Anyone up for a Networking Chat?

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👀 Five things you’ll want to check out!!👀

1. I talk a lot about the importance of networking - so I’ve opened up some slots for networking chats in December. These are 100% free, 20 minute chats - you’re welcome to use the time for resume advice or to talk about your job search or career next steps or whatever else would be helpful! But please note that I am not hiring and this is not an interview.  

2. I spoke with Fortune Magazine about the OpenAI drama! You can check out that article here.

3. I talked to Newsweek about “lying” in interviews as well. You can read that here.

4. I thought this was a great post from Joshua Garcia about how they landed their role - yes a lot of the advice is stuff I’ve shared and you’ve heard from others…that’s because it works! But hear it directly from someone who just went though a tough search in a field where there’s a real shortage of jobs!

5. I have compiled a list of top job boards/job search communities. Each of these are ones I’ve had the chance to check out with the exception of the VC list (which I’ve shared before - it has so many that I haven’t looked at all of them). I hope this is helpful in your search!

I’d love YOUR feedback!

I shared this last week, but am sharing it again as I want to ensure that the products and services I highlight are ones you find helpful. What have you tried and do you recommend it or not? I have a short survey you can complete here and I’ll be selecting two people who complete this to win a $25 gift card to the store of your choice.

A thought as we head into the last month of 2023

In November 2020, I was not active on any social media platforms and I posted on LinkedIn every month or so at most.

In November 2022, I had built up a LinkedIn following of about 65k, and just turned on “follower mode” and wrap my head around being a “content creator” and started a Tiktok which made maybe a few hundred followers. I had made a grand total of $400 from a couple of speaking engagements and been featured in a few articles.

In November 2023, I have 4 platforms across which I have around 500k followers. This “side hustle” of content creation that I started in January of 2023 is approaching 6-figures annually on top of my full-time job. My primary motivation wasn’t to build a side hustle; it was fear that I would be affected by the tech layoffs that were happening around me, and knowing I needed a backup plan. But it’s been a great journey!

I don’t share that to brag or to suggest that it’s easy or quick. But it’s also not hard to do - it simply takes commitment and consistency spending time each week doing the work If you have a passion or a skill or an idea, you can build a business. You can create a course or a guide or coach others. You can talk about the things you love, and eventually people will listen.

Every week, I hear from people who are frustrated with their job search or their career trajectory. Or who feel like their talents and passions don’t fit in their work place. I don’t think you should quit your job or give up on your search. But you might consider seeing your job as a 9-5 that pays the bills and gives you benefits, and finding other ways to pursue your passions.

A friend of mine was laid off earlier this year from a big tech company, and after a few months without much luck in his search, he started his own consulting business and is on track to a half million in revenues with several people on his team after just 6 months.

You can start big, or you can start small.

You can start a Stan Store and sell guides or coaching.

You can start a newsletter (I am a huge fan of Beehiiv!) and share your tips and lessons learned.

You can start a new account on any social media platform and see what resonates with people.

If you’re feeling stuck, just know that you can take ownership of getting yourself unstuck too!

🙋Answering Your Questions🙋

Each week, I’ll answer a few of your questions in this section. You can submit your questions here.

As someone who transitioned from education myself, I love this topic! I think you’re on the right track here in terms of focusing on education organizations first. School districts, charter school networks, non-profits, or ed tech are probably going to be the most natural fits.

Former educators can be great matches for the roles you noted - learning and development, instructional designers, and trainers. Within ed tech, I’ve seen former teachers do really well in sales and customer success roles since you have such first hand experience with what matters in a school.

Back when I worked in recruiting for a school network, none of our team members had recruiting experience, but about 95% had been teachers. It’s easier to hire for a job you’ve done so HR roles within a district could also be a good match.

Sadly, there are so many educators leaving the classroom that it’s very competitive so I think you have to be prepared for a longer search, and to do some networking to get your applications looked at quickly.

I hope you find a great fit!

It can be so much tougher to translate your experiences when they are just a bit atypical, especially in HR which has been hit with so many layoffs, and where hiring is down so you’re just in a much more competitive market.

I would probably focus on building resumes for a couple of job families within HR, and then trim down your experience to align with that area.

So you might have one for People Ops or Recruiting Operations roles - there, your experience with analytics and systems could be a great match.

You might do another one more focused on positions within Total Rewards.

You might also consider other consulting companies - many large consulting firms employ HR consultants to help companies build their HR practices.

If you’re pursuing more senior HR roles where your expansive experience might be helpful, you might consider using a more traditional title (for example, HR Director) and then you can always explain in the interview more of the unique elements of your role.

I saw a great post this week that said “your resume should be exemplary, not exhaustive.” When you list everything you’ve done within HR, it may be tricky for a team to figure out where you fit. So focus on narrowing down to the most relevant things things that best show off what you can do for a team.

🛫 Community Connections 🛬

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The In-Flight Amenities 🍱

Each week, I share job openings within my network and jobseekers that I hope we can all support in their job search.

I’m not posting jobs or jobseekers this week as it’s a slow week for posting jobs, and I know most folks are disconnecting for the holiday!

If you’re in the US, have a wonderful time surrounded by your chosen family, and I hope you’re able to take a break!

And if you’re not in the US, happy 4th week of November!

_{For more resources to support you in your search, check out my Linktree.}
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