In this episode of "How to Pivot," I talk with Sonya Mead as we explore the transformative power of ChatGPT in the job search process. Sonya is an authority in tech recruiting, and she uses that experience to dive into the various ways ChatGPT can assist job seekers in finding their dream roles.

ChatGPT has proven to be an invaluable research tool, allowing candidates to engage in conversational searches to discover tailored job opportunities that align with their preferences and skills. It saves time and effort by acting as a knowledgeable virtual assistant.

Additionally, ChatGPT can also serve as a writing coach for resume creation and enhancement. It provides suggestions, feedback, and generates impactful bullet points, enabling candidates to craft compelling resumes that stand out to recruiters. We talk about using ChatGPT to prepare for interviews as well through simulated interview scenarios and conversational exchanges to help candidates practice and boost their confidence.

I can't wait to hear from you with questions about how ChatGPT can give you an edge!

Thanks for listening,

Sharon

Sonya Mead's LinkedIn page

About ChatGPT and where to sign up

Hey there, it's Sharon Bondurant. In my latest episode I discuss the importance of having a certain level of "pain" or discomfort that can serve to motivate you when making a pivot in your life. 

Can having a "plan B" hold you back and make it more difficult to fully commit to your goals? I'll share a personal story from when I started my recruiting firm over 25 years ago. I had no choice but to show up and make it work. I'll talk about how I enlisted help and set strict timeframes to maximize my productivity.

When making a pivot it's important to create a situation where the pain of failure is high enough to push you to fully commit to your goals. 

The importance of commitment and dedication when making a pivot in your life cannot be understated!

Thanks for listening, and I hope you enjoy this episode!

Sharon

As someone who struggles with procrastination, I know firsthand how easy it is to put things off until the last minute. On this episode I talk about four common reasons why people procrastinate:

• Fear of failure: Sometimes, we put off a task because we're afraid we won't do it well, or we'll fail altogether. This fear can be paralyzing!
• Lack of motivation: When we're not excited or invested in a task, it's easy to push it aside and prioritize other things.
• Overwhelm: When a task feels too big or complex, it can be overwhelming. But delaying action can make the task seem even more daunting over time.
• Perfectionism: If we hold ourselves to impossibly high standards, we may avoid starting a task. This can prevent you from making progress.

To help overcome these obstacles, I give you some useful tools that can help you get motivated and stay on track! 

I talk about some time-management strategies such as setting specific goals, breaking down tasks, prioritizing, and creating a schedule.

Thanks again for listening!

Sharon

On this episode I discuss the many opportunities and benefits of being an agency recruiter. Recruiters are essentially third-party agents that help companies find the best talent for their open positions.

Why it is such a great time to be an agency recruiter?

1. Candidates and companies need recruiters now more than ever due to recent layoffs.
2. Being part of a company with specific niches, but also with the flexibility to take on other positions, is an advantage in the current market.
3. Agency recruiters have unlimited earning potential due to being on a base salary with commission for every placement they make.
4. There are many different roles to choose from within recruiting firms.

Being a recruiter is simple, but finding great talent is really difficult. Agency recruiters have the potential to earn six figures or more if they are following their agency owners and leaders and constantly learning new things to stay ahead of the game.

I'll also talk about different models that can be followed within the recruiting industry. Some require recruiters to do everything from finding their own business and candidates to coordinating interviews, while others have account managers that handle these tasks.

Stay tuned for upcoming episodes for people that are looking for a career that can offer flexibility, good income, and the ability to help others!

Enjoy,

Sharon Bondurant

In this episode I debunk three common myths about the current job market that may be holding you back from finding your dream job or advancing in your career.

I'll share some practical advice to help listeners break free from these misconceptions and take actionable steps toward achieving their career goals. My experience in career coaching, recruiting, and HR offers a well-rounded perspective on the topic, and I share my email address in the show if you want to ask any question, or go to my website, The-Finders.com for more information.

Whether you're a recent graduate just entering the job market, someone looking to make a career change, or a seasoned professional looking to advance in your field, I hope this episode offers some valuable insights and actionable advice to help you succeed in today's job market with confidence and clarity.

Thanks for listening and enjoy!

Sharon

Website | LinkedIn | Instagram

Welcome to season 3! With the slowdown in the economy I felt like it was a perfect time to talk about industries you should look at if you're searching for something...or just something different!

First, there are three key objectives you should keep in mind.

1. Get really clear on what you want in your next position, but at the same time, be very open to what might come your way.
2. Go through your last several positions and review the aspects that you really loved doing and those that you don’t.
3. Some of the best and biggest businesses have been formed during a recession. Consider being an entrepreneur.

Now, with that, I'll share five different industries that you should consider. Keep something in mind when listening. While at first you might think that these fields have careers that require a lot of education or a full reset of your skills, remember that they ALL need support roles. Where ever your area of focus, these are durable industries that withstand the economic downturns that a lot of industries don't fare well in.

Thank you for listening!

Connect with Sharon on Instagram | @sharonbondurant_ig

LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonbondurant/

https://www.the-finders.com/

www.how-to-pivot.com

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

How Brianna has built multiple businesses, scaled to exit, and then started over again!

The thought process Brianna has taken when deciding to make a BIG pivot, and how she navigates the thoughts that creep in afterwards.

Resources + Links:

Check out Brianna’s YouTube Channel The Millionaire Recruiter YouTube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/@TheMillionaireRecruiter

Subscribe to Brianna’s podcast The Talent Takeover Unfiltered

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talent-takeover-unfiltered/id1621958339

Connect with Sharon on Instagram | @sharonbondurant_ig

LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonbondurant/

Find more resources on our website 

https://www.the-finders.com/

www.how-to-pivot.com

Show Notes

Today’s guest walked away from a great job to start her own recruiting agency, built that business, and then sold that agency to start over again! Talk about pivoting over and over again! I’m excited to share this conversation I had with Brianna Rooney with you! Brianna is ambitious and loves the game of building and scaling businesses, of course with her expertise of recruiting! Tune in as she shares what led her to recruiting, a story of the impact you make on people’s lives and businesses through recruiting, and the unfiltered truth of the thoughts that come after making the decision to make a big pivot! 

01:40 Meet the Founder of multiple recruitment firms, Brianna Rooney!04:00 How did you know you liked recruiting and had a talent for it?07:00 Realizing the impact you can make on people's lives as a recruiter.

10:15 Do you find it easier or harder the second time around building a recruitment agency?

13:20 What was it like making the decision to sell your company?

17:00 What have been the most unexpected pivots you’ve had to make in your career?

21:15 How do you process making decisions when you need to pivot?

24:30 The power of surrounding yourself with other business owners and coaches that will help you grow!

26:40 What advice would you give someone who knows they need to make a pivot?

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Hamid’s journey from creating a product as a side hustle, to scaling and selling multiple companies.

That you don’t always have to be “right” in business to grow.

Resources + Links:

Follow Hamid on Twitter @hamids https://twitter.com/hamids

Follow Hamid on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamidshojaee/

Check out this book mentioned in the episode:

Good to Great by Jim Collins https://www.amazon.com/Good-Great-Some-Companies-Others/dp/0066620996

Connect with Sharon on Instagram | @sharonbondurant_ig

LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonbondurant/

Find more resources on our website 

https://www.the-finders.com/

www.how-to-pivot.com

Show Notes

We’re back with self proclaimed “software guy”, startup investor, Founder and CEO of Savvy Trader, Hamid Shojaee! We initially connected through my recruitment agency and now I’m excited to share our conversation as Hamid shares his story from side hustle to scaling and exiting multiple companies! Hamid shares some leadership tips from making decisions fast, and why most of the time you aren’t going to be right, in fact you don’t need to be right all the time as you scale! Hamid also shares a huge pivot when he had to convince his team to switch focusing and investing in a product that was making millions in revenue, to a new product that was making zero. Tune in for some amazing tips on acting fast, and staying sharp in your craft, always ready to pivot!

01:15 Meet self proclaimed “software guy” Hamid Shojaee.

03:30 How many employees did you have at Axosoft?

06:20 Ups and downs over the years as you scale a business.

09:15 Revenue doesn’t equal profitability.

13:00 Navigate shifting the focus from one product that was making multi millions in revenue to a new product that was making zero.

16:00 How have you evolved and helped your development team keep up with new technology?

18:15 After selling two companies, what makes you want to do it all again?

19:40 The top two things to focus on when starting a new company or creating a new product.

21:40 How important is it to make decisions quickly?

23:30 Are there traits you’ve had to become good at in business that you didn’t naturally have?

28:15 What mentors and books have impacted you on your journey?

33:15 How can we connect with you?

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

How to gain clarity to scale a business that is profitable!

The ups and downs that led to Ryan’s realization that profitability is the goal to truly scale, rather than focusing on revenue and team growth.

Resources + Links:

Learn more about how Ryan helps businesses grow with intention!

https://arkona.io/

Connect with Sharon on Instagram | @sharonbondurant_ig

LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonbondurant/

Find more resources on our website 

https://www.the-finders.com/

www.how-to-pivot.com

Meet Ryan Tansom

Ryan Tansom started his entrepreneurial career at his family business where he was the Executive VP and responsible for the strategic, operational, and financial strategy of the $21 Million company. Ryan helped turn the company around and bring intentional focus to the right strategies which enabled it to be sold for 8 figures to a local competitor in 2014. 

Ryan took his experience and founded Arkona to create the Intentional Growth™ Framework which helps owners view – and run – their company like a financial asset through educational training, fractional CFO services and strategic planning. 

Ryan also hosts the popular Intentional Growth™ podcast that has 320+ episodes, 430k+ downloads and guests like Gino Wickman, Bo Burlingham, Dan Martell, John Warrillow, Jack Stack, and Alan Beaulieu, and the editors of HBR and Inc. Magazine. Ryan also has a passion for speaking and delivers frequent keynotes. After thousands of meetings and hundreds of podcast interviews, he has his finger on the pulse of the market like few others.

Show Notes

Are you ready to increase the profitability of your business!? I’m excited for you to hear my conversation with founder of Arkona, Ryan Tansom! Ryan shares what it was like growing up in the family business, and the ups and downs that led to him realizing the power of focusing on profit over revenue. Tune in as Ryan shares some key things to focus your goals around to make sure you’re building a profitable business that will give you the income and role you want all along the way!

01:00 How Ryan grew up in the family business and the ups and downs of scaling a company.

04:50 What was it like making the decision to sell and having to let 60+ employees go?

09:00 What has your journey looked like to the current business you have now?

11:15  The inspiration behind Ryan’s podcast Intentional Growth.

13:20 Pivots that led to building Arkona.

18:30 How do you gain clarity in your business and also make room to pivot as you go?

25:15 Do you know the equity value of your business?

27:20 What is the first thing listeners need to know to make sure they are focusing on the right metrics?

30:00 The framework that will help you make key decisions in your business.

32:15 How do you adjust your target as you make a pivot?

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

That you shouldn’t count yourself out before even giving employers the opportunity to see if you're a good fit!

Why job descriptions aren’t telling the whole story.

Resources + Links:

Connect with Sharon on Instagram | @sharonbondurant_ig

LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonbondurant/

Find more resources on our website 

https://www.the-finders.com/

www.how-to-pivot.com

Show Notes

Are you counting yourself out of the running for jobs before employers even have a chance to consider you? In this episode, I’m sharing reasons why you should apply anyway, even when you don’t think you fit 100% of the job requirements. As the founder of a recruitment firm, I’ve seen people make the same mistakes time and time again. I’m here to give you some tips so you not only avoid those mistakes, but you also take action that will put you in the running for the job you want! After all, the only way for you to land that job, is to play the game and put yourself out there! If this episode empowers you to bet on yourself a little bit more, we’d love to hear what stood out to you! Leave me a review, and connect with me on Instagram and LinkedIn!

02:20 What is the job market like right now?

05:00 Do you need to meet 100% of the job description?

08:30 Reasons I see job descriptions change.

09:00 The benefits of putting yourself in front of hiring managers.

12:00 Stop underestimating your abilities and skills.

14:50 What is a search agent?