Career Briefs: Job Search Slam Dunk

Dear Reader:

Nike owned the NBA in the 2022-23 season, with 65.1% of players sporting the swoosh. Adidas lagged behind at 10.8%.

Did you know Adidas used to be king of the court?

Flashback to the early '80s: Adidas was the brand for basketball shoes and apparel. Then came their legendary misstep—they exited the sport, thinking they'd peaked. Enter Nike, hungry and eager, signing an unproven rookie named Michael Jordan. The move revolutionized the sneaker game and catapulted Nike to the top, while Adidas was left watching from the sidelines.

This story is a powerful reminder that even industry leaders can falter, and the key to success lies in seizing opportunities. It’s a lesson on the importance of staying proactive and ready. By managing your professional brand and remaining open to new possibilities, you can significantly boost your career prospects.

Position Your Value Proposition: Nike didn’t just sign Jordan—they positioned him as the future of basketball. What’s your unique value? How do you position yourself as the solution to an employer's needs? Make sure your resume, cover letter, and online presence clearly highlight the skills and experience that align with the roles you're targeting.

Don’t Be Afraid to Pivot: Sometimes, you need to adjust your strategy. If your job search isn’t yielding results, take a step back and reassess. Are you targeting the right roles? Is your resume effectively communicating your strengths? Stay flexible and open to change.

Sometimes, a leap of faith (or a dunk) changes everything.

In this Issue

• Prepare for Performance Reviews

• Job Searching with AI

• Noncompetes and Other Employment Law Advice

• Let’s Play a Game! Guess the Paycheck!

• Why People Quit Jobs: (It’s not just the boss)

• LinkedIn’s 17 Predictions on the Future of Work

• Briefcase Coach Referrals

• Advertise with Briefcase Coach

Prepare for Performance Reviews

As the year winds down, are you ready for your performance review? Whether you love them or dread them, performance reviews provide a valuable opportunity to reflect on your accomplishments, set goals for the future, and gain insights into your professional growth. 

We've gathered insights from top career coaches to help you prepare for success. From self-reflection to gathering examples of your accomplishments, thoughtful preparation is key.

Experts recommend translating your achievements into tangible impact - it's not just about what you did, but how it benefited the company.

Even if you've had a challenging year, there's a way to approach your review with a positive attitude. Ownership and accountability are crucial, as is focusing on lessons learned and future growth. A study showed that employees who effectively prepared for reviews were more successful in negotiating their career development plans.

Don't forget to prepare for asking for more - whether it's a raise, promotion, or new responsibilities. This article provides strategies for conveying confidence and generosity during these conversations.

Job Searching with AI

I recently posted an open position on my team for a part time marketing coordinator. As part of the application, I asked applicants to share why they were interested in the role. 95% of the applicants responded with eerily similar answers. My conclusion - they used the same prompt in ChatGPT. While I didn’t explicitly discourage the use of AI, it was eye-opening to see how many applicants used it. (I have since updated the application to discourage AI-generated answers.) I get that applying to jobs is time consuming and ChatGPT and Perplexity offer short cuts—but if you do use these platforms, make sure you're still infusing the response with your own ideas and unique voice. AI can be a helpful tool, but it shouldn’t replace the authentic, original content that makes you stand out as an applicant.

While I would discourage anyone from removing the human element from application answers or resume writing, I do think there are benefits of AI in a job search. Hannah Morgan recently shared a great list of AI prompts in her recent Career Sherpa newsletter to help job seekers with aspects of their job search.

Noncompetes and Other Employment Law Advice

I recently had the opportunity to interview Tom Spiggle of The Spiggle Law Firm - Virginia for my Curated Career Conversation series. Tom specializes in protecting the rights of employees who have been unfairly terminated or fear they might be.

Tom is also a senior contributor for Forbes and the author of the groundbreaking book You’re Pregnant, You’re Fired. He holds a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center and both a Master's and Bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina.

Whether you're an executive facing a career transition, concerned about potential termination, or simply seeking to understand your employment rights better, this interview offers invaluable insights and practical advice.

We explore the intricacies of noncompete agreements, the importance of seeking legal counsel, and the delicate balance between protecting your reputation and asserting your rights.

Let’s Play a Game! Guess the Paycheck!

Ever wonder how much that person in the corner office really makes? Or maybe you've thought, "Wow, I should have been a [insert surprising high-paying job]!" Salary transparency laws have empowered job seekers to make more informed career decisions by giving them clear insight into compensation ranges. As of July 2024, 11 states, including California, New York, and Colorado have implemented pay transparency legislation, making it easier for professionals to weigh compensation as a key factor in their career choices.

Ready to test your salary savviness? Let’s"Name That Paycheck"! I'll give you highlights from a REAL job description, and you get to guess the pay range.

Did you know that public information from states with salary transparency laws can be a valuable resource for benchmarking salary ranges?

By performing a simple Boolean search, such as "job title" + "location (state with transparency laws)", you can find current salary data for comparable roles online. Additionally, the United States Department of Labor provides annual reports on H1B visa wages, which detail compensation by company, job title, and location. Notably, data from USCIS shows that around 66% of approved H1B visas are for workers in computer-related fields. These resources can be particularly useful for those looking to benchmark salaries in tech and related industries.

I recommend comparing data from multiple salary platforms to increase accuracy. This helps mitigate potential biases or inconsistencies from a single source

Why People Quit Jobs: (It’s not just the boss)

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, “people don’t leave bad jobs, they quit bad bosses.” Leaders got a bad rep as the mantra implied that a poor manager is the sole reason people leave jobs. Ethan Bernstein, a professor of leadership and professional behavior at Harvard Business School, along with his co-authors Michael Horn + Bob Moesta, collected 15 years of qualitative data on actual job moves and found that people need meaningful work; managers and colleagues who value, respect, and trust them; and opportunities to grow, excel, and advance in their careers. I encourage you to read their Harvard Business Review article Why Employees Quit. They are also launching a book, Job Moves. Their book website has a lot of free resources for job seekers if you give them your email address.

LinkedIn’s 17 Predictions on the Future of Work

In today's rapidly evolving job market, it is important to keep up with the latest hiring trends. FlexJobs has identified 10 key shifts in remote work that every job seeker should be aware of. From the integration of AI in recruitment to the growing emphasis on skills over degrees, these trends are reshaping how companies find and hire talent.

LinkedIn's comprehensive report on the "Future of Recruiting" offers a fascinating glimpse into what lies ahead for talent acquisition professionals. With 17 key predictions based on extensive research and industry insights, this report is a must-read for anyone in the field.

One of the most striking predictions is that recruiting will drive business-critical changes. 70% of talent acquisition professionals believe they can now claim a seat at the executive table, positioning themselves as true change-makers within their organizations. This shift reflects the growing strategic importance of talent acquisition in today's competitive landscape.

Briefcase Coach Referrals

It always makes my day when a former client reaches out to recommend Briefcase Coach. It's a huge vote of confidence in our team and the work we do to create amazing career documents. To show our appreciation, we're offering a special bonus for referrals! If someone you refer books our services before the end of the year, they'll get $100 off, and you'll receive a thank-you gift from me personally.

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