Job Searching Sucks

Wendy Terwelp 1 Comment

I’ve been listening in on several LinkedIn groups of late and there’s a common theme, job searching sucks!

Comments have included: “No one hires older candidates.” “I don’t know how to communicate transferable skills.” “I know I sure don’t want to do what I did before…but…” “I hate networking.” “Who do I talk to?”

It’s true that many of the above are perceived obstacles. Let’s talk about some solutions that work in overcoming them.

1. Know what you want. If you don’t, it’s much harder for your network to help you. “Know anyone who’s hiring?” is not an effective networking opener. Plus, it is not the hiring decision-maker’s job to tell you what they have open or what position you may be good for. One HR director from Hallmark told me, “Help us out a bit. We’re not career counselors. Tell us what you want!”

If you’re making a change and are unclear of your new direction, I recommend completing career assessments to help you gain focus. Use a real person to help you, not just online assessment tools. A career coach or counselor can help you narrow down your choices and determine the right path for you. It’s a team effort, because your coach is objective, and sometimes a person needs help in defining goals (and a little prodding as well).

2. Age. You are the age you are. Trying to hide your age is going to be an eye-opener when you show up and appear older than 40. Rather than hide your age, demonstrate your value to an organization. What do you bring to the table BESIDES years of experience? A CEO of a staffing firm told me, “For people with 20 or more years of experience, DO NOT write that into your resume. Put a BENEFIT STATEMENT into your resume – something that speaks of how you 1) made the company money, 2) saved the company money or 3) streamlined procedures. Years of experience is immaterial and may indicate that you are just “old.” Companies want to know what kind of contribution you can make to their success – not how many years you’ve been working.”

I have worked with clients 50 and older. One 58-year-old client was very concerned about this. I must say, I had no idea she was 58, and only guessed she was older than 50 because I worked with her daughter previously. She was smart, savvy, dressed young – yet very professionally – and had modern glasses and haircut. This is important for interviews. Another, 62, bought a fitness club and runs this. All of my clients have “young” attitudes, are willing to learn, many are very physically active. You can talk about your marathon, bicycling, etc. on your interview if it comes up. If it doesn’t, know that you can mention relevant hobbies on your resume. I do not mean golf and reading. These are BORING. I do mean, if you ran a marathon in Prague, cool. Mention it. I did this for a client who was transitioning from being an experienced hospital staff nurse to pharmaceutical sales. She got the gig.

3. Transferable skills. Sure you’ve got them. It’s your responsibility to help employers connect the dots. It’s not an employer’s responsibility to do it for you. How? a) Demonstrate your thought leadership online – blog posts, tweets, article links, commentary all help you achieve this. BONUS – doing so shows you “get it” and are hip to online social media. b) Build your LinkedIn network. You are who you hang with. c) Read things outside your industry as well as inside. This gives you a broad perspective. Then communicate your new thoughts online, in white papers, and at your next industry gathering (professional network, etc.).

According to a Microsoft survey in 12/2009 about social media and hiring, 79% of interviewers said they Google candidates before meeting them. In another survey, 45% of employers said they would eliminate candidates based on what they found online.

Let’s help them find some good (not scary) stuff.

Want more ideas? Visit my newsroom here: http://www.knocks.com/News/News.asp, subscribe to this blog, and subscribe to my e-zine (http://knocks.com – check out the sign-up box).

5 Quick Tips for Social Media and Your Job Search

Wendy Terwelp 1 Comment

On LinkedIn, a person asked how others were using LinkedIn and other “more personal” social media sites for their job search. The responses were helpful.

One thing struck me though, and that was the fact that some people mentioned they keep their more personal info on Facebook and have LinkedIn and Twitter for a more professional brand.

While the intention is good, it’s important to keep in mind these five tips to help you protect your brand and your online reputation:

1. Know that whether you use Facebook for your pals or for business, according to a 2017 survey by Careerbuilder and Harris Poll, 70 percent of employers use social media to screen candidates, up from 11 percent in 2006. And 54 percent of employers chose not to hire a candidate based on their social media profiles

2. Employers use search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo to check your online presence, and 57 percent are less likely to interview a candidate they can’t find online. So avoiding social media is also detrimental. You’ll want a strong online presence before, during, and after your job search. A strong personal brand online can impact your opportunities throughout your career.

3. ANYTHING you put online stays there forever. Remember when you were a kid and they talked about your “permanent record?” Guess what, your online ID is your permanent record. (Think about Google’s “wayback machine.”)

4. It’s always a good idea to check your privacy settings regularly and ensure they’re secure. Use two-factor authentication in your social media accounts, where available. However, if it’s online, chances are someone can find it.

5. Google yourself regularly to see what pops up. Put your name in quotes, like this “Wendy Terwelp” – then see what’s mentioned in the first three pages. LinkedIn typically lands on page one. Ensure your LinkedIn profile is up to date and on brand for your current career goals.

If you’d like more tips on how to use social media to get hired faster, check out Rock Your Job Search, which walks you through the job search process step by step.

Copyright 2010 – 2019. | Wendy Terwelp | All rights reserved.

Job Action Day: Let’s do the Time Warp again!

Wendy Terwelp 1 Comment

It’s just a jump to the left…

As Halloween was just yesterday and Job Action Day is today, I thought my topic should be a little “Rocky Horror” with a focus on the Time Warp. Why?

Halloween lets us be whoever we want to be, even if it’s just for a moment.

Job Action Day’s theme this year is all about creating your own opportunity, because times have changed. Full-time gigs are rare and, according to Dr. Randall S. Hansen, founder and publisher of QuintCareers, “The workforce as we’ve come to know it will probably never be the same. Job-seekers must develop a whole new mind-set to thrive in this new world of work. That’s why our Job Action Day theme is ‘Create Opportunity,'” Hansen said. “The theme has a double meaning; not only must job-seekers create opportunity, but we encourage employers and the government to find ways to create opportunity, as well.”

So, while we can’t change the clock, we can change our way of thinking and our attitudes. Here are some tips to help you do just that:

1. Remember when you were a kid and you’d get asked the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” What did you say then? Try and remember. If you can’t remember exactly, write at least five ideas down right now, from the top of your head. Don’t think too long on this, just go with what pops into your head right NOW.

2. What did you come up with? Any dream gigs? One of my favorite quotes came from a kid in a news article. His answer to the above question, “What do I want to be when I grow up? Why, they haven’t invented it yet.” Heck, Twitter showed up in 2007. Be creative.

3. Can YOU invent it? Right now, original ideas are a valuable commodity.

What is one thing you can think of right now that’s original, out-of-the-ordinary or something you may have been afraid to try in the past? Go ahead, put your toe in the water. It can be done.

4. If you don’t know what you want, get some help figuring it out. This can be done through career assessments and it can also be done by asking questions of people you know. Combine the two activities, and you’ve got a powerful combination of tools to help you get that next big gig.

My client Eric did this. He came from a family of medical doctors. Every person in his family was a physician. Eric, however, sold medical devices. While it paid well, Eric wasn’t satisfied; he simply did not enjoy the job. We went back in time (Time Warp!) to identify what did excite Eric, what he did love, and using some powerful assessment tools and networking, Eric discovered he loved to build things. He was creative. His favorite (albeit unpaid) gig was remodeling his home. Eric decided to create his own home-building business and now builds home for VIPs, despite a “bad economy.”

5. If you’re passionate about it, you can make it happen. My client, Peter, 62 (at the time) was passionate about fitness. He had run and sold several businesses, had a JD (law degree) and an MBA. Now what? At 62, he had done it all or so he thought. What he decided to do for his next career move, was buy and run a fitness club. He made it happen. He tapped his network and brought in an experienced marketing guy to help generate business. Things are going well. What are you passionate about? Can it be turned into your next big gig? And who in your network can help you make it happen?

Let’s do the Time Warp again! Take a few minutes and act on what  you just learned (or remembered). Jot some notes. Make a few calls. Google your ideas and job titles. Make a plan. Make it happen.

You can be who you want to be for more than a moment, you can be it for your next career.

Share your ideas, dreams, and questions right here. I’m listening.

Note: See more Job Action Day posts here: QuintCareers.com. Quintessential Careers, thanks again for having me as a guest blogger for this awesome event (year 3).

PS: Happy 35th to The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Job Action Day: Create Your Own Opportunity

Wendy Terwelp 4 Comments

While Job Action Day is officially Nov. 1, I thought the topic was terrific and needed a few more posts.

I recently spoke with a job seeker who told me, “Why can’t I just go to work? Why do I have to go through all this job search process. It’s really annoying.” She had been downsized and looking for the past year. Zero interviews thus far.

She was going to send me her resume for a free review, but I’ve yet to see one. Typically, if there are no interviews, it’s likely a resume issue. It can also be a search strategy issue.

The job search process itself can be pretty discouraging. So, how about making a change? Instead of spraying your resume all over the internet and praying someone calls you, create your own opportunity! Yes, you can still do so, even in today’s economy. That’s what Job Action Day is all about.

The Story of George

George is a professional with a solid background in information technology and talent management. He came to one of my Rock Your Network events, where I had some presenters from a local company sharing their expertise in how to use job boards effectively, including networking your way to the right decision maker.

This gave George some solid ideas about how he could make a positive contribution to this organization. He took the initiative to talk with the presenters after the event. He got names, specifically, the name of the owner of this organization.

George then set up a meeting. He prepared in advance, outlining what he could bring to the table. The meeting went well. Then came the wait. It was a long one.

He asked me about this, “What should I do?” Of course, I asked if he’d had a chance to follow up.

So, he followed up a few times, professionally, adding value each time.

A few months later, George was hired – in a brand new – created-just-for-George – position at this company. It was a management role AND paid well.

A few years later, George created another opportunity for himself with a new company. He networked his way in, and as before, conveyed his value, and was hired.

Was it instant gratification? NO. Was it proactive? YES. Did it take some courage? YES.

Can you do this? YES.

Go on, take a chance! And please do share your experience!

Graphics: Created by SnapHappy Creative LLC

 

 

 

Job Action Day, Nov. 1: count me in

Wendy Terwelp Leave a comment

I’m looking forward to being a part of this year’s Job Action Day on Nov. 1, organized by Quintessential Careers. Be on the lookout for exciting career tips to manage your career in today’s economy. It’s a new world out there and career pros throughout the country will be providing their expertise. Here’s more about Job Action Day:

Quintessential Careers marks third annual Job Action Day worldwide on Nov. 1, 2010 — a day for job-seekers and employers to face realities of new job market and create new career opportunities — with fresh and powerful advice from helpful career articles and blog entries from career experts.

Some key indicators of this new world of work include:

     

  • Fifty percent of the workforce added in 2010 will be made up of one form or another of contingent workers, says the report The Emerging New Workforce by Littler Mendelson, P.C., which provides employment and labor-law solutions. “As a result,” the report states, “approximately 25 percent to as high as 35 percent of the workforce will be made up of temporary workers, contractors, or other project-based labor. The numbers of professionals working in temporary or alternative work arrangements will continue to rise. Flexible work schedules and telecommuting will increase as companies turn towards practical solutions to efficiently complete tasks while retaining talented individuals.” [Similar sources: Freelance Nation: Why Permanent Jobs May Not Come Back by Charles Hugh Smith, DailyFinance; Need a job? Contract work could be new normal by Eve Tahmincioglu, MSNBC; One-in-Five employers to hire full-time, permanent staff in Q4: survey by International Business Times]
  • A looming skills mismatch is preventing some workers from obtaining jobs even as employers increase hiring. During the recession, employers had to make do with fewer workers, and those workers took on more functions. “Now, someone who hopes to get those jobs must meet the new requirements,” reports Christopher S. Rugaber in an Associated Press article. Technology has also added to the skills mismatch. [Similar source: The Stagnating Labor Market by Arjun Jayadev and Mike Konczal, The Roosevelt Institute]

    •  

“The workforce as we’ve come to know it will probably never be the same,” said Dr. Randall S. Hansen, founder and publisher of QuintCareers. “Job-seekers must develop a whole new mind-set to thrive in this new world of work. That’s why our 2010 Job Action Day theme is ‘Create Opportunity,'” Hansen said. “The theme has a double meaning; not only must job-seekers create opportunity, but we encourage employers and the government to find ways to create opportunity, as well.”

Read more about this event here: QuintCareers.com

And I’ll be providing a series of articles on my blog to help you Rock Your Career®, communicate your value, and create opportunities. Be on the look out!