by Angela Copeland | Dec 2, 2019 | Career Corner Column, Job Search, New Year, Newsletter
Now’s the time to get started on your resolution to find a new job in the New Year. The holidays are the perfect time to begin your search. Yes, many HR departments are on vacation and hiring appears to halt. But, it’s a great time for you to lay the foundation to stand out in 2020. And with a little luck, things are slowing down a bit at work.
First, you should revise your resume. Update it to include your professional accomplishments from 2019 such as a project you just completed or a promotion you received. If you’ve served on nonprofit boards or have volunteer experience, include it. It paints a fuller picture of you as a person. This can be helpful when you meet with someone who may not relate to your industry specific expertise.
You will also want to update your cover letter and your LinkedIn profile. The best part about updating your LinkedIn profile during the holidays is that your boss and coworkers are less likely to notice changes that may tip them off that you’re looking. Be sure you include a photo of yourself on LinkedIn, along with a summary about your background.
Next, move on to your biggest opportunity: networking. Holiday parties are an ideal way to reconnect with friends and colleagues. Learn about what they’ve been up to this year, and share the latest on your life and career. Make sure to dress appropriately and keep indulgences in holiday spirits to a minimum.
If you have the chance, you may want to hint at your future goal of finding a new opportunity. With closer friends, you can be more direct in your approach. Have discretion however and realize that it’s easy for others to pick up on your conversation in this environment. The last thing you want is for your current employer to get wind that you’re looking for a new job.
Be sure to exchange business cards. After the party, follow up with your contacts via email and ask to set up a time to connect via the phone or over a coffee. You will find that although many folks are out of town near the end of December, they will gladly schedule a time to catch up when they return. This will put you before everyone else on their 2020 calendar.
The bottom line is to keep pushing ahead on your search, even during the holidays. Updating your resume, cover letter and LinkedIn profile now will prepare you for interviews next year. When the holidays wind down and managers are ready to get serious with hiring, you will be ahead of your competition. In fact, you will already have phone calls and coffee meetings set up.
For most candidates, a successful job search is built on preparation and networking – both of which are at your fingertips during this holiday season. And don’t forget: it’s a great job market!
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.
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
iTunes or
Stitcher.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Jan 7, 2019 | Career Corner Column, Job Search, New Year, Newsletter
I am so excited! This year – 2019 – is set to be a record year for job searching. If I could knock on the door of every reader to personally deliver this message, I would. This message deserves to be yelled from rooftops everywhere. If you have ever thought of looking for a new job, now is the time to do it. Right now. Not in six months. Not next year. Now.
Andrew Chamberlain, the Chief Economist from Glassdoor summed it up best when he shared that, “this is the best job market we have seen in an entire generation.” This is the time to negotiate for more money. It’s the time to ask for better benefits. And, it’s the time to wait to find a job that fits your life.
I could not agree more! We haven’t seen a job market like this since before I graduated from college. For years, the market has been dicey. But now, the unemployment rate is incredibly low, and there’s a shortage for skills in cities across the country.
When the market first turned in favor of the job seeker, it was hard to feel the benefits. Hiring managers were still being overly specific in job postings. They were still highly critical of candidates. But, it seems this trend is changing. Hiring managers have had unfilled job postings open for months. They’ve been burned by candidates who “ghost” them by not showing up to work on the first day. They’re starting to wake up to the reality that the job seeker is in the driver’s seat once again.
But, don’t delay. Don’t take this moment for granted. There is a reasonable chance that a recession could be around the next corner. Any economic slowdown will certainly change the dynamics of today’s great job market. Chamberlain predicts that the odds of a recession are 15 percent in 2019, and 35 percent in 2020.
And, this prediction makes sense. Big companies are already starting to feel the economic slowdown. For example, FedEx announced in December that they will offer an employee buyout program. Eligible employees will receive four weeks of pay for every year of service, up to two-years of pay. This move is expected to save the Memphis-based logistics company over $200 million in 2020.
If you’re as excited as I am, don’t wait. Start by revising your resume today. Then, update your LinkedIn profile and begin monitoring the site (and Indeed.com and Glassdoor) for the latest jobs – daily. Research your current market value. If you’ve been stuck in one company for years, you may be surprised to know that your value has gone up quite a bit since the last time that you looked. And, luckily, fewer companies are asking your current salary. Instead, they’re asking how much you want to make in the future.
Take advantage of the special moment in time, and create a new future for yourself.
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.
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
iTunes or
Stitcher.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Dec 31, 2018 | Career Corner Column, Job Search, New Year, Newsletter
Happy 2019! I think we can all agree that 2018 was a tricky year. But, it’s time to start fresh. It’s time to refocus on an awesome New Year’s resolution: finding a new job. And, it’s the perfect time. Unemployment is at a record low. Jobs are being added. For the first time in a long time, it’s a job seeker’s market.
So, let’s get to it. The first place to start is your resume and cover letter. These will be crucial to your job search success. Combine all of your accomplishments into a one or two page document. Go through the details carefully. Review it many times and ask friends to proofread. Then, move on to your LinkedIn profile.
Once you have your materials together, it’s time to run with your search. First and foremost, you have to get into the right mindset. Job searching is a numbers game. You’ve got to start with volume. Set a goal and stick to it. A great goal to start with is ten job applications per week.
You’re not going to hear back from every one. In fact, you may only hear back from ten percent (or less). You must prepare yourself for this and be determined to keep going, even when it seems that you’re getting nowhere. Trust that the process takes time. If you keep putting in an effort, it’s going to come back to you. Keep going.
To increase your chances of hearing back, don’t just apply online. Apply online. Then, email the hiring manager. This person is the one who will be your future boss. They aren’t typically all that hard to find. You can search on LinkedIn for the company you want to work for. Then, you can look through the employees who work there. You can even sort by location and title. Once you’ve located your future boss, send them a copy of your cover letter and your resume.
Just remember, you won’t hear back from them every time either. Don’t take it personal. Just keep applying. Apply like it’s your job. Focus on the positive wins. Be happy every time you get an interview, rather than focusing on every time you get a rejection email. You have no idea why you’ve been rejected. It’s possible nobody was hired. It’s possible they had an inside candidate who was preselected. Don’t focus on this. Keep moving.
Applying for jobs is an imperfect process. It’s like trying to win a bear at a carnival. The game could be rigged. There could be outside factors impacting you that you don’t know about. Keep playing and shooting and hoping for the bear. But, if you don’t win, don’t let it ruin the experience.
And, don’t take it personally. The job search is an imperfect process that doesn’t necessarily reflect on your abilities. Get going on your search, so we can start 2019 off strong!
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.
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
iTunes or
Stitcher.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Jan 3, 2018 | New Year, Newsletter, Resolution
If 2017 left you feeling disappointed at work, today is the perfect day to start turning things around in 2018.
How many times did you think the following to yourself? If only I work a little harder, my boss will recognize my value. Next year, I really will get a decent raise, and a promotion. I’m really not happy, but I have no other choice.
If you’ve had any of these thoughts, it sounds like 2018 is your year. Let’s face the facts. Your boss may recognize your value, or may continue to take advantage of your hard work. And, you may get a decent raise next year, or you may get just two percent (or less). Staying at the same organization often yields the same poor results.
If you’re ready to turn over a new leaf, the first thing to realize is that you do have choices. Continuing to go to work each day to earn a stable income is a great first choice. Beginning to look for a new job before you’re ready to run from your current job is another great choice. If possible, continue to go to your existing job while you find a replace job. This will ensure you have the time to look and make the best decision for you. After all, you don’t want to trade one bad job for another. That’s not what this year is about!
The great thing about landing a new job is that your new boss will get a chance to hire you. They’ll pick you. What I’m trying to say is, often if you’ve been with a company for a few years, you end up with a new boss than the person who originally hired you. That new boss may or may not really buy into your work. They might not choose to hire you again if they had the choice. If you feel like you’re experiencing Groundhog Day around raises and recognition, this could be why.
Plus, let’s be honest. Companies are more motivated to offer larger sums of money to new hires than they are to existing employees. Bosses rarely want to pay more to do the same work you’ve already been doing for less.
I get it. The entire thing is a bummer. Interviewing is stressful and full of rejection. Moving to a new company is full of a lot of chance. It could be better or worse than where you are now. But, if where you are now really isn’t working, it’s probably worth it. Once you decide what’s best for you, create a plan of attack for 2018. Write down your goals to make them real. And, begin to work on them each day.
Change isn’t immediate. It’s a slow process. But, with time and effort, it will happen. You’ll find yourself happier, working for someone who appreciates you, and possibly even making more money in 2018.
Angela Copeland, a career coach and founder of Copeland Coaching, can be reached at copelandcoaching.com.
Now’s the time to get started on your resolution to find a new job in the New Year. The holidays are the perfect time to begin your search. Yes, many HR departments are on vacation and hiring appears to halt. But, it’s a great time for you to lay the foundation to stand out in 2020. And with a little luck, things are slowing down a bit at work.
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