Job

Ready To Quit? Consider These Things First

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Many of us fantasize about quitting our jobs—usually in a moment of pique or fear. Over the last several weeks, many federal employees I have spoken with are seriously considering their options. Before quitting impulsively, consider the following:

  • Do you have a real plan? Have you mapped out your job search strategy? Have you assessed exactly what you’re looking for in your next job? Are you willing to move if necessary? Go into an office fulltime? Before you start to look for your next position, decide what is most important to you so you have clear parameters for your search.
  • Do you have another job lined up? If not, how quickly (realistically) do you think you can land another job? Can you afford to be unemployed? If so, for how long? Do you have high monthly payments? Have you created a budget?
  • Are your salary expectations for your next role realistic? No hiring manager cares what you “need” to make…they’re only interested in what they think the job (and you) are worth. If you work in a niche industry (such as astrophysicist) or high demand occupation (like cybersecurity), you’re more likely to be able to negotiate a high salary.
  • Is your resume updated and your LinkedIn robust? These are critical tools in every job seeker’s toolbox.
  • Have you removed your personal documents, emails, and contact information from work systems? If not, this is something you want to do before announcing your resignation. And of course, you’ll need to follow your organization’s rules regarding what documents belong to the organization.
  • Determine if there are ethics / conflict of interest rules which need to be followed as you search for your next role? Make sure you understand any restrictions on your search before getting started.
  • Review your medical and other benefits. How will you cover your health insurance if you are unemployed? Yes, you will likely be eligible for COBRA but do know that premiums may be much higher than what you ar used to. Have you taken a loan against your 401 (k) or Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)? How will you repay it? What are your options to rollover your 401 (k)?
  • Is this the right time to leave? Have you appropriately considered your options? What do you have to lose /gain by leaving? Would some time off help you gain some perspective?

Whatever you decide, make sure that your decision is well considered and if you do decide to leave, do so with grace and professionalism.

My Interview Went Well…But I Didn’t Get The Job

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It happens to all of us; you think you nailed your interview and you’re already thinking about resigning from your current position but then you find out that you didn’t get the job. What happened?

Man looking at tablet with disapproval.

A number of things, of course, could have happened. Here are 10 to consider:

  1. You misread the room. It’s always possible that the interview did not go as well as you thought…you may have just misread the room, come off as overly rehearsed, arrogant, or any number of things.
  2. There were a lot of well-qualified interviewees. You may, in fact, have interviewed very well—but it’s possible others did as well. Don’t be discouraged, your non-selection does not mean that you weren’t qualified.
  3. Something about the way you presented yourself was not a good match. You may have had a great interview and strong qualifications but there may have been factors (yes, let’s call them unconscious biases) that turned off your interviewers. I once had a hiring manager tell me that she wouldn’t hire someone because the interviewee came in wearing something other than navy, black, or brown!
  4. Your social media did not match the image the organization wants to project. Right or wrong, many hiring managers will check your social media. What does yours say about you?
  5. The organization already had another candidate in mind. Sometimes interviews are just proforma. Doesn’t make it right. Think about it as the organization’s version of practicing even though they’re not serious about you as a candidate. Applicants do this all the time.
  6. You didn’t close the interview, do any follow-up, etc. Hiring managers want to know that you’re interested in their job; you should close your interview appropriately and follow up (without being a nuisance).
  7. The job disappeared, got canceled, was subject to budget cuts, priorities changed, or the position suffered a similar fate.
  8. Your references were not strong enough. Most employers will contact references—even for candidates they really liked. Are your references strong enough?
  9. Your social interactions with non-interviewers (receptionist, security, etc.) were not as pleasant, warm, and/or polite as they were with the interviewers. Everybody counts! And sometimes, everyone gets a vote.
  10. Your responses did not include strong accomplishments. It’s one thing to have simpatico with your interviewers; it’s another to really back up your answers with strong examples of your success—and tie those examples to the job you’re interviewing for.

Bitesize Ways to Move Your Job Search Forward

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You may have heard that looking for a new job IS a fulltime job. While I do not disagree; looking for a new job requires focus and time; there are a number of things that you can do to move your search forward.

If you’re willing to spend 5-10 minutes of your time, here are some small steps you can take to forward your job search—each of these can be accomplished in less than 10 minutes:

  • Add a recent achievement to your resume.
  • Reach out to a former colleague on LinkedIn and connect. Be sure to send a personal note with your connection request.
  • Comment or “like” a LinkedIn post—or two.
  • Identify 3 organizations you want to work for; connect on LinkedIn and / or Facebook.
  • Make a copy of your last 3 performance evaluations (so you can “mine” them later for additional accomplishments).
  • Check out free sources of information to further your job search.
  • Identify a potential mentor and reach out to them.
  • Pinpoint 1 professional skill or knowledge that you could improve; find a way to close your gap.
  • Write down 1 thing you want to accomplish professionally in the next 12 months; share that with a colleague or family member to hold yourself accountable.
  • Spend 10 minutes searching for potential jobs online. Be sure to time yourself; it’s easy to go overboard!
  • Find a career expert you like on LinkedIn; follow them.
  • Look at YouTube for a short video on an aspect of job search (interview skills, elevator pitch, preparing accomplishments, etc.)
  • Add 2 numbers to your current resume to provide better context to your work. Think about your budget, the size of your team, the number of transactions you prepare monthly, etc.; anything that you can quantify will work!

While doing any one thing will not likely result in a new job, tackling your job search in bitesize pieces will help you make progress! It’s like the old saying, “how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”

10 Steps to a Successful Job Search

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Looking for a new job? If so, there are a number of things you should do before you submit your resume.

  1. Conduct informational interviews to learn about different jobs and organizations, and figure out what you want to do.
  2. Research organizations to identify those in your sweet spot—learn about their culture, mission, and values.
  3. Write a job search plan to hold yourself accountable; write down where you want to apply, how many applications you want to send out each day / week, how many people you will contact in your network each week, the time you will commit to networking each day, the resources you will use to help you prepare your career documents, etc.
  4. Once you have identified where you want to work and what you want to do, list your contacts so you can reach out to your network. Not sure you have the right contacts? There is where LinkedIn can help you see who you know who might be able to assist you.
  5. Draft your resume toward your target job(s). Make sure that your resume is appropriate for your career field, includes key words, focuses on the past 10 years, uses numbers to provide context to your work, accomplishments to demonstrate the value you have contributed to your employers, and a strong qualifications summary.
  6. Use your network to apply for positions you hear about, tweaking your resume each time to ensure it fits the specific announcement. If you can identify the hiring manager and find him/her on LinkedIn, read and respond to their posts. It’s OK to apply through job boards but do not make job boards your sole strategy.
  7. While you are waiting for responses, practice your interview skills.
  8. Follow up if you haven’t heard about your applications after 2-3 weeks.
  9. Don’t get discouraged. Job search takes time and in the current environment where many employers are still teleworking and the volume of applicants is high, it may take longer than usual to make the transition you want.
  10. Engage in self-care throughout the process. Job search is high stress. Don’t forget to do all of the things that you know you should: eat right, exercise, take breaks, engage with family and friends—and take time for yourself!

LinkedIn by the Numbers

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As you know by now, LinkedIn is a powerful networking tool. I look at LinkedIn profiles every day and see that many users do not take full advantage of their profile. Character counts are changing regularly; here are some current character counts—check out your profile and make sure you’re taking advantage!

  • First name: 20 characters. If you have a formal name but use a nickname, this can be helpful. For example, Robert (Bob). This is 12 characters and allows people to search for you by either your formal or nickname.
  • Last name: 40 characters. BONUS: If you name is difficult to pronounce, LinkedIn has a feature where you can record your name; this is a great tool to use!
  • Headline: 210 characters. If you don’t create a headline, LinkedIn automatically uses your job title. Consider using a customized headline so you can include words that are specific to your industry. This is a search feature that recruiters use.
  • Customized URL: 30 characters. LinkedIn allows you to customize your URL; a customized URL allows you to remove the random numbers that LinkedIn assigns. A customized URL can be used on your resume.
  • About: 2,600 characters. This is a great opportunity to get personal and tell something about yourself; who are you? What do you bring to the table? What is your story? Using first person is acceptable, as is highlighting your achievements and the things that are important to you. This section can also be searched by recruiters so be sure to include key words from your industry.
  • Company name: 100 characters
  • Location / Industry: this is a predetermined list prepared by LinkedIn. Don’t forget to include your industry and location. As of this writing, LinkedIn as identified 148 industries ranging from law enforcement to shipbuilding to retail to farming to computers and everything in between. These too, are searchable by recruiters.
  • Job Title (100) / Job Description (2,000) each. Don’t forget to populate these sections.

LinkedIn offers lots of other section too including Education, Field of Study, Volunteer, Skills, Projects, Publications, Certifications, Languages, Awards, Courses, and Patents. Take a good hard look at your Profile and see what you can do to attract more views and connections!

End of Year Wrap-up

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Hard to believe that 2020 is coming to an end—this year has definitely been different for most of us. Let’s hope that 2021 allows us to get back to normal—whatever that might look like going forward. As you prepare for year end, there are a number of things that you can be doing to move your career to that next step:

  • Work on reaching out to your network. The end of the year is a great time to catch up with people you likely haven’t seen in months—or had occasion to interact with. Send holiday cards if you’re able; and if you do so, be sure to include a personal note. It doesn’t have to be long; a sentence or two to acknowledge the recipient.
  • Add your 2020 accomplishments to your resume. The end of the year is a great time to reflect on your achievements. Try to identify 2-3 ways you added value to your employer this year—and quantify it. Add those new achievements to your resume.
  • Review your LinkedIn Profile. If it doesn’t include your current job, add it. If you haven’t customized your LinkedIn URL, do so (see: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/87/customize-your-public-profile-url?lang=en); it will make your profile more professional—and your new LinkedIn URL to your resume. Make sure that you have a professional photo, you have key words for your industry in the About section, and your headline (the words under your name) are other than the default which lists your job title. Doing these things will likely take you less than 30 minutes.
  • Assess your gaps. Are you missing a critical skill? Certification? Something else? Write down what you’re missing and make a plan to address it. For best success, take specific action: sign up for a class, find a buddy to hold you accountable, schedule time to practice what needs improvement.
  • Unhappy in your job? First, try to figure out why. Next, assess your strengths, weaknesses, and be honest—take an assessment if you need to. Identify what you want to do and whether you have the existing skills and experience to do so. If not, make a written plan to close those gaps and implement it.
  • Practice interviewing. Ask a friend or a colleague to give you a practice interview and record it. Spend 45 minutes (or longer) on your practice interview. You can use Zoom, Skype, or another platform—the platform doesn’t matter but the practice does. And when you watch your “interview,” do so critically and write down what you could do better—and practice again.
  • Identify what you wish you had done this year. And resolve to do it next year.
  • Prepare your answer to, “what do you do?” Everyone needs a good answer to this question. Make your answer interesting and engaging. Think about using this formula to craft your answer: what do you do/what you want to do + why you’re good at it + value you add.

Wishing you and your loved ones a safe, healthy, and joyous holiday season!