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Some things I've found helpful during this job search process
Hi ladies, I wanted to share a few things I found really helpful in my job search process, and although I'm still looking, implementing these simple things made me feel like I was moving forward and seeing results.
With LinkedIn, I found that following companies, authors, change leaders etc, and commenting on posts has opened some unexpected doors for me. I made a few thoughtful comments on posts I resonated with, posted and reposted insightful content and people started sending me connection requests. This led to inbox chats and almost instantly, my circle expanded. There are so many career pages on LinkedIn and I recommend following Liz Ryan, who has over a million followers and she posts tons of job Q&A and tips daily, many of which could be useful to you all.
In addition to LinkedIn, I like Sumry, as a way to showcase experience. It helped me create a career timeline. It costs $30/year, and not a replacement for LinkedIn, just an addition. I've found it an excellent resource to help me focus on my accomplishments using the prompts it gives, and it seems to allow unlimited work samples to accompany each highlight/accomplishment. So for those looking to create a portfolio and don't know how (or have time) to build a website, this may be a great way to share a detailed timeline of your accomplishments. It offers the chance to share reference notes, almost like testimonials, so someone reading it can see the great work you did and how it impacted others.
We all know the catch 22, you need experience to get a job and how can you get experience in the first place? Volunteering may be a great way to beat the catch 22 and you get to practice your skills while making a difference in the lives of others. They have projects ready to be done, so you don't need to try and come up with things to do to and you choose what to focus on. I would check out volunteermatch.com, they have tons of virtual volunteer opportunities and it seems like there is something for everyone! In the search, you can also choose only virtual opportunities. You never know who you will meet, what skill you could learn, or what you will help create.
I'm here to connect if anyone wants to, I know sometimes it can be tough in this job market, but I know we can all get our dream opportunity, it's just a matter of time.
Feel free to connect on LinkedIn and I'd love to hear some of your job search tips that have been effective for you.
www.linkedin.com/in/devney-ayers
User deleted comment on 06/29/20 at 7:30PM UTC
Lynne CoganCareer Coach for Realizing Professional Dreams
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06/29/20 at 6:57PM UTC
Excellent tips.
Here are a couple of others.
Following companies on LinkedIn and making comments is excellent. If you can, you might want to tag the company's CEO and others you want to see your remarks.
You also can follow on Twitter, Facebook, and other sites. I think more conversations are started on Twitter as a result of tweeting in response to a tweet. (Elon Musk is a classic example of this. He's taken ideas and used them. And publicly thanked the person.)
Don't only follow the companies themselves but the executives and managers you want to interact with.
The best way to expand your LinkedIn network is to ask people to connect with you. But customize each request to the person. What do you have in common? Why do you want to connect? Maybe give a compliment about their profile or a post they made.
By all means, follow Liz Ryan. She's entertaining and has some good ideas. But follow other leaders in the career space to get a more balanced view of how to find work.
Sending cold-letters to people can and does work. However, I am not terribly fond of "pain" letters. Why? If I were a CEO in the midst of taking a new product to market and someone wrote me about the pain involved, I would stop reading immediately.
You see, solving problems and achieving goals are kind of like seeing the glass half empty or half full. (The glass is always overflowing, but that's another story.) If you have a problem, the solution becomes the goal for overcoming the problem. If you have a goal, problems will arise. But the focus is on the goal and not the problem. It's a negative versus positive outlook. And if I am a CEO with a positive outlook, you will not win me over with a pain letter.
And Liz's penchant for using "I" on resumes . . . well. You see, the reason "I" isn't used on resumes is because nearly every sentence would begin with "I." It is understood and reads much more easily without the "I."
The folksy way of writing a resume is her style. But is it yours? It can be long-winded and be all about you, the job seeker, rather than about your value proposition--how you can make a unique and valuable contribution to the employer. How you can solve its problems, achieve its goals, and improve its bottom line. Your resume is not about you. It is about helping your employer become what it wants to be.
So follow Liz, but find other career professionals who can provide information and tips to help with your job search.
Krista LaBrieFinancial Analyst / Administrative Assistant
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06/28/20 at 12:29PM UTC
Thanks Devney - getting laid off is terrible - it doesn't do much for your ego! The only good thing is that now I do have time to take some awesome classes so I can grow my skills and focus on myself. Everything happens for a reason!!!
Krista LaBrieFinancial Analyst / Administrative Assistant
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06/27/20 at 1:51PM UTC
Thanks for all the great tips! I got laid off last November and am having a difficult time. Job hunting is definitely a frustrating experience!! There are some great webinars on Indeed as well as LinkedIn. But one good thing for me - at least I finally got an all-star rating on LinkedIn!!
Devney AyersMasters in organization development and change
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06/28/20 at 1:56AM UTC
Krista I'm sorry about being laid off, it's tough but now is the time to grow your skills and focus on you. You will get a great job I'm sure!
Lauren CastelluzzoA bicoastal creator of brand experiences
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06/27/20 at 1:04PM UTC
Thanks for the helpful tips! I totally agree with following companies and change leaders. It helps to keep up to date on the latest news and trends. Someone else also recently told me about the Content tab on LinkedIn. You can search a hashtag, a title or other term/phrase, and it populates all the various conversations related to that topic - it is a great way to connect with people or even find job posts you might not normally come across.
Devney AyersMasters in organization development and change
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06/28/20 at 1:55AM UTC
Thanks Lauren that's great, I'll check that out
Pamela Othen
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06/26/20 at 4:23PM UTC
I have found some virtual career fairs helpful. You need to preregister online and in that process able to view participating companies and submit your resume. The hidden job market is often represented, which are the ones not posted on the popular sites. Company recruiters will reach out to you afterwards whether attended or not as long as you registered.
Devney AyersMasters in organization development and change
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06/26/20 at 6:45PM UTC
Thanks Pamela. I never understood the virtual career fair. One said you had to be available from 8am to 4:30pm for the day and I wasn't sure how that worked, if I sat at the computer and had zoom calls or what. The only career fair I've been to in the past was an in-person one where I could travel to booths.
I usually can't make it to these, but if I can register to get on the recruiter's radar that would be helpful. But will that look like I was a flake since I registered and wasn't there? I hope not, but since I'm not sure how these flow, I wouldn't want someone to be waiting on me for an interview/chat.
Great ideas thanks!
Haley Carloni
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06/26/20 at 3PM UTC
Thanks so much for this advice. I've been on the hunt since April and it's definitely been tough, so appreciate you sharing your experiences!
Devney AyersMasters in organization development and change
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06/26/20 at 6:40PM UTC
You're welcome! I know how frustrating it is and I thought it would be a good idea to share some encouragement to the group. You'll get something soon!
Devney AyersMasters in organization development and change
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06/25/20 at 4:28PM UTC
A few more tips, I attended a webinar yesterday and there is a way to bulion (I think that is what it's called?) search through LinkedIn.
If you want to see if there are any recruiters for a company you are interested in, you can type the word recruiter (lowercase) AND (all caps) company name (lowercase, or first letter capital, rest lowercase). If the job you are looking for is more than one word, like Customer Success Specialist, put that in quotes. "Customer Success Specialist"
Make sure your LinkedIn profile is all-star status. That just means you need to have at least 50 connections and for it to be completely filled out. Recruiters are more likely to look for candidates who have this since it shows commitment to completing the profile.
Devney AyersMasters in organization development and change
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06/25/20 at 4:10PM UTC
Thanks for all the suggestions ladies! I also just realized that on LinkedIn you can search by hashtag and you can #internship and they have tons of internships (both unpaid and paid) all over the WORLD! They seem competitive (hundreds of people commenting how interested they are on each post), if something sparks your interest, it couldn't hurt to apply!
Christine GrazioLearning Strategy | Instructional Design
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06/25/20 at 3:57PM UTC
I love the volunteering suggestion too - and have explored projects that support non-profit organizations on catchafire.org - I'm currently working on one project to help a non-profit group convert their in-person fall conference to a virtual event. It's been a great way for me to sustain a sense of purpose during my job search as well.
Devney AyersMasters in organization development and change
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06/25/20 at 4:14PM UTC
That's really neat Christine! I did look at Catchfire as well and I plan on applying. I liked that they have short-term gigs and you can do different projects in an hour. I think that is HUGE for people when getting the chance to volunteer. Sometimes they don't have the time to commit to something long-term, but are available for a few hours to complete a specific task and sometimes those tasks are essential in moving things forward.
Do you have any suggestions on great organizations to look into at Catchfire?
Christine GrazioLearning Strategy | Instructional Design
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06/25/20 at 8:09PM UTC
Yes, I also appreciated the short-term projects and the detail provided in the parameters - so helpful! They also manage the screening & matching process very smoothly. I don't have any specific organizations in mind - there are so many great ones. Their search tools and profiles make it easy to find something that could be close to your heart, since they provide info about each organization's mission and whom they serve. :)
