Jobseekers Archives - Page 14 of 33 - The Voice of Job Seekers

The Voice of Job Seekers Podcast

We are very excited about the new podcast series that is now available in iTunes for job seekers everywhere who want help navigating this complex and difficult job market.

The podcast will cover everything job seeker related just as the blog has done since its first post in July 2011. Our goal is to provide solutions to job search and career problems, obstacles, and mysteries. We will have a cast who has with years of experience in his or her niche, and all who are successful in his or her field. All of my co-hosts are contributors to the blog and bring a special perspective and voice that will articulate the job seeker and life struggle:

Sandra Tedford (@wetalktoday) is the founder of WETALKtoday that stands for “Web Entrepreneurs Talk” and provides a platform for business and tech savvy entrepreneurs with information and resources to grow their business in the new economy.

Bianca Michelle Thompson, Chicago native, has worked in the corporate arena within the Chicago Loop for over twenty-five years. The last thirteen years have been within the Human Resources profession. Her experiences within the Human Resources field and her personal life inspired her passion for training and coaching. Bianca has done extensive self-development, team-building and coaching coursework within the corporate and non-profit arenas and with Phoenix Arises Seminars.

Keith Townsend (@virtualizedgeek) is a great example of someone who uses non-traditional methods of job searching to find opportunities in companies that promote diversity and inclusion. His blog, VirtualizedGeek.com displays the depth of knowledge and expertise in his field to the point of being approached for opportunities, not the other way around.

We will publish an episode weekly of either the cast (any combination thereof) or an interview from an expert or someone with a unique job seeker perspective. You can look for us in iTunes and other directories soon. Please subscribe to our channel in iTunes and feel free to provide an honest review of our show.

Currently, we published five interviews for the first episodes that we had posted earlier in the summer. We did those so that new listeners will find useful content previously not available in iTunes. Wednesday, we will have a brand new episode for you to engage.

Please note that now you can leave us a voicemail with your question or comment, or you can write a comment below. In future podcast episodes, we can address any resume, job search, or career related question or concern you may have on the recording. We will also have the ability to replay your inquiry.

We look forward to bringing you personable and direct advice for you. We will continue with articles and features with the best job search advice possible. Thanks for your support. This has been an honor to serve and give, and to be here for 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

Seeking Diversity Workplace with Susan Reed

Susan E. Reed wrote The Diversity Index in 2011, which I find relevant as companies resist and other companies forge a diverse workforce. Reed’s in depth look at diversity unearth dialogue and initiatives that reaches back prior to the Civil Rights act of 1964. Reed is a for CBS News producer who has won two Emmys as a reporter and her work has appeared in the New York Times and the Washington Post among others. She offered some reflection and insight on diversity in the workplace in the last two years.

I like sharing these types of conversations because the universal workplace has become a very complex environment to people of color and to women. It helps to have varying perspectives to make informed decisions who want to work for companies that promote diversity and inclusion, but also who will be fair to all.

Mark: Since you’ve written the book two years ago are more companies proactively transforming their culture to a more diverse one?

Susan Reed: I have been pleasantly surprised to find companies that are actively trying to make their organizations more diverse. I know that because I meet diversity directors at forums where specialists are sharing best practices.

Mark: Are there recruiting efforts that matches the intent of companies that wish to change?

SR: Yes. I see recruiters looking for people everywhere: on LinkedIn, on Facebook, college campuses, and at inner city job fairs.

Mark: What are common mistakes companies make in hiring a diverse workforce?

SR: If you put one individual with very different characteristics into a homogeneous pool of workers, they will experience greater stress in trying to fit in, get along and be accepted than if you hired two or three very diverse people at once.

Mark: There is a study that came out last year that said that CEOs desired for employees to have more of a global perspective, yet many companies still are lacking in diversity. There seems to be an anomaly somewhere. Any ideas why executives fail to see the discrepancy?

SR: Everybody has a different definition of diversity. Some think only of gender diversity, others think only of racial diversity. Folks who have international experience tend to think in terms of international diversity. One can have international diversity without racial or gender diversity. For instance, nearly 10 percent of executive officers of the Fortune 100 are white men who were born outside of the U.S., exemplifying how international diversity can exist without racial or gender diversity. All of us need to think more expansively about the many aspects diversity, including ability and sexual diversity.

Mark: Companies that are diverse and make efforts to maintain a longitudinal outlook seem to also share lots of transparency. Is this an accurate assessment?

SR: Yes, I think you’re right. Many companies with a deep history in diversity will sponsor employee resource groups, and publish a general census of the diversity of their workers. They often post the information on their websites.

Mark: Should job seekers that desire to work for diverse and inclusive companies expect work related transparency as well? Are there companies that already employ this thought that you know of?

SR: In my study, I found that the government contractors who had deep history with diversity–going back to affirmative action in the 1960s– were the most experienced at creating a diverse workforce.

Mark: So a job seeker is hired by an ideal company must experience a special type of empowerment. As that a safe assessment or is that assuming too much?

SR: The new hire should assume he or she is wanted to perform the job, but I’m not sure it is reasonable to assume any special empowerment because companies are very complex organizations.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Why Must Job Seekers Voice His or Her Value

Somehow, job seekers need to find their voice in saying what you want. Many only tread water in vocalizing his or her career worth.

I am not talking about shy people. Extroverted job seekers often lack expertise and yes even clueless of their career value. Many will say depreciate it, and too little to substantiate his or her holistic worth.

To be clear: put it into words. Rehearsed or not.

Three of many ways job seekers miss opportunities to find a voice in their value:

1. They struggle with saying NO! Enough said.

2. The battle of being an introvert and not conforming to what is expected of you. You are expected to say what you mean.

3. Problem selling yourself convincingly. Yet, expertly the uninformed jobseeker will pontificate about things that have nothing to do with abilities and more toward attempts (“I tried so hard, and got so far, but in the end, it doesn’t even matter”).

Perhaps that is why many of us are unappreciated job seekers—we are not intentional in our quest to understand our individual value. If you can’t express it, you shouldn’t expect it. That’s business in 2013.

The skit below demonstrates exactly what I am talking about as it applies to our worth. We know what we want as the sticker price for our services, but we don’t employ our voices to defend our worth. We are unsure what we can deliver and well versed in what we don’t offer. That must change. Today!

This old Abbott and Costello video demonstrates everything that we all have dealt with:

We are told that we are “fired” and then we say, “I quit!” One thing Costello correctly does is to starting negotiating the terms of exiting. This is very good strategy. Yet, it goes down from here.
The only thing he is well versed in his monetary worth and not the worth of his skills. Although we don’t know the complete context of why his is being fired, or if he is actually fired, he never acquiesces to the value of what he has accomplished. Many job seekers rarely examine the worth of his or her skills. Ask yourself, “What would happen you didn’t do your job?” Then start evaluating the value of what you’ve done.
Abbott says, “Now wait a minute! Not so fast!” This statement starts the counter-argument, and he is right for slowing it down. It actually models what Costello should have done. Slow down. Think. If Costello listened carefully at the beginning he would have created a smoother exit or changed Abbott’s mind.
It gets worse. Much worse. Abbott and Costello agreed on one dollar a day salary, but Abbott saw this scenario from a 24 hour a day perspective. Costello falls right into the trap of not correcting him basing this on an eight hour workday. Should this be a discussion or a point of contention? Obviously not, but this goes to the point of vocalizing and managing your employer of your value way BEFORE you start a job, not when you are exiting.

You can take it from here and see how badly Abbott dislodges the proverbial ball from Costello. Lawd, this is worse than a Mark Sanchez butt fumble.

What is hard about vocalizing your value? Please share and enjoy the video. I’d like you to share your thoughts.