Open to work? 

Looking for something new but having trouble finding it? 

By the end of this, you'll have some ways to increase the odds in your favor, and one thing's for sure… your resume is NOT it. Well, at least with you writing it. 

The Current Situation: 

Hundreds of thousands are getting laid off everywhere, from the tech giants to insurance companies, multiple rounds layouts, and interviews to get back in to the same position.

Not to mention jobs are expecting you to be a coding God to get through the door. All for what you were making before, if not less.

To add to that, we're competing for the same pool of jobs as those who got laid off from Google, Twitter, or Facebook. 

Look at what this guy says 🙄 (click it to see the video):

akanundrum

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Now, I won't sit here and say that's how all companies are thinking or that he's entirely wrong. But it's the whole 'treat people like animals and make them sit and behave like they're supposed to' perspective he has. 

This is what the world is now…

I saw this the other day, and while I know I can't believe the internet blindly, it leaves me to wonder if it's really true (click it to read the entire post): 

What's a person to do? 

Solutions:

Resume Writers: 

Yeah, resumes are dying, if not dead, but that's with YOU writing your own. The easiest, laziest way to get noticed is to pay resume writers to rewrite your resume and your LinkedIn 'About Me/Profile' section to get search engine optimized. 

If you find a deal, it's really not expensive and well worth it. I've been invited to interview at Facebook twice, google, amazon, and Airbnb, all from a resume service resume… You see where that got me though… 😒. 

All jokes aside, I had to turn off the open-for-work thing because so many people were contacting me after my resume rewrite. 

The thing is, I wouldn't say I liked the way it looked or what it was saying, but it wasn't for me; it was for the algorithms, document filters, and recruiters. And it worked. 

Your network:

Directly contact people in your network.

Not a broadcast on social because, most likely, no one will even see that shit, and second, the most you'll get is a thumbs up because no one cares while they’re thumb scrolling.

But if you reach out to people directly to see how they're doing, catch up with them, and what they've got going on, you never know what may open up. Plus, you get to catch up with old friends. Some will have time for you, others won't, but making connections these days is important. 

Yeah, I know. It's cringy reaching out to people you haven't spoken to in years, but it's so worth it. 

Every conversation is an opportunity. 

The way of the world is networking; embrace it. 

In my last two or 3 jobs, I barely had to interview because of my network connections, and I got 2 of my friends in a job with the interview only being a formality because I had already sold them to the manager.

Bottom line, if you're not using your network… you're f*cking up. 

Using social media:

I'm doing this one right now as we speak. 

Post online about what you're doing, your perspective, your experiences, and your expertise. 

When people can follow your journey, hear your voice, and see your face, it adds another layer to the experience, and people can connect with you on a deeper level. 

I've had quite a few opportunities come my way because I'm yapping online every day. Your online persona can attract more opportunities than your resume can.

If you don't believe me, this guy makes a lot of money and has a ton of followers, so what he says must be true. 😅

Wrapping it up with some extra tips: 

Go for something you actually want to do:

You have to be sure that the jobs you're applying for align with who you are and what you want to do moving forward. This will give you the passion you need to get through the door. Otherwise, you'll be faking and lying through the behavioral interview, and people can sense that. 

And who wants a job they hate anyway?

Be honest and transparent: 

I had an interview once that completely bombed because the recruiter didn't tell me that it was for Azure. I don't even know anything about that platform. 

But because I was transparent and just started being upfront with the guy who was the CTO, we had a great conversation. We laughed and I asked him questions about his experience and how he got to where he was. He gave me his LinkedIn and told me he would keep his eye out for anything in his network that would be a fit for me.

Being authentic is the best for you and the people you're interviewing with. An interview is not only to see if you're a fit for the company but to see if they're a fit for you. Who knows, they may have another position available that you are a fit for.

Be creative:

Make a YouTube video, awesome graphic, or quick mobile app or website, and send that as your cover letter.

There’s no better way to stand out from The Sea of Sameness than making the person looking at your credentials stop for a minute and watch a video or something that truly shows your personality and creativity.

If you do that for the cover letter, imagine what you’ll do for the role. 😉

Ok, Ok…

I know I talked you to DEATH last week, so I'll give you some time back this time. 

But before you go: 

1. Download my book if you haven't yet. It's free, and it's getting some great feedback

2. Follow me on LinkedIn.

3. Sign up for the newsletter.

Also, if you want to look at the resume I paid for a few years back, hit me up on LinkedIn, and I'll send it to you. Since then, I've changed the about me section, but I'll send the one they wrote for me as well. 

Lastly, please choose which one of these below that you would find most beneficial to you. 👇🏽 Thanks!

Peace!