Fall 2019 - A Great Time to Test Your Marketability!

As Summer 2019 winds down and Fall is upon us, those of you who are seeking promotions, better jobs, healthier work-life balance, higher pay, more security, or exciting new opportunities, Fall 2019 is a great time to be looking. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the total number of job openings has increased to 7.2 million and the nation's unemployment rate has dipped to 3.7%, a decades low level! What does that mean for you? Companies need you & they want you!

All of this is good news for American jobseekers, as well as those hoping to negotiate promotions, better salaries, or improved employment terms and benefits. This Fall's "talent-based" market is absolutely the best time to pursue your potential opportunities.

Combine those factors with the observation that the Fall season traditionally represents a seasonal flurry in hiring activity, and you have the perfect chemistry and timing to reach out and "Test the Water."

Although Fall 2019 doesn't officially begin until Monday, September 23rd, now is the ideal time to "Get Your Career in Gear!"

Those of us in the Careers Industry know that the job search landscape takes a nosedive each year from Thanksgiving through New Years', so keep in mind there is actually only a brief 10-week Fall seasonal window to pursue job opportunities. But take cheer, for a variety of budgetary and tax considerations, many companies seriously amp up their hiring and talent identification process in September & October.

Fall in "The Big Easy"...

Particularly in my hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana, the Fall season is the peak of business activity... Fall is when the weather is best, university students (Tulane, Xavier, UNO, Loyola, Dillard, SUNO, Holy Cross) return to campus, the New Orleans Saints NFL team is playing in the Mercedes Benz Superdome, the Hospitality & Restaurant sector is in full swing, and the largest national and international conventions come to town.

The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center boasts 1.1 million sq. ft. of contiguous exhibit space, the 6th largest convention facility in the nation, and ranks in the country’s Top 10 facilities with the most conventions and tradeshows.

So, here we are, with Back-to-School & Football Season underway... the perfect time to launch your Fall 2019 Career Improvement Plan! What can you be doing right now that will position you to hit the ground running as we approach 2020?

Step #1 - Get a Career Coach & Get a Plan

Any time you are embarking on a job search or career enhancement process, you should generate a Career Plan showing the steps you will take, the resources you can expend, a timeline for each step, and the results you can reasonably expect to yield. You can also sign up for seminars and training. This is how career coaches approach each client, and you should do the same.

Step #2 - Seriously Polish Up Your Resume

Have you seen today's first-class resumes? As a National Resume Awards Judge for 8 years consecutively, I see the trends, the styles, the strategies, and the cream of the crop in best-in-class resumes. Boring, unattractive, and old-fashioned resumes that were O.K. even a few years ago simply don't cut it today. How up-to-date is your resume? Does it include your 2018-2019 projects, activities, or achievements?

Remember, decision-makers have what is called a "Recency Bias"... otherwise known as "What have you done for me lately?" Has your resume been enhanced to the latest standards for eye appeal, digital compatibility, ATS compliance (where a computer scans and scores your resume, something we study in detail), content level, correct length, keyword inclusion, and formatting?

One word of caution... when getting your resume critiqued and reviewed, beware of "predatory" operations from online firms who go out of their way to "trash" even the very best resumes to get new business. Only have your resume critiqued by someone that you know can be trusted to be objective and honest.

Step #3 - Dust Off Your Old LinkedIn Profile for an Enhancement & Enlarge Your LinkedIn Network

LinkedIn profiles are rapidly gaining strength as hiring magnets. Not only recruiters, but key hiring staff and search panels will absolutely browse your LinkedIn profile... even when they have your resume in hand. To be top drawer, your LinkedIn profile should have an attractive headshot, a classy LinkedIn background, tons of graphics & photos, hard-hitting content, and first-level, exciting formatting.

When trying to expand your LinkedIn Connections and Network, understand that Fall is a great time to reach out.

Since LinkedIn is the #1 site for recruiters and hiring managers, that should be your focus. Do you currently have at least 500 1st-level connections? Make it thousands! (I have 24,000)

Step #4 - Step Up Your Game & Engage Actively with Others

Fall, with its football season, end of laid-back summer lifestyle, pre-holiday flurry of energy, and back-to-school activities, is the perfect time to reach out and engage colleagues and others digitally and at in-person events.

We help our clients to write a brief article on a subject within their wheelhouse, an article that appeals to colleagues in their area of expertise. We help them to post it on LinkedIn or other social media sites for sharing, increasing their outreach to influencers within their field.

Fall is also the ideal time to set up a few coffee or lunch sessions with someone highly respected in your field... or check out the top job boards and specialty sites for new job postings in your industry. And Fall is absolutely the perfect time to volunteer or offer to speak at a local nonprofit event or school function.

Strategic Resumes & Career Coaching clients are distinguished by the knowledge that preparation and confidence are the keys to success, and they rely on Strategic Resumes & Career Coaching to give them an edge.

Grant Cooper received the Career Directors International President's Award (CDI National Conference, Orlando, FL)

Grant Cooper & Lela Neff specialize in Reinventing Resumes, Upgrading LinkedIn Profiles, and Career Coaching for Success. Strategic Resumes & Career Coaching has assisted the U.S. Air Force, Kinko's, the Louisiana Dept. of Labor, the NFL, the NBA, as well as universities, regional banks, hospitals, celebrities, nonprofits, government agencies, entrepreneurs, and corporations. Our clients land competitive positions at Fortune 500 firms and attract the best offers. Contact: [email protected] or call 504-891-7222 (leave a message for quick return call from Lela Neff, Client Director).