Career Archives - Page 13 of 28 - The Voice of Job Seekers

Choose a Career Path Not a Job with Ryan Porter

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I found a site in the last year that exclusively promotes career paths for those who decide not to pursue post-secondary education. The site was eye-catching, attractive, and hyper-functional for the users as an energetic experience. The founder, Ryan Porter, epitomizes energy and synergy when I talked to him. Any time that a site, an idea, technology or person can positively engage a job seeker to clarity and simplicity, I’m interested in featuring it on the podcast.

Has a lack of a college degree hindered you from career choices? Would a site that had more compatible choices for you help your job search? I would love to hear what you think. There are three ways to let me know what you think:

1) Leave a voicemail or text message at 708-365-9822. Let me know if I can share it on future shows
2) Email me: [email protected]
3) Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com and press the “Send Voicemail” button to leave a message online

1. At 21, while hating college, quit his job and college and moved to Tokyo. Eventually moved to Canada and the U.S. and went around the country speaking to schools around the country (more than 900,000 students). He also wrote Make Your Own Lunch: How to Live an Epically Epic Life before founding “Raise Your Flag.”

2. Ryan reflects on a book that influenced his thinking written by Samuel Halprin, The Forgotten Half: Pathways to Success for America’s Youth and Young Families. The book address that half of high school graduates do not go on to postsecondary education and nothing was being done for them. More than 30 years later, that statistic has not changed. 70% of working Americans have less than a Bachelor’s degree.

3. Ryan observed how the discussion about education was about having a college degree or be like Bill Gates. It’s rare when the discussion addresses the majority of people who are in-between.

4. What sets “Raise Your Flag” apart from other sites that every posting has a career path. You click on the career and a path to the next career upward is shown.

5. Ryan believes those who choose their jobs are on a career path and deserve to have the confidence of their career trajectory as a college graduate does.

6. College students are likely to describe his or her retail job as “JUST” a sales associate – when for others it is the launching of a career in retail.

7. Learning and development are essential for many careers but only need a SkillShare class to enhance their skills. Ryan says that employers will drive the shift from emphasizing college to MOOCs (Massive Online Open Courses) as colleges are deemed to implode through its current business model.

8. Ryan says that what is missing from learning is the context of learning. “Are you learning this to get a good grade or is it useful for you to apply?” It takes two years of college to get the context of why you’re there.

9. Many of the volunteer projects and campaigns have the context of learning that it takes two years of college to receive, if not better.

10. “Meaningful work experiences is the true currency of the world of work.”

I encourage you to follow them on their Facebook page that has five million members and growing!

Have you subscribed to this show on iTunes? If you haven’t, please do so. This is also a great place to write an honest review. Enjoy listening to the show. Let us know what you think.

Do you need help with resume writing or career direction? Do you need coaching or instruction?I can help.

Also, join our community on Linkedin! You’ll enjoy some of the insights shared by community members and other career pros!

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

Recruiter Real Talk for Your Career with Mark Jaffe

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I am excited to have Mark Jaffe as my guest to talk about his new book, Let Me Give it to You Straight: An Outspoken Guide to Working with Headhunters, Advancing Your Career and Reaching Enlightenment…Without the Sugarcoating. Mark drops some valuable gems about executive recruiting. But listen to his advice on how anyone can successfully interview near the end of our conversation. Mark drops some valuable gems about executive recruiting. But listen to his advice on how anyone can successfully interview near the end of our conversation.

Have you ever worked with a recruiter? What has your experience in working with a recruiter? I would love your feedback on these questions or anything that you’ve heard on any of our shows in one of the three ways:

1) Leave a voice mail or text message at 708-365-9822. Let me know if I can share it on future shows
2) Email me: [email protected]
3) Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com and press the “Send Voicemail” button to leave a message online

If you are a career coach or career advice professional and would like to contribute advice or voice your opinion, leave a message along with your name and website. I will include both on an upcoming show and show notes on the blog.advice professional and would like to contribute advice or voice your opinion, leave a message along with your name and website. I will include both on an upcoming show and show notes on the blog.

Mark has been an executive recruiter for more than 30 years and quoted in many national news outlets such as Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal. He was ranked by BusinessWeek as “One of the World’s 100 Most Influential Headhunters.”

Here are some of our talking points:

I asked Mark to describe the differences between recruiting now and back in the late ‘90s/2000s. His dating analogy made it clear that job stability was prominent as most executives had many career choices. Therefore, recruiters had to reach out to those who barely qualified for the position they were recruiting for. In today’s job market, the executives who are stable and thriving, and have their heads down are the ones that are being sought-after and are being sold on the idea of working for someone else
In his recruiting practice, they are agents of their clients (like all recruiters). They do not shop around candidates.
They do “de Novo research” (keep in mind these are executive searches), not relying on any current databases, or list of waiting candidates (keep in mind these are executive searches), not relying on any current databases, or list of waiting candidates
Essentially, there are two types of managers in the corporate world, those who play (or hire) to their strengths, and those who spend equal or greater amount of energy or cover their weaknesses. The first is about the team, who can run circles around them in certain areas, and the latter manager hires the candidate who he or she can control
Job seekers should think of themselves as the solution to the company’s problems by understanding the needs of the business, and wrapping his or her head around the company’s goals and objectives. Mark advises that during the interview to be a consultant and draw information out of the interviewer information about the business solutions the company needs. Talk with the interviewer collaboratively, creatively, and constructively
Mark says that the great candidates know what they are good at and go into interviews knowing what he or she like to do, and see if they can understand the company’s challenges, objectives, and goals
Learn what is keeping the interviewer up and night instead of trying so hard to sell yourself. Mark says,“You be the doctor and let the company be the patient. Don’t be a screaming advertisement.”

Have you subscribed to this show on iTunes? If you haven’t, please do so. This is also a great place to write an honest review. Enjoy listening to the show. Let us know what you think.

Do you need help with resume writing or career direction? Do you need coaching or instruction? Then start here.

Also, join our community on Linkedin! You’ll enjoy some of the insights shared by community members and other career pros!

About Mark Anthony Dyson

by Mark Anthony Dyson

2014 Global Career Brainstorming Day Report with Marie Zimenoff

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For the last five years, the Career Thought Leaders Consortium (CTL) has published a “Global Career Brainstorming Day” through hosting a worldwide brain dump of career trends current and anticipated. MarieZimenoff (@workwithpurpose), the new President of CTL, and I discuss a small part of the whitepaper produced as a result of the meeting. The whitepaper is a useful tool for job seekers and career professionals. The report is free and downloadable for anyone to access as well as other material produced by CTL members.

Marie is a former president of the National Resume Writing Association as well as a career practitioner. She hosts the podcast and radio show through Voice of America, the “Career Confidante (Note that I erroneously announced during the show as ‘Career Confidential’).”

I would love to hear your thoughts about today’s topice in one of the following ways:

Call and leave a message at either 708.365.9822 or go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com and press “Send Voicemail.”
Email me at [email protected]
Leave a comment on the blog

Here are some of the highlights of our conversation:

1. Marie said she pulled out three words that highlighted the resume section: branded, brief, and visual. Branded: If your resume is not telling your story, you’re at a disadvantage. Brief: Pieces of the resume needs to be in bits and bites so that they are little snapshots. Visual: Not only pertaining to presenting an infographic, but also must be visually appealing as a marketing piece

2. Content is still king. Success stories, skills, and keywords are a must

3. Marie says that the challenge for job seekers is that there are no rules other than the best practices that presented before them. When it comes down to it, the writer must know the industry, the audience and what type of marketing material that is going to appeal to them

4.Job seekers need to be careful with emailing directly to hiring managers. Some companies create a blacklist of people who send unsolicited emails. It is important for them seek out the right person through referrals, other employees, or through social channels (Linkedin, Twitter, etc.)

5. Linkedin is an opportunity to tell more of the story, written in the first person, and easy to read through as well as showing more of your personality

6. Recruiters are more proactive than ever and with the social profile so accessible, and they are actively contacting potential candidates

7. Social media where you should expand your story and leverage successes to add value versus advertising. It is an opportunity to make achievements more real and bigger

8. The pain point letter from a job seeker is a growing trend where the individual sends the hiring manager in a company a letter of why he or she has solutions to specific problems without the job being posted. Marie has seen a high rate of success when the person has conducted extensive research

9. To become more of a “branded product (I love this part)” you have to understand what your value is, your core value proposal, and adjust your message to your audience needs

10. Marie says that the confidence in your brand is important because it is likely that you will tell an employer what you want to make

If you are a career professional in any capacity you’re invited to leave advice, or expand on a point made during the show, or disagree. If you leave permission to read your reply or replay your message on the show, I will include a link to your blog or website.

Have you subscribed to this show on iTunes? If you haven’t, please do so. This is also a great place to write an honest review. Enjoy listening to the show. Let us know what you think.

Do you need help with resume writing or career direction? Do you need coaching or instruction? Then start here and can help.