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by Mark Anthony Dyson 3 Comments

Lost Your Job? Bill Withers Said, Survive By Using Your Left Hand

Lost Your Job? Bill Withers Said, Survive By Using Your Left Hand

Most of us favor our jobs over our livelihoods. We favor it as much as we do our right-hand. And it’s human nature, we use our left-hand only when our right-hand is rendered or declared useless. Similarly, we do the same if when our jobs lay us off, or we become useless, and then we consider new skills. Now, we’re going to make this left-hand useful because the right-hand has worth, but the job market says it’s useless.

Years ago, teachers used to make children who were left hand use their right hand. There have been studies that have documented the plight of left-handed people, and especially children.  Left-handed people are not cursed, but there are fewer than right-handed people.

We’re so used to depending on the right hand

In many ways, left-handed people were practically hazed and treated indifferently. As a society, we are right-handed and refer to the right-hand as the stronger hand.

Losing a job under any circumstance is the same as losing your right-hand (or left). For many, self-worth came from the job as did the monetary, relationship, and some emotional needs. The right-hand was the primary tool for everything, just like the job.

The left-hand is the default hand. The left rides shot-gun to support the right. Until the job was gone, the left-hand had a limited role. When the time came to learn how to write left-handed, there were no other choices.

I wrote on LinkedIn and Facebook recently,

In offer some job search advice, I decided to include some Bill Withers musings: Bill’s wife Marcie had an MBA, Bill cleaned toilets while in the Navy. His first major recording was published at 33 years old (that’s 50 in today’s pop music scene). This breaks all the rules for career change today. And breaks all of the dating advice about women who shouldn’t date “down.”

Although we live in a right-handed world, to write left-handed is not natural or advised for most of us. Many of us will learn to write left-handed when this #COVID19 crises is over. You will have use or learn skills you don’t know now. You’ll be asked to write left-handed and you won’t.

You’ll realize that you should have learned years ago. Proud you’re old school? You’ll need to dismantle your resistance to write left-handed. Get ready to write left-handed. This is “Job Search 3.0!” Listen to the word of this song about a soldier who lost his right hand in battle. He has someone write a letter home to tell his family what happened to him.

Many will be forced to use the left-hand.

Remote working might be your left-hand. Communication could be your lefty.

Many have already given up or settle for whatever happens. The literal use of the left have similarities, to job loss and learning the other possibilities, skills, and purpose. Your responses may fit the ones below, trying to write left-handed:

    • I can’t write left-handed at all. People are not learning new skills until a crisis. They hope someone saves them. Prepare your career long before losing your job, and before the writing is on the wall.
    • I can’t understand my writing at all. You get a few points for trying, but you haven’t used other job skills much at all. It takes patience, but you must keep trying to enhance work skills. No one says that using another talent or learning another profession would be easy.
    • This is so strenuous. You neglected your left hand for most of your life unless you became injured. If you ignored a specific skill set because someone else you didn’t need it, you no one else to blame. Take charge of your career.
    • I barely wrote my name, but can’t write anything else. Although it is better than most, you don’t stand out. Barely “knowing” or “barely can do” is a weak core competency.
    • This hand tires so quickly. When you learn something new, it is more challenging and trying. It takes up more brain space and muscle activation because it’s unique. Don’t think that it is just about getting one degree, certificate, or reward.

Learning is a continual process that will enable longevity. Learn for life, and train to use the left and right equally. Are you training, learning, and developing so that your left is as useful as your right? If not, what is holding you back?

About Mark Anthony Dyson

My name is Mark Anthony Dyson, and I am the Founder of The Voice of Job Seekers. I am a career advice writer, but more importantly, I hack and re-imagine the job search process.. I've worked with hundreds of job seekers one-on-one helping them to construct a narrative and strategy that appeals to hiring managers and recruiters. I present at colleges and organizations, and facilitated many workshops including my volunteer effort through a Job Lab. I write and create useful job search content on this blog and write career and workplace advice for blogs such as Glassdoor, Payscale, Job-Hunt.org, Prezi and more. Media Feature highlights: Forbes, Business Insider, NBC News, Glassdoor, LinkedIn's #GetHired, and NPR Freelance writer and content contributor: Glassdoor, Payscale, job-hunt.org, The Financial Diet, RippleMatch.com and more. Contact me to contribute career, job search, or workplace advice for your site at markanthonydyson@gmail.com.

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Filed Under: Job, Remote Work Tagged With: Job, Left-Handed, remote working, Unemployment

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

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:

  1. Exchange value with your network and give more than you get.
  2. An active and engaged network will bring you opportunities and visibility to employers/recruiters.
  3. Stay on top of the changing technology trends.
  4. Sharpen your negotiating skills (compensation packages).
  5. Promote yourself on social media, and keep those who boast about you in the front view of you and your followers.
  6. Maintain quick access to relevant references, mentors, and sponsors in your industry.
  7. Understand the short life of your skills.
  8. Do not fear job separation nor allow the myths associated with it to penetrate your goals.
  9. Career transformation is a necessity, preferably to have it occur seamlessly but that might not always be an option.
  10. Young careerists (30 and under) should have a wealth of informational interviews under their belt.
  11. Who is on your team?
  12. Engage in industry organizations, online groups, and committees.
  13. Create a robust LinkedIn presence with a convincing profile.
  14. “No” is a valuable asset, but also the drive behind motivated discontent.
  15. Building a personal brand that creates a demand for your work.
  16. Choosing your employer is more important than who is your employer.
  17. The best career tool for high school, college, trade, apprentice students are informational interviews.
  18. 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.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

My name is Mark Anthony Dyson, and I am the Founder of The Voice of Job Seekers. I am a career advice writer, but more importantly, I hack and re-imagine the job search process.. I've worked with hundreds of job seekers one-on-one helping them to construct a narrative and strategy that appeals to hiring managers and recruiters. I present at colleges and organizations, and facilitated many workshops including my volunteer effort through a Job Lab. I write and create useful job search content on this blog and write career and workplace advice for blogs such as Glassdoor, Payscale, Job-Hunt.org, Prezi and more. Media Feature highlights: Forbes, Business Insider, NBC News, Glassdoor, LinkedIn's #GetHired, and NPR Freelance writer and content contributor: Glassdoor, Payscale, job-hunt.org, The Financial Diet, RippleMatch.com and more. Contact me to contribute career, job search, or workplace advice for your site at markanthonydyson@gmail.com.

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Filed Under: Career, Employment, Flexible Job, Job, Job Search, Job Search Innovation, Jobseekers, Networking, Personal Branding Tagged With: Career, Careers, corona virus, COVID-19, Job Search, job search 3.0, network, Networking, Personal brand, Personal branding

by Mark Anthony Dyson Leave a Comment

Avoid relying on job boards! Do this instead.

Avoid relying on job boards! Do this instead.
http://traffic.libsyn.com/thevoiceofjobseekers/thevoiceofjobseekers215.mp3

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Job boards are not evil. They are not the only way to find jobs. In fact, if you use the strategies mentioned in this show, you’ll experience its effectiveness without waiting for job boards and applications result. Austin Belcak, founder of CultivatedCulture.com gave me the rundown of how he applied, tweaked, and perfected strategies that landed him around 50 interviews.

More about Austin:
Austin is the creator of Cultivated Culture, a blog helping job seekers succeed with several strategies including:
– Get a referral to companies where they previously knew no one
– Network and get to know hiring managers resulting in receiving job offers
– Ultimately land jobs without relying on a job board

Got something to say? Got a topic for the show? Disagree?
– Call and leave a voicemail at 708-365-9822, or text your comments to the same number
– Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com, press the “Send Voicemail” button on the right side of your screen and leave a message
– Send email feedback to mark@thevoiceofjobseekers.com

Listen to: The State of Job Search

Show highlights:

– Austin shares about his frustration as job seekers applying to hundreds of job board postings without results
– It didn’t make sense to him to do so much work without any resemblance of results
– He asked immediately family, friends, school career professionals who gave the same answer
– Finally, a career coach got him started networking to find people in the company to reach out and make connections
– He learned through networking with the right people in a company gave him tangible results
– He used LinkedIn and cold emailing to reach people in companies where he wanted to work
– It was a lot of work in talking with 10-15 in each company to find out what they did and how they were hired
– Most people either got in the company’s door through a referral
– They also found ways to illustrate to employers their value

The show epilogue
The next show will be on April 14. There will be FOUR SHOWS left for the year. Two in April and two in May. Then my summer hiatus will last until Sept. 15.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

My name is Mark Anthony Dyson, and I am the Founder of The Voice of Job Seekers. I am a career advice writer, but more importantly, I hack and re-imagine the job search process.. I've worked with hundreds of job seekers one-on-one helping them to construct a narrative and strategy that appeals to hiring managers and recruiters. I present at colleges and organizations, and facilitated many workshops including my volunteer effort through a Job Lab. I write and create useful job search content on this blog and write career and workplace advice for blogs such as Glassdoor, Payscale, Job-Hunt.org, Prezi and more. Media Feature highlights: Forbes, Business Insider, NBC News, Glassdoor, LinkedIn's #GetHired, and NPR Freelance writer and content contributor: Glassdoor, Payscale, job-hunt.org, The Financial Diet, RippleMatch.com and more. Contact me to contribute career, job search, or workplace advice for your site at markanthonydyson@gmail.com.

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Filed Under: Job, job board, Job Referrals, Job Search Tagged With: job boards, Job Search

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Listen to my NPR podcast interview on “Jazzed About Work” with Beverly Jones from 8/13/2020!

WOUB Digital · Episode 087 : Black job searchers face special challenges, says Mark Anthony Dyson

See my #GetHired LinkedIn Live with News Editor Andrew Seaman

Watch this interview about today’s job search!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJNTym48NVo&t=68s
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