Using LinkedIn but Keeping Your Job Search Private

You’re viewing an archived post. This post was originally published by The Change Laboratory, which is now part of No Vacation Required — our platform for Everyday Fulfillment. While this content is archived, it’s still full of solid advice and timeless insights.

---

How do you use social tools that broadcast your intentions while keeping those intentions under wraps? That is a paradox my clients face all the time when they are deciding whether or not to use LinkedIn. 

The good news is that you can still leverage the power of LinkedIn, a tool that – despite some of my skepticism of social media and general concern for privacy – I recommend all of my clients use. Here are some quick tips for using LinkedIn without making it clear to everyone that you are looking for a new position or simply keeping your options open.

Always use LinkedIn – The simplest way to keep people "off your scent" is to simply regularly be using LinkedIn. Consistent updates to your profile send the message that you are staying on top of your professional brand and minimizes the potential for the “wow, she just redid her LinkedIn… What’s she up to?” suspicions.

Shut off profile-edit notifications – Speaking of alerting people when you update your profile… You can turn those notifications off altogether. So, your boss might notice you revamped your profile if she is checking on it frequently, but she is not going to be alerted every time you make an update. And let’s be honest, who in your network really wants to get a notification every time you change your profile?

Hit up recruiters on the DL – LinkedIn has a feature that enables you to privately let recruiters know that you are on the market. The great thing about this feature is that it only alerts recruiters who are part of LinkedIn’s official recruiting product and it hides your information from users within your company.

Confidence is Key

You’re viewing an archived post. This post was originally published by The Change Laboratory, which is now part of No Vacation Required — our platform for Everyday Fulfillment. While this content is archived, it’s still full of solid advice and timeless insights.

---

Here on the blog, I get into a lot of "don't do that!" kinds of advice. Posts that take that approach are nearly always prompted by the work I do on the other side of the table providing Business / HR consulting for organizations of all sizes.

I've had a lot of positive feedback regarding a post I recently wrote that gave tips counter to the way many job seekers think. In an attempt to use the basis of the post for a talk I am giving, I realized that so much of what I say in that post (and otherwise) really boils down to confidence.

A person's confidence – or lack of confidence – is something that shines through loud and clear when a hiring panel is reviewing job candidates for positions.

• You think your 20 or 30 year-old experience is impressive (and it was!) because you got your start with impressive companies. But why would a search committee want to see entry-level experiences on your resume for an executive position. If your last 10-15 years are impressive, they'll certainly know that what you did 30 years ago is impressive as well.

• You think your experience with now-dated technology is impressive (and it was!) because it tells your story and shows how you've grown. But why would a search committee want to see your experience mastering outmoded technology. If what you've done with technology in the last 10 years is impressive, they'll certainly know that what you did prior is impressive as well.

You get the idea! As job candidates, we can get so lost in our wide-ranging experience, and in our insecurity, and in our unedited story that we forget one of my key mantras: 

Your resume is about you but for them. Always consider what they want and need to see on your resume – not what your ego feels they need to see.

Confidence is key as you embark on any new endeavor. Stay out of the weeds, and let succinct, powerful, well-crafted job search documents be your first best step forward.

You Are Not a Perfect Fit

You’re viewing an archived post. This post was originally published by The Change Laboratory, which is now part of No Vacation Required — our platform for Everyday Fulfillment. While this content is archived, it’s still full of solid advice and timeless insights.

---

Every once in a while, a client will say to me: “Here is the job I want. I'm a perfect fit, but I don't have experience in______.”

As long as you are setting yourself up for long-term success, I am all for punching above your weight and taking big leaps. I help clients with this kind of change all the time. But understand that not meeting some of the qualifications means you are not a perfect fit. Instead, you are an underdog and you have some hurdles on the track that other candidates – some of whom might actually be “perfect fits” – don’t have to jump.

Being realistic about how others are going to perceive your fit is critical. This allows you to tackle those things head on and provide the evidence that you offer other skills that you believe compensate for your missing qualifications. You’ve got some selling to do, and acting like you are a perfect fit, when you’re not, is not going to do you any good. Here are 5 tips for making a big career leap or transition:

1. Be realistic about the qualifications your are lacking and be prepared to explain why that doesn’t disqualify you. 

2. Be the most prepared candidate. Know everything you can about the opportunity (and the organization) and how you are going to make an immediate impact in your new role.

3. Know the unique value you represent and how to influence decision makers to recognize it.

4. Be ready to hear “no.” You may believe you are an ideal candidate, and you may be, but not everyone will see it that way.

5. Be ready to hear “yes.” It is easy to focus so much on getting a dream position that you forget to build a strategy for succeeding one you’ve landed the gig.

The Lady Doth Protest Too Much

You’re viewing an archived post. This post was originally published by The Change Laboratory, which is now part of No Vacation Required — our platform for Everyday Fulfillment. While this content is archived, it’s still full of solid advice and timeless insights.

---

“The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”

That line from Hamlet – now broadly used to express doubt based on someone’s over explaining – often comes to mind when a client is adamant that every detail of their background, no matter how old, must be included on their resume. The reasoning, per the client, is that each position contributes to the perception that they are the most qualified candidate for a job. I completely get that thinking, but – based on the consulting work I do with small and large companies – I know that it is not an effective strategy. I want you to be armed with the best information possible, so here is the unvarnished truth…

1. Focusing on outdated or irrelevant positions in an attempt to bolster your qualifications is not effective. In fact, like that quote, many readers perceive this kind of “over sharing” as a sign of insecurity. It can send the message that you are not confident in your recent experience – in the impact you have made lately – and that you are trying to make up for that by throwing everything at the reader. 

2. Readers don’t have time to be regaled with your entire career history. They want to know what you’ve done lately and what you can do for them right now. That experience from 15 years ago may be a powerful part of your career trajectory (nothing can change that), but unless you have put those skills to work recently, potential employers are just not going to care when reviewing your resume.

3. To that last point, the reason most clients want to show older experience is because they want to capture something (a skill, a quality, an achievement) that they believe will pique readers’ interests. That makes perfect sense. But if you’ve not exercised that skill or achieved something as significant in, say, the last 10 years, then including that information on the resume could just frame your recent experience as "less valuable." 

Keep your resume current and have the courage to allow older positions to age off of the resume. Remember that there are other ways to honor older experience that you feel differentiates you (e.g., LinkedIn, during the interview process, a mention in the cover letter, etc.). Focus on what you’ve done recently and the potential impact you can have on an employer, not on aging experience that has little relevancy to readers today.

How to Find Your Passion

You’re viewing an archived post. This post was originally published by The Change Laboratory, which is now part of No Vacation Required — our platform for Everyday Fulfillment. While this content is archived, it’s still full of solid advice and timeless insights.

---

This post is part of my new Everyday Fulfillment series. This series focuses on tips for moving closer to – and embracing – fulfillment in all aspects of life. These posts address topics that frequently come up in my seminars and speaking engagements. They are also the topics that clients commonly want to dig into during Coaching sessions. I hope you find them helpful!

---

Many people feel a lack of passion in their lives. Social media, movies, and television often glamorize passion and make us feel feel as though it's something we're just, you know, meant to magically harness. As in, if you don't instinctively know what you're passionate about, something's wrong with you.

Well, that's an inaccurate way to model passion and is probably a significant contributor to the fact that so many people are confused about what passion actually is.

Passion is the hum that emerges when your strengths and values are put into action.

We all have glimpses of passion in life. You know what I'm talking about because you've felt it. But when passion is not grounded in self-awareness, it's fleeting. When passion is not rooted in knowledge of your strengths and values, it's impossible to sustain it and elevate it to the most constructive, fulfilling levels possible.

Some passion-fostering questions for you to consider:

Do you put yourself in environments and around people that inspire passion? It helps! If you have passion, putting yourself in these environments is a booster shot. If you're lacking true passion, the inspiration can conjure thoughts that will help you along your path. Sporting events, arts events, conferences, and special-interest clubs are all good places to start.

Do you mistake other things for passion? Just because you spend a lot of time doing something, doesn't mean it's a passion. This is a big problem in today's world with so many of us wasting time, for example, curating presences on social media that are often driven by presenting yourself in a certain way rather than in an accurate, authentic way.

Do you chip away at knowing your strengths and values? Knowing yourself – and in this case, your strengths and values – is something that no one can take away from you, boosts confidence, and unlocks doors. 

The Best Format for a Resume

You’re viewing an archived post. This post was originally published by The Change Laboratory, which is now part of No Vacation Required — our platform for Everyday Fulfillment. While this content is archived, it’s still full of solid advice and timeless insights.

---

Several weeks ago, I published a post about “Marissa Mayer’s resume” that got a lot of attention and spurred a lot of readers to send off questions about formatting. All of those questions can be essentially summarized as follows: “If this is an example of a badly formatted resume, then what is the best format for a resume?” 

Long term readers of this blog will immediately recognize the following statement as something I say a lot: there is no best format for a resume. However, there some things to consider that will help to ensure your resume is effective. And, really, effective is the ideal when developing a resume, isn’t it?

When it comes to formatting, we have to consider 3 things: automated screeners, human readers, and strategic use of space.

Automated Screening Systems: If your resume is not formatted to perform well with automated screening systems, then the other two points are irrelevant because your resume will never actually be seen. When it comes to automated screening systems, anything beyond basic formatting can spell trouble. These systems scan for keywords, which can be hindered by things like columns, icons, and other design elements.

Human Readers: If your resume flows through the automated screening process and into the hands of an actual person, it will likely be free of formatting. Generally speaking, screening systems strip away formatting to present human readers with a plain-text version of the resume. It is best to format your resume with the idea that the formatting may be removed altogether.

Strategic Use of Space: For a resume to be effective with either screeners or humans, the content has to be strong. If your format is placing more emphasis on the design and less on the quality and amount of actual content, you could be in trouble. Not only will that hinder your ability to make it through the automated screening process (remember: keywords), but human readers will not be seeing quality content that compels them to get in touch with you.

Let me be perfectly clear, your resume needs to be aesthetically pleasing. I am not advocating for formatting free resumes written in Times New Roman. But I would take a plain resume full of compelling content – strong achievements, clearly targeted branding elements, etc. – over a pretty resume with weak content any day.

How Do I Keep My Job Search Confidential?

You’re viewing an archived post. This post was originally published by The Change Laboratory, which is now part of No Vacation Required — our platform for Everyday Fulfillment. While this content is archived, it’s still full of solid advice and timeless insights.

---

Q. I have some questions about confidentiality in the job search process. How can I make sure that my current employer is not contacted? I really would prefer to have a job secured before I let me current employer know. Also, I have been listing my current position as ‘confidential,’ but I am afraid this may be hurting my chances.

A. I completely understand your concerns about privacy. Many of my clients find themselves in similar situations. While you can absolutely request that a potential employer not contact your current employer during the early stages of the job search process – this is a fairly standard practice – it is unlikely that you would have a firm offer prior to a job verification.

There are other steps you can take to help keep your job search confidential, including making your LinkedIn profile private or not listing your current employer's name on the resume or LinkedIn. However, each of those actions will come with a trade-off. For instance, not listing your current employer on your resume could lead readers to wonder why you can’t be more forthright (and, worse, wonder if you would, in the future, look for another job without telling them).

Ultimately, you will need to weigh the cost / benefit of different approaches and find the mix that is best for you. Discretion in the job search process is very smart, but trying to keep your current employer completely out of the loop could be more damaging than being up-front about your plans.

Searching for a job? Quit doing these 5 things…

You’re viewing an archived post. This post was originally published by The Change Laboratory, which is now part of No Vacation Required — our platform for Everyday Fulfillment. While this content is archived, it’s still full of solid advice and timeless insights.

---

Searching for a new job is nobody’s idea of a good time. I am regularly being entrusted with the hopes, fears, and anxieties of job seekers, so I can safely say that it is a universally uncomfortable process for people. However, many of things that make searching for a job painful are completely avoidable.

Here are 5 common “pain points” that you can stop doing, and 5 things you can do to make the process more effective and maybe, even, a little enjoyable.

1. Stop Being Unrealistic – You applied for your dream job as a data scientist for a non-profit that pays people to play with puppies. It’s PERFECT. The only problem is that it’s extremely competitive, it's in a different city, and your experience is in Geology. Start putting the bulk of your energy into positions that align with your qualifications, even if they are aspirational.

2. Stop Being Impatient – You sent your resume to your dream job over a week ago and you are freaking out that you have not heard back. Take a breath. There are many likely reasons why you’ve not been contacted: HR departments are understaffed, corporate bureaucracy is stifling, the job posting hasn’t closed, and – oh yeah – it’s only been a week! Start channeling your energy into healthier pastimes and remember that filling a new position requires the efforts of multiple people and quite a bit of time.

3. Stop Sending Untargeted Documents – You applied for 100 jobs in 4 hours and haven’t heard a thing since. That’s because the “spray and pray” job search method doesn’t work because readers can tell that you just want any job, but they want to hire someone who wants their specific job. Start taking the time to research each position and target your documents toward each specific position and organization.

4. Stop Not Actually Applying – You updated LinkedIn and put your new resume on Indeed and are wondering why you haven’t gotten any offers. Unless you have a set of especially desirable and competitive skills, a passive job search is not going to work. Start sourcing positions and organizations that you are specifically interested in and actively apply.

5. Stop Focusing on the Wrong Things – You crafted a beautiful, high design resume that is truly a work of art. The problem is that you didn’t pay attention to making it readable or bother to include any actual accomplishments. Worse, you are applying for a corporate accounting role, not a graphic design position. Start focusing on building a resume that is exceptionally easy to read, laser focused on achievements and impact, and is aligned with expectations of readers in your field.

Strengths First

You’re viewing an archived post. This post was originally published by The Change Laboratory, which is now part of No Vacation Required — our platform for Everyday Fulfillment. While this content is archived, it’s still full of solid advice and timeless insights.

---

This post is part of my new Everyday Fulfillment series. This series focuses on tips for moving closer to – and embracing – fulfillment in all aspects of life. These posts address topics that frequently come up in my seminars and speaking engagements. They are also the topics that clients commonly want to dig into during Coaching sessions. I hope you find them helpful!

---

"Because I'm good at it."

"Because it's something I can do."

"Because I just sort of fell into it."

These are things I regularly hear from clients. People oftentimes "like" what they do and are good at it. But, more often than not, they have no real passion for it. The same can actually be said of people's non-work lives. They often feel happy-ish but not completely on track. Likely, that's because they are not playing to their strengths.

Here are a few thoughts that might help you to sort things out and move forward with a strengths-first mindset:

1) Figure out you. Plain and simple. If you don't have a sense of what you are made of, what your strengths are – how you "plug into" this world – you may find temporary gain but you won't find enduring fulfillment. Ask: What do I do that doesn't feel like work at all? When am I happiest? When am I most free?

2) Strip away what doesn't matter and/or add value to your life. Think lean and focused. Ask: What relationships are draining? What old patterns do I need to let go of? How do I waste time in a typical day?

3) Be a change agent. Agility is increasingly important in the modern world. Additionally, a change mindset helps to keep things fresh and forward-moving. Ask: What am I resistant to change in my life? What's something I can do differently this week? When is the last time I was open to hearing a divergent viewpoint?