With New Year’s Eve celebrations behind us and resolutions firmly in place, is a new job on your list of 2020 goals? If it is, the time is right! Employment research reveals that this may be a favorable time to launch your next job search!

In an informative article for The Ladders, contributor Lindsay Tigar shares hiring trends that thought leaders predict for 2020. Among the ones that I found most enticing are:

• Cultural Fit – and on-boarding best practices – will matter more.
• Flexible work schedules will become the norm – not the exception – for professionals and employers alike.
• Social media presence will be a part of the hiring process.

These three trends stand out to me because, as an Executive Career Coach, I work with clients to formulate their job search strategy to enhance their resume, online presence and interview skills. Additionally, I help organizational clients foster effective on-boarding programs to ensure efficient cultural integration and success for new hires.  What does this all mean for you?

You still need an outstanding resume that accentuates your quantifiable professional accomplishments, employment history and the skills that demonstrates how you will add value to a prospective employer. Your digital presence is also critically important in today’s marketplace.

Recruiters often review LinkedIn profiles of applicants so it is essential that public accounts highlight your positive qualities for work and in life. Also ensure that your personal accounts are, in fact, private.

When you are interviewing, it is important to keep the focus on results you can deliver and how you align with the prospective company’s values. That said, a trend from 2019 will continue and more companies will put culture first to ensure a positive onboarding experience and retention of new hires. How you feel about a company’s culture impacts your work ethic and how you will perform.

In today’s marketplace, not everyone is seeking full-time employment. To balance work and life responsibilities, employees and employers are now more likely to accept flexible work schedules including part-time, project-based, and freelance employment opportunities. According to Tigar, “while flexible work environments are not new, 2020 will be the year that they begin to normalize for both employers and employees.”

This new year brings with it the opportunity for you to plan new ways to achieve your potential! Embrace your experience and your qualifications to accentuate the value you would offer to a role that aligns with your vision for the future. The strength of your resume, the empowered confidence you showcase in interviews, and the clarity of your goals and job search strategy will be a dynamic way to begin this 2020 decade.

Source: https://www.theladders.com/career-advice/8-hiring-trends-for-2020

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As an Executive Coach and Professional Resume Writer, I always say to my clients “A piece of paper will not get you a job – people will!” Does that mean your resume is not important? Of course not! Your resume is your story. It is an opportunity to crystallize your experience, qualifications and the transferable skills that will add value to a potential new employer.

While the job market is opening up, competition remains fierce, which means you need to be creative in your approach. You need to define and embrace your “story” before you begin crafting a resume or applying for jobs. Clarify who you are by answering these questions:

• What are your transferrable skills?
• What are your unique strengths?
• What is the value you bring to an organization?

The People: You need to strategically access your network to gain enthusiastic champions who can and will open doors for you. These advocates can help distinguish you from other candidates. They can literally and figuratively walk your resume into a decision maker’s office. People advocating for you is a better strategy than submitting a resume online in hopes that it not only lands on the right desk, but it gets noticed and given objective consideration.

The Paper: Research has shown that recruiters and hiring managers will spend only six seconds reviewing your resume. That is not much time to make an impression. Your resume needs to be comprehensive, concise and current. It needs to be visibly appealing to quickly guide the reader through your key qualifications, chronological employment and the reasons why you should be vetted further. A well written resume should persuade the reader that you are exactly what their company needs!

So with a strong resume (paper) and a dynamic network (people) to open doors, you will hopefully get the opportunity to interview for a new position.  This is when your body language, personal passion and your story must champion the persuasive attributes on your resume.

The Prep: Preparing for an interview is very important. I work with clients to help them get over their limiting beliefs. We’ll coach to assuage fears about re-entering the workforce after a long absence, explaining a recent job loss or defending their transferrable skill set if they are exploring positions in a different industry.

Perfection: Miranda, a client, is an example of a someone who conducted a very effective networking and job search plan. Immediately after losing her job, she methodically designed a strategy to understand her strengths and transferable skills. She wrote out answers to tough interview questions to explain her achievements, career progression and employment transition. In doing so, she rebounded from the career disappointment and became a stronger well-prepared candidate.

Using her networking skills, she had as many as eight networking meetings a week and voraciously researched every opportunity and recommendation she received. Within a few months, she landed a new director-level job with a global company ~ a position that was perfect for her! Miranda’s success  clearly demonstrated the value of people and the importance of embracing the story you tell on paper.

Prescription for you:  Prepare, plan and pitch! Do your homework to identify your transferable skills. Solidify your story. Plan your networking strategy to figure out who you need to meet and what you hope to gain from each contact. Then, with a polished resume in hand, passion in your heart and confidence in your story, forge ahead and make your pitch!

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February is National Heart Month ♥ Valentine’s Day ♥  and Leap Year! It may also be a good time to assess your career goals and aspirations.  

The current job market is strong and people are on the move.  If you’re not in love with your job, maybe it is time to update your resume and advance your career to the next level. Whether you want to seek a promotion within the same company or a new opportunity elsewhere, a well-written resume is critical to achieving your goals.

So far this year, all of the professionals with whom we’ve worked are currently employed!  They are proactive and forward thinking. Here is some advice we offer to every client:

• Quantify your Accomplishments – don’t just list responsibilities, share explicit achievements.
• State your Transferable Skills – describe capabilities that would apply across industries.
• Accentuate your Qualifications & Success in a clear, concise and comprehensive format.

In the spirit of this month’s “Heart & Love” theme, JD Coaching & Consulting is offering a special gift ♥ a 30% discount for new clients seeking career and resume writing services ♥ during the month of February.

To take advantage of this limited time offer, contact Jodi@JodiDavis.com.  To learn more about JD Coaching & Consulting’s Executive / Career Coaching Services visit www.JodiDavis.com.

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