What are you waiting for? Newsflash – Nobody cares about your career as much as you should care. If you don’t take control of your next move now, it may just be taken care of for you.
Let’s put the elephant in the room on the table:
- Due to COVID-19, the entire global economy is shifting. Right now. I’m not an economist, but I think it’s safe to predict that this will impact the job market in a negative way, triggering unemployment and under-employment (i.e., candidates taking low-level jobs at lower pay).
- Unfortunately, there will be layoffs, hiring freezes (e.g., posted positions put on hold), and budget cuts. However, there are some industries in your city that will be looking for talent. It’s time to do your research.
- Obviously, to compete in any job market (healthy or not), candidates need to rise above the rest of the competition for each job. The competition will get fiercer than it is today. Bottom line: if you’re not in the game, you can’t win, right?
After 30 years of zigging and zagging through my corporate and entrepreneurial career, I have learned the hard lessons. And now, after seven years of job search coaching for thousands of job-seekers, I’ve heard it all.
- Sally moved up with her company for 20 years and thought she would retire there. On a Tuesday at 3:00 PM, Bob, the CEO, walked in and announced they are bringing in a new CFO. That was her job.
- Jim is a fitness manager at a well-known, nationwide chain of gyms. The place is packed, and all the instructors are super busy. Last Friday afternoon, his headquarters called to say that a real estate developer just bought the property, and the tear-down starts in four months. No plans to re-open.
Having a “Career Plan B” is up there with having savings, having a will, having insurance. It is one of the basics of supporting ourselves and our families. Financial security comes with being smart. Assume anything can happen at any time and make your career a priority. Develop your “Career Plan B” and upgrade your job search skills, ranging from your resume revamp through interview preparation.
Do you fit in any or all the following categories?
- Actively hunting: You are actively job searching now or need to begin your search for a position within the next six months. You need to make your job search Job #1, change your game, and learn the latest job search techniques.
- Stuck: According to the May 2019 Gallop study “State of the Global Workplace,” a staggering 85% of employees are not engaged or are actively disengaged at work. Are you one of them? Do you feel that your career has hit a brick wall, you are under-valued, bored, or unhappy in your environment, or find yourself bashing your boss? If so, develop your job search skills and get out. Move roles internally or move companies.
- Worried: Every employee is scared. However, now with COVID-19, hundreds of industries are instantly facing economic declines and resulting layoffs. From hourly employees to top executives, nobody is “safe.” If you are worried, you have two choices: One, do nothing, or two, kick off an active job search campaign.
More Tough News – The hiring process has changed dramatically
Massive changes have taken place on the hiring side of companies, and it is your mission to learn how to get a great job in today’s competitive world. For those of you who think you already know what to do, take out your Men in Black neutralizer and zap everything you think you know out of your brain. There are too many old and tired myths that will fast-track you into the “no” pile if you continue what you thought were the right job search steps.
Others of you never really learned how to ride this “job search bike.” You never went to your college career placement center, you are transitioning into civilian jobs from military or government jobs, or you never had access to a full instructional program. The most common reason why candidates are making big mistakes is that they say, “I’ve got this.” I hear from people all the time, “My résumé is good enough,” “I downloaded a template off of the internet, ” “I’m good at interviewing,” or “After I send in a résumé, if they want me they’ll call me…so I don’t need to follow up.” How about “I don’t know who to follow up with.” Oh, the list goes on, and I have heard it all.
My message to you: “No, you don’t got this.” And learning the right way to “win” a new position is not optional. If you want to learn golf, or how to speak French, or how to play a new musical instrument, those are optional.
An effective job search system is comprised of way more than a résumé or interview skills.
Most of you have learned a new sport in your life. Let’s take golf. What if you just learned how to take the club back, but made up the rest of the swing? Or you just took putting lessons and no other swings. You would, of course, bomb on the golf course.
Back to your job search skills. On the internet, there are many pieces/parts of instruction on isolated parts of a successful job search resulting in an offer. But there is a flow from end to end! As an example, you can’t update your résumé if you don’t have a future job goal. And you won’t get interviews if you don’t have a great résumé and cover letter AND know how to network. Finally, if you don’t prepare for the current way interviews are executed, you won’t see an offer.
FREE Job Tracker tool to get you started.
Among so many reasons job seeking is hard and frustrating, two stand out as major barriers to success:
- How to get and stay organized to manage your job search. Even the best project managers fall apart when it comes to their own job search.
- How to juggle more than one job opportunity at a time. No matter how much you think “this is the perfect job” or “I’m going to get this,” you’re making a huge mistake. I recommend having ten active job opportunities in motion at one time. Not three, not five, but 10. Many will go nowhere, some will crawl forward, and hopefully, one or two will head into interview land. When one falls off, add another to maintain your list of 10.
Because so many of you are struggling to start, re-boot, OR develop your “Career Plan B,” please use my Job Search Master Class® Job Tracker. This job tracker is just one tool of 35 you will receive in my full “Job Search Master Class®.” I am providing this proprietary Microsoft Excel template and a sample of a completed one so you can see how to maximize your results. Caveat: It will only make a massive difference IF you use it every day as your primary tool.
Please see all my online courses to accelerate your job search or “Career Plan B” at danamanciagli.com. Executive-level private coaching is also available. Now is the time to reach out for help.
