From my TikTok Account - Interviewing

 

 From my TikTok Account - Interviewing

https://www.tiktok.com/@allanwritescareers/video/7286595694431948062

Embracing Career Changes and Challenges.

 Embracing Career Changes and Challenges.

"You can sell ice to an eskimo with your experience but you MUST change your perspective and tactics. Look in other industries for SALES / CUSTOMER SUCCESS JOBS. Many of these jobs can be done remotely. The old verticals are in the past. They want young hunters. It sucks but that is the way it is. Think of three industries (B2B or B2C that interest you). 

If you think you can continue to do the same thing year after year, you are way off!!! That is not how life works! I KNOW you reboot your career but you cannot stay in the same industry. It sucks but life happens to all of us. I changed careers because I would have went PSYCHO on several idiots in web publishing. It is a dirty game and I hated it. I found my way, Marcus found his way, Pete found his way. Matt found his way and you will too if you think outside your comfort zone.

1. Car Sales

2. Truck Sales

3. Corporate Ticket Sales

4. High End Retail Sales

All of the above are just examples.

As for LI, these people are for networking only. Not friends or confidants. Delete all personal posts. Keep your business and personal separate.  

There are a ton of jobs out there in your field- many are remote. Think outside the box. You can find your way, maybe not make the $$$ your did in the past but it can lead to better opportunities, even at 63. If you have to take 2 part-time jobs, so be it.  It is OK. We all have been through a ton of crap in every phase of the game. Don't worry about what others think! I don't care what anybody thinks about me anymore. Nor should you.

In the interim, take some LinkedIn certification courses (related to your career) and add to the resume. STAY RELEVANT!!!!

Job Market News -

 Job Market News -

Payroll giant ADP estimated that 32,000 jobs were lost in the private sector last month, a large drop-off from the upwardly revised 47,000 jobs gained in October.

The job losses were overwhelmingly at small establishments (classified as having between one and 49 employees), which shed an estimated 120,000 jobs last month. Medium and large businesses added 51,000 jobs and 39,000 jobs, respectively.

By industry, the losses were more broad based, with some of the deeper drops in industries such as professional and business services, information and manufacturing.

Source: CNN

Remember - these numbers are regularly adjusted after publication and with seasonal employment on the rise (ex. retail, shipping during the holidays), expect these numbers to reverse.

Words for advice: Keep Your Business and Personal Separate

  Words for advice: Keep Your Business and Personal Separate

My father was an executive at a popular consumer products manufacturer many years ago. He was invited to an Sunday afternoon event on a boat that was sailing in the Long Island Sound by a famous and influential owner of a television conglomerate whose initials started with a "T".

When he arrived to the event, he was shocked to see that his boss was on the boat, with his mistress...the next day, my father arrived at the office and there was a 5-figure check waiting for him, along with the standard company severance package.

He was let go because he saw something he should not have seen...

He never attended another social event with business people again, despite the fact that he did nothing wrong.

Motto - Be careful about how you blend your business and personal lives. Whether it be invited to an event or decided to publish your political / social beliefs online or speak about your advocacy in the office, be wary of the consequences.

In short - "Keep your Business Business and your Personal Personal"

Easy to understand...keep that in mind when you evaluate your environment and what is or is not appropriate.

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) - Use of icons and separators / dividers

  Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) - Use of icons and separators / dividers

1. Never use icons on the resume; this will block ATS scanners.

2. Never use wingdings or another symbol. this will likely block the ATS. You can use a bullet that is within the context of the font - that is fine. You can also use the divider " | " is not considered a symbol and translates as text.

Job Market Issue / Trend - Unemployment

 Job Market Issue / Trend - Unemployment

Analysis by Goldman Sachs finds that lay-off announcements tend to run about two months ahead of actual jobless claims. The bank now puts the odds of a half-a-percentage-point rise in the unemployment rate over the next six months at as high as 25%, up from 10% in the spring. Thankfully, though, the economy has some buffers. Probably the most popular gauge for when to panic is the Sahm Rule, named after Claudia Sahm, a former Fed economist. The measure looks for a short, sharp rise in unemployment, which tends to happen when a recession is on the way, by comparing the current unemployment rate with its trough over the past year. In August 2024 it hit the danger zone, but only briefly. This year, unemployment has risen more slowly and the recession threshold is nowhere close to being reached.

Abridged - The Economist

Job Market Issue - Fear of losing your job.

 From the Economist:

Job Market Issue - Fear of losing your job.

A more plausible explanation for the present weak patch in the job market, and for companies’ reluctance to hire, is based on the significant changes that the Trump Administration has enacted. That is now beginning to ease. The chaos of Mr Trump’s tariff roll-out seems to be receding. Deportations and changes to visa rules will remain disruptive, but businesses are starting to adapt. Although 2026 is unlikely to be a year of calm and clarity for America, it may well be a bit less frenzied - good news for the labor market.

Even as investors and central bankers fret from the sidelines, American workers’ decade-long hot streak seems to have longer to run. 

TikTok - Submitting Your Resume

   TikTok - Submitting Your Resume

https://www.tiktok.com/@allanwritescareers/video/7312617437130738974

Job Offer - What to do next!

Job Offer - What to do next!

Never accept a job offer on the spot. Ask for a few days to evaluate all line items as related to the new engagement. Explain that you want to make sure you are making the right decision and will think through all the issues thoroughly. During this period, you can do your research and build your strategy for salary negotiation.

Artificial intelligence (AI) - Labor Market Disruption

Artificial intelligence (AI) has already become a disruptor in the labor market, as job postings declined over the past year by 6.7% YoY, with entry-level positions especially hard-hit. Job posting in the tech sector are down 36% as compared to pre-pandemic numbers.

The former is a cause / effect as a consequence of the use of AI but is also a cause by tariffs, government change, foreign policy and inflation. Those entering the job force are more affected because these are more junior / support roles as opposed to those in decision making roles.

The latter has to do with over-hiring in the sector during the over-hiring that occurred in 2021-2022.

In all events, you need to ramp up networking to find the what you are looking for. It is the best way to find jobs, postings not withstanding!

Source: CBS Sunday Morning

Why hiring managers do not like AI generated resumes - Misrepresentation

 Why hiring managers do not like AI generated resumes - Misrepresentation

Misrepresentation of content is a major issue as AI can sometimes include inaccurate or outdated information. AI-generated resumes may also overemphasize keywords for applicant tracking systems (ATS) without providing meaningful content for human reviewers. Finally, the use of AI in resume writing raises ethical concerns for some, who see it as a form of misrepresentation or taking a shortcut.