The Voice of Job Seekers

Mark Anthony Dyson ★ Career Writer ★ Speaker ★ Thinker ★ Award-winning Blog & Podcast! ★ "The Job Scam Report" on Substack! ★ I hack and reimagine the modern job search!

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by Mark Anthony Dyson

14 Job Search Tips to Master in 2018

14 Job Search Tips to Master in 2018

If it has been a few years since the last time you went on a job search, you need to know that things have changed. Sure, there’s advice from 2011 that still applies today – for example, networking is still a great idea. That being said, you’ll need to brush up on the latest job search strategies if you want to land a role.

One particularly important new development you should know about: Using social media to stay connected, visible, and engaged in your network is critical to job search success today.

Of course, that’s not where it ends. Here are 14 tips to help you find a new job like a modern job seeker:

1. Don’t Overestimate Tech

Artificial intelligence is a big deal in recruitment circles today, with many people claiming that chatbots like Mya will help you get your next interview.

The way I see it, unless Mya is advanced enough to laugh and cry, it isn’t likely to increase your chances of landing the job. It is still true today that nothing beats getting a referral from someone you know.

via GIPHY

2. Think Outside the Box to Gain New Skills

Volunteering, entrepreneurial ventures, and side gigs are great ways to gain new job experiences and skills.

Don’t accept “You don’t have the experience” as the final word. Go get that experience.

Click To Tweet

3. Stay Engaged

The modern job seeker remains perpetually engaged in the job search in a number ways: networking, consulting, training (as both trainee and facilitator), professional development, and social media promotion. Take every opportunity you can to build your personal brand.

4. Breathe Life Into Your Resume

According to Jessica Dillard of Dillard & Associates, it’s time to stop treating your resume like a transactional document. Instead, use your various experiences to craft stories that demonstrate your results.

Furthermore, stop treating the job search as a transactional process. At every step, try to approach your job search as a “collaborative, engaging partnership,” Dillard says.

Listen to How Will You Stand Out at Your Next Job Fair? Use a Handbill

5. Whip Out Your Phone

Your smartphone is an invaluable aid in your job search. Scanning documents, sending emails, submitting applications, completing assessments – you can do it all through your phone. You can also use your smartphone for career development purposes by accessing online courses and programs.

6. Higher Ed. Degrees: Not Totally Necessary

A higher education degree is no longer the sure bet to advance your career.

Before investing in another degree, take a look at successful people in your industry or career track. Do they have degrees?

Click To Tweet

7. Build a Team

Some career coaches are open to working with groups rather than single clients. See if you can find some like-minded professionals to start a “career partnership” group and split the cost of a career coach. You and your group members can also add value to one another’s job searches.

8. Get Past the ATS

Some reports suggest that more than 70 percent of resumes are rejected by applicant tracking systems (ATSs) before they’re ever seen by a human being. To ensure your resume gets through the gate, check out tools like Jobscan, which compares your resume against the job ad and suggests ways to improve your resume accordingly.

9. Offer Social Proof

Social media profiles alone are not enough. You’ll need social proof, too – that is, proof of the value you create as an employee shared by others on social media.

Are you engaged in the conversation at large in your industry? Have you published articles or peer-reviewed research? Does the industry recognize your contributions? More than 90 percent of recruiters check out potential candidates on social media. They’ll pay attention if they see you actively engaged in your industry – e.g., sharing industry news, interacting with thought leaders, and being praised by clients and coworkers.

10. Ready Your References

Many employers will require at least three people to vouch for you. I recommend having up to seven people who are ready to speak up on your behalf. You should know what these references will say if contacted and to which of your strengths they can speak most effectively.

11. Small Is Beautiful

via GIPHY

Big companies are not the only option. Small businesses and startups are increasingly viable options.

Click To Tweet

If you’ve never worked for a smaller operation before, you might also consider freelancing with a potential employer to test drive their culture before committing.

12. Stay on Your Toes

In-demand skills change constantly today, so you’ll have to be flexible. By 2021, more than a third of the skills considered “important” for today’s workers will have changed, according to the World Economic Forum.

13. Defensive Googling Is Essential

Recruiters will be looking you up on Google – you should do the same. Google yourself once a week. Take note of any results that tarnish your image – including those that may be about other people who happen to share your name.

For some help on managing your Google results, read this article.

Listen to LinkedIn SEO with Susan P Joyce

14. Archive Your Performance

Keep an exhaustive list of your professional accomplishments, the career development programs you’ve completed, the results you’ve achieved, and the positive impacts of your actions at work. Keep your old performance reviews and kudos emails. These things will help shape your outlook on the future, restore confidence during trying times, and build your resume.

–

If you ever say, “I’ve tried everything, but nothing has worked,” then you have given up too early. No job search strategy on this list – or any other list – is one and done. You may have to try targeting different people, companies, and locations until you yield results.

There are hundreds of job search tips available on the internet. Don’t attempt them all at once. Instead, try three or four at a time to see how well each works for you.

Thanks to venngage.com for the infographic and partnership. This article was originally published at recruiter.com!

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.

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Filed Under: careers, Job Search Tagged With: Job Search, Resume, Social Media

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Create a Handbill if You Want to Stand Out at Networking Events and Job Fairs

Create a Handbill if You Want to Stand Out at Networking Events and Job Fairs

Some of you are wondering what a handbill and how is it useful. Where did I get this from? Let me share a valuable conversation I had with Jessica Dillard is the founder of Dillard & Associates is a National Career Staffing and Resume Writing Firm. I first met Jessica in 2014 when she joined my newsletter list a few years back. She has been listening to the podcast, and from time to time conversate on social media.

She created her firm in 1997 and possesses awards throughout her 20+ years in business.  She posted this example of a handbill on Facebook:

photo: Courtesy of Jessica Dillard

Now I first heard of a handbill from my friend, Bill Holland who I featured several times on the podcast and blog. He wrote about this in his 2011 book, The 7 Rules for Getting Hired in Any Economy: Cracking the New Job Market. Jessica offers this to her clients for them to use at networking events and job fairs. This was not planned at all. But after some exchanges, I knew it would be useful to the world!

So here is our conversation as it happened on Facebook:

Me:

A colleague used to call this a handbill.

Jessica:

You’re spot on! We add this to our client’s portfolio to distribute during networking events, job fairs, etc. It doesn’t replace the resume, but in certain environments go before it

Me: 

Jessica, it’s a brilliant strategy rarely talked about these days. I haven’t heard about it since 2011. Do you regularly create it for clients?

Jessica 

Yes, we started incorporating it in 2016 and found clients who had several jobs over short periods of time and those with breaks in employment really benefited from it. More clients are now using them along with networking letters to encourage the call from recruiters. At that time, they then forward the longer, more detailed resume. (Landing a point of contact within the organization)

Me: 

Excellent. What is the first point of contacts saying about them? Are they impressed? Do they feel burdened with another piece of paper?

Jessica: 

I am still testing, but the responses, thus far, have been positive. One example is the email I received on yesterday from a client who was contacted directly by a Recruiter following a job fair asking him to complete an online application, attach his resume and call her to schedule the in-person interview.

With all the candidate information floating around, it seems many recruiters appreciate a quick, high-level view, leaving the longer version for the interview.

Click To Tweet

However, the handbill still has to answer the #1 question, “Does this candidate possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do the job in question?” I’m looking forward to gathering more feedback this year

Me:

I noticed under knowledge you inserted whether someone has basic, intermediate, or advance skill level. When I wrote federal resumes that were an actual thing but there was a standard. Do you have that for your clients when they are fleshing out skill level (e.g., 50-74% proficiency-basic, 75%-89 intermediates, 90% advance)?

Jessica:

We were using Kenexa Prove It! (for years!!!) to test but found many clients weren’t fond of having to sit at their computers and take a test, as many would say, “Just to have a resume written.” So we moved away from Kenexa and now we use an assessment during our telephone interview. This gives me an opportunity to encourage clients to be truthful about everything they’re sharing including technical knowledge reminding them that an employer is going to want them to deliver on what they said they can do. Example: An advanced Excel user should be able to: Customize the work area; Use advanced functions (Names, VLOOKUP, IF, IS); Work with Pivot Tables; Use spreadsheet Web components; Manage Macro commands: concepts, planning, operations, execution, modification, interruption; Use personalized toolbars; and Perform some programming in VBA. As you, can probably imagine, I’ve had many clients ask to include under Technical Skills MS Office Suite with no proficiency indicators

Me:

So, this is more valuable to a job fair vendor or employer than a biz 💳? Should he or she have both?

Jessica:

I, of course, like both. But, I also LOVE tinkering with technology. Give me a resume or business card with a QR Code and my eyes light up. However, having worked high-volume recruiting for companies other than my own, there are limitations. Most IT departments block unfamiliar sites and social sites still. So, if your business card has a QR Code that points to a personal website, many Company Recruiters may never see it due to restricted access. Security is still a concern. But, when you’re talking with someone face to face and you leave them with a one-page information piece, you’ve eliminated the need to search any other sites or use any other tools other than a telephone or email to contact for more information

Me:

…then there is blue tooth technology.

Jessica:

This works well at University Career Fairs, but small businesses and Company sponsored fairs haven’t evolved much over recent years. I think we have to prepare job seekers in as many ways as possible

Me:

But use what they (job seekers) like; especially the job seekers overwhelmed by technology.

Jessica:

Absolutely!!! My more seasoned (senior) clientele push back when it comes to technology. As a result, I have to approach their career search a bit differently using more traditional means.

Summary

Let me point out the use of

tech and traditional approaches only increase the number of touches, and the potential to impress and reach more people.

Click To Tweet

But consider this: If you’re a seasoned professional (Gen X/Baby Boomer) and want to be shed the perception of being non-technical, why wouldn’t you adopt a strategy required tech savviness?

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.

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Filed Under: Resume Tagged With: handbill, Networking, Resume

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Update Your Resume this Month

Update Your Resume this Month
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This week we will tackle resume updates for those who are pursuing new opportunities and want to know  the current trends in resume writing. This is also “Update Your Resume” month so I thought this was a good time to publish a show about resumes.

I bring back my friend Melissa Cooley, a certified advanced resume writer, who helps me dissect the resume trends and look back at some of the differences from 2009 until today.

Let’s talk about some of your resume challenges. Here’s how:

  1. Call and leave a voicemail at 708-365-9822, or text your comments to the same number
  2. Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com, press the “Send Voicemail” button on the right side of your screen and leave a message
  3. Send email feedback to [email protected]

Melissa has been writing resumes as a business since 2009, and her blog The Job Quest found at MelissaCooley.com is an award-winning blog. Her advice has been featured on Careerbuilder, Monster, and Dice.com.

Here are some of the highlights from our discussion:

    • It is still an important marketing document for job seekers
    • Melissa states the “resume is dead” claim has existed since she started in 2009
    • One of the significant changes in hiring—it’s done by panel
    • The resume needs to deliver quickly in value to the reader
    • The profile (formerly known as the objective) needs to be brief. It’s best at 1-2 sentences instead of 3-5. Brief and powerful is the goal
    • Getting essential accomplishments, results, and impact is an excavation
    • Melissa shares a few of the questions she asks clients to help them

Need help with your career goals, directions, or efforts? Do you need coaching or instruction? I am here for it!

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

    If you’re a career pro and love giving career advice, let me know. I would love to have more guest writers during my hiatus and beyond. Thanks for being among the thousands who listen every month. There’s so much more to come so stay tuned!

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.

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Filed Under: Resume Tagged With: Resume

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I moderated a panel on Wealth Management for executives by Black Enterprise Magazine in October 2023 in Miami.

I was interviewed on Scripps News show, “The Why!” 4/13/2023

I talked with John Tarnoff and Kerry Hannon of “The Second Act” podcast about job searching after 50 in October 2022.

I was on “The Career Confidante” podcast to talk about “boomerang employees” and “job fishing” in June 2022.

Making Job Search a Lifestyle With “Dr. Dawn Graham on Careers,” SiriusXM Ch. 132, Wharton School of Business May 2021

In May 2020, I talked with LinkedIn’s Senior News Editor Andrew Seaman on “#GetHired” Live.”

Beverly Jones, host of the NPR podcast “Jazzed About Work,” invited me back to talk job scams, job search trends, and AI tools in April 2024

WOUB Digital · Episode 183 : Job search expert Mark Dyson says beware of scams, know AI & keep learning

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