Job searching shouldn't be this much work.

First things first: I attached the wrong link to this newsletter last week for my free LinkedIn profile guide. So I’m resharing it (with a few updates based on feedback/questions I got!)

Speaking of LinkedIn…

I got active on LinkedIn 18 months ago because I thought it would help me be a better recruiter.

And I’m lucky that it did way more than that - it’s helped me build an amazing community, make new friends, and hopefully help a few people along the way!

But it’s also given me a lot of insight into how hard so many people are working to land their next role…and I really wish it wasn’t this hard.

One thing to remember - our careers will not always be a linear pathway. And in a tight job market, it’s even harder to drive an upward trajectory or make a career pivot.

• Maybe it makes sense to take a lateral move or even a step down in your career.

• Maybe it makes sense to focus on building up side hustles into more meaningful income streams.

• Maybe it makes sense to go for a lower paying job in a more stable industry.

By the way, these are all career choices I made!

• Years ago, I made a lateral move, took a pay cut, and moved to Tulsa, OK (a place I NEVER thought I’d live). I ended up growing my salary 60% in my 4 years there, got promoted multiple times, and could not be more grateful for the community I found through my job and Tulsa as a whole.

• 4 years ago, I was burned out at work and could not imagine taking on another full-time role. I went all in on my side hustles and replaced my full time income while working 30 hours a week doing consulting work. I loved my life, and learned a ton during this time.

• Joining Zapier 1.5 years ago, I took a step down in title, and moved from a management role to an individual contributor role. I loved my job, was able to be promoted back to a management role within a few months, and have never been happier at work.

Decide your priorities. If your goal is quick employment, expand the types of roles and industries you’re open to.

If it’s landing a job in a competitive industry like tech, consider how you can get an edge. For example, this might be a good time to focus on learning:

• Taru Harris shared a program that offers scholarships for certification programs in tech.

• I recently learned about a program that offers a guarantee that you’ll land a job in tech in 6 months, and offers scholarships (my brief review around pros/cons here).

• Google shared this course for moving into cybersecurity.

• This program supports career transitions into tech sales, with a focus on supporting people from underrepresented backgrounds.

And build up your side hustles - this gives you flexibility when the job search isn’t going your way, if you have to take a pay cut, or if you’re affected by a layoff. And those side hustles MIGHT accelerate your learning and help you build new skills!

• Contact former colleagues and employers, and ask if they need help or if they have anyone in their network that does. Especially in a tight market, they may opt to pay a contractor over make a full time hire! Following their layoff, a friend of mine did this and ended up with so much work they had to hire subcontractors within a few weeks!

• Start a newsletter! If you have some expertise and enjoy writing, this is a great way to share it, and some newsletters have been built into multi-million dollar enterprises. (Check out a few of my faves for inspo here, here, and here.)

• Write guides or offer coaching or consultation to individuals (you can set up a store in minutes here.)

All that to say, careers are long and winding paths - and we’re probably in a period where our careers may be stagnant for a bit. So think about what skills and experiences will put you ahead in a year or two when things turn around.

Things will turn around so even if your next job isn’t your dream job, it could set you up to get the perfect job a few years from now!

🤖 How are we using AI this week? 🤖

A few ways I’ve seen people leveraging AI to support their job search or work recently!

1. I made a TikTok showing how I used ChatGPT to generate interview questions and responses based on my resume and background.

2. Asked to create slides for a project plan during the interview process? This chrome extension seems pretty cool!

3. Not the best public speaker? Neither am I, and that can make interviewing hard! Speeko is an AI coach that will offer you feedback on interview responses, your elevator pitch, and more!

🙋Answering Your Questions🙋

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

I loved the guide for LinkedIn and I immediately hopped in and started jazzing mine up more! My question though is that I have some really amazing Recommendations from peers and people who reported to me at my previous job and I think they do a great job of reinforcing my accomplishments. How do you recommend a jobseeker draw attention to those to help stand out? - Kim Dearie

Great question! Here are a few ideas:
1. You could incorporate parts of a few quotes into your “About” section to pique people’s interests.
2. You can link to them on your resume, or even use one quote on your resume if you can do so while keeping it under 2 pages. I’ve seen people do this at the top or bottom of the resume.
3. You can include them in a cover letter or portfolio. No room to add one to an app? Build them in a Google doc and link on your resume or in a text field on an application. Or share this when you DM recruiters/hiring managers after applying to a job!

I had an interview this week for a 6 month contract role. I had 3 interviews this week. I was scheduled for my 4th interview today. The recruiter called me 30 minutes before my scheduled interview to only cancel it. I asked why, and she stated that they had too many interviews and decided to take an interest in the other candidates.I was upset because I really thought I was going to get the job. Is this normal for recruiters to do? Why would they interview so many candidates, and cancel last minute. The job was hiring for 10 positions that were open. I was told they might get me for the 2nd round if the client decides so. - Frustrated in Frankfurt

Ugh, I would be SO upset too. 4 interviews for a contract role is already a lot.
It’s always disappointing when an interview gets cancelled.
Typically, recruiters keep moving candidates through the process until the roles are filled. Why? Because if they don’t, and a finalize falls through, they have to start all over again.
In an agency environment, they have even less flexibility - they can’t force a client to interview people. Maybe they sent 15 candidates for the 10 roles, the client liked the first 10 they say, and they decided to pause on any more interviews.
Ideally though, I think the company should follow through on the interview when it’s such short notice.
Still, the good news is that you were a strong enough candidate to go really far. I would keep up with the recruiter to see if something else opens up and also remember that this shows you’re a great candidate for this kind of role since you did so well!

🛫 Community Connections 🛬

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

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Boost your interview chances. Optimize your resume for any job with JobScan. Scan your resume for free.

Organize your work and life, finally. Become focused, organized, and calm with Todoist. I use Todoist in conjunction with Zapier to send reminders right to Slack! Start for free.

_{*This section may include ads/affiliate links}

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!
Here’s a list of 900 HR openings posted in the month of May!
So many HR openings for my recruiter friends here!
Spotted this Account Manager role!
A former colleague is hiring for an HR Business Partner!
Teal is hiring designers and engineers - and I think their job postings are INCREDIBLE!
Lots of amazing openings at Braven - these are great opportunities for those in the education/non-profit space.
Here’s a Product Manager opening!
A former colleague is hiring at Lemonada Media!
And another former colleague is hiring for a User Researcher!
Here’s a Marketing Operations opening for someone who knows and loves Salesforce!
And as always, I share jobs regularly in my Talent Collective! (If you’d like to share jobs, we’d love to have you!)

A jobseeker you need to hire: Meet Shakia Guest-Holloway!
I am seeking to pivot out of higher education and into a different industry, with a focus on roles as a Program Manager, Business Management, and Finance as I am well-versed in those roles. I believe that my experience as a Program Manager at Emory University has prepared me well for the challenges one would encounter in these roles.
At Emory University, I collaborated and led multiple projects, and successfully piloted the organization's first fully virtual recruitment event, which is now permanently virtual, saving the department over 50% of its budget. I currently manage budget planning for 4 budgets and directed the annual year-long recruitment project through its entirety. Additionally, I oversaw the execution of 50+ archival projects, including curriculum, performance assessment, workload planning, and onboarding, enabling the documentation and imaging of 6K+ curriculum documents and related files. These experiences have given me a strong foundation in project management, budget planning, and financial reporting.
Though I prefer my new role to be related to Project/Program/or Business Management, I will gladly consider roles that are Financial or Business Analyst based. I am confident that my skills and experience make me a strong candidate for any organization.

Think you might have a role that’s a good fit for Shakia, or be able to help make a connection? Add her on LinkedIn, and let’s get Shakia hired!

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