Mark Anthony Dyson - The Voice of Job Seekers

Three Reasons to Create Your Career to Endure Like The Fedora

It’s likely you have a fedora. You wear it well, and it’s impossible not to feel superpowers of cool when you do. I can’t say everyone loves the look on you, but you know someone will. Successful careerists are adaptable and agile like the fedora. There are career lessons to learn from this comparison.

I own nine of them. And will probably buy one or two between now and the end of summer. In fact, my oldest calls me “Uncle Fedora” sometimes. She always compliments me when I wear one, but more importantly, so does my wife.

I wear them casually more now as it used to be for special occasions. When I go to one of my open office spots such as Panera Bread or Starbucks, I often wear one. Not just to look stylish, but to keep the air conditioning from blowing directly on my head. The Starbucks I go to often is cold. I’ll wear my fedora to keep my head warm even in the summer.

According to the History of Hats and other sources, the fedora has been around more than 130 years. It’s not just a fad, but a staple in American fashion culture. It has a prominent place in the wardrobes of Presidents and princes, singers and servants, and yes, mothers and mavens.

It has also endured fashion changes. No matter the trend, it has steadfastly stood out as the go to wear for timely fads. No matter how men or women suits the change in color, fit, or style, a fedora complements it. I am sure someone more fashion savvy than I will want to correct my details in style, but you get the idea.

Read 10 Soft Skills Employers Want from You

The Fedora has endured wars, political climate changes, civil unrest, celebrations, and century changes. You can say it always had a job.

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Paid or unpaid, business or casual, or for play it has a place to stay and stand out.

My goal in writing this blog is to help inspire, or for you to aspire, to have always had a voice. Just as the Fedora has always had a place, you should have a voice. It’s one of the ways for you to survive all of the cultural and environmental changes in work.

So here are my three reasons for your career to be like the fedora:

1) Like the fedora, you’re not for everyone, and everyone is not for you

As you understand your skills and talents, your list of vendors, employers, contracts, or people who energize your career and inspire your aspirations will shrink. That’s still a lot of individuals, and you need to connect with those people.

Listen to Job Interviewing Best Practices

2) Like the fedora, be agile

Future proofing is the best career strategy anyone can devise. Whenever there is an economy change, there is likely a technology drive to cause or to follow. The Fedora fits with any fashion you fancy no matter the period you favor to wear. Your skills matter as they are relevant, but your personality is what will deepen your appeal to what’s important to the business.

Read Create a Handbill if You Want to Stand Out at Networking Events and Job Fairs

3) Like the fedora, add value

The Fedora goes with most outfits and is appropriate for most social occasions.

Although your skills, abilities, and personality aren’t for everybody, like the Fedora, you’ll add value to many.

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Even with one talent you can serve and help many especially if you expand your network.

The Fedora has a broad audience, has experienced many adventures, and find its way to show up at all the right times. In your career, consider being like the Fedora.

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.

by Mark Anthony Dyson

The Beyonce Syndrome, Career Aspirations, and Unconscious Bias

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The Beyonce Syndrome. Our definition of the show is about the career woman who has it all and does it all. Many feel it’s not enough to achieve the recognition for women to gain the same opportunities as men. Janine Truitt and Chris Fields are back on the show to discuss why it affects people of color much more. Much of what we talk about is unconscious bias, although it was accidental.

We would love your perspectives on this episode.

Here is how you can be a part of this conversation:

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

Let me share a little about each of my co-hosts:

Janine Truitt is the founder of her company, Talent Think Innovations, LLC is a multi-disciplinary business strategy and management consulting firm. She has been in HR and talent acquisitions for more than ten years. Her media features include Black Enterprise, Entrepreneur Magazine, and US News and Careers.

Chris Fields is the founder of the Resume Crusade, and also an HR professional and resume writer. He helps around 150 people yearly with resume and job search advice. His career advice was in O Magazine, Mashable, and Monster Working!

Here are a few of the highlights:

Women: Is it possible to have it all? Want it all?
Having it all doesn’t mean all at one time. Everyone defines what “all” means differently
We talked about how more work is not recognized by women (even more women of color) with the same respect
Janine noted how assertiveness and aggressiveness has negative connotations coming from people of color
Chris shared how standards are different for black men and white men in their use of language

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

Please note my spring hiatus is from May 9 to June 6, and Summer break July 19 to Sept. 12. No shows to be published during these dates. We will, however, publish more articles on the blog.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Create a Handbill if You Want to Stand Out at Networking Events and Job Fairs

Some of you are wondering what a handbill and how is it useful. Where did I get this from? Let me share a valuable conversation I had with Jessica Dillard is the founder of Dillard & Associates is a National Career Staffing and Resume Writing Firm. I first met Jessica in 2014 when she joined my newsletter list a few years back. She has been listening to the podcast, and from time to time conversate on social media.

She created her firm in 1997 and possesses awards throughout her 20+ years in business. She posted this example of a handbill on Facebook:

photo: Courtesy of Jessica Dillard

Now I first heard of a handbill from my friend, Bill Holland who I featured several times on the podcast and blog. He wrote about this in his 2011 book, The 7 Rules for Getting Hired in Any Economy: Cracking the New Job Market. Jessica offers this to her clients for them to use at networking events and job fairs. This was not planned at all. But after some exchanges, I knew it would be useful to the world!

So here is our conversation as it happened on Facebook:

Me:

A colleague used to call this a handbill.

Jessica:

You’re spot on! We add this to our client’s portfolio to distribute during networking events, job fairs, etc. It doesn’t replace the resume, but in certain environments go before it

Me:

Jessica, it’s a brilliant strategy rarely talked about these days. I haven’t heard about it since 2011. Do you regularly create it for clients?

Jessica

Yes, we started incorporating it in 2016 and found clients who had several jobs over short periods of time and those with breaks in employment really benefited from it. More clients are now using them along with networking letters to encourage the call from recruiters. At that time, they then forward the longer, more detailed resume. (Landing a point of contact within the organization)

Me:

Excellent. What is the first point of contacts saying about them? Are they impressed? Do they feel burdened with another piece of paper?

Jessica:

I am still testing, but the responses, thus far, have been positive. One example is the email I received on yesterday from a client who was contacted directly by a Recruiter following a job fair asking him to complete an online application, attach his resume and call her to schedule the in-person interview.

With all the candidate information floating around, it seems many recruiters appreciate a quick, high-level view, leaving the longer version for the interview.

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However, the handbill still has to answer the #1 question, “Does this candidate possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do the job in question?” I’m looking forward to gathering more feedback this year

Me:

I noticed under knowledge you inserted whether someone has basic, intermediate, or advance skill level. When I wrote federal resumes that were an actual thing but there was a standard. Do you have that for your clients when they are fleshing out skill level (e.g., 50-74% proficiency-basic, 75%-89 intermediates, 90% advance)?

Jessica:

We were using Kenexa Prove It! (for years!!!) to test but found many clients weren’t fond of having to sit at their computers and take a test, as many would say, “Just to have a resume written.” So we moved away from Kenexa and now we use an assessment during our telephone interview. This gives me an opportunity to encourage clients to be truthful about everything they’re sharing including technical knowledge reminding them that an employer is going to want them to deliver on what they said they can do. Example: An advanced Excel user should be able to: Customize the work area; Use advanced functions (Names, VLOOKUP, IF, IS); Work with Pivot Tables; Use spreadsheet Web components; Manage Macro commands: concepts, planning, operations, execution, modification, interruption; Use personalized toolbars; and Perform some programming in VBA. As you, can probably imagine, I’ve had many clients ask to include under Technical Skills MS Office Suite with no proficiency indicators

Me:

So, this is more valuable to a job fair vendor or employer than a biz 💳? Should he or she have both?

Jessica:

I, of course, like both. But, I also LOVE tinkering with technology. Give me a resume or business card with a QR Code and my eyes light up. However, having worked high-volume recruiting for companies other than my own, there are limitations. Most IT departments block unfamiliar sites and social sites still. So, if your business card has a QR Code that points to a personal website, many Company Recruiters may never see it due to restricted access. Security is still a concern. But, when you’re talking with someone face to face and you leave them with a one-page information piece, you’ve eliminated the need to search any other sites or use any other tools other than a telephone or email to contact for more information

Me:

…then there is blue tooth technology.

Jessica:

This works well at University Career Fairs, but small businesses and Company sponsored fairs haven’t evolved much over recent years. I think we have to prepare job seekers in as many ways as possible

Me:

But use what they (job seekers) like; especially the job seekers overwhelmed by technology.

Jessica:

Absolutely!!! My more seasoned (senior) clientele push back when it comes to technology. As a result, I have to approach their career search a bit differently using more traditional means.

Summary

Let me point out the use of

tech and traditional approaches only increase the number of touches, and the potential to impress and reach more people.

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But consider this: If you’re a seasoned professional (Gen X/Baby Boomer) and want to be shed the perception of being non-technical, why wouldn’t you adopt a strategy required tech savviness?