Job Search Innovation Archives - The Voice of Job Seekers

5 Ways to Use Your Smartphone to Land a Job

5 Ways to Use Your Smartphone to Land a Job by Mark Anthony Dysonptop, it might be too late.

Speed matters when you’re applying for jobs. If you’re always waiting to get to a laptop, it might be too late.

That’s one reason for you to get comfortable with using your phone for more than Facebook videos and Instagram posts. Your phone is the most important communication tool you own. It’s time to unleash its potential in your job search.

Ready to use your smartphone to land a job? Try these tactics:

1. Report Live From Professional Events

Are you at a professional event? Why not give a short synopsis of it on Facebook or LinkedIn? Some of your connections can’t make it to the event, but streaming it live is a way to include them nonetheless.

Perhaps you can interview the speaker(s) at the event. Not only will this yield valuable information for you, but someone will share your video with their connections, heightening your professional profile.

2. Record the Volunteer Training Session You’re Facilitating

Volunteering is an excellent way to fill employment gaps and is also useful for your online profiles.

By recording training sessions you lead, you not only help other volunteers, but you also demonstrate your competency to a wider audience. Employers and recruiters get an opportunity to see you in action. Published online, the video can offer hiring authorities a face, a voice, and proof of your potential.

3. Take Assessments

More and more companies are using pre-employment assessments as part of the hiring process. If you can take these assessments on the go, you’ll save time and prove your aptitude faster.

4. Engage With Companies on Social Media

via GIPHY

Many companies are actively engaging job seekers on social media, but they aren’t posting 24/7. Timeliness is everything, especially when you see companies post about job openings or receive a direct message about your resume. Recruiters and employers frequently promote job openings on social media. Your response time is critical if you want to land an interview.

5. Help Others

Mobile allows you to be useful in a timely way when it comes to opportunities with small windows. Forward job openings to your friends and colleagues as soon as you see them!

I see it time after time: People who actively help others experience reciprocation. This use for your smartphone is the most powerful of all. The more value you provide for others, the more efficient your job search will become. You’ll get noticed. You won’t have to convince anyone you’re a team-player when your timeline proves you are.

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If you’re trying to differentiate yourself from the pack, you must consider your phone’s capabilities. Employers are expanding their talent searches to mobile, and they are engaging with potential job candidates via this channel. No one enjoys the laborious, confusing, and tedious online job search process. Your cell phone is your opportunity to stand out from the hundreds of candidates competing for your dream job.

This article was originally published on Recruiter.com.

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

Forget A.I.: 10 Never-Changing Job Search Tactics to Use in Years to Come

Forget A.I.: 8 Never-Changing Job Search Tactics to Use Today and in Years to Come by Mark Anthony Dyson

Despite all the talk about how A.I. is taking over industries, pushing people out of jobs, and reshaping the hiring process, I’m here to tell you that as long as “human” remains a central element of “human resources,” you can rely on a few surefire job search tactics that reach people.

Here are some timeless ways to find job search and career success today:

1. A Well-Written Resume

Many career analysts and insiders claim the resume is dead, but you have permission to ignore them at least for one more year. Many companies still use screening technologies that hinge on parsing resumes, so a well-written, keyword-rich document is crucial to your career.

2. Consulting and Independent Contracting

You’ve heard the predictions that more and more people will become independent contractors over the next few years. Why not get in on the trend now? Nothing will ever replace human-to-human business activity, and this is one area where advances in technology are set to help instead of hinder. Thanks to smartphones, you can be easily accessible to your clients and offer the kind of on-demand services that so many organizations want now.

3. Flaunting Your Recommendations

LinkedIn recommendations are a powerful way to publicize your value to the world. Last year, I heard the story of a virtual assistant who received high praise from a businesswoman on LinkedIn. The post was viewed more than 10,000 times and generated hundreds of comments – many from people hoping to hire the assistant.

4. Networking

Networking’s value can never be overstated. Everything is networking, and networking is everything. Don’t forget to explore how to leverage your “weak ties” on social networks.

5. Staying in Touch With Your Field

Staying current on the latest trends and involved in relevant conversations helps you to actively promote your brand, your work, and your value. It will also keep you informed of what changes might be on the horizon for your industry – which lets you get the jump on those changes and position yourself for success.

6. Producing Content

Producing audio or visual content that presents your original thoughts to the world can be nerve-racking, but it’s necessary. This content produces value for other people – including people who may want to hire you based on how great your content is.

7. Volunteering

I call volunteering “the new work experience.” Not only does volunteering show employers you’re proactive and passionate, but it also gives you a chance to sharpen your current skills and develop new ones. Volunteer work with the right organization allows you to achieve your goals, learning outcomes, and marketability.

8. Soft Skills and Personality

Hiring managers and other decision-makers want to envision themselves working with you. Set yourself apart by using your soft skills and personality to show off how much you’ll thrive at their company. Don’t limit your conversations to dry, technical matters. Exchange ideas, share stories, laugh a little – start adding value before you’ve even got the job.

9. Emotional Intelligence

My friend, workplace futurist, and author Alexandra Levit told me a few years ago, “Professionals must “develop the skills they need to compete with small machines: empathy, intuition, judgment, and interpersonal sensitivity.” Machines aren’t programmed for emotional intelligence. Only humans can employ these attributes without relying on anyone to process them.

10. What tech-relevant tools are in your industry?

The easier you can navigate the constant changing of technology, the interviewer can imagine you in their vacant role. Employers today prefer less time training for more contributions by new hires. It’s better to invest in yourself to get updated training to control your career advancement. In some cases, you may need to invest time. In most cases, you’ll need to invest time and money. Volunteering, as mentioned earlier, can help you find a place to hone your newly attained skills.

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A.I. is only in its early stages in recruiting and hiring. In the future, it may radically alter the landscape, so pay attention to new developments as they come along. If you’re wondering about the value of your skills in general, research how many industries demand the skill(s). That will tell you how and if they could be scaled as is, or if new training is needed.

But until A.I. really does take over recruiting and hiring, the tactics offered above will help you achieve success – no robots required.

Originally published on Recruiter.com!

About Mark Anthony Dyson

by Mark Anthony Dyson

The new economy is here — and so is Job Search 3.0

As the great recession and social media have defined a chapter in the new economy, COVID-19 and the incessant use of technology marks the midst of “Job Search 3.0!” Successful career advancement means your job search becomes a lifestyle. To disengage from any career advancement efforts for more than four to six months creates a career chasm. It puts you light years behind your competition, who are always ready to move, shift, or find an additional job. It’s lethal to your livelihood and you want to avoid it like the Corona Virus.

The merge of technology, business, and reliance on resumes and job sites in short, but not entirely, describes “Job Search 1.0.” The defining moments of “Job Search 2.0,” in my view, coincides with Web 2.0 where web traffic is generated by content and social media. Job seekers had a new way to stand out if they adapted to these social tools and generated content to show their value in order to get hired.

COVID-19 has disrupted every industry in one way or another. But it shouldn’t disrupt your focus to find a new job, change a career, or bounce back from a forced separation (being fired).

The time to advance career your career is NOW!

What you need to know, if you don’t know already, is that your job search needs to be a lifestyle. Perhaps we should call it “Job Search 3.0.” This is not just something you say you’re starting to do, it’s a perpetual engagement in the war against mindless meme posting and incessant entertaining videos.

You’re already swiping up, down, left or right a dozen times a day. It’s the shift from a technology novice to an intentional job seeker. You’re always connected, even if you’re just using text. You’re communicating with others outside of your work meetings, church services, and fellow travelers. “Job Search 3.0” simply means you’re always in a job transition, transformation, and career advancement mode. You’re one decision away from a job move or career change.

The role needs to change to adapt to the mindset of a consultant:

Always listening for industry pain points to solve
Assembling a portfolio of your work demonstrating a range of results, solutions, and innovation
Knowing which companies would benefit from your value

Even passively looking and entertaining advancement opportunities is part of “Job Search 3.0.” I had a mentor who practiced interviewing once a year just to remain on the cusp of her career. You may want to adopt this spirit by grasping your current or new industry’s innovation trends moving towards new or away from old technology, delivering results, and new positioning.

Here are 16 actions and strategies for your immediate consideration:

Exchange value with your network and give more than you get.
An active and engaged network will bring you opportunities and visibility to employers/recruiters.
Stay on top of the changing technology trends.
Sharpen your negotiating skills (compensation packages).
Promote yourself on social media, and keep those who boast about you in the front view of you and your followers.
Maintain quick access to relevant references, mentors, and sponsors in your industry.
Understand the short life of your skills.
Do not fear job separation nor allow the myths associated with it to penetrate your goals.
Career transformation is a necessity, preferably to have it occur seamlessly but that might not always be an option.
Young careerists (30 and under) should have a wealth of informational interviews under their belt.
Who is on your team?
Engage in industry organizations, online groups, and committees.
Create a robust LinkedIn presence with a convincing profile.
“No” is a valuable asset, but also the drive behind motivated discontent.
Building a personal brand that creates a demand for your work.
Choosing your employer is more important than who is your employer.
The best career tool for high school, college, trade, apprentice students are informational interviews.
Serving is the new networking.

Some of you are thinking (but you’re really resisting) about the challenge of changing from your comfort zone:

Is this going to be more to add to my to-do list for each day?

We already do this. According to a recent Vox article, the average American smartphone user had an average of three hours and thirty minutes a day on their phone. If you have more than two hours of screen time, I’m sure there are 45 minutes a week for you to comment on LinkedIn a couple of times, watch a free YouTube DIY (Do-It-Yourself), or participate in an industry organization call or video conference.

How are we supposed to remain in “job search mode”?

Your mobile apps are tools. I’ve written several articles over the last three years that the apps we can download allow our phone to be a job search hub and a lifeline. Our mobile phones empower our ability to learn, connect, research, and apply. The right mobile apps are the power supply to engage in a continual job search without extra equipment or expenses.

Why can’t I focus on my job now and look when I don’t have one like I always have?

It takes too long to gear up. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported in fall of 2019 that the average time of unemployment is nine weeks. Since the BLS does not report underemployment numbers, the true extent of an effective job search is immeasurable. Nine weeks is not an eternity, even in a job seekers market where it’s assumed jobs are plentiful. Another report from the BLS shows the amount of people quitting are twice as high as separations (layoffs and terminations). Conclusion: no one wants to be without a job in any economy, recession, or even in a job seeker’s market.

Why are some many people emphasizing the use of LinkedIn?

You’ll be more attractive as a job candidate to recruiters. Job seekers making the best use of LinkedIn are treating it as a living and breathing, online document. They are updating their status, engaging in conversations, and offering original thoughts. If you’re not active on LinkedIn, recruiters will not find you. Recruiters have explained to me that they’re checking out a target candidate’s activity more than once before engaging them with a potential opportunity. Treating your activity as a passive tool doesn’t serve your job search as an asset.

There is so much to unfold in the upcoming months as we find out the industries that will take hits from COVID-19. We can also expect technology will disrupt our lives in a major way because our lives will be changed forever. Will the healthcare and insurance industries experience another crippling blow? How will small businesses survive the challenges of working remotely or brick and mortar businesses completely closing? If you haven’t already built your own expertise in an industry that will drive your career, you’ll probably need to take the time to decide where your current skills are most needed. If you’re deciding to take any job that crosses your path, you may be waiting a long time.