I'm going to talk about a subject that's a little hard to discuss, but I'm asking you to power through and really listen to me. We're going to talk about the fact that a recession is coming. It's on the horizon.
Not If, But When
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It's not a question of "if", it's a question of "when." As a career coach, I get really, really worried about everybody in times like these. I've been through three market corrections in my lifetime.
First, when I was graduating from college, so I was a job seeker.
Second, I was in HR and recruiting back in the .com bust. I watched all that happen in Silicon Valley and beyond.
And then third, the big recession of 2008. This was when I started my career coaching practice and started this website because I was so worried about people and what I saw.
The Millennials
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I know it's coming and I'm worried for two particular groups of people. The first are the millennials. The millennials have never worked through a recession. They grew up experiencing one, they saw their parents get stressed out, and maybe lose their jobs. However, they've never lived through a recession where a lot of their friends and maybe themselves are going to lose jobs.
It's not just a question of people losing jobs. There will be survivor's guilt as well. You feel that when you realize you kept your job and somebody else didn't. It's horrifying. Some of them are managers and it's going to be the first time they've had to let people go.
It's a very stressful thing, especially because we know millennials are super sensitive, super team-based. Those are wonderful qualities to have. But, it means the stress level and the emotional reaction to it is going to be even higher and that concerns me a lot.
The Baby Boomers
I'm also worried about all of the more seasoned workers. Baby boomers and some of the older Gen Xers because we have so many people in the workforce right now. Over half of them are millennials who are younger and less expensive.
There's this kind of bell curve that you hit in your career and a lot of older workers are going to be pushed off the cliff of work relevance. This means they probably won't ever get another job that pays as much or as well.
It's just the law of supply and demand. When we have more people in the workforce who cost less, it drives the price down.
Think About Your Personality & Aptitude
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It's very concerning to me that this is going to happen. I can't stop it from happening, but what I can do is coach people right now on the two things you need to be thinking about with respect to your presence in the workplace.
It's not just about your experience. The most senior person does not stay, the most experienced person does not stay in these situations. Trust me, I was in HR and recruiting. I have been through many reorganizations. I understand what goes on behind those closed doors; they're looking at two additional things about you as a professional.
They're looking at your personality, meaning, what are you like to work with? In times of stress, what is your personality? What gets revealed about you and how are you to collaborate with?
And finally, they look at your aptitude. What's your ability to adapt to change? How good are you at just rolling with it and making things happen and shifting gears? And, on top of all that, being experienced.
Companies are saying, "Okay, I have to build this new team. This new team is going to be made of the survivors. I need them to be able to get positive and motivated and be productive at the highest level. I'm going to need them to get along in these tough times."
That's why companies pay a lot of attention to your personality and your aptitude.
Do A Gut Check
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So what does that mean for you right now? Well, you need to do a gut check.
How has your attitude been in the workplace?
- Are you one of those people that has been rolling with the punches and embracing change and really helping move things forward?
- Are you somebody who has a lot of strong relationships with your coworkers, peers, and your manager?
- Are you seen as somebody who is a specialist, a go-to person in the organization who provides lots of value and really serves everyone?
Those are the things you need to get honest about because a lot of times people forget, they just work in their job. "I don't have to have friends at the office, I just need to do my work." It's not enough. In times of change, you also need to be seen as somebody that they're going to want to work through the tough times with.
Make sure you're working on your career right now, not just in your job. If you aren't, and you get blindsided, it's going to be so hard emotionally to rebound.
Most importantly, if that does happen for you, please get support, get help immediately. Do not try to go it alone. We're all businesses-of-one.
We're in business for ourselves, but we shouldn't be by ourselves. That's why when sudden career curve balls happen, you need mentors, you need support, you need a community. Make sure you get that, too.
My advice to you is to do that gut check. Maybe sit down with your boss and talk a little bit about your contributions and what you can do to improve. Are you a good team player? What else can you do to add value?
If you're walking in with an attitude, you're frustrated. "They don't respect me. They don't recognize me enough." If you think you're hiding that attitude, you're not! That's mentally-noted for when times get tough.
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So, do a reality check, attitude check, gut check, and get in the game. Bring your best personality to work every day. Bring your best aptitude, your ability to change every day, and keep working on your experience. Make sure you're staying relevant!
I know this is a hard conversation to have, but it's important that you don't shy away from it! You've got to understand and know what to do because knowledge is power.
We have some great career quizzes here on discovering your workplace persona and your communication style! Learning how you add value to the workplace is crucial during this time.
We're all in this together. And, as we always say, if you want to win, you've got to Work It Daily!
Looking for a job? We can help! Join our career growth club today and get access to one-on-one career coaching, resume and cover letter reviews, online tutorials, and unlimited networking opportunities—all in your back pocket!
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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
BigstockMake 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
BigstockAre 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.
Let's start with resumes!
Every resume should be tailored to the position in order for it to stand out to recruiters and hiring managers. It may seem like a lot of work, but it's actually less work than submitting the same resume over and over again and never hearing back.
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
BigstockYour 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!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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