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- #012 - The 2nd Ever Q&A Edition
#012
Introduction
In this more-special-than-K edition of the newsletter, we’re doing another Q&A. Below are the questions you’ve asked and that I’ve done my best to answer. Feel free to read them all or just scroll to the ones that most interest you. I won’t be (that) hurt.
“Seriously, how to connect or follow-up on an application?! I seem to waste a lot of time trying to find the information to do so.”
“An area I’m really struggling with is trying to assess salary and level from job descriptions - any tips on that, as too often I waste my time applying and find out it is half of what I was on.”
“A question I’ve been wanting to ask is what kind of posts should someone trying to get recognized by recruiters be posting on LinkedIn?”
a) “A question to get your POV on… do you recommend putting the LI green banner “open to work” on your profile? Seems to be a lot of conflicting view points!”
b) ”Do you believe there’s bias against people who are out of work? I’ve hesitated to post on LinkedIn because I feel I have more power and more appeal as someone who appears to be employed. I’ll plan to speak to my network individually more this fall. I have entertained some convos throughout the summer but have been fortunate to not need to rush”
“How does one stop themselves from doubting their skills after so much ghosting and rejections?”
“Would love to hear your thoughts on pursuing passion vs. pursuing financial stability in the long term. Currently switching from film to marketing for that reason.”
“I see on Canva and have come across resumes that look more "flowery"- including headshots, a short about me section, 3 previous roles with 2 bullet points each. While others are more "cut and dry"-more bullet point focused. What are the pro's/cons for each?”
“How to keep the interest of a recruiter if the recruiter gives off the vibe of having mentally picked another candidate/ feeling like you’re not the best fit for this role through the beginning to end of the interview? Sometimes there are better candidates already interviewed for a particular role, but I’d still love to form a connection / pique the interviewers’ interest throughout the interview.”
“Would you address in the newsletter how best to position yourself as someone in the older workforce looking for a job (not just any job, but the right role and org culture)?”
“As a recent graduate trying to get into the gaming industry, what should I say when reaching out to recruiters and hiring managers? I see a lot of advice telling job seekers to show an interest in the individual, and I suppose I'm having trouble knowing how to break the ice and get some sort of discussion going. Whether or not it leads to a job, the networking experience would be really helpful.”
“Seriously, how to connect or follow-up on an application?! I seem to waste a lot of time trying to find the information to do so.”
Let’s use me as an example. I’d be applying to Senior / Lead / Principal Recruiter roles. The hiring manager for this role is probably going to have a title like Recruitment Manager, Senior Recruitment Manager, Director of Talent Acquisition, something like that. If you Google, “talent acquisition director [company] LinkedIn profile” you’ve got a good chance of finding them. You can then reach out to them and let them know you’ve applied.
If you’re applying via LinkedIn jobs, it sometimes shows the person who’s posted the job. Just scroll down to the bottom of the job description and you’ll see them.
Also, you can check if anyone at the company is in your LinkedIn network, or if anyone in your LinkedIn network knows anyone at the company. (Not a riddle, I promise.)
On LinkedIn:
Go to the page of the company you’re applying for
Click on ‘People’
You’ll then see a search box in which you can search for people by title, keyword, or school
Enter the potential hiring manager’s title or a keyword from the role - for me it might be ‘recruitment’ or ‘talent acquisition’ - and then see who it brings up
If you’re connected with them, great - reach out to them. If they’re a 2nd connection, you can connect with them (while adding a note), and you can also see who your mutual connections are. Maybe the mutual connection is someone who could help make an intro for you.
Yes, I know it shouldn’t be this difficult. Still, doing the above could really pay off. It’s worth trying.
“An area I’m really struggling with is trying to assess salary and level from job descriptions - any tips on that, as too often I waste my time applying and find out it is half of what I was on.”
I really wish all jobs just posted the salary range. I think we’re moving in that direction but we’re not there yet.
The best thing you can do is google ‘salary data websites’ and enter the job title there and see what it comes up with. I’d check at least a few of these websites so you can get an idea of what the average should be, and some even have splits between industry which is useful because there can be significant differences between finance, tech, gaming, entertainment, fashion, etc.
Another thing you can do is once you get the confirmation you’re going to be interviewing, message the person who has reached out to you about the interview and ask them about the salary range. If they can’t share it with you for some reason, well, then you have a decision to make.
“A question I’ve been wanting to ask is what kind of posts should someone trying to get recognized by recruiters be posting on LinkedIn?”
Think about who your audience is. Recruiters, yes, but hiring managers also (and probably more importantly). What do they want to read? They want to read things that are relevant and interesting to them. If you do that enough, they’ll come to realise they can rely on your posts for exactly that. Pretty good way to get their attention.
If you’re in marketing, you could analyse your favourite marketing campaigns and why they were so great. You could talk about marketing campaigns that didn’t work and how you would’ve improved them. You could write about current trends, the future of marketing, why an investment in marketing contributes to the bottom line of a business. There are loads of things you could write about that might pique the interest of marketing recruiters and hiring managers.
It might also be a good idea to connect with a bunch of marketing hiring managers on LinkedIn. It’s an easy way of adding people to your audience. Search for marketing decision-makers (managers, directors, heads of, VPs) and start connecting.
An observation: I see jobseekers writing on LinkedIn day after day after day about their job search and the lack of success they’re having. I’m not sure how wise this is. I wonder if they’d be better off simply doing the above - i.e. demonstrating their expertise. Just my two pennies (we don't use cents in the UK).
a) “A question to get your POV on… do you recommend putting the LI green banner “open to work” on your profile? Seems to be a lot of conflicting view points!”
b) “Do you believe there’s bias against people who are out of work? I’ve hesitated to post on LinkedIn because I feel I have more power and more appeal as someone who appears to be employed. I’ll plan to speak to my network individually more this fall. I have entertained some convos throughout the summer but have been fortunate to not need to rush”
I wish I could say there was no bias whatsoever to people who are out of work. Unfortunately, that’s probably not true.
I don’t care and a lot of recruiters and hiring managers I know don’t care but no doubt some people will hold it against you. I know it sucks, but it’s one of those things that’s not in your control. Maybe you don’t want to work with people like that anyway.
Saying that, I do think we’re getting away from this bias. I think it’s partly a generational thing and partly because we’ve seen “successful” companies lay off hundreds of thousands of employees and it would be bonkers to hold this against the employee and not the employer who massively and irresponsibly over-hired and then went ‘oh yeah sorry about that’ and watched their stock price soar after mass layoffs.
Or something.
I wish I had a concrete answer for you but ultimately it’s a personal choice.
“How does one stop themselves from doubting their skills after so much ghosting and rejections?”
I think it’s probably impossible to stop feeling doubt. (I believe it’s also known as fear.) And if you’ve felt doubt about your skills - aka fear you’re not good enough - in this job market, it probably just means you’re an alive person. This is a good thing.
I don’t imagine you’re constantly feeling doubt. I imagine you receive a rejection or are ghosted and then, for some period of time, you feel doubt. I’m not saying it doesn’t suck or that it’s easy to deal with but I imagine that, after some period of time, it passes. So that’s the first thing in ‘stopping’ yourself from doubting your skills: to remember that, like all feelings - even the most uncomfortable ones - it comes and goes.
You should also remember you’ve been employed before. This means an employer saw value in hiring you. They thought - they trusted - you were worth paying a salary in exchange for your skills. This is a fact. And when you’re doubting yourself, it’s essential to pay attention to the facts.
Something else to note: I’ve spoken to goodness-knows-how-many candidates this year who have been laid off. They are some of the most accomplished, kind, genuine, and skilled people I’ve come across. And they’ve told me that they, too, have been ghosted and rejected.
You’re not alone. Far from it.
Anyway, Marcus Aurelius said it best:
“You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
“Would love to hear your thoughts on pursuing passion vs. pursuing financial stability in the long term. Currently switching from film to marketing for that reason.”
I just finished a book called “So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love.” It’s by Cal Newport and I highly recommend it.
Something he talks about is the Craftsman Mindset vs the Passion Mindset, and it basically goes like this:
The Craftsman Mindset means focussing on what you can offer the world
The Passion Mindset means focussing on what the world can offer you
Newport gives various examples in the book of people who have adopted the Craftsman Mindset as well as those who have adopted the Passion Mindset. Turns out that ‘following your passion’ might not be the greatest career advice. If you’re a Passion Mindset person, you’re prone to ending up unhappy in your career because you think there’s this one magic job out there for you that, when you get it, you’ll finally have everything you ever wanted in your career. But when you inevitably keep not finding that job, you’ll grow more and more unhappy and might even want to completely change careers multiple times. While some people do that, it’s not realistic - especially if you don’t want your salary to decrease, or to potentially even go years without a salary.
If you’re a Craftsman Mindset person, Newport says, you understand that it’s less about finding passion and more about cultivating passion. You understand this takes time and the longer you stay in a field and give yourself a chance to get good at what you do, the more that passion is cultivated. Almost all studies suggest the better you get at something, the more passion you have for it.
I guess what I’m saying is that it’s not really about pursuing passion or financial stability. It’s about pursuing skills. Your craft. Mastery.
That way, you’ll end up with both.
“I see on Canva and have come across resumes that look more "flowery"- including headshots, a short about me section, 3 previous roles with 2 bullet points each. While others are more "cut and dry"-more bullet point focused. What are the pro's/cons for each?”
There are a couple of problems with the Canva-style CV. One, a headshot is unnecessary unless it’s a modelling job. Plus, it opens you up to bias, something you don’t want. Two, if you’re only writing a couple of bullet points for each of your roles, I don’t see how that gives recruiters and hiring managers enough information about what you’ve done. The job description for the role probably has at least 4 or 5 bullet points, so I think it’s unlikely you’d be presenting yourself as the best candidate for the role. I love Canva, but not for a CV.
A ‘cut-and-dry’ CV with at least 4 or 5 bullet points for each of your roles is probably going to be much more effective. Again, think about it from a recruiter or hiring manager’s point of view. They need to believe you’re worth interviewing, and it’s going to be very difficult to show them you’re worth interviewing if you’ve barely written anything on your CV - especially when there are candidates who have the same experience as you but have it clearly listed out in a healthy number of bullet points that relate to the job description.
When in doubt, keep it simple.
“How to keep the interest of a recruiter if the recruiter gives off the vibe of having mentally picked another candidate/ feeling like you’re not the best fit for this role through the beginning to end of the interview? Sometimes there are better candidates already interviewed for a particular role, but I’d still love to form a connection / pique the interviewers’ interest throughout the interview.”
I know it’s tempting to read into the body language and tonality of a recruiter or interviewer. And it’s probably true that the more nervous you are, the more you’ll do it. But I don’t think it helps. You’re probably just causing yourself distress. Maybe that’s just how the recruiter is, maybe they’re taking notes and appear distracted when they’re not, and maybe you’re just misreading the situation. Who knows.
Saying that, if this has happened to you in multiple interviews, it might be worth reflecting on. Did you answer the question that was being asked or did you go off on tangents? Did you answer clearly and concisely or did you ramble? Do you prep for your interviews or do you wing it?
Even if you don’t get moved forward for the role, you can still keep in touch with the recruiter and interviewers. You might be a great fit for another role down the road and if the recruiter knows that, they may well prioritise your application when the time comes.
“Would you address in the newsletter how best to position yourself as someone in the older workforce looking for a job (not just any job, but the right role and org culture)?”
Obviously, there shouldn’t be any form of ageism in or even near a workplace. Still, unfortunately, it’s there.
Feedback I’ve had from hiring managers in the past is that some candidates from the ‘older workforce’ haven’t kept up to date with the times - whether that’s with relevant technologies or with the culture. They’ve said candidates have been taken aback and unprepared when asked about a specific technology. They’ve said candidates have borderline ranted about remote and hybrid work and think everyone should be in the office all day every day. They’ve even said they’ve used “outdated and offensive terms.” (I’m sure you won’t do that.)
I’d also suggest asking in the interviews about the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion work. What’s their strategy? Do they have a DE&I leader and team? What are they doing to make sure everyone is included - including the ‘older workforce?’
I should also note that ‘age’ is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act. That means it’s illegal to discriminate against someone because of their age. If you feel like this has happened to you, it’s worth talking to an employment lawyer about it. (I hope it’s not at that stage but it has to be mentioned.)
“As a recent graduate trying to get into the gaming industry, what should I say when reaching out to recruiters and hiring managers? I see a lot of advice telling job seekers to show an interest in the individual, and I suppose I'm having trouble knowing how to break the ice and get some sort of discussion going. Whether or not it leads to a job, the networking experience would be really helpful.”
Whether or not you’re a graduate, you can tap into the mentor / mentee dynamic. It might look something like this:
“Hi [name]. Thanks for connecting with me. I see you’re in the [x] industry, working for [company]. I really admire that - it’s exactly what I’m trying to do. Do you have any words of wisdom for me as someone trying to break into the [x] industry? I’d love to hear from you but even if I don’t, thanks for reading this and have a great day.”
Saying that, you might have more success if you ask this question on a LinkedIn / social media post of theirs. I’d say a significant amount of people who post on LinkedIn prioritise replying to comments over replying to DMs. Why? If they reply to your comment, not only do you get the benefit of the reply but so does everyone else who sees the post. In a DM, it’s just you. So as and when there’s an appropriate post to ask the question, ask it.
If you don’t want to ask it on a post, it’s still worth commenting on their posts for a little while so that when you slide into their DMs, they know you from Adam. (Is that just an English expression or is it worldwide?) Most of us who get a fair few DMs are going to prioritise the ones from people we already know, or at least know of.
Also, it’s crucial to remember that ‘networking’ is a long game. It’s not about you getting what you want from someone; it’s about building a relationship. That means you don’t have to ask for anything from this person. You could simply engage with their posts and message them to say you enjoy their posts and will be following along. Perhaps they’ll be able to help you at some point, perhaps they won’t. You have to be okay with that.
In Conclusion
If you missed last week’s newsletter, you can read it here: The 5 Habits Of Highly Effective Jobseekers.
If you missed the newsletter about how to change role and industry (and career), you can read it here: The Ultimate Guide To Changing Role And Industry.
If you missed out on Tamagotchis, well, that sucks for you.
Have a great week of job searching. As ever, you got this.
Cheers!
PS Any tips for surviving this heatwave we’re having here in the UK?
PPS I wish I had air con.