Does Your Job Search Have Any “Low-hanging Fruit”?
Posted: October 21, 2015 Filed under: Career Management (General), Job Search | Tags: achievable goal, job opportunities, job search, job search campaign, job seeker, jsuccessful ob search, LinkedIn network, low-hanging fruit, networking opportunities Leave a commentHuman nature seems prone to look for an easy way to do things. That’s called going after the “low-hanging fruit,” which a dictionary defines as “something easily achieved or obtained; the most readily achievable goal.” The bad news is, you can’t reach a successful job search outcome by concentrating on easy goals. The good news is, it’s not a bad starting-point if you understand that you still have hard work ahead. If nothing else, it might get you motivated for the harder steps.
Job Search Low-hanging Fruit to Look For
After you’ve established a tentative goal for your job search campaign, you can evaluate actions you might take that can be done quickly and effectively, using the time and resources you have ready access to. That might include one or all of the following, as well as others:
- Knowledgeable advocates you’re in current or recent contact with. That is, people who are not only in a position to provide useful advice but also willing to provide that support.
- Networking opportunities on the near horizon. In other words, events such as an upcoming workshop or conference where you can interact with possible persons-of-influence.
- Activities that could increase your visibility and credibility with minimal financial investment, such as volunteering in a visible role with a widely respected community organization.
- A review of your financial reserves and projected expenses over the next several months, which should give an indication of whether you need to make changes and/or an idea of what you have to work with if your job search is protracted.
Picked It All? Then What?
Double-check to make sure you haven’t overlooked an easy action that would help jump-start your job search. However, assuming you’ve already identified and picked all the low-hanging fruit you can find for your job search, what’s next?
If you’re a savvy job seeker, you’ve probably figured out some of the not-so-easy steps to take in your job search. I’ve written blog posts on related topics before, so I’m not going to try to offer a comprehensive list here. You’re looking for actions with a potential for decent payoff that will take more than the minimal effort expended on the low-hanging fruit phase. For example, you might want to:
- Identify a few promising connections in your LinkedIn network, with whom you’ve maintained a reasonably good relationship (give-and-take, not just take), and consult with them about your plans.
- Block out some time to explore possible job opportunities that seem in line with what you’re looking for and see if you can arrange an interview–while you’re still employed or (if unemployed) before your situation becomes critical.
- Sound out your personal network (i.e., friends and family, not necessarily professional contacts) to ensure that they’re “on the same page” with you–ready and willing to support your activities however they can. It’s better to identify and tackle potential problem areas early in your job search planning than after you’re in full-on search mode.
- Consider canceling or postponing “optional” plans you might have made that could prove unwise if your job search lasts longer than you hope. For example, if you’ve been planning a major purchase, such as a new car or RV, you might need to reconsider that, at least for the time being.
Eye on the Prize
Remember that if something is worth having, it’s worth working for. Low-hanging fruit will only get you so far.
“There will always be things we want in life. Some are just a passing whim, others are real desires or prizes. When you come across one of those prizes, don’t let it slip away. Keep it in focus. Remembering what you want and why, so you can continue to move toward it step by step. That is the essence of keeping your eyes on the prize.” (Source: Greatest Inspirational Quotes)
Your Online Brand & Reputation Management
Posted: February 1, 2015 Filed under: Career Management (General), Job Search, LinkedIn | Tags: job seeker, LinkedIn profile, online brand, personal brand management, personal branding, potential employers, reputation management, resume writer Leave a commentBy now, I think most people realize that they have a brand, whether or not they pay much attention it. However, since so much information is available about you online these days, ignoring your online brand and reputation is risky at best.
How Do You Manage Your Personal Brand Online?
William Arruda is widely recognized as the guru of personal branding. A recent post by Tara Kachaturoff in Arruda’s online publication, The Personal Branding Blog, addresses the above question with some practical steps. In a nutshell (read the blog post for details), they are:
- Assessment: Create a benchmark from which you can measure progress.
- Determine what you want to change.
- What’s working for you?
- Draft a strategy that works for you!
- Rinse and repeat – do what works and more of it!
Think You Don’t Need to Manage Your Brand?
Think again! Whether you’re a job seeker, just managing your ongoing career or a business owner like me, you really can’t afford to ignore the need for personal brand management. The days when you could stick your head in the sand and pretend this issue doesn’t exist are long gone.
Try Googling yourself by first and last name (or your business name if you own a business) and see what comes up. Or what doesn’t, as the case might be.
At times, I’ve found references to myself in as many as 6 or 7 of the top 10 on page one of results and maybe a few more on page two. (There are several Georgia Adamsons, so I’m usually not the only listing.) Most recently, I found just 2 or 3 on the first page and 1 or 2 on the second page. Obviously, I have some work to do! (Of course, if I Google “Georgia Adamson resume writer,” I’m 10 out of 10 on page one!)
By the way, one of the references you might find when you search for yourself is your LinkedIn profile–especially if you’ve updated it recently (even a small tweak now and then will help the profile to come up high on the list). That’s just one of many reasons to make sure your LI profile is current and updated fairly often; LinkedIn does get a lot of exposure. If you want potential employers to find you and to be favorably impressed by what they find, give your LinkedIn presence the attention it deserves.
You don’t need to spend hours every day on managing your online brand and reputation, but consistent attention over time is likely to pay dividends. You’ll be more easily found and better able to make the kind of impression you want to make on the people (i.e., employers) who do find you. That’s well worth some thoughtful effort.
Commodity Job Seeker: Make Sure This Isn’t You
Posted: September 15, 2014 Filed under: Career Management (General), Job Search | Tags: career management, career marketing, job market, job search, job seeker, new job, potential employers, professional resume Leave a commentOne definition of commodity is: “A basic good used in commerce that is interchangeable with other commodities of the same type.” In the world of job search and career management, you do not want to be a commodity! Interchangeability is not your friend.
Avoid the “Me Too” Syndrome
If your resume and other career marketing/job search tools paint you as just another candidate like the scores whose resumes preceded yours across the employer’s desk, you have set yourself up for failure at the start. You don’t want to come across as a copycat or someone without any original ideas, experiences and value.
It’s fatally easy to look for a shortcut that avoids the hard work required for a successful job search, such as convincing yourself you don’t really need to develop a professional resume that clearly and compellingly showcases your value-add message. Or maybe you’ve just looked at a few samples and decided you can kluge together a generic version that will work for you. (By the way, the definition of kluge is: “Use ill-assorted parts to make (something).”)
The “me too” approach means you have zero chance of standing out to potential employers or being memorable enough to them that they will think of you when scheduling interviews.
Present Yourself as a Special-Value Candidate, Not a Commodity
You can take a number of steps to present yourself as a desirable (special-value) candidate and prevent the commodity label from being applied to you. For example, you can:
- Identify uncommon qualities and qualifications you can offer employers. You might, for instance, have demonstrated the ability to bring together people who don’t much like each other and are ready to fight to defend their turf–and get them to collaborate productively on business-critical projects. Not everyone can do this.
- Research potential employers and their probable needs or challenges. What can you offer them that hits really close to home? What obstacles have you overcome for other employers that would resonate with their needs or challenges? Also, have you broken new ground in doing so, rather than just following in someone else’s footsteps?
- Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses; then look for creative ways to accentuate your strengths and distinguish yourself from the herd (that is, your competition). Let the weaknesses just drift out of the picture unless one of them is standing in the way of setting yourself apart as a non-commodity job seeker (in which case, take active steps to eliminate it as a problem).
- Start now (if you haven’t already) to acquire a unique skill or specialty that will help you gain an edge in a competitive job market. Do your homework first, though, to make sure you have identified something with real promise, not just the next “shiny new thing.”
If your name comes up in a hiring discussion and people say, “George [or Georgina] who?”–you have some work to do to make sure you’re not viewed as a commodity job seeker the next time you pursue a new job.
Turn Down A Job Interview? Are You Crazy?
Posted: August 21, 2014 Filed under: Career Management (General), Interviewing, Job Search | Tags: hiring manager, interview process, job interview, job opportunity, job search, job seeker, new job, prospective employer Leave a commentIf someone told you that you should turn down the opportunity for a job interview–especially if you’ve been out of work for a while–would you think they were crazy?
After all, the whole point is to get interviews so you can land a new job sooner rather than later, right?
Bad Job Interview Prospects
There are times, though, when a potential job interview stands to do more harm than good for your overall job search success. These are just a few of the “bad job interview” situations:
- Makes you take time off from your current job (if you’re employed) or postpone other job search activities (if you’re not working), without resulting in a meaningful dialogue with the employer because they didn’t give you enough relevant information up front (in other words, holding their cards too close to their vest).
- Forces you to prematurely reveal information (about salary, etc.)–that is, before the employer offers any solid information to help you evaluate the job opportunity in terms of probable mutual fit.
- Puts you through the full interview process (possibly with multiple interviewers) for a position that sometimes ends up going to an insider (a candidate the hiring manager has had in mind from the start).
When to Turn Down a Job Interview
Having a bad feeling about a company would be a good starting point for rejecting an interview, although you probably wouldn’t have applied in the first place if you got such a feeling initially.
If a prospective employer demands a lot of information from you before scheduling an interview and it’s information you don’t want to reveal that soon–such as providing your references or (heaven forbid!) Social Security number before an interview–you will probably want to pull back from that one.
In fact, whenever the preliminary exchange of information is heavily lopsided in favor of the employer, you could find that an interview would be not only a big waste of time but also a source of aggravation and frustration. Do you really need that?
Similarly, you might be asked (maybe even required) to jump through multiple hoops before scheduling an interview, including agreeing to travel to a distant location on your own dollar. In such situations, you should be evaluating whether the interview and the job (if it gets that far) are worth the risk and the effort you are expected to make.
Job Interview Turn-Down Advice
Ask The Headhunter’s Nick Corcodillos never minces words, and here’s what he had to say in response to an inquiry from a reader:
“If you don’t get the information you need, I wouldn’t go to the interview. Every job seeker needs to draw a line somewhere. Just bear in mind that the company may put a big X on your file and never consider you again. On the other hand, you may not want to reconsider them any time soon yourself.” [Note: The reader opted to turn down the interview request.]
Ultimately, you’re the one who has to make the decision about whether or not to pursue the interview: weigh the pros and cons as objectively as you can and make the wisest choice for your situation.
Biased Interviewers in a Job Search
Posted: December 10, 2013 Filed under: Interviewing, Job Search | Tags: biased interviewers, hiring managers, interview biases, interview process, job requirements, job search, job seeker, performance accomplishments, phone interview Leave a commentAll of us as human beings have biases. Some people just have more or stronger ones than others. That’s not always a problem. However, if you’re engaged in an active job search or planning one, biased interviewers can definitely pose a huge problem.
Ways in Which Biased Interviewers Can Hurt You
An article by Greg Moran on RecruitingTrends.com, “Three Tips for Managing Biases that Destroy the Interview Process,” points out some critical elements of this situation from the perspective of HR and hiring managers, but it’s worth reading as a job seeker.
Moran asks some pertinent questions, such as, “Did you ever feel like you were asked questions that had more to do with the personal interests of each interviewer versus the job itself? Similarly, did you ever sense you were selected to interview not because you had all of the right skills for the job but because the hiring manager liked just one characteristic on your resume…?”
Biased interviewers could keep you from being seriously considered for a position that’s a great match for your qualifications. On the flip side, if they like something about you, they could help you land a position that you really aren’t that well suited for–which is almost sure to end up as a disaster. Either way, the outcome of those interviews hasn’t done you any favors.
What About Your Interview Biases?
Not only do you have to contend with possibly biased interviewers in a job search but also with your own interview biases–or biases that have affected other key aspects of your job search.
As Moran’s article puts it, “For example, candidates may unintentionally overvalue or undervalue their performance accomplishments on a previous job [on the resume or in an interview]. Hence, such miscommunication is likely to inaccurately rank a candidate because the interviewer will either wrongly disqualify or qualify them….”
How to Overcome Interview Biases
Moran offers a few tips for interviewers in this regard:
- Adequately Leverage a Comprehensive and Job-relevant Profile.
- Construct and Utilize Interview Questions that Verify Job-relevant Criteria.
- Organize Data and Verify It to Improve the Decision Making Process.
From your standpoint as the job seeker, I suggest considering at least the following:
- Review posted job requirements as impartially as you can, to make sure you’re not fooling yourself about your chances. If you don’t feel able to do this on your own, consult someone whose opinion and objectivity you respect.
- Conduct the thorough research you should already be doing for companies and positions you want to pursue, but consider the information specifically in the light of the interview process. What kind of questions might the interviewer ask you that you haven’t yet figured out a realistic answer to or that your research hasn’t yet revealed an answer to? How does that play against your personal biases?
- Take advantage of the pre-screening phone interview as an opportunity to gather a little advance information yourself, instead of treating it as a one-way street with the caller asking all the questions. If what you learn sends up a red flag for you, maybe you have a bias you need to be aware of and work around or possibly you will decide not to pursue the position after all.
Job Search Resource “Disappears”
Posted: August 22, 2013 Filed under: Career Management (General), High-Tech Tools, Job Search | Tags: applicant tracking system, ATS, effective networking, employment process, hiring manager, job posting, job search resource, job seeker, smart job search techniques Leave a commentQuite sometime ago, I did a post about a job search resource called Preptel, which aimed to help job seekers prepare their resumes for the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) gauntlet–making them keyword-rich, organizing sections appropriately, and so on. It seemed like a good resource at the time. Unfortunately, Preptel is about to disappear.
A recent announcement indicated that after three years of trying, the company has been unable to turn a profit and has reluctantly decided to call it quits. What does that mean for you as a current or future job seeker?
What Job Search Value Did Preptel Offer?
For starters, it focused our attention more sharply on the whole issue of keywords and the growing use of ATS as a tool to screen (weed-out) job seekers during the employment process. Unless you can identify a way to deliver your resume directly to a hiring manager, you could find yourself being ATS-screened and eliminated from consideration before you get to square one.
Preptel provided a tool for trying to align your resume with specific postings you planned to pursue. You could upload your resume and have Preptel compare it to the job posting, then receive an evaluation of how near (or far) it was from where it might need to be in order to get you considered as a candidate.
I did have a few reservations about some of the hoops you would have to jump through to get anywhere near a close match without having a resume that was ridiculously worded and hard for a human being to read, but I thought the potential usefulness outweighed that possible disadvantage. However, it now becomes a moot point, since Preptel will no longer be a job search resource.
Alternative Job Search Resources
You might ask what your alternatives are now that Preptel is disappearing. Some of those alternatives aren’t earth-shakingly new. For example:
- Review and revitalize your network before you need to start mining it for help in a job search. Hint: A good book to read on effective networking, although not new, is Harvey Mackay’s Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty.
- Avoid the impersonal ATS route if at all possible and practical. Get to know people where you want to work and become known by them as a potentially valuable asset. Use your network to develop desired connections you don’t already have.
- Research the companies whose postings have caught your attention and interest; then tailor your submission to each company’s requirements as much as you legitimately can. Assume that in this case you will run up against an ATS screening, so diligently identify and use all the relevant keywords and phrases you can to help you navigate that obstacle.
- Look at the areas where you might not be as strong as you’d like in comparison with what the company is asking for and determine whether (or how) you can try to upgrade your qualifications in those areas. Ideally, take steps to accomplish that before you embark on a full-scale job search.
No Substitute for Smart Job Search Techniques
Preptel and other high-tech proposals to help solve your job search challenges could never eliminate all the obstacles from your path, anyway. To think they could is self-delusional at best.
In today’s challenging employment market and the increasing reliance on technology to deal with it, you still need to use smart job search techniques that stem from who you are, what you can offer, what you view as your potential value and/or limitations, etc.. Also consider how much time, thought and energy you’re willing and able to put into all aspects of the job search.
Sorry, but no one said it would be easy–or if they did, they lied!
Job Search is Hard Work
Posted: August 14, 2013 Filed under: Career Management (General), Job Search | Tags: job interview, job market, job search, job seeker, underemployment, unemployment rates Leave a commentWhether you’re an executive looking for his/her next senior position or a career newbie, job search is hard work. The specifics will undoubtedly differ in various respects, but the underlying theme is the same. You can’t get there from here without serious effort.
That’s true whether we have a decent job market or a lousy one (see my previous post on career management in a down economy for another slant on this). No one is likely to hand you your next job opportunity on a platter. You’ve probably heard the saying, “Work smarter, not harder.” I think it’s often a case of “work smarter and harder”! You need to use good sense about how to approach your job search, but you also need to invest a fair amount of energy into executing it.
Tough States for a Job Search
A recent article on 247WallSt.com titled “States Where It Is Hardest To Find Full-Time Work” talks about states where it’s hardest to find a job (see the list below), including the fact that unemployment rates aren’t the only story–underemployment has also been a big issue. In other words, the employment situation deteriorates even further when you add people who’ve taken jobs that are below their previous level (in less skilled fields and so on) to those who are unemployed.
If you live in one of the listed states, you’re probably already aware of this situation, but even if you live elsewhere, you might find that the situation isn’t appreciably better in your location. That means…you guessed it, you’ll need to work both smarter and harder to make your current or next job search successful.
Top 10 (or should that be bottom 10?) states where it’s hardest to find full-time work (ranked best to worst):
- New Jersey
- Arizona
- Washington
- Mississippi
- Rhode Island
- Illinois
- Michigan
- Oregon
- California
- Nevada
Balance Job Search Hard Work with Smart Work
Obviously, you don’t have more hours in your 24-hour day than anyone else, but more important, you’ll probably reach a point of diminishing returns before you max-out the hours. You might have more time if you’re unemployed than someone who’s currently putting in 60-80 hours a week at work, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have much to do with your days. Whichever category you fall into as a job seeker, you still need to invest both hard work and smart work in your job search.
Here are a few tips for doing that:
- Organize yourself and your job search plan. You have to know what needs to be done before you can figure out when and how to do it.
- Identify and maximize your resources. Be realistic about your available time and energy–and seek help from others who can fill in some of the gaps for you on occasion.
- Keep the underlying concept of balance in mind. Avoid stressing yourself out by tackling a load that only Superman or Wonderwoman could handle (flying faster than a speeding plane).
- Prioritize and postpone. When something can be done later without derailing your job search or destroying your personal life, postpone it.
Celebrate the Victories in Your Job Search
If you win even a small victory, such as getting a call about a job interview from a company you submitted your resume to, take a moment to celebrate that–and then begin preparing to ace the interview! When you combine smart work and hard work in your job search, you’ll find that celebrating the small steps along the way to your new job can increase your energy and success over the longer haul.
P.S. If you want a rueful chuckle or two related to the concept of “work smarter, not harder,” take a look at these “Dilbert” cartoons.
LinkedIn Doesn’t Mean You’re Job Searching
Posted: February 16, 2013 Filed under: Career Management (General), Job Search, LinkedIn | Tags: confidential job search, job search tool, job seeker, job-searching, LinkedIn, LinkedIn profile, outstanding accomplishment, personal brand, potential employers 2 CommentsBecause I have frequently advocated using LinkedIn as part of your job search planning, you might be surprised at the heading of this post. After all, a robust online presence is essential to being found by potential employers, and LinkedIn is recognized as a key element of building and maintaining that robust presence. Right? Certainly, but that is not the whole story. LinkedIn does–or should–help you build and communicate your brand to employers; however, it also can–and often should–reflect the corporate brand of the companies you have worked for. So what possibilities does that open up?
Personal vs Corporate Brand on LinkedIn
One of my esteemed colleagues, Deb Dib, recently wrote an item in the Reach Branding newsletter (published by branding guru William Arruda) that brought out strongly what the relationship can be between your personal brand and your employer’s brand. In the short article, titled “Ditch. Dare. Do! for YOU,” she firmly maintains that “when you build your brand you are building your company. Your brand reinforces and enhances corporate brand attributes; it helps you make a mark on your organization, augment your company’s image and reputation, and increase your visibility and presence with all stakeholders (inside and outside the walls of your organization). In fact, if you’re not building your brand, you’re not doing your job!”
What does this mean to you and how you represent yourself on LinkedIn? If you’re conducting a highly confidential job search, you might focus on maintaining a more or less neutral tone in communicating your value to prospective employers, to avoid sending an overt message that says, “Hey, I’m job searching here, Mr. Current Employer.”
At the same time, you do want to get that message across somehow and don’t want to be so subtle about it that your target market doesn’t catch the message. One way to help do that is to match your personal value with what you have enabled your current employer to achieve through your contributions, in terms of presenting the company’s value and successes strongly to its target markets.
Here’s a quick example–something you might put under the brief introduction to your current position in the Experience section of your LinkedIn profile: “Planned and executed launch of new energy-saving product that enabled ABC Company to break into a competitive market and quickly increase its market share from 0% to 25%.”
You’ve given a nod to your company’s market success while also giving yourself credit for an outstanding accomplishment. Of course, you could do more than that. You could include some wording in the Summary section of your profile that references the company you currently work for and puts it in a nicely positive light. That might be of interest to people who are searching for companies that do what your employer does and does well.
The only important point to remember in that case is that you will need to change that section when you change employers, so it reflects your new employer and not the former one.
LinkedIn As an Ongoing Job Search Tool
Having said the above, I want to emphasize that LinkedIn’s value as an ongoing job search tool remains strong today, despite the many changes that have been initiated in recent months. It’s important that nearly every job seeker (active at the moment or not) makes sure he or she is well represented on LinkedIn. Your perceived value to employers must form a key element of that representation.
If you don’t already have a compelling, well-organized LinkedIn profile, you really should be giving serious attention to it. Whether you take care of it yourself, have a friend or colleague do it, or hire someone else to do it for you, you owe it to yourself to make it happen.
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