Today’s global job market and rules of engagement have dramatically shifted. For example, in June 2009, the Wall Street Journal ran an article titled Only the Employed Need Apply. The article addressed how employers now prefer candidates who are already employed. Yet, in today’s economic environment, where employment cutbacks across the world have hit record highs, this unspoken elimination process can be perceived by many as the kiss of death.
However, there is hope—yet this hope requires that you are on your “A” game.
So, what does it mean to be on that “A” game? Preparing you for today’s global job market encompasses a well-defined strategy and implementation process.
Beginning Steps
Before you sit down to write that “winning” resume and cover letter, there is important personal development work you should undertake.
First, understand the interpersonal and intra-personal dynamics, related core competencies and skills and cross-cultural awareness that industries and career paths in which you hold an interest now require of their workforce. How do you get that information? Simple! Talk to people in the industries in which you have an interest, read as much information as you can about the personal brand that is now being published and list the fundamentals qualifications of what this profile and resulting brand “looks” like in a global context. But most important, compare and contrast where you are (realistically) compared to this workforce profile!
Once you have this information, do an honest inventory of where you stand. Yet, when doing this inventory, do not engage in it from a negative point of view. Appreciatively think about and write down your core strengths, where you have made a difference in your work environment, family, community, and other venues. And, reflect upon how happy you have been when you have been at your best.
Armed with a positive perspective of you, your strengths and successes, next dream about what you really want to do in your life and compare this information with the first two steps. Dream the grandest vision you have of you. Are you really personally aligned to the industry (or industries) and/or career path you researched or are your strengths and your personal vision suggesting a different direction? Are there gaps that you need to focus on addressing via a personal development plan?
If you are aligned with where you initially began, or find that you may want to go in a different direction, or have concluded that you need some “shoring up,” begin to develop your personal strategy and developmental steps.
Your strategy should include relevant tactical developmental steps and milestones. And, it is prudent to remember that you should not allow people to take you off of your personal strategy. Far too often, people have visions and goals, but they do not have the details necessary to get them from one point to another.
When this occurs, it is easy for people to sway you off of your path. Even if you have family responsibilities, when you have your strategy and tactical steps aligned, you are better positioned to prioritize what you need to do for others compared to what you need to do for you. Remember, being able to do for you is germane to being able to do for others without feeling inordinate and/or debilitating stress. This is called being in balance.
Insure that you are physically up to readying yourself for change and the implementation processes for your strategy. Stress management is critical. Being healthy and vibrant, where you are eating correctly as well as exercising is key to meeting your personal strategic plan as well as positively moving towards each milestone.
Routinely assess your progress and do not be afraid to re-modulate your action steps if necessary. Circumstances can and sometimes do impact our strategy and/or tactical steps. However, they should never be perceived as impediments to forward movement.
Concluding Thoughts
Yes, our world is changing and that change will continue. And yes, the rules of engagement for today’s global job market have significantly changed and are continuing to change. But these changes, I believe can be healthy for today’s workforce. Engaging in career change strategies will cause you to engage in healthy reflective action, where your steps can better align you with your dreams and aspirations and the morphing of today’s world.
As Helen Keller once said…
"To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable."
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
Bigstock
Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
Bigstock
Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
Bigstock
Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
Need more help with your job search?
Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!
This article was originally published at an earlier date.
Bigstock
Bigstock
Bigstock
