Credit: Pexels / Anna Tarazevich

By: Tamara Best

With unemployment at some of its highest levels in recent years, the job market has become increasingly challenging. Madelyn Mackie, a certified career management coach, has helped thousands through her company, Madelyn Mackie and Associates, with career coaching and résumé development. She speaks with URL Media’s URWealth to share tips on how to maximize your job search as you kick off the new year. 

The Q&A has been lightly edited for clarity.

KEY THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

First off: Slow down, to speed up. Success is not defined by applying to as many jobs as possible. My clients that are having success are being very intentional and are crystal clear on three things: types of roles they want to target, the value they bring to those roles, and the types of organizations where they will thrive. Let’s break that down: 

1). The types of roles: People are like, “I need a job.” And I’m like, “there are jobs out there. You can go work in a restaurant, you can go be a substitute teacher.” And they’re like, “No, I don’t want that kind of job.” Some people want a hybrid job or remote only job or need a job that pays a certain salary. Get clear on the type of job you want.

2). Communicating value: You have to be able to communicate the value you will bring to an organization. What metrics have you achieved in the past? A lot of people write their resumes with their job duties but you need to write about the impact you’ve had.

3). Organizational fit: People do not quit companies or jobs, they quit cultures and managers. You really have to have some clarity on the type of organizations and environment where you will thrive. You’re interviewing the company as much as they’re interviewing you.

For people who have been searching for a bit but feel like their job search has stalled, what are some pivots or things to consider?

Start looking for part time or contract work. Getting your foot in the door and income is going to give you a little breathing room and peace. It will help remove that cloak of desperation that you may have, especially when you’ve been at this for a while. It’s hard and that comes across in interviews. So it’s really important to kind of pivot and look at all options.

What ways does the “cloak of desperation” come across in interviews that job seekers might not be aware of? 

They want to know, “what’s the next step? What do I need to tell you to make a decision to hire me?” Or it’s talking negatively. For example, someone might say “I’ve been looking for a job for 18 months, etc.” People don’t even realize it sometimes. 

What tools or strategies would you recommend to assist with staying motivated?

Motivation comes from momentum and making progress. My recommendation is to set daily SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time Bound). So, for example, maybe Monday is research day, and you say: “I’m going to spend 90 minutes researching my target companies to see if they’re hiring or look at the different job boards. But after 90 minutes, I’m done.” When you have measurable goals and a theme for each day, you know exactly what you’re supposed to be doing. You’re not spinning your wheels, you have a start and a stop, and then you can go do other things. You should be doing professional development and taking care of your body, your spirit, your home, your family, etc.

What’s one thing you wish more people knew about pivoting industries or starting fresh?

A lot of people think a pivot means completely starting over. I have pivoted four times in my career. I’m a published biochemistry researcher, have worked in professional theater, an international nonprofit, and started my business. I’m actually in the middle of exploring my fifth pivot and with each one the skills I had came with me. And in this day and age there’s so many ways you can learn (LinkedIn Learning, blog posts). It’s about layering your skills and applying them into a new ecosystem. 

Take inventory of the skills you’re bringing to the table. If there’s a job you’re interested in, I recommend you copy and paste that job in a Microsoft Word or Google Doc. Highlight the things you know how to do in green, and the things you need to learn in yellow. That’s going to give you a visual skills assessment and gap analysis. Whenever my clients have done this, they have been shocked at how much green things they already know. You never have to start from scratch.

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