I don’t know about you, but I’ve been struggling to understand the employment reports I’ve been hearing over the last 12+ months. The narrative around our “record low unemployment” has many of my clients feeling gaslit, to say the least. I hear it constantly: “I’m at the top of my game. My resume is on point. I apply to things I’m qualified for and yet… crickets. It’s never felt this hard to get a call.” I have some theories.
Read MoreDo you remember the first time someone asked you, “So… what do you think you want to DO?” How old were you? Maybe 16? Most of us were probably still learning how to parallel park, and yet somehow, this is when society suggests teens should be making major life decisions.
Read MoreIt’s a little hard to imagine that after everything we’ve gone through lately, there are still companies who are trying to attract a 2023 candidate using a 2003 process. Whether it’s a lack of awareness or adversity to change, if you’re not prioritizing your candidate experience right now, attracting the talent you need will only get harder as your competition continues to innovate.
Read MoreAs a career strategist, I work with about 200 job seekers a year. Some are unemployed, but the majority are confidentially searching. After seeing so many smart and driven clients break their self-confidence against the same exact rocks, I found myself asking, “How can we better navigate this deeply emotional and uncontrollable process, while inflicting as little self-harm as possible? Candidates are simply doing what they think they should be doing, and yet…”
Read MoreI am incredibly lucky to be self-employed and doing something I love, but just because jobs are my job now, doesn’t mean I’ve always known how to pick ‘em. There were some terrible ones early on. I mean, on more than one occasion, I felt pangs of real envy looking back at my sleeping cat as I left for work. (I’m not even slightly joking.)
Read More…According to a 2020 Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report, the median tenure for employees now is only about 4 years. And while I think we’ve all accepted that the days of working for one employer your whole career are long gone, I also see another former standard beginning to fade: staying in the same profession your whole life…
Read MoreOne of the services I offer through JOBTALK is a Resume Revamp, so it’s not uncommon for clients to reach out in a panic and say they need help overhauling their on-paper-first-impression. What kills me though is when they add, “I know I’m not getting calls because my resume doesn’t have the right keywords in it to get me past the filters.”
::sigh:: Job Hunting Myth #54: All companies use keyword filters now when reviewing resumes. This is FALSE.
Read MoreI hate using the word rejection when I’m working with clients on their job search because it insinuates something personal. And let’s be honest, even if we know it’s not, it still hurts like it is. Frustrating thoughts like, “Well, was I even considered?!” and “I matched every requirement they asked for!” can flood our brains and hold our emotions hostage, sabotaging the rest of our day. It’s hard. And it sucks. And while I can’t explain or excuse other recruiters’ screening processes, behaviors, or styles, I think it’s helpful to establish a healthy relationship with rejection early on in your search, because… it’s inevitable.
Read MoreWhether you’ve found yourself unemployed, furloughed, or just plain unhappy at work, here you are… job hunting. Maybe you’ve been secretly looking for a while now. Or maybe this is the first time in 10 years you’ve found yourself staring at your old resume wondering, “Are ‘objectives’ still a thing…?” Regardless of how and why you’re here, the fact of the matter is, job hunting is a bear. And while it’s a necessary evil, there are certain things you can implement right now in order to minimize your frustration, practice energy portion-control, and provide you a more productive search.
Read MoreI never go more than a week without hearing a client ask, “Do I still need to submit a cover letter? My resume has everything on it, including my LinkedIn URL, and I’m not sure what else I would even add. Do recruiters even read these anymore?” Yes. The answer is still yes. But it’s not about simply submitting one; it’s about submitting a great one and not shooting yourself in the foot along the way. Here are a few things to consider the next time you’re tackling this piece of your process.
Read MoreI fell backwards into my career. I was a recent college grad (slash bartender), and in 2008, a friend of mine told me she got her job (at a HUGE, local company) by starting there as a “temp.” I had never heard of this before. So I went into the firm she used to inquire about how it all worked, and within a week, they hired me internally as an Admin Assistant. I learned everything from the ground up, and a year later, I was a Staffing Manager: the one behind the scenes serving as the connector between company and candidate. I saw first-hand just how successful (and easy!) this type of partnership could be, and I wondered “Why isn’t everyone using this type of resource?”
Read MoreA new client reached out to me recently and said, “I just don’t know what else to do. I apply for jobs that I’m BEYOND qualified for, and all I get in response is some version of, ‘Thanks, but you’re overqualified.’ How am I ever supposed to get into a new company if no one is willing to value my experience!? I’m sorry I’ve accomplished TOO MUCH!”
Here’s the thing. This is one of those situations you have to dig for the WHY behind what you’re hearing.
Read MoreYou apply to a job and get a response from the company. They like your resume and want to move forward. ::YESSSSS:: As you keep reading the email, your celebration is met with a flood of anxiety. There’s a link and a deadline. The next step? A VIDEO INTERVIEW.
Read MoreSomething very interesting is happening right now in the employment market. As the news continues to report, companies are hunting for (and fighting over) talent, however, many unemployed (yet experienced) job seekers are saying… they’re not really feeling the love.
Read MoreOne of the most common things I hear from people considering a career change is: “I don’t know what I want to do... I just know I want to help people.” The challenge with this statement is that, while it may be a very admirable intention, it isn’t usually enough to provide someone with a direction they can easily transform into a profession. Here are a few tips on how to narrow the scope and define the path.
Read MoreWhen an organization needs to hire new staff, HR is notified, job descriptions are edited or created, and openings are posted (if at the very least, on the company’s website). Internships, however, are very rarely publicized in the same way, and if they are, the competition for them skyrockets because now everyone can see them. The trick behind landing an awesome internship is not waiting for it to be posted - because it probably won’t be.
Read MoreResumes. No matter who you ask, it seems you always get different advice. “Add an objective!” …. “Objectives are a waste of space and generic! Add a bulleted summary!” … “It has to be 1 page!” …. “The length doesn’t matter- it’s the content! Exhausting right? But while that may frustrate or confuse jobseekers, it’s important to understand that there is no such thing as the perfect resume format…
Read MoreJob hunting can be tough, especially when you're applying and not hearing anything back. When someone comes to me with woes of a silent search, the very first question I ask is, "Did you follow-up after?"
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