Job Search Innovation Archives - 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!

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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.

Competitive Career Site for Finance Graduates, OneWire Edge

As part of promoting STEM careers and featuring job search innovation, today’s spotlight is on OneWire Edge, a leading career site for finance professionals from the creators of Open Door — an exclusive interview series with influential leaders across the financial services sector and beyond.

Eric Stutzke, EVP, Finance and Operations at OneWire answered a few questions for me about the site and why it is helpful to finance graduates to compete for jobs:

1. What is so unique about OneWire Edge other than the finance focus?

“At OneWire, we know how aggressive the job climate currently is for both entry-level and experienced hires. We are dedicated to creating the best career site and tools to provide talented finance professionals everything they need to stay competitive in their job search.

OneWire Edge features tools that help finance job seekers get ahead by analyzing their competition when applying to positions,

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gaining visibility via placement at the top of the employer’s applicant list, as well as staying “in the know” about new opportunities.”

2. What feature of your site would be most useful to a young finance graduate?

“It’s so important for young finance graduates to stand out among the competition. That’s exactly what OneWire Edge helps them do. Our site features competition reports that allow applicants to view in-depth analytics on their competition, including the total number of applicants, years of experience, along with top skills, degrees, and education. Having an inside view into other applicants’ skill-sets allows finance graduates to help position themselves more effectively, whether it’s emphasizing the skills they have that others lack, or addressing areas where they haven’t had as much experience.”

3. Could you please explain the statement in the PR release, “…so we created this tool in order to help talented workers get a leg up on the competition…?”

“The variety of features provided to OneWire Edge users work together to completely transform the job search for finance professionals. The search for your dream job in the hyper-competitive world of finance requires more than the average job search. OneWire Edge provides tools that are essential for finance job seekers to gain the competitive edge over other applicants. For instance, premium status as a OneWire Edge user automatically boosts you to the top of an employer’s applicant list, while you also have access to the “behind-the-scenes” details of who you’re competing against for the position.

“Everyone’s looking for an edge in today’s competitive job market. The features that we rolled out are specifically designed to provide insight and analytics into the job search, and allow candidates to stand out from the pack. Having an understanding of the competitive landscape for a particular position gives OneWire Edge users a unique advantage in how they position themselves and prepare for interviews. The same holds true when evaluating your current skill set against an aspirational position further down the road. OneWire Edge users receive a ‘headstart’ at reviewing and ultimately applying to jobs. Within minutes of positions being posted online, they receive instant notification of the opportunities that match their keywords and/or location, helping them get a leg up over the competition.”

4. What competitive edge would career changers have in using the site over your competitors?

“Switching careers, especially later in life, can be extremely challenging. With OneWire Edge, finance professionals can streamline their job search by being the first to know when new, relevant jobs are posted, applying before the competition, and being fast-laned to the top of the employer’s applicant list. Also,

OneWire Edge competition reports provide insight into the necessary skills, years of experience, and the education of their competitors.

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This is valuable for professionals who are evaluating the information that may qualify or disqualify them when pursuing a change in direction for their career.”

5. In the release it also states, “Instant job alerts allow Edge users to be the first to know when new, relevant jobs are posted…” Could you explain how that would work?

“OneWire Edge users have the ability to create instant job alerts, by keyword and/or location, that are sent to their email the minute they are posted online by an employer or hiring manager. The immediate email gives users an edge when actively or passively searching for a job, as they get the first crack to review and ultimately apply for the position.”

6. How much confidentiality do you recommend users allow for effectiveness?

“We leave it up to the candidate to tell the system how accessible they want their information to be – everyone is in a different situation, and some may be actively looking, or just dipping their toe in the market to see if any opportunities arise in the future.

“For starters, when OneWire candidates create an account, the default setting blocks their current employer from viewing their profile. In addition, the information is secure behind the wall and is not indexed by third-party search engines. Confidentiality is a core pillar here at OneWire, and we provide our users with the flexibility they need to control their visibility across the platform.”

7. Do you have any success stories from your users that you can share?

“During the beta phase of OneWire Edge, we received very positive feedback regarding the instant job alerts and our concept of priority placement on an employer’s applicant list. However, since we only recently exited beta phase in late October, it’s still too early to showcase formal testimonials.”