060 | Resume Essentials - 7 things your resume must have in 2017
It’s been an AMAZING first season of the Career Coaching with Jessness. I started recording shows in Jan 2016 during my commute home from San Jose, CA to Pleasanton, CA. 30 miles at 8 miles an hour. I had to do something to pass the time. And that was when this podcast show was born! In the last year and a half, I’ve had a blast creating content and I look forward to coming back with SEASON 2 in the Fall.
Photo by Liana Mikah
058 | Personal Brand - Create a unique and authentic elevator pitch with Brandon Maslan from AWE
Today’s podcast is all about creating an elevator pitch. (An actual elevator not required) Elevator pitches aren’t just for sales people, everyone needs one, even if you’ve never been inside an elevator before in your life you need one.
This show is jam-packed with content, tips, and the exact steps you need to take to create an elevator pitch that ROCKS. I was inspired to talk about this topic after participating in a career development workshop hosted by XACTLY CORP a couple weeks back.
The workshop was led by Brandon Maslan, an Executive Advisor for AWE (Advancing Women Executives) organization. AWE's mission is to increase the number of women in senior management and on boards. They coach others on branding advancement strategies and inspire people to take action in their own career development. Ummm RIGHT.UP.MY.ALLEY.
I admire Brandon for the passion, enthusiasm, and sense of humor he shares with others. I had the opportunity to attend Brandon’s Personal Branding workshop last year when XACTLY previously hosted him so it was really neat to see him again and soak up more of his juicy advice.
Look for episode 19 to listen to last year’s show where I feature Brandon’s tips and tricks from his personal branding workshop! Or go here: Coachjessness – Branding
TOPICS COVERED
- An elevator pitch is a short, less than 20 second, description on who you are, and what you do.
- It’s about figuring out what you want people to remember about you.
- It’s about building on where you’re at now to express where you want to go.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Sign up to access my online career success hub so you can use the free resources to support a happy work life with massive career advancement:
- Stay tuned for more info next week about my 4-part career success course I’ll be launching in less than 2 weeks!!
OTHER PODCASTS MENTIONED
- How to answer the tell me about yourself question (episode 52) - this show will help you create a solid personal branding story in which you can build your elevator pitch: Coachjessness – Job-interview-questions-how-to-answer-the-question-so-tell-me-about-yourself
- Resume (episode 1) - this show will help you be super specific and make sure the work examples you share are tangible: Coachjessness – 001-resumes-what-to-highlight-how-to-stand-out-key-strategies-to-land-your-next-interview
Photo by Marius Masalar
057 | LinkedIn - What to put in your LinkedIn profile to make sure you show up in recruiter searches
LinkedIn - What to put in your LinkedIn profile to make sure you show up in recruiter searches’ first appeared on www.jessnessrequired.com/career-coach…ness-podcast.
In today’s episode I go over LinkedIn’s latest platform updates! LinkedIn is continuously changing, updating, and rearranging their platform but this year alone I’ve seen BIG UPGRADES. I think back to what my profile used to look like when I first created an account in 2011, man was it different! They’ve transformed the look, feel, functions, features, options, search functions, literally everything.
During the show I go over the latest 2017 LinkedIn updates and explain why you should care about them! Most of the changes effect whether or not you’re going to show up in search results when recruiters and hiring managers are searching for talent online. This is definitely a show you need to listen to.
Even if you’re not looking for a job RIGHT NOW I highly recommend keeping your LinkedIn profile up to date. You never know when the next perfect opportunity is going to come your way, but if your profile doesn’t have the right information in it or certain features enabled I guarantee you will be waiting forever. This episode goes over exactly what to do to make sure that isn’t the case for you.
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050 | Job Interview Qs - What are your strengths and weaknesses? Resources to help figure them out!
"What are your strengths and weaknesses?" I bet you've heard this question before...whether it was in an interview or performance review, having a clear understanding of both about are VALUABLE in playing an active role in your career and life!
In today's episode I share with you resources in helping you to identify what your strengths and weaknesses are.
WHY ARE KNOWING THESE THINGS IMPORTANT?
- It can help you develop a career path that fits well with what you're naturally already good at
- Helps you understand what areas you may need to ask for help on, or gain more information about
- It can help to assess your current job and career path, helping you to make logical choices to help you ultimately get to where you want to go in life
WALKING AWAY FROM THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL UNDERSTAND:
- How approaching things with curiosity can help you discover more about yourself, and bring a greater awareness to what tasks and responsibilities are of interest to you.
- Discovering your strengths and weaknesses can help focus your energy on what is going to support growth, expansion and greater life satisfaction.
- Understanding these aspects of yourself can give you concrete reasons helping you make tough decisions, make changes to your current situation, and take risks with CONFIDENCE that you are on the right path to success (whatever success may look like for you)
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:
- Meyer's Briggs (I'm a ENFJ, after you take the test, let me know what your results said too!) -
- Enneagram (The fundamental premise of the Enneagram is that each of us have one dominant (not exclusive) energy that drives us in everything we do, take the test to find out yours...I'm a 2, The Helper) - enneagramcentral.com/Coaching/OnlineTest/testa.htm
Strength's Finder 2.0 - www.strengthstest.com/strengthsfinde…20-access-code
- Stand Out - standout.tmbc.com/
- The book, Emotional Intelligence 2.0 (comes with two free self-assessment tests that score you in 4 key areas) - amzn.to/2edog08
Photo by STIL
049 | Interview Questions - How to explain why you are quitting in a job interview
When it comes to quitting a job, the reasons for why are endless! There isn’t a one size fits all kind of answer because everyone’s work situation is different. As a career coach, I work with people in all levels of their career, and this question is a tough one regardless of how long someone's been working.
The #1 thing I encourage is to be honest and tell the truth!
These are the 3 most common reasons I hear for why someone wants to quit their job:
1. You quit your last job, but didn't have another lined up.
2. You are working right now, but really hate where you are (work environment, manager, team, etc.)
3. You don't see a future with your current company (career path, growth opportunities, learning & development).
4. You don't really have a reason for wanting to leave!
Chances are, your reasons probably fall into one or two of those buckets.
The question then becomes:
- How do I articulate why I want to leave to the company I'm interviewing with?
- How can I honestly share my why for leaving - without bashing my current employer, manager, or team?
- How do I give enough detail in my answer so that I don't seem like I'm skimming over the question or avoiding it all together?
THESE ARE VALID QUESTIONS! There wasn't a course on this in school, so don't worry, you're in the right spot. It's important to establish a well-rounded that's truthful AND professional, regardless of the reason.
In today's episode I share 2 key strategies to help you ROCK YOUR RESPONSE the next time, "Why are you looking to leave your current role?" comes up during an interview.
These strategies can be applied no matter what the position, company, person you're interviewing with, or reason you're quitting. They will also help you stand out amongst other applicants, share a little about yourself, and what you’re looking for as well!
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042 | Resume Mistakes Pt. 2 - Applying to jobs, but not landing interviews? Find out why
Resumes have an important role in the world of hiring.
- It's your first impression
- It represents your personal brand
- Helps to land you an interview
- It's required for applying to jobs
- It's a one-stop-shop to share all your accomplishments, achievements, skills, and expertise you've worked hard to learn
Your resume can either help you land the next step in the application process and rocket you into an interview - OR - It can do just the opposite.
In today's episode tune in for part two where I go over the other three mistakes I see people make on their resumes EVERY SINGLE DAY.
Hint: It has nothing to do with spelling mistakes
Photo by Marius Masalar
041 | Resume Mistakes - Applying to jobs, but not landing interviews? Find out why
Resumes have an important role in the world of hiring.
- It's your first impression
- It represents your personal brand
- Helps to land you an interview
- It's required for applying to jobs
- It's a one-stop-shop to share all your accomplishments, acheivements, skills, and expertise you've worked hard to learn
Your resume can either help you land the next step in the application process and rocket you into an interview - OR - It can do just the opposite.
In today's episode tune in for the top two mistakes I see people make on their resumes EVERY SINGLE DAY. Hint: It has nothing to do with spelling mistakes
Photo by Bookblock
038 | Promotions - Stop spinning your wheels and put this into practice for your next meeting
Have you ever seen someone get promoted and you can't seem to put your finger on why? Chances are they are practicing what I share with you in today's episode.
We all know that in order to get promoted, you first have be seen for your work! If your job isn't conducive to group work, even more reason to make an effort to get your work seen. Best way to do so? Networking.
You should be networking internally just as much, if not more, than you would be during an industry event!!
- Set up meetings: with your manager, other departments, your team, those in leadership, etc.
- Proactively give status reports / updates / progress
- Find ways to learn from others, and tell them about it
- Get to know what others within your org.
- Vocalize your ideas / solutions / creativity
All of these are great ways you can develop a strong presence within your company. It's more than just setting up meetings though...if you're going to put time on someone's calendar, you better make sure it's relevant.
Not only relevant to YOU, but relevant to the person / people you are meeting WITH. In other words, make sure if the value of what you're sharing isn't obvious, you need to spell it out. You might have to explain why your new idea, or the progress you've made is of value to those you're with. That's what being relevant is all about!!
If you don't share the value, you risk wasting other people's time.' There is nothing worse than feeling like your time is being wasted, this one hits home for me because that is a HUGE pet peeve of mine.
I don't think people intend to waste time, ever. But if you're ready to get noticed, be seen for the work you're doing, and you're going to be internally networking like this...you need to come prepared for every meeting. To ensure your going to be relevant in what you're sharing, ask yourself two things:
- Who cares?
- What's in it for them?
If your answers to these questions don't relate to the people you have a meeting with, then you know you need to find a way it does.
Truth is, what your manager cares about, isn't going to be the same as a another manager you meet with. If you're looking to be the next promotion, help yourself out by connecting the dots for those you're meeting with.
Every day you are building a personal brand within your company, make sure it's described as: dynamic, innovative, and knowledgable by staying relevant to every person you come in contact with. The more who understand and see the value you bring to the organization, the more likely people will want to work and partner with you.
Photo by Olu Eletu
037 | Criticism - The relationship and role it plays in taking your career to the next level
Criticism...I'm sure you've heard of it. It's something most of us get to know fairly early in life. The truth is, criticism is a natural part of life and it isn't going away any time soon. It's not a matter of IF it will come your way, but when it will come your way.
Last week I came face to face with criticism, at first I took the defense. I felt myself shutting down mentally and wanting to close myself off, but after reflecting on it a little more, I was able to see the criticism was coming from a place of love. My friend wasn't sharing his feedback to knock me down and encourage me to quit! My friend was sharing his thoughts with me so that I can get better at something I love doing, it was constructive and I appreciate him trusting me with it!
In today's episode tune in to hear how criticism naturally integrates with our lives. You will also learn how our comfort zone and taking our life to the next level is involved when it comes to managing the criticism that comes our way. Hope you enjoy!
Photo by Jessy Smith
036 | Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills - What are they, and how you're assessed on them during interviews
Do you have the right soft skills for the job? What about hard skills, do you have those? Soft? Hard? Whaaaa? What exactly are hard and soft skills?
In today's episode I define the difference between hard skills and soft skills, how companies measure whether or not you have them, and some ways on how to showcase you do when interviewing!
A lot of what I share in today's show are things I learned from a breakout session I attended during the HR Star Conference in San Francisco. It was presented by Michelle Reed from SkillSurvey and she ROCKED IT. I took 3 pages of notes during this breakout! Hope you enjoy, thanks so much for listening.
Photo by Daniel Fazio
033 | The Perfect Job - Flipping everything you thought you wanted in a dream job upside-down
In today's episode we're talking about something I think many of us struggle with, and think about when it comes to job hunting....FINDING THE PERFECT JOB. From a young age we're constantly being asked what we want to do when we grow up, what's next, and what our dream job looks like. We set out on a mission to find it, sometimes being left more confused than anything.
I've spoken to 100s of people in numerous industries, and what I've found is that not having a clear picture of what that perfect job looks like is something that isn't uncommon. If you're in this situation now, NOT TO WORRY!
Tune in to today's episode to hear about a new concept sweeping the world of career coaching with jessness. After listening you will find comfort in this change of perspective and not feel so pressured to find that ultimate dream job. This episode will help you focus your time on a career path that not only will you LOVE, but you'll excel in and advance quickly.
Photo by Sarah Dorweiler
029 | Stand Out - The easiest way to separate yourself from the pack (NO ONE is doing this)
I start of the show today with a classic Jessness rant, but hey you and I both know when I'm ranting, it means I'm passionate about it! In the first couple minutes I share with you some of my favorite podcasts hosted by Pat Flynn, Katie Dalebout, and Val Geisler from ConvertKit's new show. I have learned a ton through my headphones, and so many amazing podcast shows out there, I encourage you to utilize these free resources that are available!
In today's episode I share with you the NUMBER ONE thing you can do to set yourself apart. Stand out from every other candidate applying to the job you are. You're already interviewing? This easy tip applies to you too!
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023 | Switching Industries - How to creatively align your experience for a job outside your industry
So there you are, in the middle of your job hunt...You've been a welder for the last TWENTY years, but you're super interested in an open role at a brewery within their marketing department. But you're not sure if you should even bother applying for the position at the brewery - How do you brand yourself to be a good fit? What skills do you highlight to help your resume stand out?
All fantastic questions...
Today's episode was inspired by a listen question. The example I share with you above IS this listeners situation. Tune in to the show to learn about creative ways you can align your skills and experience to match ANY job you seek. Regardless of if it's a new department, position, industry, or even skill-set. It's not the most obvious, and does require you thinking outside the box, but why not? Isn't your job worth it?
Photo by Marius Masalar
SPECIAL | Looking for a career change? On the job hunt right now? You don't want to miss this!
HAPPY FIRST DAY OF JUNE! Today I have a special mini show for you. Whether you're thinking about a career change or on the job hunt right now, this is not an episode you want to miss!
Access the Free Land Your Dream Job Webinar: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsvjC-kfBms
*** Don't forget to pay it forward by sharing it with someone who might also need it!
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010 | Emails - How to create bold and unique emails so impactful, they inspire an instant response
So you find a new company you want to work for, how do you reach out for the first time? Maybe you met someone at a networking event? What's the best way to follow-up? What emails get the most attention? All GREAT questions.
Whether you met someone at a networking event, or you're reaching out to introduce yourself - creating a bold, unique email is crucial!
In today's episode I go over exactly HOW to start converting email from a boring old message into a power call to action. It all starts with defining a clear objective for why you're reaching out. Listen in for the rest of the steps, I hope you enjoy!
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009 | Unspoken Tips for Career Success - Tips the Career Center Will Never Tell You
Polish your resume. Practice your interview skills. Study the technical stuff. That's all good & gravy, but in today's episode I'm going to share with you my top bits of advice when applying and going through the interview process. You may be surprised at some of the tips I share, because I guarantee you haven't heard any of these tips from the college career center!
Sometimes it's not what's on paper that matters most, but how you approach the situation while keeping perspective on what truly matters at the end of the day.
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008 | Resumes pt. 2 - Actionable tips, What recruiters look for, & How to show up in searches
There isn't enough time in the day for every recruiter or hiring manager to read thru every resume, I wish there was, but most companies simply don't have the bandwidth to do so. This is why it's extremely important to make sure you're keeping the information on your resume informative, descriptive, but also short and to the point!
In today's episode I take you thru a behind the scene's look at what what recruiters and hiring managers look for when scanning your resume. You will leave with actionable, but impactful tips on how to show up in targeted searches when teams are looking to hire specific skill-sets. Get noticed for the experience you have! This will never happen though, if you don't have the key things I go over in this episode...you got this! Enjoy!
Photo by Liana Mikah
001 | Resumes - What to highlight, How to stand out, & Key strategies to land your next interview
Resumes matter. A good resume can land you the next interview with the job of your dreams, just as fast as it can get lost among the hundreds of other people who also applied. In this episode find out what specifically to highlight, how to stand out, & key strategies proven to successfully get you noticed on your job hunting journey.
Photo by Olu Eletu