The Voice of Job Seekers

Mark Anthony Dyson ★ Career Writer ★ Speaker ★ Thinker ★ Award-winning Blog & Podcast! ★ I hack and reimagine the modern job search!

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by Mark Anthony Dyson

Ex-Offenders Need Careers Too!

Ex-Offenders Need Careers Too!
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Note: My side of the conversation this week has noise I could not filter out in post production. However, Alisa’s side of the conversation had perfect audio. I published this show because of the outstanding content Alisa provides about ex-offenders find careers. I apologize for the audio quality, but it is a worthwhile investment of your time.

It is important ex-offenders find work and be productive members of society. Like many of us, they need direction and inspiration from many sources. Alisa Smedley can relate to how important it is personally and professionally. She has taught and coached thousands how to find jobs and to be a money-earning, tax-paying citizen. All of us can learn and know how we can be a positive influence in their lives, jobs, and careers.

Are you an ex-offender who is working? I would love for you to contribute to this conversation. Here’s how:

  1. Call and leave a voicemail at 708-365-9822
  2. Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com, press the “Send Voicemail” button on the right side of your screen and leave a message
  3. Send email feedback to mark@thevoiceofjobseekers.com

http---thevoiceofjobseekers.com-ex-offenders-careers

    Alisa is a MCCF American Job Coordinator for the Montgomery County Office of Human Rights. She has won several awards for her work such as the Excellence Award and a Human Rights Hall of Fame Nominee. She has appeared on CNN, NPR, and Wall Street Journal as an expert in helping ex-offenders in transition to find jobs and careers to contribute to society. Here are a few highlights from our conversation:
    • Alisa shares her personal story of a family member’s crime affecting her life and career forever
    • One of her goals for ex-offenders she teaches is to identify criminal thinking
    • “Fast money does not last…” hard work is essential
    • Her program helps their awareness of the alternatives of career production versus crime
    • Many industries don’t care about your prison record, they care if you can do the job
    • Get the first job you can to get the discipline, then career mobility will come
    • Any job – better job – career is a realistic progression for ex-offenders
    • “Education, preparation, and training must be done…”
    • “Planting seeds and changing their minds is a great first step…”
    • Ex-offenders should hang around people who are like-minded with dreams and goals
    • Inspiring and visualizing better places will help them shift their thinking and often works as a deterrent

Need help with your career goals, directions, or efforts? Do you need coaching or instruction? I am here for it!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.

For the first time in 1 1/2 years, I am opening to career professionals to write guest articles. If you’re interested, you can go here for further topics and directions to submit.

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.

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Filed Under: careers, ex-offenders Tagged With: ex-offenders

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Job Lesson From Dad: Son, Confidence Will Give You Life Right Now

Job Lesson From Dad: Son, Confidence Will Give You Life Right Now

Confidence, in my opinion, can serve two purposes in anyone’s career. While teens are working, or seek work, they need to know the difference between confidence, and cockiness. They hear words like swagger (“swagga” for some), and think by walking, talking, and thinking boastfully will exude an attractive persona to  employers.  This is true if the job description calls for intimidating the face-to-face opponent.

Job Lesson From Dad

cock·y

1 [kok-ee] Show IPA

adjective, cock·i·er, cock·i·est.

arrogant; pertly self-assertive; conceited: He walked in with a cocky air.

There was a phrase in the ‘50’s (so I’m told) for cocky young men as, “…he’s smelling himself.” A cocky young man is trying to compensate for weaknesses or missing key attributes. He wants to show the world what he has to offer is as good, or better, than anyone else’s.

con·fi·dence/ˈkänfidəns/

Noun:

    1. The feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust: “we had every confidence in the staff”.
    2. The state of feeling certain about the truth of something.

trust – faith – reliance – belief – credit – credence

Confidence is like writing a check knowing that there is money in the bank. People can sense confidence, and people will likely trust a confident person. A confident teen has to be taught how use it to obtain opportunities, especially jobs. Even if, the failure is eminent, a confident person understands the breadth of his or her skills.

Confidence is Taught

Training and influence from parents (or parent) is essential for teen jobseekers. The employment background of the parent is moot since confidence has to come from a guided and clear place. The lack of this life lesson defiles an American dream, derails a generation, and maybe a future career. It’s a gift that will keep on giving, if a parent gives installs it like a hard drive on a computer.

Confidence is Caught

Once a compelling example is witnessed by an impressionable young man or woman, they believe it’s possible, especially if it is desirable. What’s cool is that it is a renewable part of survival and success. If it’s cut off, it grows back. If it shrunk, it resizes and never at times grows stronger. It becomes a part of the body like an arm or a leg, for a teen, or anyone else.

In conclusion, confidence serves two purposes for young jobseekers, particularly teen boys.

 

  • Confidence supplies the fuel, motivation, and purpose to sell and excel in any career. It encompasses every milestone of success, accomplishments, and growth up to that point. It is the only way he or she appears employable without a ton of experience.
  • Confidence is a shock absorber for failure. Crashing, falling, and imploding is part of the adult experience. These kids can’t grow up without knowing what the virtual bottom feels like.

 

 

 

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.

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Filed Under: careers, Family Tagged With: Confidence, Job, Teens

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Book Review: Cracking the New Job Market, R. William Holland + Book Giveaway

Book Review: Cracking the New Job Market, R. William Holland + Book Giveaway

CrackingNewJobMarket

 

Bill Holland, the author of The 7 Rules for Getting Hired in Any Economy: Cracking the New Job Market, preferred to teach the choir, than “preach to the choir.” Job search education is forefront of Mr. Holland’s book applies to all of the job search communities and segments, especially to the white-collar worker. He promotes the notion that in the age of the supposed “hidden job market,” people are likely to focus on finding the secret jobs than to create and unearth their professional value. I will also give away a copy of this book FREE, as my review copy was FREE. I assure you, that I was not compensated for this review.

This practical book is essential to job seekers who have challenges in creating value, and demonstrating professional acumen through their resumes, interviews, and business networks. It is not full of resume and cover letter templates. Mr. Holland reasons that a strong resume and cover letter is not about you, but more about what the employer wants.

Mr. Holland presents a compelling case for 7 useful and dogmatic strategies:

Rule #1: Always Demonstrate Value. At the heart of what resumes should be about,  Mr. Holland explains that the successful resume includes what “The value the hiring organization is looking to have created.” It’s a powerful statement since many job seekers look for the quick fix, and do not cultivate worth from their personal well of professional accomplishments.

Rule #2: Your Resume: It’s About the Value You Create. In this chapter, Mr. Holland not only shows how to “infuse your experience with value”, and explains how that selecting key statements  accrue the attention of a potential employer. On his website, he states that he can provide courses contingent on the feedback he receives.

Rule #3: Use Social Media and Other Sites for Job Leads. In tackling the hot issue of “hidden job market”, he states that the “job market is not so much hidden as it is splintered.” He suggests that no longer job boards and Sunday classified ads monopolize job announcements. Social networking sites are one of the best places to discover opportunities, and build relationships that can lead to key information about employers and available positions. One of the few snags in this book is the broad overview of Social Media tools and services. Holland discusses Linked In, Twitter, and Facebook, but in general.

Rule #4: Interviews: They’re About the Value You Demonstrate. Throughout the book, the emphasis of “value creation” remains consistent and urgent. Infusing value throughout an interview remains a challenge of many job seekers, not only on resumes and interviews, but also pre and post-interviews.  He discusses interview attire, references, thank-you letters, and follow-up which ha an impact on employers.

Rule#5: You Get What You Negotiate, Not What You Deserve. Holland inserts that successful negotiation takes preparation that starts when you realize that you have to find another job. He has provided 7 rules for skillful negotiation that will help a job seeker  land the desired salary and benefit package.

Rule #6: Career Choice is More Than Following Your Passion. Holland states that passion can be an overrated determiner, “Those who look at career success solely through the prism of their passion can be in for a long and frustrating experience.” My takeaway from this considers the work I want to do, and the lifestyle I wish to create for myself is a part of the negotiation components. Holland  provides a chart that helps to sort out what is beneficial to you during the negotiation period.

Rule #7: The Best Way to Reenter the Job Market Is to Never Leave It. Holland reminds us that going back to school, volunteer work, and temporary work are options to remain in the job market. This is also part of the value creation strategy that is re-emphasized through the book by not allowing “…your career-related activities to lapse… .”

After reading the book, I felt as Holland has achieved the need for job seekers remain competitive in the job search. One of his strongest premises  is the notion of the nonexistence of the “Hidden Job Market.” Having worked with clients that heard the term, it scared them; however, Holland supports the premise through connecting value creation with sustaining an enduring personal brand that attracts employers.

As stated earlier, one of the few snags in the book was the lack of depth of Rule #3 on social media. I felt it was a genuine attempt, and the mentions were accurate. At the same time, Social Media is also about blogging, and learning to use it effectively. It is hard to talk about personal branding these days without embracing the full scope of tools or possibilities.

I recommend this book because of the key straight forward strategies offered could be used immediately. The importance of ready-to-use strategies is  crucial to everyone. He aptly puts the responsibility in the hands of the job seeker by emphasizing their own personal and professional value. Cheers to a book that is relevant, and significant, that helps job seekers everywhere to envision their worth.

NOW, about the give away

This is how you can get a copy of this book:

  1. Retweet, or Tweet this review on Twitter, Facebook, or Linked In OR…
  2. Comment below about an area you need help with discussed in the post

I hope to post the interview with Mr. Holland within the next two weeks. Please stay tuned by subscribing via RSS or email.

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.

  • Mail
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  • Web
  • |
  • Twitter
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  • Facebook
  • |
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  • More Posts(669)

Filed Under: careers, Job Search Tagged With: Book review, Hired, Job Search

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