Scale Up Strategies: The Business Podcast for Coaches, Consultants, and Speakers

Ask A Pro!: Insider Tips to Land Your Dream Job with Special Guest, Sharon Bondurant

January 15, 2024 Laura Bashore and Mary Fain Brandt Season 2 Episode 2
Ask A Pro!: Insider Tips to Land Your Dream Job with Special Guest, Sharon Bondurant
Scale Up Strategies: The Business Podcast for Coaches, Consultants, and Speakers
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Scale Up Strategies: The Business Podcast for Coaches, Consultants, and Speakers
Ask A Pro!: Insider Tips to Land Your Dream Job with Special Guest, Sharon Bondurant
Jan 15, 2024 Season 2 Episode 2
Laura Bashore and Mary Fain Brandt

Navigating the job search maze requires more than just a polished resume; it's about selling your story and showing up as the CEO of your own career.

Ever wondered how to edge out the competition in a job market that's as unpredictable as the stock market? Sharon Bondurant, the mastermind behind AZ Techfinders, joins us to share her invaluable insights on transforming your career trajectory into a success story. 

Tune in to arm yourself with cutting-edge strategies, from crafting voicemails that captivate, to leveraging LinkedIn's untapped messaging powers for making that lasting impression.

 In our conversation, we break down the nuances of application personalization, the importance of networking even when you're comfortably employed, and the ideal timeline to kickstart your job hunt. 

We wrap up with an exclusive look at our caffeinated career packages, specially brewed to guide professionals through the ebbs and flows of their career progression. 

Join us and let's strategize on how to brew your career to perfection, landing you that dream job or the well-deserved promotion.

Text us your Thoughts

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Thank you for listening to Scale Up Strategies: The Business Growth Podcast for Coaches, Consultants, and Speakers.

If you enjoyed the show - follow, rate, and share our podcast with your network!

We'd love to hear directly from you:
bizscaleuppod@gmail.com


Connect with Laura and Mary on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraobashore/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryfainbrandt/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/scale-up-strategies-the-business-growth-podcast

Thank you to our Sponsors:
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Show Notes Transcript Chapter Markers

Navigating the job search maze requires more than just a polished resume; it's about selling your story and showing up as the CEO of your own career.

Ever wondered how to edge out the competition in a job market that's as unpredictable as the stock market? Sharon Bondurant, the mastermind behind AZ Techfinders, joins us to share her invaluable insights on transforming your career trajectory into a success story. 

Tune in to arm yourself with cutting-edge strategies, from crafting voicemails that captivate, to leveraging LinkedIn's untapped messaging powers for making that lasting impression.

 In our conversation, we break down the nuances of application personalization, the importance of networking even when you're comfortably employed, and the ideal timeline to kickstart your job hunt. 

We wrap up with an exclusive look at our caffeinated career packages, specially brewed to guide professionals through the ebbs and flows of their career progression. 

Join us and let's strategize on how to brew your career to perfection, landing you that dream job or the well-deserved promotion.

Text us your Thoughts

SPONSOR
TEAM Referral

https://teamreferralnetwork.com/san-diego-region/

Are you an entrepreneur or a small business owner? How are you attracting business? Join San Diego's Elite team referral networking group. Don't hire a sales team. Join one Call today 619-731- 0395 or visit team referral networkcom to give your business the boost that it needs. Team together, everyone achieves more. 

Thank you for listening to Scale Up Strategies: The Business Growth Podcast for Coaches, Consultants, and Speakers.

If you enjoyed the show - follow, rate, and share our podcast with your network!

We'd love to hear directly from you:
bizscaleuppod@gmail.com


Connect with Laura and Mary on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraobashore/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryfainbrandt/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/scale-up-strategies-the-business-growth-podcast

Thank you to our Sponsors:
Streamyard
Grab your opportunity to elevate your streaming content with Streamyard: https://streamyard.com?fpr=maryfainbrandt

BuzzSprout
Thinking about starting your own podcast or leveling up by switching hosts? Use our code: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=2110162
Receive $20 through BuzzSprout's Refer a Friend Program

Mary Fain Brandt:

Welcome to the Redefine Your Career Journey Podcast, where we help career minded professionals like you become the CEO of your career.

Laura Bashore:

I'm Laura Bashore and I'm here with my co-host, Mary Fain Brandt. Together, we have over 25 years of experience in career development and coaching.

Mary Fain Brandt:

We're thrilled to share our insights and expertise with you on this podcast, please grab your favorite cup of coffee, tune in and let's start the show.

Laura Bashore:

Today's going to be an exciting episode. We have a special guest joining us to discuss what you need to do to stand out from the competition in today's job market. We'll be joined shortly by Sharon Bondurant, and Sharon is the CEO and founder of AZ Techfinders and has been in business for over 25 years.

Mary Fain Brandt:

That's a long time to be in business. So, laura, what's in your cup today? I?

Laura Bashore:

I actually don't have a cup today. It's a what yeah?

Mary Fain Brandt:

it's a very trying One of the coffee queens, like our whole branding. We have the caffeinated career packages for our job seekers out there. Talk about coffee. Oh, I'm going to have to fly out there right now. Stat with some espresso for you.

Laura Bashore:

Yeah. So it was either grab the extra cup of coffee or try to make sure that all of my audio was working today, because after I dropped my kids off at school, my plan was to walk the dog, have another cup of coffee because I have had one, okay, and you know, we'll just get ready for our podcast but my power went out.

Mary Fain Brandt:

So luckily I had those things always happen when you've got like a big day planned, right Well yeah, of course, and you know I would say it's okay because there's no visual to this.

Laura Bashore:

But now that we are recording our podcast, let me know if you can tell that I've not showered. Okay, too much information, okay.

Mary Fain Brandt:

Well, let's move on to the show. First off, I want to give a big shout out to StreamYard, who's an official sponsor of redefine your career journey podcast. That's what you're listening to right now, and StreamYard they make it so easy to do live streaming or recording, and that's what I love. And, as you can see, you can have all this cool branding. We're going to drop some links in the show notes in case you're interested in using StreamYard for streaming or for a podcast. Well, hello everyone. We are so thrilled to be recording these episodes today and our first episode. We have, as Laura said, sharon Bond around on and she's going to be sharing some game changing insights on how to stand out in the job market and navigate the sometimes challenging world of job applications and interviews.

Mary Fain Brandt:

A little background about Sharon. I was kind of stalking her I know that's what I do on LinkedIn so I had recently moved to Arizona and I was looking for local recruiters in the Arizona area, and what was so wonderful about LinkedIn is that you can do these very narrow searches and you can find people that you're looking for, whether you're a career seeker or a business owner. This is one way that you can use LinkedIn. So I found Sharon and I followed her for a while, like what is she all about, what's her expertise? And after following her and her content because she was consistent in putting content out I was like this is someone I want to get connected to and get to know and fast forward. I was supposed to meet her in an event and I think I ended up not going to that event. But we have worked together, we've gotten to know each other and she is just going to drop some nuggets of wisdom on our listeners today.

Laura Bashore:

That's right, Mary. Our guest is going to give us the inside scoop on what candidates can do to truly shine in the eyes of potential employers. So let's welcome to the show Sharon Bond around.

Mary Fain Brandt:

Hey Sharon, Hi Mary, Thanks for joining us Of course, of course.

Sharon Bondurant:

Thanks for that intro. I am so excited.

Mary Fain Brandt:

Yeah, I'm just very excited to get you on here because I know that you have a wealth of knowledge, especially local knowledge. But just as a CEO and founder of your own business for 25 years, before we dive into your strategies and tips, sharon, why don't you go ahead and tell the listeners a little bit about your career journey, your business and just yeah, your journey.

Sharon Bondurant:

Yeah, I would love to. So my journey started actually 25 years ago, as you mentioned, and I totally can relate to people that are looking to pivot right now or they're looking to change jobs, because I was that person too a long time ago. I was recently out of college and didn't know what I wanted to do and really through process of elimination, I tried so many different jobs. I would try them and really quickly identify that they weren't the perfect fit for me, and I stumbled on recruiting a couple years out of college and just immediately fell in love with it and thought I would do it forever. And fast forward 25 years. I'm still doing it. I still really really love helping other people find rewarding work that they really enjoy.

Sharon Bondurant:

So my journey started really as far as my own company. It was when my first son was born. I was going to go back to the company that I had worked for for three years at that time and after my first son was born, I realized I needed to shift some things and back then you couldn't work remotely. There wasn't really such a thing as working from remote. There wasn't cell phones, google, linkedin or anything. So at that time I just decided to make that break and start out on my own. And it's just organically built here locally in the Arizona market. So we specialized in IT, hr and finance placement for local companies here.

Mary Fain Brandt:

I love that. I love your story. Um. So I kind of want to pick today's episode off with a stat that I read because I don't know about you guys, but there's a lot of chatter, online chatter that the job market has cooled and you know we can't find jobs. People are like, oh, I can't find jobs. I've applied to you know hundreds of jobs I'm not getting. I'm not getting interviews, I'm not getting any jobs. Well, this stat I'm going to read this to you guys the U? S economy added 150,000 jobs in October. Weaker than expected job growth in October, but a slight uptick in unemployment show that the it does show that the red hot job market is finally cooling, but I don't believe it's ice cold yet. Unemployment unemployment rate rose from 3.8% in September to 3.9% in October, so to me that's not a freeze out. Is it starting to cool a little bit? Yes, but should job seekers be concerned? Sharon?

Sharon Bondurant:

You know, I think that, just to echo what you're saying there are so many jobs out there. The job market, especially in Arizona, locally here, is extremely strong. So I do think that there's more people either selectively looking or actively looking at this present time. But there's plenty of jobs and maybe the strategy which we'll talk about just needs to change a little bit. So if there are, you know, people in your audience that are looking for work or have been looking for work for, you know, longer than they would like, there are some things that they can do right now and, you know, over the next couple of days to change that, so we can talk more about it, and that's a really good point, because I feel like sometimes these things are just talking points and they're meant to be able to get clicks and have people open them up.

Laura Bashore:

And then, even when you're getting stats from things like the labor statistics, you know they need to get people to read their information as well. I really love the story that you shared real quickly. Sharing because that's how I started my own business too, was after my first son was born. When you were talking, I was like, oh, that's my story too. That's how I fell into doing it on my own and thinking, oh, okay, well, maybe I could have my own company. So that's amazing. But I say that because this is the time of year when I also see a lot of those who have been at home with their child looking at getting back into the job market, because they're thinking about and reflecting on how their year went and maybe it's time for them to get back in with the areas that you focus in on. Can you maybe talk a little bit about what that looks like when you're trying to get back into the field if you've been out of it for a while?

Sharon Bondurant:

Yeah, so there's a couple different things. I think the first thing to do when you're looking to go back you know and find a new position or go back to work, is to really take a moment and think about you know what's really important for you as far as company culture. So, for example, there's many roles that require you in the office five days a week, and there's also companies that you can find where they are more flexible and you can have either a hybrid role or work remotely. So I think it's important to really identify just what you are open to and, ideally, what type of work situation you know you're open to. The next thing you know, as both of you ladies know, like LinkedIn is so important to make sure that you have the right profile that you are using that to the best of your ability.

Sharon Bondurant:

There's so many different things that you can do on LinkedIn to make sure that you are standing out and that employers will not only find you, but if you do apply for a role, they will. You know they will be looking at your LinkedIn profile. So these days, it's just as important as your resume. So those are things that you can start doing right now, you know, over the holidays or you know, a little bit in advance to when you actually want to start looking. Yeah, I would say those two things are really like the standout things that come to mind.

Laura Bashore:

And then I know you had for our listeners you wanted to share three essential strategies that they can use to stand out in the competitive job market. Do you want to kind of dive into that for us?

Sharon Bondurant:

Yeah, sure, so I was telling Mary earlier. You know, before we jumped on, I do, I talked to so many candidates and they, you know, I am seeing a pattern where they will tell me. You know, I've had to apply to so many more positions lately. One candidate told me that she felt like, using, like the AI tools, everything is much more automated. So she was feeling like it was really difficult for her to actually get a, like a personal response. So, you know, we talked about some things and it really correlates to what we're talking about here, which is anything that you can do to stand out and it's kind of, you know, kind of old school.

Sharon Bondurant:

Going back to, for example, if you see a position on LinkedIn, doing some research and really identifying like, who is that hiring manager? Whether it's the recruiter, that's usually it'll be posted, maybe who the recruiter is. So that's kind of the easy find is to go and personally connect with that person on LinkedIn. You can not only, you know, send a connection, but you can, you know, send a quick message. You can use video these days if you're on your phone, just to personally connect. So that's one strategy, but a lot of times the hiring manager might not even be listed. And for that you can easily do you know research if you go to the people tab in LinkedIn, or the company rather, and put that company in and usually it'll show like all the people in the organization and you can scroll through and kind of guess you know and do some further research on who the hiring manager might be and reaching out to them personally. Because if you do that you are standing out.

Sharon Bondurant:

I would say you're the 1% you know, and being a recruiter and seeing how our candidates apply to our roles, most of them don't reach out personally. It's a very small percentage and if they do, I remember them, my team remembers them. So that's one really really quick way to do that. And the other thing is really again, it's like old school but calling, like again you're the 1% if you are calling and just saying, hey, I saw your role and I feel like I am such a good fit because of you know less, two or three reasons, even if you have to leave a voicemail and show your excitement, your passion and your professionalism and leave that message. And that's like the number one thing I think I could recommend to someone again, because most people just they don't do it.

Mary Fain Brandt:

I feel like picking up the telephone was it was such a thing of the past and I feel like it's making a comeback because I'm getting more phone calls, even from colleagues that normally would text. They're just picking up the phone. I think we're on text overload, email overload. So I love that you said pick up the phone. I think we're on the call them, even if it's just leaving a voicemail. I think that it shows initiative.

Sharon Bondurant:

Totally, and I personally, because when we're doing business development calls in the office, we have a power hour two days a week. So my team, you know we're always focused on okay, how can we get more positions and more roles for our candidates? And so we, you know, we all get on a power hour. We mute our phone or mute our video and we just call for an hour, and I do. I love getting voicemail because it's your snapshot of 30 seconds to tell that person on the other end of the phone why you're a good fit for the position and why you might want to work with that company, and it's just planting seeds. So you just have to, you know, be consistent and keep doing that with each role that you know a candidate's truly interested in and it will it will result in something really good, and it plays into what you were saying about doing research, because maybe people don't call because they think, well, they don't provide a number.

Laura Bashore:

Well, take the next step and look for it right, because, to your point, sharon, that is how you're going to stand out, because nobody's calling. I mean, honestly, I don't get a lot of calls from people. I also don't answer my phone often, but if someone leaves me a voice message and tells me exactly why they're calling, I'll call them back. You know it's when you're ambiguous about what you want or what you need, you know. So what was another one? Because I know we talked about two right now, but I know you said your three strategies. What's the third one?

Sharon Bondurant:

Yeah, the other thing that you know we were mentioning is just the usage of LinkedIn messaging and video. Again, like you ladies know, like there's that feature that is so underused. So, if you go on your phone and you connect with someone on LinkedIn and they accept your invite, you can. I don't think, mary, can you do it on your desktop? I don't think you can. I think you have to be on your phone.

Mary Fain Brandt:

Yeah, so you mobile, for a voicemail, for a voice note. It's on mobile. You can take your phone and record a video, and I'm sure I did this to you, sharon, at some point. I'm like, hey, sharon, thanks for connecting with me, looking forward to learn more about. I literally will pick up my phone and do that, and the response I get is like I didn't know you could do that, or you're a real person, you're not a bot or a robot, it's not ai. So I think, as you said, sharon, it's way underutilized sending a voice note or a video. You can also record a professional video With no name and have it more vague, right? Say hey, just want to say thanks for connecting with me. I'm looking forward to learning more about you and your business. If you have a chance, let's jump on a coffee online. You know a coffee chat and you can upload that on desktop, but that would be a generic one because otherwise you have to record for each person. So use this device right here.

Sharon Bondurant:

Let's start sending audio and video messages.

Sharon Bondurant:

Yeah, right, you could do audio if you're, you know, a little bit shy on video, but definitely I would challenge you to do that. And when you look at a job description, it's usually I would say the first three to five things responsibilities and requirements on that job description that are most important. So if you look at those and then you personalize your message and how your background, you know, compares to what they're looking for, that's going to immediately get them, especially if you can pinpoint something like, for example, let's say you're looking for a role In HR and it's for an airline and you see that the, the job position, requires past airline experience. Well, if you have that, again you're the, you're the 1%, maybe the half percent. So leaving a voicemail and letting them know we're doing a video and saying I actually have that background from Alaska Airlines or you know, whatever airline that you had, I mean, that's immediately going to make you stand out.

Sharon Bondurant:

So I would again like be strategic in who you're, you know, reaching out to. I had one candidate you know earlier today that said that they had sent out like 1500 resumes and only to like three people. And so you again, you know, I think, your audience, that you just want to be strategic, like really pick out the positions where you feel that you have that experience and it's outlined on your resume so someone looking at that can easily and quickly Really point out and identify like okay, this candidate is definitely qualified. Like the easier you can make it on the hiring manager, the better.

Mary Fain Brandt:

We call that thrown spaghetti at the wall, hoping that one piece sticks. And that is not a plan, that is not a strategy and that is something that, lauren, I really help our clients. So, to our listeners, if you're looking for a career coach, we have our caffeinated career packages. We have the latte, the espresso and the nitro package. So we have done do it yourself, done with you and done for you. So, depending on where you're at In your career journey, what your time frame is and what your budget is, we have three packages Created and developed to help you get to that next level, whether it's getting the job or getting a promotion. And it's not about sending out. I can't even imagine sending out 1500 resumes, which tells me, sharon, that person sent the same resume to everyone.

Laura Bashore:

Yes.

Mary Fain Brandt:

Exactly, and that is a big mistake. They didn't tailor it for each of those positions plus 1500 resumes. I'm like they. I mean I'm imagining that they applied to probably five different types of positions instead of like here's the two positions I want and I'm qualified for and here's the 10 companies I'm gonna target. It's all about strategy, folks.

Sharon Bondurant:

Yeah, and I've heard that from several people, like it just so happened, it was this morning from one but I mean, and I feel like I feel they're paying too, because after doing that, not only that, but it's so easy when you are looking for a job. If it's involuntarily, you know, you've been put in that situation, you've applied to all these places, you want to get a good job and a good role and you can't find something. It's super demotivating. It's, you know, depressing especially around the holidays and yeah.

Sharon Bondurant:

Yeah, there's just so much that goes into it. Especially having you know, like your family is always asking like How's it going? Do you have any interviews lined up? You know it's it can emotionally take a toll on you and your confidence. So you want to make sure if you are having that situation where you've applied to so many you know positions, it might not be the job market, it might be just a tweak that you need to do and be with a coach you know, like Mary and Laura, where they can identify like where okay, where do we need to change things so that you are getting you know more interviews and more callbacks?

Mary Fain Brandt:

More.

Sharon Bondurant:

It might be more than yeah, it might not be the market, you know, you just might need to tailor something and I'm surprised with how people don't seem to understand how to read a job description.

Laura Bashore:

I mean, some they're really vague, right. We've seen those ones where they just kind of list their company and the title and they're like live person.

Sharon Bondurant:

Yeah, very long, right, like I've seen job descriptions that are like three pages long.

Laura Bashore:

Right, we're trying to figure out what's important and what's not, but it's so important that you look at a couple of different job descriptions for the type of title you want and then start tailoring that. So thank you so much for sharing those insights with us. I mean, I knew when Mary booked you I was going to be excited to have you on, but I love everything you're sharing so far. It's just exactly on point. Um, so can you tell us a couple of things that we feel Job seekers should focus on throughout their journey?

Sharon Bondurant:

Yeah, I think you know one of the things, how we were just talking about just your confidence, like if you've been applying to a lot of different jobs, it can really affect that, or you start to take things really personally. I know I. I mean, it's natural, it's human nature to do that. So you know one of the things that I see, just, you know, in trend, things are taking a little bit longer now, like our clients are taking more time, they're reviewing more candidates. Sometimes things are shifting in their business quick, they always do but sometimes you know that that goes into how fast they're moving.

Sharon Bondurant:

So I think, though, the one thing that I could say is just don't take it personally. Really, be conscious that it's not you. You know that that phrase it's not you. Yeah, it usually isn't. It's usually just that the hiring managers are, you know, overloaded with other projects. It might not be top of, you know, top of mind, or it might be a top priority, and they just can't get to interviewing all of the candidates that they need to, or even scheduling.

Sharon Bondurant:

We have one client where they're like send us just one person a week, like one resume, that's all I have time to review. Wow. So you know we work with each client. Each client, you know, has different needs and they want to go about the process. We're very customized to what our clients are needing. But, that being said, yeah, just don't take it personally. Just let it kind of, you know, slide off your shoulders and just keep moving forward and just keep focusing on you're doing everything that you can and just making that best presentation and keeping your excitement and your passion, you know, as high as possible, because that really does play into whether a Hiring authority wants to hire. You know you. So if you have two candidates and they're equally qualified, but one wants the job, or it seems like they want the job better, more, and they're more excited about it, then that's usually the person that's going to get the offer. So you want to really make selling yourself.

Mary Fain Brandt:

Yeah, when you want to make sure you, whether you're a salesperson or not, you need to understand that you're there to sell yourself. Yeah, you are the best candidate. And so if you go in like uh-huh, like very Bland right, yeah, yeah, I can do that. You know, if you're very I Don't want to say you quiet or meek, but your demeanor plays a big role. They're gonna remember. The person is like Sharon, I am so excited to become the next HR recruiter in your company. You know my background, I have the skills, but I know working for you. I'm gonna learn even more and I'm excited because that tech industry is really what I want to get into. It's that energy level and that's gonna make or break it when you're, when, if you have two or three Qualified candidates same experience, same qualification and one comes in there. They've done the research of the company, they're super excited, their energies high and I want to see that research part, you know.

Mary Fain Brandt:

Anyone can do it, anyone can do it, but are you doing it?

Laura Bashore:

Yeah because, nobody wants to feel like you're just there because you meet the Qualifications, like they want to feel that you're the sparkly, shiny, like this is the company you've always wanted, like Think about how you want to be catered to or courted and then do that to the company so that they know you Specifically want to work for them and you're not sending out 1500 applications Even if you are, but hopefully you're not. But you know, make it feel special, right?

Mary Fain Brandt:

Yeah, I've got one final question for you, sharon. Well, actually too, but this is a question that I know, laura and I get I'm sure you do too, and I know what I think. The answer is that I've read and that I've talked to other people. But let's talk about how long does it take to get a new job? Like, what is the average? Because a lot of people come to me and they're like so I got laid off, I need to find a job in three weeks or a month, and I'm like, okay, well, we're starting from the ground up with your LinkedIn profile. Then I'm gonna send you to Laura to do the resume and Interview prep, because it's been over 10 years since you've interviewed. I'm like we can't, we're not unicorns. I can't get you ready in three weeks. So I you know what is it. You know, okay, I got laid off, or I quit my job because I've decided I'm gonna find more meaningful career path. What is that average length that you're seeing for someone to start a job search and to get hired?

Sharon Bondurant:

Yeah, that's such a good question. I will say it seems to be taking a little bit longer this year. It really does. So, that being said, you want to start your job search while you're still employed. So if there's any question on whether or not you know, usually you might get an inclination that either your company might be downsizing or business seems to be slowing, or you have come to that realization that this is not the opportunity, that is not the job for me anymore. You want to start that search. Don't wait. You want to start it right away. Start to update your LinkedIn profile. Do little things along the way so that you're not trying to do everything all at one time when you're in a situation where it's like, okay, now, I need a position in three weeks. So the more that you can do right, like LinkedIn profile, I mean that's like you always want to keep that. It's like a living breathing document.

Mary Fain Brandt:

I always say that you should always be ready for a new job. Your resume should be current, your profile should be current and you should always be growing and expanding your network. You can go to networking events and just meet people. You know I'm not saying, if you're, if you're not, looking for a job, do you need to go every week? No, but are you out networking in person as well? Maybe every other month. So if I'm working and I'm not thinking of leaving, I should still be going to networking events six times a year, getting my face out there because someone might have a great opportunity for you. The best time to get a fine to job is when you have one.

Sharon Bondurant:

Exactly, exactly so I would say, you know, on average, depending on the position and the level there's, you know, other things that go into play, I mean, but an average is a month, four weeks to three or four months, depending on. Is that the standard, say five?

Mary Fain Brandt:

The standard says like anywhere between three and six months, depending on the level depending on are they prepared and how much time you're spending.

Mary Fain Brandt:

So I think for the average person, okay, I don't have a resume, I don't have a LinkedIn profile, that's more on that. You know, four month mark because it is taking longer for the interview process, the selection process. So when I tell people they, okay, happy to work with you, let's get you branded, let's get you positioned, let's get you a resume that gets through the ATS system, let's talk about networking, let's do the interview prep, like all of that. We do all of that before they start applying. So, right, right, I mean resume and LinkedIn and skill assessment and all of that. Like that's a pretty much. And then like getting down to like what are the 10 top companies that you should be targeting? What are the titles of those roles? Like all those exercises that we do, that's like two months and then now you're ready to go apply, right.

Laura Bashore:

And is that being factored into that? Three to five months, probably not. They probably mean like that's from when you're starting to apply, right, but it really says just to pin. I know, when my clients asked me that to Sharon, I'm like well, what are we working with? And like how much time do you have to devote to this and how targeted are you? All these things, you know?

Sharon Bondurant:

That definitely brings up a good point, because usually that four to six week, eight week that's from the client saying, okay, I have this need to, let's start interviewing. Then the candidate might need to give notice going through the entire interview process. So, yeah, all of that beforehand stuff that doesn't include actually working with a particular client and going through that interview process. So again it really just goes to say like do all of this stuff ahead of time, even if you're not looking for a position. Like have a really good resume, always updated and on hand, just, and your LinkedIn profile, you know, matching it.

Mary Fain Brandt:

Yeah.

Mary Fain Brandt:

Yeah well, this brings us to the end of this episode and we have something called our random rapid questions. Are you willing to play Sharon? Sure, it's painless, I promise Okay. So we're going to ask. I'm going to ask a couple of questions and the answer is yes or no. It's not. Maybe it's not sometimes. It's yes or no, okay. So first one is open to work banner on LinkedIn profile yes or no? Yes, yes, okay, apply directly on LinkedIn or company website, yes or no? Yes, thank you notes yes or no? Definitely yes. Finally, coffee or tea Coffee, yes, you're our people. And then finally, mountains or ocean Mountains.

Sharon Bondurant:

All right, guys got me.

Laura Bashore:

I'm in San Diego, I'm still an ocean girl.

Mary Fain Brandt:

I'm from San Diego. I still call that home, you know, and I will always be. I'm a water baby. I'm a cancer. I'm a water sign. I'm a water baby. So give me a lake, a river, an ocean, a pool, something.

Sharon Bondurant:

I like both. I like being in the mountains with a view of the ocean In a hot tub the ultimate.

Mary Fain Brandt:

Yes, we'll have AI design that right up for you in a minute, right. Well thank you everyone for tuning into this episode of redefine your career journey podcast. We hope that you found these insights valuable and remember becoming the CEO of your career means taking care of yourself, even during the crazy times with either the holidays or the job market. Make sure that you're providing yourself with some self care and and taking a little downtime when you need to take it.

Laura Bashore:

Thanks, for having me. Ladies, thank you so much for joining us.

Mary Fain Brandt:

Okay thank you, bye. If you enjoyed the podcast, show us some love. Please rate, review and subscribe to our podcast, and if you have any feedback, go ahead and share that with us too, because we want to hear from you.

Laura Bashore:

And don't forget to visit our website. You need to find your career journey that can help you take the next step in your career.

Mary Fain Brandt:

We'll see you next week with another episode was to help you redefine your career journey. Until then, stay focused, stay motivated and stay caffeinated.

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