7 Lucky Tips for Professionals Seeking New Employment Now

Source: Forbes Careers

Job markets in every industry have faced drastic challenges and changes over the course of the last few years. People in the workforce have changed as well, putting more focus on the personal values that are important to them. 

Today’s job market is hot and highly competitive! Our best advice for those seeking new or a change of employment is to clarify your search targets regarding both position titles and companies that align with your values and provide what is important to you in your next role. Establishing clarity about your goal helps you to remain focused and streamlines your search for quicker and more satisfying results.

Because of all these changes, the job market in the United States is an exciting and expansive one to be a part of now. Here are 7 for professionals seeking employment now.

1. Be Clear on Characteristics of The Position You Want

The job market is hot! Companies are fighting to attract and retain talent – and keeping the ones they already have. With so much opportunity and money available, it is often hard to keep your focus. Be clear on what the characteristics are of the job you want. Check in frequently with that to make sure the wealth opportunity is not swaying you in the wrong direction, away from your vision.

2. Revisit Your Current Core Values and Career Aspirations

This is a fantastic time to be looking for work or improving your current position. Wages are going up and organizations are fighting for talent. If you are looking for your next opportunity, or even considering a change, be sure to reconfirm your core values and career aspirations, as these may have shifted during the pandemic. If job hunting, keep an open mind and consider contract and gig work options that will afford you flexibility.

3. Highlight Your Skills and How They Transfer

The job market in the United States is exploding. Because of the talent shortage, businesses are more willing to entertain hiring nontraditional applicants. Now is the time to shift between business sectors, so it is key to highlight your skills and how they translate. Like always, a can-do attitude is key. We recommend presenting yourself as a lifelong learner. Change is the new normal.

4. Don’t Be Afraid of Disrupting The Status Quo

The job market is looking for intrapreneurial individuals who are not afraid of disrupting the status quo. Those that are not afraid of disruption and those are able to look at a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous situation and create a viable commercially savvy proposition will prosper.

5. Stay Humble, But Know Your ‘Value’

Job opportunities will continue to be in ample supply almost everywhere for workers who are flexible, proactive and ambitious. You should be demanding and aware of your “value” when negotiating new job packages. At the same time, however, you are well-advised to stay humble, true to yourself and remain grounded. Otherwise, there’s a risk of becoming overconfident and arrogant.

6. Upskill for Areas with Talent Shortages

The question in today’s job market is less about “the job market” and more about targeting high job growth areas. Companies continue to automate, go digital and become data-driven. Develop skills for the new growth areas with talent shortages. High-demand areas include cyber security, 3D modeling, analytics, project management, L&D, blockchain, ethical technologists and neurodivergent recruiting.

7. Network and Interview With Confidence

Be confident. Recently there were 4.6 million more job openings than unemployed workers. Companies are struggling to fill positions. If you have skills, you have opportunities. Network and interview knowing that you are in demand. Focus on opportunities you are passionate about that will help keep you sharp, help you grow and maintain your relevance in the market.

Be sure to follow us on the FACET BUZZ page where we share advice for companies and individuals going through workforce changes at:  https://facetgroup.wordpress.com

WHAT IS YOUR STRATEGY?

What is YOUR strategy for . . .

• seeking employment?
• building and sustaining relationships?
• integrating social media into your job search?
• for crafting a best practices résumé?
• developing your Linked In profile to support your professional brand?
• presenting the product YOU in an interview?
• starting over when the position you thought was a sure thing is offered to your competitor?
• learning something new, completing a degree, or earning a certification in the coming year?
• giving back, volunteering and helping someone succeed?
• letting go of thinking and old habits that keep you stuck in a rut?
• identifying organizations of interest to you with respect to employment?
• motivating yourself on a consistent basis?

THE SHOWDOWN

Will workers continue to push for remote work options?

You will likely soon see a showdown. Many surveys over the last year or so show that employees adamantly responded that they would rather quit than commute back to an office. 

People have grown accustomed to a better work-life balance by being at home. They appreciate the autonomy and freedom that comes with the flexibility of choice. Their productivity and hours spent working are above reproach. 

Runaway inflation has driven the costs of commuting into big cities. The prices of fuel, automobile maintenance, food, business clothing and other necessities will eat into their paycheck, which is already depressed, due to inflation, making the money worth less than it was only six months ago.

The long, exhausting, soul-sucking and expensive commute, along with random acts of terrifying violence, is keeping workers from returning to their offices. In the ongoing tug-of-war battle over companies pushing people to come back into major cities, such as Manhattan, business executives conveniently gloss over these real issues and pretend they don’t exist. 

RATIONALE FOR BUSINESSES TO PROMOTE IN-OFFICE WORK

David Solomon, the CEO of Goldman Sachs, epitomized Wall Street’s view of not being in the office, saying remote work is an “aberration.” Wall Street banks are the most ardent proponents of getting people into the office. It’s reasonable that the leadership feels this way. The securities industry is highly regulated. They need to consider money laundering, insider trading, ponzi schemes, churning client accounts for higher commissions and other inappropriate activities. If all the bankers, brokers and traders are under one roof, it’s easier for the compliance, legal, risk, audit and regulatory personnel to keep tabs on them.

THE BENEFITS OF RETURNING TO AN OFFICE

Starting a new job is stressful. It’s even harder when you’re doing it remotely. If you’re just beginning to build a career, working remotely may serve as a roadblock to your future success. 

After over two years of being at home, you most likely lost touch with some or all of your social contacts. If you remain remote, you run the risk of feeling isolated and it will be difficult to cultivate a group of like-minded people. For young adults, going to the office has positive social benefits. You will meet new people, make friends and build a network of alliances that could help you throughout your career.

There are a host of benefits to being at the office. You can find mentors to help navigate your career. There will be serendipitous meetings in the hallways, cafeteria, elevator and bathrooms. These impromptu interactions add up over time. It makes your work life better—or at least more tolerable—by having cohorts that share the same experiences.

ARE BOSSES WINNING THE BATTLE TO GET WORKERS BACK TO THE OFFICE?

-SOURCE: JACK KELLY, SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR, FORBES CAREERS

In the ongoing battle between bosses and workers over returning to the office, recent data shows more people are trudging back to the workplace. 

In the first week following Labor Day, office usage in 10 major metro areas neared 50% of 2020’s pre-pandemic attendance, reports Kastle Systems, a key-card property management company that tracks entries into office buildings. There were more workers in the office last week than there have been since the pandemic started. However, in-office attendance is still lower than what it was before the virus outbreak.

SHIFTING POWER DYNAMICS

There is a power dynamic shift taking place between the employee and employer. Throughout 2021 and early this year, workers were in high demand. Desperately needing staff as the economy reopened, companies catered to the workers.

Seemingly overnight, the mood dramatically changed. As inflation raged, wreaking havoc on the economy, along with other geopolitical and macro events, thousands of people were downsized, hiring freezes put in place and job offers rescinded.

Americans now find themselves in a period of austerity. As this plays out, the dynamics between employees and employers will dramatically change. Companies will start clamping down and wielding their power, and the first order of business will be the return to office. 

A study conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found that supervisors have “negative perceptions” of the work-from-home trend and said they’d prefer their staff to operate from an office setting.

The managers who responded to the survey were brutally honest. Nearly 70% replied that remote workers are “more easily replaceable than onsite workers.” About 62% contend that “full-time remote work is detrimental to employees’ career objectives and 72% say they would prefer all of their subordinates to be working in the office.

THE HYBRID MODEL

The dominant style of work is the hybrid model, promoted by tech companies, which calls for people to work from the office two or three days out of the week and the rest of the time from home—or wherever they so choose. 

However, while tech leadership offered fully remote and hybrid options, Amazon, Facebook, Apple, Amazon and Google scooped up commercial real estate after prices plummeted, due to the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic. The companies are making a bold contrarian bet that Manhattan will bounce back and there will still be a need for people to work in offices. 

In hindsight, it looks like the tech giants were hedging their bets by offering flexible options, while scooping up real estate in case they needed to change their work style. 

POST LABOR DAY WORKFORCE

Source: Jena McGregor, Forbes Senior Editor, Careers and Leadership Strategy

The Post-Labor Day Landscape, still affected by Post-Covid America is projected to see a resurgence. However, we are contending with inflation, talk of a recession, stagflation, layoffs, downsizing and even war. These economic, geopolitical and macro events directly impact human resources and the job market.

This year, the feeling is even more pronounced. Business travel is back for the busy fall season, with in-person conferences and events bringing networking and a return to normalcy—but also stress and travel headaches. Many companies are finally demanding return to office routines post-Labor Day, adding back pricey commutes, in-person office politics and the noise and interruptions of colleagues chatting near your desk. For busy working parents, add back the packed schedules of kids who are not just back in school, but back in sports and after-school activities, and the obligation to do them amid a sense of making up for lost time.

If it all feels a little daunting—like you’re gearing up for a four-month race through a maze of meetings, deadlines and travel obligations—you’re not alone. Give yourself some empathy and give serious consideration to ‘worry’ – or better yet – ‘not to worry’ to overcome some of your anxiety at work and how to better cope and manage your team.

WHAT? ME WORRY?

It’s no surprise that most people, especially all of us in the workforce, are feeling anxiety now around the economic reports, ongoing uncertainties and information in the above article.

BUT – worrying is a huge time suck that yields little return. A study by Penn State University as quoted in a recent Forbes article shows that only about 8% of the things people worry about come true. In other words, less than 1 in 10 things you stress about is actually worth it. That’s a lot of time wasted that could be spent more productively.

Instead, the best antidote to worrying about the future is its polar opposite: gratitude for the present.

Worry asks, “What bad things could happen?”

GRATITUDE ASKS, “What great things are actually happening?”

That’s why our work together is important. Let’s focus on what you and your company can be grateful for —putting you and your company in pursuit of goals perfectly tailored for you.

As always, we are here if you’d like to discuss any aspect of what’s happening in the world of work and its impact. Let’s connect soon.

WE PEOPLE YOUR SUCCESS^sm TIPS

💥 While it may be impossible to completely prepare yourself for a layoff, here are some logistical steps you can take.

💥 Here’s how you can best encourage all ideas and team members to be heard.

Clarity Of Thought—Your Path to BecomingExceptional

Source: Kumar Mehta, FORBES Contributor

“Every extraordinary achievement starts with clarity of mind.”

The highest achievers in the world are different from the rest. They walk with purpose and maintain eye contact when they speak. But most importantly, they are different because they have an unmistakable of clarity of purpose. They have a vivid picture of precisely what they want to achieve. And not only do they have crystal clear goals, but they also genuinely believe they can achieve them. There is no wavering from their goals for them.

At the age of 15, Arnold Schwarzenegger already had a clear vision in his mind about what he wanted to do with his life. He wanted to become the world’s greatest bodybuilder. As stated in his autobiography, it was more than the pipe dreams young boys often have, wanting to become firefighters or detectives. Even though he had just started lifting weights, he believed that he would become the greatest bodybuilder in the world. And after that, he would go to America and become a movie star.

Even though bodybuilding may have been an unusual career choice for an Austrian teenager in the early 1960s, there was no waffling in his mind. He possessed a rare level of clarity that allowed him to spend his youth working to realize his dream. There were no conflicting ideas or plan B in case a bodybuilding career did not work out. When you are ultra-focused on a single outcome, no hardships along the way can stop you; you keep going till you get there.

Schwarzenegger is not alone. Clarity of purpose is a trait shared by everyone who has achieved something extraordinary. Name your favorite athlete, artist, or business icon, and the chances are high that they have had a clear and uncluttered image of what they wanted out of their lives.

When you have clarity, you build an unwavering focus on achieving a single vision. And when you are clear and committed to a goal, good things happen to help you realize it. As the adage goes, when you genuinely want something, the universe conspires to help you achieve it. You will see ideas and solutions everywhere, even when you least expect them. On the other hand, a lack of clarity results in confusion, frustration, poor performance, and efforts that go nowhere. How can you get anywhere when you’re not sure where you are going?

Benefits of Clarity

Clarity gives you direction and purpose. Without it, your thoughts are ambiguous, and your mind flits from one thing to the next and drifts aimlessly. If you cannot commit to the path you want to take, you become directionless.

Clarity eliminates indecisiveness. Indecision is the most significant deterrent to progress. Indecision is far worse than making mistakes or making wrong decisions. Even with complete clarity, you will likely make mistakes and wrong choices, but since you know exactly where you are headed, you will learn to experiment and try new things until you eventually get there.

Clarity lets you communicate effectively. If your mind is unclear and your ideas are jumbled, you cannot share a clear and convincing vision, and no one will believe you. Clarity instills trust.

Quite simply, people who have a clear mind outperform those who don’t.

How To Improve Clarity Of Thought:

There is no magical way to attain clarity; you gain it the same way you achieve anything else – with effort and diligence. The first step is to decide what you want to achieve and ensure that your goal is realistic and fits in with your natural skills and abilities. Once you set a clear target, will your mind to remove conflicting thoughts and ideas by eliminating any Plan B or alternative things you can do. You will need to go after Plan A at all costs and without hesitation. Be persistent and remove thoughts of failure. While having a Plan B may appear prudent, creating alternatives will always pull you back from achieving what you genuinely desire.

Whatever you want to achieve, whether it is becoming a bodybuilder like Arnold Schwarzenegger, a basketball star like Kobe Bryant, a business leader like Steve Jobs, or a singer like Ed Sheeran, remember that you don’t need to have the perfect plan. But you need to know precisely what you want. All the people listed above, extraordinary in their fields, started with a clear vision of what they wanted to achieve and blocked off all competing thoughts.

No exceptional achiever knows how they will get there. They only know where they are going and have zero hesitation in their mind. So if you want to achieve something extraordinary, pick your vision and go for it. You an experiment and try different things that take you forward, but staying with it is the only way to get there. Spend time in the gym, the track, the field, the lab, writing code, playing an instrument or doing hatever you should be doing. If you focus on that, everything else will fall in place. The more you persist, the clearer your mind will be.

Why it’s never too late to pivot your career (and how to do it)

Former corporate exec turned entrepreneur Beth Nydick has three simple but strategic tips for anyone looking to make a career change for the better.

Source: Beth Nydick, Fast Company

If you are inspired by the stories of the Great Resignation where someone left their stable, but
lusterless 9 to 5 only to land on a new career path that ignited their passions, you’re not
alone. About 4.3 million people quit their jobs in January 2022 according to the U.S.
Department of Labor to search for the job that ticks all their boxes, but for those with the
majority of their career behind them is it too late to change their career course?

Absolutely not. In fact, there’s no better time to start a business or find that dream role with
the broad range of jobs that have opened up to candidates thanks to fully remote options. Take
it from me, after spending over two decades working in media at NBC, MTV, VH1, OPRAH,
Warner Brothers, Viacom, and Universal and more than a decade of online entrepreneurship, I
decided it was time for a career shift a few years prior to the pandemic.

Using the experience and knowledge I gained during those 20 years in my corporate media
career, I was able to pivot fully into entrepreneurship juggling multiple businesses. I
cowrote Clean Cocktails: Righteous Recipes for the Modern Mixologist in 2017 and with
thriving PR and coaching businesses, I’m a prime example that it’s never too late to change
career paths. Though change can seem scary, life is too short to pick one career that doesn’t fill
your cup.

1. FOCUS ON YOUR CORE SKILL SET

You may have a lot of ideas of what you want to do, but it’s essential to what skills can you leverage from your current job experience that you can apply to the industry of interest so you can monetize it. No need to reinvent the wheel either. If you are successful in your current industry, apply the knowledge you’ve gained from that success to your new industry or role. Even if those businesses are very different from each other there are always elements that you can utilize in order to maximize your experience and leverage that for life in a new lane.

If you don’t hone in on your core skill set and streamline your messaging you run the risk of confusing hiring managers or potential clients, and possibly losing an opportunity. Overwhelming your audience is never a good strategy, it leaves them distracted and unfocused. Try structuring your professional life into four ideas, four subject matters where you are the expert, and stick to those topics that pertain to the career opportunity. I talk about cocktails, creating your own possibilities, media, and wellness. That keeps me in line. I’m not going to start going after makeup and fashion opportunities, that would just confuse everyone. Even when you have contrasting brands you can still establish four main subjects to focus your efforts. This gives you guardrails to stay within and enables you to efficiently communicate brand messages to your audience.

2. STAY ON TRACK

It can be easy to get lost when looking for any kind of new job, especially in today’s job market. First, identify what is important to you including what is non-negotiable. For many this can be financial stability, a flexible work schedule, creative freedom, and much more. Make sure you are sticking to that list and looking for opportunities that fit the mold and in your core skill set.

3. TELL EVERYONE

Once you’ve established your career pivot and messaging around your experience, share it with everyone. When I meet someone, they will know what I do by the end of our conversation. Of course, I keep it appropriate, I’m not going to gush about my most recent appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show at a funeral, but you need to be able to speak about your businesses openly and in different situations. Many people get their next role through referrals, so if you aren’t taking the opportunity to tell everybody what field you’re looking to get into they aren’t aware and they can’t refer to you.

If you’re a multi-passionate person looking to make a career change for the better, remember to streamline your message, take some downtime, share earnestly, and focus on lucrative skills.

TOP 100 WEBSITES FOR YOUR CAREER

Source: MyLifeStyleCareer.com

Here are ten great sites for those of you interested in flexible careers excerpted directly from the
FORBES 100 Best list:

For People Interested in Flexible Work:
The Cool Works
CoolWorks.com is a job search site for seasonal work in “great places.” It has been central to the
summer job and seasonal job market niche for 16 years—but they have a youthful, energetic, older and
bolder spirit. “We have a dedicated core of job seekers who use Cool Works to actively seek job
opportunities in great places like national parks, various resorts, ranches, camps, ski resorts, and jobs on
the water,” the site says. They also serve individuals seeking volunteer and conservation corps
opportunities.

Flex Jobs
Aimed at job seekers who want part-time, flextime, and freelance jobs or positions where they can
telecommute, FlexJobs is a subscription service that charges $15 a month or $50 a year for access to its
listings. The site claims to screen online job listings, including industry blogs, employer sites and job
boards and only offer “legitimate” jobs. The site has 50 career categories and jobs from entry-level to
executive. FexJobs says it will refund payments to dissatisfied customers.

KindredHQ
KindredHQ is a career site for freelancers, independent workers and startup entrepreneurs trying to
make it in the world. It’s geared toward those who decided to opt out of the traditional 9 to 5 office job
and go it alone—and the site’s team understands that it can sometimes be very tough. That’s why they
created Kindred HQ, an online community where these professionals can discuss the things they’re
struggling with, share success stories, and make serious connections that can help them succeed in their
careers.

Modern-Day Nomads
Founded by Tiffany Owens in 2006, Modern-Day Nomads is a destination for globe-trekking, creative
professionals who are multi-skilled, educated, and tech-savvy, and prefer a “locationless living” lifestyle
or want to utilize their wide array of talents to travel the world. The site features meaningful
opportunities (many with housing) in all different industries, all over the world.

Non-Profit Sites
Encore.org
Marc Freedman founded Encore.org with hopes of making it easier for millions of people to pursue
“second acts” for the greater good. He calls them “encore careers”–jobs that combine personal
meaning, continued income and social impact in the second half of life. Though it’s not a job placement
service, Encore.org does provides free, comprehensive information that helps people transition to jobs
in the nonprofit world and the public sector.

Give To Get Jobs
Give To Get Jobs is a job board and information hub for jobs that use a sustainable business model to
solve social and/or environmental issues, mainly social enterprise and corporate social responsibility. As
a social enterprise, the Give To Get Jobs team uses the proceeds to fund job creation programs. They
currently donate through a non-profit–but are in the process of creating their own mobile job training
program.

Idealist.org
The nation’s largest employment board for nonprofit jobs, Idealist.org has more than 1 million
registered users. It also includes volunteer opportunities, a blog with stories like tips on managing
student loans and a listing of events related to the non-profit world. Funding for Idealist, which was
founded in 1996, comes from foundation support, donations and from fees it charges U.S.-based
organizations to list on the site. It also collects fees from graduate degree programs that exhibit at its
career fairs.

Click here for more great non-profit sites.

Career Advice and Mentoring for Boomers
Career Pivot
CareerPivot is a “career design firm” for Baby Boomers who are looking to make a professional move.
The site’s founder, Marc Miller, believes in taking small, practical steps (or a series of “pivots”) toward
your new life, rather than a “leap.” To help the boomers figure out what they want and how to get
there, the site offers assessment tests and tools to learn about your goals; to explore your talents,
strengths and working style; and help weigh your options.

Pivot Planet
PivotPlanet, a resource for finding real-life career and start-up business advice shared by experienced
advisors who can answer your questions and offer insights into their profession anywhere, anytime (for
$50+ an hour), is the brainchild of Brian Kurth, founder of the in-person career mentorship company
VocationVacations. PivotPlanet connects people around the world looking to “pivot” from an existing
career to a new one–or to enhance their current job skills with expert advisors working in hundreds of
fields. The advisors provide one-on-one video and phone sessions—and some even offer the option of
in-person mentorship.

VetNet
A site aimed at veterans transitioning to civilian work, VetNet is sponsored by three organizations—Hire
Heroes USA ,which tries to create job opportunities for vets and their spouses with corporate partners,
Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families, which produces research and aims to
change public policy affecting veterans, and Hiring Our Heroes, a U.S. Chamber of Commerce
program. The site includes videos, resume and career advice and links to programs for veteran
entrepreneurs

Watch for Career Speed Bumps Around Recession Concerns

Source: Jena McGregor, FORBES

If it feels like a recession is all but certain, you’re not alone. Most CEOs expect a recession in the next
year, according to a new survey published in June. It found 76.1% of chief executives believe there will
be a recession in their company’s primary area of operations before the end of 2023,
Forbes reported last week, and Elon Musk has also called one inevitable.

Yet the Biden administration wants to disagree: It says a recession isn’t a sure thing, even if the nation’s
mood is down.

Still, the signs all around us aren’t great, especially in sectors like technology and real estate, even if the
overall jobs numbers remain strong. Spotify said last week it was reducing hiring growth. Compass and
Redfin are shedding workers as the housing market worsens. Coinbase is laying off 1,100 employees
amid the crypto crash.

But there are things you can do to shore up your own career outlook. You can improve your position at
work by demonstrating your value and making yourself known. If you need to search for a job during
challenging times, here are some tips. And if it’s you who has to lay off others, there are ways to do it
with empathy and compassion. Try them.

Meanwhile, it’s a period of time that could include more career disappointments. If so, here’s how
to deal with them. If you feel like an imposter, we have lots of advice—from reframing your view to
remembering you’re qualified. And if you’re worried about your career prospects, you can always try to
learn more skills that will be needed in the future.

If a recession does officially become reality, remember they never last forever.