The Voice of Job Seekers - Award-winning career advice blog & podcast! ★Hacking and reimagining an easier job search process for you!

Avoid relying on job boards! Do this instead.

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Job boards are not evil. They are not the only way to find jobs. In fact, if you use the strategies mentioned in this show, you’ll experience its effectiveness without waiting for job boards and applications result. Austin Belcak, founder of CultivatedCulture.com gave me the rundown of how he applied, tweaked, and perfected strategies that landed him around 50 interviews.

More about Austin:
Austin is the creator of Cultivated Culture, a blog helping job seekers succeed with several strategies including:
– Get a referral to companies where they previously knew no one
– Network and get to know hiring managers resulting in receiving job offers
– Ultimately land jobs without relying on a job board

Got something to say? Got a topic for the show? Disagree?
– Call and leave a voicemail at 708-365-9822, or text your comments to the same number
– Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com, press the “Send Voicemail” button on the right side of your screen and leave a message
– Send email feedback to mark@thevoiceofjobseekers.com

Listen to: The State of Job Search

Show highlights:

– Austin shares about his frustration as job seekers applying to hundreds of job board postings without results
– It didn’t make sense to him to do so much work without any resemblance of results
– He asked immediately family, friends, school career professionals who gave the same answer
– Finally, a career coach got him started networking to find people in the company to reach out and make connections
– He learned through networking with the right people in a company gave him tangible results
– He used LinkedIn and cold emailing to reach people in companies where he wanted to work
– It was a lot of work in talking with 10-15 in each company to find out what they did and how they were hired
– Most people either got in the company’s door through a referral
– They also found ways to illustrate to employers their value

The show epilogue
The next show will be on April 14. There will be FOUR SHOWS left for the year. Two in April and two in May. Then my summer hiatus will last until Sept. 15.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers," career consultant, job seeker advocate, career writer, and founder of this award-winning blog. I help the employed, unemployed, underemployed, and under-appreciated find jobs using job search strategies to navigate the new job market. I aim to give a safe place online to those with different needs, cultures, and ethnicities to find their voice in the job market. Thousands have read my career advice throughout the web as I write about everything from job search strategies to the mobile job search. I have published more than 400 articles on this blog and some of the largest career sites such as Recruiter.com, YouTern, and Come Recommended. I've been quoted in major online publications such as Monster, TIME/Money, Fortune, Business Insider and MSN. FlexJobs, JobMonkey, Aerotek, Career Pivot, and CareerSherpa listed my podcast as one of the top podcasts to help your job search. Love for you to sign up for the weekly newsletter. I share the latest articles I've written, new podcast episodes, and answer any questions you may have. The new job search is scary and if you need help, I am here for it!

by Mark Anthony Dyson Leave a Comment

The new economy is here — and so is Job Search 3.0

As the great recession and social media have defined a chapter in the new economy, COVID-19 and the incessant use of technology marks the midst of “Job Search 3.0!” Successful career advancement means your job search becomes a lifestyle. To disengage from any career advancement efforts for more than four to six months creates a career chasm. It puts you light years behind your competition, who are always ready to move, shift, or find an additional job. It’s lethal to your livelihood and you want to avoid it like the Corona Virus.

The merge of technology, business, and reliance on resumes and job sites in short, but not entirely, describes “Job Search 1.0.” The defining moments of “Job Search 2.0,” in my view, coincides with Web 2.0 where web traffic is generated by content and social media. Job seekers had a new way to stand out if they adapted to these social tools and generated content to show their value in order to get hired.

COVID-19 has disrupted every industry in one way or another. But it shouldn’t disrupt your focus to find a new job, change a career, or bounce back from a forced separation (being fired).

The time to advance career your career is NOW!

What you need to know, if you don’t know already, is that your job search needs to be a lifestyle. Perhaps we should call it “Job Search 3.0.” This is not just something you say you’re starting to do, it’s a perpetual engagement in the war against mindless meme posting and incessant entertaining videos.

You’re already swiping up, down, left or right a dozen times a day. It’s the shift from a technology novice to an intentional job seeker. You’re always connected, even if you’re just using text. You’re communicating with others outside of your work meetings, church services, and fellow travelers. “Job Search 3.0” simply means you’re always in a job transition, transformation, and career advancement mode. You’re one decision away from a job move or career change.

The role needs to change to adapt to the mindset of a consultant:

Always listening for industry pain points to solve
Assembling a portfolio of your work demonstrating a range of results, solutions, and innovation
Knowing which companies would benefit from your value

Even passively looking and entertaining advancement opportunities is part of “Job Search 3.0.” I had a mentor who practiced interviewing once a year just to remain on the cusp of her career. You may want to adopt this spirit by grasping your current or new industry’s innovation trends moving towards new or away from old technology, delivering results, and new positioning.

Here are 16 actions and strategies for your immediate consideration:

Exchange value with your network and give more than you get.
An active and engaged network will bring you opportunities and visibility to employers/recruiters.
Stay on top of the changing technology trends.
Sharpen your negotiating skills (compensation packages).
Promote yourself on social media, and keep those who boast about you in front view of you and your followers.
Maintain quick access to relevant references, mentors, and sponsors in your industry.
Understand the short life of your skills.
Do not fear job separation nor allow the myths associated with it penetrate your goals.
Career transformation is a necessity, preferably to have it occur seamlessly but that might not always be an option.
Young careerists (30 and under) should have a wealth of informational interviews under their belt.
Who is on your team?
Engage in industry organizations, online groups, and committees.
Create a robust LinkedIn presence with a convincing profile.
“No” is a valuable asset, but also the drive behind motivated discontent.
Building a personal brand that creates a demand for your work.
Choosing your employer is more important than who is your employer.

Some of you are thinking (but you’re really resisting) about the challenge of changing from your comfort zone:

Is this going to be more to add to my to-do list for each day?

We already do this. According to a recent Vox article, the average American smartphone user had an average of three hours and thirty minutes a day on their phone. If you have more than two hours of screen time, I’m sure there are 45 minutes a week for you to comment on LinkedIn a couple of times, watch a free YouTube DIY (Do-It-Yourself), or participate in an industry organization call or video conference.

How are we supposed to remain in “job search mode”?

Your mobile apps are tools. I’ve written several articles over the last three years that the apps we can download allow our phone to be a job search hub and a lifeline. Our mobile phones empower our ability to learn, connect, research, and apply. The right mobile apps are the power supply to engage in a continual job search without extra equipment or expenses.

Why can’t I focus on my job now and look when I don’t have one like I always have?

It takes too long to gear up. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported in fall of 2019 that the average time of unemployment is nine weeks. Since the BLS does not report underemployment numbers, the true extent of an effective job search is immeasurable. Nine weeks is not an eternity, even in a job seekers market where it’s assumed jobs are plentiful. Another report from the BLS shows the amount of people quitting are twice as high as separations (layoffs and terminations). Conclusion: no one wants to be without a job in any economy, recession, or even in a job seeker’s market.

Why are some many people emphasizing the use of LinkedIn?

You’ll be more attractive as a job candidate to recruiters. Job seekers making the best use of LinkedIn are treating it as a living and breathing, online document. They are updating their status, engaging in conversations, and offering original thoughts. If you’re not active on LinkedIn, recruiters will not find you. Recruiters have explained to me that they’re checking out a target candidate’s activity more than once before engaging them with a potential opportunity. Treating your activity as a passive tool doesn’t serve your job search as an asset.

There is so much to unfold in the upcoming months as we find out the industries that will take hits from COVID-19. We can also expect technology will disrupt our lives in a major way because our lives will be changed forever. Will the healthcare and insurance industries experience another crippling blow? How will small businesses survive the challenges of working remotely or brick and mortar businesses completely closing? If you haven’t already built your own expertise in an industry that will drive your career, you’ll probably need to take the time to decide where your current skills are most needed. If you’re deciding to take any job that crosses your path, you may be waiting a long time.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

by Mark Anthony Dyson Leave a Comment

The State of Job Search with Hannah Morgan

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It’s time for a discuss the state of job search so far in 2020. Things are changing fast if you haven’t started. This week’s episode is a takeover. Hannah Morgan is the guest host, and I’m the guest. Confused? Don’t be – she’s interviewing me on my show.

Got comments about the show? Here’s how:

– Call and leave a voicemail at 708-365-9822, or text your comments to the same number

– Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com, press the “Send Voicemail” button on the right side of your screen and leave a message

– Send email feedback to mark@thevoiceofjobseekers.com

Hannah Morgan is a first-time host for my show and was entirely enthusiastic about doing (listen to her intro of the show). She is the founder of CareerSherpa.net and loves helping people understand what actions they need to take to find a job faster. Her popular site and her US News and World Report column is a large part of her being a nationally recognized expert.

Here are highlights from our conversation:

Shout out Prezi and creating content on their platform
Hannah asks about – What’s hot: Remote work. I mention articles I’m writing for Job-Hunt.org
Remote work requires the mindset of a consultant
Hannah says about the “intra-prenuer mindset
Professionals are shortchanging their possibilities and abilities on social media
2009 employers background checked your social media accounts on the back end
Your social media compel 2020 employers
Social proof is key to catch the attention
Your brand is effective when it’s your referral engine
Give shout outs to career professionals and blogs I read and keep up
Discuss my articles on Payscale, Glassdoor, and RippleMatch
Hannah: The importance of the three pillars: Know, Like, and Trust
We discuss why people aren’t finding opportunities in this job market

Sign up for my weekly newsletter at the top right of my page to receive free e-Guide, “320 Modern Job Search Tips for 2020!” This year, it will be free for a limited time.

This is a reminder there are three shows left for the season. I will be on podcast hiatus (writing and creating videos) from June to Sept. 15. The newsletter will be once-a-month during the summer. To hear more, you must SUBSCRIBE to the newsletter.

Start 2020 right! Subscribe and receive the FREE eBook, "320 Modern Job Search Tips for 2020!" Now available!

Show highlights:

About Mark Anthony Dyson

The time to advance career your career is NOW!

Here are 16 actions and strategies for your immediate consideration:

Is this going to be more to add to my to-do list for each day?

How are we supposed to remain in “job search mode”?

Why can’t I focus on my job now and look when I don’t have one like I always have?

Why are some many people emphasizing the use of LinkedIn?

About Mark Anthony Dyson

Got comments about the show? Here’s how:

Here are highlights from our conversation:

About Mark Anthony Dyson