Job Search Rejections Pt2

Last week we spoke about the unique opportunities you have as designers (please go to https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/job-rejections-explained-pt1-hayley-dyer if you haven’t read it already)

Before I dive in I'm doing a LinkedIn Live on Monday where you can ask me and my co-host, Caroline Langston, your Job search rejection questions.

Click below to attend our LinkedIn Live and get your job search rejection questions answered

Job Search Rejections Part 2

So, as promised, this week I’m going to explain how the job search process tells you what is preventing you from securing a job and ways to fix it (although not all... we have job search courses that take a week to get through! If you're interested please do message me.)

So let's get started so you can fix your issues today and get this show on the road!!! ??

A job search is a game of snakes and ladders in simplistic terms.

If you don’t climb the ladder or you get stuck on any stage then you'll slide down the snake to the beginning

This is a chance for you to regroup, reframe and get back on that ladder!!

In the filming industry if an actor tries a new genre or character that they're not recognised or known for they're taking a big gamble that they may flop and run the risk of losing their audience, their reputation, millions of $$$ and another opportunity to create a legacy and win an award at the Oscars.

They'll do everything they can to make sure they're a success by putting in hundreds, maybe even thousands of hours dissecting and researching their part to minute detail.

They'll really hone in on every little tick, mannerisms, personality traits, behaviours and voice until it's so believable that they've embodied their character and the audience forgets it is an actor.

The same goes for a job search.?

If you don’t concentrate on the really important elements before your release your material to your audience you won’t have a second chance to capture a hiring manager’s heart.

So, back to the game of snakes and ladders....

LADDER 1 - Personal Brand ?

Before you do anything THE most important starting point is your personal brand! Essentially it’s a representation of your persona, character, values, motivations and drivers. There are many more elements that make up your brand but essentially it subliminally surmises how much pride and/or self respect you have for your job, work and ultimately, yourself!?

Think of yourself as your own personal “Business of One”, you're your own sales, marketing, pr and advertising team, all rolled into one.

Your mission is to create a winning campaign to help make sure your materials stand out from your competition and present a convincing, unequivocal presentation of your suitability.

BOOM! ??

Think about the presentations your current firm put together for a bid. They take time and a lot of planning... your job application submissions are no different and should be treated as million $$ lottery tickets.

A good personal brand behaves like a magnet on social media, attracting all sorts of inbound opportunities. It acts as the modern-day, 21st-century recommendation letter and that’s just one plus!

In your race to secure a job it solidifies your credibility and bolsters any facts, figures, or notable achievements in your application materials.?

Any job seeker who has a clear personal brand receives less rejections, more interviews, more offers and has a far easier job search than anyone who doesn’t, that’s for sure!!!?

They are a recruiter's dream!

If you haven’t sat down on your own and planned your own personal brand then YOU MUST, IMMEDIATELY!

YOUR MATERIALS CV, LinkedIn, Portfolio and overall Personal Brand?

Once you have your personal brand planned it’s on to creating consistent content throughout your materials

Any or all of your submitted materials will either attract or detract.

If you are a Designer you have 4 amazing opportunities to convince your audience/hiring manager of your "creative flare" without having to use those words which has far more impact.

I’ll give a brief synopsis of their tasks, desired outcome and indicators of the role they play

LADDER 2 CV

Factual based content, facts, figures, drivers and tangible results in a more formal manner, however not so formal the read is stale and “high-school” esque. You’re looking to inspire the reader to actually want to work with you haha.

What makes you get out of bed every day are the elements we’re looking for with a splash of creativity and personality

Outcome:

? CV has done its job = Interviews, calls to gather more information and views of your LinkedIn with a follow-up message reaching out to you.

? ?? CV issues = Silence or rejection messages if you are lucky. Go down the snake to ladder 2 and revisit the layout and content of your CV. Jaz it up and make it as unique as you are full of your own set of qualities are you are made of to enable you to stand out from everyone else.

I get asked all the time what makes someone stand out, and it’s YOU!?Not the CV template you chose or reworded template you've changed a few words on, that's not it. Readers can tell a mile off because we have 100s of other CVs from job seekers with the same template and same boring, lifless content [yawn]

If you've put in little effort in to your CV, guess what it implies about you? You'll put little effort in at work.

Spelling mistakes = careless

Cramped CV = A desperate attempt to attract the hiring manager by not missing anything out. In reality you're overwhelming the reader with irrelevant information which detracts from skills you have that would be more relevant. Also suggests a lack of confidence

Plain word doc = not very creative

Highlighted words = you think the reader is stupid so you've highlighted them so they don't miss vital info.... Change the layout so it's clear, it's nice, neat, well presented and organised!!!

I could go on and on with examples however a well presented, organised, methodical, creative, well articulated document with a spot of colour and a sprinkle of personality are all qualities hiring managers look for in a new employee

BOOOM ??????

No need to tell them you're organised etc, because you've shown them! ??????

Action:

???? ?? CV Fixes = There’s so much you can do and I won’t be able to fit it all in here.. we have a course that takes a week to complete. If you want to find out more log in/register at https://aerecruitment.ae/login/ My Profile > My CV or for further assistance. If you would like coaching with me head to My Support > Choose a subscription to suit your needs and requirements.

LADDER 3 LinkedIn

Should be treated like your own personal shop window. It’s your online CV, sales page and chance to further convince readers of your knowledge, passion and expertise in your industry.

Posting insightful thoughts, engaging with your network and attracting “passers-by” is the aim here.?

It's not enough just to "have" a LinkedIn profile. It's your sales pitch, your product page, your stage in a world-class arena.

Outcome:

? LinkedIn profile has done it’s job = Messages in your inbox, comments on your posts and inbound opportunities. (This does take time though so the sooner you get started the better!)

? ?? LinkedIn issues = Silence. No likes, no engagement, no messages. Essentially your "passers-by" are your customers, if they are not coming into your shop to enquire about your product and/or services then you need to do something about your shop window.

Also, if you’ve applied to a job, the reader has checked out your LinkedIn profile but has then gone quiet there is something they liked about your CV/application. However, your LinkedIn profile put them off.?

Action:

? Mission Completed? = Once you have climbed ladder 3 move straight on up ladder 4.

?????? LinkedIn Fixes = Rewrite immediately!! Link with previous employers, create content and get networking!?LinkedIn is a gold mine if used correctly.

LADDER 4 Portfolio

This one drives me bonkers! A portfolio is a walkthrough of your very best work/projects in relation to the job you are applying to. It's not an opportunity to promote your employers, the project brief or the consultants/subconsultants either.

What did YOU do on each project??

Outcome:

? Portfolio completed it’s job? = Application to interview time is reduced to days/weeks, not months or years! Move up ladder 5

? ?? Portfolio issues = Silence.?You're in the design industry so if you're not making the most of showing your creative talent you're leading the reader to question your skills.

Action:

? Mission Completed? = Move up ladder 5

???? Portfolio Fixes = If you are super lucky someone will ask “What did you do on each project??” but don’t expect that… most people would move onto the next applicant who doesn’t leave them asking questions. Just make sure you answer those questions before submitting your details.

For an example of a great portfolio log in / register at https://aerecruitment.ae/login/ My Profile > My Portfolio to watch a video and explanation of what we're looking for in your portfolio.

SIDE NOTE - Never submit your LinkedIn profile as your portfolio. Create a detailed presentation like you would if you were trying to secure a bid/project.

LADDER 5 Applications

Climbing ladder 5 is all about applying to jobs and I’m going to let you into a secret. Recruiters have made you all believe that you have milliseconds to send your materials over to them. Whilst it’s true, we are racing against the clock, other recruiters and direct applications, hiring managers take their sweet time to reply… even after telling us “I needed someone last week!”.?

Anyway, the speed in which you send your details doesn’t impact your suitability and a hiring manager rarely (0.0000000000000001% of the time) will pick the first CV they see. With those odds, you have time!

Most job seekers get stuck on Ladder 5… why? It’s due to their CV, LinkedIn, Portfolio or Personal Brand. They haven’t delivered a convincing presentation for the hiring manager to warrant taking action and simply, someone else did a better job.

The majority of job seekers rush this stage and it shows because they haven't thought about who is going to read their CV... the person that is hiring which indicates that you wouldn't do well in a pressurised environment.... NEXT!

Go down the snake to ladder 2!

Throughout your applications always have your Personal Brand at the forefront of your communication strategy. Lazy "Dear Sirs" when the person's name is at the front of the email ID creates the wrong impression, implying the individual is on a mass mailing list and it really doesn't matter who you work for, you just want a job.

Whilst that may be true, just any old job won't do if you want a fulfilling career that you enjoy.

Outcome:

? Created the right impression in line with your personal brand and their job = Interview

? ??Initial introduction let you down? = Silence or a rejection?

Action:

? Application introductions done their job? =?Prepare for your interview, research everyone and do your due diligence ready to impress!

? ?? Not getting past the application stage? = Slide down the snake to ladder 1 & 2

Result:

? Mission Completed? = move to stage 4

???? No interviews = Go down the snake to ladder 1 & 2

LADDER 6 - Interview request

This is where it gets exciting, you have an interview request so you’re nearly at the final hurdle…..no no no……you now need to convince the hiring manager that what you’ve written is the truth, that your personality/values/skills complement their existing team and you meet all of their expectations.

Outcome:

? Impressed at interview stage? = 2nd Interview or offer letter.

? ??Bad interview = Silence or a rejection.?

Action:

? Mission Completed? =?Prepare for your 2nd interview or wait for an offer letter.

???? ?? Not done your job = Ask where you went wrong. This is a tough one to swallow when you have come so far. 1/3 interviews should result in an offer, if that's not the case then you need to go down the snake to the bottom of ladder 2 and how you’ve articulated your experience. Essentially the hiring manager interpreted your skills in a different manner so use the RIBA Plan of Work at the end of this article as a guide.?

LADDER 7 - Offer

Ok, so you have received an offer of employment. This is awesome and you are totally on the right track, as long as the offer is in line with what you are looking for.

Outcome:

? Done your job = Great offer and you accept

?? Not a great offer = The offer is not unaligned to your goals

Action:

? Mission Completed? =?Offer received, Move up ladder 8 wooohooo!

???? Where to focus = Seriously re-evaluate your expectations. It’s common for job seekers to get over-excited during the interview process. If the position itself is way off you need to articulate your CV better so that hiring managers understand your day to day role. Slide down the snake to ladder 2, make sure you emphasise your experience that’s relevant to your expectations and start the process again.

LADDER 8 - Start Date

If anything goes wrong after you have accepted the job, signed the paperwork and agreed on a start date then it’s doubtful a hiccup at this stage is your fault.

If you have got to this stage and the position, salary, company, etc all met your requirements then you have done a great job…..you understood your assignment

? Mission Completed? = Start date agreed and all necessary paperwork completed Move on to the final ladder, number 9!!

LADDER 9 - Business of One

Truth is, your job search is never over. Don’t neglect your network, contacts, CV, LinkedIn, Portfolio and personal brand. The future of employment is changing and to get ahead of your colleagues you need to stand out. If the young YouTubers or Instagramers of this world are anything to go by you could be sitting on a gold mine via your LinkedIn network.?

That aside, don’t make your job search difficult in the future by neglecting what you have relied on during this job search.

Learn how to leverage it for the future and test what works and what doesn’t, while you're in a better frame of mind, than the job search panic! ??

Recap:

1. Create personal brand
2. Create a CV, LinkedIn profile, portfolio with a consistent personal brand that embodies your attributes?
3. Apply for jobs. If you don’t secure an interview slide down the snake to Ladder 1 and 2
4. Interview request. If you don’t secure an offer slide down the snake to Ladder 2 and assess the wording in your materials to make sure you are being interpreted correctly.
5. Offer. If you’ve received an offer but it’s not in line with what you are looking for slide down the snake to Ladder 2 to change the wording.
6. Start Date. If something goes wrong at this point it’s not your fault. Dust yourself off, get yourself out there and find another position.
7. Business of One. Always look after your own personal business of one because no one else will do it for you. Over time you’ll hone your skills, grow in confidence and win inbound opportunities without having to ask or chase.

So you'll see, if you are not getting any success or feel you have hit a roadblock, it's usually the planning, preparation and presentation right at the beginning that's hindering your chances.

As my old boss used to say "Hayley! Planning and Preparation, Prevents a P*** Poor Performance"

The job search process is always letting you know what you need to concentrate on and 9/10 it is your CV and overall presentation.

Take note of what the job search process is trying to tell you and take action! ??????

Hopefully, this has given you a clearer guide that's more constructive than the options you've been using this far?

CV tips in the architectural industry

When speaking to job seekers it's common practice for certain words to be interpreted in different ways. They do mean the same but each individual is talking about a completely different stage of the project.

"Design" for example could be Schematic Design or Detailed Design however they require a slightly different set of skills.

If you're confused about which terminology to use to articulate your area of expertise, why don't you try referring to RIBAs “Plan of Work” as a guide??That way your audience is crystal clear about your involvement

RIBA - https://www.architecture.com/knowledge-and-resources/resources-landing-page/riba-plan-of-work?