Mark Anthony Dyson, Author at The Voice of Job Seekers

Get the Job You Were Called to Do with Kathleen Brady

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

I am happy to have Kathleen Brady, author of “Get a Job” back on the show. She was on episode 4 back in October 2013. She is the founder of Brady & Associates Career Planners, LLC and Career Services Director at Georgian Court University. Her advice has been nationally shared on news outlets such as CNN, CBS, NPR, FoxNews. Her book, advice and this conversation will get down to it with you finding the job you were called to do, and not what you “should” do.

Do you look for jobs that you “should” take or are you looking for the job you are called to do? I would love to hear your thoughts on this in one of the following 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: [email protected]
3) Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com and press the “Send Voicemail” button to leave a message online

Kathleen rewrote the first chapter of “Get a Job” (first version published in 2013) while keeping her pragmatic approach to worksheets and questions to answer after reflection
As career pros, we have an aerial view to guide people in the right way of conducting a job search. The mindset is the common denominator. Job seekers who focus on the obstacles and find it difficult to achieve success. Our role as career pros is to help others focus on a positive mindset and dig deeper with a reflective approach
The best way to put changes and improvements into your job search is to use “baby steps.” Trying to take large steps for most job seekers is overwhelming
Although “values” have been talked about, they must be a prime motivator at the core of his or her job search
“What do I value?” and “How do I want to show up?” is at the core of finding meaningful work more than the mechanics of the job search such as a resume or cover letter
Kathleen also advises job seekers to be careful of what they post on social media. Even in the comments sections of threads such as Facebook discretion must used
Job seekers often prioritize”should” goals, or the path of least resistance rather than what they are called to do or natural gifts
Kathleen states that people are better off thinking about their job search goals holistically as it impacts their life goals
There are multi-layered career paths now that did not exists years ago. Job seekers need to be realistic and disciplined about his or her choices

Have you subscribed to this show on iTunes? If you haven’t, please do so. This is also a great place to write an honest review. 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 community on Linkedin! 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

Choose a Career Path Not a Job with Ryan Porter

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

I found a site in the last year that exclusively promotes career paths for those who decide not to pursue post-secondary education. The site was eye-catching, attractive, and hyper-functional for the users as an energetic experience. The founder, Ryan Porter, epitomizes energy and synergy when I talked to him. Any time that a site, an idea, technology or person can positively engage a job seeker to clarity and simplicity, I’m interested in featuring it on the podcast.

Has a lack of a college degree hindered you from career choices? Would a site that had more compatible choices for you help your job search? I would love to hear what you think. There are three ways to let me know what you think:

1) Leave a voicemail 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

1. At 21, while hating college, quit his job and college and moved to Tokyo. Eventually moved to Canada and the U.S. and went around the country speaking to schools around the country (more than 900,000 students). He also wrote Make Your Own Lunch: How to Live an Epically Epic Life before founding “Raise Your Flag.”

2. Ryan reflects on a book that influenced his thinking written by Samuel Halprin, The Forgotten Half: Pathways to Success for America’s Youth and Young Families. The book address that half of high school graduates do not go on to postsecondary education and nothing was being done for them. More than 30 years later, that statistic has not changed. 70% of working Americans have less than a Bachelor’s degree.

3. Ryan observed how the discussion about education was about having a college degree or be like Bill Gates. It’s rare when the discussion addresses the majority of people who are in-between.

4. What sets “Raise Your Flag” apart from other sites that every posting has a career path. You click on the career and a path to the next career upward is shown.

5. Ryan believes those who choose their jobs are on a career path and deserve to have the confidence of their career trajectory as a college graduate does.

6. College students are likely to describe his or her retail job as “JUST” a sales associate – when for others it is the launching of a career in retail.

7. Learning and development are essential for many careers but only need a SkillShare class to enhance their skills. Ryan says that employers will drive the shift from emphasizing college to MOOCs (Massive Online Open Courses) as colleges are deemed to implode through its current business model.

8. Ryan says that what is missing from learning is the context of learning. “Are you learning this to get a good grade or is it useful for you to apply?” It takes two years of college to get the context of why you’re there.

9. Many of the volunteer projects and campaigns have the context of learning that it takes two years of college to receive, if not better.

10. “Meaningful work experiences is the true currency of the world of work.”

I encourage you to follow them on their Facebook page that has five million members and growing!

Have you subscribed to this show on iTunes? If you haven’t, please do so. This is also a great place to write an honest review. 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 community on Linkedin! You’ll enjoy some of the insights shared by community members and other career pros!

About Mark Anthony Dyson

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Grammarly is Useful for Your Job Search and Career Management

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Note: I have an affiliate account with Grammarly and benefit when you click on the ads on the right panel of TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com. This is a small way for you to support the show if you wish to do so.

Grammarly is the best grammar checker software on the planet. There are more than 250 grammar rule checks it makes in its search for errors. It’s hard for those of us who write for a living to create an edit to perfection. I receive help from editors from time to time for client documents and blog posts. I also find the software from Grammarly helpful and useful on a regular basis (I still use an editor to help me with writing for clients and articles from time to time).

I have reviewed other grammar and spellcheckers on these articles:

https://thevoiceofjobseekers.com/five-resources-to-help-correct-resume-grammar-errors/

https://thevoiceofjobseekers.com/3-more-resources-to-help-proofread-your-resume/

https://thevoiceofjobseekers.com/three-more-resources-to-help-correct-resume-grammar-errors-part-2/

My friend and colleague Lauren Milligan and I also walk through some editing and proofreading techniques in episode 49 specifically for writing resumes.

My guest is Shanik Patel of Grammarly. He makes a compelling case for you to get help with writing error-free documents by using Grammarly.

When you visit the blog, you will notice that a Grammarly affiliate ad is one of two that I have on the blog. It is a product I use and don’t mind selling because I benefit far more for the quality of writing I produce than the link itself. I recommend that if you are struggling to create a quality business related document for work, job search, and/or business to invest at minimum the premium version.

How do you proofread documents? What methods do you use? I would love your feedback 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: [email protected]
3) Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com and press the “Send Voicemail” button to leave a message online

The “writing problem” begins in school.

In September 2012, the National Assessment of Educational Progress released the results of its annual writing test, The Nation’s Report Card: Writing 2012, suggesting that 75 percent of 8th and 12th grade students are unable to present their ideas in a clear, grammatically correct manner despite being given access to word processing tools for the first time in the test’s history.
Only 43 percent of all students who took the SAT in 2013 met the SAT College & Career Readiness Benchmark (which indicates a student’s likelihood of achieving a B- average or higher during the first year of study at a four-year college).
Student writing scores on the SAT have declined five points since 2011 and consistently represent the lowest student outcomes of any section of the test.

Poor writing skills continue in the workplace.

More than two thirds of salaried jobs require a significant amount of written work, making written communication a key consideration in hiring.
Experts estimate that low literacy costs the American economy $225 billion a year in lost productivity. Improved workplace literacy can increase employees’ efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity on the job. As a result, employers experience greater customer satisfaction and process improvement, a lower incidence of accidents, reduced waste, and fewer errors.
Business Roundtable’s member companies are still forced to spend more than $3 Billion on remedial writing courses each year, for both hourly workers and salaried workers.

Better writers tend to be more successful in the workplace.

Grammarly’sElance Study

Professionals are judged every day by the quality of their writing — and paid accordingly.Grammarly reviewed nearly 500 freelance professionals’ profileson Elance whose work was rated by employers.
We then reviewed the freelance profiles for spelling, grammar and punctuation errors. Our goal was to determine whether accurate writing related to the freelancers’ credibility,hireability, or pay.

The best-reviewed freelancers across all categories were those with the fewest writing errors.

Better writers earn more money per job.

Grammarly’s Linkedin Study

Professionals with fewer grammar errors in their profiles achieved higher positions. Those who failed to progress to a director-level position within the first 10 years of their careers made 2.5 times as many grammar mistakes as their director-level colleagues.

We found that:

Fewer grammar errors correlate with more promotions. Professionals with one to four promotions over their 10-year careers made 45 percent more grammar errors than those with six to nine promotions in the same time frame.
Fewer grammar errors associate with frequent job changes. Those who remained at the same company for more than 10 years made 20 percent more grammar mistakes than those who held six jobs during the same period.

You need to proofread to be a better writer!
- Top mistakes you’re probably making in your resumes, cover letters, professional emails
- Options for obtaining a proofreader — human being, Microsoft Word’s spelling and grammar checker, Grammarly

I encourage you to follow them on their Facebook page that has five million members and growing!

Have you subscribed to this show on iTunes? If you haven’t, please do so. This is also a great place to write an honest review. 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 community on Linkedin! You’ll enjoy some of the insights shared by community members and other career pros!