by Angela Copeland | Aug 16, 2017 | Advice, Career Corner Column, Media
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.
by Angela Copeland | Aug 15, 2017 | Advice, Headhunter, Podcast, Recruiter
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!
by Angela Copeland | Aug 14, 2017 | Advice, Newsletter, Non-profit
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
by Angela Copeland | Aug 9, 2017 | Advice, Career Corner Column, Frustration, Job Application
I think by now, we can all agree. The job search process can be a grueling one. If you’re actively looking for a job, you know what I’m talking about. You apply online and never hear back. Or, maybe you go through rounds of interviews that lead nowhere.
This process can be both frustrating and disappointing at a bare minimum. It leaves smart, accomplished professionals feeling less than. It leaves them wondering what’s wrong with them. Are they too old? Too young? Perhaps they have the wrong college degree? They wonder what it is about them that employers don’t like.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Today’s job seeker is frustrated and fed up. But, what if it wasn’t really you? What if the reason you aren’t getting calls back has less to do with you, and more to do with the process? Hear me out.
The standard line that almost every company says to job applicants is, “Apply online. If you’re a good fit, we’ll call you.” Even at job fairs these days, many of the company representatives will opt out of taking your resume in person and will instead ask you to apply online. This would lead one to believe that applying online is the best route to finding a job, don’t you think?
The problem is, most people still find jobs the same way today that they did in 1990 – through their network of contacts. A hiring manager isn’t just dying to hire a random stranger off of the internet. And, the online tracking systems companies use are still a relatively new concept. I’m certain they will continue to improve over time, but as it stands, many of these systems struggle to get the right candidates in front of the hiring manager.
On top of this, company rules often dictate that they must post each and every job online – even if they already know who they’re going to hire. I’ve seen this first hand. Years ago, I started working at a company as a contract employee. I was brought in as a contractor so that I could start right away, and then was hired permanently months later. But, before I was hired, my job was posted online as a vacancy. It was the same job I’d been doing every day for months. It was the same job that I already had official business cards for. If anyone had applied or interviewed for the job, they may never have known why they weren’t hired.
So, what’s the answer to this problem? It’s not straightforward. But, one thing’s for sure. The reason you weren’t hired could have little to do with you and more to do with the company’s process. My best advice is this. Try not to take this process personally. Go through the interviews and take the opportunity to get to know the hiring manager. The more well connected you are before you apply, the more likely you will be the chosen one the next time around.
Angela Copeland is a Career Coach and Founder of Copeland Coaching and can be reached at CopelandCoaching.com or on Twitter at @CopelandCoach.
by Angela Copeland | Aug 7, 2017 | Advice, Month in review, Newsletter
Thanks everyone for your kind words about my new office! It’s been such a positive experience. I’ve enjoyed seeing everyone who has stopped by since the move.
The past month has been a whirlwind! First, there was the move. Then, I had the opportunity to speak on the radio and TV about topics like applying via Snapchat (who knew!), and to share my career advice in a number of online publications, including Glassdoor, CNBC, and Society for Human Resources Management.
I also had a chance to interview former Starbucks President Howard Behar, career author Caroline Dowd-Higgins, and human resources expert Jennifer McClure. And, if you missed it, I chatted with the head of HR at Indeed.com (the #1 job search website), Paul Wolfe, back in June.
It’s been a great, exciting time. Below is a review of the month and what to look for in August. I hope you’ll find this content fun and informative.
Coming in August!
Friday, August 11th – I’ll be presenting at the Memphis Public Library about updating your resume.
Saturday, August 19th – I’ll be presenting at the 2017 Modern Day Women’s Conference about marketing yourself, and finding a new job in the current market.
July in Review
If you haven’t had a chance to check out my TEDx Talk, you can watch it here. The title of my talk is “How I broke the rules & found my perfect job.” It was a great opportunity to share my personal career experience and what I learned along the way.
The digital age of hiring, Wreg (web) – McDonald’s is hiring 250,000 new employees this summer with the help of Snapchat. I got a chance to talk about what it means on Live @ 9, and whether or not you should be searching for a job on social media.
Everything you need to nail your informational interview, CNBC – You may not have been on one (or even heard the term before), but an informational interview can be your ace in the hole during the job seeking process.
9 Skills You Need to Master Before You Become a Manager, Glassdoor.com – There’s no doubt that being a manager has its perks — increased prestige, recognition from upper management, and a higher paycheck among them.
Employers Are Using Snapchat to Reach Generation Z, Society for Human Resource Management – After just four weeks of running a series of ads that prompted Snapchat users to swipe to the McDonald’s careers page, the fast food chain has received 35 percent more job applications as compared to this time last year.
9 Things You Need to Stop Doing if You Want to Be Taken Seriously, Glassdoor.com – Want to be known as a rockstar around your office? Here’s a tip: to really earn a stellar reputation, you can’t just do your individual tasks well.
Usual Suspects Permeate 2017 Top Employer Rankings, Society for Human Resources Management – It has become something of an aspirational refrain in the business world: Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, Google. The ubiquitous tech juggernauts dominate the rankings of the most attractive companies for job seekers. I provided my perspective on what it means to the future of job searching.
Breaking the Rules to Find Your Perfect Job, Recruiter.com – In your career, things don’t always work out the way you plan them to. In my piece on Recruiter.com, I share a little bit about how I was able to find my path.
Tech Jobs Tour, TechJobsTour.com – I participated in the Tech Jobs Tour as a mentor. This tour is traveling the country, so check it out to see when it’s coming to your city.
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
by Angela Copeland | Aug 2, 2017 | Advice, Career Corner Column, College, College Graduation, First Job, Media
In the past week, two interesting things have happened. First, I was asked the question, “What advice would you give your younger self?” Then, I attended my high school reunion. Walking through the old halls of my high school brought back memories of where it all started. Needless to say, both moments made me think about the past and what advice I would give a young person today.
First and foremost, focus on your strengths. Growing up, there’s often a large emphasis placed on being well rounded and equally good at everything. We spend so much time trying to be better at skills we struggle with. In reality, it’s the things that we’re good at that make us special. You will go much farther pouring your time into an area where you excel than stumbling around in something you are weak at. Worry less about your weaknesses and instead, celebrate your gifts.
Second, listen to your gut. Other people with good intentions will try to guide you along the way. They may be parents, teachers, or friends. Some of their advice may be helpful, but some may not. It’s your job to sort out the good from the bad. Do a gut check with yourself before you make big decisions. And remember, most people are best at giving advice for one specific area. Seek out mentors to help with specific decisions rather than all areas of your life. If you begin to head down a path that doesn’t feel right, take a step back and reassess. Similarly, if you’re on a path that you are sure about and are receiving negative feedback from those who may not be in a place to advise you, take your time before switching paths. When I made the decision to move from Oklahoma to upstate New York to study engineering, I received some negative feedback. But, I’m very glad I stayed focused on my mission because it was the best choices I could have made.
Last, your path may not be straight – and that’s okay. Today’s professionals will change their career path many times over the course of their working life. There’s a good chance you will change roles, industries, or fields more than once. Each change will take you closer and closer to your ultimate destination. Be prepared for this change. It’s not the same as failure. Don’t dwell too long if something isn’t working. Adjust your path and continue to move forward in a new direction. That’s where you will find your success.
One of the most important elements of finding your way is to stay informed – and to be prepared for change. It’s not always possible to predict what change will happen, but change itself is inevitable. Being nimble, aware of your strengths, and willing to listen to your intuition will take you far. This is the advice I’d give to the younger me. And, with the ever changing job market, it’s a good future lesson to remember too.
Angela Copeland is a Career Coach and Founder of Copeland Coaching and can be reached at CopelandCoaching.com or on Twitter at @CopelandCoach.
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