Go Where the Jobs Are!

I’ve been getting a lot of requests to write resumes for people - I unfortunately don’t have the capacity to write resumes. Plus I don’t think I’d be that great at it - I am not the best at formatting! If you need a resume service, you can try this one. For a DIY option, try this week’s sponsor, Teal or Kickresume.

Who is even hiring these days?!

One of the most important datapoints I saw on the JOLTS report was the discrepancy between open jobs in the public and private sectors. (I talk about this here if you prefer video to reading.)

P.S. If you’re a skimmer, I don’t want you to miss this resource so I’m putting it up here out of context - more below!

Typically, we seem to see similar numbers of openings, but over the last year, we’ve seen a real dip in private sector jobs while there’s been a big increase in public sector jobs.

The second important data point is this one - showing who is hiring - that narrow strip of red? That’s tech (information). And yes, hiring in tech is always a smaller piece of the pie - but now that the overall pie is smaller too, there’s even more people going for those roles.
On the flip side, there’s lots of opportunity in Eduction, health, trades, transportation, utilities, professional services, and hospitality.

And finally, check out WHO is hiring - notice that the majority of job openings are in companies between 10 and 250 employees - followed by businesses of 1-9 employees (which often means a startup). Those big companies with 1000+ employees? Those have the fewest openings…but because they often have the greatest brand recognition, they are getting the most applications.

What does that mean for you as a jobseeker?

1. If you’re already in the private sector, you’re may want to explore public sector jobs; if you’re in the public sector, it’s going to be EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to transition to the private sector right now. They’ve got lots of people with experience in their industry on the market which makes it less likely that they will consider people without industry experience.

2. Remember that all industries need software engineers and product managers and marketing specialists. Check out some of the industries with the highest volume of openings. You can gain experience, and always move into tech once the market improves.

3. One great way to find those smaller companies? Kim Wilke shared this great list of VC job boards. These are great because they are VC-funded (which should mean they are stable (at least in the short-term) and have been pretty thoroughly vetted. She calls this her “secret weapon” for finding jobs for herself and her friends at startups!

But I want to earn top dollar, and that’s the big companies in tech.

This is what I always hear when I bring up other industries. But here’s what I’ll say to that:

1. You can build a great career anywhere. I was making 6-figures, owned a home (on my own - single income, no parental support while saddled with student loans) and traveled the world while working at a non-profit. No it wasn’t as much money as I make working in tech, but I did well for myself, and I had somewhere in the range of 7-8 weeks PTO, a retirement plan, etc. And I gained lots of skills and had access to lots of professional development.
   There are LOTS of great places to work where you can build a great career and take care of yourself and your family beyond tech.

2. So many people are running themselves into the ground holding out for their dream job. They are using up their savings and dealing with rejection after rejection. Meanwhile, they could likely land a job in another industry pretty quickly and make ends meet AND gain skills that would make them more competitive for that dream job in a few years. Think of it this way: If you make $75k in 2023 and $80k in 2024 with good insurance and a retirement match, you’re much better off in the long run than if you stay unemployed for the next year holding out for that $120k+ job that you may not land for another year.
   Employed at a good job with decent income is better in the long run than being unemployed - and will make it easier to land your next role.

3. Accepting a job doesn’t lock you in forever. You can accept a less than ideal job, and keep looking. And being employed can give you more freedom to really hold out so the next move IS your dream job because now you’ve got some income and stability so you ONLY apply for jobs you REALLY want.
   It’s OK to accept a job simply to be employed, and keep looking for a better opportunity.

👀 Here’s some interesting stuff in my world! 👀

I’m about to start an Instagram (the one I currently have is private just for close friends which is why I’ve declined your requests there!). I haven’t posted anything yet, but feel free to follow along for when I do in the near future! I know some people are not fans of TikTok so I’m hoping to do some job search videos there!

One of the ads below is for SucceedSmart - they are of course looking for companies to use their service BUT if you’re a jobseeker looking for Director+ roles, you’re going to want to add your profile to their database - it’s totally free and they provide a LOT of great supports for senior level talent looking for their next role.

🙋Answering Your Questions🙋

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

I get this question so often!

First, you need to flip the order of things - you need to figure out what you want to do. Tech is just one industry where you can perform a job (like sales or recruiting or data analytics). You need to focus on the job you’re going to do because that’s what’s going to remain consistent and is much harder to change. For example, I worked in recruiting for a school system, and then a non-profit, and now a tech company.

Many people are pursuing tech as an industry simply due to the high compensation - but the reality is that the companies that pay the best also want people who are highly skilled in their role and have experience - this is why you find fewer entry level remote job in tech - they can afford to pay for people with experience and do.

So I’d focus on identifying what field you want to work in and building those skills - apply for jobs in tech but also other industries (especially right now, when tech companies have slowed down hiring considerably). Also figure out what type of tech you’re interested in - there are big differences between an ed tech company vs healthcare tech for example - someone with a teaching background can have a real edge in ed tech; a former nurse could be great for many roles in a health tech company. So consider how your experiences line up with the problems a company is solving vs just targeting tech in general.

In terms of figuring out what you want to do, consider your strengths, skills you’ve built, and how you like to spend your time. I made a bot a while back that you can use to offer some guidance if you’re unsure of what areas to explore.

And then start applying!

🛫 Community Connections 🛬

Products/services that I think will support you in your job search.*

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The In-Flight Amenities 🍱

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

Jobs you need to check out:
Zapier is hiring as always!
Not a specific job but this job board from the ATS iCIMS is pretty cool - shows all the HR jobs available across all of the companies using their ATS!
I saw this amazing list of early career programs - apprenticeships, rotational programs, etc.
Content Designer opportunity - remote, reach out ASAP!
I think many of you could be a fit for this strategy and operations role.
On site in Renton, WA so not relevant for most of you but a friend shared this accountant opening and is happy to connect directly!
I only use Twitter (sorry, X) to share jobs - see them here.
And as always, I share jobs regularly in my Talent Collective! I added 350 new jobs this week! (If you’d like to share jobs, we’d love to have you!)

A jobseeker you need to hire: Let’s try something different this week.

Go into LinkedIn. Search #opentowork, and then filter for the last 24 hours.

Those are people who just announced TODAY that they are looking for their next role. Pick 5 of them (or more!) and offer a comment of support or make a connection.

Or make your own post with that hashtag (and you have permission to tag me as well). And hopefully some of our readers will come comment on your post.

Let’s see if we can help bring visibility to LOTS of your searches today!

Interested in having your story shared? Sign up here!

_{For more resources to support you in your search, check out my Linktree.}
My content is seen by over 4 million people each month. Need help getting the word out about your brand? Let’s connect!