The Voice of Job Seekers

Mark Anthony Dyson ★ Career Writer ★ Speaker ★ Thinker ★ Award-winning Blog & Podcast! ★ I hack and reimagine the modern job search!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • iTunes Podcasts
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS Feed

421 Modern Job Search Tips for 2021! Get it today! Sign up now.

  • TVOJS Podcast
    • Guest Posts Topics or Podcast Guests
  • ABOUT ME
  • Press page for Mark
  • Get the Free 2020 eBook
    • Guides & Resources
  • Contact Me
  • Hire Mark to Speak
  • Hire Me for Content Writing
  • #JobSeekerNation LIVE
  • The Modern Job Search Checklist LIVE
You are here: Home / Interview / Interview with Pete Leibman, Author of I Got My Dream Job

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Interview with Pete Leibman, Author of I Got My Dream Job

 

Editor’s note: Pete Leibman book, I Got My Dream Job and So Can You was reviewed on March 14. He kindly agreed to spend a few minutes with me to answer some questions about the book.

  1. What is the biggest difference for job seeking graduates before the Great Recession (2008) and now in 2012? I had clients who are recent grads having to take things  completely in their own hands.In a down economy, it becomes even more important for job-seekers to be proactive with their job search and with networking. On the bright side, the world is more well-connected now than it has ever been before.  Facebook has over 800 million users and LinkedIn has over 130 million members (as of early 2012).  These platforms, along with others, provide networking opportunities that have never been available to job-seekers.  This is good news!
  2. We know that college career centers can make a small difference in a graduate’s job search but many times not enough. What ways can a graduate optimize the use of his or her career center?The Career Center can provide a lot of value for students and young alumni by helping you get clear on what you want from your career and by helping you get connected to alumni working in fields of interest. The Career Center can also help you develop a strategy for your entire job search so that you can get hired faster.
  3. You provide a very useful tool in the book for job seekers to intrinsically evaluate their skills and talents. How essential is that to the job search, and will it provide them a better view of their accomplishments and visualize his or her dream job? Employers hire people for one reason: to solve problems and deliver results.  Your goal (before the interview and during the interview) is to convince the employer that you have the skills and traits needed to deliver the desired results in the position.  Once you get clear on what the employer is looking for (which you can usually gather through employer research and by studying the job description meticulously), your next step is to prepare your “evidence” for why the employer should hire you.  You should be prepared to discuss prior achievements and stories from your past that demonstrate how you have each skill and trait needed for success in the position.
  4. You clearly state in your book that negotiating salary starts at the initial contact of the employer. Could you give an example of how new graduates mistakenly leave money on the table?The biggest mistake you can make in salary negotiation is to think that negotiation begins after you receive an offer.  Negotiation begins the moment you come in contact with anyone who can hire you.  You can also leave money on the table by throwing out a number first or by discussing salary before demonstrating your value to the employer.  One of my favorite sales/negotiation quotes is from one of the world’s leading sales experts, Ray Leone who said “never quote a price to an unsold buyer.”  In other words, make sure the employer wants you before you talk salary.
  5. I am working with clients who are now setting up blogs to help them brand themselves. In your experience, What are the best components to include on a blog for job search purposes to yield noticeable results? Tips for blogging: Keep it professional and positive, write about a topic connected to your field of interest, and make sure it’s well-written.  A poorly written or unprofessional blog will actually work against you.  You can also use a blog as an “excuse” to reach out to leaders in your field to interview them.  This can be a great way to start a dialogue with someone who otherwise might not be receptive to you contacting them.  Everyone loves to be interviewed!
  6. What research methods do you wish new graduate job seekers would use more carefully, frequently, or both?Most job-seekers spend too much time on job boards, while underutilizing online tools that can help them get a better job faster.  For example, there are a variety of ways to use LinkedIn to get connected with people working in fields of interest.  You can conduct searches on LinkedIn to find alumni working in your field of choice, you can use LinkedIn to search for relevant individuals connected to people you already know, and you can also join groups on LinkedIn where you can get “insider information” on certain fields and where you can communicate directly with people in fields of interest all over the world.    A terrific, little-known resource for job-seekers is Jigsaw.com, which is a database of downloadable contact information on professionals and businesses worldwide.  This web site can be a great tool to use for employer research and for tracking down contact information for people who are otherwise hard to access.

Related Posts

  • How Unconscious Bias Can Hinder Job Seekers Before An InterviewHow Unconscious Bias Can Hinder Job Seekers Before An Interview
  • Job Interviewing 101: How to Succeed in Different Situations [INFOGRAPHIC]Job Interviewing 101: How to Succeed in Different Situations [INFOGRAPHIC]
  • Career Advice From a Tech Expert: Interview with Forough GhahramaniCareer Advice From a Tech Expert: Interview with Forough Ghahramani
  • Job Search: Be More Like EllaJob Search: Be More Like Ella
  • Brilliant Interviewing Strategies From a World Class Career ExpertBrilliant Interviewing Strategies From a World Class Career Expert
  • 5 Tips to Find Your Next Job in 20195 Tips to Find Your Next Job in 2019
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • iTunes Podcasts
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS Feed

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.

  • Mail
  • |
  • Web
  • |
  • Twitter
  • |
  • Facebook
  • |
  • LinkedIn
  • |
  • More Posts(669)

Filed Under: Interview, Job Tagged With: Interview, Jobseekers, Pete Liebman

Comments

  1. Pete says

    April 16, 2012 at 4:52 pm

    Thanks for interviewing me and highlighting my book! -Pete Leibman, http://www.BestCareerBook.com

    • Mark Anthony Dyson says

      April 16, 2012 at 5:30 pm

      Thanks Pete for the great ideas and insight. Best wishes with the book!

  2. Sandra Tedford says

    April 19, 2012 at 9:41 pm

    Great information. Do you think it’s harder for job seekers to find employment if they are not using Social Media? Some employers are asking candidates for access to their social media accounts. Do you think this infringes on the job seekers privacy?

    • Mark Anthony Dyson says

      April 19, 2012 at 11:15 pm

      Hey Sandra, thanks for your question. 

      First, job seekers need to leverage every avenue on the web to be found, including Social Media. In fact, a job seeker could be considered irrelevant if he or she is not found. 
      Job seekers have a right to privacy, and employers are trying to finesse transparency while infringing on privacy. If I don’t want you, the employer, to see my social  media accounts as administrator by giving you my password, that is my right. Employers are trying to use an end  around strategy so they can see whether I’m married, my race, religion, sexual orientation or any other of the questions not allowed to ask during interviews. 

      Just say no! It’s invasion of privacy!

I offered the NTD News audience options to their pandemic unemployment benefits ending 9/6/21

Enjoy my fourth appearance on the NPR podcast “Jazzed About Work” with Beverly Jones 5/4/2022

WOUB Digital · Episode 132 : Mark Dyson says “job search is a lifestyle” and connecting with others matters

See my #GetHired LinkedIn Live with News Editor Andrew Seaman 5/24/20

Making the job search a lifestyle on “Dr. Dawn on Careers” on SiriusXM Channel 132, Wharton School of Business, University of Penn 5/13/21

Watch my appearance on the web show, “Who Ya Know” appearance 07/21/2021

Connect with me on LinkedIn

Mark Anthony Dyson
job seeker advocates on Twitter 2021
Career Youtube Channels
top 100 career badge
top career blogs

<script type=”text/javascript” src=”https://platform.linkedin.com/badges/js/profile.js” async defer></script>

Copyright © 2022 · Generate Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in