I love doing annual job search trend shows because the changes are constant in this industry. Our conversation about job search trends offers people a chance to reset their mindset and take action at the beginning of the year. This year, I decided to go with a panel so everyone can hear how different views are often the same for a proactive job search.

My guests:

Sarah Johnston, founder of the Briefcase Coach, a company is helping many job seekers with their resume writing, LinkedIn strategy, job search strategy, and interview preparation. She recently was elected by LinkedIn editors as “LinkedIn Top Voice” for careers and job search.

Nii Ato Bentsi-Enchill is the founder of AvenirCareers.com. Before going full-time as a business owner, he was Ivy Exec’s Senior Content Manager & Career Adviser. In addition to networking/job search strategy, LinkedIn and resume writing, he uses his Psychology and Mental Health education as part of a holistic approach to career coaching.

Hannah Morgan is a return guest (this is number five, I think). She is the founder of CareerSherpa.net and loves helping people understand what actions they need to take to find a job faster. Her popular site and her US News and World Report column is a large part of being a nationally recognized expert.

Got comments about the show? Here’s how:

– Call and leave a voicemail at 708-365-9822, or text your comments to the same number

– Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com, press the “Send Voicemail” button on the right side of your screen and leave a message

– Send email feedback to [email protected]

Here are highlights from our conversation

Outdated resume advice and how to strategically position your resume and yourself to reach the right people.

Career professionals – giving outdated resume advice – “Cut and Paste” keywords in resumes as white fonts.

Expecting results from non-targeted job searches and the importance of keyword accuracy and usage.

Mentioned Jobscan tool and its usefulness of matching keywords.

Sarah said none of her successful clients had a 100% keyword match.

Understanding the difference in writing a resume vs Linkedin profile creation.

All of us agree the Linkedin profile must showcase authenticity – Nii Ato says, “…it’s a chance to show who YOU are.”

We discuss common job search mistakes.

Sign up for my weekly newsletter at the top right of my page to receive free e-Guide, “320 Modern Job Search Tips for 2020!” This year, it will be free for a limited time.

My first guest is Austin Belcak, whose daily tips on Linkedin helps many job seekers to find and network with hiring managers to get the right position. He shares with us a 90-second networking tip.

Kevin Davenport, the author of “The Ideal Candidate,” is my  second guest on this week’s episode. I got a chance to meet him on a radio show here in Chicago and kept in touch. Through his business and book, he has helped many young people between 16-24 learn job skills to help them prepare for interviews and get jobs.

Got comments about the show? Here’s how:

– Call and leave a voicemail at 708-365-9822, or text your comments to the same number

– Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com, press the “Send Voicemail” button on the right side of your screen and leave a message

– Send email feedback to [email protected]

More about Austin:

Austin is the creator of Cultivated Culture, a blog helping job seekers succeed with several strategies including:

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Get a referral to companies where they previously knew no one

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Network and get to know hiring managers resulting in receiving job offers

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Ultimately land jobs without an online application

More about Kevin:

By day, Kevin is the Program Manager for the Center of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Chicago Urban League. I went in to visit Kevin at the Urban League, who also has a Workforce Development program to help young people with job skills and interview preparation.

He kindly gave me a tour of the Urban League building. Many young people not only come to learn, but they also found opportunities through Urban League programs for many years. I’ll leave the details for the show as you’ll hear about some of his strategy helping future professionals as “secret sauce.”

Next show: January 14, 2020

The first show of the year I will present three guests in a panel to talk about the job search trends for 2020.

Sign up for my weekly newsletter at the top right of my page to receive free e-Guide, “320 Modern Job Search Tips for 2020!” This year, it will be free for a limited time.

I wanted to share my guest spot on Virginia Franco’s podcast, Resume Storyteller from last Spring. We discuss several career advice, strategies, and job search tactics.

Let me know what you think about this episode in one of three ways:

* Call and leave a voicemail at 708-365-9822, or text your comments to the same number

* Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com, press the “Send Voicemail” button on the right side of your screen and leave a message

* Send email feedback to [email protected]

Virginia is a five-time executive resume writer and been in business for the last nine years. She is also the host of her podcast, “Resume Storyteller” over the previous two years. She is also the current president of the National Association of Resume Writers.

Visit her podcast page for more career advice episodes!

On this week’s show, I am discussion compensation negotiation with Stacey Hawley, a compensation and benefits negotiation expert. I wanted Stacey to share some of her advice she writes for job-hunt.org (a fellow contributor), and her clients at her Rise To The Top blog.

Let me know what you think about this episode in one of three ways:

* Call and leave a voicemail at 708-365-9822, or text your comments to the same number

* Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com, press the “Send Voicemail” button on the right side of your screen and leave a message

* Send email feedback to [email protected]

More about Stacey:

 

Stacey is a career strategist and salary and compensation expert who has authored a book, Rise To The Top. She provides compensation and talent management services to both companies and individuals.

 

Conversation Highlights: 

* We discussed a few compensation trends for the last five years

* Companies are becoming fair and competitive (equity, benefits)

* The labor market is determining the offers of fair compensation – executive pay is determined by industry

* More professionals are walking away from low-ball pay

* Stacey says it might be best to have the conversation up front – give a range at best

* Offer the detailed conversation after the interview process, but don’t finalize before then

* We discuss whether salary discussion in the workplace is a good thing

* We discuss whether negotiation is possible after being “fired” – Stacey says “Absolutely!”

 

Sign up for my weekly newsletter at the top right of my page to be on the first list of my free e-Guide, “300 Modern Job Search Tips for 2020!” This year, it will be free for a limited time. If you’re on the list, you’ll receive the tips at the beginning of November.

To change careers or jobs is the norm as it has been for some years now. One survey from Robert Half International shows 66% of professionals see changing jobs every few years as positive. Virginia Franco, the founder of Virginia Franco Resumes, wrote an interesting article about career change I wanted to feature.

Let me know what you think about this episode in one of three ways:

Call and leave a voicemail at 708-365-9822, or text your comments to the same number

Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com, press the “Send Voicemail” button on the right side of your screen and leave a message

Send email feedback to [email protected]

Let me share more about Virginia:

Virginia is a five-time executive resume writer and been in business for the last nine years. She is also the host of her podcast, “Resume Storyteller” over the previous two years. She is also the current president of the National Association of Resume Writers.

Here are highlights of our discussion:

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Career change is a popular subject and the right market to do so

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Changing also make it a very competitive market

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Make your case in front of a human being rather than applying online and competing with an Applicant Tracking System

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Applying online is a false sense of security – three of 100 successfully get interviews

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Referrals get 10x the response

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Using the limited space for emphasizing years of experience wastes that space

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Being a perpetual learner is a critical attribute, and showing your learning aptitude

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Enthusiastic about learning is what employers want to see

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Build a bridge by identifying transferable skills

You can also sign up for my weekly newsletter at the top right of my page to be on the first list of my free e-Guide, “300 Modern Job Search Tips for 2020!” This year, it will be free for a limited time. If you’re on the list, you’ll receive the tips at the beginning of November.

The headhunter is a good thing that could happen to job seekers these days. Christopher Taylor shares the difference between being recruited and headhunted. Chris is a former headhunter and now a job search strategist. 

 

Let me know what you think in one of three ways:

Call and leave a voicemail at 708-365-9822, or text your comments to the same number

Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com, press the “Send Voicemail” button on the right side of your screen and leave a message

Send email feedback to [email protected]

More about Chris:

Christopher Taylor is a former recruiter who writes for The Muse and is also a career practitioner. His articles appeared in TIME, Business Insider, and Forbes. You can learn more about him and what he does at Occupation Optimist. 

 

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Being approached by a headhunter is a good thing during your job search

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Chris shares the headhunter is employed by the client while a recruiter works eternally

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Headhunters are only as good as their client

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Not many candidates took advantage of working with a headhunter

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Headhunters can plug you into a network

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Headhunter understands the culture, the salary, may know the interview questions, and how to stand out

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Headhunters have multiple clients looking for various roles, but will take the time to offer some guidance

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People should change their thinking about headhunters as they could advocate for you

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More often job seekers will have a LinkedIn profile instead of a blog and LI profile

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Since most don’t have a blog, it is the one thing to stand out

 

You can also sign up for my weekly newsletter at the top right of my page to be on the first list of my free e-Guide, “300 Modern Job Search Tips for 2020!” This year, it will be free for a limited time. If you’re on the list, you’ll receive the tips first. 

Welcome back to the seventh year and season of my show! So many of you have listened since 2013! Thanks so much. Marc Miller is back on the show again to talk about his new book, Repurpose Your Career: For the 2nd Half of Life, 3rd edition. He shares stories from his clients and helping them to align their interests and careers.

This is the third edition of his book. His media features include CBS Money Watch, U.S. News and World Report, and Forbes.  His blog, Career Pivot, is a Forbes Top 1oo Best Career Website and has achieved several other best career website awards.

Let me know what you in one of three ways:

Call and leave a voicemail at 708-365-9822, or text your comments to the same number

Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com, press the “Send Voicemail” button on the right side of your screen and leave a message

Send email feedback to [email protected]

Here are highlights of our discussion: 

* The numbers differ during an employment surge: Although BLS reports, 3-4% for American overall, 13%-14% is more accurate among older workers

* Baby boomers are planning to work into their 70s

* Many want to take control  by working for themselves

* Career change – make sure the industry has legs

* How should older workers market themselves?

* Want to learn industries, stay up-to-date, listen to related podcasts. It will be on your dime.

* Network with younger people

Be sure you sign up for the bi-weekly newsletter to get alerts about the upcoming shows. You can also subscribe through iTunes or any podcatcher you’d like. If you love the show, write a LinkedIn recommendation on my profile.

 

 

Underemployment can feel worse than unemployment because there are traps. Your mindset is more important than strategy. In this last episode, I discuss 5 ways to rethink your next moves out of underemployment. 

 

 Here’s how you can join the conversation:

– Call and leave a voicemail at 708-365-9822, or text your comments to the same number

– Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com, press the “Send Voicemail” button on the right side of your screen and leave a message

– Send email feedback to [email protected]

 

BLS reported May 3, “the unemployment rate declined to 3.6 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Notable job gains occurred in professional and business services, construction, health care, and social assistance.”

 

The only underemployment related stats are here:

“The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons (sometimes referred to as involuntary part-time workers) was little changed at 4.7 million in April. These individuals, who would have preferred full-time employment, were working part-time because reduced hours or because they were unable to find full-time jobs.”

 

Highlights:

Find the April’s Bureau of Labor and Statistics report here. 

 

Underemployment

Part-time workers who can’t find full-time jobs in their field

People voluntarily work pt because they are in-between career decisions

People voluntarily pt because that is their decision – to work two or three pt jobs because they love those areas

 

 PayScale survey, 46 percent of respondents said they believed they were underemployed. Of those respondents, 76 percent said they felt underemployed because they were not using their education or training. While the Bureau of Labor Statistics does not measure underemployment because of “the difficulty of developing an objective set of criteria,” it is safe to say that underemployment is a severe social challenge harming our economy.

 

If you don’t want to be underemployed here are some tips:

 

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Fight the urge to be complacent or settle even if the opportunity is a lousy ft job

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As personal trials start to take up space, you can’t ignore the impact

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Embrace rejection, but it is not the verdict

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Learn more to develop professional, and be an asset to others

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It helps to prepare for a longer journey

 

Look for my summer content on the blog and don’t forget to sign-up for the newsletter! 

Career burnout is real, and most professionals are not sure what the signs or symptoms are if they experience it. Burnout hinders how you come across in networking or workplace environments. Join me and my guest, Rachel Montanez, as we discuss what career burnout looks like, how it would affect your sleep, and what you can do about it.

 Here’s how you can join the conversation:

– Call and leave a voicemail at 708-365-9822, or text your comments to the same number

– Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com, press the “Send Voicemail” button on the right side of your screen and leave a message

– Send email feedback to [email protected]

More about Rachel:

Rachel Montanez is a career coach and a Forbes contributing writer. She also trains and speaks about career burnout in her articles on Forbes and on her blog.  Rachel has been a career coach for more than the last nine years helping job seekers find opportunities. The uniqueness of her expertise is her study and content regarding rest and sleep.

Here are a few highlights from our conversation:

* Burnout is often paired with someone who is not enjoying their job

* As a society, we’re starting to talk more about it

* Job search while working should have a strategy for handling the stress

* It would be useful to have a self-care strategy at the beginning of your job search

* We discussed how do professionals set limits to avoid burnouts

* Awareness on the burnout spectrum is a step toward managing potential burnout

* Take a realistic synopsis of what’s going on at work – learn how the brain works – manage your energy

* Small wins boost energy – get outside opinions (blogs, podcasts or other resources)

Two more shows before the end of the season. My annual podcast hiatus is from June 1 – Sept. 10. The newsletter will continue to be sent out to those on the mailing list at least once a month. I will continue to publish articles on the blog at least twice a month.

There are so many angles to explore while discussing institutional bias, and you can only talk about a few at a time. Lizette Ojeda, PhD. is my guest today to discuss research and strategies to overcome bias during a job search. 

 

 Here’s how you can join the conversation:

– Call and leave a voicemail at 708-365-9822, or text your comments to the same number

– Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com, press the “Send Voicemail” button on the right side of your screen and leave a message

– Send email feedback to [email protected]

More about Lizette:

Career Psychologist for Executive Women in STEM who want to reignite their career, fulfill their true potential & have a balanced life. She is also a Professor at Texas A & M University. 

Highlights of our discussion: 

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Studies show that during the hiring process ethnic names are at a disadvantage when compared to traditional Anglo-Saxon names

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“We are all conditioned to have assumptions”

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“…recognize it and act on it without letting it affect you as much as you possibly control”

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  Biases vary by industry – gender, ethnicity, and race are enhanced if it’s a dominant male industry

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Hair is a very personal thing and biases toward hair (like dreadlocks) make it personal

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The song “Signs” was referenced during our conversation showing biases toward hair is nothing new

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Location, area codes, are subject to bias because of where you live has a reputation

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Episode 42 was referenced because of the discussion on name bias

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Lizette shares several strategies on how people of color can find diverse, friendly companies

Two more shows before the end of the season. My annual podcast hiatus is from June 1 – Sept. 10. The newsletter will continue to be sent out to those on the mailing list at least once a month. I will continue to publish articles on the blog at least twice a month.