Get Hired with Andrew Seaman

Brittney Swan, a skilled resume writer and recruiter, dives into the world of resume evaluation and application processes. She reveals that human recruiters, not just algorithms, read every candidate's application in compliance with EEOC regulations. Brittney shares essential tips: place your qualifications front and center, emphasize hard skills over soft ones initially, and tailor your resume to job descriptions. Crafting a standout application can significantly increase your chances of moving forward in the hiring process.

We are brands just like the items you find in supermarkets. People may gravitate to some brands over others for a variety of reasons, such as reputation, flashy labels, and cost — to name a few. The key is to create a brand that speaks to the people you want to attract in your career.Deja Riley, who is a fitness instructor and former professional dancer, has been able to craft a brand that exudes her endless energy while also attracting a string of job and career opportunities.“My personal brand has probably been the most important part of me getting these different opportunities, and finding them, and aligning with other brands,” said Riley. “I think, oftentimes, when you think of yourself as a brand, it is hard to really understand that relationship of building with other brands. I think that one of the key components for me has been collaboration, and that's how I continue to grow my brand.”How to Start Building a Personal BrandRiley said the key to building the foundation of a strong personal brand is knowing your message. Her brand is built out of three elements: joy, wellness and inclusion. She said to think about your foundation.““So maybe get out a pen and a pad right now and write down, what are those three things that light you up inside,” said Riley. “What are three things that empower you, or three things that, you know, you can draw as a thread through your story? I think, for me, those three key elements that I base my brand off of are something that are constant threads through everything that I do.”Riley said you can also look around for inspiration when it comes to crafting your brand, but don’t try to be a carbon copy of another person; be authentic.“It is important to be inspired by others, it is important to have mentorship, and maybe get advice from people that you admire or people that continue to motivate you,” she said. “But I think from that you can mold and use all of those tools that you receive to be an original, to be the best version of yourself, and acknowledge that you bring something special to this world."Also, Riley said don’t be afraid of personal evolution.People change over time and your brand will, too. Riley has evolved her brand from her time as a professional dancer (for musicians/icons like Beyonce) to being a fitness professional. She says the key is to know how to use those foundational elements of your brand to propel you forward.“So it didn't look the same when I was a competition dancer as it did when I was a professional dancer, as it does now as a fitness professional and a public speaker,” she said. How to Manage Your Personal Brand OnlineYour personal brand is clearly important. Where should you put your effort to get it out into the world? After all, there are a lot of social media platforms that can house your brand.Riley said it’s something each person needs to figure out for themselves, but the key is to make sure you’re not diluting your brand or its message.“As I begin to reevaluate that process, it's important not to lose myself in constructing this perception of self for others. Whatever I do, I want to remain authentic, I want to show people who I truly am. And though we all feel the pressures of posting on all platforms at all times, it's now about recognizing where your audience is, i.e. my #SweatySmileSquad, and I'm learning where it's necessary to place my energy and where I can preserve it.”In other words, feel free to start small with your brand online and move intentionally.Listen now to hear more of Deja Riley’s wisdom, and check out her work on Instagram or at dejariley.comFollow Andrew on LinkedIn and join the Get Hired community at https://lnkd.in/ghpodcast

People often want to make a change in their careers but few do until they’re forced to shake things up. Often, fear is one of the main obstacles that hold people back from making a transition.Fortunately, more and more people are finding the courage to change careers thanks to some self reflection during the pandemic. LinkedIn Editor Andrew Seaman has talked to several experts about how people can change careers during that time.This episode – a favorite from the GH archives – brings together the advice of three all-star Get Hired guests: former Olympic speed skater Apolo Ohno; career coach Christopher Taylor, aka “The Occupation Optimist; and coach Austin Belcak, the founder of Cultivated Culture.Overcome the Fear of Changing CareersThe first step when you’re trying to make a hard pivot, says Apolo Ohno, is to overcome the fear of change. “No one wants to climb the mountain, go back down to the bottom and then go back up again,” he shared, but sometimes it’s important to start with a beginner’s mindset. You can’t operate in a state of “FOPO,” or “fear of other people’s opinions.”Your Skills are Still ValuableNext, remember that even though you might be jumping from one industry to another, the experience you’ve gained is still valuable. Chris Taylor, who focuses on skills-based hiring in his coaching, says that “if you have six out of ten” of the requirements listed on the job description, you are likely more than qualified and should apply. You can also look at the company on LinkedIn to see the profiles of people who hold similar roles, and see what skills they have. You can then focus on building those skills, using your network or free platforms like YouTube and LinkedIn Learning.Don’t Wait for Others to Give You ExperienceFinally, Austin Belcak offers a way to get started: just do it! Start by offering your newer skills for free or low rates to local businesses. As a freelancer, you can build up a portfolio and make sure that this new field is for you. You can also start to publish articles in order to build your own education. As Belcak says, “If you made it a goal to create one post about your target industry for the next 60 days on LinkedIn, not only are you going to educate yourself in this new space, but you're also creating this breadcrumb trail of evidence of you actually learning everything.”If you’ve been inspired by our guests’ advice on making a pivot to a new industry or career, leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts.Follow Apolo Ohno on LinkedInFollow Christopher Taylor on LinkedInFollow Austin Belcak on LinkedInFollow Andrew on LinkedIn and join the Get Hired community at https://lnkd.in/ghpodcast

Lasting transformation – in your career or your personal life – often feels out of reach. But mindset and transformational coach Andrea Scarantino has done it, and now helps others follow in her footsteps. In this favorite episode from the archives, she and Andrew dig in to the practical steps behind making a big life change.Follow Andee on LinkedIn and check out her work at Get the F Off.Follow Andrew on LinkedIn and join the Get Hired community at https://lnkd.in/ghpodcast

A few weeks ago, we asked the Get Hired community to share their career goals for 2023. And now we’re sharing them with all of you! We hope that hearing from your fellow community members will help you set goals of your own – and then we hope you’ll tell us about it!Follow Andrew on LinkedIn and join the Get Hired community at https://lnkd.in/ghpodcast

Walmart’s Chief People Officer Donna Morris oversees a workforce of millions — one of the largest in the world. Her work provides her with a clear picture of what it takes to grow within an organization and to set yourself up for success.She joined LinkedIn News Editor Andrew Seaman to dig into her own career and to give advice on growing within an organization.Take Advantage of Existing ProgramsMany large companies have learning and development programs set up for employees of all levels – even part-timers. For example, Walmart has both “academies,” where employees can learn a new skill on the job or online, and a program to help associates get a college degree and pivot to other departments within the company.Larger Companies Provide Diverse OpportunitiesNot every Walmart employee is a retail associate! Large companies tend to need specialists in all kinds of fields: HR, marketing, logistics, meteorology, software engineering and more. Sometimes, working within a larger company can provide many opportunities to change fields, all within the same organization.Seasonal Work Can Lead to MoreIf you take on a seasonal or temporary role within an organization, but you think you might want to stay longer-term, make that known. As Donna says, “each day actually work and operate as if it's your interview. Bring your best self forward.”Don’t Let Perfect Be The Enemy of Good EnoughAs Donna said, we’re entering into a tighter job market, so be extra cautious about new opportunities. If “you're in a viable situation today, you should be cautious and really make sure that you understand the role that you could be moving into and the financials behind that company.”Follow Donna on LinkedInFollow Andrew on LinkedIn and join the Get Hired community at https://lnkd.in/ghpodcast

During the Great Reshuffle, millions of people decided that it was the right moment to make a career pivot. But outside of once-in-a-lifetime global shifts, how do you know when it’s time to pivot? And how to you begin to make a change?This week, Jenny Blake, author of the book Pivot: The Only Move that Matters is Your Next One joins Andrew to get into her own pivot-filled career journey and advice for people considering making changes of their own.Pay Attention to Your BoredomWhen you start feeling like your day-to-day workload is no longer interesting, or your attention starts to wander, take note. That is usually a sign that you need to look elsewhere in order to keep growing your skills and talents. As Jenny says, “if we could embrace that and then embrace a shared language to talk about change …then we could all relax a little bit and just have less of that external blame and shame.”Dip a Toe with a Pivot ExperimentA good framework, suggests Jenny, is asking yourself about the 3 E’s in your current job: “Do I enjoy this? Is there room to expand (and do I want to), or can I become an expert at it?” Then, start making little changes to get yourself to a “yes” answer.You Can Find Clues EverywhereIn order to figure out what to pivot to, keep your inspiration open. Results of personality tests, your favorite TV shows, what energizes you in your daily life – all of these can be useful for figuring out what your next move is.Say No to Say YesSometimes, Jenny points out, you need to say “no” to something that feels like a good thing in order to say “yes” to what might be next. Intelligent risk is rarely a bad call.An Object In Motion Stays In MotionSometimes a first decision, or micro-pivot, can set you in motion to make future changes feel less daunting or difficult. Or at the very least, it can get you unstuck.Follow Jenny on LinkedInFollow Andrew on LinkedIn and join the Get Hired community at https://lnkd.in/ghpodcast

If your job search or career was a car, networking is the gas that makes it move forward. Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t cultivate their networks until they need to use it as a support system. The secret is to actively foster your network throughout your career — not just when you need it.Luckily, career coach and networking expert Diana Chan is here to help. She joined Andrew in the studio to share some key networking tips to help you make valuable connections.Get Clear on Your IntentionAs with a lot of career-oriented endeavors, networking works better when you know why you’re doing it. Are you networking to learn? To get a new position? To find more connections in a new area? Knowing your “why” is key.Think LongtermAccording to Diana, for her clients who have found new jobs through networking, “It doesn't happen overnight. It could take three months, six months or even a year for an opportunity to unfold there.” So, rather than expecting every phone call or coffee date to lead to a job, think of each meeting as time spent building a relationship that might help you further in the future.Figure Out Your CadenceSetting goals like “I want to attend one large event every quarter” or “I’d like to set up one coffee meeting every week” can help you keep your networking goals on track, without overwhelming your calendar.Add ValueMake sure you’re not just setting up meetings to ask people outright for a job. Your goal in networking is to create a mutually beneficial relationship. Even if you’re just starting your career, or have just lost a job, don’t fear. Sharing something like an article or podcast, or offering an introduction to someone else in your network, could be a valuable thing to offer. Start SomewhereIf you’re ready to start leveraging your network to help you take a career step, start with something small – even reaching out to a connection to say something reminded you of them, or that you’re exploring options and would love to know more about their field, can be a good starting point.At the end of the day, networking is all about creating a community of people whose advice you value and who know your work. There’s never a better time to start than now.Follow Diana Chan on LinkedInFollow Andrew on LinkedIn and join the Get Hired community at https://lnkd.in/ghpodcast

The Thanksgiving season is a perfect time to reflect on all the people, opportunities, and places you’re grateful for. So this week, we’re sharing some messages of gratitude from members of the Get Hired community. We hope you have a wonderful holiday!Follow Andrew on LinkedIn and join the Get Hired community at https://lnkd.in/ghpodcast

At some point in your career, if it hasn’t happened already, you’ll need to work with a colleague – or interview with a hiring manager – who is either a lot older or a lot younger than you. A lot has been made of the differences between how, for example, GenZ works, as opposed to Baby Boomers. But at the end of the day, your colleagues are just people, and overcoming generational differences can usually be boiled down to “communicate better.”NY Times Bestselling author Lindsey Pollak, the author of books like Becoming the Boss and The Remix: How to Lead and Succeed in the Multigenerational Workplace, joined Andrew in studio to get to the bottom of what we can do to aid inter-age collaboration at work.We All Want the Same ThingsAccording to Lindsey, “Everybody wants advancement. Everybody wants a manager who listens to them and cares about them and supports them. Everybody wants to feel that their work has purpose. We just approach it in different ways.” So if you’re a manager, know that every member of your team just wants to be heard. And if you’re a contributor, try to put yourself in your teammate’s shoes.Follow the New Rules of Job SearchingRegardless of when you were born, the job searching landscape of 2022 is digital, and so keeping up with technology is key. Know that your resume might be scanned by AI Applicant Tracking Systems, and put your keywords throughout. Know that you’ll likely be interviewing remotely, and set up your background accordingly. Job Switching Isn’t a Dirty WordMembers of younger generations, like millennials and Gen Z, often jump from job to job – and that can be an asset, as they learn skills and workflows from a whole bunch of teams. But for employers, offering internal mobility can be key to retaining younger employees who value variety.If You’re Stuck, Look OutwardIt can be tough to feel like you’re left behind by the current job market. Lindsey’s advice? “Go and do something for somebody else.” Volunteering your time, or working on a project that taps into a passion, often will put you in multigenerational groups that share a point of view on the world.Follow Lindsey on LinkedInFollow Andrew on LinkedIn and join the Get Hired community at https://lnkd.in/ghpodcast