Job seekers Archives - Page 14 of 19 - The Voice of Job Seekers

Desperate Job Seekers are NEVER Attractive

Guess what? There are record amounts of qualified people looking for a job. I am sure that this is probably not breaking news to you or something that you care to hear again. My goal is not to insult your intelligence or cause you emotional stress. I do want to smack you with the reality of what is fact.

Outside of overbearing facts about your qualified and competing job seekers, I want to take a look at the different styles of job seekers. Where do you fit? What’s your style? Is it working for you? Why is this important? Your initial reaction to these questions may cause reflection or perhaps a bit of sarcasm. Either way it’s all good because it has initiated some type of thought.

I won’t over complicate this topic. I want to keep it easy breezy. I have three styles for us to explore: The Walking Dead, The Crack Addict and The Intentional Job Seeker. Let us not lie. We all want to believe we are the intentional job seeker because it sounds so much nicer than the other two.

The fact is that many are not intentional and definitely fall into one of the other two styles. Keep your Abe Lincoln hat of honesty on tight as we look at these styles.

The Walking Dead

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The mantra for this group of job seekers is “I want a job. I want a job.” Make sure you say it slowly and without emotion or life to get the true essence of this job seeker. Usually there are many recent graduates stuck in this Walking Dead style. The recent graduates usually fall into this category because they have been so focused on preparing for graduation that they gave no forethought to the aftermath. Sure, they may have gone to the college career center for help along with the hundreds of other graduates that did the same thing. I totally get it.

They procrastinated and now desperately need a job before that six-month grace period is over and it’s time to pay their student loans. To make matters even more intense, they have no desire to move back home with mom and dad. Truth be told mom and dad have gotten well-adjusted to being empty nesters and prefer they not return home as well.

The walking dead typically will depend on the common and more popular job portals to find a position. They also rely heavily on what they hear via another student or friend. Just imagine thousands of students in their fresh new suits with their bland resumes extended while repeating “I want a job. I want a job.” Put on your Abe Lincoln hat of honesty. Does this describe your job search? Do you simply blend in with the masses?

The Crack Addict

This job seeker is usually one that has a substantial amount of experience. Whatever the reason for their unemployment, they have become the Crack Addict. They apply to any and everything simply because they NEED a job. This style usually comes into fruition because this job seeker probably has a family, a mortgage and plenty of creditors that have become daily stalkers.

These job seekers typically have a very high stress level and the emotional state of being is quite unpredictable. They constantly talk about their NEED for a job to anyone and everyone that will listen. Their mantra is “I NEED a job! I NEED a job!” They actually can be quite scary and intense. Unlike the Walking Dead, you can’t just run away from them because they are fast and relentless.

This type of relentless activity is distasteful to most employers. Employers totally understand the need for a job. It’s the nagging characteristic that turns employers away and urges them to seek other candidates. Have you morphed into the Crack Addict? Remember Honest Abe and keep it real with yourself.

I am not here to judge. I just want to present facts and initiate self-awareness in respect to your job seeker style. Awareness is good. Once we are aware, we can make conscious decisions. Preferably our conscious decisions will shift us to our final group, The Intentional Job Seeker.

Intentional Job Seeker

This job seeker can be a recent graduate or someone with years of experience. This job seeker sets themselves apart and in front of the masses by having a plan. Your plan is yours.

You should create it and definitely get insight or help from someone that can provide quality feedback. Aunt Mary may be sweet as pie and your favorite aunt for personal advice but she is probably not the best resource for help with a career plan. The Intentional Job Seeker will be sure to have professional guidance for their career plan.

I understand you may not have finances to pay for a service. Can you barter service for service? It may be said that this job seeker daydreams too much. They will spend some quality time exploring their dream position. They also know the minimum requirements on the scale in respect to positions that they’re willing to take. This job seeker will also target specific companies.

They know the values that are important to them and the company in which they want to work. No one wants to work for a crappy company so it is wise to do some homework. This job seeker is usually a master at networking.

They will attend professional events, mingle and find creative ways to get in front of the “right” audience. These outward things are all very critical and needed. What is most impressive about the intentional job seeker is their mindset. They are not desperate despite how badly they may want or need a job. They acknowledge that they have something to offer their potential employer and are confident in expressing their value. Find ways to align your values with the company’s values. Is it a good match?

I could probably continue with more but I think this is a good easy, breezy start. Again, my goal is never to over complicate anything but a good smack with the facts always helps. Acknowledge your current job seeker style. If it’s working for you, GREAT! Keep doing what you are doing. If it’s not working, seriously consider shifting to something that serves you better.

About Bianca "Sassy HR Girl" Thompson

Bianca Michelle Thompson, Chicago native, has worked in the corporate arena within the Chicago Loop for over twenty-five years. The last thirteen years have been within the Human Resources profession. Her experiences within the Human Resources field and her personal life inspired her passion for training and coaching. Bianca has done extensive self-development, team-building and coaching coursework within the corporate and non-profit arenas and with Phoenix Arises Seminars.

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by Mark Anthony Dyson

Do you impress potential employers?

Do you impress potential employers? Nobody will hire you to just give you a chance. It doesn’t matter if you are hard-working and dedicated unless you own the skills and applied knowledge needed for the employers’ position. A lasting impression is sustainable if there is a pattern of project completion or successful business accomplishments.

Employers want the job done in spite of obstacles, personality conflicts, and bad hair days. The blog, America’s Job Exchange’s article, “What Do Employers Want?” stated, “A good employee gets the job done. A great employee gets the job done in spite of everything – including when priorities and schedules shift.”

What does it take for a job seeker to impress? Among having a great resume, cover letter, an impressive portfolio among other things, here are some important attributes needed:

1. Impress employers with wide range of collaborations and projects

Presently, the workplace excels when employees create and embellish their projects and deepen existing expertise along the way. Job seekers who show creative solutions while partnering departments and businesses establish core competencies attractive to future employers. Even more impressive is offering a range of diverse work relationships across various global cultures.

2.Impress employers with quick and perpetual learners

Job seekers who quickly absorb lots of content in a short amount of time shows you quickly create value from ideas. This often comes from lots of reading and writing in your niche, and finding new ways to apply new learning and theory. Job candidates acutely aware of his or her learning style thrive from taking something from nothing.

3. Impress employers with soft skills

Everyone has virtues that he or she excels in that employers find attractive. Do not discount attributes and virtues such as, patience, tact, and customer service. Interviews are tests exposing weaknesses such as patience, or handling conflict. Other soft skills such as communication, courtesy, flexibility, integrity, and interpersonal skills are still gold and stands out in a crowded field of candidates.

4. Impress employers with initiatives saving cost and time

You have heard numbers on your résumé catch the eye of the reader and demonstrates your accomplishments. Employers want to see step-by-step actions that made project goals attainable. Furthermore, explaining clearly project strength and weaknesses are a plus demonstrating your understanding of how your steps impacted cost/time results.

5. Impress employers with observations and evaluations

While interviewing candidates when I was a manager, we gave a short explanation of how our department worked. After the explanation we asked the candidate learned from the explanation. Whether or not the candidate learned from our spiel, we can successfully assess the candidate’s ability to assimilate blocks of information given in short period. This told us a lot about the candidates learning ability and whether he or she was the right fit for our call center area.

What do you think impresses employers? Please share in the comments section below.

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

How Frugality Could Benefit Job Seekers

Editors Note: This article was written by guest contributor Ruth Hinds (@RuthHinds)

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that we’re living in tough economic times. With many organizations cutting back on their spending and looking at ways to slash unnecessary expenses, finding a job can be extremely difficult. You’ll be pleased to know that this doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t find work. In fact, organizational frugality could be a good thing for savvy job seekers.

Let’s take a look at why.

More freelance opportunities are available

Traditionally, most people spent their days working for someone else. But as the economic landscape changes, more and more opportunities are opening up for freelance workers who sell their services to bigger corporations. Businesses might not have the budget to pay for a full-time member of staff, but there are still jobs to be done. Working as a freelancer, you could secure several contracts with businesses who need skills just like yours, but on a more flexible basis. Whether you’re a copywriter, a web developer, a graphic designer, or an admin assistant, there are probably freelance opportunities out there that are perfect for you.

Employers could be more flexible

The fact that employers could have less desire for permanent and full-time members of staff could actually work in your favor if you have existing commitments. For job seekers to balance around childcare or studies is notoriously difficult, and employers usually prefer workers who can fit in with any schedule. When they’re working with tighter budgets though, there’s often some added leeway. It’s great news for job seekers looking for part-time employment.

If job seekers become proactive, could seek out amazing roles

When business is booming, no expense is spared when it comes to advertising vacancies. They may feature in national newspapers and trade magazines, meaning that lots of people know about them, and of course, will apply for them. If a business is cutting costs, they may just advertise via their own social media channels and websites. In other words, it can be harder to find out about vacancies, but there could be considerably less competition. If you want to take advantage of this, make sure that you’re closely following the businesses you’d love to work with online.

Lower level jobs could turn into something bigger

If you’ve got high career aspirations, frugality could lead to you getting a foot in the door and working your way up. If you’re happy to start at the bottom of the ladder, and are willing to prove your worth, you could really stand out. For this reason, don’t just rule out trainee jobs. Make it clear that you’d like some further responsibility and seek out opportunities to learn new skills and show your employer what you’re made of.

As you can see, it’s not all doom and gloom when it comes to finding work. You can make the recession work for you by thinking creatively and approaching your job search in a slightly different way.

How do you think frugality is changing the job market? Have you found ways to use a company’s frugality to your advantage?

This article was brought to you by Ruth Hinds on behalf of AllTheTopBananas.com. ATTB allows you to search for and browse through UK jobs in one place, from engineer jobs to IT jobs. You can also upload your CV to increase your chances of being headhunted.