Mark Anthony Dyson, Author at The Voice of Job Seekers

5 Mobile Job Search Apps to Use in the Digital Age

These days you can find mobile apps for everything from mapping your run to playing Candy Crush (which is awesome), so it’s no surprise that there are also plenty of apps out there designed to help you find a job.

With such an abundance, though, it can get kind of difficult to sift through them all and find the apps that are actually worth your time as a jobseeker. To save you the trouble of mining through every job search-related app, I’ve compiled a list of 5 (in no particular order) that I think are particularly useful.

TweetMyJobs
When it comes to the actual job hunt, you can’t beat TweetMyJobs. This app uses GPS technology to locate job openings in your area and sends potential matches to you through your chosen media channel—social media, email, or text. You can also control how often job matches are delivered to you, so if you don’t want to be bombarded by job posts every day, you can set it to every week or two. In an age of instantaneous communication, TweetMyJobs lets jobseekers keep up with jobs in their area as they become available.

Job Search by Indeed.com
Indeed is one of the most popular job search engines out there, likely because of its vast job database and easy-to-follow format. Their mobile app doesn’t just allow you to search for jobs in your field and geographic area on the go (although that in itself is quite useful), it also lets you save and email the jobs you’re most interested in. Being able to use Indeed’s mobile app is particularly useful because the site is constantly being updated with new jobs, and you don’t want to miss out on seeing that perfect position just because you’re away from your computer.

Monster.com Interviews
Landing a job interview can feel like a huge triumph, but for a lot of people it’s accompanied by nervousness about fumbling or blanking during the interview itself. It pays to prep yourself for any job interview, and Monster’s Interviews does that and more. The app gives you tips for every aspect of the interview, offers advice for difficult questions, organize interview notes, and schedules reminders about upcoming interviews. After the interview, the app will give you tips on writing a thank-you note, allow you the opportunity to make post-interview notes, and set follow-up reminders.

Resume Bear
Sending out resumes is a key (and for many people, dreaded) component of the job hunt. Keeping track of where you’ve sent all those resumes—and which companies have actually acknowledged those resumes—has always presented a frustrating challenge. Luckily, Resume Bear cuts down on a lot of that frustration by tracking your resume so that you can see who has actually opened the file. This app also lets you access your formatted resume and email it to potential employers straight from your phone, because you never know when you’re going to hear about a great job opportunity.

Linkedin Mobile
Just about any social media platform you could think of is available as a mobile app, including the popular career networking site Linkedin. The Linkedin app allows you to do all the same things you can do from the site—update your profile, add and stay up to date with people in your network, learn about companies you’re interested in. This app is particularly useful if you attend a networking event or meet someone who might be able to recommend you for a position, because you can add them to your LinkedIn network immediately rather than having to remember to do it when you get home.

There’s no denying that there are challenges to finding a job in the digital age. Internet job boards make job openings extremely easy to find, which increases the competition for any given position. However, if you use mobile apps intelligently, you can give yourself an edge over the competition and make sure that you never miss hearing about a job opportunity.

Josh Weiss-Roessler is a freelance writer and professional resume writer who loves sharing job search advice and helping people find the career they really want. You can learn more about the company that he co-owns, Weiss-Roessler Writing, and their resume writing services on his website. When he’s not glued to his keyboard, you’re likely to find him hanging out with his wife, being run ragged by his rambunctious and loquacious 14-month-old, or walking his dogs around their Austin, TX neighborhood.

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

Seeking Diversity Workplace with Susan Reed

Susan E. Reed wrote The Diversity Index in 2011, which I find relevant as companies resist and other companies forge a diverse workforce. Reed’s in depth look at diversity unearth dialogue and initiatives that reaches back prior to the Civil Rights act of 1964. Reed is a for CBS News producer who has won two Emmys as a reporter and her work has appeared in the New York Times and the Washington Post among others. She offered some reflection and insight on diversity in the workplace in the last two years.

I like sharing these types of conversations because the universal workplace has become a very complex environment to people of color and to women. It helps to have varying perspectives to make informed decisions who want to work for companies that promote diversity and inclusion, but also who will be fair to all.

Mark: Since you’ve written the book two years ago are more companies proactively transforming their culture to a more diverse one?

Susan Reed: I have been pleasantly surprised to find companies that are actively trying to make their organizations more diverse. I know that because I meet diversity directors at forums where specialists are sharing best practices.

Mark: Are there recruiting efforts that matches the intent of companies that wish to change?

SR: Yes. I see recruiters looking for people everywhere: on LinkedIn, on Facebook, college campuses, and at inner city job fairs.

Mark: What are common mistakes companies make in hiring a diverse workforce?

SR: If you put one individual with very different characteristics into a homogeneous pool of workers, they will experience greater stress in trying to fit in, get along and be accepted than if you hired two or three very diverse people at once.

Mark: There is a study that came out last year that said that CEOs desired for employees to have more of a global perspective, yet many companies still are lacking in diversity. There seems to be an anomaly somewhere. Any ideas why executives fail to see the discrepancy?

SR: Everybody has a different definition of diversity. Some think only of gender diversity, others think only of racial diversity. Folks who have international experience tend to think in terms of international diversity. One can have international diversity without racial or gender diversity. For instance, nearly 10 percent of executive officers of the Fortune 100 are white men who were born outside of the U.S., exemplifying how international diversity can exist without racial or gender diversity. All of us need to think more expansively about the many aspects diversity, including ability and sexual diversity.

Mark: Companies that are diverse and make efforts to maintain a longitudinal outlook seem to also share lots of transparency. Is this an accurate assessment?

SR: Yes, I think you’re right. Many companies with a deep history in diversity will sponsor employee resource groups, and publish a general census of the diversity of their workers. They often post the information on their websites.

Mark: Should job seekers that desire to work for diverse and inclusive companies expect work related transparency as well? Are there companies that already employ this thought that you know of?

SR: In my study, I found that the government contractors who had deep history with diversity–going back to affirmative action in the 1960s– were the most experienced at creating a diverse workforce.

Mark: So a job seeker is hired by an ideal company must experience a special type of empowerment. As that a safe assessment or is that assuming too much?

SR: The new hire should assume he or she is wanted to perform the job, but I’m not sure it is reasonable to assume any special empowerment because companies are very complex organizations.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Why Must Job Seekers Voice His or Her Value

Somehow, job seekers need to find their voice in saying what you want. Many only tread water in vocalizing his or her career worth.

I am not talking about shy people. Extroverted job seekers often lack expertise and yes even clueless of their career value. Many will say depreciate it, and too little to substantiate his or her holistic worth.

To be clear: put it into words. Rehearsed or not.

Three of many ways job seekers miss opportunities to find a voice in their value:

1. They struggle with saying NO! Enough said.

2. The battle of being an introvert and not conforming to what is expected of you. You are expected to say what you mean.

3. Problem selling yourself convincingly. Yet, expertly the uninformed jobseeker will pontificate about things that have nothing to do with abilities and more toward attempts (“I tried so hard, and got so far, but in the end, it doesn’t even matter”).

Perhaps that is why many of us are unappreciated job seekers—we are not intentional in our quest to understand our individual value. If you can’t express it, you shouldn’t expect it. That’s business in 2013.

The skit below demonstrates exactly what I am talking about as it applies to our worth. We know what we want as the sticker price for our services, but we don’t employ our voices to defend our worth. We are unsure what we can deliver and well versed in what we don’t offer. That must change. Today!

This old Abbott and Costello video demonstrates everything that we all have dealt with:

We are told that we are “fired” and then we say, “I quit!” One thing Costello correctly does is to starting negotiating the terms of exiting. This is very good strategy. Yet, it goes down from here.
The only thing he is well versed in his monetary worth and not the worth of his skills. Although we don’t know the complete context of why his is being fired, or if he is actually fired, he never acquiesces to the value of what he has accomplished. Many job seekers rarely examine the worth of his or her skills. Ask yourself, “What would happen you didn’t do your job?” Then start evaluating the value of what you’ve done.
Abbott says, “Now wait a minute! Not so fast!” This statement starts the counter-argument, and he is right for slowing it down. It actually models what Costello should have done. Slow down. Think. If Costello listened carefully at the beginning he would have created a smoother exit or changed Abbott’s mind.
It gets worse. Much worse. Abbott and Costello agreed on one dollar a day salary, but Abbott saw this scenario from a 24 hour a day perspective. Costello falls right into the trap of not correcting him basing this on an eight hour workday. Should this be a discussion or a point of contention? Obviously not, but this goes to the point of vocalizing and managing your employer of your value way BEFORE you start a job, not when you are exiting.

You can take it from here and see how badly Abbott dislodges the proverbial ball from Costello. Lawd, this is worse than a Mark Sanchez butt fumble.

What is hard about vocalizing your value? Please share and enjoy the video. I’d like you to share your thoughts.