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

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.

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: Interview, Job Search Tagged With: Employers, Interviews, Job Search

by Mark Anthony Dyson

8 Ways to Be A Smart Job Seeker

8 Ways to Be A Smart Job Seeker

 

Editors note: Greg regularly blogs for Ivy Exec. I received permission from Ivy Exec for republishing rights.

We are all familiar with the hardships involved in being an unemployed job seeker.  Not only is it frustrating and depressing when you can’t find a job, but the feelings become magnified as the length of time unemployed increases.

Rather than be depressed over what you can’t have today, career expert Elena Bajic, founder and CEO of Ivy Exec (@ivyexec), is telling job seekers to think of the jobs they can have tomorrow. Bajic is offering eight tips on how to become a smarter job seeker and be better equipped for the future job market. Here are her suggestions:

1. Take a hard look at your finances: If you’re currently searching for a job or are about to start looking for a job, immediately look at your finances to see where you can curb costs and expenses.

2. Take inventory & do a full and honest self analysis: Take time to understand who you are and what you can bring to the job table. Really understand your strengths and weaknesses.

3. Set realistic and achievable goals and review them daily: Make your time count when it comes to finding the right job. Make a specific to-do or checklist each day to make sure your job search is productive. Set goals such as “I need to make at least five calls today” or “I’m going to reach out / network with four people today.”

4. Treat your job search like you’d treat a job: Finding the right job requires the same commitment as one would commit to a full-time job. 

5. Network to build relationships, not to find a job: Networking is about building relationships with people who can connect you with people who can help you find a job.

6. Focus on self improvement: For those who are currently unemployed, dedicate time during your job search to acquire new skills and to improve your candidacy. Use this time as an opportunity to build on your existing skills and experience. Make your time fruitful.

7. Develop a job search with professional help: if you can afford it, hire a professional who can offer objective advice and help anchor you so that you’d avoid making common job search mistakes (ie. take the first job offer that comes through, start interviewing with any company that shows interest even if it is the not right fit, etc.) .

8. Stay positive – Interviewers can read negativity pretty quickly, and nobody wants to hire a negative person. By following the first seven tips, you will be a more confident job seeker with more focus, and with a clear picture of the right job that’s the right fit.

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, Jobseekers

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Book Review: I Got My Dream Job and So Can You by Pete Leibman

Book Review: I Got My Dream Job and So Can You by Pete Leibman

 

 

 

I Got My Dream Job and So Can You

From the good people at AMACOM books, I am privileged to review a new book release again this month. Pete Leibman’s book, I Got My Dream Job and So Can You: 7 Steps to Creating Your Ideal Career After College is a recommended read (I was NOT compensated for this review. I received one review copy and authorized to give one free copy away).

Not only there are principles, strategies, and ideas for college students, but also for the current employed or unemployed job seeker. If you are passively looking for work, this book will inspire you to become more aggressive, strategic, and dynamic in your approach to finding your dream job.

Leibman states that he found his dream job before he was 23 by using most, if not all strategies mentioned in this book. He pursued and landed his dream job in sales with the NBA Washington Wizard, and eventually became one the youngest managers ever within the organization (and probably the entire NBA). Overall, this book is not written for college students and the job seeker universal to find a job, but to grab THE job!

By the way, I will be giving away a free copy of the book, so look forward to that at the end of the post.

Here are some of his strategies and methods cited in his book:

1. Employers Are Nervous Too. Leibman states that one of your goals is to make sure that you are not dishonest, lazy, difficult, uncommitted, unprofessional, or unqualified. Just as you don’t want to be stuck in an undesirable position, employers are trying to avoid a troublemaker or an unproductive employee.

2. Create your own job description. Not only employers should want you, but also should have qualities that attract you to the job. List your own ideal location, schedule, environment/culture, function, salary/compensation, and employer size.

3. What is a Dream Job? Leibman describes a dream job as, “…a job that combines your talents and passions in a way that is meaningful to you.” Throughout the book, he stresses high expectations to reaching your goals. No safety net is motivation enough to succeed. One quote that stood out: “It is not impossible to get your dream job with little or no industry experience.”

4. Should I have a back up plan? “NO!” A back up plan is actually a plan for failure. When you are willing to do whatever it takes,  eventually you will get your dream job. In other words, don’t plan to fail!

5. 10 Innovative Marketing Assets You Need to Get Your Dream Job. This is a good list to put your comprehensive job search strategy in perspective:

Confident Body Language

Polished Physical Appearance

Rock Solid References

Results-Oriented Resume

Compelling Cover Letter

Pristine Internet Presence

Pumped-Up LinkedIn Profile

Strategic Social Media Account

E-mail/Voicemail Marketing Machine

Winner’s Mindset

6. Crash the Party Through LinkedIn. Throughout Leibman’s book, he emphasis the usefulness of Linked In by stating that it is a place to reach out to “Cold Networking Contacts (People you have never met or interacted with before)”

7. Cool Networking and Seven Effective Strategies. He describes “Cool Networking” as the type of networking everyone is generally familiar with when you think of networking:

Have a strategy

Show Up with the Right Mindset and Expectations

Know What to Say (Create a 5-10 ice breaker list)

Talk to Strangers

Behave Professionally

Ask for the Next Step

Follow-Up Correctly (Networking fails without one

8. Be Prepared to Lead the Conversation. Leibman recommends 10 questions to prepare for asking. It is true that many job seekers know they should ask questions but lack the preparation when it’s time to ask. He also teaches that a candidate should have 5-10 success stories.

These are just some of Leibman’s strategies in his new book. Prices range from $10.95 and up through Amazon.com and other places. Or you can participate in the giveaway of Pete Leibman’s book by Retweeting the post on Twitter, or commenting below about how the book can help your job search. The choice will be random, and the winner will be announced Monday, March 26.

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, Job Search, Networking Tagged With: Dream Job, Job Search, Pete Liebman

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