What are your wishes for the New Year?

Join Pete and Ricky on this episode of the finding career zen podcast as they discuss their hopes for the job market this year and beyond. This wishlist includes AI, unions, and flexible work arrangements, hoping they all come or go before the year's end.

Marking three years since Covid changed the world, Pete and Ricky also discuss its effects on the future, like the growing gig economy. Will that continue to flourish these next 12 months? Pete hopes so!

Please tune in to hear why they choose these specific wishes for the New Year! Will they come true before 2023 wraps up? Pete and Ricky will check back in with a conclusion.

Connect with Pete and Ricky on LinkedIn!

Pete’s wishlist

• Increase growth of the freelance market and healthier working relationships
• The economy will improve: decrease in interest rates, cost of living, and inflation
• Employee empowerment
• Quiet quitting will cease to exist

Ricky’s wishlist

• Increase in flexible working relationships, such as 4-day workweeks
• Technology will be embraced like never before
• A decline in the use of outdated application processes because resumes are only a snapshot into an employee’s experience and skillset.

Layoffs are happening every day and the unknown seems to be on everyone’s mind. On today’s episode of Finding Career Zen, Pete sits down with HR professional, Ricky Baez, to answer some questions from our listeners, which all happen to deal with this timely concern. Whether you’ve already been laid off or are looking for ways to avoid it, Pete and Ricky have years of experience and knowledge regarding layoffs and are happy to share their insight and advice.

As Pete and Ricky answer these questions, they remain confident in the future of the job market. While it may be true that your job is never guaranteed, it’s also true that this is still a great time to be on the market for a new position. With more job openings than job seekers, there is no reason to lose sight of your future career aspirations in the upcoming year.

If you’re searching for a job, zengig.com is a great place to start. Use our career guides, advice blogs, sample resumes, and interview questions as your source for career enlightenment!

Connect with Pete and Ricky on LinkedIn!

"I've been laid off. What should I do?"

• Tell everyone you know. Shout the news as loudly as you can. You never know where that source of the next opportunity is going to come from. Don't be shy about it. Cast a wide net, because it's not about just getting a job but getting the job that you want. 
• Network, network, network. When you find out, don’t wait on it. Get on LinkedIn and connect with everyone you know. Update your contact info and update your resume. Put it out there quickly. 
• Post your resume on job boards. Sites like CareerBuilder, Monster, Indeed, and LinkedIn are all great options. 
• Connect with recruiters. In your geography, your industry, or your niche. Recruiters will represent you in a way you can’t represent yourself. They'll be more aggressive on your behalf and you'll expose yourself to a bigger part of the market in return. It's in their best interest to connect you with a job you're going to be happy with.

"How do I avoid being laid off?"

• Become invaluable to the organization. Be indispensable and needed. You cannot avoid with 100% certainty being laid off, but you can definitley make it more difficult. But being as valuable as possible to your organization is the best way to mitigate the risk of being laid off.
• Be proactive. Ask yourself if you’re in a position that can easily be replaced or done by someone else. If they cannot do without your position, chances are you're not going to be on the chopping block. Find out what this is in your organization and be great at it.

"I was ready to ask for a raise, but we just had a layoff. Should I wait?"

• Yes. Don't do it yet, let things simmer a little bit. Check back in January and see how things are going. Understand the financial tempo for your business and act accordingly, but never during or right after a layoff. 

On today’s episode of the Finding Career Zen podcast, special guest Steve Glomski is here to share his entrepreneurial journey thus far, as he launches a new platform inspired by his experience as a staffing industry veteran.

Steve Glomski has been in the staffing industry for over 15 years, founding Shyft6 in 2019 and, more recently, Abra, which just launched a few weeks ago. Steve explains the unnecessary manual processes that still exist today and how Abra will ultimately solve many of these hiring problems for job seekers and employers in IT Healthcare. Steve understands the importance of flexibility in today's market and is determined to empower talent while creating transparency. He also shares the secret to successful hiring and the importance of specific knowledge. And for those interested in entrepreneurship, Steve offers some tips on how to be both a leader and a lifelong learner.

Tune in as Steve shares an inspiring story about his hopes for career empowerment and check out Shyft6 and Abra to learn more!

Connect with Steve on LinkedIn here!

Tips

For job seekers:

• If you're considering freelancing, dip your toe in the water. You don't have to go all in and go full-time freelance. But figure out a way to take on a project and get yourself out there. 
• Develop new skills. If you're stagnant in the same environment, you're going to be limited in the amount of exposure to processes, tools, techniques, and methodologies on how to get better at doing things.
• Become a student in an environment that you are passionate about. There's a shortage of talent at a high level. You become worth a lot to an organization when you bring valued understanding and expertise into that environment. Specific knowledge can't be replaced, that will always have value. 

For entrepreneurs: 

• Be okay with the potential to fail. You have to accept that there is a chance you're going to fail. And having a tolerance for risk is really important. 
• Be honest. With yourself, with your customers, and with your employees. Transparency goes a long way, and your reputation matters. Lead by example and don't ask anyone to do something that you're not willing to do yourself. 
• Be a lifelong learner. Read books and listen to podcasts. Expose yourseld to as much as you can. You almost have to be obsessed with your trade to become an expert at it. 

On this episode of the Finding Career Zen podcast, Pete Newsome invites HR consultant Ricky Baez back on the show to discuss questionable career advice circulating around social media. In today’s world, we tend to be influenced by advice given on platforms like TikTok, LinkedIn, and Twitter. However, much of what we see on the Internet is simply posted for likes and views and has no credibility behind it.

Creators will take popular topics and share advice that appeals to their followers, telling them what they want to hear rather than what they need to hear. This idea is extremely prevalent among career advice, and Pete and Ricky want to clear the air with some of these alarming claims that often do more harm than good to those who follow what’s being recommended.

Tune in as they discuss the importance of giving a two weeks notice, whether quiet quitting is worth it, and the value of a thank you note.

Connect with Pete and Ricky on LinkedIn!

Tips

• Trust your gut. When you see advice, consider the source. Look at what someone's accomplished and what they've done before believing everything you see on the internet. 
• You should always give two weeks notice. When quitting your job, this consideration has continually been a best practice. It’s just common courtesy. Your reputation is more important than ever now, so protect it. Be in a situation where people will remember you fondly.
• Avoid quiet quitting at all costs. If you’re in an unhealthy environment, exit as soon as possible. Take your destiny and your fate into your own hands. Go some where you are motivated to thrive and do your best, and keep searching until you find that thing. 
• Always present yourself in the best possible light. When interviewing for a job, put your best foot forward and give your best effort, show up early, and dress appropriately. Stand out from the crowd and elevate the interviewer’s perception of you by writing a thank you note.

In this episode of the Finding Career Zen podcast, special guest Rob Paone joins Pete Newsome to share his journey into the staffing side of cryptocurrency.

Rob discovered cryptocurrency in December 2013 but became temporarily uninterested when the market tanked. The crypto industry tends to move in cycles, so when prices began to increase again in 2017, Rob made a commitment to himself that he wouldn’t walk away again when the inevitable occurs. Like many in this space, Rob believes in the long-term viability of the cryptocurrency space and ultimately bet his career on it.

In 2019, Rob Paone founded Proof of Talent, a recruiting agency focused on career opportunities in the cryptocurrency and blockchain industries. He explains each of these systems and offers several resources for those interested in learning more after today’s episode. Rob also shares advice to those interested in entering the crypto space and discusses different careers with the biggest need in the industry right now.

Whether you’re interested in learning more about crypto or wondering how you can turn your passion for crypto into a career, you’re going to want to tune in!

Connect with Rob on LinkedIn here!

Rob’s Recommended Resources:

For employment- Proof of Talent

For daily information- CoinDesk & The Block 

For specific projects and prices- CoinGecko & Messari 

Podcasts- What Bitcoin Did & Bankless

Tips

Advice for those interested in entering the crypto space:

• Do as well as you can in school, but build up experience outside of the classroom. If you are interested in the crypto space, figure out what is most interesting to you and just hack around as much as possible.
• Most times, the crypto industry doesn’t care who you are or what your background is. Thanks to technology, you don’t always need to go to college to have a good career. If you have the talent and are willing to put in the work, you can be successful.
• Determine what skill set you currently have and how it could match up with an opportunity within the industry. You need to have value to add to an organization, so work to build up a complementary skill set.
• Build up your crypto specific knowledge base as much as possible. You don’t have to be an expert, as nobody is, but as strong as you possibly can be through research and education 
• Indicate your interest on LinkedIn. Crypto keywords are always helpful to be found. Add a sentence or two in your bio to help with your overall discoverability.
• Get on twitter and start interacting with people. This is a great place to network and people have been hired based solely on their accounts and contributions to Twitter. 

In this episode of the finding career zen podcast, recent college grad Caroline Gerhart joins Pete Newsome to share her career journey thus far. Caroline graduated from Troy University this year in July, where she double majored in dance and journalism. Dancing since she was three years old, everything changed for Caroline when she learned that dance was a passion she could continue to pursue in college. Upon graduating high school in 2018, Caroline also developed an interest in journalism, and Troy was an ideal school for her to follow both passions. 

Caroline shares stories of her college experience and the events leading to where she is now. Currently working as a multimedia journalist with WTVY in Dothan, Alabama, Caroline’s career on camera is off to the races with big expectations for the future. She is aware the road to success doesn't come easily, and Caroline openly discusses facing down the hurdles of imposter syndrome, being a woman in the industry, and the fear of uncertainty. 

Whether you're an aspiring journalist or someone struggling to find purpose in their career, tune in to hear as Caroline shares her story with some excellent advice along the way!

Connect with Caroline on LinkedIn here! 

Tips

Advice for young adults searching for their purpose: 

• Take every opportunity that is given to you. The opportunities are endless. It’s impossible to know what you like until you actually try it. 
• Put yourself out there and step out of your comfort zone. The thing you’re meant to do may be something you’ve never even thought of.
• Find the confidence to try new things. Uncertainty is scary. While it’s much easier said than done, getting past your fear of failure is crucial and necessary to succeed.

Tips for being a good journalist:

• Becoming a journalist begins with your education. Find a school and major that fits your needs. While journalism is the obvious choice, majors like English or communications are great options as well. 
• Take advantage of your school’s resources and get involved. Many universities have student-run newspapers and television news productions you can join to gain experience.
• Apply for internships at your local news station. Success doesn’t come quickly or easily. Everyone came from somewhere. Put in the time and get yourself out there. 
• Fake it until you make it. To those dealing with imposter syndrome, let your work speak for itself and your confidence will ultimately shine through. Your age and gender are not an indication of your credibility. 

You asked, they answered. In this episode of Finding Career Zen, Pete Newsome is joined once again by HR professional, Ricky Baez to answer some questions from our listeners.  

Both questions asked this week deal with recruiters, and with Pete as the president of his own staffing agency and Ricky as the HR expert, who better to answer them? Pete and Ricky share their insight on the best ways to stand out and deal with ghosting. They even discuss the secret to success with recruiters by explaining how to set the stage with them from the very beginning. 

Tune in for some great advice and send any questions to [email protected] that you want Pete and Ricky to answer on the next Q&A episode!

Connect with Pete and Ricky on LinkedIn!

Tips for how to get a recruiter to notice you

• Start developing relationships with recruiters when you don’t need a job. Engage with their posts on LinkedIn. By building these relationships, you’re always going to be in the back of their minds when a position comes up. Recruiters want to understand you’re objectives and what your desires and goals are. If you make that connection ahead of time, you will be the one they call when the time & job is right. 
• There is no better way to stand out individually than by writing a personal note. Write that recruiter a handwritten note, expressing your interest and describing what makes you different. If you’re not comfortable doing that, send a cover letter or make a phone call. It’s rare for recruiters to come across proactive and personal approaches, so do something others aren’t.

Advice for what to do if a recruiter ghosts you

• Don’t burn the bridge yet. Leave the door open and wait a few minutes longer on the meeting, and then shoot them a quick text or email. Give them the benefit of the doubt. They may have forgotten, emergencies happen.
• If you are expecting bad news, let the recruiter off the hook in order to get the closure and finality that you want and deserve. Send a quick note and ask for 30 seconds of their time to let you know what happened and not leave you in the dark. These are likely difficult conversations for them, so send a message and acknowledge the issue. 
• If things are going well, send them a message and try to connect live to get feedback. And if you want to maximize your potential, you can always escalate and go to the next person. 
• Handle the rejection well. You don’t know what the future holds, so it’s best to end this relationship on a good note.
• Avoid ghosting altogether by putting everything on the table up front. Don’t let the recruiter be caught off guard.

In this episode of Finding Career Zen, special guest Lesley Pyle joins Pete Newsome to share her journey as the founder of HireMyMom.com. 

With big career aspirations, Lesley Pyle had no intentions to be a stay-at-home mom after receiving both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism and PR marketing. But soon after starting her first job, Lesley became pregnant with her first child, and everything quickly changed. Eager to work remotely back in 1995, she took it upon herself to find these opportunities and began soliciting business. 

Lesley couldn’t help but wonder if she was the only mom doing this. In 1996, Lesley created her first website in hopes of connecting online with other home-based working moms. Thanks to her PR marketing degree, the site grew quickly but by 2007, working from home became more common and Lesley had to adapt. From here, HireMyMom.com, a site for both moms and businesses, was born. Lesley’s site allows businesses to post their jobs for working moms to seek out and apply. 

Lesley found a way to combine her passion for work while being a mother possible. Are you a stay-at-home mom wanting to work part-time? Or a working mom who wants more freedom and flexibility? Tune in to hear Lesley’s story and check out HireMyMom.com today!

Connect with Lesley on LinkedIn here!

Tips

• Don’t be fearful of your employment gap. You shouldn’t be scared to explain or justify it. You are not alone. 
• It’s okay to want the flexibility and freedom to spend more time with your family. Luckily, remote work exists and the opportunities are endless.
• Use sites like HireMyMom.com. You can apply for strictly home-based jobs and projects that fit your schedule and needs. 
• Find ways to highlight your skills as a stay-at-home mom. Use zengig’s resume template and example created just for moms who are ready to go back to work. 

In this episode of Finding Career Zen, special guests, Holly and Kit Corral, join Pete Newsome to share their experience as owners of PRESS PR + Marketing – the firm Holly founded more than 15 years ago.

This couple met in high school and ended up back in their hometown after college, Holly graduating from NC State and Kit from FSU, and the rest is history. After marrying they were both recruited for jobs in Tallahassee, working at competing advertising agencies. In 2007, Holly took the risk of going out on her own to begin pursuing the dream of having their own agency. Once the business was viable, with a growing list of loyal clients and a reputation for consistently delivering high-quality results, Kit left his job and the two moved back to Tampa to focus solely on their company.

Today, Kit and Holly have built an amazing team at PRESS PR + Marketing, along with an impressive list of name-brand clients. Starting a business is never easy, let alone in the world of advertising. Tune in to gain insight and hear lessons learned, as Holly and Kit describe their entrepreneurial journey with an unmistakable passion for success.

Connect with Kit & Holly on LinkedIn

Click here to learn more about Press PR + Marketing

Advice for those starting their own business

1. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. It’s all about that personal connection. Be genuine when reaching out. Work on your personal brand because your network is everything. Go to networking events and get really good with names. Everyone likes to be remembered and recognized. 
2. Focus on where you want to end up. Find your passion. Success doesn’t come without struggle, a level of commitment is necessary. You can’t just show up, you have to earn it. If you decide to go out on your own, you need to take ownership.
3. The most basic things aren’t basic. Do what you say you’re going to do. Gain respect. Learn from your mentors and their experiences. Look for opportunities. Build great relationships and have a great work ethic. Build your rapport and likeability. 
4. For employees: just ask. Talk to your employer. If you have a concern, address it directly. Their intention is likely vastly different than what you thought it was. The longer you wait to communicate and continue internalizing things, the more your resentment will grow and the worse your professional relationship will be.

Becoming your own boss and having more freedom is tempting but is giving up status as a regular employee right for you?

In this episode of the finding career zen podcast, Pete Newsome and HR expert Ricky Baez discuss the pros and cons of freelance work. Together they offer advice for individuals who are considering the switch to this alternate career path. While some people consider freelancing a huge risk, Pete thinks just the opposite and says this a great way to buy your own security.

For further research and to get started freelancing, check out Toptal, Upwork and Fiverr.  If you aren’t quite there and want to stick with the traditional route for now, check out zengig’s live job feed for open positions in your area!

Connect with Pete and Ricky on LinkedIn!

Advice for those considering becoming freelancers

1. It takes time to earn a reputation and the kind of knowledge and skill that will allow you to become a freelancer. Patience will be necessary as you gain that expertise. It has to be built over time.
2. Social media brings unrealistic expectations of what it means to become a freelancer. Success doesn’t happen overnight. You need to have a really strong work ethic. There are no managers or supervisors when it comes to freelance. 
3. The freelance market isn’t a great fit for every type of role. Know yourself and what your role will be. Have a plan and do your research. Check out sites like Upwork, Fivver, and Toptal to find out what roles are in demand.
4. Ask yourself the hard, but necessary questions. What kind of network do you have? What’s the strength of it, from a referral and reputation standpoint? What value do you bring to the table that others would be willing to pay for? What’s unique about what you do? You need to be able to answer these questions in a very positive way before making this decision.
5. Be willing to do whatever it takes, but don’t rush things. Go out on your own when the time is right for you. Don’t make a decision when you have no options, make it when you have many. It’s all about priorities.