Mark Anthony Dyson, Author at The Voice of Job Seekers

Mistakes Job Seekers Make in Planning His or Her Career Trajectory

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How far you will go in your career shouldn’t be determined by job titles. What are you learning that you can apply years from now? That’s a big part of managing your career trajectory. Job seekers are still thinking about the next job instead of their career path over time. Melissa Cooley and I discuss this as we hope you would think concerning the longitudinal path of your career.

What are your career goals 90 days, six months, or a year from today? What will your career look like in five years? There are three ways you can share your thoughts with us:

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: [email protected]
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.

Melissa Cooley is the founder of the blog, The Job Quest. Her multiple career articles and mentions have appeared in The Daily Muse, The Savvy Intern Blog, and Under30Careers. She is a Certified Advance Resume Writer and an Interview Coach.

Here are a few of the highlights from our conversation:

Some of the language from many job seekers suggests a lack of understanding their career trajectory such as, “I’ve landed…” because it sounds like it’s permanent
A new job still means your actions must be purposeful for your entire career. Take control of your future and avoid being reactionary!
Don’t pitch your tent but treat it as a pit stop! The only constant is change.
An Austrailian study shows that 60% of college students are chasing careers that no longer exist. Online courses such as MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), Skillshare, and Udemy more valuable.
Melissa stated that apprenticeships are valuable with the real world experience and gut instinct
Missed opportunities because people looking for the formal training (classroom) and it may not exist
Melissa said that people are not grasping and understanding what and where a real opportunity is found
In ancient times, the Greeks desiring education followed other people, not schools
Melissa said that textbooks provide static answers, but mentors will provide more dynamic input
Textbooks may not provide timely answers like a mentor could
Melissa referred to people finding mentors outside of his or her field where transferable skills may apply to both
She also said your career trajectory is not found in job titles but transferable skills. Think about the skills already possessed and its application to other career opportunities
Attitude, aptitude, and soft skills are big parts of the layers required to change careers and your career trajectory. Can you cross-train in your current career? Do you fit with the company? The team?

People focus on activities instead of learning and miss big opportunities 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!

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

Strategies for the Working Parent to Find Remote Work

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There are many studies that are pointing to remote careers as the norm not the exception over the next few years. There is a shift in the way companies are looking and planning to provide remote work opportunities for its current staff. I brought back Scott Behson, the author of The Working Dad’s Survival Guide: How to Succeed at Work and at Home, to further discuss how and where Fathers can search for opportunities, avoid a major common mistake, and remote work trends in the next few years.

How have you found jobs that allowed remote work? What challenges have you found in finding work from home opportunities? Share your thoughts with me in one of three ways:

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

Scott is an Associate Professor of Management at Farleigh Dickinson University. He has a doctorate in Organizational Studies, and blogs at Fathers Work and Family. He is a regular contributor to the Harvard Business Review, TIME, Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, Good Men Project, and Salary.com.

Here is a brief summary of our discussion:

Research is key in finding remote work opportunities since there are so many fraudulent job postings
Grow your own flexible job by pitching your current company to pilot a couple of days a week
Check with other employees in the company who are working from home and see how they started
Present to your employer why you working from home is mutually beneficial
Demonstrate your understanding of the dynamics of the company’s workplace
Present data and research projecting what productivity would look like (Chapter 5 in Scott’s book)
FlexJobs published 100 top companies with remote jobs in 2015
Most job posting for remote work are written with women (not always) men in mind
Be persistent when employers see a woman in a remote work roleHave 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!

About Mark Anthony Dyson

by Mark Anthony Dyson

How to Use Blab or Periscope for Your Job Search

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Just don’t think of Blab or Periscope only as a means of entertainment or to watch someone else use it to sell you stuff. Become an active participant to embellish your brand or as a strategic part of your job search. Jessica Miller-Merrell suggests that job seekers use it to connect with employers, share about your day, and even for informational interviews.

Have you started using Blab or Periscope yet? Would you use it to connect with employers? I would love to know what you think. As always, there are several ways to share your thoughts on the question or this show’s interview:

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: [email protected]
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 on the message, and I will link to it.

Let me share a little bit about Jessica Miller-Merrell (@jmillermerrell). She is the founder of the Forbes 100 Top Career Website Blogging4Jobs (and podcast) and the publisher of The Recruiters Lounge. Her media features include Forbes, Fortune, and Entrepreneur Magazines as well as many other media outlets. She is the CEO and founder of Xceptional HR and writes a lot about HR technology.

She recently wrote about using Blab or Periscope for your job search, and I asked her to discuss the “why” and strategies anyone can use:

What are the purpose and goal are helpful strategies in using video through Blab or Periscope
Jessica said that lighting, fresh face, and make-up are important elements in connecting with recruiters and hiring managers
You don’t have to target one particular subject as you can talk about your mantra for today, or taking people on your journey with Blab or Periscope
Video interviewing is more commonplace now, so people have to become more comfortable with cameras
Video also unveils the voices in the back of our heads in how it shows what we perceive as negative (hair, facial expressions, etc.). Blab and Periscope can help with the need for practice
You want to use these tools to be comfortable and collective enough to “Wow” the hiring manager
Jessica said we don’t have to be experts but provide a platform to be noticed and not necessarily perfect
Think about your industry and how it uses video. How can you contribute in a special way?
You can use Periscope or Blab as a way of introducing yourself or as a demo. Are you in the hospitality industry? Do you interface with customers? This will demonstrate your strengths
Companies can’t train great personalities so using these tools in an opportunity to demonstrate when a resume or other career marketing tools can’t
You can use Periscope or Blab as a tool for informational interviews (or business conversations). Have a show where you put companies in the spotlight and ask them about their hiring process, what positions they’re hiring for, etc
More companies are beginning to use Periscope and Blab to connect with potential candidates
Live recording audio or video is scary for employers because they can’t take it back. Jessica shares her experience with employers using social networks tools

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!

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