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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Three Reasons to Create Your Career to Endure Like The Fedora

Three Reasons to Create Your Career to Endure Like The Fedora

It’s likely you have a fedora. You wear it well, and it’s impossible not to feel superpowers of cool when you do. I can’t say everyone loves the look on you, but you know someone will. Successful careerists are adaptable and agile like the fedora. There are career lessons to learn from this comparison.
I own nine of them. And will probably buy one or two between now and the end of summer. In fact, my oldest calls me “Uncle Fedora” sometimes. She always compliments me when I wear one, but more importantly, so does my wife.
I wear them casually more now as it used to be for special occasions. When I go to one of my open office spots such as Panera Bread or Starbucks, I often wear one. Not just to look stylish, but to keep the air conditioning from blowing directly on my head. The Starbucks I go to often is cold. I’ll wear my fedora to keep my head warm even in the summer.
According to the History of Hats and other sources, the fedora has been around more than 130 years. It’s not just a fad, but a staple in American fashion culture. It has a prominent place in the wardrobes of Presidents and princes, singers and servants, and yes, mothers and mavens.
It has also endured fashion changes. No matter the trend, it has steadfastly stood out as the go to wear for timely fads. No matter how men or women suits the change in color, fit, or style, a fedora complements it. I am sure someone more fashion savvy than I will want to correct my details in style, but you get the idea.
My goal in writing this blog is to help inspire, or for you to aspire, to have always had a voice. Just as the Fedora has always had a place, you should have a voice. It’s one of the ways for you to survive all of the cultural and environmental changes in work.
So here are my three reasons for your career to be like the fedora:

1) Like the fedora, you’re not for everyone, and everyone is not for you

As you understand your skills and talents, your list of vendors, employers, contracts, or people who energize your career and inspire your aspirations will shrink. That’s still a lot of individuals, and you need to connect with those people.

Listen to Job Interviewing Best Practices

2) Like the fedora, be agile  
Future proofing is the best career strategy anyone can devise. Whenever there is an economy change, there is likely a technology drive to cause or to follow. The Fedora fits with any fashion you fancy no matter the period you favor to wear. Your skills matter as they are relevant,  but your personality is what will deepen your appeal to what’s important to the business.

3) Like the fedora, add value

The Fedora goes with most outfits and is appropriate for most social occasions.

Although your skills, abilities, and personality aren’t for everybody, like the Fedora, you’ll add value to many.

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Even with one talent you can serve and help many especially if you expand your network.

The Fedora has a broad audience, has experienced many adventures, and find its way to show up at all the right times. In your career, consider being like the Fedora.

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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5 Reasons to Unfollow Career Obstructing Social Media Contacts

5 Reasons to Unfollow Career Obstructing Social Media Contacts

Guilt by association on social media is a reality. If you’re associated with someone who doesn’t represent you can be a pretty painful experience. You may have to cut them loose.

“It’s them, not me” might work if you’re an innocent bystander of a crime, but being tagged on Facebook, or your comment on a thread, is hard to escape. There’s a quote going around that says we’re the average of five people we hang out with. I don’t necessarily believe it in its entirety, but perception is everything. You can opt to hide their notifications, but to disassociate as a choice is nice to have since the person offers little to no value by their inflammatory and divisive updates (only as it matters to you)!

It’s true in dating to a point.

There is a pause when we meet potential friends, and they turn us off. Our potential significant other has lost significance. Sometimes, this downgrade is temporary, but other times it’s a deal breaker. But that’s for a later discussion.

If you want to find jobs in the new job search, then you need to consider the condition people will find you. It could be favorable where employers or recruiters are impressed, or unfavorable because of a scathing photo, video, or comment.

You must ask the question of each person, “Does his or her online reputation and behavior jeopardize my reputation?”

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If you’re unsure, please consider these occurrences:

  1. Your distracting connection keeps tagging you on random ugly and divisive pictures

People often associate you with your partners. Plain and straightforward. Disassociation is painful, but it may be necessary. Even if you’re not looking for a job, but you are seriously networking for your next career move, people connect with you on your values as well as career aspirations.

There are subtle ways of cutting them loose without them being insulted.

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Listen to Personal SEO for Your Online Resume

  1. Your distracting connection’s polarizing opinions impede your messaging

The political season has highlighted those in politics and those who are passionate about their views. You may even be tempted to post your views, but possibly you can turn off your connections and key hearers no matter what your intentions. A couple of years ago someone posted career and life goals on Facebook. One of their friends commented, “Yeah, right!” I couldn’t help but see “Yeah, right” was accurate and playing out unfavorably for the originator of the post. Those comments will give employers a reason to pause further vetting.

  1. Your distracting connection’s comments on your posts are embarrassing

There are those who attempt to add value to a well-thought out post, and your cousin decides to post a separate article on Prince. Your attention-seeking cousin has posted something having nothing to do with the post or comments. Wait, let’s talk about the adult shaming and cursing comments on your post. You respond, “Lol.” Yes, a logical person will see it’s not your fault people can’t control his or her mouth, but again, guilt by association is quite hurtful.

Listen to 4 Ways to Quickly Succeed in Your New Workplace

  1. Your distracting connections and wacky friends have useful contacts

Yes, you want an introduction to their influential friends, but not via the wacky friend. It might be worse, and it’s not always a bad scenario, just an uncomfortable one. People will want to know the genesis of your connection; what can you say? It’s complicated. The exception is you can follow the person and charm your way into a reciprocal friend invite.

  1. Your distracting connections aren’t worth the time

You don’t want to spend time managing your timeline. You can quietly unfriend people, and who can blame you? It’s your personal brand to perfect. You don’t want to give a potential employer a bad impression. The extreme approach on some social networks requires you to block them. Your career is at stake.

Read 5 Ways to Destroy Your Networking Efforts

You want to show that you protect your personal brand so a potential employer can envision you protecting theirs. Spend time filtering who you want to follow and unfollow and who to keep as a friend. You can take back your timeline and filter out all of those political and unsavory postings. The impression you give to a recruiter or employer is up to 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.

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Negotiation in Your Workplace, Job Search, and Everywhere Else

Negotiation in Your Workplace, Job Search, and Everywhere Else

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Negotiation is a must have this skill for your job search, workplace, and life. As we dive deeper into the gig economy, each job seeker will accept several roles. Our roles as contractors and entrepreneurs, we must embrace our roles as negotiators. We will need to remain in negotiating mode for the longevity of our careers. To help us embrace this role, Kwame Christian, an attorney will help. He is the host of the American Negotiation Institute and negotiation expert.

If you find negotiating hard, don’t worry, I got you. Feel free to share your negotiating story. You can also share your thoughts about this episode in one of three ways:

I would love to hear your thoughts in one of three ways:

  • 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

Kwame Christian Esq., M.A. is a business attorney with his practice. He also is the host of the American Negotiation Institute podcast. You should listen to this interesting episode where he negotiates for a car. He has won several awards and competitions including the American Bar Association National Competition. He placed as a semifinalist in the competition.

Here are some of the highlights of our discussion:

  • While contemplating finding a new job, maximize your value at your current job
  • View each negotiation success as a new floor
  • Even in a job where you don’t plan to stay long, it is valuable to negotiate for more
  • Find your unique value proposition
  • He says, “We don’t get what we deserve, we get what we ask for.”
  • Kwame mentioned the book Presuasion as a resource
  • Quote from the book, “People don’t focus on things that are important. People focus on things because they think it’s important.”
  • Need help with your career goals, directions, or efforts?

Do you need coaching or instruction?

I am here for it! Use my contact information above to inquire about individual or group coaching. You can also sign up for my weekly newsletter at the top of my page.

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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