Briefcase Coach's Career Briefs: Job Search Smarter

Dear Reader:

The weather here in North Carolina has been absolutely gorgeous lately. I love the cool mornings and warmer afternoons. Spring is one of my favorite seasons, as it invites us to be outside, enjoying sporting events and festivals and joining in community again after a long winter.

However, spring is not always sunny blue skies. You know the saying - April showers bring May flowers. Much like a job search, bright and sunny days can be followed by gray and stormy ones. Searching for a job can be unpredictable, with many unknown factors, such as the number of job openings available, other candidates' qualifications, and hiring managers' preferences. It is important to face the unknowns of one day with optimism toward the next.

A job search can seem less volatile with preparation. Take time to update your resume and cover letter, research potential employers, and practice interview skills. Use the days of beautiful weather to meet a colleague for coffee, enjoy a long walk to consider new growth opportunities, or find some white space away from work to help clear your head.

As always, I am rooting for you,

Leveling Up

Briefcase Coach Original Article: What makes someone promotable?

A promotion can be a great way to advance your career, gain new responsibilities, and increase your earning potential. But what catches the eye of leaders choosing who gets the promotion? I asked my LinkedIn followers, and the answer may surprise you, it isn't the employee who is cranking out the most output.

CEOs Say Internal Hiring’s Critical. Employees Say, 'Really?'

LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky has publicly said, "Your next best employee is most likely your current employee." This statement aligns with some data from the 2023 LinkedIn "The Future of Recruiting" global report released this week. According to their insights, 75% of recruiting pros say internal recruiting will be important in shaping future recruiting over the next five years. Do employees and company leaders see eye-to-eye on internal promotions? Recent research points to differing views. Laura Hilders, LinkedIn journalist, presents findings that show employees do not believe company leaders help develop and promote their employees. In contrast, c-suite leaders tout the importance of encouraging employee growth.

Pay and Benefits

Paid time off is not part of workers' 'salary,' U.S. court rules

This is big news! Paid time off (PTO) is not part of workers' 'salary,' U.S. court rules Paid time off (PTO) and salary are two separate forms of compensation, and whether or not PTO should be considered part of salary is ultimately up to the employer's policies and practices. In accordance with this, a three-judge panel of the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled that it is lawful for companies to dock PTO from their employees when expectations are not met.

Fathers face work discrimination and career setbacks

Many of my guy friends have shared with me that the highlight of the pandemic is that they spent more time at home with the kids. According to the New York Times, men took on much more of the work of raising children and running households than they had before. This had some positive effects on families. A Harvard’s Making Caring Common project survey in June 2020 found that more than two-thirds of fathers said they felt closer to their children since the pandemic started. Unfortunately, there is a negative side to child-rearing. More than half of male caregivers believe they are treated unfairly at work, and nearly one-third, 31 percent, believe they lost their jobs because of caregiving.

Layoffs

In Tech, Repeat Rounds Of Job Cuts Make ‘Rolling Layoffs’ A New Reality

The Tech industry continues to be hit hard with layoffs, many of which are coming as second and third rounds within the same companies. As layoffs continue to loom after large cuts, remaining employees are left feeling anxious and uncertain about their future.

Meta layoffs: Is there an upside?

Meta continues to layoff thousands, but is there an upside to the structure they are working towards? I found this article, originally shared in Recruiting Brainfood, really thought-provoking. As a member of the Silicon Valley workforce and software engineer, Brandur Leach shares his "stream of consciousness" about the implications of Meta's layoffs and their move towards a flat leadership structure.

Communicating With Stakeholders During a Crisis

It's fair to say that SVB employees probably earned the equivalent of an accelerated MBA class in crisis communication this month. For those who don't know, within a 48-hour time period, the bank essentially collapsed. In short, SVB received a massive influx of capital during the pandemic-driven startup investment boom. Some argue that the fed's aggressive rate hikes caused the bust, while others feel that the bank’s management did not effectively manage its interest rate and liquidity risk. Whatever actually happened, I guarantee you SVB employees did not wake up on March 1st expecting this turmoil. Communications expert Shama Hyder says that "the best time to prepare for a crisis is when there isn’t one." I want to encourage you to take this advice to heart. Spend some time thinking about how you would react to a situation of the same magnitude at SVB. Companies only have one shot during a crisis.

Workplace Psychology

Are You Hung Up on That Career Path You Didn’t Choose?

I often talk to professionals, mid career, who are asking the question "what if?". In this Harvard Business Review article, researchers report on the staggering numbers of workers surveyed that dwell on what could have been and the effects it has on their managers, team members and colleagues. "Whether their career choices were driven by a desire for financial stability, a search for fulfillment, or other motivations, almost all of the workers in our study demonstrated at least some wistfulness about what might have been had they taken an alternate path."

Technology in a Job Search

Leveraging Google for Target Company Research

As you know, Google has had a tremendous impact on the way we access and consume information. As the world's most popular search engine, Google processes billions of search queries every day and provides users with access to a vast amount of information. Use this trick to query websites for specific phrases for target company research for your job search. It's a great hack to save you time!

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 or use the referral link below to share this newsletter with your job-searching friends or post about it on social media. This small act really helps!

• Reach out to us about featuring your executive job posting in our newsletter. We are looking for hiring managers, founders, and search firms to talk on video about their ideal candidates.

• Consider sharing my company name with your HR leadership. We are a great “white-glove” boutique option for executive outplacement

• 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

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