No BS Hiring Advice

Even with years of experience under your belt, moving to a new city can throw your whole network out of whack. Software engineer, and real Jobscan user, Kelly, learned this first hand.

Check out the latest user success story, Kelly Built a Network and Landed a Job in a New City using Jobscan's LinkedIn Optimization, to learn more about his success using Jobscan.

🥴 "@Shaun Swanson," 😁😄😃 ... ... 🙌 you are 'APPRECIATED!'

You don't have to feel unappreciated because those around you don't seem to be showing you their gratification for things ... IT'S Okay! ... If I had the guts to say!

All respect to you Shaun,
(this is not necessarily about you, but it could apply to someone.)

#motivation #coronavirus #stressful

You don’t want to admit it. You don’t want to even think about it. But the reality for some (maybe you) is this:

You’ve been looking for a job for so long that you don’t even remember what it feels like to not be looking for a job.

Sure, maybe you’re still employed so, perhaps, you’re not in dire economic straits. But for even the most well-adjusted among us, a job search that drags on endlessly can wear you out or make you start feeling, well, sort of loser-ish.

You’re not a loser. So, stop thinking that. It’s much more likely that your strategy’s missing something fundamental, or you’re going about job search in a way that’s simply not productive in the year 2021.

Let’s flip the lid on a few of the most common things that cause job search to drag on, and what you can do to fix or improve upon them:

1. You’re Relying 100% on Online Applications If your entire job search can be summed up as “Find a job advertised online. Fill out the online application. Submit. Wait” then you could be in for a long process. You absolutely must realize that you’re entering the race as a commodity (rather than an individual) when you submit an application with a giant blob of other candidates who also just saw that job ad. You do not want to be a commodity in a job search.

• Quick Fix At the very least, take one extra step each time you apply for a job online. Go over to LinkedIn, type the organization’s name into the search box, and see if you have any first or second degree (or Group) connections at the company. Assuming you do, find a way to touch base with that person and ask if he or she has any details about the role or suggestions on how you should approach the application. In the best case, that contact introduces you directly to the internal recruiter or hiring manager. In the worst case, you’re in the exact same spot you were before you sent the message.

2. Your LinkedIn Profile Isn’t Angled Toward Your Target Audience Wondering why your friends (working in the same jobs, same industry) always get contacted by recruiters via LinkedIn, and you don’t? Take a hard look at your profile. Is it positioning you well toward the types of roles for which you’d like to be found? Is it complete? Are you including a photo and relevant keywords? Does the summary position you as an interesting human who a stranger would like to know?

• Quick Fix More than 90% of recruiters use LinkedIn regularly as a sourcing tool to find candidates. If you’re not there, barely there, or not positioning yourself as a strong fit for the types of roles you want to land next, you’re squandering an incredible opportunity to be “found.” Step one: Adjust your headline. Step two: Rewrite your summary. Step three: Optimize your keywords for search.

3. You Aren’t Branding Yourself as Someone Who Matters One of the absolute best strategies for any professional (active job seeker and non-seeker alike) is to be present among the key players in your industry, in your geography. You can’t possibly expect to be discovered for this job or that if you’re an unknown in your sector. This doesn’t mean you have to attend every Meetup, networking event, and professional conference known to man. That’s both unrealistic for most busy professionals and, frankly, overkill. But your current and future searches will likely progress more smoothly if you behave like a thought leader in your field.

• Quick Fix Sleuth out LinkedIn groups that are relevant to both your industry and your current geography (for instance, if I’m a marketing person in Chicago, I may check out the Chicago Public Relations and Marketing Network). You can often find upcoming events being promoted in the discussion forums. This is also a great place to see who the “players” are. Who is commenting intelligently and positioning themselves well? Pay attention to how they’re doing it. Then, find a few conversations and jump in. Bonus points if you write a relevant, related LinkedIn article to accompany your points.

4. You’re Not Finishing Strong Are you landing interviews, yet still not landing the job? If so, your search may be dragging on because you’re not taking deliberate steps to ensure you go the distance. Realize that you’re competing with people who are rested, hydrated, and pacing themselves to take this bad boy to the finish line. Don’t be the one who sprints it hard at the beginning and then fizzles in the interview process or when it’s time to close the deal.

• Quick Fix If you’re getting invited to interviews, congratulate yourself because you’re clearly doing something right. And then dissect the steps that follow that turning point. Are you walking into the interviews prepared? Are you dressed in alignment with that company’s culture? Are you coming across as passionate, interesting, and engaged in the interview? Are you asking about the next steps before you leave the meeting? Are you sending a customized, thoughtful thank you email to the millisecond you get back to your computer? Your competitors are paying attention to every step in the process. Make sure you are, too.

These tips may sound elementary. And I’m certainly not suggesting that there’s a magical fix for every rugged, lengthy job search. But many times, making a few fundamental tweaks to your strategy will result in immediate, positive momentum.

And when they don’t? Consider spending an hour with a professional career coach or job search strategist. If you find one who understands the recruitment process intimately, she may be able to help you pinpoint what’s going wrong, recommend more productive strategies, and eliminate weeks and weeks of frustration.

#motivation #jobsearch

In this video, Linda Raynier is going to explain age discrimination in hiring, whether it’s real. Age discrimination in employment does exist, but only for those who focus on that being the sole reason for why they’re not able to land a job. If you’re sensing there’s age discrimination in the workplace for the companies you interview at or just age discrimination in recruitment in general, then I do want to you veer your focus elsewhere. Ageism in the workplace can be real, but it’s not as powerful as you may think.

The 3 questions to ask yourself if you are experiencing age discrimination in hiring and recruitment.

1. Is my resume truly top-notch?
2. How am I selling myself in interviews?
3. Am I being flexible?

How to land a great job when you are over 50

#noBSHiringAdive

Today's video on job search advice for over 50-year-olds! Let's be honest, there are biases against older workers. Anyone who tells you otherwise is flat out lying. Even so, that doesn't mean it's hopeless. We just need to plan a bit better and recognize where and how to take advantage of our more vast experience.

Check out today's video for tips on the job search itself, resume writing, and interviewing. Together, this job search advice for over 50-year-olds will get you to where you want to go!

How to land a great job when you are over 50

#stressful #interview #noBSHiringAdvice

Hiring- An Unrecognized Bias | No BS Hiring Advice #officelife #interview #jobsearch

No one wants to be job searching during COVID-19 and the resulting recession, but that's where we're at.

In an effort to ensure that you have as many resources as possible for your job search, we’ve been hard at work organizing a special free event!

No Fear Job Search Webinar Series Landing the Job in Uncertain Times

15 expert career coaches share their unique expertise via 45-60 minute webinars on the following topics:

• What to Do if You Get Laid Off
• How to Create a Resume that Stands Out During a Recession
• How to Quickly Craft a Cover Letter that Makes a Difference
• How to Make Your LinkedIn Profile a Recruiter Magnet
• How to Nail a Virtual Job Interview

3 coaches will cover each topic, allowing you to mix and match to create a webinar schedule that works for you. Sign up for 1 webinar… or 5… or 15. Whatever makes sense for you and your job search.

We’ll also be offering 50 free resume scans and big discounts on Jobscan Premium to attendees.

REGISTER NOW

#workfromhome #webdevelop #volunteer #research #officelife #motivation #callcenter #coronavirus #stressful #interview #hiringevents #healthcare #deliverydriver

Many of us have friends and family members who have been laid off or furloughed since COVID-19 struck. Naturally, those of us who still have jobs are questioning our own job security and wondering what we can do to prepare for potential layoffs.

At Jobscan, we see the impact that strong resume accomplishments have on a resume daily. Unfortunately, most job seekers miss their opportunity to keep track of their most impactful accomplishments.

Accomplishments vs. Responsibilities Resume accomplishments are different than duties and responsibilities, which are virtually the same for any employee in a similar role. Here's an example of a strong resume accomplishment:

Replacing the standard responsibilities with strong accomplishments proves to the hiring manager that you can, in fact, do what you say you can and show them that you'll provide more value than the next candidate. Why is now the best time? Because it's a lot easier to compile accomplishments while your role is still strong in your mind.

**How to Write Resume Accomplishments ** If you're stumped coming up with resume accomplishments, it can help to ask yourself questions, like:

• Did I make or save the company money? If so, exactly how much?
• Did I reach my goals quickly? If so, what was the exact time period?
• Did I exceed my goals often? If so, to what degree?

When answering these questions, focus on percentages, timespan, dollar amounts, and volume. These values make your accomplishments measurable and quantifiable.

Once you have something measurable to use, don't forget to add some context. For example, "Saved $100,000” doesn’t mean much on its own, but “Saved $100,000 YoY, decreasing operating budget by 52%” gives it a good perspective.

Hit two birds with one stone and include resume keywords in your accomplishments. Keywords help you stand out to ATS and make your accomplishments more relevant to your industry.

Read more:

I. 39 Resume Accomplishments Examples To Demonstrate Your Value. II. The Simple Formula for Identifying Your Key Achievements on an Executive Resume. III. You Don’t Need Numbers to Show Accomplishments on Your Resume.