021: Improve Your Job Search with JT O’Donnell from Work It Daily
According to JT O’Donnell, we’re pretty bad at job searching. After all, we aren’t in the business of finding jobs; our skills sets are DOING them. So, if and when you need to change employers, outside advice is invaluable. Today, Laurie and JT talk about why the old way of job searching is obsolete and how you can compete with other job seekers in a very crowded environment.
- Have you seen the George Clooney movie, Up in the Air, where his job was to lay people off? That was JT’s last corporate career. She laid off hundreds of people before leaving corporate America to start her own career coaching practice. JT saw the recession coming, so she was proactive and started a blog in 2008. When the recession hit, people needed an edge in finding jobs, and JT was there to deliver.
- Laurie has seen a lot of discrimination when it comes to landing jobs: ageism, sexism, racism. While it’s a common belief that work is broken, JT also believes that the job search is broken. People are going about it the wrong way because the rules changed and they didn’t catch on. It’s all related to a branding problem for both those hiring and those looking for jobs.
- Do you really need to work through recruiters to find a job? JT has a fresh take on what has happened in the land of recruitment. It’s all become very regimented, and often, recruiters get pushed around by their employers to make certain numbers that are next to impossible. And here’s the result of that: if you’re a job seeker who is doing your part right, you don’t NEED a recruiter to land your dream job. In fact, you might want to AVOID recruiters altogether and JT explains why.
- How do you get past the gatekeepers and talk to the hiring managers? It’s not really sneaky, but it IS easy. JT shares two of her favorite resources. The first is net. It’s a simple search engine for LinkedIn that allows you to search for hiring managers and other titles. The other is Hunter.io, which allows you to search for up to 100 email addresses every month so you can connect.
- As you listen, you might feel like everything has changed. It has, fundamentally. Step one to getting YOUR ‘bucket list’ job is to forget everything you think you know about job searching. JT shares the story of someone who reached out to her – they thought what she said about cover letters was the ‘hokiest’ thing ever… until it worked.
- Like many things on the internet, we have erected walls that are supposed to filter out the unnecessary and irrelevant, but often, these walls also filter out the things we want and need. JT shares how this has happened with job boards online. It goes back to what she said about branding and the lack of marketing between employer and employee. You’re one of the thousands of people applying. It shouldn’t be a surprise you don’t get a call if you haven’t marketed yourself directly to a potential employer.
- Finding a dream job shouldn’t be like shopping a used car lot for your dream car. JT shares a great strategy for how to begin your search. Start with 20 companies you’d love to work for and figure out WHY you want to work for them. We aren’t talking benefits – what about what they do is so compelling to you? That’s how you target your job search. She shares the next few steps on your path to getting a bucket list job.
- Community is incredibly important. It’s how you network, find new opportunities and help others do the same. But it’s not always easy to ask for help, especially when free communities tend to be negative. JT shares why her Work it Daily community is so very different – it’s an uplifting place for career coaching, even with generational divides. Coaching isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s the path to greatness.
- If robots and AI are the future of work, where does that leave job seekers? Make no mistake: there is yet another shift coming in the workforce and you need to be prepared for it. And with all the discrimination that exists now, more is on the way in the form of globalization. JT and Laurie discuss what this future looks like for job seekers and what you can do to be ready for the next set of fundamental shifts.
The DIY HR Handbook
Wouldn't you love to get your hands on Laurie's no-holds-barred, honest DIY HR Handbook for employees and pros alike? Download it for free!
JT O’Donnell
Job Search Tools
Activity