Annie:
Welcome to The Whole Assistant Podcast, where assistants come to embrace their badassery and discover how to show up more strategically for their careers, their executives, and most importantly, themselves. I'm your coach, Annie Croner. Join us as we dive into the skills, strategies and mindset that will help you unleash your full potential. Let's go. Welcome back to the Whole Assistant Podcast. Today I am talking all about common barriers I have seen when it comes to success and the job search. So I've walked so many executive assistants, so many admins through this process of looking for a new job through major transitions, and it is such a roller coaster. It can be a really tricky ride and it can be a lot to navigate.
Annie:
So I'm just going to break down a few pitfalls that I've seen and ways we can overcome them. And this has been very top of mind for me because I just got done creating a course all about how to find your next role and this course is a pay what you can offer. So please check out the link in the show notes if you are currently looking for a job because I've got a lot of strategies that will help you land the role. And I've had so many people reach out to me on LinkedIn, asking me to look over their resume, asking for advice, and I just decided to compile all my knowledge of working with people over the years. I've been working with executive assistants one on one in a coaching capacity for the last five years. I also have a really successful group program as well. So we've just talked a lot of people through this transition and I've also had a lot of people reach out and ask me to look at their resume. I look at their resume, it's a disaster.
Annie:
So I walk you through the process of basically finding a role at everything from how to get in the proper frame of mind for your search, how to set yourself up for success, how to think about your Resume and your LinkedIn profile and all the things how to format your resume and LinkedIn profiles. It's a very detailed course, so please check it out. I'm going to link to it in the show notes. And today I'm going to be sharing some common pitfalls that I've seen when it comes to job seekers and it comes to these sort of transitions. So the first thing that I see that is just a challenge for a lot of people is that most job seekers are just desperate for something other. Either they are unemployed currently and they just want a job, or perhaps they're working in an environment that's less than ideal. And so they are just wanting something other than their current situation or their current circumstances. And unfortunately, this lack of clarity on what they actually want leads them to to make choices that are not necessarily the best for themselves long term.
Annie:
So this is a problem because you're applying everywhere but nowhere feels aligned. Like we've not actually paused long enough to consider what it is we want for our career and our future. We just know that we want something different than our current circumstances. So I think it's going to be very helpful for you to get really clear on the environment. What title are you going for? The values of the company, leadership style, all of those things you need to get clarity on. So just pay attention to those things, pay attention to those desires. Because I just seen this simple step skip time and again and it often leads to either getting super excited about a role down the line and then we don't actually have clarity on what we want. So we actually can't look back at our list of desires.
Annie:
And so that's the other piece in this I would have you all make sure to externalize this. And in this course I actually offer a worksheet to help you work through those desires. And there again, this course is pay what you can. So please check out, check it out. I feel like it will really help you get clear on what it is that you want for your job search moving forward. Another barrier that I have seen to success when it comes to the hunt for our next role is most people put together a resume that reads more like a job description. And unfortunately when we do that, we're just listing out a whole bunch of tasks and it doesn't actually highlight your impact. So anything you can do to showcase and highlight your wins, showcase and highlight the impact you've had in your last roles, that will be very helpful.
Annie:
Also with the resume, please do not make this common mistake and have it jam packed. We are living in scan culture and scan culture requires us to look at our resume as an advertisement. And most advertisements are not really robust in terms of words, right? There's a lot of white space and so we want to consider our resume from that vantage point. There was a place in time several years ago where putting your resume in a smaller font and compacting it so that you could fit everything on the resume or was the standard. Now, however, because people are so used to scrolling on their phones, or so used to social media, they're so used to scanning, people are not going to pause to read a resume that feels overwhelming to them at first glance. So also consider how you can space things out more. Consider shifting your mindset around your resume to the resume being more like a calling card or an advertisement. We just want enough on there to warrant a phone call from them to schedule an interview.
Annie:
Okay, so that is the second piece of advice that I would have. I've just seen so many resumes, and I get overwhelmed with looking at them, and I also am like, oh, my gosh, this is a lot. And I'm generally doing it for people that are not my clients, and I'm generally looking them over. So just know that your resume should not have everything you've ever done, ever. Your resume should be aligned with the job description you're applying for, and there should be keywords from the job description in your resume so that it can get past the ats. And I break down what that is in the course as well. So if you're not sure what an ATS is, it's basically the automated system that most recruiters and HR departments use in order to filter out or weed out perhaps candidates. They may not be fully qualified.
Annie:
So you definitely want to take into account the TAC as well. And. And you definitely want to align your resume with whatever job description you are applying for. So those are my things that I've noticed a lot on resumes. And also just know that because we're living in scan culture, that top third of your resume is the most impactful piece. That's the most impactful part. So we definitely want to set ourselves apart in terms of our branding. In that first little section, we definitely want to set ourselves apart, and in terms of who we wanna support or what we want our next role to look like.
Annie:
And there again, I break down how to do this in that course I created. I would go into more detail here, but that is not the point of this podcast episode. So that is the second kind of strategy I would have you all look at, or the second kind of pitfall I have noticed. The third is taking a backseat or being reactive when it comes to the interview process. And by that, I mean we show up prepared to answer questions, but we don't show up prepared to interview them. You guys, if you're going for a job, you want to make sure that the environment is a good fit. You want to make sure that the executive is a good fit. You're interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you.
Annie:
So just be aware of those things. And I think it's also really helpful, especially if you've Been looking for a long time to go into every interview from a clean place. And by a clean place, I mean we really want to clean up the desperation. We really want to clean up the way that we're thinking about our roles. It's having us show up desperate. I have coached assistants in the past who have been so desperate to find a job because they've been out of work for so long and they aren't sure if they're ever going to find a job. So their desires go out the window. They show up to the interview.
Annie:
They don't think they're reading as desperate, but they totally are. So really getting clear on what you want. Also coming up with a list of questions to ask the interviewer and then reassuring yourself. And the sentences I would have you reassure yourself with, that I reassured myself with when I was last looking for a job or that I've encouraged my clients to reassure themselves with are things like, what is meant for me will find me. If this job isn't for me, I don't want it. So we definitely want to be mindful of those things. The last thing you want is to land in an equally terrible or even worse work situation than the one you've been in the past. So just pay attention to those things and really show up intentionally and just know that what is meant for you will find you.
Annie:
And I do believe the universe has your back in that way. So that is. That is the third barrier to success that I have noticed in this process of looking for a job. The fourth is very small, but it's really significant, and that's letting rejection or ghosting tank your confidence. I've just seen this so much with recruiters where they'll be really interested in a candidate, and generally one of my clients will be very interested, and then all of a sudden, they just drop off the face of the planet. My client reaches out to them to try and stay in front of them, which I also highly encourage you to do. Especially. Especially with recruiters.
Annie:
With hiring managers, it's a bit different. You want to be. You want to tread lightly with hiring managers, but with recruiters, they're just going at a clip, so you need to stay in front of them. But even so, my clients have gotten ghosted in the past. I think everybody has gotten ghosted in the past. I've had friends looking for roles. They've gotten ghosted in the past. So if we can frame our search from the vantage point of there are probably going to be some people who are going to ghost me and and this has nothing to do with me.
Annie:
And honestly guys, it genuinely does. Has nothing to do with you. It has nothing to do with your capability. It has nothing to do with, with you and your skillset. It's just that they have moved on from you as a candidate and that it's just something to bring some awareness to and also not take personally because I have just seen this so much. It's really prevalent. Should it happen? Absolutely not. Does it happen all the time? So just be aware of that and just make it part of the process.
Annie:
And by making it part of the process, it loses its charge a little bit and your confidence won't take such a hit. Okay, I think last but not least, surrounding yourself with a supportive group of people. Surrounding yourself with people who have been through the job search before, who can encourage you. When I work with my clients, I hold space for them. And this roller coaster that is the job search for sure. And going it alone can be really demoralizing and it can be really isolating as well. And also network, network, network really. Because there's an entire invisible job market.
Annie:
I think something like 70% of all jobs are never officially posted. They are filled through someone who knows someone. So just bear that in mind if you are not getting any traction in your job search. Reach out to past colleagues, reach out to friends that work in your field. Reach out to people who may have a connection to land you a job. Because the invisible job market is real. And I hear from a lot of executive assistants that they want to earn their job the old fashioned way. But literally 70% or more of roles that are open will be filled this way.
Annie:
So making sure that your network is on point, making sure that you are surrounding yourself with people who have known your work, know the quality of your work and are willing to vouch for you and go to bat for you. It can go a long way in helping you land your next role. Okay guys, now I want to hear from you. Please email me or leave a comment below as to which barrier resonated the most with you. And please check out this course. I created it as a service to job seekers. I know the world is kind of crazy right now and it's going to be hard to find a job, especially if you work in government or certain sectors. So please take advantage of this course that is pay what you can.
Annie:
There again, I'm going to link to it below and it is really meant to be a resource for you. So please don't worry if you can't afford a whole lot I think the minimum that you can pay for the course is 50 cents because that is a minimum my platform will allow a payment. But please feel free to take advantage. And please use this as a resource. It is meant as a resource for you and I will see you in the next episode. Hey, before you go, don't forget to grab my free Strategic Planning Session guide. This stealthy playbook will help you and your executive find clarity on their priorities so you can make a greater impact. Go to holeassistant.comguide or click the link in the Show Notes to snag your copy.
Annie:
And if you're loving the podcast, please subscribe, leave a review, and share with another assistant ready to level up. Thanks for listening, and until next time, keep embracing your badassery.
