Career Warrior Podcast

Chris Villanueva shows how you can go above and beyond when writing your next cover letter. Because most cover letters are written very generically, you have a special opportunity to stand out in your next application by getting specific and targeted. Don't be like the 99% -- stand out in your next application by writing a top 1% cover letter.

Resource mentioned in the episode:

• Our other podcast on cover letters: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/28-do-cover-letters-matter-anymore-just-ask-chris-minisode-4/id1151607856?i=1000428803330
• Check out Let's Eat, Grandma Resume Service: www.letseatgrandma.com

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Today, we’re going to cover some wonderful strategies you can use when working from home. 

Why should you listen to this episode? Maybe you are working from home right now, and you’re finding it hard to be productive. Or maybe you’re applying for remote work positions, and you know you’re going to need to make a shift to a different lifestyle. Today’s episode is all about mastering the art of working from home, and we’ll even cover some tips for job seekers -- as well as those who manage a workforce remotely. 

My next guest is Jackie Mitchell who is a certified career coach and consultant. After a successful career of over 15 years in IT Project Management, Jackie launched her business, CJ Matthews Consulting, working with C-Level, executives and Fortune 500 corporations in transition to navigate enterprise initiatives and integrations arising from mergers and acquisitions, re-branding efforts, and many other opportunities as a Program & Project Manager. This work naturally evolved into coaching clients both within and outside the tech industry to solve complex problems as well as advancing their careers to achieve more fulfilling personal and professional lives.

Here's what we cover:

• How is working from home different than working in an office?
• What’s the biggest mistake people make when working from home?
• What are your top 3 tips for working from home as an employee?
• If I’m managing a team or I’m an employer, what’s something I should be doing to ensure my team is productive? Should this even be a concern?
• For job seekers: How can we set up a routine that is conducive to getting hired?

Resources mentioned in the episode:

• Check out Jackie's career coaching business: https://www.jackiemitchellcc.com/
• Connect with and reach out to Jackie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquelinemitchell/
• Follow Jackie on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jackiemitchcc
• Follow Jackie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackiemitchellcc/

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Today is all about personal brand. We have an amazing repeat guest for today's podcast episode. Author Kanika Tolver will be joining us today to discuss brand and mindset during the COVID-19 era. Kanika is a career coach and author of the book, Career Rehab: Rebuild Your Personal Brand and Rethink the Way You Work. In Career Rehab, Tolver helps readers strip away what's holding them back to create the career of their dreams. Readers learn how to create an online brand presence, market an authentic personal brand, and sell their brand-offering expertise and skills. She has been featured on CNN, CBS Radio, Glassdoor, Entrepreneur, the Washington Post and in a variety of radio interviews and podcasts.

Today, you will learn how to see your education, experience, and expertise as a brand. You will also learn how to let go of the employee mindset by valuing your professional relationships and stop undervaluing your work tasks. This mindset shift will help you build a solid personal brand and make you highly marketable, both within your current organization and as you attempt to seek new opportunities.

Resources for this episode:

• Get Career Rehab on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Career-Rehab/dp/1599186519
• Connect with Kanika on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kanikatolver/
• Join Austin Job Seekers Meetup Group: https://www.meetup.com/Austin-Job-Seekers

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Today is all about positioning yourself to move up the career ladder! We’ll hear resume, networking, and career growth advice from George McGehrin, the all-star headhunter who founded the McGehrin Group. George has a degree from the University of Oxford and has a secret talent of “picking out needle in the haystack talent for clients”. His clients often seek to hire CEOS, CFOS, and many other senior executives positions. According to LinkedIn, he is ranked in the top 30 most connected recruiters in the U.S.

So as you can see, George is the best person to cover this topic, and you’re going to hear from someone with direct experience on how to position yourself for job success. 

Questions we cover:

• What are some of the biggest mistakes you see people make when they are trying to move up in their careers?
• What are some things you recommend job seekers proactively do to position themselves for career growth?
• What does an attractive candidate look like to you? (We can also discuss unattractive candidates). 
• Obviously, hiring decision makers should be looking for leadership to step up and fill these higher level roles at companies. But what does good leadership look like, and how do you convey that in an application? 
• How do I know if I’m bad at interviews, or it’s just the luck of the draw? 
• About 80% of jobs are found through networking. I’m sure that the number goes even higher as positions are more prestigious. What networking advice would you have for a growth-minded career warrior? 

Resources mentioned in the episode:

• Text George with your name and purpose: 212-658-0801
• Follow George on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gmcgehrin/

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Today, we’re going to talk about Jobscan. This is a good episode to introduce you to the tool if you haven’t heard about it already. And I’m going to offer you my take on what some potential benefits and drawbacks may be of the tool. 

What we'll cover:

What are applicant tracking systems?

Applicant tracking systems are a tool used by companies to keep track of applicants. And if you’re a larger company, it probably makes sense that you are using a tool like this because you’re probably attracting a large number of applicants. Well that’s exactly what applicant tracking systems do for companies -- they organize and sort through a large pool of applicants so as to save them time. 

What are keywords?

Keywords in an application and on a resume are what make most of that sorting possible. Since these systems can sort through your resume look for relevant keywords, it would behoove you to optimize your resume for keywords, which has been past advice on this podcast. 

What is Jobscan?

Jobscan is a tool that will scan your resume and give you an percentage score on a scale of 1-100 of how well your resume does based on some job postings that you submit for. Jobscan recommends hitting that 80% mark in order to optimize your resume for Applicant Tracking Systems. 

Now it does a match rate based on these priorities in order:

• 1. Hard skills
• 2. Education level (only when an advanced degree is included in the job description)
• 3. Job title
• 4. Soft skills 

Heart of the Podcast:

Benefits

• Sound metrics: After reviewing it, the things that it looks for are very sound (compelling accomplishments, having a decent word count, relevant skills that are a match for the position). 
• Great interface: The interface is just beautiful. I could look at that thing all day, and it makes it really easy to understand what the tool is trying to communicate with me and how to use it. All you have to do is copy and paste and you have a score you can work with from the start. 

Drawbacks 

• Sensitivity to job posting accuracy: You are only as good as the job postings you give it. Which means if I give some job postings that are not truly representative, then I am just going to mislead myself as I write my resume.
• This is really a guessing game: The biggest thing: not all applicant tracking systems -- and not all recruiters are the same. I will go back to what I’ve said from the start -- it is a guessing game. And the score you get using one system may not be the same for Bullhorn as it is for Taleo. And most importantly, it may not be the same for Taleo in 2020 in the spring as it is for Taleo in 2020 winter. algorithms are constantly evolving. 

The verdict: it’s okay and probably useful to work with Jobscan if applying mostly online. But please take it with a grain of salt. Don’t let this guide your resume strategy, but use it as a supplemental tool to gain insights and boost your creativity.

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Today, we’re going to talk about three unconventional ways you can land your next job! Because aren't you tired by now of applying the same old way every time?

My next guest, Nissar Ahamed, is the Founder & CEO of CareerMetis.com, a publication dedicated to helping job seekers and freelancers with actionable advice and resources. He is also the host of The Career Insider Podcast and the co-host of The C.A.R.E. Podcast

Resources Mentioned in the Podcast:

• Check out Nissar's website for job seekers at https://www.careermetis.com/
• Contact Nissar at [email protected]
• Connect with Nissar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nissarahamed/

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Get 20% off any resume package by visiting letseatgrandma.com and using the promo code Podcast2020 (expires end of April)

Today, we’re going to talk about a common point of confusion among job seekers: If I’m applying for multiple jobs, what should my LinkedIn profile look like?

Here are the three points I cover today in regards to this topic:

1. Get true clarity.
2. Encapsulate both positions.
3. Nothing bad happens if you get it wrong the first time.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

• Get 20% off any resume package by visiting letseatgrandma.com and using the promo code Podcast2020 (expires end of April)
• LinkedIn Episode about Headline and About Me section
• LinkedIn Summary Episode

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This is your ultimate guide to reach out messages on LinkedIn, email, and other channels! Because today, we’re going to talk in DETAIL about crafting the best reach out messages possible during your job search. 

Why you will want to listen to this episode:

• Maybe you’re struggling with just what to say in your reach out messages.
• Maybe it gives you anxiety to be met by rejection, and you’re just not sure how to message people.

Today I brought on Lisa Lewis, CEO of Career Clarity. According to her bio: “Lisa is an internationally recognized career change expert who has successfully coached more than 500 people through work transitions in 10+ countries. She has been featured in The Washington Post, Forbes, Fast Company, Business Insider, and US News and World Report as a trusted thought leader on creating a fulfilling career path."

Here's what we cover:

• When should we be sending reach out messages? Is there a good overall strategy for sending these messages?
• What platforms should we be sending these messages out on?
• What does a good reach out message look like in your opinion? (With EXAMPLES)
• Follow ups: What if I didn’t get a reply that first time? The second time?
• If you could tattoo one encouraging message for every anxious person applying for a job right now, what would that message be?

Resources mentioned in the show:

• Send Lisa an amazing reach out message here: [email protected]
• Visit Lisa's website here: getcareerclarity.com
• Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisamlewis/
• Follow @careerclarity on social channels

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Want to land a dream job? Here's how to do so.

Today, we’re going to talk about the best way to actually hit your goals. The answer is getting your process down --a process that you love.

Here are the questions I ask during the exercise:

Question Set #1 (5 minutes): What is the one thing you hope to accomplish in the next three months? And if you’re listening to this during a dark time, what do you hope to accomplish by the end of your "tunnel"? What would absolutely excite you if you achieved it?

Question Set #2 (7 minutes): What’s something that has held you back in the past from achieving those goals? If you don’t know, then what are some things you foresee holding you back?

Question #3 (30 minutes): What’s your dream schedule that will get you there?

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