Screenshot from "Redefine Your Career Executive Strategies for Navigating a Changing Market" webinar for Tepper School of Business (Carnegie Mellon University) alumni
It's the end of the world as we know it (and I feel fine)
It's been a week of change here.
Within 48 hours, we moved two kids into Virginia Tech and our middle schooler and high schooler started classes.
New routines all the way around.
September is coming fast and that usually means that it's time for hiring to pick up. In the job world, we often call the growth in new roles after the slower summer period the "September Surge."
This year, it's almost impossible to know what's going to happen in the job market as we close things out.
What I do know is this: Making any kind of change takes time and effort. Since we only have a limited amount of time and energy, it’s easy to see how we can get stuck in one place.
Looking for a new opportunity can be overwhelming, especially because there are SO many levers to pull: online applications, LinkedIn, resumes, job alerts, networking, interviewing, cover letters, thank you notes ....
You get the picture. Where do you even start?
For today, I want you to focus on the passive search.
I want you to set yourself up so that great opportunities can find you.
So, how can you live the dream and have people knocking down your door to find you?
This is where having a fully optimized LinkedIn profile comes into play.
Let’s say that a company is looking for a CMO. Often, these roles aren’t posted: executive recruiters search LinkedIn to find great candidates.
Our goal is to make it easy for recruiters to find you.
If you currently aren’t a CMO but are looking to make that next step, then you:
- Share that you are currently reporting to the CMO
- Discuss how you are currently advising the CMO
- Highlight CMO-type results and impacts
Think of it like an SEO search: recruiters are searching based on skills, titles, and keywords.
Make sure that you are speaking their language by including the titles, terms, and keywords that they are looking for in your profile.
This weekend, think about what keywords/skills are important for your target roles. Then make a few quick tweaks to your LinkedIn profile so that opportunities can easily find you!
Question of the week
I’d love to see you put some encouraging words out there to the GenX/Boomer job seekers out there about the looooong process most companies put candidates through. For example, currently I have made it to the third round (including the HR screening) of interviews for two different opportunities. I applied for roles several months ago. The lack of communication during the hiring process is nerve-wracking and makes one question one’s own experience and skills. Back in the early days of our careers (in the 80’s and 90’s), you heard back pretty fast whether you moved on to the next round, or not.
Yeah - you definitely aren’t alone here.
The hiring process is taking so much longer than it used to take.
When I applied for my first real job out of college, I flew into Cincinnati for the interview with P&G and left with a job offer that day.
With the move to virtual interviewing, it feels like a lot of companies have extended the process. It’s just too easy to add one decision-maker to the mix.
Companies are also being cautious about hiring right now. Sometimes companies will post a role and then have budget cuts, so the role might not even exist anymore.
You shouldn’t take it personally when you don’t hear back in a timely manner or the hiring process takes forever. I’m not saying that it’s right, but this is where things are right now. A client of mine had 10 interviews for an executive role with Amazon over a several month period: they did 80-90 hours of prework/interviewing for the role, only to find out that they didn’t get the role in a 1 minute call. No feedback, no thank you, nothing.
It’s tough out there, so when you do doubt yourself and your abilities, remind yourself that this has nothing to do with you and your abilities and everything to do with a hiring process that has not aged like a fine wine.
Tepper Webinar
I was recently part of a panel discussion for the Tepper School of Business (Carnegie Mellon University) discussing career transitions, job search strategies, networking, and staying relevant in a rapidly evolving job market. Tepper has graciously made this discussion public - you can view the webinar below:
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Take care of yourself and have a wonderful weekend!
Colleen
