JOB SEEKER'S ALERT: Focus on these 3 issues

As we move to the 4th Quarter of the business year, current and potential job seekers should keep their eye on the three issues:

1. Even though interest rates are down and the economy has not yet crashed and burned, strategic layoffs are still very much in play.? A cynic explained that strategic layoffs, unlike an economically driven reduction in force,? are not always motivated by long-term goals and the best interest of an organization but rather by short-term P&L, cash flow, and executive bonuses.
2. Executive and management job seekers must prepare for more competition for the available jobs. Aside from the rumors of several large layoffs, including Amazon and CVS, we are forecasting smaller, strategically focused layoffs as companies respond to market and financial statement priorities. We also are forecasting that the so-called “white-collar recession” — an imbalance in the number of executives looking for a new opportunity versus available positions in that market segment will continue, heightening competition for each position.? It is not uncommon for executives and managers to compete today with 100 to 200 other applicants.
3. 3. If you are in the market, keep close tabs on what is working and what isn’t. One such issue that immediately comes to mind is the customization of your resume to enhance your scan score.? FYI, the higher the score, the better the chance you will have of being selected for further consideration.? Navigating a myriad of Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) — cynical job seekers call ATS Applicant Tossing Systems — is hardly an exact science.? If we were in a room full of executive job seekers, the roar of “Amen” would be deafening at that point. ? If you are not yet in the market, now is the time to become job search-ready.? The market is so different from three years ago that getting up to speed, even with the support of a career coach, will take at least a month.? Without a coach, longer!

As we wrote in a recent newsletter, do not be afraid to pursue a non-traditional career path.?

Some amazing business opportunities are outside the sphere of influence of AI algorithms that want to take over your job!? One hot area for exploration is home services - no chance of a computer taking your job, and it is a segment that is ripe for disruption from better-organized, hardworking entrepreneurs. ? If the paychecks continue to roll in, but you are not happy (read: not passionate) with what you are doing, use your current job to capitalize your future. Do not wait until you lose the financial flexibility to develop and execute your plan for long-term security and happiness.?

+ PLUS: How Does One Change Careers? ?

It takes transferable skills, imagination, creativity, and hard work. The ease of transition and the time it takes depends on your starting point, how hard you are willing to work, and your endpoint — will you need additional education, certifications, and professional licensure?

How does one get started?? Look at the process as one of reverse engineering.? Start with where you want to end and work your way back, factoring in the essential waypoints — education, licensure,? experience, etc.

John Self has successfully navigated four career changes, and he has the expertise and insight to help you create a plan and ask all the right questions. To learn more, talk to John.? Schedule a no-obligation free call today. ?

STOP TALKING ABOUT CHANGE, TALK TO JOHN