December Newsletter | The 12 Tips of Job Search: All of Your Career & Job Search Questions Answered!
Each month over the last year I have shared insight and content on various aspects of career management and job search. Knowing that everyone’s needs and interests are different and can change, I thought that this “table of contents” approach to my 2024 publications might enable readers to more easily focus on topics that are most appropriate to them.
Each month the newsletter connects to Job Guy blog posts as well as external links to other expert sources that relate to the overall topic.
Spoiler alert: there are no Lords a Leaping or Geese a Laying in this holiday list of twelve.
What is the hidden job market?
We have all heard that 75% to 80% of jobs are landed through the hidden job market. But what is that exactly and how can it be accessed? The secret is building and maintaining relationships with people who are likely to know someone who may need your help.
It is also important to learn to think of yourself more in terms of why someone would hire you than simply as an occupier of a position that is posted online (which often happens after the desired candidate has already been identified).
The holidays are a great time to lay the groundwork for this. Learn more by clicking here.
I need a new career. Where do I start?
For a career to be gratifying, it needs to satisfy two criteria:
1. You should like the work
2. You should be able to do work the way you enjoy working
This sounds simple and it is. But it’s not usually easy. It can be a challenge to be objective when identifying our own transferrable skills. Likewise it is hard for job seekers to know what is truly out there when their only data points are jobs that are posted in their location in the moment.
And being able to do a job isn’t enough. The opportunity also needs to fit your needs on a work-life integration basis. Taking the right job in the wrong place can lead to jumping from the frying pan into the fire.
If you are considering a career change and are not sure what to do next, click here.
Why is my networking not working?
Networking is the clearest path to getting ahead of the competition for the best jobs. Most people approach it from the wrong direction. Networking is not about hitting up everyone in your network and asking them to help you land a job. That approach usually ends up in a burned-out network with nothing to show for it.
Great networking means reverse engineering the approach. The idea is to engage with those who are in a position to know people who have a problem you can solve so that they can be a hero to a close connection by introducing them to you. Building your messaging around who you can help vs. the help you need is quite empowering and much, much more effective.
Find out how to network more effectively here.
How do I prepare for a job interview?
Most people I meet think they do well in job interviews because they have succeeded when they are a known quantity to the key players in advance or when they are actively recruited while working somewhere else.
But nailing the interview conducted by unfamiliar people when there are similarly qualified competitors is an entirely different animal. This dynamic is complicated by the fact that most employers don’t train managers how to pick the right candidates. So there is an extremely high likelihood that your fate will be decided by someone who is self-taught (and maybe not well).
But these shortcomings can be leveraged if you know how. To learn more, see here.
When is the best time to search, interview, network?
Most of my clients are working full-time and are usually overworked. It is tough to add job search onto a full plate of job duties, family commitments, and the logistics of everyday life.
Making the most of the time you have is the best way to gain maximum benefit with the least amount of effort. And knowing when to do what can optimize the impact of each activity, saving time and energy.
Believe it or not, studies have been done that show the best times to do the important job search stuff. Check it out here.
How do I negotiate the best deal?
Offer stage is usually the time at which candidates have the most leverage. The better the starting point, the bigger the base you can build upon later. Preparing for the offer in advance is critical.
Employment is essentially a trade that involves you offering to impact an employer’s business in exchange for a package of money and benefits. The better job you do building value in the interview, the bigger the pie will be that you can push for a slice of.
And negotiating need not be adversarial. It is important to understand that getting an offer means that you and the employer have already agreed that you are the best fit to address their need. Now it is just a matter of working out the details around how both sides can win.
The time to think about negotiation is before the interviews even start. See why here.
How do I work best with recruiters?
I was a recruiter for a brief period of time and have gotten to know many others through my work as Job Guy. My experience has shown me that for a recruiter to be confident in presenting you to a company they must feel that you will reflect well on their firm.
This means not only that you are qualified but that you also present well on paper and in person.
My perspective on this topic pales in comparison to that of my recruiting friend, VP of Business Development at AMN Healthcare Dan Moore. See my interview with Dan here.
Should I be using employer review sites?
Employer review sites have come a long way over the last five years or so. They are excellent tools to determine if a company is a good fit for culture, compensation, strength of leadership, and more. No one should ever go on an interview without checking the employer out in advance through these sites.
I did hours and hours of digging to find the best of the best. See what I discovered by clicking here.
My job is stressing me out, what do I do?
Work related stress can limit career growth, damage your health, and break up families. Often times, addressing the emotional and psychological barriers head on is the best way to build a true foundation of competencies upon which to move forward.
Those experiencing anxiety or profound “imposter syndrome” might benefit from working with a coach who is clinically trained. While I am not qualified to do this kind of coaching, I know someone who is! Jessica Sweet is a career therapist who addresses both the emotional and logistical side of career management. Learn all about Jess here.
I am over 50, am I still hirable?
Most employers crave the competencies that older workers bring to the workplace. But often times their candidate management processes eliminate these folks at the starting gate.
Let’s face it, we have limited control over biases that employers may have about older workers. But we can make good decisions to avoid fitting the stereotype by presenting ourselves in a way that employers can more clearly see how well we fit.
Nearly every person I have met who has claimed age discrimination has made major mistakes presenting themselves correctly for the jobs they are targeting. I am not taking companies off the hook here, but let’s make sure we are doing our share before we attribute our lack of success to bias.
Ageism is my particular area of focus. Learn more about addressing age bias here.
I want to do better as a manager and leader. What can I do?
Managers are often faced with situations that may require them to take a quantum leap in the leadership department. This may be driven by an impending promotion, merger or acquisition, reorganization, substandard performance, or new job.
True leaders advance their own careers by bringing the best out in those around them. They drive better impact for their employer, too, which is why companies often foot the bill for coaches to develop their executives’ leadership skills.
Executive coaching isn’t something that any old coach can do well. The best ones are those who have been in a leadership role themselves and who have personally coached leaders in real world situations. I had the opportunity to interview such person when I spoke with Angela Justice last month. See what Angela has to say here.
Job Guy Tip of the Month:
Many people look to the launch of a new year to take stock of themselves and commit to positive change going forward. Changing careers or jobs is often high on those lists.
The problem is, unlike taking up cooking or starting an exercise program, getting a new job is not completely in your hands because it requires at least one other person to take action by hiring you. Success in job change isn’t always quick, so it is easy to get discouraged if the initial response rate is weak.
The newsletter content listed above provides a lot of insight into how to make a search go faster and better. But being stuck in a miserable job doesn’t necessarily have to be 100% bad. I am a big fan of using the toxic employer as they are using you. Try to think of your current role as an opportunity to add new skills to your toolbox and build your network on their dime.
Creating and executing a plan like this can give you back a sense of control. And few things feel better than handing in your notice to a bad boss while knowing that you are taking on a better position. I know this because I have been there!!!
For more information on how to make the most of a dead end job, check out my December blog post here.
