolated a person for the job. This action signals that the managers lack confidence in themselves.

They could continue the process, which for mid to senior-level white-collar professionals, may mean three to six-plus interviews with several people conducted over about three months. After the culmination of the process, they’d possess sufficient information to render an intelligent decision, including the damaging unsolicited performance review. On the condition of extending an offer, the firm could require the candidate to submit references from their last two or three employers. The responses may be in complete contradiction to the allegations levied against the person.

This happened more frequently pre-pandemic when interviewing was nearly 100% in person. You need to be prepared. As companies pivot toward hybridization and workers back in the office, the pattern will start again. Staff will deduce you’re there for an interview, sizing up your new wardrobe and haircut. You could be that person walking into the building and navigating the hallways into the meeting rooms when a former co-worker recognizes you.

Some People Just Can’t Let Go Of Past Grudges

An empathetic person would make a mental note to say something positive about the candidate to help their chances of getting hired. Managers and human resources place credence on internal referrals. They feel more comfortable hiring someone well-known and highly regarded by a currently valued worker.

Unfortunately, there will always be people who harbor past grudges and can’t let go of prior arguments and disagreements. Some may feel that the person got a promotion, but believe they richly deserved it. There may have been some long-standing rivalry or they just disliked the person.

Try To Work And Play Well With Others

You don’t always have to be a people-pleaser, but try to get along and make friends and allies instead of enemies. It’s essential to be honest and trustworthy and deliver on your promises. Be respectful to your boss, co-workers and staff. Burnish a reputation above reproach that will follow you to the next job. Remain humble in your victories, and don’t blame others when you fail to achieve your objectives. Avoid talking badly about co-workers behind their backs. Praise and applaud your colleagues when they do well. The advice is both helpful for excelling in your career and minimizing the number of haters who are wishing for your downfall.

The Broken Recommendation Process

Recommendations from former employers are mostly a farce. Nearly all businesses ask for one to three or more references when applying and interviewing for a new job. This is one of the many standard practices that don’t make sense, but continue to happen out of habit.

The reality is that the applicant will seek out only those professionals who will say positive, flattering and overly kind things about them. It’s an open secret that everyone helps each other out in this aspect of the job search. Few people would say anything negative when asked to submit a reference. If that happens, the candidate would cast it aside and choose another person to write a reference. The result is that the company receives questionable references that may not be wholly accurate and are tilted in favor of helping out a work friend. Nevertheless, employers pretend that the reference checks are legitimate, which checks off another box on the interviewing to-do list, and have some cover if the newly hired person turns out to be a dud.

 

Forbes.com | October 28, 2022

#JobSearch : 4 Ways To Minimize Career Risk In A Market Downturn. Great Read!

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As multiple companies (Intel, Warner Bros. Discovery, Robinhood) announce layoffs, aspiring career changers like Kera might decide to pause their efforts. If you’re already anxious about the economy, you may not want to add on the anxiety of a job search. Even if you’re lucky enough to land a new job, job security is more tenuous for the new hire — you might be first-in, first-out in a market downturn. If your emotional and mental health is tenuous, the stress of a new job might be too much.

How do you move forward with a career change given the emotional and mental health issues during this pandemic and economic downturn? This is probably the most significant issue holding me back from actively pursuing my career pivot rather than continuing to “plan” for it. I still have a job that still provides a paycheck for now at least, and even though I am deeply unhappy in this job I am very hesitant to make that leap for fear of not being able to provide for my family (I am the sole income earner at the moment) just for a chance that I might be happier in a different job / company / industry. – Kera

However, you don’t have to quit your job right away. You can still move towards your dream career without jeopardizing your income. Even in a down market, you can minimize career risk while maximizing your chances at landing a job you love.

1 – Learn to be happy in an unhappy job

Jay worked in a niche area of tax where the typical career path stayed at one level for years. He was feeling stagnant, but generally liked his work and colleagues. Rather than quit a mostly good situation, he tackled the specific area of concern – his lack of growth and challenge – by pursuing professional development outside his job. He took on an adjunct role and became active in his trade association. While he eventually left his job, it was years later, and his outside-of-work efforts were significant in helping him land his next bigger role.

As Jay did, pinpoint the specific reason for your dissatisfaction with your current job, and work on that specifically. You might be able to find enough fulfillment outside of work that your unhappy job counts for less of your overall well-being. Or you might be able to work with your manager on restructuring the scope of your job, changing up your schedule or improving your work environment. Figuring out how to be happy in an unhappy situation helps minimize career risk for several reasons: 1) you’re not in a rush to leave and won’t settle for a suboptimal move; 2) you increase your resilience which is a helpful trait for managing the invariable ups and downs of a job search and overall career; and 3) you maintain an upbeat demeanor which makes you more attractive to employers, including your current one.

 

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Best Daily Choice: Follow the Best of FSC Career Articles/Blogs @

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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 …

2 – Start your career change quietly

Maybe you have already tried talking to your manager, or changing other areas of your life instead of your job. But you know for sure that it’s your job at the root of your unhappiness, and it has got to go. You can look for a new job or work on a career change confidentially, without jeopardizing your current job security.

Never use your work computer, email address or other work-provided resources for your search. Schedule your research, networking and other activities for lunchtime, breaks and after work. If you’re working from home, make sure you’re available when you’re expected, and don’t get sloppy about taking off so much time that you can’t get your work accomplished.

3 – Target a career change that doesn’t require a pay cut

It’s a myth that changing careers means making less money. One policy analyst moved from non-profit to technology, so he actually made more money after switching industries. You can help your chances by targeting high-paying industries. Then, save your raise as a buffer in case of a market downturn!

Even if you’re already in a high-paying industry, a career change may still be feasible. An investment banker moving to education did give up the big banking bonuses, but she actually made the same base salary when making the switch. She was able to land a senior enough role in her new industry by focusing on transferrable skills and expertise to the new industry – something all aspiring career changers should do.

4 – Negotiate your next job offer with job security in mind

There’s a real risk of moving to a new job, and being the first-in, first-out in a downturn. Before accepting a new job, negotiate a severance package if your job is eliminated or restructured into something materially different. It doesn’t cost the company anything to guarantee your severance because they only pay for something they do (like job elimination or restructuring). Guaranteed severance clauses are typically structured so they don’t get paid out if you quit or get fired for cause.

In addition to aiming for guaranteed severance, you can improve your job security by thoroughly researching a company before you join. Is their industry growing? Is their market share within the industry growing? How strong is their financial position? How strong is the specific department you are joining?

Career risk exists whether you stay where you are or make a move

Sure, career change entails risk and discomfort. However, staying where you are still carries risk, and if you’re unhappy where you are, you’re already uncomfortable. The risk in staying put is that you still might be laid off, even if you are long tenured. Furthermore, your inertia might cause your skills to atrophy, your expertise to get outdated and your motivation to disappear – making you less competitive, once the market does improve. The best way to minimize career risk is to continually grow and challenge yourself – including stretching past your fear towards your dream career.

Forbes.com Author:  Caroline Ceniza-Levine
Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website or some of my other work here.
Forbes.com | October 15, 2022

 

#JobSearch : How To Prepare For The Massive Downward Shift In The Job Market. The Days Of Quitting Without Worry Are Gone. MUst REad!

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The music is fading out, and the party’s almost over. Up until about six months ago, the job market was blazing hot. Companies couldn’t find, recruit and onboard candidates fast enough to satiate demand. Businesses had difficulty retaining people, as they’d freely switch jobs to obtain better offers and higher compensation.

With record-level inflation rates, rising costs and a contracting economy, the job market is losing its luster. The September jobs report indicated that the Federal Reserve Bank’s program to fight inflation has taken a toll on hiring. The number of new jobs created, while solid, is still far below July and August—showing a slowdown in hiring.

 

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Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

Best Daily Choice: Follow the Best of FSC Career Articles/Blogs @

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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?

Answer: Simply go to our FSC Career Blog below & Type(#Jobsearch, #Resume, or #Networking) in Blog Search:  https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

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 Days Of Quitting Without Worry Are Gone

You now need to think very deliberately about your job, career and how to navigate the next year or so, which will likely be volatile. Job offers won’t be as lush as they were in 2021. If you can’t get the base salary, bonus and stock options you want, look into the benefits to see if there are other ways that you can benefit with a job switch.

Here are suggestions of what you should do to navigate your career during challenging times:

  • If you like working at your company, do everything in your power to make yourself useful and indispensable.
  • When searching for a new job, conduct an inordinate amount of research to know what you’re getting yourself into.
  • Find recruiters who specialize in your field, as they have close connections with the human resources and hiring managers, can advise you throughout the interview process and know about roles in the hidden job market.
  • Look into hiring a career coach and résumé writer to help you, especially if you haven’t been on a job hunt in a long time.
  • Put together an elevator pitch, role-play interviewing and prepare answers to commonly asked questions.
  • Get active on LinkedIn to be noticed. Cultivate a network of like-minded people to help you find job leads and make introductions to the target companies you want to work with.
  • Consider going back to school or taking online courses to learn new skills.
  • Be mentally and emotionally prepared for a long, drawn-out interview process. There will now be more applicants searching for jobs. Businesses will feel they can take their time waiting to hire the best person at the lowest salary.
  • Clear your head and carefully consider why you are leaving your current job.
  • Don’t quit your job unless you have a job already lined up.
  • Everyone will tell you what to do. Be skeptical of who is offering career advice.
  • Pivot to a fast-growing industry or reinvent yourself by learning new skills.
  • Don’t blindly accept a bad offer with a company and people you’re not comfortable with. Instead, weigh your options and think rationally.
  • Break your negative thinking. You won’t interview well if you bring the baggage from your last firm to the interview. No one wants to hire a person who bad mouths their former boss and co-workers. Nor do they want a person who is negative and bitter.
  • Make sure you know if there is a work-life balance at the company you’re considering moving to. Inquire if it’s a remote, hybrid or in-office work style.
  • Reduce your expenses, put money into an emergency fund and pay down high-interest-rate debt.

Data Shows White-Collar Workers Are Staying Put

The latest World Economic Forum Chief Economists Outlook report contends that a worldwide recession is “somewhat likely” and almost unanimously predicts wages won’t be able to keep up with escalating prices. According to new data from LinkedIn’s Workforce Confidence Index, pessimism prevails. Almost 50% of active job hunters self-reported that they lack confidence in their company and overall workforce. Even though the workers registered their discontent, many are holding back hunting for a new role. The Wall Street Journal reported that white-collar professionals are hanging onto their jobs and not joining the Great Resignation trend compared to frontline and other deskless workers.

There are concerns over a possible recession, hiring freezes and layoffs at companies ranging across all sectors. There have been announcements from a wide array of companies and sectors, including Bed Bath & Beyond cutting 20% of its corporate staff, Snap laying off 20% of staff and Ford jettisoning 3,000 salaried and contract workers in the United States, Canada and India. Boston-based online retailer Wayfair cut 870 jobs worldwide. Apple laid off about 100 contract-based recruiters. Walmart downsized around 200 corporate employees and online brokerage Robinhood parted ways with 23% of its staff.

How The U.S. Got To This Point

Starting with the financial crisis, the Federal Reserve Bank made accommodations to financially support the economy and stock market. Its policies remained largely the same leading up to the current Federal Bank Chair Jerome Powell.

During the pandemic, the Fed enacted policies, along with the government, to inject trillions of dollars into the economy, along with other measures to provide much-needed funds to families and stimulus to keep the economy afloat and people from losing their jobs. One of the results was the creation of massive bubbles in the stock and cryptocurrency markets, as well as venture-funded startups.

Now, Americans are paying the price for the bursting of the bubble. The programs led to runaway inflation, which has created another tax on people and companies. As costs rise, businesses raise their prices and families struggle.

Something needed to give. It started with hiring freezes and job cuts. This is likely to continue until the government can figure out some way to extricate the U.S. from the current environment, which may include a recession, high inflation and possible stagflation.

 

Forbes.com | October 11, 2022 | Jack Kelly 

#BestofFSCBlog :Over 5K Reads! 5 Tips To Beat The Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Increase your Chances of Beating the Bots & Get That Interview. GReat REad!

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You know the job you want, and you know you’ve got the right skills and experience to be successful, but you’re yet to be invited for an interview. In fact, you’ve rarely received so much as a follow-up email. Surely that many recruiters can’t have passed over your RESUME/CV?

Before you start to doubt your credentials, there might be one important step you haven’t considered. As with so many areas of our lives, many hiring professionals now rely on technology to help them screen applications.

So the problem is that an actual person might not see your RESUME/CV for a long time after you submit it. Instead, it will pass through an applicant tracking system (ATS); an HR tool that determines whether your RESUME/CV is a match or not based on keywords.

 

This means you need to become an expert in beating the bots. The good news is there are some simple steps you can take to get your RESUME/CV past an ATS.

 

Include the right keywords

The most important thing you need to do is ensure that your RESUME/CV contains the right keywords. Recruiters will search for RESUME/CVs based on set keywords and criteria relevant to the role, so if you haven’t included these in your application, it will likely go unnoticed.

These keywords could be specific skills, qualifications, and job titles that showcase your experience. The best way to ensure you’re ticking the right boxes is to look through the job description and pick out the specific requirements set out by the employer. You can then pepper these keywords throughout your RESUME/CV.

For example, if the recruiter is looking for a ‘web developer’, be sure to get the job title in there. Not only this but be sure to highlight important skills such as ‘project management and ‘testing’. You could also include specific tools if the recruiter has listed them, such as ‘CSS’ or ‘JavaScript’.

In doing so, you make it much easier for the ATS to scan through and find all their relevant keywords, flagging that you’re a good match for the recruiter’s search criteria.

 

Like this Article?  Share It!    You now can easily enjoy/follow/share Today our Award-Winning Articles/Blogs with Now Over 2.5 Million Growing Participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

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Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

Best Daily Choice: Follow the Best of FSC Career Articles/Blogs @

https://twitter.com/search?q=bestoffscblog&src=typeahead_click

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

Answer: Simply go to our FSC Career Blog below & Type(#Jobsearch, #Resume, or #Networking) in Blog Search:  https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

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 …

 

Cut the fluff

When it comes to writing a strong RESUME/CV, it’s always important to ensure you only include the most relevant information. However, when trying to beat an ATS, this is even more important.

Though it might usually be beneficial to give details of your passion for the industry, how you’ve risen through the ranks, and your willingness to keep learning, these are rarely termed a recruiter will search for using an ATS.

Therefore, it’s best to cut the fluff and keep your RESUME/CV clear, concise, and absolutely to the point. Stick to actionable skills, qualifications, and job titles that you think recruiters might be searching for.

 

Use traditional headings

Your RESUME/RESUME/CV should be broken up into sections to make the information easier to digest. However, you need to ensure you’re using standardized headings and making them clearly different from the body text. Otherwise, you might confuse the ATS, prompting the tool to organize your information incorrectly. This will make it harder for recruiters to run searches and find your RESUME/CV.

With this in mind, it’s best to stick to traditional headers like a personal profile, key skills, work experience, and education to help organize your information, and ensure all headings are big and bold.

The same applies to job titles. Be sure to use clear and traditional job titles, specifically those listed on the job description. Avoid any quirky titles you might have had in the past, such as developer evangelist or cloud chief architect, as these will only be confusing and could cost you an interview.

 

Format your RESUME/RESUME/CV correctly

An ATS might be very technically advanced, but it still has limitations. At the end of the day, it is a machine and not a person, which means poor formatting can make it impossible for the machine to scan and understand your RESUME/CV.

To give yourself the best chance of beating the bots, you need to make sure your document is left aligned, with margins of at least half an inch. Also, be sure to use standardized fonts such as Arial or Verdana and no smaller than font size 10.

Ensure all information is contained within the body of the document and nothing has spilt into the header or footer. This will boost your chances of application success.

Choose the right file format

You’ve spent hours carefully crafting your RESUME/RESUME/CV, so you don’t want to fall at the final hurdle. You need to make sure you save your file in the most reader-friendly format. Some job descriptions will specify the type of file you should submit; however, if this is not the case, it’s best to stick to a Word document or PDF, because they are easily readable by machines. Never submit your RESUME/CV as an image file because most ATS will not be sophisticated enough to pull words from a non-text-based document.

Keep these five tips in mind as you continue your job search, especially if you suspect your RESUME/CV will be going straight to an ATS and not to a person. This will increase your chances of beating the bots and securing an interview.

Forbes.com | September 27, 2022 | Andrew Fennell

#JobSearch : How Companies Mislead And Take Advantage Of Job Seekers And Employees. Welcome your Comments/Suggestions!

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Recruiters have an inside look into how companies take advantage of job seekers and employees. With all the arguments over remote work or being forced to return to the office, one key issue is often forgotten: large publicly traded companies primarily care about making profits, lining the pockets of the top executives and keeping the shareholders happy.

They pretend to be concerned about the well-being of the workers when it’s a hot job market and top talent is in high demand. When the need to hire subsides, businesses immediately lay off employees, enact hiring freezes and dump all the extra work on the remaining people.

What To Watch Out For When You Are Interviewing Or Just Started At A Company

The Job Description: A Work Of Fiction

It starts with the job description. Noticeably, the compensation isn’t listed. Think of every transaction you do in life. The costs are clearly shown if you go to the supermarket, attend a sporting event or book a plane trip. While there are pushes to enact salary transparency laws, if you go on any major job board, you won’t see the salary, bonus or benefits clearly indicated.

 

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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 …

Long, Involved, Glitchy Job Applications

You are then forced to fill out a lengthy application that calls for sharing personal information and submit it into a clunky, glitchy applicant tracking system. There is no real need for this extra step, as the company also asks you to upload your résumé. Once you’ve taken an hour or so to review the job ad, answer all the questions and complete the applications, you’d like to believe that the firm would be gracious enough to contact you and let you know if you’re a fit or not. Instead, more often than not, you’re ghosted. Despite the time you have invested, there’s not even the courtesy of a reply.

You Are At A Disadvantage

The interview process is one-sided. The company tells you when and where you’ll interview, the amount of time you’ll need to interview, the number of internal people you will be meeting with and how long the hiring process will take is a mystery.

There will be long gaps between communications. There will be an absence of any meaningful feedback or constructive criticism offered about your performance—making it nearly impossible to improve your chances of shining.

How Much Does The Job Pay?

Usually, it’s good for the company to inquire about your salary expectations before commencing the interview process. Nonetheless, it’s all too common that at the end of a six-month interviewing ordeal, you are given a verbal offer significantly less than what you said you desired. The lowball offer is a test to see how desperate you are.

If you are in between roles, burning through your savings and eager to get back to work, the company believes you’ll suck it up and accept the offensive offer. The hiring personnel will be happy over how they saved the company money on the lower offer.

It gets worse when the company is cagey about bonuses, raises, promotions and benefits. Promises will be made and not kept. The hiring personnel will say, “The bonus structure is great! You can expect to earn a bonus of 20% to 30% of your base salary.’ They’ll add, “We aggressively promote people, provide stock and options, and our benefits program is top notch.”

When you ask for specifics, they dance around the topic. It’s awkward to push too hard, as you don’t want to come across as distrusting, so you let it go. Sure enough, the money isn’t there when bonus time comes around at the end of the year.

Human Resources Is Not Too Helpful

You’ll go to human resources and ask what happened. They’ll say, “Did you get it in writing,” to which you sheepishly reply that you did not. Cheerily, the HR person will tell you to make sure you get everything in writing within the offer letter contract in the future.

Sometimes an exploding offer is given. This means the company is putting pressure on you to make a quick decision within one or two days—to accept the offer or not.

This tactic preys on people’s insecurity. If you need a new job, but have a few other leads brewing, the applicant would prefer to have the time to pursue all options before deciding upon the best fit. The exploding offer forces you to forsake all the other possibilities and take the offer out of fear of not getting another one soon enough.

‘Sorry, We Went With An Internal Candidate’

You can spend weeks or months interviewing for a company and then be told, “Thank you. We really liked you and your skills are right on target. However, we are going in a different direction and promoting an internal candidate. Good luck with your job search!”

It would be sort of okay if they had told you at the beginning that there was a likely chance the job will go to an internal employee. Most people would understand and respect the fact that current employees get the first crack at internal job openings. You’ve wasted all of the outside interviewees’ time by withholding this crucial fact.

Rescinding An Offer

Imagine you’ve gone through the entire interview process and the hiring company extends an offer to you. You then execute the offer letter, complete your background check and tender your resignation at your current firm. You’re on track to start your new job and then suddenly, you receive an email from your new employer—or so you thought. It states, “We regret to inform you that we have made the very difficult decision to rescind your offer of employment. You will no longer be starting with us on your previously agreed start date.” You feel like you have just taken a sucker punch to the face, as the rug has just been pulled out from under you.

The situation now puts you in a precarious and very unfortunate position. Your world has been turned upside down, as now you find yourself without a job. Sure, you can go back to your former employer and beg for your job back, but you might have burned that bridge.

Regretting The Job Switch

With trepidation, you write a letter of resignation and tell your boss you’re moving on. Excitement is building, as you can’t wait to start your great new job.

At first, everyone seemed pleased. Then, over time, you notice that your tasks, assignments and responsibilities do not correlate with the original job description and what the recruiters and hiring managers told you.

It hits you that you’ve been the victim of a bait-and-switch. You were told one thing, but the reality is completely different. In fact, the role is lesser than the one you previously held.

Now, you’re stuck. Do you quit and cut your losses or stick it out for a year so that it doesn’t look like you are a job hopper? Either decision isn’t too great, leaving you feeling cheated and misled.

‘We Want To Know Everything About You, But Won’t Share What The Boss Is Like’

You realize that the company never provided any disclosures about your direct manager. Although they made you take a Myers–Briggs assessment test to find out if you are normal or not, the process isn’t reciprocal. It turns out that your boss is a monster.

The people involved with the hiring process conveniently left out that this job is like a turnstile, as people keep coming and going because the manager is so toxic. He’s a micromanaging bully that takes all the credit and hangs you out to dry when there’s a problem. This omission ruins your work and home life, as you bring back your anger, frustration and rage to the family.

 

Forbes.com | September 8, 2022 | Jack Kelly

 

#JobSearch : Why You Have A Better Chance Of Finding A Job In September. You Have a Small Window of Opportunity. A MUst REad!

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The Adult Version Of Going Back To School

September is one of the best times to kick off a job search. Not all seasons are the same when it comes to interviewing. Some times of year are considerably more active than others. January and September rank highest on the list of the hottest times to embark upon a job search.

As adults, we still harbor the dreaded back-to-school mindset. Once the summer ends and September starts, we begrudgingly accept the harsh reality that we need to get serious about our careers again. No more long three-day weekends on the beach or family vacations. We sadly say goodbye to the leisurely coasting through August and mentally prepare for getting back in sync with the daily grind.

Why It’s Slow And Frustrating In August

Human resource professionals, recruiters, hiring managers and others involved in the hiring process have been taking it relatively easy during the summer months, especially towards the end of August.

There are too many interruptions in the interview process during the summertime. As it’s prime vacation time, job hunters are frustrated by the lack of communication and intermittent interview requests. Job hunters are at the mercy of the vacation schedules of the corporate people involved with the hiring process.

It’s a cycle of one after another being out of the office, making it difficult to build momentum in the search. A job seeker needs to wait around as the HR person is away on holiday, then when she returns, the hiring manager is flying out to see family in another state or country. Upon the return, others tasked to be part of the interview cycle take their last bit of paid time off.

 

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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 …

Hiring Starts Revving Up Again

September is the unofficial tacit acknowledgment that we must get back into gear. Managers complain to their HR departments that they are not receiving enough candidate flow. They complain that the Great Resignation and Quiet Quitting trends are causing problems. The managers say, ‘we don’t have enough staff to keep up with the workflow,’ and they are afraid to fire the people who are coasting as they recognize it’s not easy to find replacements, and if they do, the salary demands and workstyle requirements will be much higher.

Feeling the heat, HR and internal corporate talent acquisition personnel ramp up their hiring process. They post job advertisements on LinkedIn and other sites, start outbound reach outs to solicit potential candidates, and consider promoting from within.

There is a small window of opportunity to source, recruit and onboard new employees. We have a stretch of around three months to procure talent from September to the beginning of December. Job hunters and companies must be active as the situation quickly changes around Thanksgiving. Once the holiday season commences, and we get closer to Christmas and Hanukkah, the job market slows down.

How You Can Take Advantage Of This Time

Try to block out all the challenges we’ve been confronting: record high inflation, a possible recession, higher interest rates, layoffs, monkeypox, and potentially getting dragged into Russia and the Ukrainian conflict.

Instead of looking at the bad stuff, view September as a reboot. Take bold steps to find a new job or advance within your current firm. Ask colleagues who found a great new job who were their recruiters. Get in touch with the headhunters and share what type of role, compensation and corporate title you seek. Now that companies are ordering people to return to the office, investigate what position a target company is taking; will it be remote, hybrid or in-office?

If you’ve neglected your resume and LinkedIn profile, start updating them. Reach out to people in your network to find interesting, lucrative job leads. Brush up on your elevator pitch. Roleplay interviewing with others to practice before you go on official interviews.

Since the job market is more tenuous compared to 2021, it’s understandable that you may not want to switch jobs. If that’s the case, initiate a campaign to advance within your current firm. Request a conversation with your boss to discuss your future. Share what you want to do next. Push a bit to get a timetable of how fast you will advance and what you specifically need to do to exceed expectations.

What To Watch Out For

September is a good starting point, but it’s not perfect. You need to be aware of timing issues. For example, white-collar, tech and other mid to high-level professionals expect a hefty bonus around January. Find out if the company will make good on the money you’ll be leaving behind.

Employees in fields such as Wall Street and the tech industry receive large bonuses, stock and options in addition to their base salaries. After a lengthy interview, the person may tender their resignation in October.

With a two or three-plus notice period, the person may start the new job in November. This could cause a challenge for the company doing the hiring. The firm may push back on paying out tens of thousands to the incumbent to compensate for the money they are walking away from. Some managers feel it’s not worth it to buy out a bonus, stock and options for only working at the new company for one month or so and move on to other applicants.

As you’ve noticed, we are going through fast-changing times. Thoroughly check out the company that you’re interviewing with. You want to find out if they have any layoffs planned, how they dealt with prior downsizing, and if they are in a stable financial situation or facing problems. If you know someone at the company, discreetly ask them if they can fill you in on any potential issues that could change your mind about continuing the process.

 

Forbes.com | September 5, 2022 | Jack Kelly 

#BestofFSCBlog : Over 8K Reads! 5 Ways To Manage Your Career Ahead Of A Recession. Chances are You’re feeling some Concern about the Economy and the Job Market.

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If you’re an employee, chances are you’re feeling some concern about the economy and the job market. And your concerns are reasonable, given the number of companies taking action to lay off workers or freeze hiring.

But while it’s easy to let your anxiety take center stage, you can respond proactively and also protect your current position with some pragmatic choices.

Concerns Are Justified

As you consider how to react to the current context, it’s helpful to be clear about what’s going on and focus on the facts. According to a study by the Conference Board, 41% of respondents believe we’re already in a recession, and 33% believe we will be in a recession in the next six months.

Much of this belief is based on organizations which are tightening their belts. For example, 36% of people say their companies are restricting hiring to critical roles, and 22% say hiring has been frozen entirely. Another 19% report their company has taken steps to restructure, and 13% say their organization is laying people off.

A study of 4,500 people by FlexJobs reinforces concerns with 25% of people saying they’ve been laid off or know someone who has. And 18% of people have had an offer rescinded or know someone who has. According to the Conference Board research, concerns about job loss are concentrated among Millennials with 64% expressing worry compared with 46% of Gen X and 26% of Baby Boomers.

 

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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 our corporate partners for the opportunity in serving & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment!

Article continued …

Taking Action

While it’s best to stay calm, it’s also smart to know what’s happening around you so you can respond constructively.

Focus on Your Finances

Choices about your career are closely tied to your finances and the degree to which you feel financially secure and financially flexible. Whether you’re facing a potential layoff or a job change, these experiences are woven closely with your financial position. Many people are fearful. The Conference Board found 60% are worried about a decline in the stock market. This was especially true for Baby Boomers, 71% of whom are concerned compared with 59% of Gen X and 43% of Millennials. In addition, people are also anxious about losing their jobs (42%) and the loss of health benefits (14%).

By making some changes in your investments, spending and budgeting, you can shore up your position for a shifting job market. In the Conference Board research, 66% of respondents plan to respond to economic slowdown by curtailing their spending or delaying bigger purchases (54%) like cars or houses. Many (32%) are planning to increase savings or shift their investment portfolios (19%) to reduce risk. All of these are strategies you could consider.

The bottom line: More financial freedom also gives you greater career confidence—knowing you can survive if your job is eliminated or if you want to jump to another opportunity.

Focus on Your Choices

Another key step you can take is to evaluate where you are in your career—and whether you want to dig into your current role or make a change.

In the FlexJobs study, inflation was a factor for 80% of people who reported it’s impacting their career decisions. And 73% of people said the biggest concern affecting career choices was a recession. According to the Conference Board study, 40% of Baby Boomers say they’ll delay retirement if there is a recession.

Given these factors, there are three ways you can think of your choices:

  • Consider how much you’d like to make a change, knowing the job market is tightening. Focus on two questions: What’s satisfying or dissatisfying in your current role? How important or impactful are those elements for you? For example, if you lack a sense of meaning in your work, and if this is having a significant effect on your motivation and happiness, it may be wise to make plans for a job search. On the other hand, if the organizational communication is sub-par, but it doesn’t have a huge effect on your day-to-day experience, your best bet may be to stay where you are.

 

  • Consider whether something better is available. In a tighter job market, you may also have less power than you had in the past—in terms of demanding pay, benefits or even remote work. In the FlexJobs survey, 44% of people thought it would be harder to find a remote job in the coming year. They’re probably right. Greater numbers of employers are seeking to bring people back to the office at the same time more people are looking for jobs—and people are increasingly willing to take jobs that require time in the office.

 

  • Also, consider how much effort you’d like to put into a job search. In the FlexJobs survey, 62% of people didn’t feel very confident about their ability to find another job, given the market. In addition, 43% said it took them more time to find a new job than in their previous searches. Know that if you choose to make a change, there will be a fair amount of effort you’ll need to spend on searching for a new role. Factor this into your decision making.

 

Focus on Performance

Another way to respond to potential headwinds in your job security or career options is to perform brilliantly and bring your best. When times are tough, it’s easy to become anxious or distracted. Don’t lose your attention, and avoid getting pulled into the rumor mill. Employers value those who keep a cool head and maintain engagement, even when things are challenging.

Focus on doing great work. Focus on your customers (internal or external). Focus on your team and your colleagues, and delivering great outcomes to them. When you can maintain your motivation, it will enhance your value and your job security.

Focus on Your Network

Another smart investment of your time and energy through tough times is in your network. You may be facing concerns, but so are your friends and co-workers. Tune in, ask questions, listen and demonstrate empathy. When you focus on the community and how you can support others, it will add to your own happiness and fulfillment, and will be a benefit to the team.

In addition, renew connections in your network. When you invest in your relationships on an ongoing basis, people are more likely to be present if you need their help in testing the waters for a new opportunity or seeking a new role.

Focus on the Future

You can also manage your concerns and reduce your worry by focusing on the long view. Remind yourself there are always ebbs and flows in the economy and in any role—and you have the skills and talents to get through successfully. Focus on what you can learn as you face challenges and overcome them.

Ironically, when things are significantly disrupted, the situation can be especially rich for new possibilities. You may find yourself with severance or outplacement support to find the new job you’ve been wanting anyway. Or the company restructure may position you perfectly to take on a new role which is the perfect next step.

Resilience is about three things: knowing what’s happening, making sense of it and then responding or improvising. Stay informed, evaluate how the situation is affecting you and then be proactive with your response. Every tough situation you encounter builds your capability and your adaptability. Resilience is a muscle you can build, and focusing on your own ability to get through will help.

In Sum

You may face challenges, but you can be proactive and protective. Shore up your finances and evaluate your current role. Ensure you’re adding value to the company and community. And overall, stay optimistic. Give yourself permission for a down day now and then, but then get back up and look forward—to all that will be coming over the horizon.

Forbes.com | August 23, 2022

#JobSearch : Why It’s A Smart And Effective Strategy To Interview In August. Good News -Bad News. MUst REad!

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August is traditionally one of the slowest months for hiring. The slowdown is comparable to the December holiday season. The major reason for the usual lull in the hiring process is that August is the last chance to take a summer vacation. Most families take time off around Christmas, Hanukkah and during the summer months, especially August.

A new vibe sets in toward the unofficial last month of the summer. Three-day weekends, summer Fridays and mentally checking out of work are commonly accepted practices. It’s an unwritten rule that this is the prime time for families to take their long-awaited trips to Disney, visit family, fly to Europe, check out interesting destinations across America or relax on a sunny beach, reading a trashy novel or just being in a moment of peace and tranquility.

What To Anticipate When You’re Interviewing

If you are in search mode, be prepared for more than the usual ghosting, absence of communications and lack of feedback. Since it’s prime travel and sightseeing season, there will be a turnstile effect occurring at companies. One person after another will be out of the office.

An interview scheduled weeks in advance will get canceled the night before, as the human resources professional reported that they have a cold and need to reschedule. They most likely emailed the change from their summer home in the Hamptons or Catskills.

Upon miraculous recovery, the HR person is back to work, but now the hiring manager is off on a two-week vacation. No sooner than when the supervisor returns, there is a domino effect of all the other parties involved in the interview process saying they’ll be on vacation or away for a few days. You were probably receiving communications about the process and now the emails, texts and phone messages have subsided. This pattern will last throughout the rest of the month into the first couple of weeks of September.

 

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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?

Answer: Simply go to our FSC Career Blog below & Type(#Jobsearch, #Resume, or #Networking) in Blog Search:  https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

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 …

There Will Always Be Some Opportunities Available

Don’t give up hope and put your search on hold. You can’t generalize that everything grinds to a standstill. There will always be a small number of roles deemed by management to be essential and need to be filled immediately.

For the crucial open roles, you’ll have a big advantage if you are actively hunting for a job. Fewer candidates will compete for the same job, as they’re off vacation. Even if people don’t go away, they mentally check out.

A smart contrarian plan is to aggressively search for a job while there’s less competition. You’ll stand out that way. With fewer résumés submitted, yours will resonate with the hiring manager. Savvy HR professionals and long-time managers know that if they neglect hiring over the last part of the summer, they’ll be inundated with angry requests from managers yelling, “Why don’t I have any applicants for my job openings?”

The forward-thinking people involved with the hiring process recognize things may move slowly, but they’ll proactively build a solid pipeline of candidates willing and ready to interview once mid-September rolls in. They know that mid-September resembles that back-to-school mentality. It’s the feeling that summer and fun is over and it’s time to get serious and focused again.

The Behind The Scenes Reasons Why Businesses Will Hire Now

Smart hiring managers know from experience that they’ll be caught flat-footed in September and October if they don’t continue hiring now. If they wait until September to re-up the hiring cycle, the time frame may take three to six months to place job listings online, review the onslaught of pent-up demand résumés, retain recruiters to assist with the hard-to-find prospects, conduct interviews, run background checks and prepare an offer. The recipient of an offer would require two or three-plus weeks for their notice period. This would bring you into a start date in late November or early December, which triggers big issues.

White-collar professionals in sectors, such as Wall Street and tech, rely heavily upon their oversized bonuses. In a blazing hot market, companies would buy out bonuses to allure a person to join their organization. It’s not an insignificant amount of money. An investment banker or software engineer may expect high five-digit bonus figures.

A placement in August allows someone to qualify for a bonus if they switch jobs. The longer the time goes by, companies may not want to buy out or give a person a $50k bonus for only working a month or so at the new firm.

In this current economy and job market that is characterized by uncertainty, including runaway inflation, a recession, possible stagflation, layoffs, job-offer rescissions and hiring freezes, it’s more than likely that companies won’t want to shell out a significant bonus. They’ll instead pass on the candidate and wait for someone else who doesn’t require a large bonus reward.

Search For A Job, But Also Practice Self-Care

Understandably, folks don’t want to embark upon a lengthy job search in brutally hot weather. It’s not pleasant to go into the subway station in New York City when it’s 95 degrees and humid outside. The temperature uncomfortably rises as you’re waiting by the railroad tracks. After departing the crowded train car, squished between two sweaty people, you’ll need to walk about 10 blocks to the building for an in-person interview. By the time you arrive, you’re sweaty, your attire is wrinkled, your hair disheveled and you’re starting to get cranky and irritable. This isn’t the best way to shine in a first meeting.

Despite the challenges, you should still continue interviewing. After two-plus years of unrelenting stress and anxiety, taking time out for self-care is not unreasonable. You owe it to yourself to process the effects of the pandemic, try to comprehend what will happen with runaway inflation and a recession and question if the job cuts and hiring freezes are the new normal. With the slower pace at the office and the ability to sneak away while working remotely, it’s easy to just coast for a while and decompress.

What Companies Should Do

After all these years, you’d think executives would see the cycles and take action. It would make sense for business leaders to call for vacation schedules that would make it easier to streamline and fast-track the hiring process.

Businesses lose two or more months of interviewing and vetting candidates by not taking proactive measures. Once companies return to a normal schedule, there will be pent-up demand for hiring without sufficient applicants available. Feeling that they’ve been ghosted, some may have given up. Top talent will have already found jobs with more motivated candidate-friendly companies.

Management should embrace the summertime vibe. As 4 million Americans quit their jobs every month, if companies are missing out on hiring during August, the least they could do is stem the tide of attrition.

With the slower pace, team leaders should schedule time to talk with their staff. They could go to an offsite location and the worker could share their goals. The manager, in turn, can address their desires, ask for feedback, provide accolades for their accomplishments and share constructive criticism that would help them grow and flourish.

The Bottom Line

August is a great time to both enjoy a relaxing summer and search for a great new job, as there will be less competition and you can stand out.

 

Forbes.com | August 4, 2022 | Jack Kelly 

#BestofFSCBlog : Over 12K Reads! Instead Of Worrying About A Recession/Job Loss, Do This Instead. Great REad!

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It doesn’t matter if the United States is in a recession or not. The Federal Reserve Bank chair Jerome Powell, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and President Joe Biden have all weighed in: America is not in a recession, and is headed for a more robust economy.

The current administration needs to make Americans feel confident that although the U.S. may be mired in a bad situation, the country is headed in a more positive direction. The longtime, standardly held definition of a recession is two consecutive quarters of contracting growth. If the Fed, treasury secretary and president all offered a present and future of lower expectations, including continued high inflation, a recession and job losses, businesses would pick up on their lead and engage in massive cost-cutting initiatives to remain solvent.

The current climate is far different than past recessions. Usually, recessions have high unemployment rates. The U.S. is at full employment with a record-low unemployment rate of 3.6%. Businesses are begging for workers. There are over 11 million jobs open.

Also, consumers are spending despite the higher prices. In a recession, it’s reasonable to expect families to curtail their expenditures. Instead, restaurants, bars, airports, hotels and in-person events are packed.

Why It Doesn’t Matter

It’s the job of Wall Street experts, economists and politicians to prognosticate stubbornly high inflation, a possible recession and layoffs. Tune them out, as it doesn’t matter. You don’t have control over these global macro events. The one thing you have is the ability to manage and drive your own career.

It would be naive to think that the litany of woes, such as supply chain disruptions, inflation eating into your paycheck and savings, an endless war in Eastern Europe, constant political in-fighting and a steady flow of announced downsizing, won’t impact your job and career. Despite all the obstacles, you need to block out the noise and look out for yourself.

 

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What You Need To Do Now

Tune out the negative and take a good, hard look at your job, career and the company you work for. Research the financials of your organization. Search online for any developments that could negatively impact your company’s products and services. Request a meeting with your boss. Ask them to share what is going on with the organization. Delve into questions about the possibility of layoffs, hiring freezes and allowing attrition without replacements. You want to know the company’s financial shape and whether or not it can withstand the current challenging environment.

If you sense that your future within the company won’t be too rosy, take immediate action. Put together a résumé and complete your LinkedIn profile. If you’re not sure what to do, reach out to professional career coaches and résumé writers who can do it for you.

Get In Touch With Recruiters

Contact recruiters for assistance. Not all headhunters are the same. Some are contingent, meaning they only get paid by the company if they make a placement. Retained recruiters primarily focus on C-suite and top executives. Staffing firms generally deal with contract and gig workers. You need to know the differences, so you won’t get offended if a retained recruiter ignores your reach out. You’ll have a better outcome if you find a search professional who focuses on your specialization. The recruiter will intuitively understand what you do, without needing a lengthy explanation. Inquire if the search agent has long-standing contacts with hiring managers, human resources and internal, in-house talent acquisition professionals. Good recruiters will have insider knowledge about the people, corporate culture, the type of applicants they tend to hire, salary ranges, bonus expectations and future internal-growth potential. Experienced headhunters have negotiated salaries for years, and can relieve you of this unpleasant exchange.

Seek Out Job Leads Through Your Network

One of the best ways to find hidden jobs that aren’t posted online is through networking. The term “networking” tends to have a negative connotation for many people. Put this aside. You want to tap into the people you know and trust for job leads.

Make a list of friends, family, neighbors, folks from groups and organizations you’re involved with, colleagues, former co-workers, college alumni and others who could potentially help you. Let them know the type of job you desire, a target list of companies you want to work with and the approximate compensation and title you’re interested in.

Asking for a favor can be awkward. Depending upon the closeness of the relationship, make a phone or video call, invite the person for a coffee, drinks or dinner or simply just send an email. Be honest and direct about your intentions. Keep in mind that it’s less uncomfortable than being unemployed or stuck on a sinking ship without options.

Engage On Social Media To Gain Attention

Another act that requires you to get out of your comfort zone is getting involved with social media. Depending upon your job and career, seek out relevant social media platforms. LinkedIn is an excellent way to start if you are a mid to senior-level, white-collar professional. Send invitations to people who may have access to the jobs you desire. Respond to posts from leaders in your space to attract notice. Write your own content to stand out as an expert. For those in between jobs, it’s acceptable to place the #opentowork banner on your profile. However, this one act isn’t enough. Explain why you are seeking a new role and concisely share the responsibilities you held at your last couple of jobs. Be sure to indicate what you want to do next. By doing this, recruiters, HR and others can understand what you’ve done and what you are now looking for.

TikTok and Instagram are go-to sites if you are young and starting your career or work in a creative field. Twitter is a valuable medium to share your expertise and wisdom, attract an audience and let them know about your search efforts. Join job-seeking groups on Facebook. Let your connections know that you are embarking upon a job search and need their advice, guidance and access to leads.

Stay Positive And Manifest Your Bright New Future

The goal is not to let yourself get overwhelmed by all the dire events. It’s easy to succumb to the never-ending barrage of negative news. To combat the doom and gloom, make a practice of staying positive. It won’t be easy. Throughout the day, think of something that worked out well. Have gratitude for all the good things in your life. Beat back ruminations over past failures. Have several mantras to repeat internally when you need a pick-me-up. Try manifesting getting the job you want. On the more concrete side, enroll in online courses that could provide the knowledge, skills and credentials that may help you stand out against other job applicants.

Forbes.com Author: Jack Kelly – Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website or some of my other work here.
Forbes.com | July 29, 2022