SEATTLE — In the past month alone, more than 4,000 people have lost their jobs in Western Washington.
KIRO 7 spoke with career coach Erika Parker Price about the strategies and steps people should take to get hired.
Price, who previously worked for Microsoft, now runs Root Cause Coaching.
She said the job market is, in one word, tough. Getting a job is difficult right now.
“I think that it takes longer than people want to think it will,” she said.
Price said if you’re looking for a new job, think about your strategy.
“Are you going to go look for the same job and just trying to switch to a different company?” she said. “Or have things changed enough that you really need to be doing something different?”
KIRO 7 found that certain industries, including skilled trades, are experiencing growth.
Price said the first step is to get their documents in shape, so a person feels confident sharing them if they are ready to start applying.
“When those connections start to happen and they say, ‘Hey, just shoot me your resume over,’ you’re ready,” she said. “You’re ready to go, your LinkedIn looks good.”
When it comes to resumes, Price recommends using plain text instead of graphics and images.
She advises showing about 12 years of job experience unless there’s a reason to go back further.
Price also warned about using jargon and language that won’t connect with someone outside of your former organization.
“Make sure that the language that you’re using is something other people understand,” she said. “A lot times you’re coming from a company that’s filled with acronyms, and you know, inside speak that people don’t understand.”
Price cautioned applicants from making their resumes read exactly like the job description.
“People are trying to get keywords,” she said. “But if it just says that you’re really good at collaborating cross-functionally across stakeholders… anybody can say that. Every job description has that.”
She emphasized that a resume needs to show what you’ve accomplished instead of just your past job responsibilities.
“Did you improve revenue by 20%? Did you make some process two times faster?” she said. “Whatever you can do on that side to quantify it can be really helpful.”
When it comes to using artificial intelligence, she advised using it as an editor, not a first stop; double-check the work; and not to let it eliminate your personality.
“When people just start with ChatGPT, the resumes end up looking really dull,” she said.
But she does encourage people to improve their skills with AI.
“I think every job description you see right now talks about AI,” she said. “So, I think that you should at least be upskilling in that space. And it doesn’t mean that you have to go get a certification, but to really like just boost your vocabulary up. And during this time, if you think it’s relevant, it may be an opportunity for you to go do a project that could bring your skills up.”
Price said that while she recommends in-person practice with people for job interviews, AI can be helpful in preparing for them.
“Put the job description in,” she said. “Put your resume in. And ask it for, you know, what are the most likely questions I’m going to get?”
Price said LinkedIn gives people a little bit more capability than their resumes.
“Where you get to play around is things like the summary section at the top,” she said. “You can put a couple paragraphs up there that really define who you are. Like what’s your brand, what are you known for, what have you done?”
She said she encourages people to have a professional-looking photo.
“It doesn’t have to be taken professionally, but I’ve seen people with sunglasses or like tiny little full body shots, that kind of thing,” she said. “You want it to be a picture of your face, usually straight on, maybe there’s a good picture at an angle. There’s also that real estate behind the banner up there.”
She pointed to the areas that allow people to add publications, projects, or links.
LinkedIn is important, she said, because it can be a great tool for making connections and networking.
“Your ideal goal is to have somebody refer you to the hiring manager [for the job you want],” Price said. “And you can help that person by giving them some bullet points.”
Those bullet points would be a few accomplishments and why you’re great for the job, she said. Ideally, the person who’s referring you has worked with you in the past and can speak to that.
“You can reach out to people that are friends of friends,” she said. “You can try to make those connections. And you have to have a tough skin for it. Because if you send out 10 requests for maybe a virtual coffee, you’re not going to get 10 back. If you get two to say yes, you’re in good shape.”
Price said people should also act quickly when they see a job posting that resonates with them, even if it already has hundreds of applicants.
“Apply for it when you see it, even if you’re thinking, I don’t even know if I’m one of the 900,” she said. “The numbers aren’t necessarily accurate.”
You can sign-up for Price’s free week of online sessions here.
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