Job hunting will always feel like a full-time job, and that’s okay. The more you set yourself up for success, the easier the process will be. And with the pandemic changing so much about how we work, Kimberly takes this episode to share her top 4 tips to help you stand out and land that new job.
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KEY POINTS:
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QUOTABLES:
“Make it plain. Never expect someone just to see your greatness. You may think your experience speaks for itself, but when you're looking to stand out, make it easy.”
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Have career and leadership development questions? Email Kimberly at podcast@manifestyourself.com
Learn more about Kimberly Brown and download a free career strategy template at kimberlybonline.com
Read the book “Next Move, Best Move: Transitioning Into a Career You’ll Love” at nextmovebestmovebook.com
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Follow Kimberly on social media:
IG | @kimberlybonline - instagram.com/kimberlybonline
FB | facebook.com/kimberlybonline
Twitter | twitter.com/kimberlybonline
LinkedIn | linkedin.com/in/kimberlybonline
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Your Next Move is edited by Instapodcasts (visit at instapodcasts.com)
0:00foreign0:07[Music]0:18welcome to the your next Move podcast0:20today if you are looking to land a new0:24job I have four tips to help you stand0:27out the pandemic changed so much about0:30how we work and how we are rethinking0:33priorities and this is definitely0:35impacted the job hunt for so many folks0:37and people have been talking about their0:39great resignation and now a recession it0:42can be intimidating if you are embarking0:44upon a job search so I have four tips0:48that I want to break down for you today0:50let's get right into it so tip number0:53one obtain Insider information I know0:57we've talked about this on other0:58episodes but we're going to get a little1:00bit deeper today I want to make sure1:02that you're tapping into your existing1:03network of family friends past1:05co-workers anyone in this increasingly1:08competitive landscape who can help you1:11take your career to the next level any1:14referrals insights information you can1:17gather can help guide you through the1:19interview process and make it so much1:22better these informal conversations can1:25give you much needed Intel and at the1:28very minimum help you rise above the1:30pile of resumes that recruiters are1:32going through and when I say pow you1:34know I mean virtual pile most of the1:36times and the company ATS system1:38use your network to also expand your1:41contacts one of my favorite questions is1:44is there anyone else in your network who1:47you believe would be great for me to1:49speak to and would you be willing to1:51facilitate an introduction if I know I'm1:54looking to work in the field of1:55marketing let's say and we had another1:58guest on the podcast Jackie Janik she2:00works in marketing but she's not working2:02in an industry that I particularly want2:03to work in I would be comfortable asking2:06Jackie is there anyone else in your2:09network who works in marketing and XYZ2:11industry that I would like to connect to2:14that would be helpful for me and would2:16you be helpful facilitating that2:18introduction a simple ask and I find2:20that as many times as I share this2:22information a lot of folks are still2:25very uncomfortable asking to be2:27connected to others they'd rather just2:30try and apply and pray that someone sees2:33their resume and if you are a high2:35achievement professional with an amazing2:36pedigree of companies behind you a very2:39defined skill set maybe those2:43applications may always come to the top2:45for you and you may be like nah2:47this whole networking thing Insider2:49information I'll be fine but for the2:52average professional myself included if2:54I was going to go back into the job2:55market right now I would 100 be reaching2:58out to all of my contacts despite3:01knowing I have a really great pedigree a3:04Fortune 100 companies and Ivy League3:06institutions on my resume it's still so3:09crucial and on the other side it's when3:12you want to make sure you're getting3:14into a company that aligns with your3:16values with the mission with the vision3:18and really understand the body of work3:21that you'll be responsible for the only3:24way you can get that is through talking3:26to other people and we don't want to3:29just rely on asking great questions in3:31the interview because again in the same3:33way you are putting your best foot3:35forward in the interview the company is3:37doing the same thing they may not spill3:40the beans and tell you all their dirty3:42laundry but for you to make an informed3:45decision we need you to know the dirty3:47laundry and these meetings don't need to3:49be an hour lunch dinner Etc it can be a3:53quick 15 to 20 minute coffee chat with3:56some key questions to learn about their3:58experience to help you make a move learn4:00about the company maybe the potential4:02leader you'll be working on the project4:04the challenges the company is going4:06through just to give you a little bit4:08more of that information4:10and just a note another little note on4:12networking Insider information is easier4:16to obtain when you have been keeping4:19your network active4:21you should not just be activating your4:23network when you need something4:24activating it when you're looking for a4:26job networking is something that happens4:29all of the time every time you're4:32meeting someone new it is an opportunity4:34to add them to your network of4:35professionals to help you get Insider4:38information if and when the time comes4:40so again this is a continuous process if4:43you're listening and you're not looking4:43to land a new job4:45maybe this is your reminder to reach out4:47and just do some check-ins with your4:49network4:50number two clearly highlight your4:53related and transferable skills in your4:55application materials many times when4:58we're making career transitions we think5:00that you know my experience speaks for5:02itself I did what I did where I did it5:03and you should understand what that is5:05like look it up it is not the recruiter5:09or a hiring Leader's job to determine5:12what your experience is you probably5:15already know that submitting the generic5:16resume for every job is not a good move5:19you don't want to just swap out a few5:21quick things make sure you're tailoring5:23it now if you're a product manager and5:25you're applying to all product manager5:28jobs in the same industry you don't need5:30to tailor your resume each and every5:32time5:33but let's say you are transferring from5:35one industry to another or you're moving5:37from working in student services in An5:40Education Association to then moving5:42into Corporate America doing something5:44else you need to make sure that you're5:47bringing your transferable skills to the5:49Forefront of your resume when I look at5:51someone's resume and I look at each job5:54I want the most relevant accomplishments5:56most relevant skills at the top when I'm6:00reading a cover letter especially if I6:01feel like someone's experience I don't6:03quite understand it if I'm reading the6:05cover letter I want to make sure that6:07cover letter is explaining the6:08transitions the resume is the who what6:10where one how the cover letter is the6:12story about how you got there and what6:14you're able to do if you took us and got6:17a certificate or you took another course6:19or maybe you're thinking about leading a6:22new work stream that's more closely6:24related to where you want to go6:25highlight all of these things to make6:28sure you are telling the story of why6:30you are the most qualified and we're6:33talking about application materials but6:36all the work you're doing for your6:37application materials also needs to get6:40thrown into all of the information6:42you're going to share during the6:44interview always make sure you are6:46connecting the dots when I'm working6:47with my clients I teach them to use6:49words like6:50based upon my experience working on this6:53project that resulted in a b and c I6:57would be able to do this if selected for7:01this role where I know7:03d e and f is the priority7:07make it plain never expect someone just7:10to see your greatness yes your7:14experience may you may think it speaks7:16for itself but when you're looking to7:18stand out make it easy don't make them7:21come trying to figure it out or ask you7:23more questions make it plain number7:26three plan your answers to well-known7:28questions there are so many questions7:30that are commonly asked in interviews7:32why are you looking for a new job What7:34attracted you to this company tell me a7:36little bit more about yourself these7:39questions sound so simple but I promise7:41you as someone who's worked in Talent7:42acquisition and interviews for their7:44team this is where most professionals7:47mess up and many times I talk about the7:49tumble effect in interviews when you7:52make a mistake in an interview many7:54times what you'll see is that the7:56candidate is thinking about the mess up7:58they're thinking about how they messed8:01up that answer and didn't say the right8:02thing and I think about like a snowball8:04it's like it's just getting bigger and8:06bigger and bigger and bigger and you8:09continuously make mistakes throughout8:10the interview it's like tumbling down a8:12hill and then you hit a tree and then8:13you trip and then you lose your shoe and8:15you go down the hill same things happens8:17to me when I record this podcast when I8:19mess up one time it's all I'm thinking8:21about it's like how much I'm continuing8:23to mess up when you plan8:27for your success in answering these8:28questions it is so helpful and will make8:32you so much more confident8:33each question that you answer is an8:36opportunity to show off that you are in8:38alignment with the job that you are8:39applying for it shows that you are8:41prepared it shows that you are confident8:42it shows that you are the best potential8:45fit for the job so there's no such thing8:47as too much preparation and it also8:50allows you to explain and align with the8:53company's Mission values and bring in8:55your passions to show that you're not8:57just the best candidate for the job8:59because you're the most qualified you're9:00also passionate and excited about the9:02company and what they're working on as9:04well9:04it's vital that you find out as much as9:07possible prior to the interview so that9:10you can put this level of preparation in9:12and it also not off to the interviewers9:15out there they love to see that you're9:18well researched and excited about it it9:20is definitely a time for you to talk all9:22about the skills you've gained and all9:24of the stories that connect to why you9:26will be great at this job9:28last but not least we have number four9:30now this one again may sound like an9:33easy one I feel like many of the tips I9:34give people will be like Kim like we9:36know this I say it though because people9:39still don't do it9:40and this part is always be ready the9:45recruiting landscape is changing every9:47single day and when you want to stand9:50out9:51being prepared being ready to jump on9:54whenever an opportunity Rises is key9:57many organizations are still conducting9:59video job interviews and if you haven't10:01gotten used to being on video calls with10:04or without someone on the other line now10:06because there's so many great10:07technologies that allow recruiters to10:10screen candidates faster you need to get10:14on the bandwagon it may feel awkward10:16talking to yourself but this is to your10:18advantage as a candidate the more people10:21that recruiters are able to see10:23the more chances that your application10:26may be one of those10:28take a few extra steps to prepare for10:31the interview to avoid any snap Foods10:33any mistakes that happen it never hurts10:35to do simple things like testing your10:37background testing10:39um your audio testing your video all of10:41those things even in recording this10:43podcast I had to stop because my water10:45bottle is in the back because I noticed10:46it was there and it was distracting we10:48started the point over again think about10:51what is happening in these videos when10:53that could be distracting to someone10:55who's interviewing you you want them to10:57just be focused right here nothing else11:01should matter so thinking about the11:03video thinking about how you're telling11:04your stories how are you continuously11:07aligning yourself to where you need to11:10be and setting yourself up for success11:12I know these tips are simple but again11:14people mess them up every single day11:18job hunting has and will always be and11:21feel like a full-time job11:23and that's okay11:25but the more you set yourself up for11:28Success the easier this process will be11:30the best way to stand out is to be11:33enthusiastic show your interests and do11:35your homework and don't just look for a11:38new job because sometimes you feel like11:39everybody is doing it because looking11:41for a job is a full-time job make sure11:43you're applying to things that you are11:45excited about you are eager and you11:47would hopefully say yes if given the11:49opportunity to work for that company11:51whatever job you're looking for needs to11:54align with the career strategy you have11:56for yourself and if you do not have a11:58career strategy it's about time that you12:01put one together and a free tip number12:04five when you know what your career12:06strategy is you're interviewing becomes12:08so much easier because you're looking12:12for alignment you're telling stories12:14that are in alignment and you're able to12:16quickly accept or reject opportunities12:18that come your way because you know12:20yourself better than anyone else in what12:22aligns that strategy12:24so with that I wish you the best of luck12:27on your job search if this is your12:29listening because you're looking to12:30stand out and may your next move be your12:32very best move have a great day y'all12:36[Music]
I just listened to Episode 22, Being an Ambitious Woman with Tiffany Aliche and was so impressed. The time just flew by as I enjoyed the solid career advice Kimberly and Tiffany shared. Documenting your accomplishments was one of the ideas that I thought was especially good -- because if YOU don't know what you accomplished and what your big wins are, you cannot possibly expect others to remember. I look forward to tuning in again.
Kimberly is a gem! Going to grab a copy of her book.
I really enjoy this podcast! I love how encouraging the message is but also REAL advice even if it may be unsettling to hear!This podcast gets me excited and empowered to take actionable steps in my career!
So, so good! Kimberly just has IT!
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