Wiem BEN EL KHOUJA💡’s Post

Remember the sting of rejection? For over two years, I chased a management position, applying a record-breaking 10 times... Each rejection felt like a punch to the gut, especially with feedback like, "arrogant," "incompetent," and "not a team player." Honestly, I started to doubt myself, Maybe I really wasn't cut out for leadership, I was defeated... So, I decided to invest in myself, And build my online presence on LinkedIn! I shared my marketing experiences, openly discussed challenges, and connected with industry experts... the best I could. One day, a message popped into my inbox, And it was a recruiter on LinkedIn offering me a spot in a digital marketing bootcamp! This incredible opportunity helped me hone my skills and re-energize my passion. But the biggest surprise was yet to come... Years ago, I'd connected with a fantastic individual who would become a boss at one of the companies I applied at. Fast forward to the present⤵️ I decided to reach out to this connection for career advice, And they remembered me offering to put in a good word! And guess what? My online presence and personal network opened the door to that management position! Looking back, this experience is a testament to the power of connecting online and offline. The right connections can bridge gaps and unlock opportunities you never imagined. Are you actively building your online network? Share your experiences in the comments below! Let's connect and support each other's growth!

As we journey through our careers, each step we take is often a blend of our efforts and the support we've received along the way. I've always believed in the power of 'paying it forward.' Today, I want to extend that support to you and your network. Are you on a job hunt? Whether you're seeking your first role, looking to switch careers, or find yourself between jobs, I understand the challenges and uncertainties that come with it. The path to finding the right job can be daunting, but you don't have to walk it alone. Feeling stuck in your current role? If you're in a job that no longer fulfills you or aligns with your goals, it might be time for a change. It's okay to seek something that resonates more with your aspirations and values. Here's my offer: Let's connect! Whether you need advice, a sounding board, or just someone to review your resume, I'm here. More than that, I'm eager to leverage my network to help you find that opportunity that clicks. I invite you to comment below or message me directly. Let's discuss what you're looking for and how I can assist. If you know someone who might benefit from this, feel free to tag them or share this post. Happy New Year!

We've all stood at that crossroads, filled with hope, only to face the harsh reality of job application rejection. But fear not, for within these setbacks lie the seeds of our future triumphs. Discover in our latest blog post how to transform job application challenges into stepping-stones toward a brighter career. ✨ Click this link for the enlightenment you need: https://lnkd.in/gNcSPTwT.

In the US you've got to talk about yourself and your achievements! 5 steps to get started👇 1. Write a list of 3-5 achievements from each job you've had. 2. Be specific about what the achievement was and why it mattered. 3. Use metrics (think numbers, %s) to quantify the impact. 4. Add these to your resume instead of a list of job responsibilities. 5. Practice talking about these with confidence! It's okay if this doesn't come naturally to you. For many Australians it doesn't. You'll get there! 🇦🇺🫶🇺🇸 P.S Remember to be proud yet humble.

This morning, I finally added the description for my current role. Every month for the last six months or so, a handful of people have asked me if everything was OK with my job, because I only posted the organization and title. I always replied that I hadn't gotten around to it yet. Since LinkedIn launched, I've probably helped more than 200 people — colleagues, former colleagues, friends, friends of friends, coaching clients, relatives — work on their LinkedIn profiles, whether helping them from scratch or fine-tuning them. I would never have thought it was sufficient to only post an organization's name and title for a current role, whether the person was seeking a new job or not. I would have pushed them to share some of their top responsibilities or contributions. When I was asked again last week, I gave the same response, but I knew I needed to do a bit of professional soul searching to figure out where my hesitancy came from. After giving it some thought, it was simple. I was embarrassed. When I put the title aside and compared my current official responsibilities with those of most of my roles throughout my career, the current ones seemed much less significant to me. I asked myself if I was missing something and if maybe there were other responsibilities that I hadn’t thought to include. Other than supervising one teammate, there really wasn’t. Then, after giving it more thought, I came to the conclusion that there shouldn’t be anything to be embarrassed about. During my last job search, I literally replied to anyone who asked me what I was looking for that, ‘I want to contribute to an organization that I love what they do, and I really, really, really like the people that I work with every day.’ Am I capable of doing more challenging work? Of course. Am I underutilizing my expertise? Absolutely. But I get to contribute to an organization that does some extraordinary work, and I really, really, really like most of the people I get to work with every day. We don’t see that on resumes or LinkedIn profiles, but it can be just as important. Most of us will experience different roles and organizations throughout our careers. Some are better fits than others. If you get things done, enjoy the ride, and learn some valuable lessons, you come out on top. And there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.

What do you need "permission" to do? A recent chat with someone I like and respect immensely, James Ellis, made me realize my LI bio didn't represent me -- not really. James reminded me that it doesn't have to follow the conventional formula, so I changed it. While you don't need permission to change your bio, or your resume, or any aspect of your life, sometime it helps to have encouragement. So consider this yours. Change your bio. Show your personality. Differentiate yourself. Propose that new idea. Ask for the promotion you've earned. Email the person you've categorized as unreachable. Apply for the job you feel is a stretch. Set challenging goals. Do something that scares you - or at least makes you nervous! You have permission AND encouragement. What are you going to do with it?

I would like to briefly clarify my post yesterday for the people who have sent me direct messages here on LinkedIn (and the person who commented on the post). I have been working since I was 16 years old. I will be 49 next month. That's 33 years of work, and I have done many jobs in that time. I am proud of all of them. Each job has taught me at least one thing in terms of skills and character building. I have worked extremely hard at all of my jobs and given my all, despite various health issues. I never give up and I soldier on, regardless of what life throws at me. Ask anyone who has ever worked with me. Giving up is not in my DNA. But here's the thing I am MOST proud of. Not ONCE have I trash-talked my employer in public. Not ONCE have I revealed why I lost the position in public. Not ONCE have I revealed the contents of any private conversation with an employer/ex-employer in public. Why? Because it is not professional. And I value professionalism above all else. I expect it in others and I practice what I preach. Am I perfect? Of course not. Nobody is perfect. And anybody who claims to be has a rapidly extending nose like Pinocchio. Are there ex-colleagues out there who don't like me and are disgruntled with me? I'm sure there are. You can't work for 33 years and not make a few enemies. But I will NEVER do the dirty on any employer, family, or friend. I don't air dirty laundry. And I detest those who do. I will always say everything and be brutally honest to my wife. Because I have no secrets from her and I never will. But that is in private. I would never say anything publicly. I find it very sad that I have to defend myself like this. But judging from the way my LinkedIn DM's have blown up since last night with very immature and misguided comments, I feel I have no choice but to defend my reputation. And no, don't worry DM senders. My oath of silence extends to you too. Even though you were not brave enough to express your opinions publicly on the post. Live long and prosper. Because I fully intend to live to 100 and die a very rich man. I may be down right now, but stand by and watch me bounce back up. Then I will be unstoppable.

So I ran into an interesting situation the other day here on LinkedIn and I'd be curious to see what you think about it. It's really about transparency and how we work with (and potentially support) each other. <small edit - this is more of a discussion topic, I'm not going to do this, neither am I recommending others do this> The long and the short of it is I applied for a role at a company a few weeks back and (spoiler) did not get the job. Now I had some nice conversations with some folks, but in the end they (everybody now, say it along with me!) "chose to move forward with another candidate" woo! I'm not complaining about that, it's part of the job search, and sometimes you are that candidate - congrats! 😁 More background - this was a senior leadership type position, a Director of <things>, and I know this is a unique role at this company. I also know the position has been filled due to one of the LI boilerplate "Happy to announce my new position..." posts. Now I don't know the person who got the job, but I saw it because a mutual connection threw a ❤️ at the post, which is delightful. Now the interesting thing is this: I looked at this person's profile, which reads pretty similar my own. Their profile has similar experience, words, pictures, and overall 'vibe'. They seem like someone I'd enjoy having a frosty beverage of some sort with. So here's the question - given that this person is a connection of a connection that I do not know - is there etiquette around reaching out to them and saying something like "Congratulations, I saw you landed this position! I also applied for this role and I was wondering if you'd be willing to compare notes on our applications, qualifications, and experience. I'd love to find out what gave you the edge so I can improve my chances in the future." What do y'all think?

Do you ever feel like how you performed or acted in your past roles in your career are what people STILL think of you? 🧐 Are potential funders, or job prospects calling old bosses from a decade ago to get the skinny on you, but you feel like they'll get a super outdated report on your performance? Then listen up! 📢 We live in a digital world, and the digital landscape is how we measure, and build, trust in today's competitive career marketplace. In fact 82% of people say they trust senior leaders at a company if their presence is visible on digital channels. But what happens if you're absent? Then people will take that opportunity to bring their own perception to the table, their own experience, their own set of stereotypes and fill in the gaps on your behalf. That means THEY own YOUR narrative. Ack! Bad news. Use these 4 steps to make sure your old boss, your old role, your old perceptions don't continue to haunt you today. 👉 Decide what your current identities are, and how to support those. 👉 Take inventory of what you've learned. 👉 Share something specific and unique to your experience. 👉 Join the conversation.