- Jobseeking is Hard
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- #72 - Get The Jobs You Want
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Hey There!
Welcome to Issue #72 of Jobseeking is Hard!
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This week we’re talking about:
More job board alternatives to Indeed, Glassdoor, & LinkedIn
Companies offering remote jobs
Stupid interview questions
A jobseeking horror story about a strapped CEO
Controlling your narrative on a resume to show relevance for the role you’re applying for
The best (worst?) job posting of the week
A scam involving new job announcements on LinkedIn
And for Premium subscribers I’m:
Debunking a post about taking less money to pivot
Giving you advice on how to vet a company’s leadership to see if the culture is right for you
Telling you some tricks to keep you safe from scams and spam on LinkedIn
Advising you why I wouldn’t post a new job announcement on LinkedIn
Giving you a checklist of 10 key questions you can ask recruiters to help you evaluate whether you want to work with them
Answering a Premium subscriber's question about directly contacting a hiring company's decision-maker vs. an external recruiter who has also posted the job. I'll explain the thought process behind which stakeholder you should contact and how it can help (or hurt) your chances
Let’s get to it!
ALTERNATIVE JOB BOARDS
Last week I shared 46 niche job boards to use instead of LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Indeed. Click here for 31 more, from tech, food, and fitness to aviation, politics, and higher ed!
"Don't the big job boards aggregate most of those jobs?" Mostly. Some are exclusive listings, but not all search algorithms are the same, meaning they could be easier to navigate and find the roles you care about.
Plus, the niche boards post jobs days before the large job boards scrape them…meaning you can apply before the masses see them. Even a day or two can make the difference if your resume makes the review cutoff for interviews.
Do you use a job board that I haven’t listed? Email it to the newsletter! I’m creating a master list on my website that you can bookmark and use for your job search! I hope to complete it in a week or two, so watch for an announcement!
REMOTE JOBS
Looking for a fully-remote job WITH NO LOCATION RESTRICTIONS??
Here's a list of the top companies according to FlexJobs that offer the most remote, work-from-anywhere jobs on their site. These companies offer:
✅ The ability to work from anywhere with 0 location restrictions.
✅ No required on-site office time...they're 100% remote.
Want some more remote jobs? You should probably subscribe to Remote Source, the #1 source for remote jobs. Sign up to get the best remote jobs, news, professional advice, trends, products, and more delivered straight to your inbox every week. Click here to subscribe!
STUPID INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
I was asked, “What would you die for?”
I know what I wouldn’t die for: Work. The company would have my job posted before I was even buried. Remember, no matter what they say, companies aren’t family.
“What’s your favorite aisle in the grocery store?”
Be sure to set the tone early for salary negotiations and say something expensive, like the meat counter at Whole Foods.
“Would you rather ride a giraffe to work or an elephant?”
I’m going giraffe. If I have to commute to work, I want it to be over as fast as possible.
Now I’m curious…
“Would you rather ride a giraffe to work or an elephant?” |
Want to share your stupid interview questions? Reply or email [email protected]
SPEAKING OF POLLS
Last week I asked you, “If the price were the same, would you take a taxi, Uber, or limo,” and limo won, with over 67% of the vote!
Some of the best responses:
“Getting an Uber is the easiest of the 3. I can push a button in an app and my car will be here in a few minutes. Taking a limo involves advance planning.”
“Limos remind me of high school proms. No thanks.”
“Anything but a limo. I don’t want people looking at me when I get out of the car.”
But my favorite was:
“That way I can eat my very own cheese pizza, drink a Coke, and watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas, of course.”
COMMUNITY CATHARSIS
I once interviewed with a CEO for an HR opportunity. During the interview, workplace safety came up.
Within seconds of this conversation, the CEO reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a pistol, saying, “I have all the protection I need right here.”
I can’t believe a CEO pulled out a gun during a job interview!
I honestly don’t know how I would’ve responded. Humor is typically my defense mechanism, so I probably would’ve said something like, “Funny, I actually have 2 guns on me right now,” and then would’ve flexed my biceps.
Then I would excuse myself and run to my car.
**Premium Subscribers! Below I’ll tell you how to disable an armed interviewer in 3 seconds! Just kidding, but I will tell you how to vet a company’s leadership to see if the culture is right for you! **
If there's a jobseeking horror story *you’d* like to share, reply or email [email protected]
SHAMELESS PLUG
If your job search needs a little more help, Karpiak Consulting offers resume and LinkedIn services, as well as job search strategy coaching.
Who knows…maybe it’ll help your job search suck less like it did for this person 🤷♂️
When this individual came to me, they had been applying (unsuccessfully) for A YEAR. Within a week of optimizing their resume, they got 6 interviews!
What was the difference? “Being good at your job” and “showing how good you are on your resume” are 2 completely different things (unfortunately). They had solid experience but a generalist background. They had what I like to call a “kitchen sink” resume. The entirety of their experience was listed for each job.
While it had a lot of good info, it wasn’t focused, so the reader was having difficulty navigating the information and finding relevance.
In 6-10 seconds, the relevance has to be quickly and easily noticed, which isn’t easy if you’ve had different job titles with multiple job functions for companies of various sizes in numerous industries.
You can’t just show a recruiter your entire body of work and say, “I hope you find what you’re looking for.” Instead, control your narrative and guide them. Hold their hand and show them that you’re qualified.
Be sure to be clear and direct about your relevant experience and provide context to show value and make an impact. Cut through the noise and focus on what matters to that specific job posting to show the reader you are qualified.
Need help controlling your narrative? We can show you what matters in your experience for the roles you’re targeting :)
BEST (WORST?) JOB POST
OF THE WEEK
Here’s the job post that got the most people talking on my Instagram this week!
That math’s not mathin
If you come across an irritating job posting, email it to the newsletter or DM me on Instagram and I’ll add it to the list to post!
JOB SCAMS!
Recently, I heard from multiple people who were the targets of a scam involving Apple gift cards. But this time, it isn't jobseekers who are being targeted; it's those who have started new jobs!
"Wait, how do the scammers know who to target?"
LinkedIn.
Yup, that's right. You know all of those new job announcements? Scammers also notice them, and they target new hires.
Here's how it goes down:
Scammers hang out on LinkedIn and scroll through their feeds, looking for new job announcements. Then, they click on your profile to see if you have any publicly available information, like an email address or phone number (be sure to check your Settings and Privacy settings on your LinkedIn profile). If not, they will send you a connection request, making your contact info available if you accept. (BTW - This is the default setting. Be sure to change your privacy settings if you don't want connections to have your contact info.)
Once they have your contact info, they send you a message stating they are your new boss (or in management at your new company, or possibly the owner) and that they need your help by purchasing Apple gift cards (for various reasons, such as they need help without the company's IT department knowing, or for a client).
They either spoof the individual's phone number, use a different phone number (saying it's their personal cell), or create a new email address using their name.
I've talked to people about this who were all nervous about impressing their new boss and were scared to ignore the request.
Don't fall for it! Your new boss won't be asking you for Apple gift cards. But if you get a random request from your new boss, not via work email or from a phone number you recognize, be sure to email them on their work email or call their work phone number to verify.
**Premium Subscribers! Below, I'll give you some of my best practices for using LinkedIn, including contact info and I’m telling you why I'm not a fan of posting new job announcements (One is a safety issue and the other is a career issue).**
If you come across a potential scam, send it to [email protected], and I’ll warn the community. And if you’ve been a victim of a job scam, the FTC has job scam reporting resources listed here.
A friend had told me about a job opportunity, so I researched the company and found the President. I connected with her on LinkedIn and sent a message regarding the job opening.
In the meantime, the job was reposted through a recruiter. So, I went ahead and talked to a recruiter about the position. She thought I would be an excellent fit for it and would present me to the hiring manager, the President.
Should I reach out to the President and ask about the job to see if it is still open?
Scroll down to the Premium Section for my answer! Not a Premium Subscriber? Upgrade here: www.JobseekingIsHard.com/upgrade
AFFILIATES
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NOTE - If you don't have a corporate email, choose the "Sign up with Google"option and use a Google account!
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Jobseekers, have a great rest of your week, and good luck with those applications!
-Adam
PS!! If you're enjoying the newsletter, let people know! Forward it, post it on social, tag me, whatever...the bigger the discussion, the better! The idea is to help as many people as possible!
About Adam- Recognized as a leading voice on hiring and workplace trends, Adam has been recruiting and providing career advice since 2003, developing high-trust relationships based on honesty with companies and jobseekers. A highly sought-after speaker, he has appeared in numerous outlets, including Bloomberg News, Business Insider, LinkedIn, and CNNMoney. You can find out more about Adam's resume and coaching services here.
Hey all! Thanks for being a premium member! I hope you find the additional info helpful as you navigate your job search.
DEBUNKING CAREER CLICKBAIT
This past week, I read a LinkedIn post that said if you wanted to pivot into a new industry or vertical, you should take less money than other industry-established candidates to set yourself apart and make you more desirable to hire.
Skills are skills, regardless of industry. Even in this job market, with unprecedented competition for each job opening and almost 100 applicants within a job's first hour of posting, you do not devalue yourself.
Instead, you present yourself as other qualified industry candidates would: Valuable with demonstrated success utilizing the required skillset.
Companies want you to offer to take less. Why? Not because you are worth less, but because they are cheap. It's the same with unemployed candidates. Just because they aren't currently working doesn't mean their skills are worth any less money. But companies will still try to lowball them, knowing they have leverage in this market and jobs are necessary.
Instead, spend extra time on your resume, making sure you are highlighting the required skills while downplaying industry relevance. Craft detailed examples of success using the required skills on a cover letter. And prepare detailed STAR answers that revolve around your skills, not transitions or industry.
Success is hard to argue with, and discussing your relevance in an industry-agnostic way is key to ensuring the recruiter focuses on skill, not industry.
Remember, recruiters look to eliminate candidates, and resumes focusing on industry differences instead of skill similarities are one way to be rejected.
Focus on what you DO have, not what you don't.
Good luck!
Watch or read a questionable piece of career content? Send it along and I’d love to debunk it! [email protected]
A tip for vetting a company’s leadership to see if the culture is right for you:
The internet is your friend. Look at their LinkedIn activity…not just what content they post but also what posts they like and comment on. You’d be surprised at what they are willing to publicly say.
Look them up on Facebook and Twitter and see what kinds of accounts and content they follow and engage. It’ll give you insights if you want to work for them based on their values.
Google the company’s leaders. See what associations and organizations they belong to.
Doing all of this will help you decide if you should cancel or not.
If you like what you find out about leadership, be sure to casually mention these points during interviews (not the stalking part…just the value alignment) to help you hit it off!
Advice on keeping safe on LinkedIn:
First, just let me say this…there’s no good reason to have your phone number publicly available on your LInkedIn profile, either in the About, or as part of your contact info for connections. If someone wants to call you, they can ask for your number. But consider the amount of spam we get in our LinkedIn inbox, we don’t need to make our phone number available to scams as well. Don’t include it in your contact info.
As for your email address, create a LinkedIn-specific email address. Whether you want to use it for networking or job applications, this way you know anyone to uses it to email you found it on your LinkedIn profile, and any of your personal email accounts you use for banking or other login info is safe.
And, I know it’s exciting to announce that you have landed a new job, but even if you update your profile to include your new position, you don’t have to notify your connections or post about it. It’s a great way to open yourself up to all sorts of spam and scam, without much upside other than people congratulating you.
What if your new job doesn’t work out?
I always advise completing the interview loops with companies you are in process with, even if you have accepted a new role. Things change. Companies bait and switch. Offers get pulled. So many things can happen once you post that you’ve accepted a new role.
Instead, wait until you are completely situated AND happy in your new role before you update your LinkedIn profile. You don’t want the companies you are still in process with to see that you have accepted a new role. They’ll end the process with you, thinking you are wasting their time or just angling for more money, even if that isn’t the case.
Plus, if it doesn’t work out, your network will now be keenly aware that you just had a short stint, which is a red flag for everyone, including recruiters and future hiring managers.
There’s so much out of your control in the job search, so control what you can and avoid companies deciding to remove you from their hiring process before you’re ready to remove yourself from it.
A friend had told me about a job opportunity, so I researched the company and found the President. I contacted her via LinkedIn with a message regarding the job opening.
In the meantime, the job was reposted through a recruiter. So I went ahead and talked to a recruiter about the position. She thought I would be a great fit for it and was going to present me to the hiring manager, who happens to be the President.
In the meantime, the President of the company accepted my LinkedIn connection.
The recruiter said she had yet to hear back from the hiring manager due to travel.
My question is, I always like to thank my new connections for connecting with me, and I haven’t done that with the President of the company in question. Should I reach out to her, thank her for connecting, and ask about the job to see if it is still open?
I’m not trying to usurp the recruiter, but the company's president did connect with me, knowing I was interested in the job.
Sorry for the long-winded question, but I am in a quandary.
Good question! I know hindsight is 20/20, but I wouldn't have contacted the recruiter. Why? They probably won't be able to help you. In fact, they could actually hurt your chances.
Recruiters are only paid a fee when 1) They present a new candidate and 2) That candidate is hired by their client.
Typically, the executed recruiting agreement states that the presented candidate has to be new to the client, meaning the company has no prior knowledge of the candidate's interest in working for them. This clause can vary by timeframe. Sometimes, the candidate has to have not had contact with the company in the prior 6 months, 1 year, or even 2 years. Some companies claim "ownership" of candidates in their database regardless of the date of contact.
This can also vary based on a specific role. For example, if a company knows you exist as a jobseeker, but the recruiter is the one that got you interested in a particular role, technically, they could present you, depending on the language in the recruiting agreement.
This is where your situation gets tricky. If you contacted the company's President directly regarding the job opening, and they accepted your invite, that constitutes "prior contact" regarding the specific job.
Companies do not enjoy paying recruiting fees. Even the best recruiting partners are seen as a necessary evil. Ideally, companies could hire candidates on their own without recruiting help and avoid spending money on the recruiting fee.
If there are 2 similar finalists, the tiebreaker will likely go to the "free" candidate.
In fact, this leads me to ask: Did you inform the recruiter of your prior contact/message? If not, you should avoid any confusion as to candidate "ownership" and potential fees. If you DID inform the recruiter of this, and they still submitted your resume, that is bad practice.
Why?
The only thing companies hate more than paying recruiting fees is recruiting disputes. Suppose the company chooses to pursue you directly, and the recruiter insists they should have ownership of your submission. In that case, the company might think it isn't worth the potential legal headache and reject you just to avoid fee arguments (I've seen this happen to candidates with unethical recruiters and short-tempered company stakeholders time after time after time over my 20-year career).
While recruiters are a great tool in your job search toolbox, you must be selective about who you work with. Otherwise, it can hurt your search as much as help. This is why I’ve created An Easy Checklist To Qualify Recruiters. I give you 10 key questions you can ask recruiters to help you evaluate whether you want to work with them.
It’s also why I’m a strong advocate of networking. If you see a job you’re interested in, keep searching for decision-makers on LinkedIn and make direct contact, avoiding application gatekeepers.
So, while the recruiter sent your resume to the company, the company will likely not consider the recruiter your representative for this hiring process.
Considering you have had prior contact with the President regarding the role, it is in your best interests to follow up directly with the President, not the recruiter.
I hope that helps! Good luck!
If you’re a Premium subscriber and have a question about your job search, email us at [email protected] and I’ll answer it in a future issue!
That's it for now, and send in those questions! Don't forget to put "Premium" in the subject line so I can stay organized!
Do you have any thoughts or suggestions for the premium membership? Let me know! The premium tier is a work in progress, and I want to create something of real value for subscribers.
Have a good one!
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