The Job Search Podcast, with Amy L. Adler

I wanted to pop in for a minute to tell you what has been going on since I last posted an episode of The Job Search Podcast. Actually, it's been a busy, crazy time. We've all learned the modern definition of “quarantine,” and despite the havoc COVID has wrought on every single one of our lives, I hope that everyone listening is doing well and thriving. The truth from the careers space is that we've all seen the impacts of COVID on our job markets. We saw unemployment numbers surge, and it seems like we will never see equilibrium again. The biggest thing I did over the last year was to publish a book, now available on Amazon. It's called Courageous Career Change: Fearlessly Earn the Executive Role You Deserve. The feedback I have received since it published in early November 2020 has been phenomenal. To my delight, the book took off and hit #1 in Kindle's Job Hunting category in its first week, and remained in the top 10 for a while, too. You can check out Courageous Career Change: Fearlessly Earn the Executive Role You Deserve on Kindle and in print on Amazon now: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08P29DBDT

There are three key ways you can start to apply for executive positions that are right for you. You can apply directly on a company's career web site or via a job board. You can work through recruiters. Last, and most effectively, you can network into the right role. Each of these strategies can be effective, if you use them the right way. Topics covered in the series, "A Simple Research Plan for Executive Job Search Success": - Executive job search - Job search - Career change - Resume

You've spent a great deal learning about the type of work you find fulfilling, the type of industry in which you want to do it, and a list of jobs that make sense for you. Now you need to get very specific, so you can start the process of applying for positions that are best for you. Topics covered in the series, "A Simple Research Plan for Executive Job Search Success": - Executive job search - Job search - Career change - Resume

Now that you have a good sense of the industry landscape, it is time to narrow down your list of company targets. Start to make a list of the companies on which you want to focus. These companies should hire for the type of work you want to do, in the industry in which you want to do it. Topics covered in the series, "A Simple Research Plan for Executive Job Search Success": - Executive job search - Job search - Career change - Resume

Your job function might have correlates across multiple industries, so you might believe you can fit almost anywhere. This might be true, but that is a hard sell and nearly impossible to convey in a properly constructed resume or during an interview. Your resume needs to target your assets relative to a particular industry. Your interview needs to convey your experience so that a hiring executive sees the solution to his or her problems in your experience. Thus, you need to determine which industry, or which sub-industry, into which you will best fit and in which you will feel most rewarded. Topics covered in the series, "A Simple Research Plan for Executive Job Search Success": - Executive job search - Job search - Career change - Resume

If you have been in the executive job search market a while, you might be wondering what it takes to get noticed and get hired by the right company. In fact, the longer you have been searching, the more frustrated you probably are becoming. One reason you might be failing to earn recognition in the executive job marketplace is that you cannot clearly articulate what you want to do and in which industry you want to do it. Read on to build a simple plan that focuses you and makes you memorable. Topics covered in the series "A Simple Research Plan for Executive Job Search Success": - Executive job search - Job search - Career change - Resume

Resumes display your accomplishments, are your marketing tools, and are the foundation of your brand. While keeping yours up-to-date can be painstaking or time-consuming, doing so is important. You never know when you will need your resume. Not only do you need it if, worst-case scenario, you are in the market for a new job or career path, but resume writing can help you reflect on your professional development and even prepare for your next annual review. Topics covered in "Your Resume Is Not Just for Your Job Search": - Executive job search - Job search - Career change - Resume

Informational interviews can be tricky to schedule or plan, but can be productive and help you understand the career field you want to go into. You should be prepared to talk about yourself, but know when you should switch to asking questions. During this conversation, you'll have the chance to make a positive impression as long as you are well prepared. Informational interviews may seem like a waste of time, depending on the industry, but they do have benefits. Topics covered in "You Mean to Say You Have Never Had an Informational Interview": - Executive job search - Job search - Career change - Resume

What happens when you copy from someone else's resume (to you and them)? What do employers do to the resume to find the plagiarized content and how does that change your job prospects? Your resume is yours, to an extent, as original content is becoming less original. Listen in to learn how you can avoid the appearance of having copied someone else's resume–and perhaps save your entire job search from sinking. Topics covered in "Resume Plagiarism Avoid the Sordid Side in Your Executive Job Search": - Executive job search - Job search - Career change - Resume

Executive career change, particularly for those who have not engaged in it for a decade or more, is inherently destabilizing for the individual, that person's family, and maybe even for that person's company. So how do you create a “career strategy emergency kit” to prepare for a time when your situation demands change? Topics covered in "How to Prepare for a Volatile Executive Employment Marketplace": - Executive job search - Job search - Career change - Resume

You need to think about organizing your career search and defining a strategy that will get you the job you want. Here are some tips you can implement today to manage the time you spend on your job search. Topics covered in "5 Simple Strategies for Career Search Efficiency": - Executive job search - Job search - Career change - Resume

If you haven't written a resume in the last decade or more, that's a good thing. That means you've been working in jobs that loved you as much as you have loved them. However, if you're listening to this, you're probably in an executive job search, and you're probably of an age where you wonder whether your years of experience is going to hurt or help. Your new resume won't be anything like the resume you used to get your first (or perhaps your most recent) job. Times have changed for executive job seekers, and so have resume strategies. Topics covered in "Top 10 Resume Mistakes by Job Seekers Over 40": - Executive job search - Job search - Career change - Resume

Have you looked at your personal brand recently? Here is a simple system you can use to make sure that your branding is hit-the-ground-running ready for your job search. Grab your paper and pencil, and listen in. Topics covered in "Personal Branding Countdown 5 Steps to Success": - Executive job search - Job search - Career change - Branding

Throughout your executive career, you have probably mentored several people. Now, you are looking for a mentor for your executive job search. Finding a mentor for your executive job search is not difficult if you know your specific expectations, goals and objectives. You want to look for someone who will assist you in achieving what you desire. Their knowledge and experience will provide you with different perspectives on issues, career challenges and opportunities. Topics covered in "Find a Mentor for Executive Job Search": - Executive job search - Job search - Career change - Mentor

Salary can be a tricky thing to negotiate. When walking into a new job, or even re-evaluating your current contract with a company, an increase in salary may not be an option. However, there are several things you could request in place of a raise. It never hurts to ask and the worst thing your employer can say is ‘no.' Topics covered in "Creative Compensation Suggestions Five Things to Negotiate for Compensation": - Executive job search - Job search - Career change - Salary

Even though you have been an active LinkedIn user for some time, you might not realize that there are exponential benefits to accepting almost all of the LinkedIn requests that come your way, particularly if you are exploring executive career opportunities. You might be ready to open up your connection strategy to allow new people into your network. Listen in to discover a quick test to determine whether you should allow an unknown person to join your network. Topics covered in "Why You Should Accept (Almost All) LinkedIn Connection Requests": - Executive job search - Job search - Career change - Resume - LinkedIn

Despite the axiomatic value of investing in the talent and expertise of their company, so many executives refuse to do the same for themselves. These executives adamantly refuse to treat their own career growth with the same care and insightfulness. Topics covered in "Smart Services to Pay for in Your Job Search": - Executive job search - Job search - Career change - Resume

When it is time to find a new job, no matter the circumstances, it can feel like a daunting task. Even when you are tied into career networking and know the direction in which you would like to go, you can often feel very overwhelmed. Let's talk about some often overlooked tools that you may not be utilizing. These tools can prove to be instrumental in directing your job search and making it nearly painless. Topics covered in "Smart Services to Pay for in Your Job Search": - Executive job search - Job search - Career change - Resume

If you're challenging yourself to find the right new executive opportunity, you're hoping the next application you submit will result in a job offer. Then you can get out of the job you're in and into something new. Something different, something…better? Will any position do? “Yes,” you are thinking right now. “I'll do anything, as long as it's not what I've been doing.” If this is your thought process, borne of desperation, I challenge you to change it right now. Topics covered in "Measure Your Executive Career Success by the Number of Job Offers You Reject": - Executive job search - Job search - Career change - Resume

It has been said that there is no royal road to learning. In the same way, there is no royal road to executive job search success. Regardless of who you are, what your executive role is, and what your accomplishments have been over the last decade or more, job search is going to be hard. Few individual mechanisms on their own will guarantee that you save time in your job search. In fact, starting with a resume probably is not going to serve you. Topics covered in "How to Save Time and Energy in Your Executive Career Change Hard Work": - Executive job search - LinkedIn - Job search - Career change - Resume Writing

In our busy lives, often we just want to get that message out there. Sometimes we even make grammatical errors, misspell words, post something you shouldn't have on social media. If you are a job seeker, you need your message out there more than ever–just do not hit “send” before you check and recheck your resume and cover letter or email, or you will suffer the red-faced embarrassment of regret and self-recrimination. This episode provides a checklist you can use to make sure that every element of your resume and cover letter / email is pixel-perfect. Topics covered in "Checklist to Proofread Your Resume": - Executive job search - LinkedIn - Job search - Career change - Resume

You'd be surprised how few job seekers actually include cover letters with their resumes. These “naked” resumes might get read—or they might get trashed. If your target hiring manager is one of those who loves to find out more about star applicants, you need to provide the means for her to do so. Topics covered in "10 Commandments for a Sparkling Cover Letter": - Executive job search - LinkedIn - Job search - Career change - Cover letter

LinkedIn is, essentially, a networking tool that is designed to create relationships online that you can translate into offline connections. A private profile prevents people from getting to know you. Listen in for good reasons to turn make your profile public on LinkedIn. Topics covered in "6 Reasons to Go Public with Your LinkedIn Profile": - Executive job search - LinkedIn - Job search - Career change

There are several steps that you can take to maximize the value of your interview for you and for your future manager. Follow these 4 steps to preparing for your interview to put yourself on track. Topics covered in "4 Easy Steps to Preparing for Your Interview": - Executive job search - Job search - Career change - Interviewing

You're probably thinking that the relationship between your resume and your interview is obvious. A resume gets you the interview, right? Certainly, in some cases, and expertly prepared resume that a hiring leader cannot ignore will generate the interview you need. However, in every well-conceived job search strategy, your interview is actually a reflection of your resume, not the reverse. Listen in to learn why your interview strategy depends on your resume strategy. Topics covered in "Why Does Your Resume Drive Your Interview": - Executive job search - Resume - Interviewing - Job search - Hiring

How many first-degree connections do you have on LinkedIn? 40? 100? 500? 10,000? That number is indicative of the number of people you have influenced to join your inner circle. But it's not indicative of the power of your influence overall on LinkedIn. The most powerful number on LinkedIn is your total third-degree LinkedIn connections. Topics covered in "Third-Degree LinkedIn Connections Matter for Your Executive Job Search": - executive job search - LinkedIn - Job search - Career change - Inner circle

You know you're the right person for the job and you think you gave all the right answers during your interview. You're pretty sure they're going to call you back with the job offer. You think you're done with the interview process, but you're wrong. Listen in to find out what you missed. Topics covered in "Say Thank You for Your Interview": - interviewing - executive job search - hiring

Put yourself in the shoes of a hiring manager. Two resumes are in front of you; both are possible candidates for the open position. The first is littered with text, margin to margin, full of inconsistent fonts and format, and very little useful information stands out. The second resume is presented with consistent font and format, short bullets with precise information, and plenty of white space. Which resume would you rather tackle first? Listen in to find out why the appearance of your resume is as important as its content. Topics covered in "Resume Formatting Dos and Donts that Help You Stand Out": - resume writing - resume - executive job search - job search - career change

The challenge of writing your executive resume often breaks down into two options: Either you write it yourself, or you choose a resume writing service that will advance your job search strategy for you. Listen on to learn how to evaluate an executive resume writing service for your specific job search needs. Topics covered in "How to Choose an Executive Resume Writing Service": - Executive Job Search - Resume - Job Search - Job boards - Executive Job Search Strategy

How much have you spent on your job search? If you're even asking this type of question, you're missing the point: Putting smart money into your job search is an investment, not an expense. In other words, you can expect the dollars you put into finding the right position to yield exponential dividends in the form of a better job, increased compensation, and the peace of mind that comes with exceptional job satisfaction. Listen in to learn the wisdom of creating a financial plan for investing in your job search. Topics covered in "Create a Financial Plan for Your Job Search": - Executive Job Search - Job Search - Career Change - Investment

Are you proud of the number of connections you have on LinkedIn? Is this a metric you wish to cultivate? If so, can you definitively explain the value of having a thousand connections? If you can, you should consider becoming a LinkedIn Open Networker, or LION. We all know that special person who just “knows everyone.” When we have a question about something specific, we ask that person for a contact, and he or she just pulls one up, having built a Rolodex of the right people. In this episode, I talk about how becoming a LION has its benefits. Topics covered in "Becoming a LinkedIn LION": - LinkedIn - Executive Job Search - Networking - Relationships

Do you wonder whether you are really getting anywhere with your job search networking strategy? While you are in the midst of networking, the process can seem thankless. Did that connection you made a month ago turn into something? How do you know whether the presentation you attended was worth going to from a networking perspective? Although it is hard to pin job search success onto any one networking event, overall, you can measure your networking success with a few simple metrics. Topics covered in "5 Ways to Measure Your Job Search Networking Success" - Executive Job Search - Job Search - Career Change - Networking - LinkedIn

Did you know that including your employment status in the most important element of your LinkedIn profile, the one that convinces readers to click through to your profile? In this episdoe, you'll discover what your LinkedIn profile is really telegraphing if you state outright that you are an executive searching for a new opportunity. What message are you sending to those people looking at your profile? You don't stonewall a potential lead with a sign that says, “do not enter.” Topics covered in "Fix the Worst Mistake in Your LinkedIn Headline in 120 Characters or Less" - Executive Job Search - Job Search - LinkedIn - Career Change

In the career management field, we measure our success by how well our clients succeed in the employment marketplace. This means we talk about and celebrate the number of interviews and job offers you, as an executive, receives. There are cases, however, in which we also value not accepting the job offer. Listen in to learn more about why not taking the job can be a boon to your job search.

Do you know how to network for your next job? If you're thinking about how to get a job by maximizing your network, you need to network properly. When it comes to networking, executives tend to fall into two camps. The either love to network, or they . . . ignore it. Those executive who do not consciously maintaining their networks might believe one of the three top myths about networking that can negatively affect their job hunting success.

If you're looking for your next executive job on online job boards such as Monster and Indeed, you've got a lot of searching, reading, filtering, and applying to do. Every day, you have to log in, search, read, filter, and apply … and then do it all again the next day. Have you done this? Have you felt the frustration that comes with doing all of this for perhaps hours per day with few positive results? Listen to this episode to find out why job boards are not particularly effective for executives.

One of the greatest challenges executives face as they are rising through the corporate structure is how to influence corporate behavior across an organization—or influence change across an industry. Doing good work that encourages change and growth in your own company is the first step. Broadening your influence to publishing platforms will be the second. Listen to this episode to learn how to become an executive thought leader through publishing original content.

If you believe you need a new resume right away to turn your job search around, you might be right. You might need a new resume to start getting interviews, but will your resume get you the right interviews? If you've never explored your deep motivations for seeking a particular job function, job level, industry, company size, and more, you might get interviews, but they'll be wrong for you. Thus, taking the longer, more exploratory, path to job search strategy might actually improve your chances for getting the right job, as opposed to just any job.

If you want to shorten your job search, do not start with your executive resume. You will save time in the long run by being strategic early on. In fact, if you do not follow this advice, you are likely to stretch your job search from a few months to years. Avoid falling prey to the most unfortunate myth about your executive job search with this one strategic tip.

Despite LinkedIn's best efforts, some profiles are fake. Be wary of these false profiles, so you don't get sucked in to their scams. These are my top 5 ways to recognize if a LinkedIn profile is fake.

Companies have ups and downs with the changes in the economy, and your employment status depends on the company's stability. Being laid off is not the end of your career, as the layoff is not for cause—the job simply ceases to exist. Consider the following strategies to help you after a “separation,” an umbrella term for the various reasons you and your company part ways.

More people are afraid of changing jobs or changing careers then meets the eye. Likely, fear is not an acceptable or common topic of conversation among extremely well-positioned executive leaders; the executive team is supposed to be, evidently, stoic, proud, and fearless. But behind every executive title is a real human being, with his or her own attitudes—and fears. You know that as an executive you should portray fearlessness every day, so you might quietly stew about your executive job search. You may have many reasons for delaying action on it. For example, the holidays are coming, and you need to maintain some stability. Your spouse is also in transition. You're in the middle of an exciting—or draining—series of projects at work. Your team is counting on you. Your boss is counting on you. Your company is counting on you. On the other hand, perhaps you have made tentative overtures into exploring the market. Either way, you're probably in a relatively balanced state of ambivalence—not enough pressure from either side to force a decision.

Can you get fired for merely looking for a new job? The answer is murky.

Executive job seekers may let fear cloud their judgement on moving forward with a job search, but knowing how to leave those fears aside and create a new beginning is crucial to job search success.

There are five people you need to know on LinkedIn to advance your executive job search. These are the people whose insights you will find helpful when you are in the process of exploring new roles, interviewing, and evaluating job offers – but they are not who you think.

Do hiring managers consider volunteerism on a resume fluff? Learn the ways volunteerism that can bolster your job application process whether you have a long volunteer (unpaid) career or are using volunteer experiences to round out your executive career history.

When you present yourself at a networking event it's crucial to present who you are and why you are relevant to the listener's needs. If you don't, you have failed! Learn new ways to make yourself memorable in this episode.

Your resume is your entree into your next executive role, but preparing it has another exceptional purpose--getting ready for your interview. When you develop your resume, you tell your story multiple times, so that your interview is perhaps the 10th time you're describing your relevant career history.

Sometimes what you hate is as important as what you love in your executive career. Think about your future potential positions and discover what you do NOT want in your next executive role.

Do you know how to find joy in your executive career? Let's talk about how to get you to a deeper level of job satisfaction.

LinkedIn can feel overwhelming, but it's a fantastic place for potential employers to learn the ways you can contribute to their business organizaton on Day 1. Don't know where to begin on LinkedIn? Here are 10 easy things you can do right now.