Find Your Dream Job: Insider Tips for Finding Work, Advancing your Career, and Loving Your Job

Applicant Tracking Systems get a bad rap. That’s understandable, since job seekers receive competing advice on how to “beat” or “get through” an ATS screening. It’s difficult to determine the best way to work with an ATS, but our guest Marie Zimenoff says it’s important for job seekers to understand why and how employers use an ATS in the first place. Marie explains some of the common misconceptions people have about Applicant Tracking Systems. About Our Guest: Marie Zimenoff Marie Zimenoff is the CEO of the Career Thought Leaders Consortium and Resume Writing Academy. She trains career professionals around the globe in resume writing, career coaching, and business development. Marie has delivered hundreds of presentations for career service providers, job seekers, and business leaders. She is also a frequent presenter at national conferences and the host of The Career Confidante podcast. Resources in this Episode: New Tool: Understand hiring tech and automation in this article, 'Dehumanising, impenetrable, frustrating': the grim reality of job hunting in the age of AI   Listener Question: Why do employers use vague, even misleading, job titles when they hire? That’s the question from Garry Rodgers of Medford, Ore. More from Marie Zimenoff: Two ATS Myths That Are Hurting Your Resume Results Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Mac announces the launch of the newest Mac's List resource: our Top Career Podcasts Guide for 2018. Each year,  Mac gleans Apple Podcasts for shows that can help people find meaningful, rewarding work. The Top Career Podcast Guide is the culmination of this work - a single directory with the best of the best programs for job seekers and active career managers.  This is our biggest podcast guide to-date, with 78 shows, many of them new to the list. With so many shows and diverse voices, you're sure to find great advice for any career-related challenge. To view the guide and download your free copy, visit TopCareerPodcasts.com.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You probably already know that your LinkedIn profile should not be an exact copy of your resume. LinkedIn can be a powerful tool to help you tell your professional story. Shelly Elslinger says you can use your LinkedIn presence to establish yourself as a leader, shape and tell a compelling story, and make powerful new connections to advance your career. All through the power of storytelling!  Shelly visits the Find Your Dream Job podcast to share specific tips to tell your story on LinkedIn. About Our Guest: Shelly Elsliger Shelly Elsliger is a globally recognized LinkedIn trainer and the president of Linked-Express. Shelly brings a unique breadth of knowledge, as well as fun and passion, to all her workshops and speaking engagements. Her signature workshop “LinkedIn: Rise Up and Lead Online” has helped countless professionals maximize both personal and professional brands and social media influence. Resources in this Episode: New Tool: Research confirms there’s hope for humanities majors. “The State of the Humanities 2018: Graduates in the Workforce & Beyond” Listener Question: Cheryl Jacoby of Vancouver, Wash. asks, How can I find an employer who will give me the flexible hours I need to take care of my family? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Returning to the workforce after a substantial break can be daunting. Leslie Yeargers managed this reintegration successfully, landing in a new role as an Intake Career Counselor, but she learned a lot, herself, along the way. Leslie credits her success to having clear goals and demonstrating how her volunteer work during her stay-at-home-parent years gave her valuable experience and skills for her new role. In this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, I talked with Leslie about how she honed in on her goals, navigated the ups and downs of her job search, and why her current job with Vicki Lind and Associates is so perfectly matched for her skills and interests.  Read the original article of Leslie’s Job Search on Mac’s List: www.macslist.org/success-stories/restarting-career-15-year-hiatus-leslie-yeargers-job-search-success-story Learn more about Vicki Lind and Associates: www.aportlandcareer.com/ Leslie Yeargers on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/leslieyeargers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last year LinkedIn offered a new option. You can now check a box visible only to recruiters that says you’re open to new opportunities. Recruiters can now search and find people who use this feature. Our guest expert this week is Donna Serdula, a nationally recognized LinkedIn expert. She says you need to do more if you want recruiters to find and talk to you. About Our Guest: Donna Serdula Donna Serdula is an nationally recognized expert in LinkedIn profile optimization. She’s also the founder of Vision Board Media and LinkedIn Makeover (www.linkedin-makeover.com).  And she’s the author of “LinkedIn Profile Optimization For Dummies,” (www.amazon.com/LinkedIn-Profile-Optimization-Dummies-Education/dp/1119287081/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8).  With more than 30 writers on her team, Donna has helped thousands of professionals and companies tell their stories and brand themselves successfully on LinkedIn. Resources in this Episode: New Tool: Narrow down your career options with CareerOneStop’s SkillsMatcher tool: www.careeronestop.org/Toolkit/Skills/skills-matcher.aspx Listener Question: We hear from Thomas Weissenberg in Germany, who’s about to start a job search in France, where he once worked for more than decade. Thomas wants to know how he can get his C.V. in front of leaders who want employees who can work in different cultures. More from Donna Serdula: How to Let Recruiters Know on LinkedIn That You’re Open: www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-really-let-recruiters-know-youre-open-donna-serdula/ Find keywords to use on LinkedIn with 500 Keywords to Boost Your Resume, via Jobscan: www.jobscan.co/blog/top-resume-keywords-boost-resume/%20http://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=685960&u=1287781&m=57041&urllink=www%2Ejobscan%2Eco%2Fblog%2Ftop%2Dresume%2Dkeywords%2Dboost%2Dresume%2F&afftrack= Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all know that LinkedIn is an important part of any job search. But too many people keep making basic mistakes on LinkedIn. Our guest expert Christie Mims shares four LinkedIn mistakes we can all avoid to improve the way we build and engage our network on LinkedIn. The key is the invest in your network before you need a favor.   About Our Guest: Christie Mims Christie Mims is the Founder and CEO of The Revolutionary Club (therevolutionaryclub.com), the number one destination for smart people who are unwilling to settle for anything less than career happiness. Her website has been named a Forbes Top 100 for careers, and she herself has been named one of the top 29 coaches to follow on the internet. Resources in this Episode: New Resource: How Job Listing Language Could Be Adding to Silicon Valley’s Gender Divide from KQED, explains how the words used in job descriptions affect the people who apply. Read the article: www.kqed.org/news/11642547/how-job-listing-language-could-add-to-silicon-valleys-gender-divide?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20180205 Bonus Resource: InHerSight (www.inhersight.com/) is a great tool for women looking to find a welcoming employer. Listener Question: Lisa Burns from Hood River, Ore. asks how you can find out about a company’s culture and show that you’re a good fit when you apply for a job. From Our Guest: Get Christie’s free workbook on finding your passion - visit revolutionaryclub.com to download. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most professionals avoid rookie blunders in a job interview. We do the research, practice answering questions, and shake hands and make eye contact in the meeting. But hiring managers say even the savviest of professionals make some errors again and again. And many of these errors are based in a lack of communication and self-knowledge. Our guest this week, Thea Kelley, says you need to know what makes you stand out, and sell yourself to the employer in the interview. About Our Guest: Thea Kelley Thea Kelley is a job search and interview coach based in the San Francisco Bay Area who serves job seekers nationwide. She’s also the author of the Amazon best-seller Get That Job!: The Quick and Complete Guide to a Winning Interview. Resources in this Episode: New tool: Try The Big Five personality test. It’s scientifically-based! Learn more in Most Personality Quizzes Are Junk Science. I Found One That Isn’t. from FiveThirtyEight: fivethirtyeight.com/features/most-personality-quizzes-are-junk-science-i-found-one-that-isnt/?src=obsidebar=sb_1 Listener question: Jay Townsend of Portland, OR asks whether it’s a good idea to ask for an internal recommendation from a hiring manager who turned you down for a previous job. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Culture fit and team chemistry are important factors in hiring today. If you’ve got a job interviewer, the hiring manager probably knows you’re qualified for the job. What they want to find out is whether you’ll fit in and work well with their team. While you need to prepare to answer tough questions in a job interview, you also need to be friendly and win over the hiring manager. In this episode, our guest shares lots of tips to do just that.   About Our Guest: Dalena Bradley Dalena Bradley is a professional resume writer, interview coach, and career marketing specialist. Before launching her own practice (www.dalenabradley.com), Dalena worked in corporate communications, was an executive recruiter with Woodworth International Group and served as an outplacement consultant with Lee Hecht Harrison. Resources in this Episode Resource of the week: The Planet Money team explains a lesser-known jobs statistic that highlights worker confidence. Listen to the audio clip: Why Quitting is Awesome (www.npr.org/sections/money/2018/01/09/576829352/why-quitting-is-awesome) Listener question: Marjorie Alvarez asks what to do when you notice a typo in a resume you just submitted to an employer From our guest: Dalena shares an additional resource with our listeners. Check it out here: www.dalenabradley.com/findyourdreamjob   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Taking a leap mid-career can be scary, especially when you’re looking at new roles across the country. Stephen Marc Beaudoin made it look easy to land a new nonprofit leadership role, but he approached his job search with a clear strategy, support from trusted advisors, and “a long runway.” Stephen has simple-sounding advice for every job seeker to strive for: know yourself and make decisions accordingly. Listen in to this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job. I talked with Stephen about his job search and the job he landed in, Executive Director of the Maryland Symphony Orchestra. Below, you can read Stephen’s essay to learn more about what he did to master his job search. Read the original article of Stephen’s Job Search on Mac’s List: https://www.macslist.org/success-stories/taking-mid-career-leap-stephen-marc-beaudoins-job-search-story Learn more about the Maryland Symphony Orchestra: www.marylandsymphony.org/ Stephen Marc Beaudoin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenmarcbeaudoin/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The resume is evolving, but it’s not dead. While paper resumes are less ubiquitous, there’s an essential feature at the core of the resume that professionals still need. We needed resumes decades ago because they were a way to tell your professional story in a brief, succinct way. Today, there are more ways to tell your story through technology, but your resume - both paper and digital versions - is still important. Approach your resume as an important piece of your professional life. It works alongside your professional relationships, volunteer work, organization memberships, and more. About Our Guest: Chris Fields Chris Fields owns and operates The Resume Crusade (resumecrusade.com) and has a master’s degree in labor relations and human resources from the Ohio State University. He has been featured on Mashable, Monster Thinking, and Oprah.com. Resources in this Episode: New Tool: Top 500 Resume Keywords to Boost Your Resume: www.jobscan.co/blog/top-resume-keywords-boost-resume Listener Question: Are job fairs worth my time? asks Jayne Morgan of San Diego, California. The answer is yes, but only if you’re prepared. Guest Resource: Chris’s advice is featured in the new book, Rip The Resume. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices