What You Need to Know to Succeed in the Job Search Market

Today's publication will be slightly different in that I'm sharing a curated list of articles and resources on job searching. Some of the articles have been published on LinkedIn before the launch of the FWD my Career Newsletter. Those articles are still incredibly relevant today for those of you who are job searching and wondering why it's so difficult to get traction in today's job search market.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

January 2023 Update: [Free Webinar] Why Is It So Hard to Find a Job?

???? Jan 19th, 2023 @9.30 CET

?? Jan 24th, 2023 @9.30 CET

Both webinars have the same base framework but on the 19th, we'll dive deeper into the particularities and additional challenges of the Swiss market.?

?? RESERVE YOUR SPOT HERE ??

https://catherine-leduc.com/upcoming-webinars/

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

First and foremost: Job searching in today's market is no easy task. If your job search is not getting you results, do not question yourself but rather question - and change - your strategy!

In others words, if your job searching the same way you did a few years back and relying mostly on online applications - this will not land you a job. Not in today's crowded and competitive markets.

To succeed, it's critical to understand how the job search and recruitment markets have shifted over the past years as this largely explains the roadblocks and challenges you are facing as a job hunter. Once equipped with a better understanding of what you are dealing with, it becomes easier to pivot your job search strategy for success.

The selection of articles and resources below will help you better understand the market shifts with a focus on helping you troubleshoot your current job search approach as well as propose concrete strategies that you need to implement to succeed. Namely, how to build and leverage your network to tap into the hidden job market.

In the past years, markets and economies have seen a lot of turbulence, disruptions and innovations - all of which still have an important effects on the job search and recruitment market dynamics. To name but a few:

• Professional social media platforms have increased the visibility and reach of job openings bringing increasing numbers of applicants and making it much mnore complex for companies to navigate their way through the maze of applicants.
• The increasing availability of remote and flexible work locations also means that job openings receive higher and higher number of applicants. Remote work also brings new considerations in terms of the skills required from both managers and team members and what values and culture foster collaboration in hybrid work environments.
• Number of recruitment tools and software are used to manage the flow of incoming applications. Although their use is understandable in light of the hundreds of resumes that HR Teams need to handle, they are largely responsible for everything that is broken in the current system and for the current paradoxes whereby applicants struggle to get seen by employers while employers find it impossible to find the right candidates. Furthermore, the softwares drive candidate selection based on experience, knowledge and qualifications (aka technical skills) whereas the market is increasingly recognising the importance of soft skills, motivation and values in recruiting the right candidates.
• The speed of innovations, technological advances and discoveries means that many of us are operating in fields that did not even exist while we were studying. It therefore becomes important for companies to revisit their focus on screening for academic certifications where many candidates have learned new technologies as they evolved in the market. In addition, technological progress is an ongoing process meaning that even the most advanced technical skills are likely to become obselete in the short term. This increases the value of employees who have growth mindset and the motivation and ability to learn and upskill - they are the ones who will remain relevant in the longer term and be able to steer companies and teams as they embrace the constantly evolving technologies and digital infrastructres that shape our work and economies.
• LinkedIn platform remains a key tools in both job search and career management but the Covid crisis and lockdown have both increased the number of users and provided an important catalyst to support LinkedIn's shift towards becoming a platform more focused on professional interactions and exchanges. This is a great platform for candidates to establish themselves professionally, build their credibility and authority, increase their visibility and expand and nurture their network. As such it is a critical tool for job searching that candidates can no longer afford to misused or underuse.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

For a deeper dive on those topics and most importantly for recommendations as to how to pivot your job search strategy in reaction to the market shifts and challenges, heva look at the resources below:

Why Is It So Hard to Find a Job? (Live Webinars January 2023)

If you are job searching and struggling to get noticed - this webinar is for you! This webinar provides a detailed overview of the topics presented in the articles below with a focus on first helping you understand the changes in the job search and recruitment markets that are the cause of the challenges you experience. As a sesond step, I'll share critical strategies to put in place to pivot your job search strategy for success. There will be two webinars one is general and the other deep dives into the specifics of the Swiss Market.

Job Searching in the Era of Social Media: Why You're Not Getting Traction & What to Do About It

This is a key article to understand what is happening today in the job search and recruitment market as it explains how social media platforms (namely LinkedIn) have massively disrrupted the process by driving considerably higher numbers of applications and as a result forcing companies to look into different approaches and tools to manage this flow of applicants (aka the ATS). This means two key challenges for job hunters that need to be factored into your job search: the ATS for one which requires that your CV be developed differently toa ccount for the workings of the software and also and most importantly, the need to diversify ones' job search approach to bypass the ATS to tap into the hidden job market. The article also touches on the growing importanc of personal branding to stand out when competition is high and LinkedIn as a pltaform to further propel ones' brand and expand your network.

5 Strategies to Leverage the COVID Crisis to Land Your Next Job

Although written in response to the Covid Crisis, the market shifts presented in this article are still relevant and felt today. In addition, this article contains recommendations on how to protect your career in times of turbulences and reposition your role or job search towards areas of opportunities and growth. Furthermore, it discusses how the crisis has impacted the importance of soft skills in recruitment and hiring and how you should leverage this in your approach.

The Most Important Skills for 2022 & How to Showcase Them

As discussed above, soft skills are becoming increasingly important in the selection of candidates as a result of the events of the last years, namely with the Covid Crisis and the speed at which technology is evolving. Unfortunately, in many respects, the recruitment approaches have not yet fully adapted to make it possible for employers to consider and screen for soft skills - at least online applications offer very few opporutnities to showcase soft skills. This article presents important skills that are increasingly and demand and provides concrete examples of hhow candidates can showcase them in their job search and career management approaches.

Pivot Your Job Search for Success Program

If you are looking for more support in adapting your job search strategy and tools to overcome the challenges of the current job search market, note that I have developed the "Pivot Your Job Search for Success in 4 Weeks" online program, which dives deeper into the key topics presented in the articles and in the webinar. The program walks you step-by-step into implementing the strategy shifts that will enable you to succeed with a focus on Branding, Resume Optimisation, Networking, LinkedIn & Stand Out Visibility Strategies.

The program is an online self-paced course but unlike other online programs, participants have access to bi-monthly group coaching calls where you will be able to ask all your questions and get my support as you go through the course and implement the strategies. The details can be found here: Pivot Your Job Search for Success in 4 Weeks

If you have questions, feel free to contact me and I'll be happy to provide you with additional information!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Catherine Leduc is a certified NLP& RSCI coach, speaker, and author of multiple?online courses?on Job Searching and Career Management and brings 17+ years of experience in senior consulting roles in strategic planning & marketing in the pharmaceutical industry. She has been the go-to person for job searching and career advice in her expat circles for over a decade before deciding to launch as a Career Coach. Her approach is focused on a strong strategic marketing background, extensive experience building and managing multi-disciplinary & multi-cultural teams across the World, and special attention to addressing mindset issues that often stand in the way of reaching our goals.

Book a Discovery Call to Explore Working Together

Visit the website?|?Connect on LinkedIn?|?Join the FWD my Career Community