Tips for Navigating Economic Uncertainty

As a recruiter hiring creative professionals during a slow job market, I know how frustrating and unsettling this market can be. As someone who has gone through many waves of the economy over the years, I have a top ten list of things to remind you of during this time: 1. Patience and Persistence: The job market can be unpredictable, but keep applying for relevant roles and networking within the industry because this type of persistence leads to opportunity. 2. Portfolio Enhancement: Use this time to improve and update your portfolios. Adding new projects, showcasing diverse skills, and highlighting achievements can make a significant impact when the next opportunities opens up. 3. Skill Development: Invest in skill development and continuous learning. Taking online courses, attending workshops, or gaining certifications in emerging creative trends can make you more competitive and adaptable in the job market. 4. Freelancing and Side Projects: Explore freelancing or side projects during this period. Freelancing not only helps maintain income but also allows for portfolio expansion and networking with potential clients and employers. It also gives you freedom to pursue something that you haven’t had the time to. 5. Networking and Building Relationships: Make sure you’re still networking, both online and offline. Building meaningful relationships within the industry can lead to referrals, insider job opportunities, and valuable insights on potential openings. 6. Industry Research: Stay updated on industry trends and the current demands of employers. Knowing what skills and qualities are sought after can help you tailor your applications and interviews accordingly. 7. Resilience and Adaptability: Stay resilient and adaptable during this time of uncertainty. The ability to adapt to changing circumstances and demonstrate a positive attitude really builds our character and can make us an even stronger candidate. 8. Volunteer and Pro Bono Work: Explore volunteer or pro bono opportunities in your field. Contributing your creative skills to a cause can showcase your talent, compassion, and commitment to making a difference and it may be something that you love doing and get to spread good will into the community. 9. Personal Branding: Work on their personal branding and online presence. Having a strong LinkedIn profile and engaging in thought leadership through blogs or social media can attract the attention of potential employers. 10. Seek Feedback and Learn from Rejections: Try not to be discouraged by rejections. Instead, seek feedback on their applications and interviews and use it as a learning opportunity to improve your approach. #hiring #creatives #staffing #recruiting #hr #advertisingandmarketing

I’m not gonna lie, you are in a tough spot shared by many in this economy if you are out of work. I was in that quagmire myself this past year. It’s not only exhausting, but personally I found it embarrassing, stressful, and emotionally painful. I’d like to share how I managed my downtime in hopes of helping at least one person out there get through a long, but temporary rough patch. Here is what I did: • I took a short time to breathe and grieve • I tried to think outside the box • I scheduled my days like an 8-5 job. Checked emails, networked, searched job boards, networked, responded to emails, networked, scheduled interviews, networked, attended interviews, networked, and did I mention that I networked? At 5:00 I closed my laptop and lived my life. • I applied, followed up regularly, interviewed, and told everyone I knew or met that I was looking for a job • I found a free career counseling center near me. They helped me update my resume, we had virtual professional networking meetings weekly, and they shared information about local job fair events and volunteer opportunities • I volunteered to help others • I completed online applications for surveys and studies that paid per project • I applied for entry level positions, this was rough, but any income is better than no income • I began developing outlines to build some virtual classes/courses • I finally accepted a job offer paying less than I was making previously. I’ve been there 3 months now. There’s no where to go, but up! Looking for a job is the hardest, most stressful job of them all. Celebrate the small accomplishments along your journey. Please reach out, DM me if you’d like a pep talk or just an ear to listen. I’m here to help if I’m able. **Some good people in my network to follow are: Alexis Rivera Scott Darren McKee David Alto Jennifer Smith Justin Welsh I hope this information helps you in some way. #jobsearchtips #persistence #askforhelp #GrowWithTheFlow

Getting laid off sucks.. But it doesn’t define you nor does it need to dictate your next steps. I experienced an economic layoff a year ago and I decided to take career pivot and growth steps to push forward. 1️⃣ Assess and Enhance Your Skills: Take the time to assess your current skill set and identify areas for improvement or expansion. Research the skills that are in high demand in your industry or desired field. Invest in professional development opportunities such as online courses, certifications, workshops, or industry-specific training programs to acquire those skills. By actively enhancing your skill set, you become more competitive and increase your career prospects after a layoff. 2️⃣ Leverage Your Network and Seek Mentors: Tap into your professional network to seek advice, connections, and potential job opportunities. Reach out to former colleagues, mentors, industry contacts, and alumni networks. Let them know about your situation and career goals. Networking can provide valuable insights, open doors to hidden job opportunities, and offer guidance in navigating the job market. Additionally, consider finding a mentor who can provide guidance and support as you rebuild your career. 3️⃣ Rebrand and Tailor Your Job Search Materials: Update your resume, cover letter, and online professional profiles to reflect your most recent experiences and accomplishments. Highlight transferable skills gained from previous roles and demonstrate how they align with the requirements of your target positions. Tailor your job search materials to showcase your resilience, growth mindset, and adaptability, emphasizing how your past experiences have shaped you into a stronger candidate. Craft a compelling personal brand that stands out to potential employers. 4️⃣ Explore New Opportunities and Industries: Consider expanding your horizons and exploring new industries or professions that align with your interests and skills. Look for emerging industries or sectors experiencing growth that offer exciting career prospects. Research the trends, job market demand, and potential pathways for career advancement. Be open to taking on new challenges, roles, or responsibilities that can broaden your experience and accelerate your career growth. Flexibility and a willingness to adapt can lead to unexpected opportunities and new avenues for success. Remember, recovering from a layoff takes time and effort. Stay positive, remain resilient, and focus on continuous growth. By actively assessing and enhancing your skills, leveraging your network, tailoring your job search materials, and exploring new opportunities, you can boost your career growth and position yourself for success. #CareerGrowth #SkillEnhancement #Networking #PersonalBranding #career #customersuccess

What I see when I log into LinkedIn Recruiter: 26M+ people who are open to work in the U.S. alone. I don't say this as a scare tactic—there are still plenty of places hiring right now and plenty of folks successfully landing jobs. But it's a reminder that in a competitive market, finding a new job is a marathon, not a sprint. Tejal Wagadia wrote a great post about this yesterday (I'll link to it in the comments!) and put it perfectly: "Don't fall for someone telling you that you aren't doing enough. You need to give yourself a mental break and give yourself some grace." You can't control WHEN you'll land a job, but you can control what you put into the process. ("Control the controllable," as I like to say.) Here are 3 ways to take control of your career growth in a stressful market: 1️⃣ Stay organized. Keep track of: - the roles you're interested in - the companies that catch your eye - the jobs you apply to (plus the job descriptions) - the people you connect with/interview with throughout Whether you use Teal's Job Tracker or a solution like Excel, Notion, or Trello, the important thing is to have ONE central place to keep all of your job application research and materials so you're ready to make moves when the time is right. 2️⃣ Focus on submitting quality applications—and set a goal each week. The job search can feel like a numbers game, where you have to apply to X jobs to land Y interviews. But your time and energy are limited, so focus first on putting the most energy into the roles you're most excited about rather than giving all jobs equal energy. Set a goal for when you're looking to start a new job and then work backward to determine how many jobs to apply to each week. Once you have that target number of applications you'd like to submit, do your best to stick to it, but don't beat yourself up on the weeks it doesn't happen. You can set your goal in your Teal dashboard and track your progress along the way. 3️⃣ Focus on building your network. Reach out to former colleagues or classmates and see if they're open to a catch-up. Join Slack or Discord communities aligned with your areas of interest and professional goals and see if there are opportunities to engage in conversations relevant to your industry. Take 15 minutes each day to research people who work for the companies you admire and start engaging with their LinkedIn content. By focusing on building relationships, you'll set a strong foundation for future asks and be able to offer something in return when the time comes. I know it's not easy—but hang in there. One step at a time.

🤮🤮 300k tech workers laid off since Jan 2023, >10% in the past 30 days - it's brutal out there... Bringing back some practical advice for facing the job market: 𝗚𝗼 𝗜𝗻 𝗘𝘆𝗲𝘀 𝗪𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 - A search could take >6 months - You have less leverage - Competition is much fiercer for posted jobs 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔 𝗝𝗼𝗯 = 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗝𝗼𝗯 - Maintain a regular schedule - Spend 40+ hrs a week on the hunt - Treat applications like work projects (high effort / quality) - Spend several hours researching / learning about companies before applying 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 (𝗦𝗲𝗺𝗶-)𝗟𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 - Titles mean very little - Apply --> use process to assess fit - Don't avoid applying because of perceived seniority diff - Best way to make a company want you: crush an interview process, and decline an offer (respectfully) 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 - Activate your relationships - Try to get referred for open jobs - Ask for intros to hiring teams <<< - But don't be pushy 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹 - Custom resume + cover letter every time - Cover letter should not be a novel - "Unique" resumes are bad resumes (eg unusual formatting, images, etc.) - Apply to MAX 2-3 roles per company - Submit ASAP, but not at the expense of high quality customization 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹 - Know the company's stated goals - Know who the competitors are - Know the company's market advantages - Be able to explain why working there / in that role will advance your career goals - Avoid language like "I'll take anything" or "I'm open to [x] because of the market" 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗮 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀 - The layoffs aren't done... - Low ratio of open jobs to current employees = BEWARE (eg: 30 jobs / 5000 employees) - Ask about recent budgeting / headcount processes, try to understand the funding direction of the biz - Incumbent businesses (big ones) are facing pressure to become efficient, meaning upstart + growth businesses are good options right now 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗱𝗷𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 - If you need a job, be willing to industry-switch - Taking a detour out of current industry is generally better than going unemployed 𝗔𝗱𝗼𝗽𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁 - >99% of your applications will not warrant a job offer - >90% of your networking requests will go unanswered - If you accept the two above statements, won't see time and effort as "wasted," or feel like you're failing. You are just in the process of finding the 1% outcome. Remember: you only need to "win" once, and the cycles of applying and interviewing will both better prepare you for future encounters, and also enrich your understanding of the broader market. #layoffs #jobsearching #google #activisionblizzard #paypal #block #okta

HOW TO RECESSION-PROOF YOUR CAREER 👇🏻 The layoff bells have been ringin' and as continue to move full-steam ahead during this election year (which historically have been... tumultuous) it's a great time to take control of your career. Obviously, you and I can't singlehandedly prevent you from getting laid off. But, you can use your time to put yourself in a defensive position so IF you find yourself without work, you have a foundation to keep you standing. Here are 3 tips to recession-proof your career as we navigate this shaky job market: 1. Double-down on transferable and soft skills: Transferable skills are corporate currency; think skills like Excel, data analysis, copywriting, UX design, campaign/project management, coding... it's an endless list and depends on your career path. Soft skills are the non-technical skills you have, like your ability to communicate effectively, build relationships, manage your time, and stay productive. Here's what you can do: ⚡️Review your transferable & soft skills 👉🏻 aka make a list & write them down! ⚡️Identify a few areas you want to develop 👉🏻 how can you fill in the gaps from your list? ⚡️Dedicate weekly time to learn (an hour a week is a good place to start!) 2. Up-level your network & digital image: Most jobs are filled through networking, so make time to maintain relationships and make an effort to develop new ones (even when it feels inconvenient or annoying). This could mean: 🌟 Going to the happy hour after work once a month 🌟 Scheduling a coffee chat with someone new 🌟 Sending an introductory email and LinkedIn note Beyond that - update your online profiles! Make sure your LinkedIn profile is reflective of: 👉🏻 Your current employment status 👉🏻 What you actually look like (update the pro pic!) 3. Start task-tracking: I am a HUGE advocate for task-tracking because it helps you identify where you're spending your time and the value you bring to the table. ⚡️ Keep a weekly list of the projects you're working on ⚡️ For each project, identify the IMPACT or SKILL developed from working on that project If you're looking for a tool to help you manage your career, check out the Own Your Career Template, which I'll include in the comments! #personalfinance #recession #career #ownyourcareer

The job market continues evolving rapidly, and I've noticed some key trends for those currently on the hunt: 🌟 Demand is rising for freelance and contract talent rather than permanent hires. With economic uncertainty, organizations seem more comfortable bringing on flexible project-based roles. ⭐ Hiring at consultancies and agencies appears to be rebounding faster than corporate/client-side teams. 🌟 Consultancies stacked with strategic capabilities are fielding heavier project requests from clients who have reduced headcount. ⭐ There's a pressing need for mid-level and senior-level talent who can ramp up quickly and execute across initiatives. Both consultancies and corporate teams want leadership who can hit the ground running. 🌟 Industries like healthcare, utilities, and certain tech segments seem less impacted by downturns. They're pressing forward with strategic roadmaps and seeking top talent to join their resilient teams. My advice is to align your experience and skills to these in-demand areas. Showcase your versatility and quick learning abilities. Be open to contract roles that get your foot in the door.   While the market remains competitive, opportunities exist for strategic thinkers who can clearly communicate their value. Stay proactive, leverage connections, and keep perspective through the process. The right fit will come with patience and perseverance. #bamboocrowd #jobhunting #strategicdesign

Getting the job you really want has never been easy. Keeping the job you already have is a source of increasing anxiety for many. According to a national survey by Insight Global, nearly 80% of employees expressed fear over losing their jobs, with almost a quarter of American workers indicating they are extremely worried about job loss. Those worries may not be ill-founded: in a recent survey of 900 companies by Resume Builder, nearly four in ten said they are likely to have layoffs in 2024. As mass layoffs, buyouts and company restructurings have become increasingly common, job security really has become a thing of the past. Your career “preventive maintenance” is your responsibility. I recommend taking a proactive stance toward your employment situation by performing a personal career check-up every six months. Consider the following 7 checkpoints to ensure you're not caught off guard by unforeseen challenges: 1. Job Satisfaction: Reflect on whether you still find fulfillment in your role. Assess if your current responsibilities align with your passion and skills. 2. Personal Goals and Objectives: Regularly evaluate if you're making progress toward your personal career objectives. This self-assessment ensures that your professional journey remains aligned with your aspirations. 3. Company Stability: Keep an eye on the overall stability of your company. Changes in leadership, financial health, or market dynamics can impact your job security. 4. Advancement Opportunities: Assess the availability of growth prospects within your current organization. Consider if there are opportunities for upward mobility that match your career goals. 5. Respect and Recognition: Gauge the level of respect you receive from both management and colleagues. A positive workplace environment contributes significantly to long-term job satisfaction and security. 6. Exploring External Opportunities: Periodically explore the job market to stay informed about potential opportunities elsewhere. This knowledge empowers you to make informed decisions about your career path. 7. Resource Preparedness: Be proactive in preparing for unexpected termination. Ensure your skills are up-to-date, maintain a robust professional network, and have contingency plans in place. By regularly checking in on these aspects of your professional journey, you're not just gearing up for potential challenges – you're also shaping yourself as someone who can roll with the punches and understands the importance of making the best of ever-changing circumstances. “We can create the ultimate job security by becoming less dependent on the organization for which we work and more dependent on our own resources.” - Bo Bennett #employment #layoffs #jobsecurity #careermanagement Image Credit: Brainyquote.com

𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰’𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝘁. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 (𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺) 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 Navigating an executive job search in a volatile election year like 2024 can be challenging but also presents unique opportunities. Here are my top three pieces of advice to ensure success: 1. 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗹𝘆 Election years are marked by uncertainty, which can cause companies to slow down their hiring processes. To counter this, focus on 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 your network. Engage with industry leaders, attend events (both virtual and in-person), and reconnect with former colleagues. Networking uncovers hidden opportunities that aren't advertised publicly. Bain & Company highlights the importance of using professional networks to navigate career transitions, especially during uncertain times. 2. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗲 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 Keep abreast of political developments and understand how potential policy changes could impact your industry. This knowledge allows you to tailor your pitch to address how you can help a company navigate these changes. According to Deloitte, being well-informed and adaptable positions you as a 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀. Demonstrating awareness of market and policy shifts can set you apart from other candidates. 3. 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀 Companies may be more cautious about hiring during election years, focusing on roles that directly contribute to their bottom line. Shift your job search strategy from seeking specific titles to demonstrating how you can create immediate value. Highlight your ability to drive growth, improve efficiency, and l ead teams through change. McKinsey & Company emphasizes that showcasing tangible impacts on a company's success is more compelling than holding out for a specific title. How are you leveraging the climate? I’m Loren Greiff, Executive Career Strategist Empowering executives with today's non conventional strategies to earn their seat at the table or make a new one. Click "book an appointment" link under my headline.