Mark Anthony Dyson, Author at The Voice of Job Seekers

Showing Love to The Mid-Life Worker

Showing love to the mid-life worker by Mark Anthony Dyson

While I’m not offering suggestions this time, but more or less reminding those of you looking for a job of the complications in changing careers “mid-life.” While there are many reasons for change or to glide steady, there are two reasons I hear a lot about.

Midlife career changers generally look to do more meaningful work 35-55. They will likely be involved in raising children and looking after elderly parents. There are several layers to a midlife career changer.

1) A person has worked hard during their 20s and early 30s, bought a home, can afford for one parent to take six months or more away from a job, and desires to return to the workforce. They will need to retrain or gain more certifications to increase their marketability and want a position to complement their family dynamic. Traditionally, this description would fit women, but the pandemic has exploited men’s involvement in the family to the point where many see the need to do much more.

2) A person who has not found clarity will want to try different things and consider various possibilities to find a meaningful career. They will try completely different types of work to gain clarity. While starting a new career from scratch is daunting, it’s also a reality if they aspire to have a stable life and a niched-down career path to take them into their next few years.

For both scenarios, the advice is the same except for the time. Both could be working against time because of a separation (layoff or termination), but neither should they feel hopeless or desperate.

Here are some other things either can do to advance your efforts:

-Prioritize clarity. Have many 1-to-1 conversations with people thriving in the industry you want to be in. Many will call it informational interviews, but you want to learn how to navigate the industry, not ask for a job. More information about their journey enables you to create your path.

– Join industry organizations and associations and participate in community and groupthink activities. Opportunities will be to hone new skills and meet and work with seasoned industry professionals. Look at and if you can emulate how younger workers are moving and scaling their careers. You have experience they don’t have. Learn from them, and learn how to work with them.

– Volunteer. If you are honing newly learned skills or polishing old ones, there are opportunities to help non-profit organizations. While money isn’t exchanged, the experience will be the focus. You can ask the organization to be a reference for future jobs and a LinkedIn recommendation in exchange for your time.

Don’t get discouraged by the potential of younger competition. Many mid-life career changers stifle and won’t try. If your skills and experience have relevance, you’ll find opportunities unless you give up. It’s not a “mid-life” crisis unless it’s a goal.

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

Simple Ways To Utilize Critical Thinking In Your Job Search

Simple Ways To Utilize Critical Thinking In Your Job Search by Mark Anthony Dyson

People want results by doing what’s easy for the least amount of money or time. It’s true with clothes, fitness, and job search. It takes critical thinking to successfully job search when you’re scaling your career for more money and satisfaction. It’s going to cost you strategy and effort at the beginning. It’s costly, but it’s essential.

Below is the episode with Bethany Wallace from earlier this year as we discussed principles of critical thinking, but I want to summarize and add to what was said.

1. Put yourself in the shoes of hiring managers.

Researching the company is critical, and so is knowing what you can about the team you’ll be working with and the people you’ll interact with during the interview process. Know if and how you’ll be a fit on the team.

What does this look like? Find out what skills are critical for the position. Most students find out adaptation and perpetual learning are key. Know the professional organizations they participate in, the team goals and values, and how they work. When you research the hiring manager, find out what success is and their criteria for rewarding performance, if any.

2. Approach the job search with the mindset of a consultant

Consultants target problems and bring an array of strategies to solve them. They are looking at the cause of problems, how it’s affecting performance and results, and finding long-term solutions to save the company money and time while increasing production. With a consultant mindset, you will ask specific questions to drill down to the root of issues.

What does this look like? Use LinkedIn to find the last employee who held the position. After a 10-minute discussion about the position and its challenges, ask if there are other people you can talk to who work for the department or as an internal partner. If an employee refers you, ask them about their experiences.

I wrote about the consultant mindset several times here and here. I highly recommend reading them to get started.

3. Position problem-solving as a case study

More employers are testing candidates on how they think. You must be ready to either document or verbally present you’re abilities to problem solve.

What does this look like? When presented with a scenario, you’ll need to show your knowledge of the problem, the possible problems you will confront, and how you’ll solve the problem. The employer may look for your summary of why your proposed solution works. It may be a short-term solution, but you must know why. The answer might not be right, but it shows your critical thinking.

We learn so much from thinking out loud with people who had the experience of doing it so well. You can pay a coach for it or people you know who can help you with thoughtful strategies. It’s inexpensive to clarify what you want and where to do it. The only cost you pay is the time.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

by Mark Anthony Dyson

This Is Why Your Spouse Is A Great Career Advisor

This Is Why Your Spouse Is a Great Career Advisor by Mark Anthony Dyson

Many of us would love to work with our spouse in some way shape or form. Not me.

She is so honest with me that it hurts, and I am not one to crawl in pain all day long. Having said that, she has offered some of the best career advice. She said I should start a business. She surveyed her family and came up with a name before purposing the idea. I have not looked back since, nor entertain any regrets.

She suggested I write a book. I am playing with the idea although I have an e-book and white papers for public consumption. I am already overthinking it. Maybe if I had a co-writer, but then again, I have trust issues.

Not all spouses have that gift, but I married my wife because of the painful honesty she is loaded with about me. I recommend it if your spouse is honest with you that you invite the truth. I mean, about everything, particularly you. It’s a risk, but it’s a win. Here are my five reasons why you should seek painful but honest career advice from your spouse:

1) After the pain comes the healing. Your spouse is honest enough to tell you that you don’t have what it takes to be a great poet. And even if you were, would it pay the bills? What if you asked others and were told the same thing? Then probably, you’re thankful that the conversation took place.

2) Your spouse can encourage you like no one else. He or she knows what motivation buttons to push. Who doesn’t need someone remembering your strengths?

3) His or her critiques are often open doors to fix relationship issues. Sometimes our spouses critiques are double-edged swords. You asked for his or her opinion, but this particular time it had a ZING to it. Is this an opportunity to look a little deeper to see how deep the issue relates to home?

4) The advice is to protect you from yourself. Areas that used to be your strengths are no longer as valuable, and your spouse indicates that you should move on. On the contrary, the advice may mean, “Win.” she says. “Go win!”

5) Your spouses vision may be bigger, brighter, and bodacious than yours. How encouraging and strengthening is that? When you think supervisor, he thinks executive vice president? You may have to analyze if that is realistic or not, but the point is this is your spouses vision of you.

When you ask for help from your spouse, it is likely you’ll receive reality. At least you can start there. It’s a good thing they can crush you like no one else if their advice stems from love.

Would you trust your spouses’ career advice? Why or why not? Let me know what you think in the comments.