4 Ways to Avoid Feeling Overwhelmed in Your Job Search

4 Ways to Avoid Feeling Overwhelmed in Your Job Search4 Ways to Avoid Feeling Overwhelmed in Your Job SearchDespite any feel-good commercials, smiling faces on ads, or cheery self-help advice blogs that may gloss over the issue, anyone whos ever been on the career market knows that searching for a new job is nervewracking. If youre currently employed theres a constant worry about whether your current employer will find out about your quest and concerns over just what youll do if you cant land a better gig. If youve been laid off or are otherwise without ideal employment, you can add the stresses of paying your bills and being able to afford to eat to the pressures youll face. In short, rarely has a candidate summed up their job search experience as fun.This doesnt mean, however, that candidate looking to make a move need to suffer needlessly, or alone. While the situation is certainly fraught with hurdles and uncertainty, there are plenty of ways job-seekers can pave a smooth path al ong the way. For SimplyHired readers that are left feeling daunted by the process or even idea of looking for a new gig, here we delve into four simple ways to avoid feeling overwhelmed in your job search.Step 1 Find The Right PartnersOne of the quickest ways to feel overwhelmed in your job search is by mistakenly thinking you need to go it alone. From mentors to professional sitzordnung agencies, there are plenty of people out there willing to lend a hand in support of your quest to find employment. Online resources are also handy additions to your job-seeking arsenal. LinkedIn, ZoomInfo, Graph Search or Twellow are all great ideas to help you connect with professionals in your given industry or specific profession. Spend a few hours searching, joining groups, and connecting and youll be well on your way to finding a resource to help ease the burden of job hunting on your own.Step 2 Compartmentalization Gets a Bad WrapHaving a job or career is a huge part of most individuals identi ty as a human being. Its no coincidence that most polite conversation starts up with some variation of so, what do you do? Because of this, those looking to land a new gig often picture job-hunting as one large mountain to be conquered.In order to reduce stress try,instead, thinking of the application and interview process as separate steps or tasks. Assign target goal dates to small tasks such as freshening up your resume, searching for jobs, applying, and networking. Breaking one large problem into smaller tasks is an easy way to reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed by your job search.Step 3 Make Low Impact ContactIf weve said it once weve said it a million times networking is a vital aspect to finding that job of your dreams. Whether it be a mentor from school or a prior position or professional colleagues in your field, making connections with people can make a huge difference in your job search. This universal truth brings problems of its own for those among us who are less than comfortable in large groups or social gatherings. If you find yourself hesitant to enter into the networking game, or reluctant to ask for assistance from those in the know, try segueing into the field with some low impact contact first.Inviting a colleague or professional acquaintance out for drinks or dinner or showing up to an industry conference is a great way to break the ice and wont come across too strong. Its a natural part of behauptung types of events to discuss your current work prospects which will lead to genuine conversations about openings or potential referrals. Step 4 Just Make the PitchIf youve ever been the person at a garage sale who has that inability to haggle or ask for a better price, you probably know how overwhelming it can be to ask someone for a job. One of the easiest ways to overcome this fear, however, is to realize that hiring managers and recruiting contacts are in the business of, well, getting asked for a job. These individuals not only dont l ook askance at being approached by applicants, its an expectation. Sometimes one of the easiest ways to overcome a sense of being overwhelmed by dread or what ifs is to simply go out on a limb and ask to apply for a job or if there are any openings available in the first place. In the worst case, there wont be a current opportunity, but your initiative just might get you remembered positively when something does come along.Have you ever felt overwhelmed during the job search process? Have tips for de-stressing and moving along towards a career of your dreams? Add in your personal advice and stories in the comment section to help fellow job seekers and your advice may just make it into t future update or blog.

From Lou Adler to Seth Godin the future of a traditional resume

From Lou Adler to Seth Godin the future of a traditional resumeFrom Lou Adler to Seth Godin the future of a traditional resumeYouve probably heard comments like the resume is dead, dying, being transported to the emergency room, or any other variation. It seems to be kind of a trendy topic these days. In a way, its correct the traditional resume has been dying at a slow pace for a while now. Currently, it still remains in the same, outdated format with no significant changes over the past 35 years. After all, its still a simple list of your experience, skills education.About 2 years back, I co-founded a resume building platform . Over those years, Ive seen countless, soulless resumes that pretty much guarantee that youre leid getting called up for an interview. In an attempt to shed some light on the topic, Ive gathered seven points of the best resume advice Ive ever heard. Advice that will help you ditch the traditional resume and create something truly special.1. Submit a proposa l elend a resume to get a job interview Lou AdlerLou Adler is one of LinkedIns top 20 Influencers. He is currently the CEO of The Adler Group, a consulting firm helping companies implement performance-based hiring.If you look at it from the companys perspective, your traditional resume just doesnt work for them. They want to see who you really are but fruchtwein importantly what you can do for them. So dont submit a typical resume. Rather, provide a solution for their problems.Before even starting with your resume, think what youre most proud of, and write down 5 of your biggest achievements. It could be anything winning a school competition, speaking three languages, studying abroad, or even living a balanced life. Any major parte of your lifestyle or personality is worth to mention.That, coupled with why youd want to work specifically for the company youre applying for and how you can contribute to the company, would hardly ever get you rejected for an interview. For example, h ere is Ninas resume for Airbnb. It went viral for a reason the resume says a lot more than Worked at X company for Y years and did Z. It actually showcases Ninas personality, skills, achievements and directly mentions how she can contribute to the company.Dont be afraid to ditch the old-fashioned way of applying for a job. Call it a resume, cv, lebenslauf, online profile or a summary. But your application should solve someones problem. The resume shouldnt just be a list of experience, education, and skills. What it should be is a proposal a glimpse into your personality, a showcase of your personal achievements, and a unique solution to the companys problems.2. Share a point of view. Invite people into a relationship Michael MargolisMichael Margolis is a TEDx SXSW speaker. He is a founder of Get Storied and author of the most shared resume article on 99U.If you already have a resume, open it up and read it slowly. Ask yourself Does this really describe who I am?.Then google some one elses resume. Read it and ask yourself again Do I have anything in common with this guy?.Sadly, in most cases, the answer to both questions would be a no. The traditional resume does not show the menschenwrdig being behind the resume, neither does it help to build a relationship with the person reading it.Companies dont employ resumes. They employ people. Yes, they care about your previous experience and education, but what they really want is to hear your story. They want to hear your point of view.Dont be afraid to share more personal details about yourself. Mentioning your favorite books, for example, shows your interests and passions. In special cases, this may even be a huge boost for your resume. Think about Elon Musk. Before he became the legendary entrepreneur we all know and love today, he welchesnt the best of students. What put him ahead of everyone else, however, is the vast quantity of highly complex books hed read.By mentioning such details in your resume, you wil l show that youre more vulnerable. That is more human, approachable and relatable. Yes, your resume would be different from the rest. The person reading it, however, might find something in common with you. And at that point, youve already established some rapport youre no longer a piece of paper.Related articlesSam landed a job at Spotify with Alices resume for a masters scholarshipWhat does your day look like? Share with us and win3. Quantify Your Impact Accomplished X as measured by Y by doing Z Laszlo BockLaszlo Bock is the SVP of People Operations and author of Work Rules. During Bocks tenure, Google has been named the Best Company to Work For more than 30 times.There are many reasons why an application can get rejected from not being found on Google to having blatantly lied on the resume. The most common mistake, however, is surprisingly neither one of those. According to Laszlo Bock, the biggest reason resumes get rejected is because theyre filled with responsibilities in stead of accomplishments. Traditional resumes show what people had to do for a certain position which is something that the HR already knows. Rather, you need to show them how exactly you executed your tasks, and what were the results you received. This empirically sets you apart from all the other applicants.For example, if youre a Social Media Marketer, everyone would know that you have to maintain the profiles of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. So, dont waste space on your resume saying something as obvious as that. Instead, write how you improved the social reach and user engagement on either one of the channels, and what results did these metrics bring to the company. Be as specific as possible, including numbers and tangible results.Dont hesitate to rewrite every single sentence on your resume using this formula. Take a look at the following example which one do you think is more believable and useful?Raised engagement on Facebook by 140% over 2 months, by creating team vi deo ads. Or Managed the companys Facebook pageKeep in mind that finding and then explaining your accomplishments or skills is not an easy task. Most people give up by just adding some buzzwords team player, critical thinking, problem-solving, etc or just completely skipping that part, thinking that theyve achieved nothing.If you cant think of specific accomplishments, or its hard for you to define your Top Skills, go ahead and ask your friends and colleagues. Think about the last time you executed something successfully, the way you did it and the results you drove. Consider what skills helped you make all that happen. In addition to that, when writing about your achievements, make sure to mention the competition. If you won an entrepreneurship challenge, say exactly how many people competed. It sounds a lot better if you were 3 in a competition with 100 participants, as opposed to 1 and keep the number of participants unknown.So now that weve got all that covered, make it all com e to life in your traditional resume Mention the competition in your achievements, the results of your actions and the significance of your accomplishments.4. Try to understand the job youre applying for Lily ZhangCareer Development Specialist at GECD and writer at The Muse.Thirty years ago when people looked for a job, they needed only one resume. Today, unless you want to apply for only one company, you need a couple.Dont just make one black and white resume, send it to a couple of companies and then pray to receive an answer. Dont try to cheat and craft 10 resumes, filling each with buzzwords from their respective job descriptions either.Instead, try to understand why you want to work for that specific company. Go ahead and read a bit about the organization, check out the reviews on glassdoor or their profile on Linkedin. If you still dont have much information, focus on the position that you are applying for. Read the job description and ask yourself Am I motivated enough to s tart working for that company?Most unsuccessful hires are not because they lack the skills, but because they didnt fit the companys culture. If youre not truly motivated to work at either of the companies, dont even bother sending in your resume. It wont be worth it either for you nor the company.In addition to that, a successful job search does not include sending your resume to 10 companies. Its much better if you shortlist 3-4 companies, the ones where you really want to work and concentrate all of your efforts on learning about them and impressing them with your knowledge enthusiasm.5. You dont need to have had good jobs in order to have a good resume Penelope TrunkPenelope Trunk is an American businesswoman, author, and blogger. Her work focuses on the intersection of work and life.I have seen a lot of skilled people who are too scared to apply for major companies because, having only worked for the smaller organizations, they think that theyre just not good enough. The same applies to college students, who dont dare to apply for their dream internships because of the lack of work experience.Ive met Eastern European students who traveled all the way to the United States, worked the jobs no one wanted for over 100 hours a week, just to pay for their tuition. Those same students dont realize how valuable that kind of experience can be for organizations. True, its not directly related to a job as a banker, for example. But then again, how many students have the experience of working in a bank?While the experience may not be as relevant to the job itself, it proves that the student is hardworking and determined. If youve washed dishes for 100+ hours a week, you wouldnt be dismayed by working 80+ hours in an office for a bank. When thinking about your experiences, always ask yourself whether youve learned anything important working a seemingly irrelevant job. If the answer is yes, it definitely belongs to your resume.Most recent graduates dont get their firs t experience by working in big and famous corporations but through internships, part-time jobs, volunteering experiences and so on.Exactly this type of experience is what employers are looking for. The world has changed having a lower GPA at the university doesnt mean youre a worse hire than someone with a 4.0. The GPA was never a good predictor of career success, to begin with. This also goes for your work experience. Working for three months in a failed start-up can boost your skills way more than three years in a big corporation.Remember you DO have experience, but its up to you how you are going to sell it. Being aware of your own skills and experiences is the first step to success.6. A resume is an excuse to reject you Seth GodinSeth Godin is an American author, entrepreneur, marketer, and public speaker.90% of the resumes get rejected. Theres only one position after all, and unless you can differentiate yourself, it will end up in a trash bin with the rest.If you want to in crease your chances against the statistics, ask yourself Why do I need a resume?. If the answer is I have to show the facts about me, according to Seth Godin that wont show what you HAVE. It will rather show what you MISS. Creating something just to show what you miss is really an excuse to be rejected.According to him, sending a traditional resume like everyone else and pretending that you are remarkable would make people ask themselves Ok if you are that special, why cant I see that through your resume?.That doesnt mean that you shouldnt send a resume at all, nor that you should follow all the standards and requirements you find on the web. It means that a traditional resume doesnt reflect who you really are and why youre special. The requirements tend to restrict you in a lot of ways, making concrete statements on what should and should not be done.The first step is to stop thinking of your resume as just a resume. Dont even call it a resume, when it can be something much more. Your personal story was written down. While there are some best-practices to follow, you should have complete creative control over all the content in the resume. After all, who knows more about your personality than yourself?Feel free to write something creative and against traditional resume standards. Youre not just a bunch of bullet points. Nor are you a combination of work experiences and education. Show people like Seth that you are special, that you are living your eulogy, not your resume.7. The best hire might not have the perfect resume Regina HartleyRegina Hartley is the Director of Human Resources at UPS, the largest logistics company in the world with over 10,000 employees.In 2015, Regina gave a TED talk about the candidates who are not all that good on paper but turn out to be some of the companys best hires.She called such people Scrappers people who dont have the best resume but have grown up constantly faced with adversity, resulting in a life filled with both pass ion and purpose.Take this resume. This guys parents give him up for adoption. He never finishes college. He job-hops quite a bit, goes on a sojourn to India for a year, and to top it off, he has dyslexia. Would you hire this guy?His name is Steve Jobs.Some of the most successful people can seem pretty inconsequential on paper. They may have not been the smartest kids in school, some of them have never even attended school. Such trivialities, however, dont stop such people from founding million dollar companies.Ive seen a lot of people who dont apply for the jobs they truly want, just because they dont think they have a good enough resume. Reginas talk proves pretty much the opposite. If youve survived hardships in life such as poverty or violence, you might be more valuable to a company than someone whos life was engineered for success since birth. After all, if youve survived poverty and violence, business challenges are nothing but a minor setback.Regina finished off her talk with a study done by DiversityInc, showing that the top 50 companies for diversity outperform the SP 500 by 25%. So, the next time youre competing with 4.0 Ivy League graduates with near-perfect resumes, stand your ground and prove yourself.To top it all off, if theres one thing you should take away from this article, its this. Even when faced with adversity, focus on being you, focus on telling your story, and youll get the job you deserve.To read next Check out our resume examples section that got people hired at their dream jobs.

3 tips to unleash the creative entrepreneurs in your community

3 tips to unleash the creative entrepreneurs in your community 3 tips to unleash the creative entrepreneurs in your community The Fourth Industrial Revolution is upon us. If you are wondering how to take on the challenges of a shifting global economy, investing in creative industries entrepreneurs tackles economic, civic, and social challenges and is found in every community in every corner of the globe. From Boston to Bangladesh, creative entrepreneurs are building companies at the cutting edge of digital fabrication, augmented reality, design, and entertainment.The creative economy is huge. And growing. It generates close to $3 trillion in economic output annually. That’s more than the global telecommunications industry. What’s more, creative economy revenues are expanding 8-12% annually, varying by country. In the USA, the creative economy grew straight through the Great Recession, as opposed to all other sectors. Growth will continue as the  global middle-class rises, expanding demand for entertainment, digital media, and original content and experiences. Consider this: Cirque du Soleil was founded by two street performers who grew it into a global phenomenon and sold it for $1.5 billion to investment firm TPG in 2015. Lynda.com, acquired by LinkedIn in 2015, was started by Lynda Weinman, a graphic designer turned educator. Fashionistas, filmmakers, and foodies are launching creative companies that drive value for investors, and create high-wage jobs.However, the creative economy is a sleeping giant because leaders and investors, community and economic developers have mostly left the creative economy on the sidelines, its full potential sitting dormant. Many leaders think only of “the arts” when they hear the word creative. However, today’s creative companies are anchored in technologies and digital innovations. Take for example Embodied Labs, a VR film company whose films help medical providers understand patient experiences, reducing costs and improving health outcomes. Or Beacon Hill VR, a software firm with artists and gamers on staff who create and bring to life ani mated AR characters. We suspect leaders overlook the creative economy because they are unfamiliar with its numbers.Creative entrepreneurs are market disruptors building a better and more inclusive future. The innovators behind creative companies are designers, coders, gamers, musicians, and engineers. Akin to tech founders, creative founders are driven by a desire to disrupt a market. Unlike many tech founders, most creative entrepreneurs are also inspired by social outcomes such as engaging disenfranchised communities, providing a living wage, and building culturally connected communities. The creative economy is being built by visionaries who strengthen regional identity, increase livelihoods, and build connected communities.So how can you unleash the creative entrepreneurs and talent in your community? Here are three tips to get you started:1.) Find ambitious creative entrepreneurs who have been overlookedThey might be building the next Cirque du Soleil but everyone else sees the m as clowns. With fresh eyes, you might see a billion-dollar business in the making. I have worked with startups who became extremely successful entrepreneurs who have told us that early on “no one took them seriously” because they were designers, or filmmakers, or musicians.2.) Host a small gathering with innovative creative founders and investors and ask them to share where they believe your regional creative economy could be more competitiveWhat assets and competitive advantages do you have that entrepreneurs and investors have already discovered? When we do this we find investors who are already working with creative companies. They are usually interested in further building out their portfolio along these lines. And the founders are excited to meet investors who share their vision for the region’s future.3.) Assume you just don’t get it â€" yetCreatives are disrupting markets and they see a future the rest of us don’t see. Take for example the story of Meow Wolf, an â €œartist collective” based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. When Meow Wolf started out, they sought business support but were told more than once their venture should be a non-profit. They are artists, after all. Today, with over 1 million visitors and $15 million in revenues in less than two years, Meow Wolf’s out-of-this-world exhibit helped multiply their first investors’ funds within three years. They recently close $17 million with a lead investment by Alsop Louie Partners from Silicon Valley.Meow Wolf is not alone in their ability to see a market before it has fully convened. Lee Francis, Founder of Native Realities, launched the world’s first Indigenous Comic Con to give indigenous youth a chance to see themselves as superheroes. Today Indigenous Comic Con and Lee’s publishing company Native Realities, are leading a global movement to reframe how indigenous youth see themselves in pop culture. 300,000,000 indigenous people are eager to move with them. Ivonette Albuquerque, Founder of Galpo Aplauso, in So Paulo, Brazil, believed she could build a world class theatre company employing youth living in So Paulo’s favelas. Today, she has trained over 10,000 youth, nearly all of whom go on to find well paying jobs after the program.The Fourth Industrial Revolution, like all good revolutions, is disrupting social and economic structures, forcing leaders to rethink old strategies and adapt to new realities. Relentless creativity and imagination will win the day. Fortunately, a giant ally is waiting in the wings. All you need to do is wake it up.Alice Loy is CEO and Co-Founder of Creative Startups and author of Creative Economy Entrepreneurs, From Start Up to Success: How Entrepreneurs in the Creative Industries are Transforming the Global Economy. For more information, please visit, Creative Startups.