Tips to survive the Covid Blues

2020 has been an epic year for all the wrong reasons and things are bleak and circumstances have led you to think about a  new career or a new job.

Maintain your focus.

If you’re about to start a new job or career, it’s time to get laser-focused. What type of work do you want to do? What types of projects do you want to work on? Get clear on what your dream career looks like and deprioritize anything that’s not on your goal list.

Do your research.

Thanks to Google (and Bing and Yahoo) job searching resources are at our fingertips! Interested in working at a specific company? Check out Glassdoor to see what employees are saying about it. Get informed–it might even lead you to a new company (or title) you haven’t heard of before.

Remove distractions.

Learning something new or doing research to change careers can be daunting, so always aim to work in environments that allow you to be the most productive.

Learn the fundamentals of the industry.

If you’re making the leap into a completely new field, do your best to learn the basics. Find out what the typical job titles and roles consist of and learn about the types of career path options you could take. Start with the entry level and work your way up to see what it would take to become a manager or director in your respective field.

Tap into your network.

Ready to become a software engineer and know a friend (or a friend of a friend) who is one? Reach out to them! Buy them coffee, find out about their process, dig into what they wish they knew when they got started.  Even if you’ve had three jobs before making the switch, there’s always room to learn more. Worst case, you’ll get some insider info. Best case––they might be the contact that helps you nab your next role.

Working from home? cultivate some good habits.

Maintain a live schedule.

Since you’re not seeing your colleagues every day, it’s hard to stay updated on their whereabouts and the goings-on of the company. Employees working from home need to make it a point to have an active schedule. By keeping constant updates and reminders, it is easy to stay abreast of what the rest of the team is doing and not get behind or miss deadlines. There are many tools and apps that keep track of moving parts of assignments, meetings, days when other employees are in the office and more, he added.

Use apps like Slack  or Teams

Create a physical workspace.

Just because you’re working at home or in your pajamas doesn’t mean you can’t create a productive environment. Setting up a particular space in the home that is only for work, such as an office or a particular spot at a dining room table, it is a clear message to the employees and anyone around them that they are in work mode. It can be as simple as setting up a desk with notepads and pens or clearing some space at your kitchen table rather than lounging on the couch or in bed. Make sure you have zero distractions: Turn off your TV, put on some bright lights, keep your phone on silent unless it’s needed for work, etc.

Create a virtual workspace.

A virtual workspace is just as important as a physical one. Rather than isolating yourself from your colleagues, initiate video calls and group messages. Create a space for all online employees to meet frequently, having video conferences or conference calls builds community within a team and makes sure no one feels left out. Make sure everyone receives an equal amount of attention, and that no one feels out of the loop. When managing workers who are not in the office daily, it is important that supervisors provide them with all the information necessary.

Don’t come in only when you have a reason.

While it’s tempting to stay at home as much as possible, don’t save in-office days only for required meetings, the root of true innovation very often lies in chance meetings. Organize lunches or after-work dinners, and push yourself to come in when others are around – even if your agenda is free that day. This will enable these face-to-face meetings and entice others to the office. Remote work could be a bad practice, however, if you make the effort to show up often and connect with colleagues, you’ll find the practice more beneficial than problematic.

 

Always Keep Improving

Never Stop Learning:

Once you know the skills you need to achieve your job search goals, and are continuing to improve and update them, it can be useful to learn new skills or seek out new experiences that you have never had before. Volunteer work can provide you with opportunities to expand beyond the scope of that to which you are accustomed, and allow you to interact with people you may not otherwise have gotten the chance to meet.

There are countless resources for seminars, webinars, and online education that are either free or modestly priced, and allow you to learn at your own pace and whenever you can find time. In addition, thanks to the advent of the internet, nearly anything you want to learn is practically at your fingertips, merely a clicked link or a Google search away.

Improve Your Resume: Your resume should reflect the best you have to offer, and it should clearly and concisely communicate who you are and what you can provide to a potential employer, as it will need to get past a variety of filters and screeners before finding its way in front of the person in charge of hiring new employees. Keywords are an important aspect of a successful resume, as an overwhelming number of them are being electronically reviewed first. Search online for examples of other resumes, or ask to see ones being used by people you know, so you can compare and contrast them with yours. If your resume is getting you to an interview, then you know it is working, but it can always be improved. Don’t be afraid to ask potential employers what it was in your resume that made them pick you over all the other candidates, and what parts they ignored or did not like. Just remember that in the end, a resume is a tool to get your foot in the door, not land the job.

Cloud-Base Your Career Materials

You’re scrolling through job listings over your lunch break, and suddenly you see your dream job.

Naturally, you want to apply immediately—but then you realize your career materials are all on a zip drive you left at home. And that means you’ll have to wait until you’re back home before you can fill out an application.

Cut your response time
While there’s nothing wrong with keeping your career materials on a zip at home, it can be inconvenient and delay your application. If, on the other hand, you store your career materials in the cloud, then you have everything ready to go (give or take a couple of cover letter tweaks) and can respond to an interesting job listing as soon as you have a few minutes to yourself.

Preparing your career materials
We all know that you should tailor your resumé and cover letter to the position you want. Depending on how broad your job search is, that can mean focusing on different strengths.

For example, if you’re a PR professional, you might be interested in working for a start-up—but maybe you’d also consider a position with one of the country’s top PR agencies. To maximize the efficiency of using the cloud, prepare resumés and cover letters for each of the positions you’d consider. Remember: if something else comes along, you can always tweak your materials later.

Uploading your career materials to the cloud

You can use a cloud storage provider to simply store the documents. The best providers with free options are DropBox, Google Drive and OneDrive (free with Windows). From here, you can share your documents with others, or send them along as attachments to emails.

How should I optimize my LinkedIn Profile?

Lots of people have LinkedIn accounts, but few of them are as polished or robust as they can be for search engine optimization (SEO) purposes. For starters, replace that picture of you and your dog. It’s cute but not the right type of photo for a professional network. It might be right for another platform, but you’ll probably want to use a more professional headshot for a solid first impression on LinkedIn.

Never leave the summary field blank. Max it out to the 2,000-character limit. This is where you highlight your accomplishments rather than your formal job description. Recruiters want to see what you’ve done so they can decide if you’re a good fit for their client.

Claim the vanity URL that has your name so it looks like “linkedin.com/in/yourname” (here’s how to do that). Since LinkedIn often ranks well in organic search, including your name directly in the URL can also help you rank well. Once you’ve finished giving your LinkedIn a spit-shine, you can add that URL to the bio of your other social media profiles.

Include other places where people can find you online by customizing the website listings in your contact information. Rather than using LinkedIn’s default of “website,” select “other” when you add links to your profile so you can label them with a specific company name or note it’s a writing portfolio, for instance. That can help it stand out when someone views the contact info on your profile.

Your final step in optimizing LinkedIn is deciding how much of your profile you want to make available to the general public. Your public profile can be modified so you limit what people see when they aren’t logged into LinkedIn. There are some upsides to doing that; requiring people to log in before they can see your employment history and accomplishments allows you to see who viewed your profile, unless their own viewing settings are set private. But if you want to make it easy on recruiters (and you do!), make your full profile available to everyone without requiring a login.

Advice for the recent Bellevue Graduates.

Be aggressive. Is there a job you have your heart set on this year? Be more aggressive by applying to the job(s) you really want to thrive in. Reach out to potential employers and properly introduce yourself. Stopping by the company is a great way to make new connections and really highlight your interest in working for a particular niche.

Be practical. Even if your current job is merely another gig to pay the bills, this year remember to be practical. Don’t quit your current gig unless you have another job lined up. There’s no need to make hasty decisions. This year, be practical when it comes to career choices.

Network frequently. You never know who a new person is until you start chatting with them. Whether it’s a passenger on public transportation, someone on their laptop at a coffee shop, or even the person behind you in the checkout line at the grocery store, try to network. Always carry business cards on you at all times and remember to be friendly. Striking up conversations with random people could lead to a job. Try it.

Attend conferences. Conferences are great resources for professionals of all walks of life. There’s so much to learn from keynote speakers and the content you discover at conferences could very well put you in a more professional setting someday. Research affordable conferences in your area or ones within reasonable traveling distances. See if your current employer will cover the registration fees. Do what you can to make an appearance at one or two conferences per year. They’re fantastic networking opportunities, and great for your resume to make you a marketable candidate.

Invest in yourself. This year, make a point to invest in the tools that will improve your career. Whether it’s a new laptop for better functionality, a course to brush up on your networking skills, or a website membership to start your own online presence, try to invest in yourself. Do what you can to improve your professional platform this year.

Blog to get a Job in Lynnwood

Think of the word “blog” and what comes to mind? Mommy bloggers? People posting funny cat videos? Well, no more. Today’s savvy job seekers are putting their skills to the test and blogging their way to success and job opportunities. Here’s why a blog can get you your next job.

1. It’s your resume, only better: Everyone has a resume. But a blog allows you to highlight the skills on your resume, times ten. For example, if you’re a writer, you can flex your writing muscles and post examples of your creative writing. Even if you’re a tax accountant, you can write your thought-provoking opinions on some of the new tax laws or add a testimonial from a happy client. Just be sure what you write is accurate and well-supported.

2. It gives you a positive digital footprint: Whenever you apply for a job, the first thing a recruiter will do is investigate you online. Having a blog will give potential employers a fuller (and positive) picture of who you are and how you carry yourself, both personally and professionally. And unlike being tagged in an unflattering — and public — image of yourself on Facebook, your blog contains content that you can completely control to project yourself in the best light possible.

3. It helps you build a network: Employers are not only looking for employees who bring knowledge and a superior skill set to the table, but they also want someone who is well connected. So while you might have 500+ connections on LinkedIn, having a blog that has a dedicated readership shows that you know how to create — and keep — connections, both in the digital world and the real world.

4. It keeps you current — and sharp: If you’ve been scanning and searching the Internet for job postings for a while, it’s easy to let your skills slip a little. Blogging will not only keep your knowledge current, but it will also keep your skills sharp as you create cool new content for your readers on a consistent basis. It can also help you stand out as a career expert in your industry.

5. It makes you interesting to employers: When hiring managers read resumes every day, it can get really boring, really fast. If you have a blog that represents not only your skills but also (hello!) your personality, that makes you stand out more than the other seekers who submitted their resumes on fine linen watermarked paper. Suddenly, you become a person — and a possible job candidate they’ll call in for an interview.

Creating and customizing a blog makes you attractive to potential employers. It will help set you apart from other candidates and give you that added edge in finding a job.

5 Free job search resources for job hunters in Bellevue

  1. Emurse.com: This is my favorite place to put a resume online, nothing more, nothing less.  Get your paper resume out and simply fill in the blanks.  Your online resume will be accessible from a URL like jones.emurse.com.
  2. LinkedIn.com: I usually only recommend upgrading for people who will be searching a lot and need to reach out to the people they find.  This might describe you, but if not, just get the free version.  YOU HAVE TO BE ON LINKEDIN.  PERIOD.
  3. Job-hunt.org: This site has a tone of stuff, and can be overwhelming to navigate, but two gems that you can’t miss.  First, Deb Dib’s article on LinkedIn for the executive job seeker.   Second, when to find a local face-to-face network meeting, go to Job-hunt.org and look to see what they have listed there.
  4. Twellow.com: Go to Twellow.com (which is like the “yellow pages of Twitter”) and search for people in your city, state, profession or industry.  You’ll find influencers who are probably well-networked – these are people who you want to develop relationships with.
  5. Indeed.com: Yup, a job board, but not for job board’s sake.  Use Indeed to do COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE RESEARCH.  Find out what companies are hiring, what your target companies competition is doing, what job titles look like, etc.  Ignore the idea of applying for jobs using job boards and think about this as a rich database research tool

New LinkedIn Tool for the Seattle Job Seeker

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could easily send recruiters a message that you’re open to hearing about opportunities?

And wouldn’t it be nicer if you could do that without broadcasting the information to your boss and the rest of the world?

A few months ago, LinkedIn launched a test feature that does just that. Now they’re rolling it out for wider use. They say that switching it on makes LinkedIn Recruiter users twice as likely to look at your profile.

LinkedIn Job Preference Details

You can take a look by going to LinkedIn and clicking Jobs/Preferences/Update Your Preferences.

Once there, you can specify your:

  1. Desired location.
  2. Experience level (trainee to executive).
  3. Industry preferences (from LinkedIn’s preset list).
  4. Company size preferences.
  5. Preferred field/functional area (from LinkedIn’s preset list).
  6. Preferred job title (up to three from LinkedIn’s preset list).
  7. Type of desired employment from full-time to five other options.
  8. Availability (now or a specific month). And:
  9. Whether or not LI can tell recruiters you’re open to new opportunities.
  10. Whether or not LI can share your detailed job preferences with recruiters.
  11. Whether or not LI can share your full profile with recruiters when you apply to jobs.

Items 9 through 11 stay switched on for 90 days, at which point you have to revisit your preferences page and reset them.

Will Your Employer See Your Job Preferences?

Maybe. LinkedIn doesn’t give you any guarantee of protection. However, be sure your current job is linked to your employer’s LinkedIn company page. When you do that, LinkedIn will try to hide you from Recruiter users at your company and its affiliated companies (more here).

If your company’s logo shows on your profile for your current job, then you have linked yourself to its company page.

 

Now Get Busy

Is your career stuck?

Research the occupations that appeal to you most.

Use online and educational resources to learn more about each profession. Although a quick Google search will most likely give you some basic information, it can be helpful to visit professional organizations’ websites for further insights. In addition, you could find out who the thought leaders are in each field and look for articles, interviews and videos featuring them. Finally, narrow your list down to one occupation you want to pursue.

Determine if you need to retrain. Depending on your transferable skills and experience, you may have to get additional education. If so, work out a plan that will allow you to do so while you’re still working your current job.

Research industries and companies you’re interested in. No matter how much you like a job description, it’s important to be aware that the industry you’re in and the company you work at play a large role in your happiness. Spend some time finding out about various relevant industries, as well as which companies have the kind of projects and ethos you’re looking for.

And Lastly….

Work with a recruiter. A recruiter can help you find jobs that are a good match for your skills and preferences while still taking your experience into account. Moreover, recruiters hear about jobs before they’re posted on job boards and can help get your résumé on the right desks.