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

Most Young Professionals Should Ignore Their Parent’s Career Advice

Most Young Professionals Should Ignore Their Parent’s Career Advice
If your parents haven’t been on the job market in 10-15 years, even if they were jobless during the great recession, you should **mostly** ignore their advice. If they are career practitioners or have intentionally changed jobs two or three times since 2008, then politely thank them for their input. Or maybe it’s their attitude you should ignore, because still, even for someone like me who is a career writer and practitioner at times, it reeks of “old school” stench.
I’m critical of my generation of professionals because we have one bit of advice that stands the test of time—people.
“People make the world go around” to paraphrase the Stylistics. People hire people—all of those clichés.
Many of my generations are giving sprinting advice and not marathon tips. Even worse, they are giving hybrid advice that’s at best outdated that helps only a few.

“Look full-time to get a full-time job.”

It was confirmed at that time when you went door-to-door visiting employers in person, attend cattle calls for jobs, and visit job fairs who actually would have real jobs and hire on site. That would be true if we were looking through the newspaper daily, fax or mail-in resumes, and oh wait, don’t call them because they’re not taking calls.

“You got to sell yourself.”

True. But more often than not, it’s all they got. Ask them how they sell themselves, and they will revert to unemployment training they had from 1999. Have they interviewed in front of a panel of five potential coworkers? How do you handle a panel interview? If they have done so, then they may offer something valuable. Today’s job interviewing is not using your will to get a result. There is a skill requiring research, tact, and respect with a pinch of personality that makes an attractive job candidate and is need more than ever in virtual interviews.

“It’s a numbers game.”

There are too many stories of those who applied to hundreds of jobs without getting an interview and a plethora of reasons why outside of filling out applications. It was true in 2000, but today, not so much.

“All you need is a social presence online.”

Many employers and recruiters use a social profile before initiating contact, and many more vet candidates based on background checks. I cringe at all things, “…all you need is…” It would be best if you were where your industry colleagues find jobs with a robust profile that takes seconds to figure out what you do. People who want to refer your final decisions are based on what you tell them in your profile and compare it to others.

“You need to get out the house.”

Well, we know that’s not true. Yet, some forgot what March 2020 to June 2020 was like.

“Employers will do a credit and background check during references.”

Well, not true. Credit checks are a different story. Credit checks are banned in 10 states and some cities, and the others not so much. It’s good to understand if a state permits credit checks as part of their hiring process, become familiar with what employers are considering.
These are just a few of the many outdated advice parents are giving their young. They probably have gotten it from friends, but if they don’t regularly hire, work as career advisors of some type, or have experience the interview process in the last few years, you should judiciously consider their advice. If you ignore it completely, fine. It’s probably better to hear it all from elsewhere as the resources are plentiful. And you’ll need to vet that too.

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: Job Search Tagged With: Career Advice, Job Search, parents

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Dive Deeper Into Your Job Search Tools For Success

Dive Deeper Into Your Job Search Tools For Success

Within a couple of months of substitute teaching, I subbed for a first-grade class as a regular teacher for six weeks. Despite what most people experience, it taught me valuable lessons about resources and people and today’s modern job search.  By no means, what I’ll be suggesting is scientific. It’s just an observation.

For the first week, I had a mountain of resources thrown at me. I mean, I could have used a different resource for every day of the school year. Yet, I was not offered how to facilitate except through what I could glean through the other first-grade teachers who actually saved me.

In short, the more the kids learned deeply about the few tools, the more engaged they were in my class. If you have ever taught school, you wouldn’t believe how important engagement is to a teacher. It’s everything. I probably broke all of the expectations of what they should have been learning per the curriculum, but my job was easy because I understood the price of getting and keeping the attention of six and seven years old. It expends your energy as much as being a parent with two small kids.

The other revelation was the number of toys, educational gadgets, and stuff in a classroom. It diminishes imagination. The more engaged students only cared about one or two toys. The more distracted students will pull out seven or eight toys to only leave around the room.

I think job seekers succeed with a few tools and resources deeply. Offering a ton of “toys” is distracting and unproductive.

So, the valuable lesson I learned about people…

I get so many requests for help, to answer questions, and suggestions for resources. The job seekers who seem to understand the most about job search and experience use tools and resources they access deeply. The ones who are constantly at work to understand are looking for more tools and resources and lack action. The latter are job seekers who are the kids who pull out seven or eight toys and never use them to their potential.

Results take patience, which you have, but don’t employ.

Start here with tools, resources, tips, strategies you can do more deeply:

  1. Network deeply

My friend Marc Miller suggests the sweet spot is in the 2nd and 3rd-week tie connections. You deepen your network through introductions of people who know other people. It’s never been easier to ask for email introductions or even to introduce yourself on LinkedIn. Just be tactful and respectful.

      2. Research deeply

The job site and the company’s website is limited in gathering information about the company. You find out more about the company in real-time from current employees and even deeper from past employees on the same team.  Even during the interview process, continue meeting employees and gain as much insight about the company, interviewer, or names dropped during the interview. If you are approaching your interview process knowing the problem(s) they want you to solve, the more people will help bring insight into how you would solve their problems.

       3. Question deeply

The deeper you understand the company’s problems, the more value you can offer the company relevant to them. It’s better to ask questions that stem from two or three questions rather than five or six different questions. Starting with questions that start with “how” and “what” goes further than “why.” “How” and “what” in most cases will provide more intel than “why,” which puts them on the defensive. Of course, there are times to ask “why,” but if you’re gathering information initially, the more information, the better.

 

You might be able to add more depth to this conversation as you think about the companies and industries you’re interested in, but this will get you started. If you’re frustrated with your job search, you’ll need to creatively dig deeper and maybe wider. More tools may overwhelm you.

 

 

 

 

 

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: Job Search Tagged With: Job Search

by Mark Anthony Dyson

References Must Speak to Your Current Skills

References Must Speak to Your Current Skills

Your job search should be a lifestyle. But, unfortunately, there are too many components to ignore in 2021 and beyond.

I bet your references and mentors are perpetually in motion.

References can be that landmine if you didn’t vet them, what they will speak to, and share the value you are adding to the inquiring company. Employers want to be assured you can solve their problem, and your reference needs to speak to how you effectively solved past ones.

Some of your references are mentors who will have progressed in their careers in similar ways you would like to. But I bet you call them to mentor, and you’re unaware of how they successfully navigate their career.

You can learn from them, so it’s a good idea to keep them engaged. But if it’s been more than 10 years since they worked with you, find five to seven references you’ve worked with more recently who can also vouch for you.

Simply, references if not vetted or relevant to the problem you’ll solve for the employer is hazardous to your job search.

Think about it:

How many of your references have worked with you in the last 5 years? The last 10 years?

Think of the technology, what you’ve learned, and the life changes in the last two years?

I’ll let that simmer with you. It’s time to get new references if you are convincing employers and recruiters of your value. Your references need to match your relevance no matter your age.

Remove the landmines

On #JobSeekerNation this past week, we talked about landmines in your job search and during the interview process. You can see the entire show here.

Here are other landmines that can entrap you and make your job search more difficult:

Background checks

I tell a story about a client who once lied to her potential employer. But, first, let’s say that a “white lie” is still a lie if it misrepresents you and your integrity.

Afraid of Potential Consequences of Being Fired

The most successful CEO has been let go due to performance. It’s not because they didn’t work hard. I offer some suggestions here that should help you overcome the antiquated narrative about being fired.

Sharing accomplishments that help your potential employer

What sells you sharing expected results and strategies used to get the job done. The more you offer showing how thoughtful you are, increasing the chances of continued conversations. Using words like “great” or “excellent” matters less if the stories you share demonstrate elements an employer needs.

Being unteachable and unflexible

Nobody wants to hire someone who stays stuck in their own mud. But, that’s how a good leader or manager will see someone who doesn’t absorb new information and doesn’t customize a current strategy to fit the situation.

You don’t listen

Most people try to listen for words that seem wrong. You have to listen for what people don’t say because there’s much intel to gather from silence or omission. You can actually listen for the intent of an omission through your silence and being present in the moment.

There are opportunities left on the table because job candidates are not as thoughtful and reflective of what an employer says. And it often shows through the lack of engagement and discernment from the application process to the reference checks. It is possible to defuse the mines before they go off by investing time into what the employer wants and needs.

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: Job Search Tagged With: Interviews, Job, Job Search, References

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