Your Secret Search
Can you keep a secret? Benjamin Franklin said, “Three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead.” Keeping private information private, especially about your job search, can be a tall order.
Getting an interview can be exciting, especially if it goes well. If you’ve wanted to leave your company for some time, the hope that a new job presents can leave you feeling on top of the world. And, the more interviews with one company, the surer you are you’ll get the job, right?
Some of the reasons I’ve heard for sharing this secret include, “I know this person is my friend, so it’s okay.” “My boss and I are close friends; they won’t mind.” “My company needs to know I’m looking, so they’ll be prepared if I do leave.” “I want to see if my company will give me a higher salary to stay.”
None of these reasons provide you any personal benefit. They give away your power and put your current job at risk.
When it comes to interviewing, nothing is a sure bet. Even if a company has talked to you ten times and is in love with you, the position may be put on hold for budget reasons. The hiring manager may leave, and the process may halt. The company could reorganize and the job may no longer be needed.
Until your offer is in writing and in your hands, there’s no offer. It could take you as long as a year or more to find a job. In the meantime, you still have bills to pay and a family to feed. Why put that in jeopardy?
Often, a boss you perceived to be your friend feels an obligation to let their boss know you have disclosed this information to them. Even if they like you, your search may be perceived as being disloyal to the company. In the worst-case scenario, you may be fired and asked to leave immediately.
Keep this in mind when it comes to asking for more money. If you don’t have a written job offer, what incentive does your company have to give you a raise? They don’t. There’s no good reason they should offer you any more money just because you’ve been interviewing.
If you tell colleagues about your search, don’t be surprised if the news gets around. People love to find something, or someone, to talk about. If you share information about your search, you’re setting yourself up to become next. The last thing you want is for word to get back to your boss before you’ve actually found a job.
As exciting as it is to share information about your job search, it’s 100 percent unwise to do so. You set yourself up for failure and disappointment on multiple levels that can be difficult to repair. When it comes to job searching, there’s no better alternative than to keep yours secret.
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
Researching a Realistic Replacement
We’ve all seen the news. There’s a shortage of workers. It’s hard to say exactly how we got here. There are so many factors involved. But, you can see the results of this shortage everywhere you look.
You may have noticed when a recruiter called you out of the blue. Recruiters are proactively calling candidates (who aren’t looking for jobs) more now than they have in years. You can also see it when you go out for dinner. So many restaurants are short staffed, and are actively trying to hire. This pain is being felt across industries. Some companies are raising their own minimum wage, or are offering new benefits.
If you’re thinking of looking for a new job, you may want to take advantage of the new working environment. If you’ve enjoyed working from home, you might want that to continue. Or, you might want a more flexible schedule. You may also want to negotiate for more pay, given that it’s been a while since you changed jobs (and you may have the upper hand in the offer negotiation).
When you start looking for a new job, there are a few things you may want to keep an eye out for. The problem is, not every company has come to terms with the current job search environment. If you find yourself talking with one of these unrealistic companies, the road ahead is going to be longer and more difficult.
So, what should you look for? Well, first, look to see how many roles the company is currently trying to hire for overall. If they are only hiring for a handful of positions, there’s a greater chance they haven’t had to feel the pain of the shortage just yet. Similarly, if the job you’re applying to posted for the very first time a few days ago, the company may not realize that it’s harder to find candidates now than before.
You can also find signs in the job description itself. Companies who are aware of the current market will typically list the job as remote or work from home. Or, the company may make mentions in the job description of a flexible work environment.
Some companies that are clued in will include more information in the job description to sell you on their benefits. This is a turnaround from the past, when many companies rarely included anything about what they do.
Last, pay attention to how many hard skills the company is looking for in one person. Years ago, a company called me looking for a very specific candidate. They wanted someone with selling skills, programming skills, project management skills, and marketing skills. A company with a long list of different requirements has likely not come to the realization yet that there’s a shortage.
This is the perfect time to look for a new job. But, do your research to find a company that will work with you.
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
What the Great Resignation Means to You
In the last few weeks, countless news stories have popped up about the Great Resignation. Millions of American workers are quitting their jobs. You’ve probably heard about it (and maybe even considered it). So, what does it mean for your career?
If you’ve thought of quitting your job recently, I don’t blame you. If the COVID pandemic has given us anything, it’s given us time to think. We’ve spent more time at home and alone in the last year than any years past. All of that quiet time has allowed us to reflect on important topics. It’s given us the space to consider what is really important in our lives, and what isn’t so important after all.
It has also given us a chance to try out a new lifestyle when it comes to work. Suddenly, many people aren’t doing a daily commute each way. Perhaps they’re spending more time with immediate family. Many people have learned that working from home really is possible. It’s given us a new perspective on the concept of work life balance.
If you’ve found yourself unhappy with your current work situation, the good news is this. It’s a great time to look for something new. Companies are being more flexible than ever before. And, you likely now have options beyond your local area. This means that there may be more job options available to you than before the pandemic started.
That said, you should take this to heart. Don’t assume that the way things are today is the way they’ll be tomorrow. For example, the apartment rental market one year ago was amazing. If you wanted to rent a new apartment, you could find a deal on a great place. People were leaving cities in droves. However, in the last few months, the entire situation has changed. People are moving back into cities. And, finding an apartment has become much harder and much more expensive.
What I’m saying is this. Things change. The market is great for job seekers today – right now. But, in a few months, that may no longer be the case. If you aren’t happy at your current job, now is the time to look.
But also, don’t take your current job for granted. Keep putting in the same effort today that you put in every other day. Don’t assume a new job is waiting around the next corner. Looking for a new job takes time. You may need this job. And, even if you find a new job, you’ll eventually need references from your current job.
Do your best and doors will open. Nurture your existing job, and you’ll be able to wait until a job you really like comes along. The last thing you want is to run from one bad situation to another – or to find yourself stuck in a negative environment. In other words, don’t resign today. Keep steady until you find something new.
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
Discovering Your Career Independence
I hope you have a wonderful holiday week. I’m looking forward to spending time with friends, and watching fireworks to celebrate this Independence Day. This holiday is also a great time to reflect on your career.
Are you feeling happy, or is something missing? If you’ve been thinking of making a change, this could be the perfect time. For many people, the pandemic has forced them to reevaluate what they want.
But, finding a job can take months. If you want to make a change, it’s important to get started before the winter holidays begin to approach.
Often, one of the sources of job frustration can be a lack of control. Whether you’re not doing the kind of work you enjoy, don’t like your boss, or are underpaid, you may feel helpless. It’s this helpless feeling that can really impact you each day as you go in. It can make your day seem longer, and tasks seem harder.
Finding career independence starts with identifying what is within your radius of control. What can you do today that will help you to gain more freedom tomorrow?
First, keep your resume up to date at all times. You’ll be prepared, and you won’t forget important details later. On top of that, keep your LinkedIn current and connect to your colleagues. You never know when things could change.
If you’re not using your favorite skills at work, look for ways to keep your expertise up to date. Consider taking on small consulting projects, or volunteer at a non-profit. You may even want to take a class or two to keep any certifications current.
If you’d like to acquire a new skill, the same advice applies. Enroll in a class. There are many online options. If you don’t have an opportunity to try your new skill at work, look for a way to volunteer your time – either on a non-profit project or at a part-time internship.
Nurture your network. Take the time to attend networking events. Chat with coworkers from previous jobs. Stay connected.
Reevaluate your priorities. Often, a source of unhappiness can be tied to a shifting of what’s important to you. Early in your career, you may have been willing to work for hours on end just to make the most money possible. As you’ve grown older, financial stability may be less important. You may now be looking for work-life balance, but are still saddled with a sixty-hour per week job.
As you can see, much of the independence we crave is tied back to a self-awareness of what’s important to us. And, unlike Independence Day fireworks, career freedom rarely happens all at once. It doesn’t go off with a bang of beautiful lights. Independence at work takes time. It takes commitment. It takes a little dedication each day. But if you’re committed, over time you will find that independence, and the happiness that comes along with it.
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
Life is Your Resume
Indeed.com hosted Indeed Interactive last week. But, there was one very notable difference: it was held online. The conference not only talked about employment over the last year, but it mirrored many of our experiences.
By video, Indeed’s labor economists Pawel Adrjan and Daniel Culbertson gave their predictions for the future of work. They focused on work from home, sharing that, over the last year many people have gone through a work from home experiment.
Job postings on Indeed.com with some mention of working from home has continued to grow, even beyond the worst parts of the pandemic. In fact, there was a rise in postings that mention remote work between Q4 of 2020, and Q1 of 2021. From early 2020 to now, job postings mentioning work from home have more than tripled.
On the employee side, job seeker interest in remote work remains high. Indeed is able to measure the interest in remote work by the searches on their site. From early 2020 to now, job seeker searches for remote work have more than doubled.
What happens after the COVID pandemic is over? Indeed looked in areas where cases of COVID have been low, and economies have reopened. They found that interest in remote work remained high, even after an economic recovery. They believe this represents a shift in long term preferences. Job seekers will continue to demand remote work, even after the completion of the pandemic.
But, do employers intend for work from home to be permanent or temporary? Indeed found that in the UK, 61 percent of remote job postings were listed as temporarily remote. Companies expect employees to eventually come in person. This also means that 39 percent of jobs posted as remote will be permanently remote. This is an increase from pre-pandemic. In other words, we have realized that remote work is sustainable long term.
Gayle King also interviewed actor Matthew McConaughey about his career. He shared the challenge of pivoting careers, and going all in when you’re trying something new.
McConaughey also shared that your “life is your resume.” There is no one defining moment. You are all of the pieces of your combined experience. And, he felt the pandemic has brought him closer to the things in life that are most important to him.
McConaughey is now able participate in video meetings in three countries in the morning, and then have lunch with his wife and children at his home in Texas. Remote work has created a new culture. It is no longer rude to have a video call. It’s a necessity. And, this necessity has allowed him to prioritize the things that are truly the most important to him.
The takeaway for hiring managers is this. In order to remain competitive, you must consider flexible work environments. Remote work will be more prevalent and will remain attractive to job seekers. This flexibly is what you’re now competing against.
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
Copeland Coaching Podcast
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