How Will The Election Results Affect Your Job Search?
After this election, there will be some happy and not-so-happy people stemming from election results.
If your candidate won, you may be thinking, “Things will pick up now…I can feel it in my bones that I will find the job I want soon.” If your candidate was not elected, you have a tendency to ponder, “We are now on the wrong track. I am afraid I will never find the job I want.” Here is the good news and the bad news…both of these people are right….and remarkably wrong.
After speaking with job seekers, recruiters, business leaders and human resources managers the bottom line is this: if you think you will or will not find a job, you are right. A variation of the infamous Henry Ford quote, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t–you‘re right.”
Finding a job is more about the actions you take each and every day. While those who are happy about who is in office may benefit in the short term because of a positive attitude, the reality is these people will only find a job if they take proactive action to network and contact people to advance their job search. Any success they see will be because of actions they take, not because their person won.
Regardless of your political persuasion, here are some tactics you can use TODAY to help jump start your job search and generate the results you seek:
Review your resume, social media profiles and job search documents to see if they are presenting you in the best light. Are you using a contemporary visual format? Have you included achievement branded language that defines how you succeeded in your job? Ensure you use pivotal keywords throughout your resume and social media profiles to improve your chances of being found by corporate and search firm recruiters.
RELATED: How To Market Your Best Self
Expand your online presence. Only have 50 connections on LinkedIn? Increase it to 100 quality connections. Not on Glassdoor, BranchOut on BeKnown? Try something new online to expand your professional presence.
Make social media social. Get out from behind the computer and talk to people. Have you not talked to your former office mates from your previous job in a while? Can you meet some of them for coffee, lunch or a drink? When was the last college alumni cocktail hour you attended? Have you joined a professional networking group that supports your industry or profession? Make new contacts and nurture the relationships you already have to increase your ability to generate leads and information for your job search.
Contact companies directly. Don’t just apply through an ad or even wait for an ad to apply. If you are an accountant looking for a senior accounting role, look for Controllers at target companies where you want to work and introduce yourself directly. Are you a Marketing Executive looking for a new leadership role at a tech startup? Locate the contact information for the CMO or the CEO and ask for an informational interview. What do you have to lose? And don’t wait for a job to be posted to do this. Just do this.
Modify your news intake. Really. So much of the regular and business news in these turbulent times is just outright negative. Keep your mental health sharp without large and small dosages of negative energy and information found in today’s news.
So here is your to-do list for today, or this week, to jump start your job search and take back control of your destiny:
(1) Add 10-25% more connections to your LinkedIn Profile—or a minimum of 50, if you need to start there.
(2) Call two co-workers from your previous job and say hello. Do not tell them about your job search yet, if it does not come up naturally or seem appropriate. But just making the call will open you up to make more calls of the job search kind.
(3) Introduce yourself to a hiring manager at a target company where you want to work and ask for an informational meeting in person or on the phone.
(4) Pick one person from your social media channels that you have not spoken with in a while and either call or email them.
(5) Shut off the news and read something positive.
As you can see, no matter what happens this election, you still get to control the success of your job search and ultimately land that dream job. Also, know that there are those out there who can help create that perfect resume and offer career-seeking advice. Be open to exploring all opportunities available.
