Don’t Fool Yourself

by Angela Copeland | Apr 1, 2019 | Career Corner Column, Job Search, Newsletter

I can’t say this enough times. The job market is excellent! It’s the strongest job market we’ve seen in fifty years. Fifty years! Lately, there have been more open jobs than people looking for a job. The national unemployment rate has dropped below 3.8 percent. That’s pretty incredible.

With this said, I keep running into a phenomenon that’s boggling my mind. I just can’t get over it. I’m hearing from people every day who hate their jobs, but aren’t ready to find a new job. I’ll be honest. This very sounds counterintuitive to me. If something isn’t right, I can’t help but look for a solution.

But, these unhappy employees are busy. They have other commitments now. There are other priorities they need to attend to right now. They’re not satisfied at work, but they’ll look later. They’ll search when they have a little more time.

While I understand the logic behind this argument, I want to share another perspective. This is the thing. When we’re thinking of looking for a job, we think of ourselves. Our thought process is focused inward. We think, “I have the right education. I have the right experience. I’m qualified.” This makes sense. We believe we are either ready or are not ready for a particular job.

Rarely do we ever think about whether a job is ready for us. What I mean is this. So much of hiring is influenced by the job market and the current state of the economy. Even if you’re at the top of your game, if the economy isn’t great, you’re just out of luck. Companies don’t have the resources to hire you. They’ll force their existing workers to work a little harder. Ask anyone who has graduated from college during a tough economic time. They remember how hard it was to find a job, despite their new education.

Alternatively, if the job market is hot, companies may be more flexible on their requirements. This is especially true if there’s a shortage of people with your skills in your industry – right now. In other words, a company may be willing to hire you now, even if you don’t meet every requirement.

The most important words to note are “right now.” There is no guarantee the job market will continue to be strong. A recession is predicted in the next year or so. And, some people are already saying that the job market is slowing down.

What does this mean for you? If you’re someone who hates your job, now is the time to act. If you’re busy, it may be time to reprioritize. Or, to decide if you can live with your job for a few more years if the economy really does slow down.

Job searching is a lot like the children’s game musical chairs. If you want to find a new spot, you’ve got to get it before the music stops.

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.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach

Meeting the Minimum Requirements

by Angela Copeland | Mar 25, 2019 | Career Corner Column, Job Search, Newsletter

If you’re like most people, there was a time when you were underqualified for a job. This is typically the case when you apply for your first job or when you make a big career change midstream.

At some point, you didn’t meet all of the requirements of a job description you were really interested in. Did that stop you from applying? Many job seekers avoid applying when they don’t meet all the requirements. It seems pointless and a path straight to rejection.

This reminds me of a job I took right after college. I didn’t realize it, but a MBA was required. It wasn’t even optional – it was a must-have. Of course, I didn’t have a MBA back then.

I competed against two much older MBAs. We were all there together, so the process was both intimidating and grueling. In the end, I was surprised to know I was the one who got an offer. It turns out I had performed better in the interviews, and I suspect I was cheaper.

Remember – when your future boss writes a job description, they often provide a laundry list of things they’d like to have. In fact, they may even use a template to write the description that has extra requirements tucked in. It’s like a wish list. Your future boss doesn’t expect to find someone who matches every single requirement. If they did, the person would most likely be overqualified.

So, where does this leave you? Clearly you don’t want to waste time applying for jobs you can’t actually do. But, there’s a difference between not meeting all of the requirements of the job description and being able to do the job.

Read the job description carefully. Ask yourself honestly, “Do I think I can do this job successfully?” If your answer is yes, apply right away. If the answer is maybe, evaluate how much of the job you can do. If you believe you can successfully complete 80 percent or more of the requests in the job posting, you should also consider applying.

The online application process may not be of much help however. Applicant tracking systems filter out applicants who don’t appear to be a fit on paper. To overcome this, look for opportunities to connect offline. Search out your future boss on LinkedIn, or find your future colleagues at networking events.

If it appears that your lack of experience is too much for your future boss, explore opportunities to grow your skills. Search for classes you can take. Look for smaller businesses that might give you a shot. Or, look for another hiring manager that’s more flexible in their requirements.

At the end of the day, you don’t know you won’t be selected for a job unless you take the risk and apply. It’s much better for a future employer to tell you no than for you to automatically eliminate yourself from consideration.

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.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach

Job Offers Are Like Busses

by Angela Copeland | Mar 18, 2019 | Career Corner Column, Job Search, Newsletter

The title of my column today may sound a bit confusing. It comes from one of my own career mentors. Years ago, when I was finishing graduate school, I spent a significant amount of time searching for the right job.

Occasionally, one would pop up that would seem almost right. It would have a great job description. The company seemed stable. The team seemed interesting. But, there was something about the hiring manager that was off – or perhaps the company wasn’t offering a competitive salary.

I would meet with my mentor to tell him about the jobs I was considering, and discuss the pros and cons of each. If a job seemed like the wrong fit, he would encourage me to walk away. The thought of turning down an offer without another in hand was nerve-wracking. It was like torture. This is especially true when you’re unemployed, or very unhappy with your current job.

My mentor would then remind me, “Jobs are like buses. Just wait; another one is always coming.”

He felt it was more important to find the right fit, than to take the first job that came along. Looking back, these were wise words. Who else in your life do you spend as much time with as your boss and co-workers? For most, the answer is your spouse. You typically don’t choose to marry your first date. Why would you expect that at work?

Often, we want to take every job when we’re feeling desperate. We’re miserable in our current position and we think that anything would be better – even if it were just for a short time. We assume this job may be the best thing we’ll get right now. We may be stuck forever if we wait longer.

The problem with this strategy is complex. First, your next job may have just as many problems are your current job, if not more. As the saying goes, sometimes the devil you know is better than the one you don’t.

More importantly though, planning to take a job for a short time forces you to explain why you’re looking for a new job just after accepting one. This means that you’ll be explaining all the dirt on your old company, including the ways that you didn’t get along with your boss or co-workers.

When you choose to wait and select the right job, you’ll find yourself there for more than just a short time. While you’re interviewing, you’ll be able to focus on the positives of what you want in the future rather than the negatives from the past. Whether it comes to interviewing or negotiating your offer, focusing on the positive puts you in a much stronger position.

When you’re having a tough day, just try to remember that jobs are like buses. Just wait. Another one is coming, and you want to be sure you get on the right one.

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.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach

It’s Not Personal

by Angela Copeland | Mar 4, 2019 | Career Corner Column, Job Search, Newsletter

Job searching is one of the most personal impersonal experiences there is. As a job seeker, you pour your heart into your cover letter. You customize your resume. You sit in agony at each step of the process, which can drag out for many months. Along the way, you may encounter many tests of your abilities.

In addition to a phone screen, multiple phone calls, in person one-on-one interviews, and panel interviews, you’re asked to do even more. You may be asked to take a personality test to be sure you’re a cultural fit. You may need to take an IQ test to be sure you’re smart enough for the job. You might be asked to create and deliver a presentation. Or, you may be asked to create a 90-day plan. You may be asked to do a sample assignment. You will probably be asked to do a background check, submit references, and possibly go through a drug test.

And, you’ll be doing all of these things just under the radar of your current boss. You know all along that if the boss notices you’re searching, you could be putting your entire career on the line. But, you do it anyway because it’s important and it’s the only way to truly grow your career.

After all of this work, very often the company drops you. But, you may not even realize you’ve been dropped because sometimes they don’t call. Other times, you find out you’ve been dropped when you receive an automated email rejecting you in favor of a “more qualified” candidate.

But, it’s not personal, right? It shouldn’t be, but it definitely burns. If you keep the right attitude, you’ll dust yourself off and keep going. You may even keep an eye out to see if the company you interviewed with has any additional job postings. You can’t let it get to you.

Similarly, job searching becomes a numbers game. If you really want to score something new, you’ve got to apply in bulk. You’ve got to interview at more than one company at a time.

This is where things get a bit ironic. Imagine that you’re having a positive experience interviewing. You’re finding success, but not at just one company – at two or three. Suddenly, you get more than one job offer and you have to pick one. And, the tables have reversed.

Interestingly, companies can take the rejection just as personally as job seekers do. They seem to feel that they’ve invested all of their time into a candidate who walked away. The friend you’ve made in human resources may not even respond to your email or phone call declining the offer. You’ve let them down.

Just remember, it’s not personal. Both sides are investing their time in the process. Both sides can walk away at any point. And, the job seeker isn’t the only one who shouldn’t take rejection so personally.

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.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach

One Hundred Job Applications

by Angela Copeland | Feb 25, 2019 | Career Corner Column, Job Search, Newsletter

I hear from job seekers every day. You’re tired. You’re worn out. You’re disappointed. You didn’t get the job you really wanted. You were a great candidate and you cannot figure out what went wrong.

I’m with you all the way. I wish I could give you a big hug. Job searching is emotionally and mentally exhausting. Employers will run you through the gauntlet and may not even let you know when you weren’t selected. What is presented as a fair process is pretty much the opposite of fair. Job searching can be such an awful experience.

You’re so tired that you feel ready to give up. I’d encourage you not to. This is why. Looking for jobs is a numbers game.

Think of the process like this. First, you apply for a job. Then, you have a human resources phone screen. Next, you have a phone interview with the hiring manager. And then, you come in person to interview with four or five people. Finally, you get a job offer.

It’s a little like a funnel. The more applications you put in, the more phone screens you’ll have. The more phone screens you have, the more phone interviews you’ll have. The more phone interviews you have, the more in person job interviews you’ll have. The more in person job interviews you have, the more job offers you’ll get.

In the past, there were times when it was hard to find enough good jobs to apply for. But right now, we’re having the best job market in fifty years. Fifty. New jobs are popping up every single day. There are now enough good jobs to fill up your funnel.

My theory is this. If you apply to 100 jobs you’re qualified for, you’re going to get phone screens that lead to phone interviews that lead to in person interviews that lead to offers. By applying to 100 jobs, you’re not reliant on getting an offer for every single job you’ve applied to. You’ve got options. By applying to 100 jobs, if a few jobs get put on hold, it’s okay. You have choices.

When you’re looking for a job, both quality and quantity matter. Just because you’re a perfect match for one particular job doesn’t mean you’re going to get it. That’s why you’ve got to look at many jobs.

I know, this takes time. But honestly, a bit part of what’s exhausting about a job search isn’t the time it takes to apply. The exhausting part is feeling rejection on the one job you’ve applied to and then having to start all over again. You’d be amazed at how easy it is to keep searching when you’ve got fifty other options in the pipeline.

If you want to find a job in 2019, it’s time to make a new goal. Fill up your funnel with 100 good job applications. They will pay off.

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.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach