WHAT WILL THE AUDIENCE LEARN?
The audience will learn some tools and strategies for succeeding in a career search or a job search; The audience will learn how to position themselves to combat the effects of ageism in the hiring process.
EPISODE SUMMARY:
Hiring the right job candidate is a challenging task for any employer. The decision of which person will fill a position, if done too hastily or without proper vetting, can lead to many headaches, including time spent in training, then firing, and searching for / training a new candidate.
It is no surprise that many companies are extremely selective in reviewing their candidates’ LinkedIn Profiles, resumes, and cover letters.
With the changes in the workforce from The Great Resignation, the Work-From-Home movement, and a potential recession, many middle-aged and older employees and candidates are facing unique challenges of ageism in the hiring process. What can you, as a candidate, do to combat the bias of ageism when applying for new positions or new jobs? What are the latest trends in developing a winning Resume? Are cover letters a waste of time, or a valuable asset? How do you build a LinkedIn profile to stand out during these challenging times?
Tune in this evening, when my guest, the very talented executive career services coach, Soozy Miller, and I discuss these issues, along with tips for candidates for a winning chance at being hired.
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/soozymiller
Websites: https://www.braander.com & www.discrescue.co
Email: soozyg@yahoo.com
Twitter: SoozyPR
By Segment
SEGMENT 1
0:58 – 13:51 – Eric welcomes his guest Soozy G. Miller, and introduces the topic for tonight’s discussion. Soozy is a career services coach, certified personal resume writer, a certified communication and behavior consultant, and a DiSC practitioner. She also helps reduce employee turnover, improves hiring practices, connects leadership to employees, and engages the workforce to improve the workplace culture. Soozy has been a marketing and business writer for about 35 years. She mentions that one day a career agency asked her to write resumes for them. They believed that she was a very good writer. She declined their offer. Though after many emails, she finally accepted their offer. As soon as she started writing resumes, every client got the job that they landed. She found this to be gratifying to help someone find their next opportunity and fulfill their dreams. Eric asks Soozy about a common mistake she sees a lot of job seekers make. She says that using one resume to apply to all positions and basing everything on only the title of the position. Soozy coaches clients on tweeking their resumes and reducing the amount of jobs they apply to.
SEGMENT 2
16:08 – 28:55 – Eric and Soozy continue their discussion on applying to many jobs but not really applying to the right jobs. Soozy says that job seeking is not sales. Job seeking is more marketing and making sure that when you’re marketing yourself, your experience addresses the points of what the company is looking for. She also mentions that with many companies, it’s not about moving up the ranks anymore. Some people may be hired for a certain duration to solve a problem and then move on. Soozy also mentions that the hiring cycle is longer because people are more picky about their jobs. She says that the great resignation has made people rethink what they really want. Do you want to work in the office? Do you still want to work the same amount of hours? Soozy says that the one reason many people have left their job in recent times has been to move onto a lower salary in return for a more comfortable job. Most complaints have been about bad leadership and management. Eric and Soozy also mention companies offering amenities such as a ping pong table, free lunch and more. Eric challenges this thought by saying that some people might see this as putting a “bandaid” over the problem.
SEGMENT 3
31:00 – 46:10 – Eric and Soozy talk about ageism in the workplace and hiring process.soozy says that this is a big topic that she sees on Linkedin, she has seen posts recently from middle managers and above saying that they feel like they are being discriminated against. Younger hires are being more favored. With landing a job, she says that a lot of executives don’t show their best selves on their resumes even when they’ve had so much success in their careers. The benefit she says to being older is that they have all of the experience and expertise. But if you don’t know how to write and talk about yourself, employers and companies will miss this. Soozy helps her clients bring out their values and talk/write about why their experience matters. Eric asks Soozy whether there is a worry that with a lot of great points shown in one’s resume one can be seen as overqualified or other issues. She says that if you are looking for the right type of job, this is not an issue. She also mentions other points when matching yourself to the right job and getting your position. She says that soft skills and leadership skills also need to be shown. She gives the example that if many people in the IT industry are looking for a specific position, showing the technical skills won’t set you apart as everyone would have them.
SEGMENT 4
48:10 – 57:28 – Soozy talks about some methods she has to help her clients. She says one thing she advises to do is to reject 90% of the job offers and postings you see. Also , pay attention to the whole job posting and not just the title. She also says to adapt your resume to whatever you are applying to. This will be easier because you’re rejecting most job postings and applying to a few a week and focusing on the right ones. She also emphasizes showing your soft skills and leadership skills as well as improving how you talk about yourself. It’s about “how your expertise can address the pain points.” She gives an example of talking about an impact you made followed by how you made that impact. Saying things like “I’m a team player” is fine, but you want to mention something that they are looking for and how you’ve shown or done this in your experience. You can learn more and get in touch with Soozy Miller visiting controlyourcareer.net.
About Employment Law Today
Helping Business With Employment Law Issues.
For many business owners, it can be overwhelming to keep up and comply with the federal and state labor and employment laws that govern how they run their business. With the COVID-19 pandemic, there are new laws and regulations regarding hiring, firing, and workplace practices and protocols — all of which can increase business owners’ anxieties about regaining traction or thriving again. On my weekly show, we will be discussing the most common employment law related questions and challenges that business owners have been facing in these uncertain times.
The show will have three main goals: (1) to inform businesses about employment law updates, (2) to inspire businesses by giving them the tools to move forward, and (3) to demonstrate how some business owners have overcome their employment law problems, walked through the challenges imposed by this pandemic, and have taken steps to regain traction during the reopening phases of this pandemic.
Our guests will include professionals who advise businesses from an H.R., legal, and financial perspective, along with thriving business owners who will share their experiences and insights into running a successful company while complying with labor and employment law mandates during COVID-19.