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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5 Transferable Skills: From Raising Kids to The Job Interview

5 Transferable Skills: From Raising Kids to The Job Interview

If You’ve Raised Kids, You Can Manage Anything by Ann Crittenden was written some years ago to show that parenting skills translate to job skills.

In her book, Crittenden expounds in detail on transferable skills such as:

–call for multitasking and the ability to function amidst constant distractions

    –enhance interpersonal skills, from effective negotiation to dealing with difficult people
    –develop skills in motivating and encouraging others to excel
    –teach a keen sense of fair play and integrity, and much more

If You've Raised Kids, You Can Manage Anything--Jobsimage credit

Each person should self-evaluate his or her own parenting to glean the job lessons from teaching, discipline, and feeding their child. I wholeheartedly subscribe to this not only in theory, but also as a participant and a witness.

Each job seeker who is raising his or her children, should apply this thinking as part of an interviewing strategy and to show transferable skills:

Managing and handling difficult situations

Parents that take the high road here benefit the most because employers do not need to glean that you speak to subordinates or anyone like a child. A  demonstration of a diplomatic approach always works without screaming, or yelling comes across better.

Multi-tasking and coordinating

Cooking, cleaning, and helping with arithmetic is no joke. Display your tenacity by sharing how you toggle between home applications (as they were software applications). Show employers how planning is a skill in coordinating your children’s events, activities, and academics.

Networking

Concentrate on how these relationships produced invaluable projects and processes in the Parent-Teacher world. To show that you can establish partnerships with others translates in building partnerships.

Adept to various kinds of learning

Since technology is constantly changing personal communication, and the way you conduct business, and demonstrate the way you monitor your child’s use of online tools on the Internet.

Microsoft Office and Budget

Have you used Excel and Access for budgeting? How about writing school letters and business correspondence. Have you balanced your bank and household accounts using Excel? These are hard skills that have project management elements.

Don’t expect any of these to land you an office of your own, but you can position these as relevant skills in most cases.

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, Marriage and Unemployment Tagged With: Family, Interview, Job

by Mark Anthony Dyson Leave a Comment

Craft Stories to Get the Job

Craft Stories to Get the Job

Zanie (not her real name) was 19 years old when I interviewed her for a customer service position. The most refreshing thing about Zanie was how measured and tactical she appeared during the interview. My boss and I were immediately impressed by her readiness, eye contact, and directness.

Honestly, we were wowed before the interview even began because of how well Zanie communicated over the phone. Her phone manners convinced HR to send her over to us immediately.

“She is everything described in the job post,” the HR rep told us.

Zanie’s performance became, to me, a benchmark for how candidates should perform during the interview process – especially when it came to her use of narratives to answer our questions, provide proof of her abilities, and temper out doubts.

Stories are how we prove our value to those we don’t know. People personally connect with us through the stories we tell about ourselves. If you capture the imagination of the interviewers with a good yarn, you can capture their heart, their interest, and hopefully, a job offer.

Mac Prichard, founder of Mac’s List and author of Land Your Dream Job Anywhere, knows how important it is for job seekers to connect with employers through stories.

“Having a great story that appeals to the people you want to motivate and take action can make an enormous difference,” he says.

For job seekers who want to create narratives like Zanie did, here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. The Connection Is Critical

People remember what makes them laugh, cry, and empathize. One thing Zanie did so effectively was weave emotion in her examples – e.g., “I was afraid at first to speak up. I decided it was better if I did.” Not only did this humanize Zanie, but it drew me into her stories.

2. Investigate Challenges

“Job seekers need to understand the employer’s challenges and problems, and through effective communication, they need to show how they can help solve those problems,” Prichard says.

Each of Zanie’s questions and answers during our interview proved well thought out and strategic. For example, she asked us about how difficult callers were handled, and she shared an experience of hers where escalation procedures had broken down. We put Zanie’s concern to rest by explaining our processes and our success with complaints.

3. Replace the Data With a Tale

“Once you reach the interview, the facts matter,” Prichard says. “Your application, resume, and cover letter made the data case by showing your qualifications for the job.”

Although Zanie came prepared with call report performance reviews, she opted to focus on describing situations where her numbers made an impact rather than on the numbers themselves. These examples were more valuable than any data she could have shared.

4. The Power of the Plot Places You

You can only persuade an employer to imagine you in their open position if you share stories that help them envision you in the role.

“The interview is to find out what the employer’s needs are and to show them you’re the right person [to meet those needs,” Prichard says. “Nothing beats storytelling to accomplish those goals.”

–

During the time Zanie worked on my team, she was often more bashful than she was in the interview, but she always smiled and stepped up when the moment presented itself.

Seizing the moment – isn’t that what a successful interview requires? You have to take your chance to show your value to the organization. Your thoughtful and relevant stories can place you in the open seat.

This article was originally published on Recruiter.com!

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 Tagged With: Interview, Job, Stories

by Mark Anthony Dyson Leave a Comment

Layoffs? Did Someone Say Layoffs?

Layoffs? Did Someone Say Layoffs?
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Tis the season for layoffs. You might need a new job search in 2018. As we speak, there are companies putting the final touches on separation agreements and/or severance packages. Well, the talk about departures or the rumored occurrences lately includes Adtalem, AAP, Aetna, AFLAC, Allscripts, Allstate, AIG, Anadarko, Arris, AT&T, ADP, Avaya,  Baker Hughes, Bank of America, Becton Dickinson, Bed Bath & Beyond, Boeing, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Broadcom. Not to mention every company that hired seasonal workers recently. This is why I am welcoming back to the show Tom Spiggle of Spiggle Law.

 

I want to hear from you of how this layoff episode resonates with you.

Here are places you can add to the conversation at large:

  • 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

 

More about Tom: 

Tom Spiggle is a former prosecutor and former Assistant U.S. Attorney. His website also has a very informative blog found at spigglelaw.com  He is regularly quoted in the media in such outlets as the Washington Post, CBS News, and many law journals.

Our discussion today is based on the article on Tom’s article on his blog, ” The Anatomy of a Severance Agreement.” This time of year is often feared for layoffs or departures. The Bureau of Labor Statistics clumps layoffs/departures as separations. Tom has a 6 part series to offer when you sign up with your email address.

Here are some highlights from our layoff show: 

  • Separation agreement – agreeing or wavering the right to sue, could include package with severance, outplacement services, etc  
  • Companies are not legally required to offer a separation package, no obligation
  • Talk to financial advisor to get your ducks in a row
  • If you think you may be laid off, and you have been sexually harassed, now is the time to file before any separation agreement
  • Tom addresses the five components of the severance agreement in more detail: payment, benefits, unemployment, references, and obligations.

Reminder:

I am here for you! Use my contact information above to inquire about individual or group coaching. You can also sign up for my weekly newsletter at the top right of my page. I try to pack as much value in my newsletter to more than 2,000 subscribers as possible.

Grab my updated “118 Job Search Tips for the Modern Job Search in 2018”  here.

You can buy my guides listed here for 99 cents each for the rest of the year! The regular price is $5.00 for most of the guides.

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, layoffs Tagged With: layoff, separations, severance

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