The Voice of Job Seekers

Mark Anthony Dyson ★ Career Writer ★ Speaker ★ Thinker ★ Award-winning Blog & Podcast! ★ "The Job Scam Report" on Substack! ★ I hack and reimagine the modern job search!

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3 Ways to Manage Your Fluctuating Emotions During Your Job Search

3 Ways to Manage Your Fluctuating Emotions During Your Job Search

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Try different strategies to achieve different job search results. The same old strategies yield the same results. Most job seekers would rather do what is easy than what is challenging. It’s easier to applying to 100 job board announcements in a month.  It’s harder to have 15-20 meaningful person-to-person conversations in a month’s time.

I would love to hear your thoughts in one of three ways:

  1. Call and leave a voicemail at 708-365-9822, or text your comments to the same number
  2. Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com, press the “Send Voicemail” button on the right side of your screen and leave a message
  3. Send email feedback to mark@thevoiceofjobseekers.com

Here are a few other job search strategies to try:

  • Find your reason to find the career you can carry the torch for some time to come. Stop using your spouse’s reasons. Don’t worry if your parents will be proud. Or to impress your high school classmates (even if you are “most likely to succeed”). How about your professor and mentor expect you to do well. Find the intrinsic fuel to feed the fire to discover the career you desire. If it was a true calling, you were the only one meant to hear the voice.
      Count the costs. Do you have enough emotional and physical endurance to go months maintaining pursuit

    • Are you expanding your understanding of the industry?
    • Are you blocking out the naysayers with little effort?
  • Volunteer. It doesn’t matter where you volunteer, but it does matter where you grow. Volunteering is great for your personal brand and personal growth.
    • 8 to 10 hours monthly can create experience in areas where you need it
    • Create your schedule and the skill set to get needed experience
  • Expand your network. Does everyone know you’re looking? If not, consider letting everyone know. Going back to the beginning, impressing others doesn’t create jobs.

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Facing Unconscious Bias in Your Career and Life

Facing Unconscious Bias in Your Career and Life

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Understanding unconscious bias is important for employers and job candidates.

It’s also critical for respectful conversations in the workplace. For a long time, I have wanted Tony Chatman to come on my show. We have talked about many ideas. Unconscious Bias is a topic both of us are passionate about made it easy to start finalizing.

The show was recorded live in front of an audience of three as well as a Facebook Live stream (more people engaged the conversation via Facebook). I would like to thank the First Christian Church of Chicago along with the Greater Ashburn Community Development Corporation for hosting us. Hundreds saw the live streaming and after the video posted on Facebook.

I also published it on my YouTube page.

 We would love your input. Here’s how you can contribute to the conversation:

  • Call and leave a voicemail at 708-365-9822, or text your comments to the same number
  • Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com, press “Send Voicemail” button on the right side of your screen
  • Send email feedback to mark@thevoiceofjobseekers.com

Let me share a little about my friend: 

Tony Chatman is a Corporate Relationship Expert and President of Chatman Enterprises Inc. Some of his corporate clients include the Social Security Administration, Chase Bank, and the U.S. Secret Service. Tony is a prolific professional speaker on Unconscious Bias and is in demand around the country on this topic.

Here are a few of our discussion highlights. The show lasts 90 minutes and is worth every minute of your time

  • The brain has two different thinking systems – conscious and unconscious
  • Unconscious is more of a feeling—react before thinking
  • Affinity bias draws on past and experiences
  • The brain responds quicker to simple rather than the complex
  • The brain reacts very quickly to stereotypes
  • We are programming our auto responses rather than training our unconscious
  • Be aware the majority of us have biases
  • Tony shares about the bias test at iat.org
  • Optics also play a big part of bias
  • Bias plays a large part in hiring decisions—most decision makers rely on gut instinct
  • We discussed name bias and how job candidates with ethnic names are often disqualified based their  names only
  • Assumptions are often made about physical appearance and disparity in pay

Do you need coaching or instruction? I am here for it! Feel free to contact me as I am opening consulting and coaching slots for clients who need job search help or would like my presentation on unconscious bias.

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Are You Over Educated? Why Does it Matter to Your Career?

Are You Over Educated? Why Does it Matter to Your Career?

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Are you looking to get another degree to help your career? Did the first one help your career at all? Once again, Janine Truitt of talentthinkinnovations.com and Chris Fields of ResumeCrusade.com joins me for a roundtable discussion. We banter about a trend where many are getting more degrees than what’s valued by employers.

Call and leave a voicemail at 708-365-9822, or text your comments to the same number
Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com, press “Send Voicemail” button on the right side of your screen.
Send email feedback to mark@thevoiceofjobseekers.com

Here are a few of the highlights of our discussion:

  • Many job seekers and career changers using education to increase his/her career marketability
  • We discuss how the return of investment is not what it used to be
  • Cited this study showing how JD and MBA‘s are not getting jobs immediately
  • Finding the balance between traditional education and skills to scale your career
  • We talk about how creativeness is essential to a job search
  • How and when do you showcase your accomplishments in the era of personal branding
  • Each of us shares the importance of personal branding on and offline
  • Using association and professional affiliations as a springboard for your career

Let me know if you like the format where Janine, Chris, and I banter about the job search. Is there a topic you like to hear more about? Let me know. I would love to hear about what you think.

Need help with your career goals, directions, or efforts?

Do you need coaching or instruction? I am here for it! If you’re in Chicago, join us at our “Unconscious Bias” event on February 12. If you want to join me, send me a note at mark@thevoiceofjobseekers.com or call 708-365-9822 for more information.

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