The Future of Job Search Strategies Findings of Career Jam 2017

The Future of Job Search Strategies Findings of Career Jam 2017 Good news! The Findings of 2017 Career Jam: Where Experts Forecast the New the Next, has been released by the Career Thought Leaders Consortium! This report summarizes the findings of brainstorming sessions about the future of job search strategies, which were held on December 1, 2017 in the United States, Canada, Spain, France, Austria, and the United Kingdom. Want to listen to a webinar about it? Go to this video about the future of job search strategies. Career Jam participants discussed topics with significant ramifications for job seekers: â€Å"best practices, innovations, trends, new programs, new processes, and other observations that are currently impacting, and are projected to impact, global employment, job search, and career management.† The sections that most interest me in the report are â€Å"Career Marketing Messages Documents† and â€Å"Social Media Profiles†¦Ã¢â‚¬  which include resumes, cover letters, and LinkedIn profiles, as well as other career marketing communications. I also wanted to highlight a couple of items for the future of job search strategy. Here are some of the findings and advice to keep in mind as you conduct your job search now or in the future: Career Marketing Messages Documents: Current Trends Resumes are not dead! While the use of LinkedIn profiles in the hiring process is on the rise in both the U.S. and Europe, most hiring managers still require a resume at some point in the hiring process, and your resume WILL make an impression. Use graphics. The use of graphic resumes is becoming more and more common – but make sure your graphics serve a specific purpose and communicate your value. Don’t get too creative. Infographic resumes are NOT hot. Supplemental materials in infographic form are welcome, however. ATS systems are becoming more advanced. Writers must satisfy both machines and humans with proper format and keywords. Make sure you’re on top of the latest capabilities and capacities of ATS systems. You might be surprised what they can and can’t understand. Job hopper? You’ll have a stigma to overcome if you’re a participant in the gig economy. The great cover letter debate: They are still important! When they are read, they can make the difference between candidates. Keep ‘em short and focused on a targeted, unique value proposition. Be careful about posting your resume to online job boards. Don’t put anything confidential on there! The public can gain access. Focus your career documents on what you can do for the employer. As I like to say, your resume is not about your past. It’s about your future. Track your success stories. Don’t wait until resume writing time to gather your successes. Keep a running list at all times! Career Marketing Messages Documents: What to Expect The use of multimedia will continue to increase. New tools will emerge. But the underlying message will remain, communicating your value. Cover letters will rebound. Lengthier cover letters might start to replace the resume. These letters would be highly researched and targeted to the company, for both contract workers and those applying to full-time positions. Social Media Profiles, Video Bios, Web Portfolios and Other Multimedia Tools: Current Trends Many of these recommendations can be found in my book, How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile. It’s good to see people are listening and also confirming what works! LinkedIn profiles are becoming more multi-media with the addition of video. Use LinkedIns media features to attract more and longer profile views. Slideshows, infographics, and videos are all game. Your social media profile content must be aligned with your resume. This doesn’t mean they must be exactly alike. But as more recruiters are sourcing and screening candidates’ social media profiles during the hiring process, make sure you provide good resume-like content on LinkedIn. There is a trend toward shorter LinkedIn sections. You don’t necessarily have to use all the characters available. But if you have enough good stuff to say, why not? LinkedIn profiles are less job-search focused. Professionals are using LinkedIn for general branding purposes, not just for job search. Use storytelling concepts in your LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn profiles are not a dry narrative of your resume. Instead, consider who your audience is and who YOU are, and brand yourself with a story that stands out. Don’t appear unemployed or desperate on LinkedIn! ‘Nuf said. Professionals are getting savvier in their online search optimization. Make sure you are savvy with your keywords and keyword placement too! Personal websites have not become integrated into the hiring process for most recruiters, but they are useful for long-term branding. Social Media Profiles, Video Bios, Web Portfolios and Other Multimedia Tools: What’s Next With more video interviewing, candidate-driven video resumes are not welcome. Companies will specify any video content they want and when. People are concerned about sharing of profiles with Microsoft integration. I’m not as concerned. I don’t think that many people will even use this fancy feature  (Microsoft Resume Assistant), and no one can steal your content if you write it as your unique self with accomplishments no one else can claim. The Future of Job Search Strategy Job search is now quality over quantity. In the future of job search, focus is on relationship building with recruiters and companies. Cultivate your chances of getting a job that’s a great fit instead of applying to hundreds where your chances are slim. Networking is king, especially with the burgeoning of employee referral programs. More individuals (millennials) are negotiating salary and benefits during the interview process. Indeed.com is the preferred job board to use, if you’re using job boards. What? Snail mail? YES – mailing hard copies will get you attention from hiring managers. Do it! More and more individuals are in constant job search mode. This means every professional should have a resume and LinkedIn profile that make them shine and that they are proud of! References are more important than ever. So cultivate your relationships with potential references always. States and organizations are prohibiting hiring managers from asking about previous salary. Get coaching if you’re concerned you might be asked this question – and understand the company’s compensation structure and philosophy before entering into salary negotiations. Also see my articles Salary Negotiation for Women Part 1  and Part 2. It’s important to stay on top of the latest in job search documents and strategies. The Executive Expert and The Essay Expert are here to keep you informed, and to create the best possible career documents for your success. Read more about the New and the Next in Networking, Traditional Online Job Search Strategies; How Employees are Screened, Interviewed, and Hired; The Changing Face of Jobs, The Diverse, Multigenerational Workforce Globalization; and other important career resources and topics at Findings of 2017 Career Jam: Where Experts Forecast the New the Next. Or listen to the webinar here.

The Fourteen Points of Woodrow Wilsons Plan for Peace

The Fourteen Points of Woodrow Wilsons Plan for Peace November 11 is, of course, Veterans Day. Originally called Armistice Day, it marked the ending of World War I in 1918. It also marked the beginning of an ambitious foreign policy plan by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson. Known as the Fourteen Points, the plan- which ultimately failed- embodied many elements of what we today call globalization. Historical Background World War I, which began in August 1914, was the result of decades of imperial competition between the European monarchies. Great Britain, France, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, Turkey, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Russia all claimed territories around the globe. They also conducted elaborate espionage schemes against each other,  engaged in a continuous arms race, and constructed a precarious system of military alliances. Austria-Hungary laid claim to much of the Balkan region of Europe, including Serbia. When a Serbian rebel killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, a string of events forced the European nations to mobilize for war against each other. The main combatants were: The Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, TurkeyThe Entente Powers: France, Great Britain, Russia The U.S. in the War The United States did not enter World War I until April 1917 but its list of grievances against warring Europe dated back to 1915. That year, a German submarine (or U-Boat) sank the British luxury steamer,  Lusitania, which carried 128 Americans. Germany had already been violating American neutral rights; the United States, as a neutral in the war, wanted to trade with all belligerents. Germany saw any American trade with an entente power as helping their enemies. Great Britain and France also saw American trade that way, but they did not unleash submarine attacks on American shipping. In early 1917, British intelligence intercepted a message from German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmerman to Mexico. The message invited Mexico to join the war on the side of Germany. Once involved, Mexico was to ignite war in the American southwest that would keep U.S. troops occupied and out of Europe. Once Germany had won the European war, it would then help Mexico retrieve land it had lost to the United States in the Mexican War, 1846-48. The so-called Zimmerman Telegram was the last straw. The United States quickly declared war against Germany and its  allies. American troops did not arrive in France in any large numbers until late 1917. However, there were enough on hand to stop a German offensive in Spring 1918. That fall, Americans led an allied offensive that flanked the German front in France, severing the German armys supply lines back to Germany. Germany had no choice but to call for a cease-fire. The armistice went into effect at 11 a.m., on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. The Fourteen Points More than anything else, Woodrow Wilson saw himself as a diplomat. He had already roughed out the concept of the Fourteen Points to Congress and the American people months before the armistice. The  summarized Fourteen Points included: Open covenants of peace and transparent diplomacy.Absolute freedom of the seas.The removal of economic and trade barriers.An end to arms races.National self-determination to figure in adjustment of colonial claims.Evacuation of all Russian territory.Evacuation and restoration of Belgium.All French territory restored.Italian frontiers adjusted.Austria-Hungary given opportunity to autonomous development.Rumania, Serbia, Montenegro evacuated and given independence.Turkish portion of the Ottoman Empire should become sovereign; nations under Turkish rule should become autonomous; Dardanelles should be open to all.Independent Poland with access to the sea should be created.A general association of nations should be formed to guarantee political independence and territorial integrity to great and small states alike. Points one through five attempted to eliminate the immediate causes of the war: imperialism, trade restrictions, arms races, secret treaties, and disregard of nationalist tendencies. Points six through 13 attempted to restore territories occupied during the war and set post-war boundaries, also based on national self-determination. In the 14th Point, Wilson envisioned a global organization to protect states and prevent future wars. The Treaty of Versailles The Fourteen Points served as the foundation for the Versailles Peace Conference that began outside of Paris in 1919. However, the Treaty of Versailles  was markedly different than Wilsons proposal. France- which  had been attacked by Germany in 1871 and was the site of most of the fighting in World War I- wanted to punish Germany in the treaty. While Great Britain and the United States did not agree with punitive measures, France won out. The resultant treaty: Forced Germany to sign a war guilt clause and accept full responsibility for the war.Prohibited further alliances between Germany and Austria.Created a demilitarized zone between France and Germany.Made Germany  responsible for paying  millions of dollars in reparations to the victors.Limited Germany to a defensive army only, with no tanks.Limited Germanys navy to six capital ships and no submarines.Prohibited Germany from having an air force. The victors at Versailles did accept the idea of Point 14, a League of Nations. Once created, it became the issuer of mandates which were former German territories handed over to allied nations for administration. While Wilson won the 1919 Nobel Peace Prize for his Fourteen Points, he was disappointed by the punitive atmosphere of Versailles. He was also unable to convince Americans to join the League of Nations. Most Americans- in an isolationist mood after the war- did not want any part of a global organization which could lead them into another war. Wilson campaigned throughout the U.S. trying to convince Americans to accept the League of Nations. They never did, and the League limped toward World War II with U.S. support. Wilson suffered a series of strokes while campaigning for the League, and  was debilitated for the rest of his presidency in 1921.