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142 | Lessons from Unemployment – Marsha Warner, Portland, OR

Episode 142 is live! This week, we talk with Marsha Warner in Portland, OR.

Marsha is a career coach and full-cycle recruiter who collaborates with people to design a career that brings reward, meaning, and delight to life. Her clients range from college students to mid and senior-level executives.

On today’s episode, Marsha shares how emotions play into job loss, how to explain unemployment in an interview, and how to know you’re ready to look for a new job.

Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.

To learn more about Marsha, visit her website here: https://www.careerfactors.com/. You can also find her on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/career-factors.

Thanks to everyone for listening! And, thank you to those who sent me questions. You can send your questions to Angela@CopelandCoaching.com. You can also send me questions via Twitter. I’m @CopelandCoach. And, on Facebook, I am Copeland Coaching.

Don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and leave me a review!

Lessons Learned From Millennials

Much of the research about employment suggests older workers are waiting longer to retire. This means many seasoned professionals are also still job searching. And, many of those are struggling to find their way.

The experience could be compared to someone who finds themselves online dating for the first time after a divorce. Dating is an entirely different ballgame since the last time they were looking. It requires different skills, and a new approach.

In the same way, job searching has evolved significantly in the last two decades. With the growth of the internet, the job search process takes place almost entirely online. And, not only do you need a resume and a cover letter. Now you also need a LinkedIn profile, a social media presence and a personal brand.

The millennial generation can’t remember a time without the internet. I’m often surprised at just how much they’re comfortable to share online and how much time they spend crafting their online presence. Although it’s wise to limit just how much you share, millennials often understand personal branding in a way other generations could learn from.

First, stay connected to your entire network online – even those you don’t speak to regularly. You never know when you might need one another in the future. Your connectedness online is also something your future employer may pay attention to. It indicates things like how popular you are, and how well you get along with others.

Keep your email address up to date. Stay away from emails you created when the internet was born. Using AOL, Yahoo and other email addresses often give the impression you’re behind the times. Stick with something simple like Gmail, or create your own e-mail address like Joe@JoeSmith.com.

Connect to organizations online that you participate in offline, whether it’s your softball team, or a professional association. This will keep you in the know, and highlight your skills and hobbies.

Seek out third-party endorsements on sites like LinkedIn. Ask former coworkers to leave reviews of your work. You will be able to approve them before they’re public, so will be no surprises for you. Having these public recommendations allows employers to get to know you and your work better.

Craft your brand. Post photos of yourself that share your personal and professionals lives in the best light. Highlight activities you participate in. Share your accomplishments online; it allows you to passively keep everyone up to date.

Learn how to use various forms of communication. If you’ve never tried Skype or FaceTime, it’s time to give them a shot. More and more employers expect you to be able to video chat for your first round of interviews. It’s cheaper and faster than bringing you in person.

Overall, the biggest takeaways from the millennials are to perfect your personal brand, stay connected online, and highlight your success stories on the web. Although it can be uncomfortable at first, these strategies will help you to stay ahead of your competition.

I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.

Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.

Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach

This post originally appeared on the Memphis Daily News website.

 

How long should this job search take?

One of the number one questions I hear from job seekers is, “How long should my job search really take?” It’s a good question. Knowing what’s “normal” can help you to know whether you’re winning or losing at this game we call the job search.

Unfortunately, there’s no normal. Some job offers show up in days. Others may take months. And for a few, it can take a year or more.

If you’re feeling frustrated by your job search timing, there are a few things to keep in mind. For example, is this the first time that you have proactively looked for a new job? When you look back through your resume, think about how you landed each job. Did you find your past jobs, or did they find you? For many people, jobs have landed in their laps over the years. At some point, they begin to want to take a more proactive approach and start searching on their own instead of waiting. Although this proactive search is preferred, it’s also more time consuming.

Are you changing industries or job functions? If you are switching from a for-profit to a non-profit, or from technology to marketing (for example), your search is likely to take longer. When you’re transitioning from one job to another very similar job, it’s easy for the hiring manager to see how your skills fit into their organization. But, when you make a big switch, you’ve got to find an open minded hiring manager. They’ll need to be someone who is open minded, who believes in you, and is willing to take a risk on you. This will take time.

Is your job function unique, and are you highly compensated? The higher you go up the company ladder, the fewer number of jobs are available. The more you make, the smaller your pool of options is. If you’ve been at the same company for a long period of time, you may not think about this at first. Perhaps you started at an entry level job and worked your way up. When you were hired in, finding a job was easy. You were at the bottom of the pay scale and there were many roles for your job function. But, after receiving promotions, the number of available jobs shrinks. So, finding a new job on the outside will take longer than you remember.

Do you need to stay in a specific location, or are there other constraints on your search? Requirements are a good thing to have. They help you to target the right opportunities. But, the more targeted you become, the harder it is to find a job that meets your specific needs. And, the harder it is to find a job, the longer it will take to land it.

When you’re looking for a new job, remember that it’s not the same search you did years ago. Therefore, the time it takes will be different. Focus more on your search rather than the perfect timing.

Angela Copeland is a Career Coach and Founder of Copeland Coaching and can be reached at CopelandCoaching.com or on Twitter at @CopelandCoach.

141 | Therapy Professionals – Brian Weidner, Milwaukee, WI

Episode 141 is live! This week, we talk with Brian Weidner in Milwaukee, WI.

Brian is the President of Career Tree Network where he helps therapy professionals research new career opportunities. Career Tree Network helps healthcare organizations all over the U.S. with hiring and recruitment marketing for jobs including physical therapists, occupational therapists, and more.

On today’s episode, Brian shares the biggest challenges therapy professionals face when looking for a job, and how to overcome challenges of job searching. If you’re interested in switching to a role in the healthcare field, this episode is for you!

Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.

To learn more about Brian, visit http://www.careertreenetwork.com/. You can also reach out to Career Tree Network at info@careertreenetwork.com.

Thanks to everyone for listening! And, thank you to those who sent me questions. You can send your questions to Angela@CopelandCoaching.com. You can also send me questions via Twitter. I’m @CopelandCoach. And, on Facebook, I am Copeland Coaching.

Don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and leave me a review!

 

Jumping between corporate and non-profit jobs

Career transitions are all the rage these days. Whether it’s moving between jobs more frequently or updating your skill set midstream, change is happening. One trend growing in popularity is employees who are making a move between the nonprofit and corporate worlds.

Regardless of which side of the fence you’re on now, the grass often looks greener on the other side. And, the good news is, many employers are warming up to the idea too. Now the questions becomes, how do you make such a bold move?

If you’re transitioning from corporate to nonprofit, your journey is a bit more direct. There’s been a trend underway for the last 10 years to run nonprofits more like their money-making cousins. Start by considering the value and skills you bring from your current job to the nonprofit world. If you are a marketer, can you market products in different industries? If you’re in corporate sales, could you consider nonprofit fundraising?

Then, begin plugging into the nonprofit community by serving on boards and volunteering your time. The more people you network with, the easier it becomes get an interview when the right job becomes available. Add these experiences to your resume and LinkedIn profile and you’re on your way.

If you’re making a move in the opposite direction, the journey may be a bit longer, but is not impossible. One approach is to consider for-profit industries that are adjacent to your nonprofit’s cause. For example, if you work at a health related nonprofit, you could consider a health related for-profit.

In addition, you have probably worked in a small office where you’ve become very entrepreneurial by being exposed to many different types of roles. Nonprofits are often short on cash, so employees learn many different skills. Entrepreneurship and the ability to master many different tasks are popular ideas within corporate America today. Prepare to talk about this advantage you bring.

Begin attending networking events where you can meet your corporate colleagues. Look for meetings of national organizations in your specific field of interest like the American Marketing Association or the Project Management Institute. Last, you may want to consider taking on small consulting projects to build up a list of for-profit experience. Include these on your resume and LinkedIn profile.

There’s one other important point to note. No matter how hard you work to prepare yourself for this transition, chances are high that someone who interviews you won’t agree with your plan. They won’t understand how your skills transfer or why you want to change your path.

Do your best not to let it get you down. Remember that you just need one person to believe in you. You may have to talk to more people than you’d like to find that one person, but when you do, your foot will be in the door. Once you’ve made the transition, there’s no looking back. Future employers will view you as a proven resource, and no longer someone who’s making a big change.

I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.

Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.

Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach