Job Search - The Voice of Job Seekers

Do Employers Understand You?

Without a well-written résumé, cover letter, and virtual profiles a job seeker will remain a question mark. You may say you’re misunderstood, but employers want to recognize the future in a candidate no matter the position grade. Employers want clarity from potential employees and see their investment flourish in a short period.

The question: Is it clear to employers that you are the one? Let us count the ways.

1. Are employers clear about what job you want?

There are many ways to say “I need a job” without forming the words. One way is to apply to massive amount of positions without any brand statement clarity or targeted functionality on your résumé. Today’s job seeker has to offer appreciating value first.

2. Are you relevant?

Employers want to know, “What skills do you offer that solve the problems we have now?” They want to envision solutions, results, and the impact you’ll have within the company.

3. You don’t speak the lingo

It doesn’t take an interview, or an extended conversation to realize that you don’t fit because you don’t know the language. Saying “lingo” is an anomaly because you are just keyword-ing your way in hopes that the lingo alone establishes your worth. On the contrary, this fails because no one speaks your language.

4. An unclear personal brand

Stating that you are a dynamic, hardworking, and competent individual describes the other 200 candidates applying for the same position. No one hiring cares that you fit in with the other candidates. The hiring manager wants to know what makes you different from everyone else. Without clearly demonstrated strengths, core competencies, or purpose offers a perspective that someone will employ you.

Read: 7 Job Tips From Your Future Self

5. You don’t ask questions to the company

Employers can only see that don’t care about the company when you don’t have questions. It speaks volumes that you didn’t research the company, you won’t personally invest effort, and you lack enthusiasm about working for anyone. Prepare questions to ask such as, “What are the measurable expectations of my job in the first 90 days?” Or, “What career path have others in this position pursued in and outside of the department?”

6. You lack likability

You have a personality and you don’t show it. Why? Don’t know. You have achievements and accolades, but 20 other candidates do too. People hire others they like, and that you stand out in their minds. Lack of personality matters, but so does tone, and eye contact.

Read: Book Review: The 11 Laws of Likability by Michelle Tillis Lederman

7. No quantity, quality, cost or time results

Without measurable performance or visible achievements is similar to watching an empty home depreciate. How will you show value without showing a $ or %?

8. No competitive mojo

Competitiveness in a job search is part desire, but mostly follow-up from the initial application to receiving the job offer by mail. Otherwise, you’re competing for a tie in the career race.

There are other ways to alienate employers. You can offer suggestions below. To launch a career search campaign without clear goals and objectives compares to a politician campaigning for an office that doesn’t exists.

The question: Is that 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.

by Mark Anthony Dyson

4 Ways to Bring The Job Hunt Game to You

You should have several ways to splinter your job hunt. Of course, most of it must be the connection with people. There are many active job search methods a job seeker can use such as the deliberate grind of obtaining informal interviews, incessantly networking, and creatively capturing job leads. There are passive ways to stumble upon job leads non-traditionally in just a few hours a week. I thought of four ways to get leads to come to you, and at times, to your mail box without filling out long applications, and remaining glued to your laptop screen.

1. Try TweetMyJobs. com

After talking with Lauriana Zukowski (@LaurianaZ), co-founder of TweetMyJobs.com via e-mail, I am convinced that job seekers lack urgency to get results. You should be networking, pursuing informational interviews, and create a positive online image with social media in addition to using this site. Read the February 13 article here for why I recommend it wholeheartedly.

2. Dial up Google Alerts religiously

Most frequent online users own a g-mail account including YOU! Google Alerts can come to your g-mail box daily, and as frequently as you’d like. Play with keywords to get alerts that fit your inquiries.Entering a keyword phrase like “Industrial engineer jobs in Chicago,” alerts will arrive with a combination that uses all four words. An effective job hunt should yield results from unseen resources too! That’s why this is a solid strategy for passive results only.

3. Discover the “Who?” on Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a Twitter client that also can search Twitter for alerts from users promoting open job positions. You can search different position keywords with and without hashtags. It is the same idea as Google Alerts except that you can directly engage the twitter user inquiring more information such as the name of the hiring manager, culture of the workplace, introduction to a key person in the hiring process, and other un-posted information you can leverage for the job hunt.

This is an example of a stream I created in Hootsuite using “federal jobs (without hashtags)” and “#federaljobs.” Below is a useable live stream of related job information from Twitter. Hoosuite allows the user to copy a code to embed on a blog on any subject, especially useful for jobseekers.

What’s cool about the average tweet about jobs from a regular user is unlikely posted on a job board, and possibly the hiring employer. It is hard to say how often it happens, but chances are that fresh leads appear timely and useful.

4. Follow Twitter users who frequently tweet jobs

There are many twitterers who love to tweet job openings. The two that I see regularly is @anitasantiago (Anita Santiago) and @fleejack (Fields Jackson). I love following them because they care less about recognition, and more about connecting people to opportunities.

Anita is also the curator of the Facebook page The Job Connector, a page that perpetually streams job openings from all over the U.S.

Fields Jackson is the CEO of Racing Towards Diversity Magazine and a diversity thought leader.

You can set up Hootsuite to follow people who are tweeting jobs. If you need some information and tips, I also recommend using YouTern.com’s top 100 list of career professionals to follow on Twitter.If you follow all 100 then you can have a stream of job tips, and openings 24 hours a day.

Did I miss people who tweet leads, or other passive means to find leads? Please let me know by commenting below.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Career Advice I Will Not Follow From Observing Politicians

Politics is an inflammatory subject that people take personally. But more often than not, politics is the lot for career advice. Americans in general take criticism of their favorite candidate seriously. I watch the debates, speeches, and commentaries and as it has reinforced what not to do in the job search. One thing that stands out to me is that you can turn people on and off without having a conversation.

Networking: Your hands say what your mouth won’t make clear

Despite what we believe on the political elections, we learned this week that your hands speak a language of its own, and those excluded from the conversation will interpret it any way we want. Hand gestures are easy to mis-interpret, thus terminating your employment candidacy. Hand gestures are not wrong, but undisciplined movement can fail efforts to communicate well. An article in Forbes in 2006 confirms,

“Use hand gestures for emphasis…”

and that,

“You’re not a cheerleader, and you don’t want to fidget unconsciously. This is why it’s important to practice before a mirror.”

The startling image of Jan Brewer pointing at President Obama thrilled some, and angered others, depending who you champion. If no one has coached your hand gestures through Toastmasters or Theater, then you may not know what non-verbal messages you’re sending. If second and third interviews are rare, consider getting some coaching, especially if your hand movements are family entertainment.

Interviews: Mean what you say, and show what you mean

The whole tax return controversy with Gingrich and Romney is a great lesson in sending clear messages. If what you show people is different from what you said, it is hard to retain credibility (assuming you earned it to begin with). This is a common issue with job seekers who are able to get interviews, but no call backs. A frequent anomaly is stating on your résumé a certain type of experience, but unclear in displaying through accomplishments and results the skills needed to perform the job.

It shows up in your writing, too. You are just the last one to know.

Job search: The first candidate is not always the best job candidate

CNN reported right after the South Carolina Republican primary, that Romney had spent over million dollars in Florida primary ads before the other candidates spent money. We don’t know the outcome of the Florida primary, and neither do you when you race to be the first to apply for job. When employers announce an opening, most job seekers race to apply. That is old thinking as employers have many choices, and will wait until they have a pool of candidates. For me to say that this is recent is wrong because it has been that way for years. That is why, you apply when you have established and determined that the package you offer is your best.