Trends in job search, recruiting and careers impact everyone. It’s important to stay current with these trends and use the information to adapt and grow your career and job search strategies.
This week’s summary includes articles about:
- Speed in job search
- Networking icebreakers
- Bluesky new users spike
- How to answer “why do you want to work here” convincingly
- How to keep out of “LinkedIn jail”
- Client-focused LinkedIn profile checklist
- 4 tools better than ChatGPT
- Choose the right productivity method for you
- Rising applications means more work for recruiters
- Blue-collar jobs on the rise
I carefully curate these articles each week to deliver relevant information for job seekers. If you see value, subscribe, share and/or follow these authors for more excellent information.
JOB SEARCH
Speed Matters: Get to Market Fast with Your Resume and Conversations | Dominic Imwalle
Don’t wait until your resume (or LinkedIn) is perfect before launching your job search. These marketing pieces are projects at work and will evolve as you learn more about your industry and jobs. Delaying your search until you reach perfection might result in missed opportunities. In this post, see 4 reasons why early feedback and speed are important.
NETWORKING
How To Unlock Trust When Networking With 3 Powerful Questions | Greg Roche
Instead of asking “what do you do” when meeting someone new, try asking one of these 3 questions to really learn about the person you are meeting. Networking is about building mutually beneficial relationships, not asking for a job or mass-connecting. Try these and see what happens!
“Where Did You Grow Up?”
“What’s Something Most People Don’t Know About You That You Wish They Did?”
“When Was the Last Time You Cried About Something?” (This may not be a good opening question, but one used when you want to develop trust.)
SOCIAL
Bluesky says 1 million people signed up for the platform in last 24 hours | TechCrunch
Bluesky, founded by former Twitter Founder Jack Dorsey, now has over 16M users. And the Meta platform Threads also increased users in November by 15M new sign-ups. While Bluesky is smaller than Threads and X, the user engagement is said to be higher.
NOTE: If you want to grow your digital footprint and engage with like-minded thinkers (or thought leaders or company insiders), now would be a good time to test Bluesky.
INTERVIEWING
4 tips for impressing interviewers with your answer to “why do you want to work here?” | Adam Broda
Don’t use a generic response to this interview question. Instead, find alignment with their mission, link your “why” to their goals/mission, how this role fits with your career plans, and/or make it personal, why them? Also, be sure to practice your answer OUT LOUD and even if you aren’t asked this question, you can still include it in your opening or response to tell me about yourself.
What To Do If Your LinkedIn Account Gets Restricted | Kevin D. Turner
The thought of being banned from LinkedIn for weeks for some unknown reason can be unbearable. It can happen and often you don’t know what to do. This post contains 5 preventative steps you should take and lists some common reasons accounts get restricted. Bookmark it! You may need it.
33 Point Strategic Checklist to create a Client CentriC Profile | Richard van der Blom
Who doesn’t love a good checklist!? Your LinkedIn profile can and should be a magnet! As a job seeker, you may not need all of these (such as services), but it is still a powerful reminder that our profile should address the needs, wants, and desires of your future employer.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Stop Obsessing Over ChatGPT | Reno Perry
One tool just can’t do it all. Sure, ChatGPT has name recognition, but what about choosing the right tool for the job? Need research done, there’s a tool for that. Need a good editor for things you write, there’s a tool for that too. This post lists 4 AI tools to speed up your work.
CAREER
How to Choose the Best Productivity Method for You | LifeHacker
We all have different ways of learning and preferences for how we like to do things. So there isn’t one productivity method that works for everyone. If you are a visual person or don’t like the work you are doing, there are different ways to find your groove. Find the method that will work for you and you’re more likely to stick with it.
RECRUITING TRENDS
Drowning In and Drowned Out: The Application Volume Conundrum | Kevin Grossman
Job applications have surged by 33%, driven by longer job searches and AI tools. And yet, only 24% were scheduled for a screening/interview event – and of those, 25% were professional candidates. This is a growing problem recruiters face in both midsized companies to global enterprises. How can they more efficiently weed out unqualified candidates and better identify qualified candidates to speak with? There isn’t a solution at this point in time. It sounds like AI might play a role, but something job seekers should be aware of.
CAREER TRENDS
The option for transition from white-collar to blue-collar careers | Marie Zimenoff
Today’s blue-collar jobs aren’t what you may think. There are educational or certification requirements but for those who are looking for options, consider these 12 growing blue-collar jobs. They range from Robotics Technicians to 3-D Printing Operators to Smart Infrastructure Technicians.
JOB SEARCH VISUAL
Do you feel overwhelmed by all the changes in your place of work? You aren’t alone. Interesting data from LinkedIn’s inaugural Work Change Snapshot on what’s causing all the change.
DID YOU MISS THESE
33 Best Job Search Websites To Use In 2024
51 Behavioral Interview Questions & Answers To Master
17 Job Interview Do’s And Don’ts You Need To Know
Hannah Morgan speaks and writes about job search and career strategies. She founded CareerSherpa.net to educate professionals on how to maneuver through today’s job search process. Hannah was nominated as a LinkedIn Top Voice in Job Search and Careers and is a regular contributor to US News & World Report. She has been quoted by media outlets, including Forbes, USA Today, Money Magazine, Huffington Post, as well as many other publications. She is also author of The Infographic Resume and co-author of Social Networking for Business Success.
