The Briefcase "Briefs" Job Search Newsletter - Issue #19

September 02, 2021

In this issue... Ted Lasso, kids books about careers, QR codes, LinkedIn Trends, tips for landing that next great job, mapping out your career, and much more... Also, an exciting article about a meaningful career change from Exxon to Amazon!

Hello Dear Reader,

Do your homework, study the plays, win the game!

It’s game day, the plays are drawn and the quarterback is suited up, but has he done his homework? Has he studied the defensive plays? Does he know the ins and outs of the other players on his team? With the start of college football knocking on the door (Go Dawgs!), I can’t help but look for the similarities in career coaching and preparing for the big game.

I love to do everything I can to prepare my clients to put their best foot forward, play their hearts out and come away with the win. It is important for anyone looking for a new company, a new position, to re-enter the workforce or undergo a career change to do their homework. 

► Spend time researching the company’s culture, mission, leadership, recent news, products, and services.

► Know who you are interviewing with. Leverage your network for insight.

► Know how to answer most asked questions.

► Study STAR method.

► Practice. Do a real mock interview.

Just like in football, it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. One solid play change can determine the game - a customized resume doesn’t mean a complete overhaul each time, it can be as simple as tailoring the headline to speak directly to the company and position.

A quarterback has to be flexible, react to the defense, and alter plays on the spot. Be the quarterback of your career and with each opportunity, take time to study the plays and show up to the game prepared to win.

I’m rooting for you,

Sarah

Ps. Georgia is playing Clemson this weekend. 🙏

Landing the Right Job

Identify where you are and where you want to go. Marc Effron in the Harvard Business Review shares his advice on how to take control of your career.

“I’m surprised it took you so long.” That’s what I heard time and again after announcing my resignation from ExxonMobil. Marketing executive, Kirsten Miller, blogged about her job search journey in this must read article about not just settling for a job, but looking for a great fit.

Want to learn how to attract the attention of executive recruiters and learn about MORE opportunities? Then this video is for you! Check out my latest YouTube video to learn the role of an executive recruiter, how to FIND executive recruiters and get on their radar.

Hot Topics

Since last year, 19% of firms in the Russell 3000 index have appointed at least one first-time director—that’s nearly 600 new director recruits. This article, published on the Korn Ferry blog by Jane Stevenson shares how to go from newbie to great.

“Ted Lasso?” Some of you may be thinking, “That name sounds familiar.” Some of you may not know the name at all. But I suspect most of you will know him ...

As a parent and career coach, these are my top recommendations for kids' books about jobs and careers.

Leveraging Your Brand

Entrepreneur Robert Reffkin says he has more mentors than anyone he knows and he believes that finding people who can advise and support you is much easier than most people imagine. Here's how.

William Arruda says QR code is back and it can be a powerful tool for building your personal brand. Here's his article on how you can use QR codes to stand out and deliver value to your network.

Staying in touch with current trends is something we all need to be doing so here are 12 practical ways to upskill and stay relevant

LinkedIn Trends

What happens when you get 16 LinkedIn pros together to talk about creating a powerful LinkedIn profile About section? You get an variety of incredible answers. LinkedIn Top Voice Bob McIntosh put together this round-up.

It's the little details that differentiate

Preparing your job references before your potential employer calls them is key to getting a good reference. Bogdan Zlatkov of Growth Hack Your Career gives you everything you need to know.

The most overlooked key to job interview success: The questions you ask in the interview. They can be the deciding factor in whether or not you’re hired. Biron Clark of CareerSidekick created a list of 100+ great questions to ask the interviewer to sound smart and prepared, and get hired.

Presentations

LinkedIn Senior News Editor for Jobs and Careers, Andrew Seaman, recently interviewed me about preparing for an interview. We talked about: How many interviews is too many, what to do if the hiring manager asks if you are planning to have kids, how to answer "Tell me about Yourself..." and so much more.

Interview Preparation

"Boom 💥 goes the dynamite!"

Does it make me a bad person that I've watched Ball State University student Brian Collins' epic sportscast gone wrong on YouTube dozens of times over the last decade?

Yeah, probably.

It's such a relatable social media trainwreck.

We've all been there...right? We think we know our stuff and can just go in and "wing" it....

Only to realize that some preparation and planning would have been a good idea.

I talk to job seekers all of the time with deep regret over "winging an interview"

Going in to the interview, they underestimated the quality of the hiring manager's questions and over-estimated their ability to talk about their career experience.

I get it. We are all balancing a full plate right now. Committing 10-15 hours to prepare for an interview feels completely unrealistic to some of you.

I did a recent poll on LinkedIn and got over 5,000 responses. I was blown away.

 19% of job seekers--at all career levels-- winged their interview or spent under 1 hour preparing.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐜𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰!

- Preparation will help you feel more in control. Being able to anticipate questions will allow you to appear cool, calm and collected.

- Research and preparation will also help you connect with the recruiter or hiring manager. It’s a simple fact that people hire people that they LIKE and that they would want to work with. When you’ve researched their background, you’ll be able to more easily make small talk.

- Research will also help you assess if the opportunity is a good fit.. Learning about the company, culture and their finances will help you avoid making a career misstep. 

💼 It’s so important to remember that you may only have one chance to make an impression on the hiring manager.  Want to book an interview coaching session? Click here to learn more

The worst sports guy in the history of the world!

Can you do me a favor?

I’m on a mission to help job seekers land amazing jobs. Would you consider doing one of the following:

  • Forward this newsletter to your job searching friends

  • Recommend me as a paid speaker for your company events on networking, job searching or leveraging LinkedIn

  • Recommend my services to high performers wanting to work one-on-one with an executive resume writer / or experienced interview coach

Reply

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