Ghost Jobs: What They Are & Why They’re Hurting Job Seekers

Ghost Jobs: What They Are & Why They’re Hurting Job Seekers

An article recently came across my desk about a new phenomenon: “ghost jobs.” In this article, The Wall Street Journal reports that there are actually thousands and thousands of ghost jobs currently posted on job board sites.

So, what is a “ghost job”?

A “ghost job” is a job that isn’t real. It’s a job for a company that isn’t actually hiring, or at least hiring for the role advertised in the job posting. More than 1,000 hiring managers were surveyed, and 27% of them admitted that they’ve left these jobs up for over four months, never intending to fill them.

Why Hiring Managers Leave “Ghost Jobs” Up For Months

@j.t.odonnell I’ve been saying this for months! Now there is proof!!! #ghostjobs #jobsearch #jobsearchtips #careertok #jobtok #job #career #careertiktok #jobtiktok #jobs #careers ♬ original sound – J.T. O’Donnell

Over half of the hiring managers surveyed said the reason that they left the jobs up for so long was to give the impression or illusion that the company was growing. The worst part? One-third of them said they left the jobs up because they wanted to give the appearance that they were actually trying to hire to help their overworked staff.

If you’re looking for work right now, you probably realized it’s harder than you thought to find a job. And applying online is getting you nowhere. These “ghost jobs” are impossible to spot among the real job postings on job board sites.

The solution? Learn how to conduct a proactive job search.

Once you learn the better way to look for a job, you won’t have to worry about “ghost jobs” anymore. Good luck, and go get ’em!

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5 Interview Secrets That Will Help You Beat The Competition

5 Interview Secrets That Will Help You Beat The Competition

A lot of job seekers worry about how other candidates are performing in job interviews. However, if you are too concerned about your competition, it can affect your own performance.

After all, there is no point worrying about stuff you have no control over. You can only focus on doing your best. Having said that, here are some of our top interview secrets on how to be more confident in a job interview and stop worrying about your competitors:

1. Focus On Your Unique Abilities

Man tries to beat the competition in a job interview

We all have something we are really good at, and this is what you need to focus on during a job interview. This is your specialty—the service you provide to employers.

You are a business-of-one. In the job interview, you need to articulate how you will make or save the company money with the service you provide. Whether it is your strong analytical skills, ability to win clients, or experience in running marketing campaigns across various countries, focus on what you bring to the job and always back up your answers with examples.

2. Provide Specific And Tangible Examples

Woman tries to beat the competition in a job interview

Most people have a mediocre resume that doesn’t show recruiters why they are a strong candidate. The way to avoid that is to provide specific, tangible examples of what you’ve achieved in previous/current jobs that would be relevant to the job you’re applying for.

In a job interview, you’ll probably be asked a few behavioral interview questions that require you to provide an example in your answer. Use the “Experience + Learn = Grow” model and the STAR technique so your answers are clear, concise, and structured.

3. Use Evidence And Concrete Examples To Back Up Your Statements

Man tries to stand out from the competition in a job interview

A continuation of the previous point, it’s important to back up every statement you make with numbers. This is especially true in regard to your resume, where you should be quantifying your work experience.

Numbers are great for demonstrating your skills and expertise. Did you increase revenue or save time? How did you improve processes or procedures? How many clients did you deal with/win every month? You definitely want to have a few stories prepared related to the job description using the STAR technique.

4. Demonstrate Your Soft Skills

Woman tries to stand out from the competition in a job interview

People hire people they like. During a job interview, you’ll want to demonstrate that you have good communication skills, know how to deal with people, have integrity, and so on.

The truth is employers hire for three things: personality, aptitude, and experience. You could have the right experience for a job, but if the hiring manager doesn’t think your personality is a good fit for the company culture, you probably won’t get the job offer. So, make sure you demonstrate your soft skills to prove you’re the best candidate for the job, not just the most qualified.

5. Forget About The Competition

To make competition irrelevant in your job search, simply stop worrying about other candidates. You don’t need additional stress when looking for a job. Focus on what you can bring to the company instead.

If you’re confident in yourself and stop worrying about the things you can’t control, you’ll have the right mindset to conduct a successful job search.

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.


3 Steps To An Outstanding Personal Branding Statement

3 Steps To An Outstanding Personal Branding Statement

Your resume and LinkedIn profile are incredibly important to your job search. They not only speak to your past accomplishments but also act as a predictor of your future capabilities. However, these two things can’t successfully complete this task if they aren’t packed with quality information. This includes an outstanding personal branding statement.

What is a personal branding statement? It is a statement that communicates who you are in the workplace. Borrowed from the marketing world, it reflects your professional reputation.

On your LinkedIn profile, the personal branding statement is used to summarize, in just a few words, who you are, what you’ve done, and what you hope to do in your career. This is why it’s so important to take formulaic steps in order to develop one that gets the job done.

Personal Branding Statement Example And Formula

To get started, take a look at a personal branding statement that delivers the goods:

I am a community affairs manager with 10 years of experience visualizing, developing, and organizing company-wide philanthropic events, maintaining connections with hundreds of nonprofit organizations, coordinating diverse employee volunteer opportunities, and creating dynamic external and internal event communications.

Why is it successful? It gives a snapshot of your history in the field while providing branding attributes that describe what makes you successful. Also, it gives examples of previous accomplishments that offer insight into how you can help an employer succeed.

So, which formula could you use to create your own?

1. Consider Your Outlook On The World

Job seeker on laptop writing an outstanding personal branding statement

It may seem a bit far-reaching to say that your overall outlook on life can create a great personal branding statement, but in actuality, it is your outlook that has guided you to your profession and has helped you develop your talents.

So take time to write down your vision. Do you want people to communicate better with one another? Do you hope to expand the breadth of our already-expansive technology? Think about what it is that can help you create the broad umbrella encompassing all of the specific goals your personal branding statement will incorporate.

2. Think About Your Individual Goals

Professional man thinking about his career goals to write a powerful personal branding statement

Again, a personal branding statement is all about showing an employer that you have goals—and that you not only intend to achieve them in the future but already have in the past.

So, what are your career goals? How do you want to make a difference? Write down what you’d like to achieve along with those skills you possess that can help you attain your goals.

3. Look At Your Attributes And Professional History

Professional woman on laptop learning how to create a great personal brand

Finally, it’s important to recognize your brand attributes, then apply them to your professional history. To identify your attributes, come up with at least three nouns to describe yourself as a professional.

Are you a great communicator, leader, visionary, or organizer? Then drum up three sentences that round out your professional history in relation to those attributes (e.g., I have 15 years of experience leading groups through philanthropic efforts). Make sure to quantify this work experience!

After completing these goals, you’ll have enough information to create a truly outstanding personal branding statement that not only gives an employer confidence in your ability to succeed but boosts your own confidence as a top professional.

If you’re looking for a job, your personal brand determines how much you’ll stand out to potential employers in the job search. If you’re not branding yourself as a specialist, you could be hurting your chances of landing an interview. So, follow the tips above to write an outstanding personal branding statement today!

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

5 Big Questions To Ask Yourself Before Taking A Job

5 Big Questions To Ask Yourself Before Taking A Job

This is it. It’s the light at the end of the tunnel. After going through the hiring process, you’re offered a position. Congratulations! It’s a big accomplishment and you should be proud of yourself. However, just because you got the offer doesn’t necessarily mean you should accept it on the spot.

Think about it. Would you buy a house without considering what it means for you in the long run? Your career shouldn’t be any different. Taking a job is a huge investment for both you and your potential employer, so some serious thought needs to go into your decision.

Before you accept that job offer, ask yourself these five questions:

Is This The Role I Want To Pursue?

This question may seem like an obvious one to ask, but it’s still important. There could be a huge difference between how you view the job and how your employer views it. Take another look at the job description to make sure it is, in fact, what you want. Also, think back to how the hiring manager described the position during your job interviews. Did you like their answer when you asked them what a typical day on the job looks like?

Don’t forget to consider what you’re good at and what you actually want to do for work. Are there skills you’d really like to use on a daily basis? If so, make sure they’re a necessary part of the position. Are there skills you DON’T like using on a daily basis? If so, see if they’re required for the job, and if they are, find out how often you’d need to pull them into your work.

It’s important to know what your role will be and what will be required of you daily. This is also a good time to ask your potential employer to clarify anything for you.

Am I Going To Be Happy At This Job?

Happy professionals talk during a work meeting

Your happiness level at your job will impact your work. In MetLife’s 17th Annual Employee Benefit Trends Study, 90% of workers surveyed said their loyalty is directly tied to their happiness.

When debating whether to take the job or not, consider the environment you’d be working in as much as the work itself. Is this a place you can see yourself going to every day? Do you share the company’s core values? Do you like the company’s culture? Your happiness is key to your productivity, and it’s important to evaluate if this job will help you thrive.

Can I Meet My Employer’s Expectations?

Woman gets a job offer and takes it

You got a job offer for a reason. The hiring manager thinks you’d be a good fit for the company after looking over your resume and going through a series of interviews. They believe you can do the job, but do you believe you can?

Be honest with yourself. This is a big step for both you and your potential employer, so you want to be confident in your skills. Taking another look at the expectations of the job is never a bad thing, especially if you haven’t accepted the position yet. That way, you can gauge your skills and determine if you can meet—or even exceed—your potential employer’s expectations.

Remember, you don’t want to take a job that will be too demanding and require too much from you (resulting in poor work-life balance), but you also don’t want to take a job that will be too easy for you either. The right position for you will have a manageable workload and lots of opportunities to grow as a professional. Take the job that won’t bore you, but also won’t burn you out in six months.

How Do I Feel About My Future Boss And Co-Workers?

Professionals in a meeting at work

Think back to your in-person interview when you met your potential boss and co-workers. What were your first impressions of them? Did you think your potential boss was someone you could work for happily? Were your potential co-workers friendly and eager to get to know you?

If you take the job, you’ll be spending a lot of time with these people. It’s important to be honest about how you feel about them.

Will This Job Help Me Grow In My Career?

Man thinks about accepting a job offer

Think about your short-term and long-term career goals, then take another look at the job description. Is this job going to help you reach those goals? What will you learn in this position that will take you to the next level?

The position should help you grow as a professional. If you aren’t sure about opportunities for advancement, this time allows you to reach out to the hiring manager and ask (if you haven’t already asked about this during the interview process).

Before you take a job, remember to ask yourself these five big questions. That way, you’ll accept every job offer confidently, excited about the next chapter in your career.

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

What Employers Are REALLY Looking For In Job Candidates

What Employers Are REALLY Looking For In Job Candidates

The longer your job search drags on, the more you start to doubt your interviewing abilities. Or worse—you start to doubt your skills and experience as a job candidate, which in turn affects your interview confidence.

You may begin to ask yourself, “What are employers really looking for in a job candidate?” The good news is we can help you understand just what you need to convey in a job interview to stand out to employers and finally land a job.

Employers want you to answer three questions they won’t ask you directly. So, it is your job to answer those unasked interview questions in order to move on in the hiring process.

Here are three things you should be sharing in your job interview to make the right impression and send the correct message to potential employers:

1. How Do You Save Or Make Companies Money?

The first thing you need to convey in your job interview is how your skills and expertise save or make a company money. You are a business-of-one. As an employee, you provide a service to an employer. So, in your job interview, you have to prove to the employer that the services you can provide for the company will either save or make them money.

It comes down to your ability to justify the initial cost it would take to hire you. Most professionals don’t know that it costs an employer between 130% to 140% of their salary to hire them. It’s a big investment for a company to hire a new employee. That’s why you need to convey your efficiency and effectiveness as an employee in job interviews.

To prove you could save or make a potential employer money, quantify your past experience (on your resume and in the interview) and cite examples of how you’ve saved or made your previous/current employer money. Once a potential employer understands that you will provide a good return on investment, they will automatically consider you a great candidate for the position.

2. How Do You Like To Deliver Value?

Professional woman shakes the hiring manager's hand during a job interview

Make sure you talk about how you deliver value too. No employee performs a job the same way. We all work on tasks differently and go about accomplishing goals with different processes and strategies. If a company doesn’t think you’ll be able to do the job the way they want you to do the job, you probably won’t be offered the position.

In order to explain how you deliver value, you need to know exactly what you do and how you do it. During a job interview, let the employer take a peek inside your brain to help them get a better idea of how you would perform certain tasks that the job requires.

A great way to explain how you deliver value is by answering behavioral interview questions with the STAR technique. Begin answering a behavioral interview question by describing the situation or task you were faced with. Then, explain how you took action, walking the employer through your decision-making process. Finally, quantify your results so the employer can clearly see how you deliver value.

(If you’re not sure how you deliver value, take this free quiz! You may be surprised by the results.)

3. Why Do You Feel Connected To The Business?

Job candidate answers the hiring manager's questions during a job interview

The last thing you absolutely want to convey to an employer is how you feel connected to their organization. Consider the company culture and their mission, and use that to your advantage.

During a job interview, it’s important to explain to an employer how you feel like you’re a part of their “tribe.” Why do you want to be a part of the team of people dedicated to solving this specific problem? You can also talk about why you admire their products and services, why you understand and identify with their customers, and what you love about the way they do business.

Tie all your pre-interview research back to what excites you about working for the company. Employers want to hire people who would integrate well within their organization. By talking about the above factors, you’ll connect with employers on a deeper level and show that you’re passionate about the job. Therefore, you’ll come across as a great cultural fit.

You can also begin to convey that connection to a potential employer in your disruptive cover letter. A disruptive cover letter catches an employer’s attention and gets them excited about you as a candidate. So, even before you walk through the door to your interview, an employer will already feel a connection to you.

Knowing what to say in an interview in order to make the right impression can feel incredibly overwhelming, maybe even impossible. If you follow these three tips, you’ll be sure to send the correct message to an employer, and ultimately increase your chances of landing the job.

Need more help with your job search?

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.


6 Reasons Why Your Resume Isn’t Getting A Response

6 Reasons Why Your Resume Isn’t Getting A Response

It can be hard to ascertain if it’s your resume, the job market, or who knows what else when you’re job hunting and your phone just isn’t ringing. Your mind begins to wander as you anxiously await an employer’s call or email.

Many job seekers have contacted us and said, “I think it’s my resume, but I’m not sure.” After reviewing their documents, we find ourselves telling them, “Yes, it’s your resume,” 99% of the time.
So, how do you know if it’s really your resume or if it’s something else?

Take a look at these six mistakes job seekers make on their resumes, and if one or more of them can be found on yours, that’s probably why your resume isn’t getting a response.

1. It Still Has An Objective Statement

An objective statement is a section of a resume that expresses your goal of securing a future position. What this statement fails to do, though, is substantiate your fit for the job opening—or articulate the value you offer to the employer should they choose you over another candidate.

Ditch the objective statement and utilize a personal branding statement and experience summary instead. An experience summary is a list of skills you have that are needed for the job you’re applying for. They’re hard skills and transferable skills, not soft skills.

By having an objective statement on your resume, you’re missing out on the opportunity to start proving your value to the employer within the first few seconds they glance at your resume, which is exactly the purpose of a personal branding statement and experience summary.

2. It Lacks Any Form Of Personal Branding

Hiring managers read a job applicant's resume during an interview

When employers read a resume, they need to see what attributes you bring to the position. It helps them differentiate between you and other viable candidates. Are you deadline-driven and customer-focused? These are important to employers and how they operate business. What is it that’s important to the employer from whom you’re seeking to obtain employment? And how do your expertise and experience correlate to their greatest need?

Personal branding is about how you market yourself to the potential employer. They have a need to fill, and you have to figure out how who you are and what you offer meet that need—then effectively communicate that to the employer. If you can’t meet a need, then they won’t see the value in choosing you over another candidate who does.

3. It’s Fluffy

Job seeker on laptop works on his resume

Your career summary and work history are full of fluff and filler words that could apply to every job seeker on the market. Here’s an example of what we mean:

Dynamic, results-focused IT specialist with broad-based expertise in project oversight, systems implementation, process improvements, and integrating cutting-edge technology that exceeds expectations. Proven ability to quickly analyze key business drivers and work directly with internal/external staff, leveraging a team-centered effort that increases profitability.

Sure, it might sound good, but it hasn’t told us anything specific about who this candidate is, their experience/expertise, and what they offer the employer. It would be better to address how many projects the candidate has overseen, which processes they improved, the outcome of the improvement, and how the cutting-edge technology they integrated exceeded expectations. But just saying they exceed expectations is vague; tell us which expectations were exceeded and by how much.

4. Skills & Accomplishments Are Not Highlighted

Job candidate gets nervous when the hiring manager reads her resume during an interview

The top third of your resume is the most important section when the hiring manager is giving it his or her initial scan. This is your prime opportunity to market your skills and achievements. Remember the experience summary we mentioned above? That’s where you’ll write the skills you possess that are needed to succeed in this particular job.

Highlighting your skills in the experience summary will draw the hiring manager in and entice them to keep reading. Then, as their eyes move down your resume, they’ll see all of your accomplishments underneath your work history. What career successes are you most proud of that correlate to the job you’re applying for?

5. Duties And Responsibilities Have Taken Over

Woman on laptop revises her resume while job hunting

Bullet points that only share basic duties and responsibilities fall short every time. Maximize the space on your resume by using the STAR method (situation, task, action, result).

Talk about the challenges you faced, how you addressed them, and what the outcomes were. This makes the information contained within your resume much more impactful.

6. Metrics, Facts, And Figures Are Nowhere To Be Found

Hiring manager confused by the job candidate's resume during an interview

Give the employer something to remember you by. Don’t just tell them you reduced costs. State a percentage or dollar amount. Manage projects or clients? Put a number to it. Ask yourself questions like how much, how many, and for how long? This is how you quantify your work experience on your resume. It’s the secret to getting a call from an employer.

Asking yourself questions like the ones above leads to answers that help you define your successes, develop your personal brand, and market yourself more effectively to potential employers.

Review your resume with the six points above in mind. Ask yourself if your resume reflects any of the above. If it does, then use the tips and advice we’ve provided to correct the issues within your resume—and ultimately improve its response rate.

Need more help with your job search?

Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

Recruiting Dream Teams: The Alliance Every Internal Recruiter Needs In 2023

Recruiting Dream Teams: The Alliance Every Internal Recruiter Needs In 2023

Many internal recruiters struggle with an overwhelming number of open positions they need to fill. In 2023, finding the right talent will get only more challenging as job seekers become more selective in who they chose to engage with.

One way company recruiters can reach their goals is by building a “power alliance.” In this article, hear from members of Duffy Group on how they help internal recruiters succeed through a power alliance.

Covering More Ground By Personalizing The Hiring Approach

Internal recruiters are juggling multiple searches. While balancing the various demands to post and target suitable candidates, the treatment of candidates in the pipeline can wane as candidates wait to hear about the next steps. Sometimes, due to a sheer lack of internal resources, a candidate’s motivation for the job is often undetected early in the process. More organizations are partnering with external recruiters to complement internal recruiters’ work to combat possible recruiting gaps and ensure better outcomes.

Research shows talent acquisition partnerships increase personalization and are vital to keeping top candidates engaged. A recruiting partnership enables the team to cover more ground, spending time understanding the company’s value proposition and the candidate’s motivation. Candidates have many options, as indicated by the number of jobs available, so losing the best in the pipeline due to a lack of personalization, time, or bandwidth does not need to happen.

Georgia Musgrave is the VP of Strategic Initiatives at Duffy Group. She educates leaders on the value of “passive talent” as a means of attracting the best human capital to their company.

Building A Talent Pipeline

Recruiter / hiring manager interviews a job candidate

I partner with several clients’ internal recruiters and hiring leaders to assist them with talent pipeline development. Here are a few examples of when to consider a partnership to build a talent pipeline:

  • Multiple and long-term hiring needs for the same or similar roles – I do a large amount of work in the accounting industry with CPA firms. Auditors and tax professionals continue to be in high demand and their supply has decreased. These candidates do not have time to look at job postings, may not know which firms to consider, and may not be ready to switch jobs, but might be in a few months. External recruiting partners can develop a rapport and stay engaged with these candidates until they are ready to change firms.
  • A second or similar role in the near future – Why wait for the approval of the position, the job description to be written, or the salary to be approved for a similar role you are currently recruiting for? Get ahead of the upcoming search to source and begin building a talent pipeline.
  • Building a list of qualified candidates – Sometimes, we are asked to research and build the pipeline, and the internal team will work their magic.
  • Educating on the competitive landscape – This is a good opportunity to research and source potential candidates. We can contact them directly, assess their skills, and gather competitive market data such as compensation and if employees are remote, hybrid, or in office.

Let’s build your future hire together!

Sharon Grace is a veteran search executive at Duffy Group who helps hiring leaders hire great people because of her proven track record as a strategic partner and advisor to recruit, identify and assess talent.

The Full Buffet Or À La Carte Options

Recruiters / hiring managers talk to a job candidate during an interview

There is always the option for recruiters to outsource an entire search to their external recruiting partners—from identifying and vetting candidates to interviewing and making the offer. With many requisitions, removing some workloads to recruiting partners can be a win-win situation.

The highly effective recruitment model recruitment research, which helps hiring leaders and corporate recruiters precisely and successfully target candidates, is used for à la carte services. Recruitment research enables talent acquisition teams to unbundle the recruiting process to focus on a particular area of need. Here are a few services corporate recruiters work may outsource to external recruiters:

  • Name generation – sourcing a list of quality candidates
  • Gather competitive benchmarking information
  • Pitching the role to sourced candidates
  • Screen and vet candidates
  • Thoroughly interview candidates
  • Conduct testing or assessments
  • Schedule interviews with the client
  • Negotiate offers
  • Manage background checks and call references

At Duffy Group, our services are à la carte. We tailor the search to the client’s needs. Our goal is to partner with our clients’ in-house recruiters and hiring leaders to do the heavy lifting of recruiting. This way, our clients can spend quality time with their future employees without getting bogged down with the time-consuming tasks of sourcing, pitching, and screening candidates.

Kristin Pozen is a research recruitment recruiter at Duffy Group and a former HR recruiter.

Courting Candidates

Recruiter / hiring manager shakes hands with a job candidate before a job interview

Courting is the act or process of trying to win the favor or attention of a person or group. To court someone means to seek to attract them. It is often used to refer to dating, but courting is also common when recruiting. Collegial and professional sports teams are always courting top players and companies need to continually court talent as well. Recruiters and hiring leaders benefit greatly by courting top candidates, especially in this candidate-driven competitive market.

Here are a few strategies to follow when it comes to courting top-tier candidates:

  • Demonstrate you have done your homework on candidates before trying to recruit them
  • Get to know them and genuinely care about finding the right match for both the company AND the candidate
  • Treat them with respect – before, during, and after the interview process
  • Be responsive and do not drag out the process
  • Communicate often and keep them informed every step of the way
  • Offer unique solutions that meet their needs

Recruiting is all about relationship-building and match-making. When recruiters build a great relationship with the candidate, they have a better chance of uncovering the nuances that will tell whether or not the person is the right fit for the job in terms of skills and cultural fit. A great relationship will also be beneficial in the offer negotiation stage and in ensuring no risk of counteroffers.

Now get out there and start courting the best!

Colleen Neese is a practice leader at Duffy Group. She specializes in recruiting executives in non-profit and healthcare.

Need help recruiting talent for your organization? Check out Duffy Group today.




2 Things Recruiters HATE To Read On Cover Letters

2 Things Recruiters HATE To Read On Cover Letters

A lot of people ask, “Do recruiters even read cover letters anymore?”

The answer is yes, they 100% do. That’s why it’s important for job candidates to write one that stands out to recruiters in a good way—NOT a bad way.

There are things on your cover letter that could be sabotaging your chances of getting an interview.

If you do the following two things when writing a cover letter, there’s a good chance a recruiter won’t give you a call…

You Start Your Cover Letter With “To Whom It May Concern”

Starting your cover letter off with the phrase “To whom it may concern” is very impersonal, and it shows that you didn’t do your homework.

It’s also an abrupt way to start your cover letter. To top it all off, it’s an outdated approach. People used this phrase on cover letters decades ago.

Instead, you want to start out with a phrase like “Dear hiring team,” or “Dear hiring manager,” or if you can find the name of the person who posted the job, address the cover letter to that person. These phrases help you put a personal touch on your cover letter, which can make you more memorable to recruiters and hiring managers.

You Put A Recap Of Your Resume In Your Cover Letter

Hiring manager reads a cover letter with common mistakes

Often, job seekers will put all sorts of information about their job history and accomplishments in their cover letters.

The big issue with that? The hiring manager or recruiter is already going to read that information in your resume.

Quite frankly, by recapping your resume in your cover letter, you’re wasting a recruiter’s or hiring manager’s time. You’re essentially making them read something twice since they’ve already had to look at your resume.

This is also risky because a job candidate can put something in their cover letter that makes hiring managers decide that they’re not the right fit for the job even before looking at their resume.

Instead of recapping the resume, you want to get the hiring team at “hello” by writing a disruptive cover letter. This disruptive cover letter will help you stand out from other candidates and make a connection to the company you’re targeting.

So, How Do You Write A Disruptive Cover Letter?

Hiring manager reads a disruptive cover letter with no mistakes

Writing a disruptive cover letter that recruiters will love isn’t as hard as you may think. In fact, it can be pretty fun if you know what to put in it!

Here’s how you can write a stand-out cover letter, and why it’s so important to make that initial connection with recruiters or hiring managers.

Hundreds of our members at Work It Daily have used a disruptive cover letter to land job interviews. Try writing one during your next job search and see how much of a difference it makes!

Need more help with your job search?

Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

3 Ways Professionals Should Respond To Job Rejection

3 Ways Professionals Should Respond To Job Rejection

You polished your resume and sent it to the right person, along with a stellar cover letter. You got a call. You aced the interview. You were brought back in—twice! You sent thank-you notes after each interview, to each interviewer. Your follow-up was polite and appropriate. You were told you were a finalist. The HR person thought it was looking good for you…yet they gave the job to someone else.

After all that effort and waiting and wondering. After joking with the receptionist about being a “regular” in the lobby. After establishing what seemed like a genuine rapport with the executive in charge of the department. After what the HR person said about it looking good…

Yes, it’s a disappointment. But in spite of what you might think, all is not lost. What can you do to maximize your chances of having some good come out of this seeming loss?

Here are three ways you should react to a particularly disappointing job rejection:

Be Gracious

Yes, you were obviously the best candidate, at least as far as you could tell. And maybe some of the people on the other side of the interview desk thought so too. But a decision was made, no matter how difficult. And it’s time to touch base one more time with a thank-you note to all involved for their time and consideration.

Be A Resource If You Can

Professional man gets rejected from a job

If there’s some topic that was discussed and a piece of information that the interviewer wished they had, track it down. If the interviewer wanted to connect with someone you know, offer to make the introduction. There’s not always an opportunity like this, but if there is, take advantage of it.

By doing this, you’re not only being professional about the rejection, but it’s also an opening to add the hiring manager to your professional network. Consider connecting with this person on LinkedIn down the line.

As they say, “Out of sight, out of mind,” so try to stay on the hiring manager’s radar.

Keep The Door Open

Young woman and HR manager discuss the next steps after she is rejected from a job she applied to

Even though you didn’t get the job, it’s important to reiterate your respect and admiration for the company and the fact that you would like to work there. It’s okay to say, “If another position comes up—or if the candidate you hired doesn’t work out—I would still love the opportunity to join the team over there.”

A sentence like this can cement you in their minds as the backup or as the first person to be called when something else becomes available.

HR officials will sometimes forward resumes of promising candidates to colleagues at other companies for their open positions. Getting the original job is just one good outcome of the job interviewing process. Consider a “near miss” at getting hired one more step in building your reputation for overall career success.

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

Good Hobbies & Interests To Put On A Resume In 2023

Good Hobbies & Interests To Put On A Resume In 2023

Figuring out what hobbies and interests to put on a resume can be tricky. Not only is it wise to choose some that you can relate to the job, but it’s not always clear where you should put this section in the first place! This guide will help you choose some good interests to put […]

The post Good Hobbies & Interests To Put On A Resume In 2023 appeared first on Career Sherpa.

Why You Can’t Find A Job In 2023

Why You Can’t Find A Job In 2023

If you’re struggling to find a job in 2023, I bet I know why. And I’m going to tell you exactly what you need to do to find one.

For the last 20 years, I’ve been a career coach. After I left corporate America and the staffing industry, I hopped to the other side to become an advocate for you, the worker, to reveal the secrets that you needed to know to get hired and build a great career.

So, here’s another secret: The biggest mistake people are making right now is using traditional job search strategies.

Traditional Job Search Strategies Don’t Work Anymore

@j.t.odonnell Why you can’t find a job in 2023. #job #career #jobs #careers #jobtok #careertok #jobsearch #jobsearchtips #jobsearch2023 #jobtips #careertips #careeradvice ♬ original sound – J.T. O’Donnell

You’re probably heading over to those really big job boards like Indeed or ZipRecruiter and you’re applying and not getting any results. Maybe you’re over-applying, saying, “I’ll just spray and pray and apply for anything, even things I’m overqualified for.” And you’re still not getting any results, right?

That’s because everybody else is doing the same thing.

Let’s add a little complexity to that. Everyone’s talking about the low unemployment rate and how there are two jobs for every one person, but that’s actually not true. The majority of those jobs people don’t want. That’s why they left them. Those really good jobs—the jobs you want—everyone’s going after them, especially when they’re on job boards. So there’s too much competition.

Studies show that only about 2% of people who apply online ever hear back from the employer. That’s not even ghosting. You’re not even getting to the table to be ghosted. And that’s a really unproductive and depressing way to look for work. It makes you feel like a failure. You’re not a failure. Nobody taught you the new rules for the job search. So here’s what you’re going to do about it…

The Best Job Search Strategy To Find A Job In 2023

Woman on laptop looks for a new job

Change your mindset from becoming a job seeker to a job shopper. A job shopper chooses where they want to work next. Now, in order to become a job shopper, you’re going to get really intentional. Look for the 20 or 30 companies in your area that you would like to work for that hire for your skill set.

When I say you’d like to work for them, it’s not because you heard they pay well or have great benefits. It’s because you really respect and admire what they do for work.

This is not something we were ever taught to do before and it might feel really weird to you. But think about it. There are reasons that you’re attracted to certain brands, right? We all have a brand that we’re in love with. That’s called a brand connection. And with it, there’s a connection story, meaning somewhere along the line you fell in love with that brand through an experience.

Well, guess what? Employers are brands, and when you can share with them your connection story—tell them why you admire and respect them and how you came to know that they’re a great place to work—you are going to stand out.

Once you’ve got your connection story and interview bucket list of employers, you can apply some smart job search strategies to get their attention and go around the ATS to get results.

If you want to learn how to do that, sign up for my free newsletter or become a Work It Daily member.

Good luck and go get ’em!

Top 5 Questions Hiring Managers Expect You To Ask In An Interview

Top 5 Questions Hiring Managers Expect You To Ask In An Interview

There are a few ways you can impress hiring managers in a job interview. You can stand out for your answers, your personality, aptitude, and experience, your knowledge of the company, and the questions you ask.

But which questions do hiring managers expect you to ask?

According to a recent study by Zety, there are a handful of questions hiring managers expect you to ask before the interview concludes. Here are the top five:

1. Can You Show Me Examples Of Projects I’d Be Working On?

Why a hiring manager wants to hear this: They want to know you’re serious about wanting the job and excited to add value to the company from the very start. It shows initiative. If you’re already thinking about working on projects this early in the hiring process, that puts you way ahead of the other candidates who are just trying not to bomb the interview.

What their answer will tell you: You’ll get a sense of what your average project will look like. You’ll also be able to get a better idea if this is the type of work you want to do. Could you develop your skills working on these projects? Is this work that will challenge you to grow as a professional? If the hiring manager stumbles trying to answer this question, they might not have been completely transparent about what the position actually entails.

2. What Are The Skills And Experience You’re Looking For In An Ideal Candidate?

Man shakes the hand of the hiring manager before his job interview

Why a hiring manager wants to hear this: It shows that you’re curious and want to know exactly what you need in order to succeed in the position. You are interested in being that ideal candidate. You are interested in being a successful employee.

What their answer will tell you: You’ll know exactly what they are looking for, all the skills and experience they didn’t mention in the job description. It also gives you another opportunity to prove you have the skills and experience they’re looking for. A great way to provide proof is by using the STAR technique (or the “Experience + Learn = Grow” technique) we recommend job seekers use to answer behavioral interview questions.

3. What Are The Most Immediate Projects That Would Need To Be Addressed?

Hiring manager listens as the job candidate asks her a question during the interview

Why a hiring manager wants to hear this: Even more so than the first question on the list, this question shows that you are a proactive employee. You are already imagining yourself working for the company and contributing to its success. You are eager to add value and prove that you are an excellent employee.

What their answer will tell you: You’ll have a clearer understanding of what your first few months will look like on the job. It’ll help you imagine working for the company, and allow you to brainstorm ideas for the projects they mention. Also, it’ll help you plan ahead. In the case you do get the job, you’ll already be prepared to jump in and add value from your very first day.

4. What Does A Typical Day Look Like?

Man asks the hiring manager a question during his job interview

Why a hiring manager wants to hear this: They’ll know that you’re already imagining yourself in the position. Hiring managers are looking for serious job candidates. They’re not looking for candidates who don’t care what they’ll be doing day to day because those are usually the same candidates who are only interested in a paycheck.

What their answer will tell you: It’s simple. You’ll find out what a typical day in this position looks like. Don’t like what you hear? That’s probably a red flag. But if you like what the hiring manager says, that’s a good indication that you’ll be happy working the job.

5. Do You Expect The Main Responsibilities For This Position To Change In The Next Six Months To A Year?

Woman shakes the hiring manager's hand before her job interview

Why a hiring manager wants to hear this: You’re seeing if there is potential to stay at the company long term, either in the job you applied for or in a different position if you get promoted. They want to know if you hope to stay at the company for longer than one or two years because it costs employers a lot of money to hire new employees. They might get the impression that you’ll be a loyal employee.

What their answer will tell you: It’ll tell you whether you’ll be expected to do tasks you weren’t originally hired for or not. If the hiring manager says the main responsibilities for the position will change, you can ask them to elaborate. Do the changes align with your career goals? Is that how you want to grow in the company, in your career? If not, you probably won’t see any long-term career potential there, and it might be best if you look for a job elsewhere.

Never leave a job interview without asking the hiring manager a few questions. If you don’t ask at least one of the questions above, hiring managers might choose the candidate who does (if all else is equal). Just remember to ask the questions you really want to know the answers to, the questions that will help you decide whether or not you want to work for the company.

Need more help with your job search?

Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.