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1 Helpful Tip If You’re “Overqualified”

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Imagine working so hard all your life and gaining all this valuable professional experience, just to identify a job you really want and be told you’re “overqualified” for the role.

Boooo! It’s a really crappy situation.

Unfortunately, it really happens. And it isn’t fair

If it’s happened to you before, you might feel frustrated and cheated.

And you might feel confused about how to navigate your job search moving forward. Is it a bad thing you went and got several degrees in pursuit of depth of knowledge? Is it really all that terrible that you’ve spent YEARS acquiring valuable experience and skills?

It’s not.

And fortunately, there is something you can do to help you manage it. Let’s dive a little deeper.

WHERE’S THIS COMING FROM?

First, it’s worth it to understand where the hesitation to hire an “overqualified” candidate comes from.

The hardest part about hiring is actually keeping the people you hire–retention. Hiring managers fear that if they hire a candidate that checks off every box in the job description and much more, that candidate will get bored quickly and want to leave (and possibly come for their job). They’ll be right back in hiring mode way sooner than they wanna be, and as I’ve mentioned before, hiring can be a wildly expensive chore.

On the other hand, they’d rather find a candidate that maybe isn’t fully qualified but is eager to learn and grow into the role.

And there, my super qualified friends, lies your potential advantage in this game.

THE TIP YOU’RE LOOKING FOR

When you have a huge amount of experience or education or skill, it’s natural for you to rely on it as a selling point. 

Because…why wouldn’t you?

The problem is, rely too heavily on it and it could come off as a red flag, leaving you labeled as overqualified. A flight risk of sorts. So what do you do instead?

You take a page out of your less qualified counterparts’ book.

Instead of leaning heavily on your experience and education to do the heavy lifting, rely on your motivation to learn and grow in the role.

Remember: At the interview stage, the hiring team has already seen your extra juicy resume, so they already know you have the required skills and experience and then some.

So what else can you show them? Show them that despite your years in the game, you’re just as hungry to join this team, learn from the experience, and contribute to the culture. Be ready to explain how THIS role gives you the opportunity to still grow over time.

BONUS TIP

Get a referral from someone the hiring team can trust. Maybe a former colleague of the hiring manager, or someone who already works at the company or institution.

The hiring team is gonna be thinking: “Hmmm…why is Brandon applying for this job? This would be a step back for him. What’s his game? Can we even afford him?”

From a hiring manager’s perspective, it’s a little odd to see someone who’s significantly overqualified in the pool. Being that there’ll probably be at least a little bit of suspicion, it’ll go a long way if you can get a referral that can really vouch for you.

And lastly, I gotta say this because I want you to get all that you deserve. Ask yourself if you’re really ok with applying for jobs you’re overqualified for. Are you at peace with potentially settling for a role that has a lower pay range than what you can likely get by applying for bigger roles?

If so, go for it. Otherwise, maybe it’s time for you to start applying for those roles you’re a little bit underqualified for.

WHAT TO DO FROM HERE

Whether you’re overqualified or not, I want you to ask yourself (and be honest–no shame in the Gallant community!) if you feel like it’s time for a change in your career.

Do you feel like you’re burning out? Do you feel like you’re underpaid? Are you just not satisfied at work anymore?

It IS POSSIBLE for you to land a job that you actually want to go to (speaking from experience here).

If that sounds interesting to you, it’s time for us to have a quick little conversation. For free. Click here and sign up for a free consultation with me.

Let’s get you organized and started down a path that’s more fulfilling for you.

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4 Helpful Networking Tips For Shy People and Introverts

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Ready for this?

HERE’S A NETWORKING TASK!

Just kidding. But if that made you cringe or feel a little itchy, you might be a reluctant networker.

Lots of people are, especially the shy and/or introverted among us (like me).

If you’re an introvert, you’d probably never do any networking if you didn’t have to. But the truth is, networking is extremely important and useful when it comes to building your career. LinkedIn states that 70% of workers hired in 2016 had a connection at the company they were hired by. CNBC says as much as 80% of all jobs are filled through personal and professional connections.

Pretty significant.

Still, networking can be awkward, even if you aren’t the introverted type. The good news is that networking doesn’t have to be hard.

Read on for some tips to make it more manageable for you.

TIP #1: GET OTHER PEOPLE TALKING

If you’re shy or an introvert, you might prefer it when other people are doing the talking. So get other people talking! Take the night before your networking interaction to come up with a few open-ended questions (no yes-or-no questions homie) that prompt the person/people around you to do some informative storytelling. Make sure the questions you ask are relevant, though. You want to prompt stories that help you learn what you need to know to get you a little closer to your goal(s).

Speaking of goals…

TIP #2: GIVE YOURSELF A SMALL & SPECIFIC GOAL

Something easy to accomplish, but still useful according to your goals. Here’s some examples:

  • Get 5 people’s contact info at the conference you’re attending
  • Invite 5 people per month in your [target] industry to connect on LinkedIn, and then introduce yourself to them
  • Send a quick hello and brief life update to a former mentor you really connected with back in the day

Giving yourself small, easily attainable goals creates easy wins. Shout out dopamine boosts!

TIP #3: DON’T APPLY TOO MUCH PRESSURE

You have to apply some amount of pressure to your goals, of course, but applying too much pressure (on yourself, other people, or your networking interactions) can backfire. For example, the purpose of your networking interactions doesn’t have to be, “Man, I hope this person gets me a job.” That’s a lotta pressure, both on you and the person you’re reaching out to. The bar for success in that scenario is also extremely high–anything less than that person getting you a job is a “failure.” 

Remember, you don’t have to hit home runs. Small, actionable, achievable outcomes that you can control (or at least greatly influence) is the name of the game.

TIP #4: ENLIST HELP

Do you have any non-introverted friends that are connected? If so, ask them to help you by making introductions or breaking the ice! Having someone there with you in the experience can help alleviate some of the anxiety you might be feeling. Lean on the strengths of your good friends and close connections (while remembering to respect their time and energy, of course) to help you navigate and create new professional relationships.

And don’t forget to thank them!

WRAPPING UP

Networking is kinda just awkward. Prepare ahead of time so you can skillfully get others to do the talking. Give yourself small and specific goals. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, the other person, or the interaction. Enlist help when and where appropriate.

Don’t worry. Practice and you’ll master it in time, just like a bunch of other things you’ve mastered.

Next Issue on May 11th: Finding Work-Life Balance

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How To Identify Transferable Skills

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We’ve all heard of transferable skills by now. But what are they? How do you identify YOUR transferable skills? And once you’ve identified them, how do you describe them in ways an employer in a different field or company can grasp?

Put simply, transferable skills are skills that can be applied in different situations or environments. We all have them, but sometimes they can be hard to identify and describe.

Before getting into how to identify and talk about yours, let’s take a look at some classic examples of transferable skills and why they’re important.

TeachingCritical ThinkingProblem SolvingCoordinating
Relationship BuildingTeamworkListeningCustomer Service
PlanningFlexibilityFlexibilityEvaluating
ManagementOrganizationPublic SpeakingMentoring

As you can see from the table above, there’s lots of transferable skills, and you probably have a decent amount of these.

Let’s pause right quick. You might notice that these are generally what we’d also call “Soft Skills.” Soft skills are mostly interpersonal, while hard/technical skills are mostly industry or job specific. 

Part of why soft skills are so valued by employers is because they’re relatively difficult to teach. How many week(s) long trainings have you sat through at work where communication or collaboration was a big topic? And how many communication- or collaboration-related problems did you encounter at work after said training? Exactly.

Highlighting your transferable skills well will make you a much more attractive candidate because hiring managers know the value of soft skills: they’re absolutely necessary for success in the workplace.

So let’s take a look at how you can practice identifying and describing your transferable skills.

DE-CENTER THE CONTEXT

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Changing Careers: The 4 Steps To Doing It Right

One of the more frequent conversation topics I have with people is career pivoting. Moving from one career field or industry to another.

If you’ve ever thought about switching careers, you’re not unlike a lot of people. According to Apollo Technical, 32% of workers between the ages of 25-44 considered changing careers in the last year. That’s a pretty big number.

And while lots of people consider changing careers, many find the challenge of doing so intimidating. 

Pivoting from one career to another can be difficult. Sure, there are those overnight success stories, but those are few and far between. The much more common reality is that it’s going to take you time, effort, planning, and resources. 

And that’s ok, because you CAN get the job done! People of all ages can and do pivot careers every year. Here’s what I’ve learned about how to successfully change your career.

COMMIT TO IT

First of all, no, it is not too late for you to change your career. You are not too old. You did not wait too long. Yes, you are smart enough. Yes, you can do what it takes.

You just have to commit to it. Changing careers is no small task. You need to decide that this is happening. A lack of commitment to the process and goal will likely draw out the search longer than what it probably needs to be.

Don’t get me wrong. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to give 100% of your energy and time to your pivot. Even if you can only manage 20%, GIVE 20% and be consistent. The idea is to put consistent action into the goal of changing careers. Making it real will help you find more success.

SELF-ASSESSMENT

The real work begins once you’ve committed to the idea that you’re going to change your career. First step: a thorough self-assessment.

The first part of your self-assessment is your goals. What do you hope to accomplish with this pivot? Professionally AND personally. What’s on your list that this pivot will allow you to cross off? Map out your goals. Think short-term, long-term, lifestyle, and ultimate.

The next part is your values. What are the principles that you want to be surrounded by once you’ve successfully pivoted? What type of environment do you want to work in? What do you value in your personal and professional life that this career change will help you achieve or maintain? This is sorta your “Why” behind it all.

And finally, your skills. This tends to be the part lots of people struggle with the most, so let’s break it down some.

I know what I wanna do…

If you already know what you want to switch to, cool. Do you already have the necessary skill set for those roles? And if so, do those skills energize you? If the answer to those questions is yes, let’s go! You’re in a great spot and you may be ready to start applying already.

If you don’t have the necessary skills yet, that’s ok, but you may need to do some skill building to make yourself a viable candidate. There’s nothing wrong with that! Do some research into options that work best for you. Talk to people who have made similar career shifts about how they built the necessary skills.

If you do already have the skills necessary for your desired role, but those skills don’t energize you, you might want to briefly re-evaluate why you want to go into that type of role. Even if you’re good at something, your risk for burning out early goes up if you don’t enjoy doing it.

I don’t know what I wanna do…

If you don’t yet know what type of job or field you want to switch to, ok, let’s start with the basics. What are your top skills? Which of those skills energize you the most? Use those skills as your guide! In what field/roles can you use those skills the most? Some job search engines allow you to search for jobs by skill. Utilize those to help you identify jobs that might align with your skills and interests.

Notice I said things that energize you. Not things you’re passionate about. That’s because “passion” in a work sense can be elusive. Lots of people aren’t really sure about what their passion is, but identifying skills that they get energy from (think: flow state) is a much more reachable task.

YOU NEED A PLAN

Many of us are not particularly organized, especially when it comes to a job search. Building an action plan around your career change goal will not only help organize you, it will also help you use your energy more strategically. Come up with a plan that outlines what you need to know, what you need to do, and who you need to talk to. And give yourself deadlines for each task.

YOUR NETWORK

Build your network! Use LinkedIn, tap into your friendships, go to networking events. Try to meet people who are currently doing the work you want to do. Your goal doesn’t have to be “hopefully this person gets me a job” every time you network. Just learning helpful information from them can be powerful. You want to expand your network to include people who can help you learn. And remember, be respectful in your outreach. Everyone is busy with their own priorities, so be mindful of their time if and when you ask something of them.

WRAPPING UP

Changing careers is hard. But it’s definitely possible, and people do it every year. Commit yourself to the process and goal, conduct a thorough self-assessment, build yourself a strategic plan, and expand your network. One day in the future, you’ll look up and find yourself with a whole new job title in a whole new field.

Next Issue on April 13th: Identify Your Transferable Skills

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The 5 Major Screening Factors That Get You Hired

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Do you ever wonder what hiring managers are looking for in their candidates?

The specifics of what a hiring manager needs for a particular job will vary depending on the job, the company, and potentially a variety of other considerations, of course, but there tends to be a pretty consistent 5 themes.

These 5 themes make up the 5 Major Screening Factors. Master these screening factors, and you’ll position yourself as a frontrunner in your job search.

SCREENING FACTOR #1: PERSONALITY

That’s right. When it comes down to it, and all the remaining candidates are technically qualified for the role, the deciding factor is often personality.

Do they like you?

Do they feel like you’d work well with the other employees?

Does your communication style vibe with theirs?

Would your energy level work well for this role?

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Cover Letter Troubles? Here’s How to Write Them Well

THE GRAVY, ISSUE 5

Cover letters scare lots of job seekers. 

“How do I write a good cover letter?” 

“How long should it be?” 

“What about the heading and address and all that stuff? What do I do about all that?” 

“Should I write a general cover letter, or a specific one for each job?”

Let’s talk about cover letter writing. And guess what! Cover letters (in my opinion) are actually pretty easy. Especially compared to resumes.

FIRST THING’S FIRST…

Cover letters are easy because they’re short. Really short. The whole thing, including the heading, the addressing, and content, should be 1 page. That means your actual content should be around half a page–4 paragraphs, 14-17 sentences.

You can do that.

If your cover letter is longer than 1 page, it’s probably too long. Kinda like resumes, nobody likes reading cover letters. Hirers read them mostly out of necessity, so don’t give them a whole essay. It’s overwhelming. Give them the highlights in 1 page, single spaced, and standard font size/type.

YOUR HEADING AND ADDRESSING

Your cover letter heading should be the same as your resume heading:

Name nice and big, with your contact information and maybe your LinkedIn profile (if you have one and it’s ready to go) below it. The consistency will help you stick in the minds of your readers.

Then comes the addressing. Personally, I think this part is just a relic of a time when people would actually mail in application materials. It’s not the most important thing in your cover letter, but it’s nice to include it correctly since it’s still convention. Here’s what you should include:

  • Date
  • Hiring Manager’s Name
  • Hiring Manager’s Title
  • Company Name
  • Company Address Line 1
  • Company Address Line 2

Followed by: “Dear [Hiring Manager’s Name],”

Here’s the thing. It’s often kinda hard to find the name and title of the hiring manager because it’s not always listed anywhere. If you can’t find it, just leave it out of the address part and instead start your letter with “Dear Hiring Committee/Manager.”

Pretty easy, right? Stick with me!

LETTER CONTENT: INTRO

This is the part where people’s struggles begin, but there’s a strategy and organization to writing a good letter. Again, I recommend 4 paragraphs, starting with an intro.

Your introduction paragraph should be just that: An introduction. Introduce yourself, how you found out about the job posting, what you’re excited about, and what the reader will discover about you as they continue to review your candidacy.

You want to do this in a way that is unique to you. For example, you’re not just a talent acquisition professional, maybe you’re a bilingual talent acquisition professional with a passion for building reliable relationships that produce mutually beneficial outcomes. The opportunity to hone in on the details of the company’s acquisition process excites you, and you’re confident that you can leverage those details to attract and hire top tier talent.

Think of it like this: Imagine that the candidate pool is 100 people. You want to write an intro that maybe 15 other candidates could write. That’s how you stand out from the crowd. 3-4 sentences.

LETTER CONTENT: PARAGRAPH 1

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