Mark Anthony Dyson, Author at The Voice of Job Seekers

Time to Get Down to the Heart of Your Employment Matters

Years ago, Don Henley released a song called, “Heart of the Matter,” that describes the broken and turbulent relationship is about forgiveness,

…even if you don’t love me anymore.

Closure is important proceeded by resolution, if a lack of forgiveness is the source of anger. Relationships are crazy and complex if the heart of the matter never comes to light.

I mean, how powerful and honest are the lines,

I’m learning to live without you now…but I miss you sometimes

The more I know, the less I understand

All the things I thought I knew, I’m learning again

A job search can be as turbulent as a broken relationship. But if you can’t get down to the core of your problems, or at least define the doldrums, delayed success you can expect.

Yes we can talk about effort and exertion, but without strategy, failure begins. But there is something to be said about shortcomings, weaknesses, and character obstacles that can hold you back. I listed a few of them below:

1. Fear of returning to your career vomit

You do not want to do the last job. That is understandable as diligent professionals avoid sticking their hand in the proverbial plow and look back to do the duties of their last job. You move on but the lack of money is tearing your interests in two. Solution: Patience and diligence pay off. If you don’t want to return to old job duties, see if you can transfer those old skills into new opportunities.

2. Demons of your past errors

Errors are good. They remind us of what we shouldn’t do. Past errors are not good if they are allowed to roam free in your heart and mind. Solution: Shut down the pity party, and focus on your successes. Taking care of business may mean additional training, or a visit with a mentor.

3. Have not tapped the value of skills

People will look at their career as a moral and economic obligation, but rarely will people understand demonstrated value his or her performance results. Solution: Past performance reviews are good to read sometimes to remind us how valued our performance was to past employers. Look to see if your work was broken down by quantity and quality to showcase performance measures on your current resume. Not only numbers are eye-grabbing, but also it highlights your value. Words alone hides your worth, and your abilities.

4. Your network lacks a bold and honest person

We can win a war with many advisors, assuming the advisors are wise. Unwise advisors lack strategy and perspective, thus losing the war. Solution: Most need objective and honest people to shake us up, and motivate us to increase our expectations. Capable individuals who bring the best out of us know how to push the positive button, urging us, and spurring us in all areas of our job search.

5. Lack outstanding oral and written communication skills

The truth is that most people do not master oral and written skills. Although there are varying measures to what “master” means, but most jobseekers do not possess excellent oral and written skills. Solution: There are writing courses that can be taken online. Although it would be easier if people checked your work, it is not always possible. I wrote an article that cited some resources that help correct grammar and spelling errors.

6. Money is determining your happiness

Money is a temporary solution to a life long wound. Money is idolized if your pocket are always empty after working “just a job!” Throw the idol in the fire by unearthing a career path as you look toward the future. Solution: A frequent cliché but true is pursuing a career that you would do for free brings more happiness than a job for twice the money. Find intrinsic markers that allow you to find careers that provide some fulfillment, and allow the release of endorphins.

Job seekers need candid talks with mentors and coaches to shed light on strengths and grow in areas writing and speaking. It is essential that each job seeker understand what motivates him or her. It is not what you see that can keep you from being hired at the job you want. Everyone needs an individual who will get to the heart of the matter.

What areas do you find difficult to change? That is where the conversation should start. What do you think? Please offer your thoughts below.

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

Interview with Pete Leibman, Author of I Got My Dream Job

Editor’s note: Pete Leibman book, I Got My Dream Job and So Can You was reviewed on March 14. He kindly agreed to spend a few minutes with me to answer some questions about the book.

What is the biggest difference for job seeking graduates before the Great Recession (2008) and now in 2012? I had clients who are recent grads having to take things completely in their own hands.In a down economy, it becomes even more important for job-seekers to be proactive with their job search and with networking. On the bright side, the world is more well-connected now than it has ever been before. Facebook has over 800 million users and LinkedIn has over 130 million members (as of early 2012). These platforms, along with others, provide networking opportunities that have never been available to job-seekers. This is good news!
We know that college career centers can make a small difference in a graduate’s job search but many times not enough. What ways can a graduate optimize the use of his or her career center?The Career Center can provide a lot of value for students and young alumni by helping you get clear on what you want from your career and by helping you get connected to alumni working in fields of interest. The Career Center can also help you develop a strategy for your entire job search so that you can get hired faster.
You provide a very useful tool in the book for job seekers to intrinsically evaluate their skills and talents. How essential is that to the job search, and will it provide them a better view of their accomplishments and visualize his or her dream job? Employers hire people for one reason: to solve problems and deliver results. Your goal (before the interview and during the interview) is to convince the employer that you have the skills and traits needed to deliver the desired results in the position. Once you get clear on what the employer is looking for (which you can usually gather through employer research and by studying the job description meticulously), your next step is to prepare your “evidence” for why the employer should hire you. You should be prepared to discuss prior achievements and stories from your past that demonstrate how you have each skill and trait needed for success in the position.
You clearly state in your book that negotiating salary starts at the initial contact of the employer. Could you give an example of how new graduates mistakenly leave money on the table?The biggest mistake you can make in salary negotiation is to think that negotiation begins after you receive an offer. Negotiation begins the moment you come in contact with anyone who can hire you. You can also leave money on the table by throwing out a number first or by discussing salary before demonstrating your value to the employer. One of my favorite sales/negotiation quotes is from one of the world’s leading sales experts, Ray Leone who said “never quote a price to an unsold buyer.” In other words, make sure the employer wants you before you talk salary.
I am working with clients who are now setting up blogs to help them brand themselves. In your experience, What are the best components to include on a blog for job search purposes to yield noticeable results? Tips for blogging: Keep it professional and positive, write about a topic connected to your field of interest, and make sure it’s well-written. A poorly written or unprofessional blog will actually work against you. You can also use a blog as an “excuse” to reach out to leaders in your field to interview them. This can be a great way to start a dialogue with someone who otherwise might not be receptive to you contacting them. Everyone loves to be interviewed!
What research methods do you wish new graduate job seekers would use more carefully, frequently, or both?Most job-seekers spend too much time on job boards, while underutilizing online tools that can help them get a better job faster. For example, there are a variety of ways to use LinkedIn to get connected with people working in fields of interest. You can conduct searches on LinkedIn to find alumni working in your field of choice, you can use LinkedIn to search for relevant individuals connected to people you already know, and you can also join groups on LinkedIn where you can get “insider information” on certain fields and where you can communicate directly with people in fields of interest all over the world. A terrific, little-known resource for job-seekers is Jigsaw.com, which is a database of downloadable contact information on professionals and businesses worldwide. This web site can be a great tool to use for employer research and for tracking down contact information for people who are otherwise hard to access.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

by Mark Anthony Dyson

5 Ways To Conspire Against Your Job Search

When I sit with a client a job search strategy session, we develop a career development plan. We create a contract agreeing to complete certain tasks with dates, times and how-to associated with the task. I will have a to do list, and my client, the job seeker has a list. We have each other’s list, and we work to make it happen. 9.9 out of 10 times I have to remind my client, but they pay me to do so. Without accountability it you are likely to fall behind and excuse yourself with your job search efforts. It is part of the longitudinal conspiracy against yourself.

That’s right, I said it! You are purposely derailing your own job search.

You are not helping your career by waiting for a lead to drop from the sky. Nor, are you strategically active researching and exhausting resources to gain insights about employers. You can blame laziness, passivity, and apathy for letting important career defining moments lapse. Many of these mini-moments occur in front of you, and you pass on an opportunity to display expertise. Sometimes, these are tests that an employer will employ to see if you’ll blink. I bet you blinked more than once.

Other times the volume and speed of the conversation intimidates you. They smile. You smile. The interviewer forcefully and politely ends the interview and before you know it, the meeting is over. And still you remain unemployed.

Conspirator!

Et tu, job seeker?

I can name several obvious ways that conspiracy against thyself rears its ugly head:

You lose track of the employers you approached, and networking contacts

The conspiracy: Shame on you not following up on resumes and other correspondence to employers seeking interviews, and other opportunities that could advance your career. It’s an essential part of your job search! Solution: Get organized and start using tools that provide reminders of contacts, events, and of course, follow calls.

It’s what you don’t say that speaks volumes

The conspiracy: What? No questions for the interviewer? No research done? No direct answers given? At this point, your silence says things you don’t want to say–you don’t care. You didn’t take time to prepare. Solution: Ask direct questions, and through research answer direct questions. Anticipate what will be asked, and prepare accordingly. If your experience has the depth, so will your answers.

You give too much information

The conspiracy: A bad sign–your overstated banter becomes someone else’s entertainment. You mentioned your former bosses and coworkers by name, how bad you the were to you, and nothing about what your team accomplished. Solution: Listen three times as much as you talk, and answer one question at time. Show understanding and give positive examples of how you worked with others and what you accomplished together.

Not asking the interviewer the right questions

The conspiracy: This is the part where the lack of diligence bites your butt because your preparation downloading “50 Questions to Ask in an Interview” was satisfactory to you. You didn’t prepare to interview with the specific company, and glean questions to ask about the company. Solution: One interview, one employer, one set of questions to ask the employer. There are LinkedIn groups to participate in, and the company’s 1-800 number to inquire about the company’s product and brand, and the website to capture the company’s philosophy.

Quietly passive upon receipt of the unanswered question

The conspiracy: Remaining neutral on direct questions is a common error. No one likes admitting it, but the bait and switch is a frequent strategy to avoid answering questions. Solution: An interview is a privilege, and never a right, so seeking confrontation when a question is not answered is more than a bad idea. Be tactful in asking the answer to a question. First see if you were clear, and assume that you were not. I suggest having a main question, and prepare a rephrased a and b question.