Career Coach Office Hours: August 26 2022 Tuesdays and Fridays.
By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
I answered questions about #jobsearch #hiringstaff #management #leadership #workplace issues. Join me at 1 PM Eastern on Tuesdays and Fridays. You can also message me on Linkedin before the show and I will answer it, too.
The Warning Sign of a Problem or That They Aren’t Sure
02:39
When an executive of the company where you’ve been doing contract work is keeping you in the dark about the status of an offer to you for full-time work, does it do any harm to look for another job in the meantime? So the long and the short of it is you must look for a job in the meantime unless you’re independently wealthy, and working doesn’t matter to you. You have a responsibility to yourself and your family. The executive has a responsibility to the company. As such, right now, they’re happy with this arrangement. Thus, they’re not converting you so fast, are they? As a result, to protect your interests, because remember, one day they can walk in and say, ‘you know, thank you very much for your service. We don’t need you anymore.’ And they could do it at the close of business or at any time during the day. So the long and the short of it is does it do any harm? Well, if they find out they can bring you into their office. ‘hey, what’s going on?’ And the answer is, ‘you haven’t converted me on to full-time staff and I’m concerned. You had made that commitment to me at the time that I joined. It hasn’t been followed up on and thus, I’m looking after myself. I need a full-time job. I can’t rely upon a contract to be here forever. But they’re not going to find out that you’re looking at something else. So don’t sweat that. Just look out for yourself because they’re looking out for themselves, too.
04:34
Why is it that in leadership, fear is better than love? It isn’t better. I’m going to be that blunt about it. You’re wrong in your assessment of this. Fear exists in situations where you have a manager who doesn’t know how to hire and you have to light a fire underneath people to get them to do the work, work that they were hired to do. Why do you have to do that? You don’t know how to evaluate and assess people, or there’s institutional friction that’s getting in the way of them doing what it is that they were hired to do. Or I’ll just say, the other possibility is you lied to them. You misrepresented the opportunity to them, and thus, you’re getting Minimal Viable work. As a result, why is it that fear works? Because obviously, they don’t want to lose their job. But is it better than love? No! Now, if you have people who are inspired to do great things if they love you, the work and the organization, then the long and the short of it is, you’re gonna get a lot from them. And a lot better quality work instead of okay work, instead of average work, instead of good enough work. Right now, you’re getting good enough work for them because you have to light a fire underneath them, instead of light a fire within them. And someone wrote really nice question. Comparing leadership and love– You betcha. I’ve spent time with a coach named Lance Secretan, who talks about what he calls The CASTLE Principles, which is an acronym for courage, authenticity, service, truthfulness, love, and effectiveness. As a leader, you need to employ all those qualities as part of your leadership. Managers feel compelled to boss and bully because they don’t know quite what they’re doing, or they’re under too much pressure and they get sloppy. Most of the time, with less experienced ones, they get to the ‘I don’t quite know what I’m doing. So I think I’m supposed to yell and scream and do things like that.’ So what I’ll say to you is, that it takes courage to be a leader, and the best leaders are authentic. They serve their people, as well as their clients or end users. They’re honest and truthful. They love their people and their people feel it. As a result, they’re effective. Think about that for a second. It all starts with courage– the courage to open up and be authentic, to be in service to others, honest, love people, and be effective. So The Castle Principles. Secretan.com is the website.
Recruiters Are Not Your Friends
07:56
We’ve got a question from George. Advice for a guy who has 40 years experience and over 25 and leadership in a dead-end job at state. Cannot find a good job. Others told me my age an issue but need to work. Lost a business, going for MBA online. Straight A. Also worked part time. Advice. LinkedIn gives me interest, talk to connections, nothing works out. Please help. I think it is GE, too, but I cannot stop trying. Don’t stop trying. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not 24. So I’m going to leave your question up here because to the best of my ability, I’m going to answer your question. When I dissect someone and their job search, I break it down into a couple of components. If you’re not getting interviews, there’s a problem with your resume. Your resume and LinkedIn profile are not congruent. Or (Thank you. We know this is about ageism. So problem with your resume, your resume and LinkedIn profile are not congruent, you’re in a situation where you’re applying for things which is not ideal. You’re applying for things that you’d really like to do, but you’re not qualified to do or your resume doesn’t make a case for why you’re qualified to do the job. In other words, you’re sending the same resume over and over again. And George, we obviously haven’t spoken. I don’t know anything about you. I’m speaking in general terms here. So it seems like you’re not getting interviews. So the first thing is, is the market looking for someone like you? I get the idea that it is because you’re talking to people, and they’re blaming it on ageism. Now, I’m going to come back and for a second, say, if you’re getting interviews, and you’re not invited back, so let’s say, with the screener, someone’s
evaluating you, and you’re not getting past the screener, you’re not hitting the checkboxes on the job that they’re trying to fill. And thus, I remind you, they’re screening you against the job requirement. They don’t really care about what you’ve done. They care about what you’ve done that matters to them, which is different, obviously. From there, let’s say you get past the screener to the hiring manager. So with a concern about age–Re-done the resume many times. LinkedIn updates for positions, right? No interviews. They don’t say age. I do. Of course, they don’t say age. It’s illegal to say age. It doesn’t matter about re-done the resume. They’re going to focus on the last 10 years of your career, and how that matches up with what they’re looking for. Get rid of a lot of the older stuff. Indicate prior experience was with whichever the firms were, Rose from such and such level to such and such level. And you’re obviously very willing to go into that information. But the idea is to minimize the antiquities; focus on the last 10 years. In other words, 2012 to now. 2010, at the very earliest, because . . . think about what you did when 9/11 happened, or when Bill Clinton was involved in the affair with Monica Lewinsky. Who cares? If you’re ever being hired for stuff from way back then, keep it a secret, because you’re going back more than two decades at that point. So you’re not getting interviews–there’s a problem with the resume making the case for your candidacy, you’re probably oversharing. And then going back to your LinkedIn profile, minimize the old stuff. I don’t believe you can delete anything. So, reduce its content to focus on the last few years of your career. Now, I’ll also ask, and if you’re still here, George, please answer. I’m happy to recognize you again, Think in terms of whether you are getting contacted by people on LinkedIn? If the answer is no, then the probability is that your resume is not keyword-rich, because recruiters are all over LinkedIn trying to find people and they have been for quite some time. If your resume is not keyword-rich, for the functions, skills, and experiences that firms look for, you’re not going to get contacted either. So yes, this is all part of the possibility of age being a factor. But there’s other stuff too. Since you’re not getting interviews, again, think about it from the standpoint of how do people find you. LinkedIn sells a product called LinkedIn Recruiter that allows recruiters both corporate and third party to search the database, the entire database globally, and contact you through InMail. If you don’t have the search terms that they’re looking for, you’re invisible to them. You may be qualified, but they don’t know that you exist. Again, focus on what they care about. And if you’re going to post it on a job board, then what you do is that’s where you have the full resume, because then you’re going to pull in some people with the antiquities that might notice the more current stuff. But when you’re applying for things, very simply focus on what matters to them. Now, the other thing I’ll say is that with 40 years of experience, your network may be aging out. And that’s one of the issues that happen with older professionals. Their network is starting to retire. Their network is leaving the workforce. And thus, as I call it, is aging out. You need to do things also to make yourself visible online, and yes, you continue to network, because some of these folks, stay in contact with previous organizations or have the ability to reach out to previous firms to provide you with introductions. And it’s harder because they’re out of the game. and their replacements, don’t listen to them as much. Make yourself visible online. Right? See if you become a guest on a podcast that relates to your profession. And again, I don’t know what you do, George. So yes, ageism is a factor. And the real thing is you’re not getting in the door to even be interviewed, and rejected on the basis of how you show up on the interview. And I don’t care how many times your resume has been redone, what I care about is that it’s redone for each specific position, so that it’s tailored to each role, because otherwise, it’s like the broken watch that’s right, twice a day. You’re gonna get some interviews. But that hasn’t been working for you so far. But I’m going to concede, you’re gonna get some interviews. But you’re going to m,iss out on some that you should get, because, Iprovide no BS career advice. That’s what people hire me for– because you were too lazy to make the changes. So tailoring your resume, really tailor your resume for each role. And George has thanked me. And thank you back. I’m glad I can help. So focus. What do they care about? Really, what do they care about in your background? That’s really what you have to zero in on for each position you apply for. So here’s a fun question.
Dealing With Ageism
16:40
This is someone who caught me on the livestream I did on Monday, with Marty Gilbert and I commented about the job market, and how the numbers between the federal government and LinkedIn are in conflict. LinkedIn is primarily a professional marketplace. The federal government covers part-time. second jobs and camp counselors in its report. And there were 300,000 of those included in the last report. So the question is a follow-up sent to me afterward was, With the current job market and the state of our economy, is now not the best time to change companies? I’m wondering this because I’m currently working on getting certified as a project manager PMP. And let me just get my mouse over there. When I have that I’ll look for work outside my company, they don’t have many project management opportunities. So that’s my best option. So the answer to that is, there’s no safety in your current organization. So we’re recording this in late August. And calendar year corporations are finalizing budgets by October. And the question I’m reading here is, is the best time to change jobs? Is this not the best time to change jobs? And I think of it as being . . . start dating. Start talking to firms. It’s important to have a seat, if you’re unemployed. It’s like musical chairs, you need to have a seat when the music stops. As someone who’s trying to leverage her experience, or training to get a project management role. You want to see whether firms are funding new projects and new programs. So that when you’re getting your PMP, there’s actually work there for you. You’ll know a lot more as the year unfolds. So start talking to people, and that will give you an answer. Network with people apply interview. It’s really that simple. And what you’re doing is stalling for time, so that you have the opportunity to land and being your next role on time knowing whether they have budget or not.
19:14
Why do people blame the leader for the results of the team? Because leaders have followers, that’s the team. The team is supposed to follow the leader. The leader is the individual, the manager is the individual who’s responsible for outcomes and getting results. No results from the team? There’s someone who’s held accountable institutionally. And you think they’re supposed to go around that person and just punish people willy-nilly? No. The leader is supposed to know who the failures are, why the failure occurred, and thus, they are ultimately to blame. It’s like ‘Okay, I’m gonna go with politics here for a second, not because I’m advocating one way or another, but when the President of the United States has someone in a cabinet agency, who makes a bad decision, who’s responsible? Ultimately the President of the United States, right? The Prime Minister, the Chancellor, depending upon your country, the Premier. So why are they blamed? Simple because they’re responsible for the people reporting to them. That’s why they’re blamed. They’re responsible. And thus, you have to correct that. Because your job as a leader is ultimately to do things that get people, shall we say, get the institution the results through people. Otherwise, what are they paying for?
21:07
What leadership style is effective for a lazy staff? Well, it’s not about style. What it’s about is you don’t know how to interview and hire. And thus, you wind up with people who you judge are being lazy; or you’ve misrepresented the opportunity to them; Or there’s institutional friction that gets in the way that you’re at too low a level to resolve for them. Thus, you have a disengaged workforce. Disengagement, quiet quitting as it’s being called these days, is minimally viable work. And thus, people are bored. So you think they’re lazy. They don’t care. They’re disengaged. They don’t care about the work that they’re being asked to do. And you hire them. This goes back to the previous question about why leaders get blamed–because they’re responsible for this. So when all is said and done, the leadership style that’s most effective is you take responsibility for your flaws, and up the game, for your hiring. And with your existing staff, you meet with them and say, ‘Look, I’m not going to call you out. I’m responsible for you being here. And the fact of the matter is, it seems like I made a mistake in hiring you. Because what I’m getting from you is the least viable amount of work. It’s like you don’t care. Am I misreading the situation about your attitude towards your work? And then shut up and listen. Listen to what they say and then thank them for their honesty. ‘What can I do to fix this for you?’ ‘Yeah, I don’t like the work.’ ‘Well, this is the work that we have available. So if you don’t like it, I understand if you quit, but however long you’re here, what I expect from you is best effort.’ In other words, be direct with them. But listen first; listen first, so that this way you learn something from them and maybe you can adapt. Maybe you learn you’re part of this process beyond what I’ve spoken about. But again, I start off with you don’t know how to interview, and thus you’re getting what you deserve.
23:54
Do recruiters look at LinkedIn profiles for job candidates? If so, what are some of the things that they look for specifically? There are two circumstances. Number one is they are recruiting on LinkedIn. So they’re looking for keywords and experiences that reflect the position that they’re trying to fill. Right? Much the same way as you look at a resume and you’re looking for has this person done what I need them to do? Right? So that’s when they’re doing the recruiting. They’re reaching out to you because they’re on LinkedIn trying to find someone to fill a job. Now, the other option is you’ve applied for a position and now they go to your LinkedIn profile to see something that reflects congruence with what’s in the resume. Now, congruence doesn’t mean that it’s identical with a resume, but it’s similar enough that they can see the pattern that demonstrates your fit for the role. Remember, people lie. They lie? Yes, they lie. Employers lie, too win, and,of course, so do recruiters. So the long and the short of it is, what they’re looking for is that your background actually fits. It fits in a way that demonstrates similarity with what they’re reading in your resume.
25:47
What does it mean, when a recruiter doesn’t respond to your email after you send them a resume and cover letter? So, what it means is, you didn’t make a case for your candidacy, you didn’t demonstrate that you fit the role that they’re trying to fill. Now, if you’re just sending them something, because you wanted them to know that you are available, and there wasn’t a specific job, then what it means is they don’t have anything for you. You might just simply message and say, ‘I forwarded a resume to you. I wanted to confirm that you received it. If you did, and there’s nothing available, or you’re not interested, you can reply back and let me know that. My feelings won’t be hurt.’ It’s a mature way to handle it. But what it means for now is either they missed your resume and cover letter, or they’re not interested in what you’re selling.
26:52
What makes a resume stand out? Well, these days, I have to say what makes a resume stand out is it makes the fit obvious to the reader that you can do the job that they’re trying to fill. I know that’s a very funny answer. But so many resumes are little more than spam. As a result, let me back up for a second. I used to have a second podcast. And on the first episode of the show, I was interviewing someone about resume writing. And I started off by saying, on a typical Monday morning, I’ll walk into at least 200 resumes. And how many do you think might vaguely fit what I’m trying to fill? Or might vaguely fit the qualification of the position? And the answer was two, and that was vaguely fit. As a result, resumes often appear as little more than spam. So what makes them stand out and get people excited is a background that fits. ‘AH! UNBELIEVABLE.’ They made a case for themselves. I know. I know.
28:17
Is it okay to just include years in a resume? Here’s the problem with that. So the answer was yes. And so. But here’s where it gets touchy. And that is managers, HR people assume gaps in your background. And thus, , as a result, without seeing the months to see that it’s uninterrupted employment. Let’s say it says 2020 to 2021 2021 to 2022. They don’t know when in 2020. You started, for all they know, it’s December, and you left in January. And you joined the next firm in December of 2021. And here we are in August, made it nine months. So they started assuming that you’re hiding gaps in your background. So is it okay? Yes. But that’s the risk that you take because recruiters are lied to by job hunters and they’re train to assume the worst because that’s what happens most of the time. As a result, don’t do it. Where you can put the real month in and don’t just simply rely on them having good intentions and they’re going to assume that there are no gaps because they won’t.
29:55
How should references look in a resume? The answer is nonexistent. Do not put your resume references in your resume. Don’t even put references are available upon request. They don’t want your references. And if you give them to them, often recruiters, both corporate and third party will contact them and try to recruit them for the same position that you’re submitting your resume for. You’re creating competition for them. And here’s the other scenario. If you’re sending it to a third-party recruiter, sometimes those recruiters are going to turn around after they do a mythical reference check, they’ll say, ‘as you can tell, we try to be thorough with the people that we represent and thus, if you have positions open, we’re going to do the same thorough work for you.’ And thus represent themselves to try to get the job opening as the references aren’t really what they want. They want to fill positions so that they earn a fee. So don’t put your references in your resume. You’re just causing problems for yourself and for others.
Misconceptions College Grads Have About Job Hunting
31:16
What behavior hurts a candidate the most in a job interview? Well, what I think hurts people the most in a job interview is a lack of preparedness. You haven’t rehearsed, you haven’t practiced. You walk into the interview. Yeah, you know the job description. Maybe a third-party recruiter told you or maybe the corporate recruiter told you what they’re looking for. But you’re not really prepared. Job descriptions are at best, 80% accurate, and you haven’t taken the time to learn what they’re really looking for. As a result, by being unprepared, you hurt yourself the most in my opinion. And we’re not going to talk about goofy scenarios where people burp in interviews, and worse, I did have that experience once with someone and I was interviewing. But the long and the short of it is what difference does it make? You perform at a world-class level on the interview. Focus on that, not what hurts a job hunter the most in an interview.
32:40
When can you follow up with potential employers, if they haven’t contacted you, in over two weeks, since your last interview and have not responded to any of your messages either? The answer is they’re giving you information. You’re just not paying attention to it. They’re saying ‘we haven’t made a decision’ or ‘you’re rejected,’ because you have been trying to contact them. You have been trying to follow up and they’re not being responsive. They don’t want to talk to you because if you’ve been rejected, then you’re going to get into an argument with them. If they don’t have a decision, well, they’ll get in touch. Maybe, if when they make a decision. So the long the short of it is don’t follow up anymore. Don’t follow up. They’ve had ample opportunity to respond to your messages. Let it go.
[svp]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuPlOUGjAjk[/svp]
Interviewing for Young Adults/Recent Grads
ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter is a coach who worked as a recruiter for what seems like one hundred years. His work involves career coaching, as well as executive job search coaching, job coaching, and interview coaching. He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 podcast in iTunes for job search with over 2400 episodes.
Are you interested in 1:1 coaching, interview coaching, advice about networking more effectively, how to negotiate your offer or leadership coaching? People hire me to provide No BS career advice whether that is about a job search, hiring better, leadership, management or support with a workplace issue. Schedule a discovery call at my website, www.TheBigGameHunter.us
My courses are available on my website, www.TheBigGameHunter.us/courses The courses include ones about Informational Interviews, Interviewing, final interview preparation, salary negotiation mistakes to avoid, the top 10 questions to prepare for on any job interview, and starting a new job.
I do a livestream on LinkedIn, YouTube (on the JobSearchTV.com account) and on Facebook (on the Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter page) Tuesdays and Fridays at 1 PM Eastern. You can send your questions about job search, hiring better, management, leadership or to get advice about a workplace issue to me via messaging on LinkedIn or in chat during the approximately 30 minute show.
Classes On Skillshare https://thebiggamehunter.us/Skillshare
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