Employment Archives - Page 4 of 8 - The Voice of Job Seekers

What Are Ways Young People 16-24 Can Find Jobs (Radio Interview)?

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I was interview by James Parker of the Chicago Urban League a couple of weeks ago. This was on WVON Saturday morning’s program, “Let’s Get to Work.” Our discussion centered around helping our youth find jobs.

You are more than welcome to join the discussion. Here are three ways you can:

– 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 [email protected]

How do the youth get jobs for the summer or anytime? I suggest these methods of helping them find jobs:

Start in October, not March to find jobs
Look at the opportunities available daily
Work together with other parents for those 16-18. Share information
Initiate a group and share information
McDonald’s is not your only option even though it’s not bad at all
Startups would be a great resource for jobs
Find paying jobs and an internship (perhaps one of each)

Reminder:

I am here for you! Use my contact information above to inquire about individual or group coaching. You can also sign up for my weekly newsletter at the top right of my page. I try to pack as much value in my newsletter to more than 2,000 subscribers as possible.
Grab my updated “118 Job Search Tips for the Modern Job Search in 2018” here.

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

Is it Realistic to Leverage a College Degree to Obtain a Job?

Congratulations to all of you who obtained their college degree this season! Is your degree leverage for employment? Since it is graduation season, and many college graduates are moving forward with life, how many are actually employed with a job in their major? Too early to tell of course, but those of us in the career space watch these stats as an indicator of the condition of the job market.

The Data on the College Degree

One Forbes article says that unemployment and underemployment for college graduates is a myth. In 2016, some studies showed some law schools with up to 31% of their graduates were unemployed. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics latest report doesn’t feature any of the college graduate employment numbers yet.

Regardless of the number, it is still a wait and see. Nor can anyone use it as an excuse to successfully find a job without doing everything possible.

The Return on the College Degree

My oldest son graduated in December, and in January he was off to the Air Force. That was his plan for the last two years. But he also had two internships before graduating. His plan is to attend graduate school in the next year or two, but in the meantime his job will take him on quite a few travels. Like many graduates, the first plan is to experience, and then explore. And there is nothing wrong with that.

I reflect on this because three years ago, my friend Keith Townsend and I talked about the Return-on-Investment of a college degree. Every few years, I think this is a discussion worth revisiting for any year. At that time we created a video to coincide with the podcast–I think it’s worth watching.

Getting a college degree is a personal thing for some, and for others it’s family expectation. It is worth the discussion to evaluate your career trajectory if it is worth the investment of time and money. But those of us who advise clients if a college is a must have, we will likely answer, “it depends…”

About Mark Anthony Dyson

by Mark Anthony Dyson

I Have to go Find a Job Will Sound Silly in 2017

Most people have this habit of starting their job search from scratch. I know the job only lasted six months, when will we learn a long tenure at one employer is a rarity.

Let’s get used to incessantly marketing ourselves.

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Think of it as a lifestyle rather than a thing to do. Sort of like staying in shape during a sports off-season, you want a seamless transition between opportunities without interruption.

And don’t say it’s out of your control unless you’d rather experiment abandonment first, and everyone hiding because you’re asking for help later.

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So here are signs when it looks too late to start looking:

1. When it’s time to quit

It takes time to create a job search empowered through many sources. Relying on luck and a job board is not enough to sustain an effective job search. Yesterday’s resume for a general job search is far too little to get started.

The proactive approach affords you time and options are plentiful. Do you have personal business cards yet (yes, electronic cards are almost a must, too)? A completed LinkedIn profile? Are you having great conversations and finding additional industry resources? Have you narrowed down what careers you will pursue? I understand quitting may take a year in your mind, but in someone else’s it may differ.

2. When you’ve realized complacency

If you’ve been reading career articles for a while, you’ve read to start preparing for your next job the first day at the start of the current one. There is little room for procrastination when it comes to weaving career opportunities together. Most industries are moving, shifting, and constantly evolving.

The need to mold your brand best for your industry requires perpetual pivoting.

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You will likely insert your voice to your industry to be noticed. Simple comments in specialized groups, on popular industry blogs, or LinkedIn groups will create your voice. Consider writing a peer reviewed article or even have your own blog, but in all cases, if you’re constantly doing this, the opportunities may be a little easier to find.

3. When you’re desperate

People are looking for way to turn off unnecessary noise in his or her space and the one set of noise ignored is the desperate person. Most are likely to keep scrolling or not return the call asking for a job in general. Indicating you’re available to offer XYZ value means so much more than I need a job ASAP.

Regular activities towards future employment such as obtaining additional certifications, blogging, networking, training and speaking shows you’re adding value to your industry’s community.

4. All of your friends are making moves but you

All of those invites to special networking events, workshops, and virtual events you ignored, your friends were participants and at times, facilitators. The happy hours, dinners, and introductions you missed or didn’t follow-up on make sense now.

Your friends were nurturing and cultivating those relationships while you passed on them because you were happy at the time. Well, now you’re jealous and it doesn’t jive with you at all. It’s hard when you see friends moving ahead or before you.

It’s worse when they’re not answering your calls or texts when you’ve started to ask how did they do it? Be connected, stay networking, and offer to help now and then. When we’re giving, we’re learning!