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Mastering the Job Search Through Networking

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Networking is the center of every modern job search strategy. Kenneth Johnson has been teaching this for years in his 20+ years as a recruiter, and founder of East Coast Executives, a diversity recruiting firm. We enjoyed sharing networking strategies and reminding listeners of the benefits of connecting with people. He has mastered growing his connections to relationships—an example we all can learn from.

You can watch the entire interview on my YouTube channel.

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]

More about Kenneth:

Kenneth drives between New York and Philadelphia quite frequently and has vast experience working and coaching job seekers and recruiting companies. He has recently focused on helping job seekers through Indeed, Google, and the New York Urban League. He also hosts a weekly show on WPPM-FM in Philadelphia that focuses on helping local job seekers.

👉🏾Here are the highlights of our discussion:

👉🏾Each contact has meaning.

👉🏾It’s up to you what they mean to you.

👉🏾Failure to offer value takes away from the relationship.

👉🏾What Kenneth does in networking to offer value.

👉🏾Why connections are NOT JUST followers and what it means to your network.

👉🏾How to make a connection with recruiters a meaningful experience.

👉🏾How to turn a connection into a potential referral.

Look out for three more episodes in the next two weeks. There will be a three-week break and then one show in December.

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

The new economy is here — and so is Job Search 3.0

As the great recession and social media have defined a chapter in the new economy, COVID-19 and the incessant use of technology marks the midst of “Job Search 3.0!” Successful career advancement means your job search becomes a lifestyle. To disengage from any career advancement efforts for more than four to six months creates a career chasm. It puts you light years behind your competition, who are always ready to move, shift, or find an additional job. It’s lethal to your livelihood and you want to avoid it like the Corona Virus.

The merge of technology, business, and reliance on resumes and job sites in short, but not entirely, describes “Job Search 1.0.” The defining moments of “Job Search 2.0,” in my view, coincides with Web 2.0 where web traffic is generated by content and social media. Job seekers had a new way to stand out if they adapted to these social tools and generated content to show their value in order to get hired.

COVID-19 has disrupted every industry in one way or another. But it shouldn’t disrupt your focus to find a new job, change a career, or bounce back from a forced separation (being fired).

The time to advance career your career is NOW!

What you need to know, if you don’t know already, is that your job search needs to be a lifestyle. Perhaps we should call it “Job Search 3.0.” This is not just something you say you’re starting to do, it’s a perpetual engagement in the war against mindless meme posting and incessant entertaining videos.

You’re already swiping up, down, left or right a dozen times a day. It’s the shift from a technology novice to an intentional job seeker. You’re always connected, even if you’re just using text. You’re communicating with others outside of your work meetings, church services, and fellow travelers. “Job Search 3.0” simply means you’re always in a job transition, transformation, and career advancement mode. You’re one decision away from a job move or career change.

The role needs to change to adapt to the mindset of a consultant:

Always listening for industry pain points to solve
Assembling a portfolio of your work demonstrating a range of results, solutions, and innovation
Knowing which companies would benefit from your value

Even passively looking and entertaining advancement opportunities is part of “Job Search 3.0.” I had a mentor who practiced interviewing once a year just to remain on the cusp of her career. You may want to adopt this spirit by grasping your current or new industry’s innovation trends moving towards new or away from old technology, delivering results, and new positioning.

Here are 16 actions and strategies for your immediate consideration:

Exchange value with your network and give more than you get.
An active and engaged network will bring you opportunities and visibility to employers/recruiters.
Stay on top of the changing technology trends.
Sharpen your negotiating skills (compensation packages).
Promote yourself on social media, and keep those who boast about you in the front view of you and your followers.
Maintain quick access to relevant references, mentors, and sponsors in your industry.
Understand the short life of your skills.
Do not fear job separation nor allow the myths associated with it to penetrate your goals.
Career transformation is a necessity, preferably to have it occur seamlessly but that might not always be an option.
Young careerists (30 and under) should have a wealth of informational interviews under their belt.
Who is on your team?
Engage in industry organizations, online groups, and committees.
Create a robust LinkedIn presence with a convincing profile.
“No” is a valuable asset, but also the drive behind motivated discontent.
Building a personal brand that creates a demand for your work.
Choosing your employer is more important than who is your employer.
The best career tool for high school, college, trade, apprentice students are informational interviews.
Serving is the new networking.

Some of you are thinking (but you’re really resisting) about the challenge of changing from your comfort zone:

Is this going to be more to add to my to-do list for each day?

We already do this. According to a recent Vox article, the average American smartphone user had an average of three hours and thirty minutes a day on their phone. If you have more than two hours of screen time, I’m sure there are 45 minutes a week for you to comment on LinkedIn a couple of times, watch a free YouTube DIY (Do-It-Yourself), or participate in an industry organization call or video conference.

How are we supposed to remain in “job search mode”?

Your mobile apps are tools. I’ve written several articles over the last three years that the apps we can download allow our phone to be a job search hub and a lifeline. Our mobile phones empower our ability to learn, connect, research, and apply. The right mobile apps are the power supply to engage in a continual job search without extra equipment or expenses.

Why can’t I focus on my job now and look when I don’t have one like I always have?

It takes too long to gear up. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported in fall of 2019 that the average time of unemployment is nine weeks. Since the BLS does not report underemployment numbers, the true extent of an effective job search is immeasurable. Nine weeks is not an eternity, even in a job seekers market where it’s assumed jobs are plentiful. Another report from the BLS shows the amount of people quitting are twice as high as separations (layoffs and terminations). Conclusion: no one wants to be without a job in any economy, recession, or even in a job seeker’s market.

Why are some many people emphasizing the use of LinkedIn?

You’ll be more attractive as a job candidate to recruiters. Job seekers making the best use of LinkedIn are treating it as a living and breathing, online document. They are updating their status, engaging in conversations, and offering original thoughts. If you’re not active on LinkedIn, recruiters will not find you. Recruiters have explained to me that they’re checking out a target candidate’s activity more than once before engaging them with a potential opportunity. Treating your activity as a passive tool doesn’t serve your job search as an asset.

There is so much to unfold in the upcoming months as we find out the industries that will take hits from COVID-19. We can also expect technology will disrupt our lives in a major way because our lives will be changed forever. Will the healthcare and insurance industries experience another crippling blow? How will small businesses survive the challenges of working remotely or brick and mortar businesses completely closing? If you haven’t already built your own expertise in an industry that will drive your career, you’ll probably need to take the time to decide where your current skills are most needed. If you’re deciding to take any job that crosses your path, you may be waiting a long time.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Networking for Introverts: Making Career Connections Count

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If you’re an introvert or not, networking can be a challenge. If you are finding it difficult to navigate on or offline, then this show is for you. Welcome to episode 200 of the podcast!

My guest today is Karen Wickre, who wrote the newly released book, “Taking The Work Out of Networking: An Introvert’s Guide to Making Connections That Count.”

Got comments about the show? Here’s how you can be heard:

– 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]

More about Karen:

Karen is the former editorial director for Twitter and has also worked for Google and Wired.com. She is a co-founder of Newsgeist, an annual unconference fostering new approaches to news.

Here are some highlights from the show:

Do the number of connections matter for networking?
Quality networking connections matter more than quantity
Connecting with people who you define as quality
It’s good to know why you’re connecting with someone
Social networking rewards large numbers, but you’ll need to enhance your networking experience
We discussed how to make the most of new connections on Linkedin
Reading the summary of a person’s profile provide hints if this person offers a quality connection opportunity
Is there value in the headline (how you describe yourself)?
Weak ties (3rd or 4th connections) are often discarded, but potentially valuable

If you haven’t signed up for my email list to get my free eGuide, 219 Easy Modern Job Search Tips for 2019, then you can get it immediately here! You can also get up-to-date job search tips through this newsletter! I also include a survey in the newsletter to get your thoughts on future shows and ideas for articles to come.