You hate your job and can’t wait to be anywhere else—except twist, you have to stay for at least a little while longer. Maybe the hours allow you to care for a sick loved one, that promotion you’re in line for will set you up to qualify for different roles or that quarter-end bonus is going to help you finally get out of credit card debt.
So, right now, your job search is a lot of hurry-up and wait. You want to be ready the very moment you can start applying, but right now, you have to bide your time.
Here’s how to be proactive—and patient—so you can strike when it’s time:
1. Revamp Your Resume
When’s the last time you updated your resume? When you applied for your current role? If so, it’s time for an update.
Many people wait to revise materials until they’re about to submit a job application, because they want to customize them for each role. While tailoring your resume is an important step, it’s actually the second one you should take. The first—and often overlooked—one is to create a resume you can send anywhere.
It helps you in two ways. One, you’ll have a strong, current jumping off point when you are ready to customize it. And two, if someone asks you to simply “send on your resume” the moment you share that you’re looking, you’ll have something to ready to go.
2. Polish Your Personal Brand
Need yet another reason to set up a personal website, start publishing on LinkedIn or take on some other brand-boosting activity you’ve been putting off?
When it’s actually time to pound the pavement and send in numerous applications, odds are you’ll be too busy to also build a personal site or write a blog post, too. Additionally, hiring managers are more impressed by actions over time than the appearance that you became interested in being a thought leader the day before you sent in your materials for that new job. So, start publishing now, it’ll pay off when you have weeks (or months) of work to your credit.
3. Warm Up Your Network
Sure, you can’t ask for a referral yet; but you don’t want “Can you get me a job?” to be the first thing you say to someone after you’ve fallen out of touch anyhow. If it’s been a while, make an initial effort to reconnect by sending on an interesting article or a note to see how the other person is doing. Bonus: The holidays are a great excuse to get back in touch!
Keep in mind, you don’t want to jump from ghost to stalker. It’ll seem insincere (and slightly bizarre) if you go from no contact in three years to suddenly messaging that person at your dream company each week like you’re BFFs.
Additionally, you don’t want to wholly bury why you’re reaching out—at the risk of seeming like you’re leading them on. So, while you may not be ready to announce that you’ll be looking for a new job, you can mention that you’re interested in learning more about the other person’s industry or role, and ask if you could send on a few questions. This positions you perfectly to ask further questions (like insider tips for getting a job!) when you are ready to start your search.
When you don’t like your job, it’s understandable that you’d want to spend your free time on hobbies, and wait to job search until you can actually make a move. However, taking these actions now will help you hit the ground running when you are ready to look—so you land a new role that much faster once the time is right. Not to mention, they’ll help you stay sane, too, because while you’re still stuck at your job by day, by night you’re already preparing for that role of your dreams.
The Muse
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With job creation numbers remaining modest and unemployment rates holding steady, landing your dream job may at times seem like a Sisyphean task. Sure, hand-delivering a box of chocolates to the hiring manager is one way to make your application stand out, but that’s not necessarily the best way to go about getting your resume to the top of the stack.
As a Managing Partner overseeing executive recruitment, candidates frequently ask me how to stand out in a job interview and build their personal brand. My response is simple: go the extra mile. This means tossing out a generic resume, upping your networking game, and thinking creatively.
Tailor your resume to match the position and company culture.
From tech startups to advertising giants, traditional resumes no longer make the cut. Tailor your resume to not only match the position for which you are applying, but also to align with the company’s culture. For example, consider using an infographic to visually illustrate your skills and accomplishments. And while a creative presentation is important, when it comes to your qualifications and accomplishments, stick to the facts. In the age of Google, it only takes a few seconds to spot “creative embellishments” and have your resume sent straight to the reject pile.
Build your digital brand and use it to network.
Your LinkedIn profile is your digital calling card; what does it say about you? Think beyond the basic profile and consider what you say in public forums, too. Establish yourself as an industry thought leader by curating industry news and adding insightful comments. Be strategic with your LinkedIn connections and don’t be afraid to ask colleagues and clients for a recommendation on LinkedIn. If you are currently employed but interested in a new position, reach out individually to the contacts you trust can keep your intentions private, let them know you are exploring the possibility of a new challenge, and ask for advice. I have found that people are genuinely interested in helping others when asked.
Stand out in your job interview.
Your interview is not a time to rehash your resume’s bullet points; it is a time to sell your personal brand by harnessing the power of storytelling. Come to your interview prepared with two or three anecdotes that demonstrate your soft skills, including teamwork, leadership, and creative thinking. Do your research: understand the company’s culture and be prepared with thoughtful questions to ask about the company’s future direction. Demonstrate how your leadership and ideas will be invaluable to building the company’s future. Speak with confidence, passion, and determination; there’s no substitute for human interaction, and an interview is your moment to shine.
Posted by Michael Johnson
Like many college grads, I finished school without a job lined up right away. I’d originally planned on going into international relations, but an internship at the United Nations showed me how wrong that path was for me. (Big egos and bureaucracy? No, thanks.) As my living expenses piled up post-graduation, though, I knew I had to act quickly—applying to jobs I wasn’t even sure I wanted had so far been fruitless. So, I put on my business-casual suit, printed off my resume and walked into the doors of a temporary staffing agency.
Although it wasn’t my first choice at the time, temping ended up being the best decision I could’ve made for myself. After months of wandering, I gained motivation, experience and a steady paycheck. And ultimately, that was instrumental in leading me to where I am today. If you find yourself trapped in a seemingly endless job search, consider the following.
1. It’s Easier To Find A Temp Job Than You Think
Securing a temp job’s often relatively quick and low-effort, especially if you go through an agency like I did. To get started, all you really have to do is prepare a resume and cover letter—ideally tailored to the type of position you’re looking for—then reach out to set up an appointment with a nearby agency. Once you meet with your designated recruiting agent, you can share some specifics about your workstyle, skill set and what kind of position and organization you’re looking for.
After gathering that info, your recruiter will search for open opportunities that seem like a good fit and pitch your resume to those companies—usually at no cost to you. You’ll probably still have to spend some time drafting cover letters and interviewing before you get an offer (like any other job), but any way you slice it, you’re looking at serious savings in both time and effort.
As a bonus, there are usually many companies looking for part-time workers, leaving you with plenty of time to dedicate to job applications. Just clarify to your agency recruiter how many hours a week you’re willing to work from the get-go, and they’ll likely be able to find something that fits with your schedule.
2. Temping Pays The Bills (Without Making You Miserable)
When faced with the financial strain of unemployment, people usually go one of two routes: panic and accept a job that they know they won’t like, or stick it out in the hopes that something better will turn up before the next rent check is due. But you don’t have to choose between being broke and being miserable—temping is a perfect alternative for this scenario.
When you go through an agency to find a position, you have a significant amount of say in where you’ll be placed. So if you get matched up with an organization you think you’ll despise, you can pass without feeling guilty. The great thing about recruiters at these agencies is that they move fast—it’s in their best interest to fill open jobs ASAP, so they can often find you multiple opportunities within a span of two to three weeks. (Although your mileage may vary depending on the circumstances.) That way, you can find a good balance between the income you need and the experience you want.
3. Temping Gives You The Kick In The Butt You Need
To recycle a line from your high school physics textbook, an object at rest tends to stay at rest, while an object in motion tends to stay in motion. Translation: Even if you have plenty of time to apply to jobs when you’re unemployed, it can be hard to muster up the motivation to do so when your pace of life has slowed down so much.
On the other hand, if you get in the habit of sticking to a routine and spending your time meaningfully, you’ll naturally be in a more proactive state of mind—and you’ll probably feel a whole lot more self-worth.
It might seem counterintuitive, but this is a scenario in which less time spent searching results in greater productivity. Think about it: If you’re lounging in your pajamas at home all day, scouring job sites with trashy TV on in the background, there’s a decent chance you’ll spend more time goofing off than actually working on applications.
That, in turn, can lead to feelings of guilt, self-doubt and hopelessness. If you come back feeling accomplished after a solid day at the office, though, there’s a much better chance that you can maintain the confidence and drive needed during a job search.
4. Temping Exposes You To Variety
The impermanent nature of temping means that you’ll be able to try out more jobs in a shorter time period than you would otherwise, making this the perfect choice for folks who don’t know what they want to next or are looking to broaden their core competencies. If you fall into either of those camps, make a short list of the types of positions and companies you want to try out, then tackle them in order of highest- to lowest-priority.
As you get more and more experience under your belt, you’ll naturally figure out what you like and don’t like in a job. Not to mention, working in a number of different spaces, positions and even types of companies will help you pick up some new skills along the way—which can be invaluable in setting you apart from the crowd when you eventually start searching for something more long-term.
5. Temping Is The Ultimate Form Of Networking
Industry-related meetups or company happy hours are one thing, but there’s no better way to get to know somebody than by working with them. If you end up at a few different companies as a temp, you’ll probably work closely with a variety of people who will get to know you on a deeper level. When somebody like that can personally attest to your work style, strengths and biggest wins, they make a much more valuable reference than a random LinkedIn connection.
And who knows? Those folks may even be able to hook you up with a full-time opportunity, whether it’s at their current organization, a friend or family member’s company or a different workplace further down the line. As long as you do a good job and use the time to network like a pro, you’ll be able to open up a whole new world of opportunities for yourself.
Becoming a temp might not be what you dreamed of doing as a kid, but it’s still a perfectly respectable option—and in many cases, a surprisingly strategic one. Plenty of people (myself included) have used these positions as a springboard to launch into successful, long-term careers.
And while it’s common to feel like settling for anything less than your dream job is a failure, the truth is that deviating from the standard path (even if it’s scary at the time) can sometimes lead to an even better outcome. Take it from me: The skills and experience I gained at my temp job helped me kick off my first full-time position, a lifelong career in HR and eventually, a seat at the executive table.
The best things in life may be free, but that doesn’t mean they won’t take time, sweat, and perseverance to acquire. That’s especially the case when it comes to learning important life skills. What are the hardest and most useful skills to learn? We’ve highlighted our favorite takeaways.
1. Time management Effective time management is one of the most highly valued skills by employers. While there is no one right way, it’s important to find a system that works for you and stick to it, Alina Grzegorzewska explains. “The hardest thing to learn for me was how to plan,” she writes. “Not to execute what I have planned, but to make so epic a to-do list and to schedule it so thoroughly that I’m really capable of completing all the tasks on the scheduled date.”
2. Empathy “You can be the most disciplined, brilliant, and even wealthy individual in the world, but if you don’t care for or empathize with other people, then you are basically nothing but a sociopath,” writes Kamia Taylor. Empathy, as business owner Jane Wurdwand explains, is a fundamental human ability that has too readily been forsworn by modern business. “Empathy — the ability to feel what others feel — is what makes good sales and service people truly great. Empathy as in team spirit— motivates people to try harder. Empathy drives employees to push beyond their own apathy, to go bigger, because they feel something bigger than just a paycheck,” she writes.
3. Mastering your sleep There are so many prescribed sleep hacks out there it’s often hard to keep track. But regardless of what you choose, establishing a ritual can help ensure you have restful nights. Numerous studies show that being consistent with your sleep schedule makes it easier to fall asleep and wake up, and it helps promote better sleep in general.
4. Positive self-talk “Ultimately it does matter what others think of you,” writes Shobhit Singhal, “but what you think of yourself certainly does, and it takes time to build that level of confidence and ability to believe in yourself when nobody else does.” On the other side of positive self-talk is negative self-talk, which Betsy Myers, founding director of The Center for Women and Business at Bentley University, believes can slowly chip away at your confidence.
5. Consistency Whether you’re trying a new exercise routine, studying for the LSATs, or working on an important project, Khaleel Syed writes that consistency is vital to maintaining any kind of success.
People often stop working hard when they reach the top, he explains, but to maintain that top position, they must work harder and be more consistent in their work.
6. Asking for help “I once was told in a job interview, ‘You can’t have this job if you can’t ask for help when you need it,'” Louise Christy writes. “Naturally, I said I could.
Later, I found out that the previous person with that job had screwed up big-time because he was in over his head but couldn’t admit it and didn’t ask for help.” She explains that knowing when you need help and then asking for it is surprisingly difficult to learn and do because no one wants to be perceived as weak or incompetent. But a recent study from the Harvard Business School suggests doing so makes you look more, not less, capable. According to the study, when you ask people for advice, you validate their intelligence or expertise, which makes you more likely to win them over.
7. Knowing when to shut up — and actually doing it “You can’t go around whining about every other thing that seems not-so-right to you in this world,” writes Roshna Nazir. “Sometimes you just need to shut up.” There are many instances when keeping to yourself is the best course. “When we are angry, upset, agitated, or vexed,” writes Anwesha Jana, “we blurt out anything and everything that comes to our mind.” And later, you tend to regret it. Keeping your mouth shut when you’re agitated is one of the most valuable skills to learn, and of course, one of the most difficult.
8. Listening Along with shutting up comes listening, says Richard Careaga. “Most of us in the workplace are so overwhelmed with things to do — instant messaging, phones ringing. I mean, our brain can only tolerate so much information before it snaps,” Nicole Lipkin, author of “What Keeps Leaders Up At Night,” previously told Business Insider. One tip for active listening is repeating back what you heard to the other person. “It makes things so much easier when everyone is on the same page,” she said.
9. Minding your business “It takes ages to learn and master this,” writes Aarushi Ruddra. Sticking your nose into other people’s work isn’t helpful and wastes time and resources, she says. “You have no right to put forth your two or four cents, even if you are the last righteous person standing.”
10. Mastering your thoughts to do what you want to do and accomplish what you want to accomplish, you need to consciously direct your thinking, writes Mark Givert. “The challenge is that we are the product of our experience and all of our thinking is the result of this,” he says. “However, the past does not equal the future.
Digital visibility is important for every careerist, especially when you’re looking for a job. According to a 2016 survey done by CareerBuilder, the number of employers using social media to screen job applicants has skyrocketed 500% over the last 10 years. If you didn’t think it was important before, now you know why having a social media presence is critical to your career.
A Trend That’s Here to Stay
But it goes beyond just having a digital presence. Since developments are constantly evolving, it’s important to stay on top of what’s going on. If you’re looking for a job, that means adapting your current job search to the shifts in recruiting, hiring, and labor markets. Otherwise, you may be positioning yourself as an out-of-touch job seeker who doesn’t know what it takes to be competitive.
Where to Start
The easiest way to incorporate social media into your job search campaign is to begin creating content within the channel you’re most comfortable with and use most (e.g., LinkedIn, Google+, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) to get your name out there. Don’t forget to advertise your social presence on your resume by including URLs for your LinkedIn profile, Facebook, blog site, BrandMe profile, etc.
Create & Manage Your Online Reputation
• Another key survey takeaway was that 60% of employers use social networking sites to research job candidates with 53% of employers interested in whether the candidate has a professional online persona or not.
• And if you don’t have a presence, 2 in 5 employers said they’re less likely to interview someone if they can’t find any online information about that job candidate.
• Interestingly, more than 25% of employers uncovered online content that compelled them to reprimand or fire an employee.
Here is a ranked list of social media content that turns employers off:
• Inappropriate / provocative photographs, videos, or info: 46%
• Content / information about drinking or drug use: 43%
• Discriminatory commentary (e.g., race, religion, gender, etc.): 33%
• Bad-mouthing previous employer or fellow employee: 31%
• Sub-par communication skills: 29%
So, it’s time to make sure your online presence is professional and squeaky clean. How? Control your public online reputation, making sure that you think “professionally” when you remark, post, and even joke online. Either Google yourself regularly or set up a Google Alert so you’re notified via email any time your name appears online. If you come up with some digital dirt on yourself, it’s time to scrub, scrub, scrub until your public reputation is spotless.
Either your job candidacy or the job you’re in may depend on it!
When you’re interviewing for a job, it is going well, and the company likes you, it’s a powerful sensation. The feeling is mutual on the other side of the desk. When an interviewer meets a candidate whose energy and experience are just what you are looking for and you start to think “This person could benefit us a great deal,” you go through the same stages.
You get to know more about your candidate as you continue the conversation, and you begin to visualize this individual in the position.
The candidate starts to picturing his/herself in the job. The conversation get looser and more friendly. Finally, a job offer is extended and you hope they accept. Usually, she/he does. Once the agreement is struck, you rejoice!
By the end of a hiring process, your future manager wants to hire you as urgently as you want to be employed. For this reason, it is important to watch your manners and professionalism at the end of the recruiting process. Don’t make a last-minute blunder that will cost you the job offer!
Here are five tragic, late-in-the-game interview mistakes job seekers make that cost them the position:
- Announcing that you need a three-month sabbatical mid-next-year, that you can’t start your job for six weeks, or that you can only work from home.
- Bombing your reference and/or background check. Most employers will not overlook details in a reference-checking and employment verification process. If they run into gaping holes or information that doesn’t agree with what you told them, that will cost you.
- Going silent. Some candidates hear “We want you to join us — look for our offer in the mail” and will not hear the rest of the process. Two and a half weeks later a hysterical recruiter is messaging him/her constantly, asking “Where are you?” Only to get the reply, “I went to Vegas with my buddies to celebrate my new position,” only to find out that he/she is no longer a candidate for the role.
- Pulling the organization into a bidding war. This is risky because some employers will play ball and others won’t. it is a business tactic, but you have to be prepared for a company that will not play the game. The hiring manger may say “We’re happy for you — we’re delighted that you are so much in demand right now. We don’t want to hold you back from taking that offer. We cannot match or exceed that offer.” You cannot blame them if they rescind the offer. If you agreed that a certain salary would get you on board and they offered that salary but now you are saying that other employers will pay you more, they may say “All the best to you!” and move on to another candidate.
- Last but not least, you can lose a job offer if you fail a drug test, employers that use drug testing as part of their recruiting process have a strict no tolerance policy.
Double-check your references, your employment and educational histories before you apply for a job — not afterward! Make sure that you are ready to pass a drug screening. Keep track of the interview pipelines you are in and keep the lines of communication open in case you are contacted by the company – especially as you get close to receiving a job offer!
If you have special situation like a vacation in the near future or the ability to work from home, address those topics before you get the job offer.
Once the interviewer likes you and you like them, you are way more than halfway to the finish line in your job search. Be careful not to mess it up at the last minute!
At Ventureready LLC we prepare professional cover letters and resumes for every career, and Career Coaching to prepare for any interview.
Too many people read job postings, but don’t know what the hiring manager is asking for in a candidate. Many times job seeker don’t receive the response they want from employers because they lack the knowledge, skills, education or experience. Before you apply for another job posting, ask yourself the following questions.
- Do I have the experience they are looking for? – Job postings will have the minimum years of experience the candidate must have. If the employer asks for 5 years of experience and you just graduated from college, or have 3 years of experience, then don’t apply for the position.
- Do I have the education the hiring manager is asking the candidate to have? – The posting will indicate the education level they would like you to have (i.e. high school diploma, some college, bachelors’ degree). If you did not graduate from a university or college and that is a minimum requirement, then your chances of getting an interview are substantially lowered.
- Do I have the specified qualifications? – Job postings will have the required qualifications the candidate must possess. Some postings will list 3 or 4 requirements while others will list 10 or more. Read this section carefully. This an excellent way to identify key words for your resume, and this section also provides you with a list of responsibilities you will be expected to complete. If your resume does not show achievements in most of these areas of responsibilities, then the hiring manager will not consider you the right candidate for the position.
Accurately reading a job posting is an important step in getting an interview. Don’t waste your time applying to positions when your qualifications do not meet what the posting is ask you for.
Good luck with you career search!
By Katrina Brittingham
Rewiring your career may be a smart move, experts say, and offer 4 tips to get you started.
Changing jobs seems like a relatively common and simple feat. You leave your project manager position at one firm and pick up a similar gig, maybe closer to home, with better benefits or pay. Changing careers, though, sounds more daunting. Moving from the publishing industry to, say, health care—is it even possible, and if so, how would you do it?
Shifting careers, or re-careering, is possible, experts say, and a wise way to stay competitive in today’s job market. Two fields that hold particular promise for growth are health care and IT. Dr. Eric Darr, interim president of Harrisburg University of Science and Technology in Pennsylvania, says opportunities abound in these areas. Harrisburg is a private institution focused on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Darr says the student body includes everyone from recent high-school graduates to students in their 30s, 40s and 50s looking to reskill and “readjust their careers.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, health care practitioners and technical occupations are projected to grow 26 percent from 2010-2020, while computer and math occupations are projected to grow 22 percent during that time.
How to Make the Leap: 4 Key Tips
So the opportunities are out there, especially in health care and IT. But how do you seize them? Consider these sage bits of advice:
- Conduct informational interviews with individuals working in the field you want to pursue. Meeting face-to-face with people already in your desired area is invaluable, says Mark Gasche, senior director of career services for Empowered UCLA Extension. This is a chance to ask critical questions about salary or potential barriers to entering the field, Gasche explains. Afterward you’ll feel better or worse, he says. If you feel worse, then it’s a challenge to your initial plan. If you feel better, then you’ll be armed with more knowledge about how to continue.
- Consider careers that will be safe from outsourcing. Darr says predicting which fields will be outsource-proof can be tricky, “But if you are in health care and the job is to work with patients and analyze data, those things are not going to be outsourced because they can’t be.”
- Don’t stop working. “Today you can take courses and certifications at night and on weekends. You do not have to drop out of the system in order to participate,” says Dr. Tracey Wilen-Daugenti, vice president and managing director at the Apollo Research Institute. Many companies give support to workers pursuing education while they work, she notes. If you pursue education or training at a higher-education institution, be sure to select one that doesn’t relegate adult education to second-class status, Darr says.
- Volunteer. Wilen-Daugenti suggests that if you’re not working, volunteer for an organization in the area where you want to be hired: “In our ongoing career research, an individual noted that he was volunteering in an IT position at a key hospital so that he understood the systems and when a job opened he would be the first pick to be hired.” Volunteering lets you test the job and learn the systems, while people in the firm get to know you and your capabilities, she explains.
Kristina Cowan
Changing jobs seems like a relatively common and simple feat. You leave your project manager position at one firm and pick up a similar gig, maybe closer to home, with better benefits or pay. Changing careers, though, sounds more daunting. Moving from the publishing industry to, say, health care—is it even possible, and if so, how would you do it?
Shifting careers, or re-careering, is possible, experts say, and a wise way to stay competitive in today’s job market. Two fields that hold particular promise for growth are health care and IT. Dr. Eric Darr, interim president of Harrisburg University of Science and Technology in Pennsylvania, says opportunities abound in these areas. Harrisburg is a private institution focused on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Darr says the student body includes everyone from recent high-school graduates to students in their 30s, 40s and 50s looking to reskill and “readjust their careers.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, health care practitioners and technical occupations are projected to grow 26 percent from 2010-2020, while computer and math occupations are projected to grow 22 percent during that time.
How to Make the Leap: 4 Key Tips
So the opportunities are out there, especially in health care and IT. But how do you seize them? Consider these sage bits of advice:
- Conduct informational interviews with individuals working in the field you want to pursue. Meeting face-to-face with people already in your desired area is invaluable, says Mark Gasche, senior director of career services for Empowered UCLA Extension. This is a chance to ask critical questions about salary or potential barriers to entering the field, Gasche explains. Afterward you’ll feel better or worse, he says. If you feel worse, then it’s a challenge to your initial plan. If you feel better, then you’ll be armed with more knowledge about how to continue.
- Consider careers that will be safe from outsourcing. Darr says predicting which fields will be outsource-proof can be tricky, “But if you are in health care and the job is to work with patients and analyze data, those things are not going to be outsourced because they can’t be.”
- Don’t stop working. “Today you can take courses and certifications at night and on weekends. You do not have to drop out of the system in order to participate,” says Dr. Tracey Wilen-Daugenti, vice president and managing director at the Apollo Research Institute. Many companies give support to workers pursuing education while they work, she notes. If you pursue education or training at a higher-education institution, be sure to select one that doesn’t relegate adult education to second-class status, Darr says.
- Volunteer. Wilen-Daugenti suggests that if you’re not working, volunteer for an organization in the area where you want to be hired: “In our ongoing career research, an individual noted that he was volunteering in an IT position at a key hospital so that he understood the systems and when a job opened he would be the first pick to be hired.” Volunteering lets you test the job and learn the systems, while people in the firm get to know you and your capabilities, she explains.
Kristina Cowan