The Voice of Job Seekers

Mark Anthony Dyson ★ Career Writer ★ Speaker ★ Thinker ★ Award-winning Blog & Podcast! ★ "The Job Scam Report" on Substack! ★ I hack and reimagine the modern job search!

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by Mark Anthony Dyson

How Does Illiteracy Affect Job Seekers? [INFOGRAPHIC]

How Does Illiteracy Affect Job Seekers? [INFOGRAPHIC]
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America is a country of forward-thinking innovation. In our rich history, we’ve revolutionized vehicle production, walked on the moon, and produced successful entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. However, despite this progress, we still have a long way to go, especially in education.

A National Adult Literacy Survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Education in 2003 revealed that one in five Americans lacks skills beyond the fourth-grade level. That’s a hard pill to swallow, especially when you stop and think about how the current job market is becoming increasingly global and pits our citizens against job seekers worldwide.

This reality means that there are still more eager candidates than available jobs, and positions that once required less education and experience are being pursued by overqualified individuals. In some cases, people with some to no high school experience compete with college graduates. While this is clearly an uneven playing field, not all hope is lost for the less-experienced, lower-performing candidates.

There are still many ways they can attractively market themselves to prospective employers. The key is for them to find a way to illustrate strengths that require no education, like drive, work ethic, and willingness to learn and improve. They might not have academic accolades comparable to their competitors, but that doesn’t mean they lack ambition. Many people who perform at a lower level than their peers are merely there because of circumstances such as financial standing and upbringing.

Luckily, there are several ways they can illustrate their determination. For starters, they can enroll in one of the many free, open courses available on the web as this alone will show a natural curiosity and desire to learn—not to mention it will help improve comprehension and reading ability. Another option is to present their potential employer with a plan for the future and how they intend to make it happen. Regardless of circumstance or adversity, this will display a candidate’s motivation to improve. Any way job seekers can convey their perseverance and adaptability will help set themselves apart from the competition, as those are qualities every company desires.

While there is no one way to succeed in today’s economy, illiteracy is definitely not helping anyone. It is a national problem that needs to be addressed to keep our citizens competitive and successful.

Thanks to (@OCC_com).

Illiterate America
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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: Jobseekers Tagged With: Illiteracy, Job seekers

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I moderated a panel on Wealth Management for executives by Black Enterprise Magazine in October 2023 in Miami.

I was interviewed on Scripps News show, “The Why!” 4/13/2023

I talked with John Tarnoff and Kerry Hannon of “The Second Act” podcast about job searching after 50 in October 2022.

I was on “The Career Confidante” podcast to talk about “boomerang employees” and “job fishing” in June 2022.

Making Job Search a Lifestyle With “Dr. Dawn Graham on Careers,” SiriusXM Ch. 132, Wharton School of Business May 2021

In May 2020, I talked with LinkedIn’s Senior News Editor Andrew Seaman on “#GetHired” Live.”

Beverly Jones, host of the NPR podcast “Jazzed About Work,” invited me back to talk job scams, job search trends, and AI tools in April 2024

WOUB Digital · Episode 183 : Job search expert Mark Dyson says beware of scams, know AI & keep learning

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