10 Lessons for a Better Job or Career Search in 2024!
The job market was flooded with tech layoffs and remote job opportunities in 2023, making it one of the most competitive years since 2008. Leading activewear firms reported candidate pools ranging from 800 to 8,000, forcing clients to compete like never before. Some upsets were inevitable, but the experience confirmed the importance of learning lessons for a successful job search or career transition.
Job and career searching is a highly competitive field where even getting your resume seen is a win. But don't worry, I've got your back!
Here are 10 important lessons that you should definitely keep in mind!
1. Think of job searching as a fun challenge, like a hackathon or pickleball tournament. It's important to prepare and practice for it with dedication, just like in any other game. Are you spending more time and money on leisure prep (games, sports, art) than you are on your career prep? Maybe shift that for a bit.
2. Jobs are employment contracts. Therefore, job descriptions should be read like RFPs; it’s not about your talents (at first at least) but about the solutions you provide.
3. Not all program, project, or product managers are alike. The key question is which function and which industry are they in.
4. Interviews are a sale. To win your sale, you must share customized customer stories tailored to your listener. It's a must-have strategy!
5. Different firms and industries use various terms such as customer support, tech support, app support, CSM/CEM, operations, and administration. Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) screen out 95% to 99% of all job applicants. Does your resume speak IN their language? What about your interviews?
6. The hardest part of converting interviews is keeping the emotional wave going in a constructive direction, despite unexpected obstacles. A single hidden obstacle can result in the termination of your candidacy.
7. If you're using LinkedIn Easy Apply, it's important to know that your LinkedIn profile is often viewed as your resume by many firms. Is your LinkedIn customized for the jobs to which you are applying? Make sure it’s not just fluff!
8. Are you still using the old-fashioned "responsibility list" format for your resume? It's time to upgrade! Transform your resume by using quantifiable metrics at the beginning of each bullet point.
9. Including only 3-4 bullets per role is the perfect approach to ensure that the most significant points are highlighted without overwhelming the reader.
10. Even the human eye needs to get your special sauce in 6 seconds. So, no prose in resumes, only data narratives. Use concise bullet points that start with a number and avoid long paragraphs (they should be one line or 1.5 at most). Also, keep in mind that opening non-numeric paragraphs will probably end your candidacy right away.
