The Voice of Job Seekers

Mark Anthony Dyson ★ Career Writer ★ Speaker ★ Thinker ★ Award-winning Blog & Podcast! ★ "The Job Scam Report" on Substack! ★ I hack and reimagine the modern job search!

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20 Questions to Inspire Close Career Management

20 Questions to Inspire Close Career Management
20 questions
Career management is that second job you’ll always have. It’s laborious like doing laundry for a family of four. It takes diligence like checking your closet and basement for a useful book you read ten years ago. If you want to prepare for the next bottom to fall out of the economy, you’ll need to manage your career as closely as your health (and many of us even closer).
So I would like you to entertain the below 20 questions to stimulate and inspire thoughts about things you can do now. Today. After reading this article go do something that will ready you for your next career move. Note that these questions in no way answer specific problems in career management, but they do bring awareness to potential pitfalls (I also digress a bit too).
1. With all of the QUALITY free learning resources available, why can’t you create a basic Linkedin page with a photo?
2. And why is your Linkedin page photo taken with your wife, dog, husband, children, co-workers, parents, far away, one-eyed or with sunglasses? Linkedin is NOT Facebook!
3. What do you have against asking for referrals? What do you against giving referrals? Or encouragement? Or endorsements?
4. Ever noticed networking with the same self-absorbed, self-centered and self-serving people get the same results? #Justsayin’
6. Was your  last “informational interview” an interrogation, Spanish inquisition or a useful conversation?
7. Have you stopped managing your career since you started your new job in October?
8. Ever noticed that “canceled” is spelled correctly with one l and not “cancelled (U.S. only)?”
9. Did you know that your spouse has a network too (he or she may be a career management nut)?
10. Did you know that you can negotiate compensation and benefits even if you don’t have a current job?
11. Does talking matter more than listening to a conversation, job search, interview, and/or networking event?
12. What is the purpose of an objective statement? Why do you still have one on your resume?
13. Does the lack of race diversity concern you from your last panel interview?
15. Did your job search start after your last “performance appraisal” or “performance review?”
16. What skills do you possess with more than 75-90% proficiency? Are they highlighted somewhere on the top 30% of your resume?
17. Did you know mom, dad, brother and sister have professional networks too (they may be career management nuts)?
18. Are you sure that follow-up email you sent after your last interview will be enough to be remembered by an employer?
19. So what if the company only has five employees?
20. And why isn’t that A+ graduate paper on your personal website devoted to your job search? Or reference on Linkedin with a link to the site where it is posted? Or anything that displays proof of your competence. Or greatness.

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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Get the Job! Dress to Impress This Summer

Get the Job! Dress to Impress This Summer

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Dress to impress

It’s summer, and you want to impress without going broke or breaking your personal brand. You’re a professional, and every impression counts during your job search or next opportunity. How you present yourself can create second chances at a career you desire. Once again, I invited Aaja Corinne (@aajacorinne), a fashion signature expert, to give us some short but useful advice that can make a difference.

What is your fashion faux pas? Here are three ways you can add value to our conversation:

1) Leave a voice mail or text message at 708-365-9822. Let me know if I can share it on future shows

2) Email me: mark@thevoiceofjobseekers.com
3) Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com and press the “Send Voicemail” button to leave a message online

Those of you who are career professionals can receive the additional bonus by leaving your blog and I will link to it.

Aaja gave us practical advice on the signature look back on episode 80. She has appeared in JET magazine and WVON 1390, as well as some well-known clients such as Babyface. Here are some highlights from our conversation:

  • Wear white anytime, not just on Memorial day
  • Break up a white outfit with color that will flatter you
  • Great places to shop for savings – JCPenneys, Marshalls, K&G (for men), TJ Maxx, Burlington Coat Factory, Rossi Dress for Less (Women)
  • While you’re in line, use your smartphone to find coupons. Many stores will honor them on top of existing sales
  • What’s not good for your brand: Ill-fitting clothing, unpolished shoes, high hemline, untucked shirt, flip-flops (professional events), exposed bra straps, low-cut shirts, overly tight clothing
  • Dress for industry job standards: Be conservative, know your respective industry, and wear what complements your personality
  • Find out and wear colors that flatter you. Wear what you look best in color undertones

Have you subscribed to this show on iTunes? If you haven’t, please do so. iTunes is a great place to write an honest review and increase the show’s visibility. Enjoy listening to the show. Let us know what you think.

Do you need help with resume writing or career direction? Do you need coaching or instruction?I can help.

Also, join our Linkedin community! You’ll enjoy some of the insights shared by community members and other career pros!

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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Beyond.com Wants to Send Job Leads to Your Phone

Beyond.com Wants to Send Job Leads to Your Phone

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Beyond.com
One of the latest trends that will dominate the job hunt/recruiting industry is mobile technology. Job boards are looking to innovate in a number of ways such as engaging users through mobile and putting job leads in the hands of top talent. Beyond.com is one of the top job boards in the employment space. This year, Beyond.com partnered with TextRecruit, a platform that integrates text messaging directly into the recruitment process. They want to put job leads through to your phone right now.
My guest, Joe Stubblebine, Vice President of Talent Solutions with Beyond.com, is the Technology expert and facilitator of the TextRecruit partnership. We discuss how sending job leads to your phone (or maybe your Apple Watch)  will enable you to engage leads in a more timely way.
How do you use your mobile device(s) for your job search? I would love to hear from you in one of the following ways:
1) Leave a voice mail or text message at 708-365-9822. Let me know if I can share it on future shows
2) Email me: mark@thevoiceofjobseekers.com
3) Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com and press the “Send Voicemail” button to leave a message online
Here  are some of the highlights of our discussion:
  • Beyond has about 500 talent communities and 45 million passive and active members
  • Joe connects with employers to help them recruit to job seeker talent
  • He states a few challenges they see in the industry regularly, 1) Getting visibility and in front of more job seekers, and 2) matching the right job with talent
  • Advertising had changed dramatically from years ago when companies paid $75,000 for a newspaper ad to compete against other job boards to get job leads to talented job seekers
  • Beyond.com conducted a survey that resulted in finding 83% of job seekers respondents are utilizing their phone and tablets for their job search. 73% specifically reach for their tablets. 85% that use both phone and tablets still apply for jobs on their laptops
  • Joe mentioned the Beyond.com app has 2.5 million downloads, as he also mentioned Jobber which works like Tinder, and the Hidden Job app (shout out to Chris Russell, guest on episode 65)
  • Joe was impressed that Pepsi’s goal is 0 days to hire and feels the texting initiative brings Beyond a step closer to shortening hiring time
  • We talked a little bit about a potential “Dick Tracy” experience with the Apple Watch ability to receive text
  • I asked him if Meerkat and Periscope (both are video streaming apps) would also be an engagement tool for job search and job seekers. Listen to why Joe feels it may be a double-edged sword
Have you subscribed to this show on iTunes? If you haven’t, please do so. This is also a great place to write an honest review. Enjoy listening to the show. Let us know what you think.
Do you need help with resume writing or career direction? Do you need coaching or instruction?I can help.
Also, join our community on Linkedin! You’ll enjoy some of the insights shared by community members and other career pros!

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.