Roberta Matuson’s Post

This article is a must read for those who are graduating from universities this month without a job. If you don't have a job already, you will soon discover how tough it is out there. Here are three pieces of advice that I often share with my job search coaching clients. 1. Prepare yourself for the long game. If need be, take a part-time job so that you can sustain yourself while you're looking. 2. Spend the majority of your time building relationships with fellow alums. You can easily find these people on LinkedIn. These people will be more apt to help you in your search than strangers. 3. Limit the amount of time you spend applying for jobs online. Sure, you could get lucky, but when you look at the number of applicants who are applying for the same job as you are, you'll see that the odds are not in your favor. What advice on job searching would you offer to the class of 2024? #newgrad, #classof2024, #gettinghired, #topvoice, #topvoices, #robertamatuson

I wrote about this earlier today. In case my post didn't hit your feed, here's what I said: You've applied for hundreds of jobs and are still unemployed. Yet, you keep reading about how strong the job market is in the US. You begin to think there's something wrong with you. As someone, who helps clients accelerate their job search, I completely understand. This morning's WSJ piece titled, A Strong Job Market? Try Telling That to These Workers (link below) confirms what you already know. https://lnkd.in/g-jcNQq3 But what the article doesn't tell you is how to find work under these circumstances. Here are a few tips that I hope will be of help to you: 💪 Job searching today is a long game. If you don't have nine to 12 months of savings in the bank, consider taking a part-time job, freelance or contract work. This will help you financially as well as mentally. 💪 Tap into your network and that of your parent's and your friends. There is no shame in asking for assistance, as most people are glad to be of help. 💪 Become a master at using LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a great place to connect and build your network. A great place to start is by looking for alumni of your university. Join LinkedIn groups that have members in your field. Get to know these people and comment on their posts. 💪 Lastly, be kind to yourself. As I recently told a client who signed up for my job searching coaching services, "It's going to take you at least six to nine months to find a job. Maybe even longer." If someone promises you they can help you find a job in months, walk away. They're setting you up for failure and taking your money in the process. What's your experience been like looking for a job in today's market? Would love to hear some success stories from people who landed a job quickly. How'd you do it? If you like these tips, please consider sharing this. hashtag #jobsearch, hashtag #jobsearching, hashtag #WSJ,

The current picture is so messy, confusing and contradictory. We're confused, exhausted and polarized. We have no mental playbook or frame of reference for coming out of a pandemic with a modern, globalized economy - which turned out to be much more sensitive, fragile and not nearly as resilient as advertised. (Keep in mind, PLENTY of money was made by those who already had more than their share) All that free or nearly free PPP, EIDL, IRA, CHIPS etc. money propped up all that hiring. We were already overdue for the "usual business-cycle" type of contraction. Q1 2020 was 11.5 years after the Lehman meltdown kickoff to 2008 (Wouldn't be nice to have an old-school recession that last 3-5+ quarters? Instead we've had the mega-crises of Post-9/11, 2008 Housing meltdown, 2020-2022.) 9 years of Putin-engineered disinfo. He's managed to change the subject from Ukraine to HAMAS with a single phone call, amirite? All the global players meddling in the USA 2016, 2020, 2024 elections. We're not going to get much in the way of clarity or comfort or confidence in the next 3-5 quarters. Improvise, Adapt, Overcome. Lather, Rinse, Repeat

Is the U.S. job market worse than the official data suggests? This story by Callum Borchers reflects the frustration that many jobseekers are experiencing, in the sense of longer periods required to land employment. Anecdotally, it appears to be most common for so-called white-collar professionals. I appreciate the opportunity to be quoted in the article, of course. More importantly, the reporting reflects the real-world tension between the reported data and the sense among job seekers who don't trust the data. My way of explaining that disconnect goes something like this: Both can be true and neither reality is mutually exclusive. We can have low unemployment, running below 4% for more than two years, and it can also be the case that some are having a tougher time finding work. Job openings are down from their post-pandemic peak, down from the previous month and a year ago. At the same time, they are above pre-pandemic levels. As technology is increasingly relied upon in hiring processes, it has become impersonal. That's fostering frustration linked to the silence associated with waiting to hear whether the search is successful, or even where it stands at all. Finally, LinkedIn is a terrific source for helping to foster connections and support. Let's do what we can to help one another in the job search space and beyond. BTW: We have many openings at Red Ventures and within our Bankrate operations. Join our terrific teams!

Interesting dichotomy here in the labor market. We've had historically low unemployment for several years, but the sentiment is that it's hard for many to find work. I like what Mark wrote about that below: "Both can be true and neither reality is mutually exclusive. We can have low unemployment, running below 4% for more than two years, and it can also be the case that some are having a tougher time finding work." But why? To unpack it, you'd have to really do a deep pivot in the data by industry, by market, by segment to understand what's going on. We can't look at the broader country and assume one data point tells the story. From what I hear, healthcare, retail, food service and other service-based industries are still struggling to find workers, but it's the companies that have the upper hand among tech, sales, legal and other corporate roles. What are your thoughts? #laborMarket #Labordynamics #Recruiting

What's your experience in the current job market? We can expect another sparkling federal jobs report on Friday, if recent months are any indication. Yet people hunting for new opportunities consistently tell me it's harder to get hired than you'd think in an economy where unemployment is under 4%. Some recruiters are frustrated, too, saying companies are dragging out interview processes and being overly picky. Meikeisha Scott-Parker, CSM,SSGBC, Katherine Braun, Cara C., Mark Hamrick and Joseph Jewell share insight and first-hand experience in this week's "On the Clock" column.

This take on the current job market and challenges job seekers face is spot on. Especially about companies dragging out the process, ghosting candidates or posting jobs that don't exist. For job seekers it is critical to have the right strategy. And thick skin. #jobsearchtips #careersearch

The Wall Street Journal, WHY IT'S HARD TO GET HIRED Despite Glowing Jobs Reports. US adds fewest jobs in six months. Job seekers say getting hired is deceptively hard, and recruiters agree that qualified candidates are often passed over. #career #management #jobsearchtips #jobs #humanresources #recruiters

For everyone out there looking for that next opportunity and feeling the frustration. Despite the job reports indicating a thriving economy, many workers, especially white-collar professionals, are feeling stuck in their job search. Complaints are posted all over LinkedIn about ghosting hiring managers and recruiters, prolonged interview processes, and stagnant job listings. This uncertainty has led to doubts about the sincerity of companies' hiring intentions, with some even suspecting fake job postings. https://lnkd.in/gMpjH5e6

A simple suggestion for employers not getting the quality or quantity of candidate applications for their jobs is to stop making your career section so obscure. Why are so many companies hiding the link to jobs at the bottom or a sub-page on the About Us or company page? Put the careers or jobs page on your top menu if you are looking for more applications.