The Voice of Job Seekers

Mark Anthony Dyson ★ Career Writer ★ Speaker ★ Thinker ★ Award-winning Blog & Podcast! ★ I hack and reimagine the modern job search!

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10 Obstacles to Remove in Your Job Search 2023

 

Remember when scrutiny of workplace and job search practices was so prevalent in recent years? Trendy discussions of “quiet quitting” and”quiet hiring” are hyped by the media as a thing as if it were something to prevent. Feel free to ignore the distractions, and pay attention to what’s more critical regarding your career development and advancement.

There are obstacles you can jump over, and the unlisted hurdle to jump is to start. Once you pass that hurdle, you will see progress and more barriers to jump over or bash through. Although I’ve listed ten, there are many more. But these are one people are talking about, and ones you should ignore:

  1. Lacking preparedness for multiple stops

Problem: Jobs are opening and closing within a year. It’s frequently happening, and you wonder if these were full-time with benefits you worked hard to compete for successfully. When the job ended, you started from scratch because you needed it.

Solution: While I’m not suggesting you look past your current position and leave work undone, I recommend you create multiple streams of opportunities through networking, collaborations, and future-proofing your career through continual professional development. Job search is a lifestyle in season and out—plan on continuing professional development, networking, and pivoting as a way of life.

2. Unprepared and surprised by wishy-washy companies

Problem: One company pursues a top-line candidate to woo them through the job interview process and sends a job off, only to rescind the next day. Two weeks later, they get another offer from a different company with the promise of a written request coming. The same company rejects its original job offer to make the second one below the first one.

Solution: This is today’s job search. Companies, like job seekers, change their minds and strategy in the middle of the process. The best way to control your outcomes is for you to have multiple companies to pursue and for companies to want you. Your job search is still ongoing. Even an offer letter shouldn’t keep you from marketing yourself, at least in a minimal way.

3. Forgetting today’s job search is more competitive than ever

Problem: As the economy and the job market tightens, the competition for job intensifies. During and after the 2008 recession, unemployed older workers took jobs traditionally teens or recent college graduates took as “bridge jobs.” Every job opening is competitive.

Solution: Getting a referral from your network is hard, but it does make a supersede an often-daunting online application first process. Also, joining and participating in industry organizations or association committees, activities, presentations, or boards can give you access to opportunities job boards won’t provide.

4. Not deploying critical thinking

Problem: Job seekers often need help to think of ways to determine the employer’s needs. In today’s job search, there are tools to target specific companies whose problems you can solve. While focusing on your problem-solving skills has some value, you must know how and who you can help.

Solution: My colleague Bethany Wallace points out in a recent article on Lensa, “The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) surveyed employers in the United States and found that over 98% of employers in 2022 consider critical thinking extremely important for job search candidates.” Putting yourself in the shoes of the employer’s thinking is the beginning of critical thinking during the job search process. Those who successfully deploy this thinking understand each employer may want the same skill but wants to utilize them for their organization in their unique way.

5. Not seeking feedback

Problem: An up-level in skills without feedback is an incomplete skill. The best education you receive is the one where feedback is honest and constructive. You can get many certifications without feedback, but without critique and responding to real-life problems, you’re heading through the land of comfort and abyss (see point #4).

Solution: While there’s value in hiring career coaches and consultants, resume writers, and so on, the people who are where you want to be can clarify the best road to where they are. All routes are different, so it doesn’t absolve you from responsibility. The grind is still there for you to do. Have some business conversations (informational interviews) with those who’ve reached your desired goals.

6. You lack follow-up skills

Problem: Every phase of networking, job search, company research, and interviewing success is contingent on your ability to consistently and persistently follow up. Unfortunately, most job seekers spend less time making the second or third call if they get a needed call back.

Solution: It would surprise you most employers are glad you follow up because they’re busy. It’s scary to ask for a callback or an email, even if you’re promised one. But people are busy like we are, and sometimes a nudge is needed. Your competition will follow up, and you will be remembered if you do.

7. Giving in to discouragement

Problem: No one looks forward to a job search. It’s stressful and full of uncertainty and rejection. The longer you’re job searching, the more discouragement spreads through your diminishing self-worth and confidence, affecting your closest friends and family like gangrene. Eventually, it’s obvious to employers, recruiters, and people who can refer you that you’re giving up, especially when it comes across during interviews.

Solution: One anecdote I’ve seen work is to be accountable to people who refuse to give up on you and temporarily cut out neutral or negative-thinking people. Those steadfast in your fight know what it’s like and won’t let you down. The people who encourage you the most will challenge your thinking of doom and gloom. They understand others who are facing the most trials.

8. You’re a ghost online

Problem: The number of employers and recruiters who vet potential job candidates through their online presence increases yearly. In 2011, they might check your profile to see if you have a regretful reputation (drunkenness, bad judgment caught on camera, bad-mouthing an employer, etc.) during a reference check. Today, not having an online presence will hinder your chances of being found. 

Solution: A LinkedIn profile 100% filled out with a professional photo is more visible than a scarcely filled-out profile. It’s OK to look at other colleagues’ profiles to get ideas to help inspire (not plagiarize) yours to completion. LinkedIn has written an article on how to create a shape. It’s a great model to follow. It’s better to think “digital assets” than “digital footprint” if you want employers to find you. You want your social presence to be proof of value, not just existence.

9. You fight novel and adaptive thinking and career agility

Problem: All professions are facing changes in skill, supply and demand, and scarcity of some kind. Employers and recruiters (for the most part) are looking for something other than textbook ideas. They are looking for creative, out-of-the-box solutions. Whether you work in retail or engineering, ideas that save money and time are welcomed. The challenge for job seekers is using applied knowledge from several skill sets (hard, essential) to bring new solutions to companies.

Solution: As the job markets change, skills must evolve for growth and adaptability. The professionals stringing job opportunities one after another are proactive about skills and market demands. They are well connected to their network and competition through LinkedIn, professional communities, and applying for jobs. The feedback from these opportunities informs their need for development and additional experience.

10. Online salary discussions get you in your feelings

Problem: If all of the advice about “grabbing the bag” and “getting what you’re worth” has you feeling pressure to negotiate, you’re not alone. Instead of finding your reasons to negotiate your compensation package, you are feeding off of the social energy. While someone could post well-intended testimonies about getting more money from their negotiation experience, unknown details could lead to insecurity. The posts also can mislead people to be reckless by implementing well-intended but not-meant-for-your-situation advice.

Solution: There are cues to listen for when you’re at the proverbial negotiating table. But, if you don’t have your reasons to negotiate, you’ll feel pressure to perform than to accomplish. Researching the market value of a position, conversations with peers and people who’ve had the role previously, and understanding your worth before you start a job search is critical. Not only not knowing market value is essential, but also not knowing what value you bring to the market creates an obstacle hard to break through.

You can easily set traps, snares, and obstacles by not researching and thinking through what you want. Many intelligent and savvy professionals are indecisive about what they want and get trapped in jobs they don’t want. You can’t fulfill your desire for a fulfilling career if you don’t prioritize clarity.

While there’s conflicting advice everywhere you’ll need to sort through, take extra precautions the advice you take to make it apply to your goals. If it doesn’t apply, move on. It’s always better to hear people talk in-depth about their experiences and successes than fine-sounding arguments and sound bites. Many scammers masquerading as experts want to sign you up for shallow programs. Do your own research, get second and third opinions, and get trapped by someone’s timeline for success.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.

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50 Practical Modern Job Search Tips You Need Today


123 Modern Job Search Tips For 2023 by Mark Anthony Dyson 

We can call this the “modern job search era” because the speed of change and reality of job seeking has transformed the last three years. We are not the same professionally without recanting the events and changes in healthcare, education, and the universal workplace. We are fighting and changing past employment habits and trying to uphold past ones simultaneously.

It’s affected the way we think about job search while it solidifies much of what we knew was wrong is exploited among the savviest professional:

  • The job stability of yesterday has yet to apply today. Some employers still look for applicants to stay three to five years in each position.
  • Job seekers assume job postings are what they (you) see is what they get (WYSIWYG).
  • The general public assumes layoffs in one industry mean job loss in others.
  • Employers can do no wrong and can tell no lies.
  • The assumption every job posting is real, timely, and should be trusted.

No matter what is said and reported about the job market, when you need a job, you must start looking. I created a list of job search tips to inform your thoughts, enlighten and encourage your search, and spark creativity.

There are two or three suggestions to help you advance your efforts. They are listed randomly, not strategically, or with any progression.

Miscellaneous things you can do anytime to conduct a successful job search

1. One of the benefits of podcasting is the relationships created along the way and the opportunities for additional exposure. I also stalk my guests for six months to a year. By seeing them in action for a time, I either like them or I don’t. Those I like, I ask them to come to the show. While building your network, you should know how they can add value for a while before asking anything. Take the stock value of your network as if it were your show to other professionals, recruiters, employers, and whoever is in your audience.

2. The power of focus affords you to shift, swivel, and side-step obstacles. Plans and strategy are everything – “Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment, and to either of these ends, there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, honest purpose, and perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing” ~Thomas A. Edison

3. The most important thing before starting your job search is knowing what companies you want to work at and what you want to do. Unfortunately, that’s the most challenging part for most people.

4. Based on #3, read this article from Sarah Johnston about target companies. You have not used these yet, nor may you need them all. But this will crush any excuse of not having a more focused job search.

How do you find your “target team?” How about a “target boss?” Networking. Collaborating with like-minded people on projects, contests, white papers, articles, or videos for the world (and your future employer. Team member referrals or recommendations from collaborations increase your chance for employment.

5. My friend Jacob Share’s 365 job search tips list is here.

6. Address the irrelevant about your essential (or soft) and hard skills. Communication skills aggregate many soft skills into many services, if not all. If you need to improve with customer service skills, your industry or job requires you to hone those skills.

7. Knowing the terminology is not overrated in most industries. If you’re changing careers and entering a new industry without understanding the meaning and context of the terms, your credibility will be challenged. It’s good if you’re showing a passion for learning. It’s more complicated if your mindset is to show off.

8. You must communicate a clear message to connect with leaders online. The more concise, clear, and succinct your profile delivers value, the more powerful your profile and reputation seem.

9. There are so many articles of questions to ask interviewers, and I won’t bother here (I wrote about it several times myself). Too many job seekers lose opportunities due to a lack of preparation when it’s time to ask the interviewer.

10. You know by now if you lack likeability or not. What you probably still need to do is ask what it is about you isn’t likable. You’ve got homework to do. Here’s why feedback is so critical to your job search, career, and life:

11. Businesses rely on analytics to implement changes in hopes of succeeding. You’ll need to get used to quantifying your results, accomplishments, and impact on every job. You’ll stand out when you skillfully present a resume highlighting (but not overloading) data points that will matter to the employer.

12. I know I mention this on my yearly lists of job search tips, but the competition is job search fierce because of confidence in a job seeker market. Without a competitive strategy or confidence is like wearing jeans and t-shirts to a formal wedding.

13. Underemployment is a fundamental reason many are in debt, even with two jobs. Yet, it’s excellent fuel for motivation for your job search. Consider anything below your worth is only worth it if it’s part of the bigger picture. You can come out from under it as I wrote for Payscale. Let me share how you can leverage underemployment:

  • Create meaningful solutions for the employer where you’re underemployed. There is some value in being the big fish in a small pond where talent is concerned.
  • Cultivate your voice by doing this one simple hack: Learn to speak when expected, listen when unexpected, and master both when they are critical to your credibility and reputation.
  • There are no shortcuts to career success, so expect pain, setbacks, and discomfort as you search for the right job. Use this time to motivate yourself to do the small things right, like follow-up calls, emails, and visits when possible.
  • Many things will pull you in different directions, but the core of your efforts must always be your desire to optimize your contributions to your industry. Your achievements can serve as daily reminders to motivate you.
  • Don’t consider having people remind you of your mission a weakness. We all need people who can help lift us when we can’t lift ourselves.
  • Persistence means trying different ways to open doors you find closed – or even breaking them down if necessary. Don’t settle or wait for someone else to open your door. You’ll pay for it in mediocrity if it becomes a way of life.
  • Surround yourself with those who understand what you’re doing. You need to hear the voices who are encouraging, truthful, and patient. Sometimes, there may be no such voices. In those instances, you have to reconcile with and rely on yourself. These times build lifelong career support you will remember.
  • You’re in it for the long haul, not just trying to “break through” to the next job. It would help if you were crafting a body of work that proves your value. Build a network of people with whom you can share ideas and exchange value. Master your craft through constant work.
  • The more you plan for your next several moves through timelines, future-proofing skills, and training, the less you’ll need to reflect on your obstacles.

14. Make sure you can access at least your last ten years of accomplishments, awards, results, and impact. Get used to recording and saving them for easy access. I have more than 2500 entries in my Evernote (While I use the paid version, most people will do well with the free) from 13 years ago. The Notes app on Apple is as good. Both make it easy to scan performance reviews, tag them, and find them years later.

15. My friend and former headhunter Christopher Taylor gave great advice about recruiters vs. headhunters. Listen to our conversation here, but I will list a few points below.

16. Headhunters can help prepare you for an interview with the company. They have intel to help you understand how to communicate your assets and best attributes to the employer. It’s up to you to execute.

17. The headhunter understands the culture, salary range, and some of the questions often asked by candidates. If you don’t ask, they won’t volunteer in many cases.

18. Follow up with the headhunter if you are still waiting to hear from them. They have multiple clients in various roles.

19. Headhunters will look for your LinkedIn profile to find out as much as possible. If your blog has a robust presence, you will stand out. They want to know as much about you as possible.

20. Your network includes people you know who need to be online. Value them as much as the ones you know personally. On the contrary, your online network is as valuable as your network.

21. Now that you’ve gotten more experience and skills from leaving your past job, you may have what employers need now. Not to mention, you have a good relationship with them, too.

22. I was once laid off but maintained a good relationship with the general manager and former coworkers. When I was fired from where I was employed, I called the general manager. He hired me that evening, and I started the next day. The time between being fired and re-hired by the old company occurred within 3 hours.

23. Learning is an important career tool. Consider using Spotify, TuneIn, and other audio apps as resources you have yet to consider – like audiobooks. I found an old radio show from Dale Carnegie. He wrote one of the most famous networking books ever.

24. Volunteer work and the side gig are the new career change strategy in the modern job search. Do these with what you aspire to do next. You can do this while employed.

Here are a few of the benefits:

  • It’s a great way to network within an industry or an organization you want to work for.
  • It shows value alignment between you, your peers, and target organizations.
  • It allows you to showcase your professional skills or learn new skills
  • It gives you a chance to help others, who may, in turn, be able to help you
  • It can fill in employment gaps in your resume.
  • It can make you feel better about yourself and your job search.
  • Upscale your brand by joining or getting appointed to non-profit boards.

25. Are you protecting your privacy? In 2023, you’ll need to protect it like your real estate. You’re as vulnerable as your protection in finding jobs online. I wrote an article on Lensa where I spell out how critical it is to your job search and how to avoid “jobfishing,” a scammer pretending to be an employer to get your private data.

Consider these actions to take to level up the protection of your data:

  • Since employers want you to apply on their site, please don’t assume it’s safe. The Better Business Bureau uses its BBB Scam Tracker watches for scammers. If the site has its seal, there is an assurance of a secure site. There are others out there you can research, but apply with your eyes wide open.
  • Having a Virtual Private Network for your laptop and phone is essential. Here is CNET’s list of recommendations for VPNs.
  • Anti-virus, malware, and other privacy-invading software are still essential in 2023. PCMag still publishes the better software to install.
  • Brave and Tor are excellent browsers to help protect your privacy while on the Internet.

Wonsulting’s YouTube page has a great “short” on a strategy to avoid employer scammers selling your information.

26. Listen to my show with Karen Wickre on networking. Here are some valuable tips below from the show:

  • Lots of connections are less useful than quality connections. You must define quality.
  • You’ll enhance your networking if quality is the primary requirement for connecting.
  • Read the person’s summary of a person’s profile. A good headline and summary will get good visibility.
  • Weak ties (3rd or 4th connections) are often discarded, but people often find their next opportunity through them.

27. If the only calls you receive are cattle calls (or mass interview calls), your online profiles and resumes contain unclear content. One of the best places to start is your LinkedIn profile or create a free About.me page.

28. I know. Only some people want to be on LinkedIn. But an online presence is a necessary tool in 2023. Consider Blinq.me.

29. Video is becoming essential, yet, some people say, “Just do it.” Does it place you in front of the people you want to reach? Answer that question first.

30. Hashtags are on Linkedin, YouTube, Twitter, and every social networking platform. You can use my list of hashtags for all social networks.

31. Watch this show with Susan P. Joyce on Linkedin SEO (reminder: Search Engine Optimization) and “defensive googling.” I’ll offer some of her tips below.

  • It would help if you also read this article from Susan. It will give you an entire perspective on Personal SEO.
  • Your goal is to associate your name with your career choice and the value you offer.
  • Find one version of your name and use it for all online visibility, badges for meetings, business cards, etc.
  • Submit your job applications, resume, and Linkedin profile under the same name.
  • Standardize terminology and use current terms with your name.
  • Think of your LinkedIn headline as a billboard, not just to name valueless titles.
  • Recruiters use specific language when searching for talent, not generalized, such as “A seasoned professional with 20+ years…”

32. Stop leading with 15/20/25+ years of experience. Recruiters and employers go blind after seeing it on someone’s profile, so they tell me. Your years of experience matter to them, but tell them WHY!

33. We have discussed post-interview communication with employers on the blog, emphasizing thank-you letters/emails or cards. Do them, but also consider offering more essential reminders of the value you provide.

34. If someone you know referred you, thank them after you send a thank you to the interviewer. Whether you’ve known the person for years or met them recently, continue the relationship. How about sending them a $5 Starbucks gift card?

35. Email them a list of 25 ways you can add value to their company to keep you on top of mind after not hearing from them two weeks after an interview (Thanks, Donn LeVie Jr.)

36. Send them a PDF(s) of your articles, press mentions, or white paper (Thanks again, Donn LeVie Jr.). Somewhat old school, but I bet your competition is doing it. Peer-reviewed white papers are still a thing. Nothing says expert than a white paper in a credible journal or library resource.

37. The interviewer will likely take exception if you didn’t research the company. If they asked you what you know about their company, and you couldn’t answer, it could be a deal breaker. One thing that must be evident in your presentation in an interview is your understanding of the company. Here’s my friend Hanna Morgan’s excellent article on how you research company culture.

38. Dr. Lizette Ojeda said, “We are all conditioned to have assumptions.” Job seekers are also guilty of this when they are looking for opportunities. Only assume something, but research once there’s a definitive answer.

39. Ageism is alive and well, yet, it still needs to be easier to navigate. My friend Marc Miller says it takes work for older workers to transition to corporate positions. Listen to our show.

40. So, you’re an older worker going back to work with workers who are significantly younger than you. Here are a few points for your consideration:

  • Younger workers are far less sentimental about their employers and will move on without yearning. Today’s employers don’t engage in yesterday’s workplace loyalty. Neither should you be sentimental about your employer.
  • Your job satisfaction looks different than Gen Z’s. While your past crowning achievement is longevity, theirs having options. They’ll consider a three-year marriage to an employer an accomplishment, while in your mind, you’re just ramping up. Theirs fit more of how employers act on layoffs and hiring today. While it’s not true across the board, employers have more options.

In an article last year, I wrote, “Use LinkedIn to connect, foster new relationships, and revitalize old ones. Older workers have taught young people about networking. But now, younger professionals treat online relationships as genuine connections. Older workers should imitate that spirit and create a seamless experience for their contacts. (Lensa, 2022)

41. Storytelling for your career is expected, yet it may contain movie drama and is not an option. Your resume is like an introduction to prominent characters. Linkedin is where the plot is shared, and if you have a blog, the epilogue. Your resume can be the epilogue, too, if it fits. No matter the platform, the scene sequence has to make sense to its reader.

42. Updates are essential to your story as a whole. Tangents to your account are fine if you return to the plot. Like most people, the plot is ongoing, and that’s OK. Your career is a current plot with several adventures, chapters, and conclusions.

43. In addition to Googling, DuckDuckGo-ing, and Bing-Ing your name, you should do searches on Twitter and Facebook. Users mention non-users all of the time. Try Googling “Your Name” on twitter.com to get a few results. You can also use your Twitter account to search your name to view results. You always want to monitor what others are saying about you. Employers do it before you apply, if not when you apply for jobs with their company.

44. I mentioned using Google Alerts and Talkwalker to monitor what others say (if anything) about you on the web. Consider expanding your search to include your name, social media name, and numerous variations. You can have search results delivered to your email box once a week.

45. AI and ChatGPT software is all the rage right now. People are trying to see its potential, especially in writing resumes, cover letters, social media posts, etc. Destiny Lalane and I had a great conversation recently to get a recruiter’s perspective.

Here are some ways job seekers can use it:

  • Get resume and cover letter advice
  • Get interview tips:
  • Explore career paths
  • Learn about job search strategies
  • Job seekers can ask how to evaluate a job offer, negotiate salary and benefits, and decide whether to accept a job.

46. It’s good to know and follow recruiters, talent acquisition professionals, and human resource professionals on LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube. There are so many to follow, and for those who would engage through comments and respond to questions, here is an overall view of how they can help:

  1. Understanding the hiring process.
  2. The importance of networking, especially for those who specialize in a specific industry.
  3. Resume and cover letter tips. I’ve seen their feedback help many people benefit from their insight.
  4. Interview preparation in the form of intel about the hiring manager, company, and company culture.
  5. Negotiating job offers.

Remember, when they call to interview you, these professionals work for the company, not for you.

47. The first reaction for most responsible job seekers and working professionals is to apply to as many jobs as possible when laid off or when layoff possibilities are announced. Many will do this without the help of their network, family, or friends. There are obstacles to keeping them from getting results, and some are self-induced. I wrote an article explaining the following challenges:

  • Lacking preparedness for multiple stops
  • Unprepared and surprised by wishy-washy companies
  • Forgetting today’s job search is more competitive than ever
  • Not deploying critical thinking
  • Not seeking feedback
  • Lacking follow-up skills
  • Giving in to discouragement
  •  You’re a ghost online
  •  You fight novel and adaptive thinking and career agility
  • Online salary discussions get you in your feelings

48. Anytime in any economy is an excellent time to future-proof your career. Layoffs are possible anytime, especially when the job market appears saturated with opportunity. When mass layoffs exist in any industry, all others are watching but are not endangered by job losses. Career development must be a constant or a lifestyle for you to pivot or adapt to imminent layoffs quickly.

Consider these strategies and embed them in your thinking:

  • Your mobile phone is your 24/7 learning hub. There are many places for asynchronous learning to gain new skills, certificates, degrees, or mastery.
  • Apply new knowledge and training quickly through volunteer work, online collaborations, and professional organizations.
  • You control your career growth by investing time, money, and space to hone your skills. Don’t depend on or wait for your company to facilitate your career advancement efforts.
  • Grow unsentimental about your current company, mainly if they have provided you with substantial career growth. Sentimentality about an employer can stunt your career efforts and goals.

49. In Every move you make in business or employment, follow-up is the cornerstone of creating opportunities and change. Today’s job search success is contingent on follow-up. It’s rare when it’s not needed, and your desired results will likely fail if you don’t.

A good part of your job search must include follow-up in all areas:

  1. Follow up with the application you submitted online.
  2. You are reaching back out to a colleague with an important contact. There are several layers to contacting the right person, so it starts at the bottom of your weak ties.
  3. Have a conversation with someone to discuss how they got into their field. Afterward, thanking the person is appropriate, either an email, a phone call, or a card.
  4. They are contacting a former boss with whom you had a mutually admirable relationship. Former bosses come through at times, especially if they liked you. Even if they have since changed industries, it’s a valuable relationship.
  5. Contact your boss’ superiors if they know you and you communicate well with them.
  6. Follow up with other professionals (your hairstylist, etc.) who said they wanted to introduce you to someone who could be a reference or a lead.
  7. Call a relative who retired from one of your ideal companies to work. Maybe they didn’t work for your department, but they know someone who does, or they can tell you about the company culture.
  8. While talking to a former coworker, you find out they’re moving on. Find out why (even if they wronged you once).

50. I wrote an article on how to “successfully” job-hop to advance your career. Understandably, doing it during a volatile job market requires more audacity. Still, it is one of the few ways to get promotions, advancement, experience, and salary increases without relying on a single employer. I explain in detail a few strategies in this Lensa article.

Below is an excerpt from the article explaining how job-hopping is most effective when there is clarity:

You use what you’ve learned through part-time jobs, contracts, freelance, or volunteer work.

You are clearly articulating your thinking with every move you make.

You’ve established and demonstrated subject matter expertise.

Even after a mishap, you’ve shown it was an anomaly and moved on.

BONUS: I’ve written a lot of advice on salary negotiation and tactics. While many platforms have extensive strategies and advice, I wanted to provide an additional perspective when seeking a raise from a current employer.

I received a little help from Kwame Christian, Esq., M.A. a few years ago who offered these tips:

· If you work in a growing industry and you see your company increase hiring and/or your responsibilities. Once there is an increase in responsibilities, ask for a raise, but don’t forget that window closes if you allow too much time pass.

· Christian says good performance reviews are the perfect time to capitalize on those good vibes, especially after receiving appreciation or accommodations for your performance. That’s an opportunity to ask, “What’s your vision for me in the future of this company? Where do you see me going?” It’s an excellent opportunity to transition into a more in-depth conversation at that point.

· Good financial health signs are announced by managers, company newsletters, annual reports, and sometimes the media. The timing could bring the desired result if you’re asking for a raise when these announcements are celebrated.

I hope in the comments, career professionals will add their take on a few of the tips I’ve provided. I only touched on what’s needed to succeed in today’s job search. May this list provide a beginning and a roadmap to guide you through this or any job market.

Let me know if any of these tips resonate with you.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.

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Every Job Seeker Needs to Act as Their Own Hype Man

Every Job Seeker Needs to Act as Their Own Hype Man

Every Job Seeker Needs to Act as Their Own Hype Man by Mark Anthony Dyson
When it comes to your job search, job seeker, no one is going to amplify your best attributes, skills, and abilities but you. No one can better testify to your competencies than you can. Furthermore, employers will have doubts about you unless you’re proving your worth in one of two ways:

  1. a body of work showing the depth and breadth of the value you can deliver,
  2. or the testimonials of people who have witnessed the manifestation of your value.
If you are going to be your own hype man, you’ll need to be supremely confident. Take a cue from Flavor Flav, a member of the rap group Public Enemy.

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You may laugh when you hear his name, but Flav is the only hype man ever inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Rather than just a sidekick, Flav was essential to the music and message of Public Enemy.

There are several attributes job seekers should pick up from Flav’s performance as a hype man, including:

1. Show Your Distinct Voice

“Distinct” does not mean “loud” or “constant.” Rather, a distinct voice is one that is clear and resonant. You won’t stand out by repeating what others have said. Your role as your own hype man is to show how your voice adds value.

Listen to B.S. Incorporated Will Make You Serious About Your Job Search and Career

For example, during Public Enemy’s performances, you heard two very distinct voices: Chuck D.’s authoritative bass delivering its message like “CNN for Black people,” and Flav’s commentary on Chuck D.’s rhetoric.

2. Accentuate Your Distinct Qualities

 

Flavor Flav brought everything unique about himself to the stage, including his voice, energy, and message. You have to do the same: Don’t just amplify what you have – demonstrate how what you have to offer can add value.

Job seekers often fail to explain exactly how they can help an employer solve it’s problems – which is why so many people struggle to land jobs.

Click To Tweet

3. Live Your Message

Flavor Flav wore a large clock around his neck during Public Enemy performances. Many people thought it was just a unique fashion statement, but it was actually a powerful symbol of Flav’s message. As he once put it, “Each minute we live, we got to live each second to our best value.” Similarly, your message as your own hype man must sync with your actions.

4. Be the Ying to the Employer’s Yang

How do you complement the employer’s mission and goals? Much like Flavor Flav complemented Chuck D.’s voice, you need to show employers how you can help heighten and further their missions.

Listen to Stress Less, Achieve More in the Workplace and Job Search

5. Energize Others to Take Action

Flavor Flav’s energy inspired concert crowds; in return, the crowd’s growing enthusiasm generated more energy for Flavor Flav to feed on. You may not have an audience to cheer on your job search, but you can share your successes with the world.

Pay attention to referrers and those who say good things about your career exploits. Remember they can play crucial roles in your career advancement. Correspond with them often.

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Your connections can help you prepare for interviews and remain sharp if you keep engaging them.

–

The purpose of the hype man is to get the audience excited about the featured performer. In Flavor Flav’s case, his antics created a compelling experience to deliver Public Enemy’s message. These days, job seekers must serve as their own hype men. It is not easy to do, but it is essential to a successful career trajectory.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.

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5 Ways Your Job Search Competitors Are Winning (So Far) in 2023

5 Ways Your Job Search Competitors Are Winning (So Far) in 2023

 

5 Ways Your Job Search Competitors Are Winning (So Far) in 2023 by Mark Anthony Dyson

After I explain to a group of people how much work is involved in today’s job search, at least one of those people, consistently, responds with, “But I don’t want to do all of that.” My eyes then roll several times.

These people forget that dozens if not hundreds of other job seekers are applying for the same jobs.

No matter the state of the economy, you’ll always be competing with someone else for a job. There’s always someone positioned just as well as or better than you.

You must navigate the job market as if you have competitors on all sides trying to beat you — which, in fact, you do.

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Understanding what your successful competitors are doing will help you understand what you need to do to beat them.

Read Be a Consultant, Not a Job Seeker nor Anything Like Your Competition

Here are five things your competitors are doing that you should adopt for yourself:

1. Your Competitors Are Always Looking for New Opportunities

We’ve heard for years that job hopping is the best way to receive a raise. I wrote an article on how you can do it and get the most out of it. For the careerist who is looking to increase their job market value, job hopping can also be a way to improve their skill set.

Your competitors control their careers by remaining abreast of trends and changes and adapting to shifts in the marketplace. You must do the same if you expect to keep up.

The trade secret is you can get a 10% bump many times without negotiating. Just don’t tell anyone, OK?

2. Your Competitors Are Adept at Demonstrating Value

Some suggest showing your value to employers by trading cover letters for “pain letters,” which address a hiring manager’s problems rather than your qualifications.

An easier way to prove your value might be to keep your ear to the ground. Listen to your peers and industry connections to learn about the issues plaguing their workplaces. Then, get in front of the people having problems and offer to help.

When it’s time to change jobs, you’ll have the perfect referral — the person you helped.

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3. Your Competitors Collaborate

Your competitors share information with their networks, acknowledge others’ achievements, and ask for advice. Don’t disregard the value of collaboration with your industry peers. Attend conferences (both physical and virtual), listen to and participate in podcasts, and team up with your contacts whenever possible. These relationships can easily translate to new career opportunities down the line.

Read 5 Ways Sentimentality Is Ruining Your Career

4. Your Competitors Focus on the Small Stuff

Remembering names, places, and events goes a long way in establishing a positive reputation for yourself.

Your job search competitors treat everyone like they matter, from the receptionist to the chief executives.

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You, too, must understand that small details such as follow-up calls, handshakes, and eye contact are invaluable to your job search efforts.

5. Your Competitors Speak the Employer’s Language

If you’ve researched the company or industry well, you should be able to speak the language — maybe not fluently, but well enough to make a strong case for why your skills are what the company needs.

Many veterans can get civilian jobs after being in the military for many years because they’ve learned what their skills mean in the private sector. This is not easy because the military has terms and functionalities of its own, but veterans still learn how to translate. Similarly, you must know how your skills translate from where you are now to the company you’re pursuing.

—

To stand out during your job search, you must understand how your competition is standing out. It’s work. It’s time-consuming. It’s competitive. But it’s the only way to get the job of your dreams.

This article was originally published here as well as my other work for Recruiter.com!

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.

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The Fortune For Your Career Is In The Follow-up

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I talked with John Tarnoff and Kerry Hannon of “The Second Act” podcast about job searching after 50 in October 2022..

I was on “The Career Confidante” podcast to talk about “boomerang employees” and “job fishing” in June 2022.

Making Job Search a Lifestyle With “Dr. Dawn Graham on Careers,” SiriusXM Ch. 132, Wharton School of Business May 2021

In May 2020, I talked with LinkedIn’s Senior News Editor Andrew Seaman on “#GetHired” Live.”

Beverly Jones, host of the NPR podcast “Jazzed About Work,” invited me back to talk job search in May 20202

WOUB Digital · Episode 132 : Mark Dyson says “job search is a lifestyle” and connecting with others matters