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- Briefcase Coach's Career Briefs: Job Search Newsletter
Briefcase Coach's Career Briefs: Job Search Newsletter
In this issue: tools to organize your job search, layoff advice from Twitter's employees, mistakes to avoid when trying to level up and more...
Sarah Johnston
December 14, 2022
Dear Reader:
"Pathetic"
"Just meh"
"FINALLY gets a goal"
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐.
Christian Pulisic Reminded The World He's A Damn Legend While Laying In A Hospital Bed
Christian Pulisic thriving as the first USA soccer icon on a pedestal made of stainless steel
Soccer Fans Dubbing Christian Pulisic, Captain America, During World Cup
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ผ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐.
About the same person.
Different team. Different co-workers. Different customers (fans)
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ.
Christian Pulisic only logged 183 minutes across nine matches at Chelsea. Yet for a different team, he scored the "heroic" goal at the World Cup, advancing the US to the knockout rounds.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ.
Sometimes we just need a change of scenery. A new boss. A new mission. New customers. I'm sure that you've seen the viral post with the image of a water bottle. Dozens of people have shared it. The message says:
A Bottle of water can be .50 cents at a supermarket. $2 at the gym. $3 at the movies and $6 on a plane. Same water. Only thing that changed its value was the place..So the next time you feel your worth is nothing, maybe youโre at the wrong place๐ฏ
— Kobi Simmons (@JordanKobi)
Sep 15, 2022
๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ, ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐.
As always, I am rooting for you,
Sarah
Ps. If you like podcasts, check out Jasmine Garsd and NPR's The Last Cup podcast. It's more than a sports podcast about Leo Messi. It's the story of the cost of leaving home. And the struggle to find a sense of belonging. It's not a job search podcast, but I'm sure you'll be able to come up with your own job search analogies if you listen.
Career Moves
Executives are retiring or scaling back earlier than planned.
Fatigue. Lack of support. Family time. There is a growing trend of executives leaving the workforce earlier than initially planned. Most of these leaders don't want to retire fully. They still want to contribute and be a member of the workforce in a part-time or fractional capacity. Stress, overtime hours, and increasing demand are some reasons cited in this Korn Ferry article causing this shift. (Thanks to CareerSherpa for originally sharing)
How to Avoid Career-Limiting Mistakes
"The world doesnโt operate on technical merit."
HBR, Choosing your next CEO. Data, Russell Reynolds Associates, n-5000 job C-level postings.
โTechnical skills are not as important for C-level jobs as social skills.โ Are you striving to level up in your career? Are you up against a colleague for a big promotion? This article is a must-read. As you grow in your career, developing social skills and a strong network could prove to be more valuable than growing your technical skill set.
Tools available for an organized job search.
Having a well-thought-out job search strategy can help save time and energy when looking for a new position. Hannah Morgan of Career Sherpa has laid out a comprehensive list of tools available to help keep your efforts organized and streamlined.
Job Loss
Job Loss happens to good people.
I had a client who got laid off.... one week before Christmas. There had been rumors of layoffs, but he didnโt think heโd be one of them. Heโd been with the company for 15 years & was a trusted advisor to many. He was in denial for a few days. Left the house in his business attire and would drive around for an hour or two, taking the road to nowhere. He spent his time at the library & a coffee shop on the other side of town. He couldn't risk seeing his old co-workers. He was nervous about telling his wife. He was the sole breadwinner & he didnโt think she could handle the instability of unemployment.
This was 2017. The outcome? His wife was more gracious & understanding than he expected. They told a small circle of trusted friends & mentors and got a lot of support. He landed a job 3 months later that was not the right fit, but it gave them some income & benefits. 9 months later, he landed a dream role in a position that was far better than the one he lost. December (Q4) is always a big month for pink slips.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ: ๐ท๐ผ๐ฏ ๐น๐ผ๐๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ด๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ. Reports say that 85% of employed workers will lose a job over their career. If you find yourself on the bad end of corporate restructuring, donโt delay your job search. People always underestimate how long it will take. Surround yourself with cheerleaders. Hire help if you can afford it.
Finally, have hope. You have done great things, and you will do great things again. You are not a has-been, a was-been, or a should-have-been. You--even in your state of unemployment-- matter to people. Your very existence has the ability to impact others. Job loss is a blip. A small blip in the grand scheme of life. It may feel impossibly hard but remember...Seasons of life and work change. If you are experiencing a cold winter, remind yourself that spring is coming. And with spring, new opportunities.
Layoff advice from Twitter employees.
Ahead of Twitter's mass layoffs in early November, a group of employees published points of advice for dealing with the impending layoffs. Regardless of your industry, or perceived job security, this advice could prove valuable for you or someone you know.
How layoffs effect one's physical and mental health.
Layoffs are becoming more prevalent, hitting the Tech industry especially hard in recent months. The financial burden to someone laid off is an obvious symptom, but there's more. Stanford Graduate School of Business Professor, Jeffrey Pfeffer, and others just published the results of research they conducted on the strain layoffs cause other than financial strain. Stanford's Melissa de Whitt interviewed Pfeffer about his findings and what can be done to help save their mental and physical wellbeing.
Valuable takeaways from one's unemployment journey.
In the moment, many dealing with job loss don't want to talk about it. They are exhausted by the mental and physical toll it is taking on them. However, when they get to the other side and have a job where they find fulfillment and purpose again, their story can be a great lesson for others. I recently had the opportunity to sit down with a former client and discuss his long-term unemployment and his journey back to the workforce. There is a lot of value in his experience for those who find themselves currently unemployed.
Are you experiencing anxiety about a layoff?
If you have been laid off recently, we know it can be emotionally and physically draining. If you are facing a potential layoff, you may be experience similar feelings. In this article, we provide practical steps you can take to decrease anxiety and plan for better things to come.
New Year, New You
Where do you find happiness and self-fulfillment?
Jan Buchczik
"Fundamentally, though, Marxโs reasoning [for his opposition to capitalism] comes down to something simple: happiness." Arthur Brooks, Atlantic columnist and writer of the weekly column "How to Build a Life" examines the popular, but harmful, practice of career professionals basing their happiness and self-identity on their job title or performance.
Networking
Using the LinkedIn About Section
LinkedIn is a powerful tool for networking, searching for open jobs, and recruiting candidates. The About section is a free text space that allows users to share about themselves. This section is visible to the public, so you do not have to be a direct connection to read it. We think it is an excellent opportunity to leverage in order to make a positive first impression. But is it widely used? We are working on a comprehensive article and would love your feedback.
When was the last time you updated your LinkedIn About section? |
Advice for networking in a new city.
Growing up in a small town comes with some limitations but many benefits. Depending on how you view it, knowing everyone in the grocery store and at the doctor's office is a blessing or a curse. When it comes to job searching in a small town, networking doesn't take much effort if you are from there - you already know everyone. In contrast, networking in a new city where you know no one can prove difficult. I was honored to share advice for networking in a new town - something I have become very familiar with in my career as a trailing spouse - in this article by Timothy Mably.
Can you do me a favor?
Iโm 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 โwhite-gloveโ 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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