by Angela Copeland | Jul 6, 2015 | Advice, Newsletter
I hope you had a wonderful and safe weekend. Over my weekend, I really started thinking about something. What are you an expert in? How many things have you truly mastered in life?
For example, you must know how to cook a little in order to survive day to day. But, is your food the quality of a professional chef? If your job disappeared tomorrow, and you were told the only job available to you was cooking in a restaurant, how would that work out?
Similarly, you might like to travel – domestically, and maybe even internationally. But, how good are you at booking travel? Do you know about all sorts of hotels, travel visas, and the best restaurants?
In both of these examples, the chances are pretty good that you would much prefer to be the customer. You probably aren’t a professional chef, or so skilled with travel booking that you could take it on as a full time job.
You’re probably wondering where I’m going with this. Well, this is what I was thinking…
Was it is that you ARE an expert at? After graduating from college, I became an IT project manager and business analyst at FedEx. Some of the things that make an IT project manager good at their job include:
- Very well organized planner
- Ability to write business requirements
- Good at leading meetings, and mitigating conflict
- Understands the software development life cycle
Now, let’s contrast this list with what makes someone good at looking for a job:
- Well spoken, and presents well
- Comfortable explaining own work history
- Good at presenting online, in both a resume and LinkedIn profile
- Great at networking with people at other companies
This is a short list of just a few things. But, they’re clearly very different skills. The skills needed to be a good project manager are in many ways different than those required to be a great job seeker.
And, to become a true expert at something, you do it every day. This is what happens with your full time job.
But, when you’re tasked with something you only do rarely, like planning a luxury vacation, you either get by doing the minimum with your existing skills, or you contact a professional to help you. You know you’ll never be the best at it because you don’t do it all the time. And, that’s okay because your career’s future doesn’t depend on how well you cook, or how great your travel reservations are.
Unfortunately, when it comes to job seeking, this is not the case. How good you are at job searching can have a major impact on your future — both in the type of job you have, and the amount of money you make. But, how can you be an expert at something you only do once every five years (for as short of a time as possible)?
So often, job seekers fail to recognize this core issue. I hear from people who say, “The companies just don’t like me!” Or, “They must not think I can do this job!”
You know, the job seeker could be totally right. The company may hate them. The company may completely think they’re unqualified. Or, judge them based on some part of their work or personal history.
Alternatively, it’s equally possible (if not more so) that nobody’s seeing the job seeker’s resume at all. It’s possible that the resume never makes it out of the online system (otherwise known as the “applicant tracking system”). Did you know that very often, a human never even sees your resume?
Does the fact that you don’t have a lot of practice looking for a job mean that you aren’t good at doing the actual job? No, in fact, in might mean just the opposite. If you haven’t looked for a job much, it could be because you’ve been really happy at your current job – or because hiring managers have always recruited you first.
So, it’s possible that you’re really great at your job – but, not so great at finding a job. As I mentioned above, they’re two different skill sets. Does that make sense?
Anyhow, before you give up on your search – or get too frustrated (or take a fallback job), try to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. That frustration you’re feeling is probably not a reflection of how good you are at what you’re doing. It may very well be with the job searching process.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Jul 6, 2015 | Job Posting
Denver International Airport is seeking a Director of Food & Beverage Concessions in Denver, CO.
This role is perfect for a leader with superb business and political acumen, sound understanding of strategic business practices, is outcome oriented, has experience working with people at all levels, and a proven track record of excellent performance within a very complex enterprise. Must be an innovative thinker, with the drive and ingenuity to achieve DEN’s new Strategic Plan objectives. DEN recently unveiled an ambitious multi-year strategic plan that puts into context a more globally competitive industry, defines the Airport’s priorities, and establishes quantifiable objectives for success.
To learn more, or to apply online, visit the Denver International Airport job posting here.
by Angela Copeland | Jul 6, 2015 | Job Posting
Terminix is seeking a Director of Training & Development in Memphis, TN.
Oversees and directs the development and implementation of training strategy, initiatives and programs for the business unit. Aligns training and development programs to business unit initiatives and strategies. Designs and sets infrastructure of business unit training function.
To learn more, or to apply online, visit the Terminix job posting here.
by Angela Copeland | Jul 5, 2015 | Job Posting
3M is seeking an Interactive Marketing Manager in Austin, TX.
The Electronics and Energy Business Group is hiring an Interactive Marketing Manager. This position is responsible for the strategy, execution and measurement of the Communications market expertise US webpages and 3m.com to new responsive platform “FUZE”, implementing a digital research and analytics processes, creating localization packages for subsidiaries to leverage, and provide a strategic leadership role for the Communications Market division in digital marketing.
To learn more, or to apply online, visit the 3M job posting here.
by Angela Copeland | Jul 4, 2015 | Job Posting
Brother is seeking a Contact Center Operations Manager in Bartlett, TN.
Responsible for the processes and systems related to Staffing, scheduling and contact routing to create the best possible service for our customers while achieving a balance of service, cost and team morale. As a key leader in the business development value stream, directs the service delivery providing administrative and operational assistance designed to promote growth, productivity, and exceptional levels of customer satisfaction. Knowledge of forecasting, staff calculations, scheduling and analytics components of active contact center management across multiple vendor partners and multiple locations is critical. Provides team members with the appropriate training, tools, direction and motivation that enable their success.
To learn more, or to apply online, visit the Brother job posting here.
by Angela Copeland | Jul 3, 2015 | Job Posting
Rhodes College is seeking an Assistant Director of Student Academic Support in Memphis, TN.
Rhodes College, a highly selective, residential, undergraduate college located in Memphis, TN, has an excellent opportunity for an Assistant Director of Student Academic Support. This is a new position. The Assistant Director will provide academic support services and programming to promote student persistence and success. The position will also assist the Registrar with analysis of senior students’ progress towards graduation and with the maintenance of DegreeWorks. The position requires a flexible schedule with some evening and weekend hours.
To learn more, or to apply online, visit the Rhodes College job posting here.
by Angela Copeland | Jul 3, 2015 | Job Posting
Neiman Marcus is seeking a Director, Finance & Administration in Dallas, TX.
This position is responsible for Finance and Administration of the Store Planning department. The Director must: own and oversee the capital approval planning and forecasting responsibilities for the Properties division; serve as general management oversight for all third-party professional services contracts for the Properties division; and own the expense budgets for the Properties division.
To learn more, or to apply online, visit the Neiman Marcus job posting here.
by Angela Copeland | Jul 3, 2015 | Advice, Media
My latest Memphis Daily News column is out, “Take Charge of Your Career Independence.”
With the Fourth of July just around the corner, I’ve been thinking about the importance of independence. So often, I meet people who are struggling. Whether they’ve lost their job, or work for a boss who doesn’t appreciate them, they’re going through a rough time.
The hardest part is often not the difficulty they’re experiencing in that moment. That time will pass. It’s the overwhelming sense of feeling helpless that can drive someone’s mood and self-esteem down.
Without even realizing it, we often turn over our power to those around us. For many, we give it to our employer.
To read my entire article, and to find out how you can regain your career independence, visit the Memphis Daily News website here.
by Angela Copeland | Jul 2, 2015 | Job Posting
Celebrity Cruises is seeking a Director of Social Media in Miami, FL.
The Social Media Director is responsible for the development and execution of social media strategy for the Celebrity Cruises brand. The Social Media Director will deliver results through compelling fan engagement within social platforms and across key online communities, management of social networks and creation of social programs that maximize the reach of the Celebrity brand to passionate cruise and new to cruise fans everywhere. This position will drive digital initiatives, including: creating and supervising high-profile social channel accounts, curating user-generated content, launching viral marketing campaigns, and integrating social media into the overall business strategy. The position requires a strong understanding of social media trends and their impact on the brand.
To learn more, or to apply online, visit the Celebrity Cruises job posting here.
by Angela Copeland | Jul 2, 2015 | Job Posting
MIFA is seeking a Community Communications Officer, Director Mail & Digital in Memphis, TN.
Community Communications Officer is responsible for MIFA’s direct mail and digital fundraising operation with special focus on individual donors of less than $1,000. The officer will manage social media communications that support all aspects of the advancement program and create ways to engage the next generation of supporters through social media and special volunteer/event opportunities.
To learn more, or to apply online, visit the MIFA job posting here.
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