Articles - Page 149 of 258 - The Voice of Job Seekers

Graduates, the Skills Gap is Real

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We have been hearing about the skills gap for a long time and studies in the past address the lack of what employers want. Payscale released a skill gap study detailing the disconnect between managers and recent graduates regarding their preparedness for employment after entering the workforce, and which skills managers are most likely to consider absent or deficient. Please go to Payscale’s website to view and download their report!

I discussed this two months ago with Rich Thompson, Adecco North America Chief Human Resource Officer. He also said one of the biggest challenges employers have is the skills gap. It is evident according to the study and organizations; graduates are not ready to present themselves as proficient in business oral and written communication. Lydia Frank from Payscale is with me to discuss their skills gap study specifically as it relates to college grads.

Have you been turned down for a position because you lacked skills? Talk to us. Here’s how you can participate in the discussion:

Call and leave a voicemail at 708-365-9822, or text your thoughts 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 [email protected]

Lydia Frank was in episode 68 last year, and most recently on episode 111. I bought her back to discuss the latest study conducted byPayscale.com. Lydia is the Senior Director of Marketing for Payscale and salary negotiation columnist for Money.com. Her media contributions include TechCrunch, Havard Business Review, The Huffington Post, and CBS News.

The study focuses on the value of skills gap and identifies skills that affect pay in a positive way
Industry specific expertise will differ especially in the technical fields
The study focused even more of graduates
Writing proficiency and public skills are lacking–perhaps due to technology
Personal communication does not carry over to business communication
More proof and assessments. More frequently, the first two interactions with a company would be a telephone interview and a skills assessment
Great work by blogging is valid social proof and differentiate from the competition
We talk about how critical thinking affects the need to assess. Questions around critical thinking often evaluate how a job candidate thinks about solving a problem
Employers want to see the work and his or her process
Lydia discusses how a diversity of thinking and the background of the team is important–does he or she complement the team? Not just diversity of people
The study looks at the skills gap by U.S. region

Need help with your career goals, directions, or efforts? Do you need coaching or instruction? I am here for it!

Also, join our Linkedin community! You’ll enjoy some of the insights shared by community members and other career pros!

I would still like to help self-published career professionals promote their books. If you’re interested, find more info here.

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Life and Jobs Matter for Women Ex-Offenders

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I published a show a couple of months ago featuring how male ex-offenders in Montgomery County, MD transition back to society with Alisa Smedley. This week, Donna Rojas shares the significance of life and career training to women ex-offenders. You should take note Montgomery County Correctional Job Facility is a model for the United States to help ex-offenders thrive in their transition back to life. We discuss how the White House has visited their facility to see how Montgomery County job program could benefit other inmate programs.

How important is it to society to see ex-offenders experience smooth transitions? As usual, your feedback is essential for this discussion.

Here’s how you can participate:

Call and leave a voicemail or text me at 708-365-9822
Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com, press the “Send Voicemail” button on the right side of your screen and leave a message
Send email feedback to [email protected]

Donna is a Montgomery County Correctional Facility American Job Center Program Specialist. She has been featured on NPR, PBS, and the Washington Journal. She is a Human Rights Hall of Fame Nominee from the Montgomery County Department Office of Human Rights. She has received the Excellence Award from the Montgomery County Department of Correction & Rehabilitation and the Montgomery County Maryland’s Diversity Award.

Here are some highlights of our conversation:

We discussed Former Attorney General Eric Holder’s visit to Montgomery County Correctional Facility to see and hear about what they were doing to help returning citizens from a pre-release perspective
What tweaks have been made since it was created? They asked ex-offenders 1o years ago what was needed for their transition.
A “One-Stop” center was placed within the facility to help ex-offenders with life and job skills
The “life-ready” piece contain the most challenges, meeting them where they are. Ranging from highly educated to those who never completed high school
How gender responses and differences are considered makes a difference in preparing women and men for transition
The way we traditionally think about roles are obsolete in determining the needs for ex-offender transition
Women ex-offender relationships has much to do with their crimes—their trauma must be addressed in the training. Sensitivity in the approach will differ from male counterparts
Donna uses the “Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teams” to help with development

Need help with your career goals, directions, or efforts? Do you need coaching or instruction? I am here for it! Also, join our Linkedin community! You’ll enjoy some of the insights shared by community members and other career pros!

No show on May 30. I will publish articles that week, but not a show. Feel free to subscribe to the show in iTunes. July 26 will be the last show of the summer (although it’s possible I will publish one or two short shows between July 27 – Sept 5. On September 6, I will start the fall season of shows. I hope you will find value in them.

I would still like to help self-published career professionals promote their books. If you’re interested, find more info here.

by Mark Anthony Dyson

16 Must Haves for Job Seekers to Use a Job Search Mobile App

I originally wrote this article originally published on Come Recommended!

It is not too much to ask that a job search mobile app be simple to navigate and to engage. Right? And you know what, I want it all in the beta version. I understand there are kinks to work out as your team works on development, and I’m not asking for perfection, but job seekers don’t have time to depend on a job search mobile app with large files to download and 20 minutes to set up a profile. Nor should they ever have to touch a laptop or a tablet to use it.

Oh, how I long for an app I can court regularly! As a career consultant, I want to recommend a mobile app I have some affection toward. My clients don’t mention any they use. I would love to for them to use [insert your app name here]!

I don’t need perfection, but I do desire at least hope that we can be together for a short time

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I looked at several mobile apps recently and decided there are common things that all good ones must have:

An easy but memorable name to remember. By producing an app for my phone, I have 40+ apps on my iPhone as I did when I was an Android user. If the name of the app does not have a memorable job/career/employment name associated with it, then it will continue to float without an oar on screen. Granted there are apps with other names unrelated, but they spent years building their brand before apps existed. Beyond is one of those companies that get a pass, and 45 million users can’t be wrong.
Use LinkedIn to log in and build my profile. Please don’t make me spend 20 minutes filling out a profile. Let me use LinkedIn to log initially in and aggregate the profile to your app. Yeah, use Facebook to log in quickly, but LinkedIn is better for a favorable and insightful profile. Well, at least, my profile is… I admit, many users profile summaries and headline stink.
Charge me up to $3.99 for NO ads and a couple of perks. Ads are annoying and a nuisance. It certainly doesn’t make the functionality better. Lord forbid, it should interrupt my workflow. If I pay more, I would want a seamless and robust experience, and you can surprise me. Again, I’m not looking to spend but a few minutes at a time.
Your app can text me leads but as an option. Send me job leads via text with a link to the description, leading back to the app and NOT the browser. I know that is asking for a lot, but if I go through the browser it may or may not be easy to log in. Again, save me time and effort. I am only using you passively now until you deliver some results.
Just ask me once about a survey. If you want to make it an “option” in my profile, I don’t mind. Otherwise, don’t ask me every time I log in or out. The more you ask, the more I defer.
Allow me to update as needed through my LinkedIn profile. I may change jobs, add accomplishments, or change my contact information. Auto-updating helps me in my job search, as your app could be the one that is always current. Job seekers don’t need a handout here, but they’ve created profiles on numerous job boards, have likely tested out numerous apps, making it difficult to keep track of them all.
I want a “opt-out” box to not receive your newsletter.

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There are other users who can’t wait to receive it. I don’t want to be asked every time I log in.
Allow me to connect with like-minded people if I want to. I don’t want LIONs like LinkedIn, nor do I want random suggestions. I want to connect with people like me with similar career interests. Keep in mind everyone is not cool with that option so don’t force users.
Give me volunteer opportunities with companies that would welcome me. Although it’s unrealistic to expect a job opportunity, it would help to give me the experience I desire or need. I don’t mind being vetted, but I do mind being teased.
Allow me to customize notifications the way I like. Timing, as well as the type of notifications, is essential to my phone’s functionality. I doubt 20 percent of all notifications offer prevalent information. It’s just more noise and unnecessary.
If employers post jobs, have them post the salary range for the position. I know this a controversial undertaking, but it’s a game. It’s lame. Many of my colleagues will agree. Your app will be famous tomorrow. Come on. I dare you.
Forget the resume template or the resume period. The profile from my LinkedIn page should be good enough initially for an employer. If it helps, the ability to leave a short introduction video would be cool if it were simple (and a competitive edge to those who do or don’t). At least, the employer could get to know me better. Most of us will have a mobile app version of our resume (and if you don’t you must), but why to complicate things. Besides, most people have lousy resumes.
Don’t be like the big popular job boards. Don’t inundate me with data and promises. Just provide another simple option that I may choose you to help me either find additional insights to the 2016 job search, connect me with people, groups, or places related to my career. Be creative, I’d like to hear your perspective too.
Come and get your third party cousins. When I sign up for job boards, provide information, it’s like serving the family Thanksgiving meal where people I never met come to my email box. Yeah, I know you want to make money, but if you offer for free, make it clear you have no control over your what third party clients for your mobile app will do. It’s crazy at times. Not only do they want to come eat, but presumptuously bring Tupperware to take leftovers home.
Don’t try to hijack my operation system. Nice and quiet. I want to forget you as I do other things. Maybe I want to play my game, or see what’s on Snapchat or Facebook. I need you not to take advantage of my 16G unit. I’ll delete you if you do. I will tell my friends not to bother with you.
Make unsubscribe no contact. When I’m gone, I don’t want to hear from your cousins. When I didn’t call dates back, I didn’t want to hear from their friends (in most cases) because I lump all of you together. When you’re not useful, your cousins contacting me is useless.

Podcasts, audio interviews, and webinars are welcome. Yes, make it available through your mobile app. You produce the show or event if you want the upper hand in the competition. Remember, I’m on the go frequently! Inform me while I’m traveling to contract, temporary, or networking gigs.

How about career blog? How about a career ebook? Don’t forget helpful content for the user.

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Remember you are providing 1/25 of what a job seeker needs, and an app doesn’t help with an overall authentic and persuasive presentation. In most cases, a useful app is a gateway with annoying gatekeepers.