Sarah Johnston's The "Briefs" Job Search Newsletter | www.briefcasecoach.com

April 14, 2022

In this issue my tips to modernize your resume, remote work, is your LinkedIn profile disclosing confidential data, Edelman trust barometer, Great Reshuffle, and more....

Dear Reader:

I just returned from the Career Thought Leaders Conference in Philadelphia. I loved being back in person, surrounded by a wonderful group of professionals who all share the common goal of improving people's lives through supporting career moves.

After two years of the event being virtual, I enjoyed putting faces with names and meeting people who I had only met through email and LinkedIn exchanges.

I came home with many professional takeaways but also a few personal ones as well. This was my first conference since 2019. If you know me in real life, you know that I am an off-the-charts extrovert. Historically, I have never struggled to engage people or make small talk. But there were times this week that I felt rusty and tired. I am out of practice.

As the conditions of the global pandemic change and you resume "normalcy," you too may find yourself a bit rusty in social or professional situations. While it's important to give yourself plenty of grace, it's also a good idea to prepare for high-stakes social situations like an interview or networking event. Even if conversation skills come "naturally" to you, it might be a good idea to read about the individuals you will meet, think through conversation starters, and visualize the scene.

I hope that you have some fun plans ahead.

Rooting for you,

Sarah

Actionable Job Search Advice

HBR's Kesley Schurer explains why job seekers need to stop Googling “job interview tips” and master the skill of storytelling instead.

Laura Smith-Proulx writes about why you shouldn't share confidential data on LinkedIn and gives practical advice on ways to avoid oversharing employer data on LinkedIn and other social media.

“Jack of all trades, master of none,” the saying goes. But it is culturally telling that we have chopped off the ending: “…but oftentimes better than master of one.” Many thanks to my colleague Joe Jacobi for sharing this video this week.

Lessons in Leadership

Ryan Roslansky, the CEO of LinkedIn, shared key leadership insights in his latest "Art of Leading" interview.

The 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer reveals that business holds onto its position as the most trusted institution, with even greater expectations due to the government’s failure to lead during the pandemic. Spoiler alert: By an average of five-to-one margin, respondents in the 28 countries surveyed want business to play a larger role on climate change, economic inequality, workforce reskilling and addressing racial injustice.

Changes in the Workforce

Greg Lewis, Content Marketing Manager at LinkedIn reports that in a first for LinkedIn, remote jobs received 50% of all applications in February 2022 — despite representing less than 20% of all jobs posted.

George Anders, a LinkedIn news editor, shared interesting insights on "boomerang" employees. Spoiler: the percentage of employees returning to prior employers is on the rise. It amounted to 4.3% of all job switches last year, up from less than 2% in 2010.

LinkedIn Job Search Editor, Andrew Seaman, interviewed me last week on the #GreatReshuffle and my advice for job seekers. My advice is that now is a great time to identify your priorities and search for more than just a new title or higher paycheck. Just because there are "lots of jobs", it's still a highly competitive market and you need to put forth the effort to stand out.

Worker power is on the rise. What does the Amazon Labor Union win teach us about leadership, management, and HR?

Mental Health

Accusations of mental health discrimination accounted for about 30% of Americans with Disabilities Act-related charges in fiscal year 2021, according to newly released statistics from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. That’s an increase from the 20% reported in FY 2010. This is a must-read article for people leaders.

A final thought...

How often in a day, week or month do you find yourself thinking "if only...", do you think it would actually have made a difference for you? A difference for the better? Would you actually be in a better place?

"If only I could get to the next level in my career..."

"If only my kids will sleep through the night..."

"If only I could finish my MBA..."

"If only I had a bigger house"

"If only I were _______".

The irony of life is that often once you reach the "if only" destination you just want to go back to the time before you got there.

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 or post about it on social media. This small act really helps!

  • 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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