🤖 Jacky Liang’s Post

Great job search advice from Jacky Liang,

🤔 Curious about navigating the job market during layoffs? Let's dive into insights from LinkedIn, Indeed, and Monster! 🌐💼 Discover how to stay resilient and find opportunities amidst challenges. #JobMarket #Layoffs #CareerInsights #StayResilient #rpo #staffing #rposervices #PragnaSolutions

Yes, more layoffs and more people looking for work. Over the last week, I’ve reviewed over 50 resumes. Here are some of the tips I’ve shared:   Tailor your resume to the job you’re applying for. --- For every job posted, there are probably hundreds (if not thousands of applicants). Your resume has to stand out.  Make sure you’re highlighting the skills you have that relate to the job, but be genuine.   Remember, AI is your enemy, but also your friend. --- There are probably many AI-based application systems that filter resumes if they don’t fit the mold (making it the enemy). Use AI before applying to compare your resume to the job description (making it your friend) (and this is a pointer back to point #1 to tailor) Include an intro paragraph, 3-5 sentences --- An intro paragraph can be a great way to tell your story, and what makes you uniquely valuable.  Do this instead of leading with your education. Graduating from an Ivy League school is awesome, but most hiring managers don't care that much.   Make it very easy to understand your work experience --- Many folks list in their experience job or company-specific jargon that can make little sense to recruiters and hiring managers.   Make sure you’re focusing on outcomes you drove, not activity --- I’ve seen a lot of folks that list the activities they’ve done (which can be useful to some degree to show your experience), but it’s even more helpful to describe the business outcome you helped drive. ♻️ Repost or share if you think this may be valuable to more people 💬 Or DM me if you have specific questions I may be able to help with    

𝐍𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐓 𝐋𝐚𝐲𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐬: 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 & 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐆𝐢𝐠 - The recent wave of IT layoffs has undoubtedly caused anxiety and uncertainty for many talented professionals. However, amidst the challenges, opportunities also arise. Here are some thoughts and actionable steps to navigate this transition: ✅𝐔𝐩𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 & 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲 : 1️⃣𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬 : What are you truly passionate about and what are your key skills? 2️⃣𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 : Look at growing tech sectors and in-demand skills to align your career path. 3️⃣𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲 : Reconnect with former colleagues, attend industry events, and leverage online platforms like LinkedIn. 4️⃣𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐨 : Highlight relevant skills and accomplishments, showcasing your value proposition. ✅𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 : 1️⃣𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 : Explore different avenues beyond traditional job boards, like attending meetups, contacting recruiters directly, and utilizing professional networks. 2️⃣𝐓𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 : Don't use a generic resume; customize it to each position, highlighting relevant skills and achievements. 3️⃣𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬: Prepare for common interview questions and rehearse your responses to showcase your confidence and communication skills. 4️⃣𝐍𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐲: Don't undervalue yourself. Research average salaries for your position and experience level and negotiate accordingly. ✅𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬: 1️⃣𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬: Invest in online or in-person courses to upskill and acquire new certifications. 2️⃣𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠: Seek guidance from experienced professionals to optimize your job search strategy. 3️⃣𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐬:Connect with others experiencing similar situations for emotional support and shared experiences. Remember, you are not alone in this. While challenging, this can be a catalyst for personal and professional growth. Stay resilient, focus on your strengths, and leverage available resources to land your next dream job in the dynamic IT landscape. **#ITlayoffs #jobsearch #careeradvice #upskilling #resilience #opportunityalert ✅𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐲: 1️⃣Sharing your own experiences or insights on navigating layoffs. 2️⃣Mentioning specific skills or resources that have been helpful to you. 3️⃣Asking questions to encourage discussion and support within the community. By sharing your story and offering valuable advice, you can empower others and create a supportive community during this challenging time.

A client sent me this comic today, and while we laughed over the classic CAPS LOCK panic, it brought up a real concern - he’s feeling anxious about the 🌊 𝐰𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐬. And honestly, who isn’t? 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒚 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒚, 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒕, 𝒘𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒋𝒐𝒃 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒑 𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒃𝒆. The constant news of layoffs has many talented professionals questioning their future in the tech world. 😓 For job seekers, the competition is fierce. Here are some common concerns I keep hearing: 👇🏻 → How do I make my resume stand out in such a competitive market? → I haven’t job-hunted in years, where do I even start? → How do I explain a layoff without it being a red flag? → Am I using LinkedIn effectively to get noticed by recruiters? 𝑵𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒈𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒂𝒏 𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇, 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒕 𝒃𝒊𝒈 𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚. Sometimes, updating your resume, optimizing your LinkedIn profile, or simply gaining clarity on your career direction can make all the difference. 🔑 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐮𝐭: ~ 𝑶𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒛𝒆 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑨𝑻𝑺: Tailor your resume with industry-relevant keywords to pass Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and grab the attention of recruiters. ~ 𝑳𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒆𝒅𝑰𝒏 𝑶𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒛𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: Ensure your LinkedIn profile showcases your most relevant skills and achievements, making it easy for potential employers to find you. ~ 𝑵𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈: Engage with industry professionals on LinkedIn or attend virtual career events. Expanding your network can increase your visibility in this competitive job market. ~ 𝑯𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑳𝒂𝒚𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒔 𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒚: Address layoffs head-on in your cover letter or during interviews by focusing on the skills and experiences you gained, not just the loss. 𝑰𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒄𝒌 𝒐𝒓 𝒖𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒑𝒔, I’m here to help. Whether it’s refining your resume, helping you discover your unique strengths, or navigating LinkedIn for better visibility, we can work together to make sure you’re ready for whatever comes next. Let’s connect and work on getting you ready for the future. #layoff #laidoff #techlayoffs #careertransition #jobsearch #jobsearchstruggles #careersupport #careeradvice #resume #linkedin #jobsecurity #layoffsupport #leadership #resumewriting #cisco #ibm #intel #qualcomm #microsoft #google

Last year, 262,595 employees were laid off by 1,187 tech companies. In January, 91 tech firms have already laid off 24,564 employees. 😨 In today's job landscape, no position is entirely secure. Amidst these mass layoffs, adopting innovative job search strategies is crucial to successfully navigating the volatile job market. In our recent workshop, ‘Best Job Search Strategies During Layoff’, Varun Negandhi and Elliot Rosenberg shared key insights and strategies to take your job-hunting game to the next level. Here are a few highlights from the workshop: 👉 In times of layoffs, entire business units can be affected, including sales, operations, marketing, product, or engineering. Stay connected with colleagues across units to stay informed about potential changes. 👉 While insider information is hard to come by, try building connections with senior executives or boardroom members to get valuable insights into potential layoffs or restructuring efforts. 👉 Websites like Layoffs.fyi can serve as valuable resources for tracking layoffs within the tech industry. 👉 Keep yourself updated on industry news and trends related to layoffs. Awareness of potential shifts in the job market can help you adapt your job search strategies accordingly. 👉 Thorough research is essential for interview success. Understand the market gaps the company aims to fill and articulate your value proposition effectively. 👉 Instead of bombarding companies with generic applications, focus on building meaningful connections and networking strategically. 👉 Develop a compelling portfolio showcasing your work and utilize your networks to stand out amidst the sea of applications. 👉 Prioritize gaining relevant experience through low-barrier opportunities such as internships and freelancing projects, even if unpaid. 👉 Embrace a giving-first approach when building connections. Rather than immediately asking for assistance, focus on delivering value to others. 👉 Personalize applications and networking messages to demonstrate genuine interest and set yourself apart from the competition by highlighting unique skills and experiences. 👉 Leverage your alumni network for networking and job search support. Alumni connections are often more willing to assist due to shared experiences and camaraderie. 👉 While AI tools like ChatGPT can refine application materials, they should complement rather than replace human effort and expertise. ----------- Click here to watch the FULL WORKSHOP RECORDING: https://lnkd.in/g6Gr9KHk Follow Pivot to know about our next event and for more such no-nonsense content on how to navigate your career journey 🙂 #layoffs #laidoff #jobsearch #jobmarket #career

9 reminders for every team that hires in this current market… 1. A LinkedIn profile does not equate to candidate quality. 2. A resume gap is not an instant red flag. Hear the story. 3. Expertise is not qualified by virality or follower count. 4. A busy or slower-to-respond candidate rarely means disinterested. 5. 2020 to 2024, bookmark these in your brain as crazy years! 6. A strong personal brand & community are gifts to your team. 7. Layoffs are mostly company-driven, not an indicator of performance. 8. Compensation negotiation is a sign of intelligence. Do not fear it. 9. Hard skills get the job done. Soft skills, married to hard skills, do it right. Thanks Darrell Clack #recruitmenttips #receuitment

My experience hasn’t been overly negative like this states. Here are some notes from my last few months of searching: - I have noted that companies want more senior people for everything right now- lost out on at least two opportunities so far with this excuse. (Note: it’s an excuse, not feedback) - I have been asked for small assignments. Nothing that couldn’t be finished in an afternoon. - Mostly I’ve noted that society is just less polite overall… had folks say “we will get back to you after a team meeting tomorrow” but it’s 3 days or a week before I hear back. (Note: “sorry” isn’t a replacement for punctuality) - Lots of companies don’t even send insta-rejection messages. My “applied and waiting” queue stays much bigger than any other listing. - Recruiters are complaining loudly about the deluge of applications as more and more layoffs are announced, but nobody is working on streamlining the interview process. Do I really need to meet 8 different people for interviews? What value are all those extra meetings having? How could you get enough data to decide in the minimum number of touches possible?

Struggling in your job search? Here’s a 6-step process to implement this weekend  👇 1. Start with your positioning Explore large job boards to understand the market, roles being eliminated, and why and where job growth is happening. You’ll want to position yourself where you’d be valued. Current trend: Layoffs are happening with teams leading experimental groups and are non-revenue generating. AI-company-based roles are proliferating. 2. Only apply for jobs you are qualified for and tailor your resume to the role Jobs are a numbers game as much as skill and timing. By spamming job boards, you’re doing a disservice to yourself and wasting time. Focus your efforts and only apply to roles you’re qualified for. 3. Apply quickly Don’t wait out. You may think that you don’t want to be the first batch of interviewees, but you never know how many candidates are in the pipeline or if the company has existing conversations with candidates. Apply right away. 4. Find internal champions and connections who can speak to your character. Find your internal champion by first looking at your former colleagues. Sort out the companies they’re in and find roles within said companies you’re qualified and interested in. Then, go beyond the referral. Instead of the referral, have your connection introduce you to the hiring recruiter or the recruiter who helped them. When you have the introduction, ask the recruiter about the role and how to set yourself up for success throughout the interview process. 5. Keep your outreach simple We often need to provide more detail than is necessary. This will make your ask feel big. You want your referral or champion to spend a maximum of a minute on your ask, so ensure your message reflects this. Be concise and direct. 6. Explore other networks Look at former colleagues and school alums, and even map your Twitter followers to Linkedin. You’ll never realize the strength of your network until you have a full view of everyone you interact with. This requires time and creativity, but the output is worth the work. #hiring #opentowork #jobseekers #layoffs

I've spent most of the last 3.5 years in the trenches with tech job seekers, through the 2020 pandemic layoffs to 2021-2022 frenetic hiring to our current reality since 2023: layoff central. I've ridden all the highs and lows with them and learned much from them. Now, it's time to share it all with you. My work as a coach is as deeply technical as it is deeply personal. 👊 While we rewrite my client's resumes, I get to know their career backgrounds and am often amazed at what they have achieved. 👊 While we craft their pitch-perfect career story, I learn about their hopes and wishes for their future and get inspired by their “Whys”. 👊 While we're together on video calls over weeks and even months, I get to know their pets and spouses and children. We're a team. I often learn from them as much as they learn from me. 🤘 They show me new resume formats they are experimenting with. 🤘 They show me new tools and startups in the coaching space. 🤘 They teach me about how they have made magic happen in their careers. ...and I wanted to share all of these learnings and adventures with all of you. Yesterday, I launched a new recurring series for The Career Whispers tech newsletter. It's called JOB SEARCH DIARIES 📔 Each issue will follow a tech job seeker for an entire week, minute by minute, through their job search. Readers will get to ride the emotional highs and lows ("is she going to get the offer?") and scream through their screens, too ("noooo, don't take that job, it's toxic"). They'll learn new tools and strategies and how real job seekers use them to streamline their job searches. For example, this week's inaugural post teaches you how to use Claude.AI for interview prep and company research. And most importantly, readers will see the human side of the tech job search experience in today's market. Join us for this ride. JOB SEARCH DIARIES: a glimpse into the raw reality of tech job searching today. Link in comments👇 PS: The series is currently free for all TCW subscribers!