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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Job Seekers and Conversations About Diversity Issues in the Workplace

Job Seekers and Conversations About Diversity Issues in the Workplace

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Janine Truitt (@czarinaorhr) and Steve Levy (also my guest from episode 36) wrote an article calling for company HR departments to initiate and entertain race relations discussions internally. This article was picked up by College Recruiters, who decided to host the webinar, “ Honest Diversity Conversations: Race Relations & HR.”  Janine Truitt and I discuss the webinar and its importance for today’s job seekers. The conversation about diversity issues in the workplace is needed.

The free webinar will be aired Sept. 9, 16, and 23. I recommend for you to registered for it today. I feel that this is a must for job seekers everywhere (particularly in the U.S.) to help you choose future employers.

How important is having a conversation about diversity and inclusion in the workplace to you? Why? I would love to hear from you about this discussion. Here are a few ways to make your opinion known:

1) Leave a voice mail or text message at 708-365-9822. Let me know if I can share it on future shows

2) Email me: mark@thevoiceofjobseekers.com

3) Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com and press the “Send Voicemail” button to leave a message online

Those of you who are career professionals can receive the additional bonus by leaving your blog, and I will link to it.

Janine is the founder of the talent management consulting firm Talent Think Innovations and the creator of the blog The Aristocracy of HR. Her advice and perspective were featured in CareerBuilder, Black Enterprise, and the Chicago Tribune.

Here is a summary of our conversation:

  • It’s getting harder to have diversity and inclusion conversations although everyone has an opinion; no one wants to talk about it
  • Certain social events cause inflammatory discussions and for HR pros, it’s a still touchy
  • Janine and Steve have written blog posts considered incendiary as intended to bring about more discussion
  • The webinar will contain some action steps for people to move forward with
  • We’re in an age of “social responsibility” so job seekers should expect the most out of an employer
  • It’s not something even considered more than 10 years ago
  • Janine state that HR professionals who participate in the webinar will wonder if the suggestions made will cause HR  “missteps.” Janine says this is the human thing to do, not so much the politically correct strategy
  • Organizations as whole tend to “overstep” in the shadows of controversy, e.g., the Sept. 11 attacks from 2011
  • Janine shares how job seekers can see if a company cares about diversity and inclusion
  • People not of color who have relatives, friends, spouses, or children of different ethnicities are now considering the diversity of a company
    Have you subscribed to this show on iTunes? If you haven’t, please do so. iTunes is a great place to write an honest review and increase the show’s visibility. Enjoy listening to the show.

Let us know what you think.

Do you need help with resume writing or career direction? Do you need coaching or instruction?I can help.

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

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How to Stand Out to Impress Employers

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Many career coaches, resume writers, and people who are helping you find jobs are telling you how important it is for you to stand out. Most advise becoming an expert and having a brand. You can google and find many success stories of how people won jobs and business using that strategy. Chandra Lee (@ChandraLee) of LeeIntergrations is my return guest to explain how her company helped a client make a living and thriving as a leadership consultant and thought leader. You can use the strategies that Chandra shares to apply to your job search or new business.

How are you planning to stand out from the crowd? How are you planning to continue that throughout your career? I would love to hear your thoughts in one of the several ways:
1) Leave a voice mail or text message at 708-365-9822. Let me know if I can share it on future shows
3) Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com and press the “Send Voicemail” button to leave a message online
Those of you who are career professionals can receive the additional bonus by leaving your blog, and I will link to it.
Here are some of the highlights of our discussion:
If you want demand as an expert in a field, you need to show that you are that expert, and this can be done online
He had worked as a leader of a couple of organizations but had no real training experience or record
Chandra’s team and their client began a blog for him to share original brand of leadership advice
Through consistent posting on Twitter and Instagram, they added pictures as social proof of him living out his advice (critical to his brand). He regularly published  to his blog and over time attraction a lot of traffic
Quotes were added into his social media posts (his own and of famous leaders) and after a length of time he was in demand as a leadership speaker for some huge companies
One of the companies he spoke to was the executive board for Chik-a-Filet
Chandra emphasized how much patience and consistency is important to be seen as an expert
She also stated that potential clients or employers need evidence that you can do what you teach or say
Have you subscribed to this show on iTunes? If you haven’t, please do so. iTunes is a great place to write an honest review and increase the show’s visibility. Enjoy listening to the show.
Let us know what you think.
Do you need help with resume writing or career direction? Do you need coaching or instruction?I can help.
Also, join our Linkedin community! You’ll enjoy some of the insights shared by community members and other career pros!

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Job Tips for Job Seekers Over 50

Job Tips for Job Seekers Over 50

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This is the first episode featuring the “baby-boomer” theme. That doesn’t mean that none of the advice that we’ve offered so far doesn’t apply to those of us over 50. But, I thought it was time to feature a conversation with an author, coach, blogger and podcaster Eileen Williams (@FeistySideofFifty) who talks about it constantly. She will offer a perspective of the value over 50 job seekers possess.

Are you over 50 and struggling with changing careers or finding a job? What are your unique struggles as an older job seeker? I would love to hear from you in one of three ways:

1) Leave a voice mail or text message at 708-365-9822. Let me know if I can share it on future shows
2) Email me: mark@thevoiceofjobseekers.com
3) Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com and press the “Send Voicemail” button to leave a message online

Eileen Williams is a career strategist and has been in the business more than 20 years. She is the founder of FeistysideofFifty.com and has appeared on media outlets such as ABC, CBS and Fox. She is the author of the book, Land the Job You Love: 10 Surefire Strategies for Jobseekers Over 50.

Here are few of the highlights from our discussion:

    • Older job seekers shouldn’t be discouraged by statistics that address the public in general
    • Baby boomers have market knowledge and know where the areas of growth are
    • Mature job seekers have seen the obstacles and events that are negative before
    • Eileen emphasizes that mature job seekers have highly developed critical thinking and problem solving skills
    • Although older job seekers need to sell hard skills, soft skills are crucial to present and show how they add value
    • Baby boomers have people skills perfected over the  years in dealing with difficult co workers and turn around disgruntled customers
    • Emotional intelligence is a key attribute older workers have and now is recognized as a valuable asset
    • A value list could help you sell your uniqueness – define who you are
    • Eileen states that you use the job description as your  primary tool to find skills that employers want
    • Put on your resume “Ongoing Professional Development” to show your learning is relevant
    • Eileen states that internships and volunteer work help you gain solid experience and networking opportunities

Here are some resources Eileen mentioned during the show:

gcflearnfree.org

    – Microsoft Office help and tutorials

MOOCs

    – Massive Open Online Courses (The link will send you to a list)

OpenCulture.com

    – Links to educational websites

Have you subscribed to this show on iTunes? If you haven’t, please do so. iTunes is a great place to write an honest review and increase the show’s visibility. Enjoy listening to the show. Let us know what you think.

Do you need help with resume writing or career direction? Do you need coaching or instruction? I can help.

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