Job Search in 2019

Determine What Job You Want and Are Eligible For

Before you start looking for a job, you have to figure out what position you want. Have a specific job title in mind, and then do some research to determine the keywords you’ll use when you start looking for jobs.

When you start job searching, the job description, responsibilities, and requirements will tell you more than the title alone, as titles and roles tend to vary between companies. It can also be a helpful exercise to write a sample job description outlining your ideal position.

Although it’s acceptable to apply to several “reach” positions, don’t waste your time searching for or applying to jobs that you are clearly unqualified for. Figure out in advance how you’re going to decide which jobs to apply to, then actively keep these parameters in mind when you’re job hunting.

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What to put in your Resume in 2019

1. Don’t Put Everything on There

Your resume should not have every work experience you’ve ever had listed on it. Think of your resume not as a comprehensive list of your career history, but as a marketing document selling you as the perfect person for the job. For each resume you send out, you’ll want to highlight only the accomplishments and skills that are most relevant to the job at hand (even if that means you don’t include all of your experience).

2. But Keep a Master List of All Jobs

Since you’ll want to be swapping different information in and out depending on the job you’re applying to, keep a resume master list on your computer where you keep any information you’ve ever included on a resume: old positions, bullet points tailored for different applications, special projects that only sometimes make sense to include. Then, when you’re crafting each resume, it’s just a matter of cutting and pasting relevant information together. Think of this as your brag file.

3. Put the Best Stuff “Above the Fold”

In marketing speak, “above the fold” refers to what you see on the front half of a folded newspaper (or, in the digital age, before you scroll down on a website), but basically it’s your first impression of a document. In resume speak, it means you should make sure your best experiences and accomplishments are visible on the top third of your resume. This top section is what the hiring manager is going to see first—and what will serve as a hook for someone to keep on reading. So focus on putting your best, most relevant experiences first—and then check out these five other marketing tricks to get your resume noticed.

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Networking for 2019

1. Stop Saying Networking

Reconfigure what you think when you hear the word “networking.” In fact, scratch that word altogether, and think of your next networking event as an “open exchange”—one with no pressure and plenty of opportunity. At an “open exchange,” you’re free to share ideas, contacts, information, and resources with tons of interesting people. The prospects that inspires are boundless, and it doesn’t cost much more than a conversation. Already sounds better, right?

2. Choose Non-Lame Events

Don’t just go to any old event—choose events where you know you’ll have something in common with people, like conferences that relate specifically to your industry or happy hours put on by your alumni association. It’s much easier to make conversation in these groups than it is at more general events.

3. Or, Host Your Own!

Email 10 of your friends, suggest a place and date, and ask each person to bring someone new. To keep the event more professional, you could plan a structured conversation about everyone’s career goals, status of their job satisfaction, or even current industry trends.

4. Volunteer

Instead of just attending an event, “volunteer to help with raffles or name tags. It’ll give you an excuse to talk to people, and that makes it much easier to follow through and be social. Plus you never know whom you’ll meet.” 

5. Think Outside the Networking Event

Remember, not all networking has to happen at cocktail hour types of events. In fact, some of the most interesting relationship-building can happen elsewhere. See if there’s a conference you can attend, a hackathon you can participate in, or even a project you can help with. These sorts of events will put you in a much more collaborative environment that will allow you to get to know people in a different way than by simply drilling them with questions.

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Stay Connected while working remotely

So what’s the secret to staying relevant in a company when you’re not physically in the office? Here are 15 ways to stay present at work when you work from home:

1. Check in regularly. Since you can’t pop into a nearby office or chat in the elevator, constant communication is key.

2. Announce news often. Make an effort to frequently update your team so your role isn’t forgotten. Met with a new client? Made new strides in a project? Email everyone on your team when new events happen.

3. Identify your team’s busiest time of day. Some offices buzz early. Some really get rolling at 4 pm. Figure out that peak time of work at your office and then make sure you’re responding to any correspondence in real time.

4. Carve out a time when you answer calls and emails. Get more done and ditch distractions by sticking to that schedule.

5. Add your coworkers on your social media feed. “If you share your profiles on social media with your coworkers, pop on there occasionally to like, comment, and share, especially work-related items. Take part in the virtual celebrations of your colleagues, and share your own wins as appropriate.

6. Don’t forget to pick up the phone. With so many digital ways to stay connected, it can be hard to remember that the old-fashioned phone call could also be the most effective during critical times.

7. Set up video-conferencing equipment. Set up a Zoom account or other video conferencing platform and use it to connect with your team.

8. Attend company functions. If you’re local, attend big team meetings, holiday parties, or annual meetings.

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Know what you want before you start your 2019 job search.

Identify your ideal job target before commencing a search.

If you don’t know what your ideal job looks like you won’t know how to find it or execute a clear strategy with well-aligned tools (resume, LinkedIn profile, etc.).
Start by identifying the job title and work requirements that interest you.

Consider the type of work environment you perform best in (team-based, independent, or a combination of both). Ponder preferred company size, industry, culture, location, and structure. Now create a target list of companies that align with these requirements and start researching opportunities.

If opportunities don’t yet exist, strategize on how to create them. Leverage your network and the power of internal referrals to support your search execution. Let people know who you are, the value you have to offer, and exactly what you are looking for. Aim to make contact with decision-makers.

Finally, develop strong, relevant career tools that speak to, and address, the pain points of your ideal job and unique audience.

These combined efforts will prevent you from spinning your wheels and relying on an outdated ‘spray and pray’ job search approach. Targeted efforts are what will increase job search success in 2019.

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Advanced Tips for 2019 Job Search

Tip 1: Establish your career goals! Take this time to reflect on where you are now and where you want to go next. Having clear goals and objectives will get you there.

Tip 2: Update your resume! What have you accomplished in 2018? Review your year’s achievements and projects you’ve finished and include them in your resume.

Tip 3: Brush up on your interview skills! Whether you have an interview scheduled or not, you should always be able to answer The “Tell Me About Yourself” Interview Question. Review the most common interview questions so that you’ll always be ready whenever opportunities arise.

Tip 4: Polish up your social media profiles! Potential business partners or other key players in your industry may be searching for you right now. Social media can play a huge role in your reputation so keep it professional and build a strong online presence.

Tip 5: Activate your network! The people you meet can have a lasting effect on your career. Stay in touch with your previous colleagues and learn How to Network to create mutually beneficial relationships with new ones.

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Questions Interviewers ask to test your personality.

What was the last new task or skill you learned, and how did you go about it?

Employers ask this question to evaluate how a candidate views their own professional development.

Answer with details on how you learn new skills. Emphasize that you’re curious and continually learning new things about your profession.

Tell me about a time that you did more than what was required on the job

Your interviewer wants to make sure that you’re committed to excelling.

Give an example of a time where you went above and beyond the call of duty. This will also help show that you care about the quality of your work.

If your best friend was sitting here, what would they say is the best part about being your friend?

The purpose of this question is to bring out a sense of honesty and candor in a candidate.

Learning about what makes an applicant a good friend allows employers to get a better feel for whether or not they would fit in with the company culture.

If you could change one thing about the way you approach challenges, what would it be?

This question puts candidates on the spot, and allows hiring managers to evaluate a candidate’s self-awareness and ability to admit there are some aspects of their professional life they would like to improve.

Since humility is an important quality to many employers, a response to this question is something they listen closely to.

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December is the best time to look for a job in Seattle

Savvy job-seekers might know how to write resumes and cover letters, but few are aware of this surprising fact: Contrary to popular belief, December is actually the best time of year to look for work!

There are two compelling reasons why this is true–

#1 Competition levels drop dramatically. The majority of job-seekers figure that the holidays are a waste of time and make only marginal efforts to search for a new position. But their unfortunate mistake can turn into your big advantage because…

#2 Hiring takes off in the New Year. Although interviewing for full-time employees takes a dip in December, the months of January and February typically generate the strongest hiring period of the year. Organizations kick-off new projects and initiatives, budgets are put into place and additional staff is required to carry out the company’s plans.

Accordingly, if you take full advantage of the opportunities that the holidays have to offer, you may well find yourself as a sought after candidate–one who’s first in line to be interviewed in early January. To ensure you are making the most of this special time of year, here are three holiday practices you will want to adopt:

Practice the art of seasonal schmoozing. The holidays are filled with parties, gatherings, and community events. These are all prime opportunities to mix, mingle and share your story. Be certain, however, that you don’t dampen the festivities by trying too hard. Resist the temptation to deliver a rehearsed elevator speech unless you are attending a formal industry event where such introductions would be commonplace. Even then, make sure you judge the mood of the merrymakers before you come across as too stiff or businesslike.

At informal gatherings, a light touch is always best. When asked what you do, you can reply with a snappy one-liner that will pique your listeners’ interest. For example, a department store buyer used this playful response when asked about her career, “I shop with other people’s money.” (You can bet ears perked up with that one!) Once the buyer had the attention of her audience, she then continued with a lengthier description of her skills, experience and job search goals.

Reconnect with old contacts. Holiday cards and folksy letters are not only welcomed, they’re expected. Done correctly, they can be a great way of securing new leads and opportunities. After sharing the latest news about your family, you can mention your job search and add a few of the companies you are targeting. Then in a low-key manner, you can let your friends know that you’d appreciate any suggestions or contacts they might have.

You can also send holiday greetings to recruiters you’ve worked with in the past, reconnect and update them on your search. Recruiters are busy people and can easily forget candidates. So your greeting may well put you at the top of their minds in a favorable light. And, if you are very lucky, they might have the ideal job cross their desk just as your greeting appears in their inbox.

Network in new and innovative ways. Volunteering, seasonal hiring, and all sorts of opportunities present themselves for moving beyond your immediate circle of contacts. Pursue as many of these as you can that will comfortably allow you time for other holiday networking activities. You never know whom you might meet and where such opportunities may lead.

Most of all, remember that your goal is to take full advantage of the serendipity and good will that abounds in December. Join in the seasonal festivities, celebrate with your career goals in mind and anticipate that success may be only weeks away. You just might find yourself ringing in 2015 with a brand new job. And that’s a pretty great way to start off the New Year… with a big thanks to the holiday spirit!

Source: Mary Eileen Williams

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Are you a mentor?

While mentorship does entail teaching and helping out your mentee, you don’t have to approach it as solely top-down. Your mentee can be a professional asset to you, the mentor, in a number of ways–from collaborating with you on a special project to connecting you to people at their company once they’ve landed their dream job (with help from their amazing mentor).

Too young or inexperienced to be a mentor, you say? There’s no such thing. A mentor doesn’t have to be a wise old person with a cane (although they can be).

All you need to be a great mentor is the desire to help someone fulfill their career potential.

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Want to succeed in your career?

Become aware of your strengths and weaknesses

If you want to be successful, you need to know a lot about yourself and your performance. The better you know your skills and knowledge, but also your weaknesses and gaps, the more targeted you can work on yourself. Do so – and at regular intervals again and again – a strength and weakness analysis of your professional and personal skills. You should also ask other people for their opinion – good friends, family members and acquaintances. Listen carefully and do not feel hurt by criticism – you can only learn.

Continue your education, even across disciplines and in person

After finding out what strengths and weaknesses you have, you can do something specifically to build skills and improve vulnerabilities. Invest in your knowledge and skills. Read books, listen to cassette programs, attend classes and workshops. Educate yourself professionally and personally. Always be curious about other subjects and acquire useful specialized knowledge. To increase your value as an employee.

Organize your work as effectively as possible

To make a successful career, you should be able to organize yourself and your work as effectively and well as possible. This includes systematic time management, well-planned task organization and effective self-management. Define specific work objectives and check whether you achieve them through your measures and work steps. Also, try to simplify as many levels as possible. Avoid unnecessary handling. Delegate messages to others to get more time for the basics. Seek help if you are stuck with something alone. And look for successful people who manage their work.

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