by Angela Copeland | Jul 1, 2019 | Career Corner Column, Job Search, Newsletter
You may be wondering if you have missed your chance to get a new job. After all, you had a new year’s resolution to job search. And, you just didn’t get around to it. Or, maybe you did try, but it didn’t work out the way you were expecting.
Well, I have some good news for you. You’re not out yet! There’s still time to get hired in 2019.
Every month, LinkedIn puts out this really helpful report. It’s one that I follow each month. It’s called the LinkedIn Workforce report. If you haven’t seen it, try Googling it. You’ll find the latest report right away.
The report shares hiring trends for the U.S. And, it dives into trends in the top markets across the country. In those top markets, it shares which skills are needed, and which skills that city has more than enough of.
But, one of the most interesting pieces of the reports comes in the form of a simple graph. There’s a graph that shows the rate of hiring on LinkedIn in the United States. LinkedIn calculates the “hiring rate” by looking at the number of LinkedIn members who added a new employer to their profile in the same month the new job began, and dividing it by the total number of LinkedIn members in the U.S.
Like any self-reported information, I’m certain the data behind this graph isn’t without flaws. But, it’s a very helpful peek into the hiring world. One thing you notice right away is that hiring is seasonal. There are peaks and valleys on the graph each year. And, they line up very closely with peaks and valleys from the year before.
Looking at the year from start to finish, this is what you’ll notice. January starts off strong. Then, it drops quite a bit after January. Then, the rate goes higher and higher through June. In June, hiring is actually slightly higher than in January. May college graduation likely factors into this.
That brings us to July. In July, hiring is a little less than in June. But, it’s still at a good spot. And, it goes up in August. August hiring rates aren’t quite as high as January or June, but they are actually quite high overall. From September to December, hiring rates will slowly fall. December is the lowest point in the year.
One thing that likely influences the July, August, and September hiring numbers are fiscal years. Very often, hiring lines up to when a new year begins. Companies will hold off on hiring until the clock flips to January 1st, for example. But, many companies actually have a fiscal year that begins in July. That means, some companies will post new jobs in July for the first time.
If you’re thinking of finding a new job, there’s still time! But, get moving before we get too far into the year.
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 | Jun 24, 2019 | Career Corner Column, Job Interview, Job Search, Newsletter
When it comes to being interviewed, there are a few rules that must not be broken. You must show up on time, every time. You must be prepared. You must look nice. You should have studied the job description. You should have learned about the company – inside and out. You should have extra copies of your resume. You need business cards. After the interview, you must send thank you notes.
As a job seeker, if you break any of these rules, you’re out. Showing up ten minutes late for an interview is a likely death sentence in the world of interviewing. It’s game over. You just cannot break these rules.
However, on the flip side, we don’t ask for the same level of preparation or commitment from the interviewer. It may be because the interviewer is essentially the buyer. The job seeker is simply what’s up for purchase. Job seekers are like a sweater, and almost disposable. As a hiring manager, we want to try a few sweaters on and see which one seems to fit. We don’t have to think about how the sweater’s feelings.
I have seen countless interviews where the interviewer is fifteen, twenty, thirty, and over sixty minutes late. There is an expectation that if the job seeker wants the job, they will be waiting patiently when the interviewer arrives. The interviewer holds the cards. The question becomes, “Do you want the job or not?”
Not only does the interviewer often arrive late – they are also often unprepared. They come without a copy of the job seeker’s resume. In fact, they haven’t read it. They may not even be sure which job the candidate is interviewing for.
So, let me ask you – if the tables were reversed, would you hire someone who was late and unprepared? Would you hire someone who didn’t know what they were interviewing for? Me either.
One of the biggest topics in the hiring world this year is ghosting. Candidates are skipping interviews. They aren’t showing up on their first day. They’re disappearing without a word.
I’m sure there are many reasons ghosting is happening. But, I have to wonder if the unequal relationship presented during the hiring process has anything to do with it.
It goes back to treating others the way you want to be treated. When you’re interviewing a candidate, take the time to think – if the candidate treated me the way I’m treating them, would I hire them?
This rule also applies to questions asked during the interview. So often, I have observed the interviewer ask the candidate rude and demeaning questions. They sometimes take on an adversarial tone. How would you feel if the candidate spoke to you in this way? Would they be your first choice?
Although it is sometimes less clear, a candidate is (and should be) evaluating the company just as much as the company is evaluating them.
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 | Jun 10, 2019 | Career Corner Column, Job Search, Newsletter
If you’ve ever switched jobs, you know it can be hard – really hard. I’m not talking about getting the same job at a new company. Switching from one type of job to another can feel impossible.
Have you ever been on a job interview and started to wonder if the hiring manager was simply checking off boxes? This can be tough when you don’t perfectly fit into a box, but you know you’d do a great job.
If you’ve ever thought this was happening, you’d likely be right. I’ve often wondered why it is that hiring managers use such a basic way to measure a candidate’s abilities. They simply look to see if a candidate has done a particular task before – not how skilled they are at it.
The problem is, if we’re being honest, there aren’t many great ways to measure candidates. Measuring potential candidate success is tricky and time consuming.
So, many hiring mangers do the only thing that makes sense. They look for someone who (on paper) looks like someone else. They look for someone with the same background as those who have worked well in the past. They look for what typically works.
This is a similar method that car insurance companies use when they sell you car insurance. They look at how likely “you” are to get into an accident. But, they don’t know you. So, they look at how likely someone like you is to get into an accident. Insurance companies look at factors including age, gender, marital status, and car make and model (among other things).
Insurance companies are trying to reduce their risk overall. They want to insure people who have the lowest average risk of failure.
That’s the same thing many corporations are trying to do when they hire. They’re trying to minimize their likelihood of failure. On average, they want new hires to do well.
So, what can you do if you don’t fit into the box? What can you do when you know you’d be good at a job, but you don’t meet the typical profile of someone in the job? There are multiple routes to consider. Some people opt to go back to school for an additional degree, or to get a certification of some kind.
But, if you know the education is not necessary, you may want to consider another route. Look for opportunities to get involved in a small way in the new field you’re interested in. You might take on an extra project at work, or volunteer for this type of work at a non-profit in your community. Network with those in the field you’re interested in.
And, look for an open minded hiring manager. They’re out there. It takes a bit longer to find them. The more jobs you interview for, the more likely you are to find someone who will give you a chance, despite your non-traditional background.
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 | Jun 3, 2019 | Career Corner Column, Job Interview, Job Search, Newsletter
When it comes to job interviews, there are certain questions that are off limits. Not only are they a faux pas, they are against the law.
One illegal question is around a person’s family status. Employers are not allowed to ask a candidate if they are married. They are also not allowed to ask whether or not the person has children.
The reasons behind these rules are simple. There’s room for unequal treatment between those with children and spouses and those without. Honestly, the judgement can go both ways. One employer may prefer someone with no children who is (in theory) able to work long hours. Another employer may prefer someone with children because it (in theory) indicates that the person is stable and unlikely to switch jobs quickly. Someone with a house and kids has to put food on the table, even when they’re unhappy.
Most people know these questions aren’t allowed. But, many employers ask anyway. So, how can an employer manage to ask such an obviously illegal question? Well, it’s easier than you might think.
Very often, they work it into a question about relocation. The question should be, “Are you willing to relocate to our city for this opportunity?” The answer should be, “Yes, I am willing to relocate to your city.” The creative version of this question is, “When it comes to relocation, what do you need to relocate? Will you be relocating with a spouse and children?”
Sneaky, right?
Phrased in this way, the question almost sounds necessary. But, why? Why does it matter if someone has to relocate their children? It doesn’t. Perhaps this may impact when the person is available to relocate. But, if this is a concern, the new question might be, “Are you available to relocate by July 15th?” This answers the employer’s question without stepping over the line.
Sometimes, an employer will justify this question by saying they’re trying to get to know the candidate better. Maybe they are. But, there’s also a possibility that the answer to the question (whatever it is) may create some level of bias against the candidate.
This is why this question is not allowed – to prevent bias and to keep the playing field level. Whether or not a person has children or a spouse, the most important thing is that they show up on time and that they do a great job. People can succeed or fail at this, regardless of their family status.
If you’re a hiring manager, take note. Your candidates do notice when you ask illegal questions. Just because they answer them doesn’t mean they aren’t paying attention.
If you’re a job seeker, you’re not alone. These questions are asked more than anyone would like to admit. There isn’t a perfect answer to uncomfortable questions. But, pay attention to the way you felt when you were asked. It may be an indication of what’s ahead.
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 | May 27, 2019 | Career Corner Column, Job Search, Newsletter
I’ve noticed something on job postings lately. Companies are seeking “digital natives.” “Digital native” is used on digital marketing jobs. My corporate career is as a digital marketer. These words are often used on job postings for anything from a search engine optimization manager to a vice president of digital marketing.
This term makes sense at first. But, the definition of a digital native, according to Dictionary.com, is “a person born or brought up during the age of digital technology and therefore familiar with computers and the internet from an early age.”
Those who are turning forty this year probably started to use the internet around 1995, when they were sophomores in high school – if they were lucky. That was in the time of the dial up modem and America Online. Their parents were ahead of the game to have a home computer then. In all likelihood, they really began to use computers when they went to college.
It should be noted that I’m omitting early Mac computers and things like Atari for the purposes of this column. I’m talking about the real deal internet.
Digital natives had the internet in elementary school or middle school. Wikipedia says digital natives “are often used to describe the digital gap in terms of the ability of technological use among people born from the 1980 onward and those born before.”
By this definition, a digital native would be thirty-eight years old or younger today. Let that soak in. A job description that specifically requests that someone is thirty-eight years old or less.
Why does this happen? I don’t have the answer for you. I’d like to know this myself. I thought that the idea of a job posting was to hire someone with a certain skillset rather than a certain age.
I also heard this rumor that discriminating on the basis of age when hiring is not allowed. In fact, I think there may be something called the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.
Yet, despite this, if you search for the term “digital native” (in quotes) on any of the job websites, you’ll find many, many job postings looking for them. A quick search today landed me on a Senior Producer role. The second sentence of the job posting reads, “We want you on the team if you are an experienced digital native with experience in news and politics and are looking to bring your combined expertise to be a leader on MSNBC.com.”
We should be hiring based on skill, not age. The idea that anyone over thirty-eight is unable to work in the digital world is sad and just plain wrong. The phrase “digital native” sounds stylish, but if you’re writing job descriptions, think about what this really means. In what other context would it be okay to say, “If you’re under thirty-nine, please apply”?
Ask for the skills you want in a candidate, not their age.
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 | May 20, 2019 | Career Corner Column, Job Search, Newsletter, Recruiter
There’s a dirty little secret in the job search world. It is so common that it’s often becoming the norm. If you are a human resources leader or a hiring manager, this column is for you. There is someone on your recruiting team that isn’t doing their job and you probably don’t even know it.
Before you get angry, hear me out. What I’m about to say in no way applies to every recruiter. Some recruiters are amazing. They connect deserving candidates with bosses who need their help. It’s a win-win on all sides.
Now, let’s talk about what’s happening with the not so great recruiters. Let me describe the typical candidate experience. The job seeker applies online. The recruiter finds their resume and asks them to schedule a meeting. The first meeting is a screening call. The recruiter emails the candidate the same day or the day before and asks them for a time to talk. Sometimes, the recruiter only offers one time. If the candidate is unavailable at a particular time, the recruiter may ghost the candidate.
Let’s assume the candidate and the recruiter schedule a meeting. The candidate cancels their plans to take the call. They study. They practice. They prepare to put their best foot forward! They sneak away to somewhere quiet to take the call.
Then, they wait. And, they wait and they wait. And, then they wait some more. The recruiter calls late, very late. I’m not talking about five minutes late. I’m talking about thirty minutes, sixty minutes, and over two hours late. I have observed this pattern in about 70 percent of recruiter screening calls lately.
If the candidate does not wait, they lose the job interview. But, they are forced to miss all of their commitments and to hide out for an unknown amount of time. When the recruiter calls, the candidate must pretend not to be bothered. If they don’t have time to meet, the recruiter will gladly move on to someone else in their stack of resumes. Without fail, the recruiter will say, “I’m sorry. My last meeting ran long.” As a recruiter, a top skill should be managing a personal schedule. And, if things were reversed, would the job seeker be considered if they were sixty minutes late?
Many recruiters are also not prepared for the screening call. They have not reviewed the candidate’s resume. Sometimes, they believe they’re calling about a completely different job in a completely different department. Oops!
How does this happen you may wonder? Well, as a job seeker, you will never get a job offer if you are the complainer. And, companies very rarely ever ask for feedback on interviews. So, there’s no feedback loop. At the end of the day, as long as a warm body eventually fills the job posting, the company is happy. But, are they really getting the best candidate? This is quite doubtful.
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
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