Job description of a job seeker

Have you ever taken the time to write out a detailed job description of the average job seeker you work with? It would go something like this: 

A successful job seeker must have the following skills:

► Goal setting ► Strategic planning ► Competitive analysis

► Self-analysis ► Market analysis ► Self-motivation 

► Writing ► Editing ► Proofreading

► Word processing ► Social media ► Sales and logistics

► Self-marketing ► Communication skills ► Cold calling

► Networking ► Time management ► Research

► Stress management ► Overcoming rejection ► ChatGPT / AI

► Resume development ► LinkedIn ► Life/job search balance

► Interviewing ► Negotiating ► Distraction management 

I’m sure I missed a few. Now here’s the thing – the average job seeker hasn’t a clue how to confidently integrate these skills into a successful rapid employment process (job search). And most job seekers don’t possess some/many of these key skills, or are nowhere close to mastering them.

Bottom line: The process of getting a job is ‘beyond overwhelming’ for most job seekers. 

Simplification is an engagement strategy 

Let’s talk about Personal Branding: The idea itself is complicated enough for marketing professionals. I contend that if we were to ask 10 respected marketing professionals to define Personal Branding, we’d get seven different definitions. So I asked ChatGPT (Chatty) to provide me with a definition of Personal Branding. This is what Chatty told me:

Personal Branding refers to the intentional process of defining and communicating your unique skills, values, and image to create a specific perception of yourself in the minds of others, essentially “marketing yourself” to achieve career goals (or build a public reputation); it’s about consciously managing how you are perceived by others, highlighting your strengths and expertise to stand out in your field.

I then asked Chatty to simplify its definition. This is what it came up with:

Personal Branding is the process of creating and promoting a unique identity or reputation, in the minds of others, that reflects your values, skills, and personality to stand out and build trust with your target audience.

Even this is too complicated and ineffective 

Let’s return to the definition of a job seeker that I noted above. If you and I can truly appreciate and relate to the vast number of skills (many untaught and/or uncomfortable) required for job seekers to succeed, the last thing they need is a crash course in Personal Branding. They don’t even want to hear the term! Perhaps in its purest form it is. But for most job seekers, the idea of Personal Branding is hovering around a 10 on the Richter Scale – terrorizing, if not overwhelming.  

Job seekers need us to simplify the employment process, not complicate it. When we seek out and implement concepts and strategies to uncomplicate an already uncomfortable process, job seekers will become more proactive, encouraged, and engaged. Simplification is an engagement strategy to inspire your clients/students to take constructive action to secure ‘the right’ employment. 

Deliver, Generate, & Produce Approach

Below are two questions. Purely from a job seeker’s perspective, which question do you think will better resonate with them where they understand what they have to do implicitly, and are engaged to do it?

1. Did you know that a job search is about selling yourself – Personal Branding? That said, are you ready to proactively create and promote your unique identity in the minds of potential employers, that reflects your values, skills, and personality – so you stand out and land a job?
2. Did you know that landing a job is all about communicating what results you can deliver, generate, or produce for your paycheck? That said, are you ready to proactively identify what results you can deliver, generate, or produce that would get a company excited to hire you?

For me over the decades, it’s consistently been the latter.

Job seekers need to focus on communicating the results they can “deliver, generate, or produce” because employers primarily care about how a candidate can solve their problems, contribute to organizational goals, and/or add measurable value. While Personal Branding is important for creating a memorable and professional identity, usually for the long term, a job search is a short-term endeavor, so the focus must be on outcomes – delivering, generating or producing results… not creating a Nike-type brand image.  

Here’s why results take precedence:

1. Employers focus on outcomes

• Hiring managers are responsible for achieving specific objectives, whether increasing revenue, reducing costs, improving efficiency, or driving innovation.
• Candidates who clearly articulate the results they can achieve directly address these concerns and demonstrate their value.

2. Quantifiable results stand out

• Results provide concrete proof of a candidate’s capabilities. Statements like “ignited sales by 18%” or “streamlined processes to save 13 hours per week” are more persuasive than general descriptions of skills or traits, or trying to create a reputation or image in a short block of time.  
• Measurable achievements help differentiate job seekers in a competitive market.

3. Resourcefulness

• Communicating results highlights how a candidate has identified challenges and implemented solutions in the past, utilizing resourceful tools and strategies.
• Employers view continuous professional development as a significant asset.

4. Aligns with the employer’s needs

• A results-oriented approach shifts the focus from the candidate’s personal story to the employer’s priorities.
• Job seekers who align their value with the company’s goals are more likely to resonate with hiring decision-makers.

5. Personal Branding supports the message

• While Personal Branding can be integrated into the process, it’s most effective when it reinforces one’s ability to deliver, generate, or produce results.
• It’s easier and more comfortable for job seekers to grasp and communicate the results they can deliver, generate or produce, than to grasp and communicate their Personal Brand. 

Where Personal Branding is best served in career coaching

In the short term, for the purposes of securing rapid employment, a job campaign that is centered on the results one can deliver, generate, or produce that a company would eagerly pay for, is the simplest-to-understand, most engaging, and effective method for job seekers to secure the right jobs at the appropriate compensation. 

In the long run, Personal Branding is a useful tool where career coaches can help their clients/students build a lasting and successful career by shaping how they are perceived within their industry or organization – over the long haul. It takes time to build a strong Personal Brand that establishes trust, credibility, and recognition, that creates opportunities for professional growth and stability. And a strong brand means the brand has a reputation for producing strong results.  

Coaching Personal Branding – for the long haul

First, Personal Branding highlights an employee’s unique strengths, expertise to produce results, and values, making them memorable and valuable in the eyes of employers and colleagues. By consistently demonstrating their skills and contributions, employees can position themselves as go-to experts in their field, increasing their visibility and desirability for advancement.

Second, a well-crafted Personal Brand fosters professional relationships. Employees with a clear and authentic brand attract like-minded peers, mentors, and collaborators, building a robust network that supports career advancement. Over time, these connections can lead to mentorship opportunities, new roles, and access to resources that enhance career trajectories.

Third, Personal Branding provides resilience in the wake of adversity and setbacks. In an evolving job market, employees with a strong brand are more likely to adapt and remain relevant. Their reputation as skilled, dependable, and innovative professionals makes them attractive candidates for new and emerging opportunities.

Finally, Personal Branding enhances job satisfaction. When employees align their Personal Brand with their career goals and values, they can focus on roles and projects that resonate with their passions and strengths. And this enriches their lives!

Summary

No, for the short-term job search process, I never use the phrase Personal Branding. I prefer the DGP (Deliver, Generate, & Produce) Approach. That said, for those people who are seeking to build a Personal Brand for the long haul, to not only succeed in their current roles but also achieve sustained career growth and fulfillment, this is where almost unlimited opportunities exist for career coaches in the area of Personal Branding.

Learn more about Jay’s approach in the CEMP or CIC programs!

The post I Never Use the Term “Personal Branding” with My Clients appeared first on PARWCC.

It’s that time of year. The time of year when most of us are bombarded with advice about, and countless methodologies, to set goals. And before we move on, let’s be upfront and honest. Study after study reveals that a significant percentage of people who set goals and New Year’s resolutions, fail to achieve them. While specific numbers vary by study and population, here’s a general breakdown:

• Only 40–50% of people set goals for a new year, or create New Year’s resolutions. 
• By the end of January, nearly 25% have already abandoned their goals and resolutions.  
• Less than 10% are successful in fully meeting their goals by year-end.
• Of the < 10% who succeed, the attainment of their goals has little impact on their lives.

Why do well-intentioned folks set goals and then fail at achieving them? Once again, studies suggest the most common reasons for failure include: 

• Setting overly ambitious or vague goals.
• Failing to develop inspiring actionable steps and strategies.
• Loss of motivation, where initial enthusiasm wanes.
• Poor habits, a negative environment, and/or never-ending distractions.
• Lack of accountability and/or no system to track progress.

The ‘Big Why’ goal

I believe there’s an explanation that supersedes the bullets above. I call it the Big Why goal.  The Big Why goal represents the ultimate benefit we attain by achieving it. Joe’s Big Why goal is to land a better job, not just to earn more money to pay the bills, but for his family to live an extraordinary life. The Big Why goal has a deep emotional connection to attaining it. Then, all other goals Joe sets are in pursuit of his Big Why goal – an extraordinary life for his family.

As 2025 starts anew, it’s a good time for you, and your clients/students, to ponder your Big Why goal, so that when accomplished, it would make 2025 one of your best years ever. It’s the perfect time to start over, set new goals, and pursue all those things and experiences you want and deserve in the coming year. Yet, most people are throwing together a bunch of ‘I hopes,’ and leave it at that.  In other words, they are setting goals, but they have no deep intrinsic connection to them.  

They don’t ask:

• Why am I setting these goals?
• What will achieving my goals do for me and my family?
• Who will I become as a result of achieving them?

My contention is this: If we know our Big Why goal, all other goals and resolutions we set will support it. Without a Big Why goal, most goals and resolutions we set will fall to the wayside at the first uprising of adversity, resistance, or distraction.  Or we’ll end up settling.   

The Big Why goal is like a magnet that draws us toward our ultimate desire. It’s a deeper, emotional desire than ordinary goals. As you would do anything for your child, you’d do almost anything to achieve your Big Why goal. It’s easy to see that without a Big Why goal, less than 10% of those who set New Years’ goals and resolutions fail to achieve them.  

You only need to think ‘1’ thing

Have you ever attended or participated in a half-day or full-day goals workshop? I have – many.  Here’s what happens. You spend quality hours and positive energy pondering and brainstorming your goals in many different categories: personal, financial, vacation, health, family, adventure, spiritual, professional, things I want to buy, and stretch goals for the coming year. Usually you’d select 10 to 12 varying categories. 

Once you’ve selected your categories, you then select the 3-5 most important goals in each category that you really want to achieve. You write them down, put a date you want the goals to be achieved by, and jot down a preliminary paragraph (or two), which is the beginning of a more comprehensive action plan that you complete at home.

At the end of the day, you pack up, leave the workshop, and go home totally drained. Ultimately, you forget them all. Your brain is fried, overwhelmed, and confused. You wake up the next day and feel like you never went to sleep and pulled an all-nighter. Totally spent. The last goal setting workshop I attended, I had 10 categories with 3 goals in each category. That’s 30 goals, 30 dates to keep in mind to achieve all 30 goals, and some semblance of 30 action plans on how to achieve each of the 30 goals.  

These were great workshops led by highly respected professionals with well intentioned outcomes for their participants. But here’s the thing – our brains can’t focus on 30 goals. It can’t focus on 12. Actually, it has trouble handling 2 major goals. But the good news is… the brain can easily focus on, pursue, and achieve 1 Big Why goal.

The Big Why goal question 

Think December 31, 2025. In fact, take a trip into the future and envision yourself at the end of 2025 – 12 months from now. Before you begin whatever process of goal setting you practice, you must first identify your 1 Big Why goal – that will then drive all others.  

Here’s the question you ask to determine your (and your job seekers’) Big Why goal:

If you could identify and achieve just 1 outcome by the end of this year, that would SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF YOUR LIFE – and that YOU WOULD COMMIT TO… what would it be?”

It takes courage to ask this question

This is not an easy question to ask, because it makes us vulnerable to the inevitable – self-doubt, rejection, and resistance. In fact, vulnerable to the primary fear – ‘What if I fail?’

And the HOW is missing. This is why most people won’t ask this question, because they need to know how they will succeed before they know the deeper, ‘why do you want to succeed?’ Why do you really want to go to the moon? Why do you really want the right to vote? Why do you really want to reduce emissions? Why do you really want a better, more rewarding job?  

When we know our Big Why goal, the how always shows up – “where there’s a will (the Big Why) there’s a way (the how). It’s a Big Why goal that creates a determined and resilient mindset. 

Commitment 

Ah, this is where the rubber meets the road; where the heart meets the test of commitment. As noted previously, the following questions are important when seeking to identify your Big Why goal:  

• Why am I setting these goals?
• What will achieving my goals do for me (and my family)?
• Who will I become as a result of achieving them?

When your Big Why goal is truly exciting and compelling, your mind in concert with the minds of others around you, will find a way to achieve it. It’s a commitment you make to yourself. Your Big Why goal is so magnetizing, you won’t back down under duress or adversity. Quitting is not an option and settling is unacceptable. And all other goals and resolutions that will be set, will be set, primarily, to support your Big Why goal.

5 real life examples:

“If you could identify and achieve just 1 outcome by the end of this year, that would SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF YOUR LIFE – and that YOU WOULD COMMIT TO… what would it be?”

Joseph B.

“To relocate to a less expensive state and secure employment there, so my family can live a higher quality, less stressful life.”

Kelley O’

“To be cancer free by Christmas.” 

James Q.

“To stay happily employed, and replenish my kid’s college funds.” 

Milly C.

“To hire a career coach in the Denver area so I can land a new job there, so I can relocate to be close to my grandchildren.”

Jay Block (as I turn 73)

“To be alive, energetic, and healthy.”

And yours?

The post The “Big Why” Goal appeared first on PARWCC.

“What’s my vision of the future?” Margaret asked, and I provided a laconic answer – my vision as succinctly as I could put it.  A few hours after our conversation, while vacuuming my condo, I began to think about my answer to Margaret’s question.  And I became instantly troubled by my answer. 

First, let me share with you that back in the early 1990’s, I had a coach who told me, “Mr. Block, I suggest you never go to bed as stupid as you woke up.  Every day find a way to maximize or expand what you know and what you do.”  

And I have tried my very best to heed his advice ever since.  This single piece of advice was the cornerstone of my success, as I questioned everything I knew and did, so I could optimize or advance everything I knew and did… daily!  So when Margaret asked me what my vision was for our profession moving forward… I realized it was the exact same vision I had 1990!

If I have the same vision today that I had back in 1990, have I not grown?  Did I fail to articulate my own vision to others?  Is my vision and my dream for our profession just an illusion – unrealistic? Did I waste 30-plus years chasing a mirage in my mind? Did I not maximize and expand what I knew and did?  I stopped vacuuming. I sat and pondered. 

I have asked this question over and over since 1990.  “How many job seekers need sleeping pills to get to sleep at night because they’re so excited about waking in the morning to conduct their job search?”  To this day, I still get giggles, outright laughs, or a thumb-index finger shaped zero.  No one.  When Margaret asked me what my vision was for our profession, it was the same one I had in 1990… that our approach, processes, and tools would be so revolutionary, so exciting, so life-changing, that everyone ‘would’ need sleeping pills to get to sleep at night, because job seekers are so jazzed to work with us – to design their futures on their terms.   

Managing distractions

Margaret asked me what I thought the most pressing issue was facing résumé writing and career coaching entrepreneurs, as well as employed industry professionals.  I suggested distractions.  I believe the one major issue that is most pressing is that we all have a gazillion distractions vying for our attention on a minute-to-minute basis, both external and internal, and both conscious and subconscious.  

Think about it, a job seeker and an entrepreneur have the same goal… to influence a “YES.”  But in the process of developing tools and strategies to influence a “YES,” there are a mind-blowing number of texts, emails, phone calls, social media time, podcasts, radio and TV programs, streaming and seemingly endless on and off line venues demanding attention.  Then there’s family, friends, adversities, and our own inner thoughts pleading for time.  Alisha says that a lack of money is her big issue.  But the only way Alisha can resolve her money issue is to reduce her distractions, so she can more constructively focus on solutions.  Managing distractions is a life-saving skill, not just a rapid employment one.

Technology

Of course the topic of technology came up in our discussion, and Margaret asked me what I thought.  And here again, my answers aligned with my vision – my dream.  I replied to Margaret by saying that I believed AI, ChatGPT, and all advanced technologies will teach, coach, and be responsible for  the general, mundane, and  everyday job search stuff moving forward – from résumé to interviewing and beyond.  And mostly, it will teach the same stuff that’s been taught since the dawn of our industry.  

The vision, as I see it, is the collaboration of AI (technology) and human empowerment.  Technology alone, will ensure the status quo insofar as fear, pain, anxiety, and underachievement are associated with the job search process.  But when the processes are totally changed, when the systems are reformed, and when the hiring process itself becomes comfortable and fully engaging, that’s where the opportunities are almost endless. 

The future opportunities, I believe, lie in 1) the ongoing collaboration between technology and human coaches to maximize and advance the rapid employment process, and 2) the development and implementation of new, transformational processes that inspire and empower optimal job seeker engagement – every step of the way.  

PARWCC membership 

Margaret and I talked about the contributions PARWCC members make to their clients, and the contributions PARWCC makes to its members.  My one-word response was, “priceless.”  For more than 25 years, The Jay Block Companies rode the coattails of PARWCC, and so can every member.  The programs, the training, and the camaraderie were invaluable to me.  I am confident I would not have achieved the level of success I did without being an active member of PARWCC.  

And today, PARWCC is more important than ever.  Collectively and collaboratively members must anticipate and envision the future – and create new programs and new tools to meet the future they envision.  A new question and answer:  “How many job seekers need sleeping pills to get to sleep at night because they’re so excited about waking in the morning to begin designing their future?”  Everyone!  What a silly question. 

Helicopter flies on Mars 

It’s all about vision.  Someone had to envision a man on the moon and a helicopter flying on Mars.  Someone had to envision a phone without a cord, and ATMs to get money faster, easier, and friendlier.  So where is the vision in our profession?  

Can you envision a quarter-mile long line of college students excited to work with the elite career empowerment professionals in the university career resource center who have designed a whole new curriculum and process to empower success?  

Can you envision a quarter-mile long line of veterans excited to work with the elite career empowerment professionals in the military’s TAP Career Resource Center who have designed a whole new process that empowers success?  

Can you envision a quarter-mile long line of transitional employees excited to work with the elite career empowerment professionals in the Department of Labor’s Career Resource Centers who have designed a whole new process that empowers success?  

Can you envision, as an entrepreneur, a 2-3 week pipeline of new clients excited to work with you – as an elite career empowerment coach who has differentiated themselves from their old-school competition – and challenges their job seekers to embrace a whole new process – a joyful and effective one?  

For me, it’s the dream that got away.  But the seeds have been planted for the future.  

If you see it and believe it – work to achieve it!

Margaret and I have had many discussions over the years regarding our industry and profession. This past conversation brought back thoughts of my own visions – past and future for PARWCC.  I believe that 1) if we don’t know what we want, we’ll be forced to settle for what we get, and 2) We can either make things happen for us, or allow things to happen to us.  

Today, I believe membership and active collaboration within PARWCC, is more important than ever.  Why?  Because with technology blazing the trail and the mind-blowing changes occurring within our society politically, socially, and culturally, it will take an association with a group of visionaries leading it.  In 1990 a small group of people had a vision – and PARWCC was formed.  Success!  

In 1990, I had a vision – a long line of students eagerly waiting to get into the university career resource center, because their approach to career management was revolutionarily exciting, motivational, and effective.  Not a success.  But now, an opportunity for those who see it as one. 

Thanks Margaret for the opportunity to discuss these issues.

The post The Dream that Got Away appeared first on PARWCC.

Most recently, Hurricanes Helene and Milton two-punched the west coast of Florida. Flood waters visited many homes and businesses, including three feet of salt water that occupied my son’s home in Tampa during Helene. A week after Helene, everything that was on the first floor was on the side of the road, from the refrigerator to every piece of furniture, flooring, and all things soaked. Two weeks later, like everyone else in the area, he was forced to evacuate as Hurricane Milton followed Helene as an even greater threat. What do I take? What will I return to? Where will I stay and for how long? How much will this disaster cost me? When will things return to normal? Etc., etc. 

Job Seekers experience their own hurricanes

I have always suggested that, as a profession, we don’t give enough attention to the range of fear-based and destructive emotions job seekers’ experience from being unemployed. We write résumés, teach interviewing, and coach good and valuable employment-related stuff. But if we don’t address the emotional issues at the beginning, the process of recovery and ultimate success becomes one of unnecessary struggle.  

Successfully recovering from a diagnosis, a hurricane, or a job loss requires a peak-performing state of mind that optimizes one’s energy to recover, heal, and move on. From a purely emotional and psychological perspective, it’s been stated that the pain of losing a loved one and the pain of losing a job are similar -exploring the concept of “grief.”  I think we can add the loss of one’s home and possessions to that list.  

Investment of energy

All of us, including job seekers, have a limited amount of energy to employ in the course of a day. The goal is to optimize positive energy to create a better future. Negative energy, spending our limited resources on the problem and not the solution, will delay or destroy hope for a successful  and timely recovery.  

Not unlike the emotions one experiences evacuating from, riding out, and recovering from a hurricane, job seekers are dealing with their own emotional storms. Every job seeker is going through their own internal hurricane – from simple discomfort (category 1 hurricane) to total and all-consuming fear and suffering (category 5 hurricane). In the end, how job seekers invest their energy and direct their mindset during life’s storms determines 1) the speed of success and 2) The class and dignity displayed while in the process of achieving success. 

The “Identity Factor”

To be clear, I speak and coach from experience. I lived 31 years on the east coast of Florida and rode out six category 2 and 3 hurricanes in 2004 and 2005. Forget all the category one hurricanes and tropical storms I hunkered down for, or prepared to live through. And in 1992, we evacuated our home when Hurricane Andrew (cat 5) came to town and destroyed everything in its path south of Miami.  

From a health standpoint, my new bride, Ellen, was diagnosed with Stage 3 Aggressive Breast Cancer in 2003 – just four months after we were married, and was given a 35% chance of living two years. Then she endured a year of almost inhumane treatment. So I know, from a real life and death scenario, that mindset plays the starring role in outcome. It helped save Ellen’s life, now 20+ years cured and a yoga teacher.

Oh, and I was fired by one of my closest friends in 1992 and found myself unexpectedly and uncomfortably unemployed. I became a full time job seeker at age 39. And this is what I ultimately discovered: When we are forced to deal with adversities like hurricanes and health issues, we still have our identities firmly in place. In fact, perhaps even more so. When hurricanes, diagnoses, and other life altering stuff happens, moms and dads rise to the occasion and become the family heroes and protectors. We still believe in ourselves and our abilities to recover, regardless of magnitude. We still have jobs to return to once the disruption ends.  We still have each other to lean on and find comfort in, and can cry together, rebuild, and celebrate together in the victory.

Not job seekers.  

When most hard-working people find themselves unemployed and on the job hunt, something far worse than being jobless takes place. They lose self-respect. And I’m not sure there is anything worse that could happen in life to an individual, never mind in times of crisis. 

When I was fired and officially unemployed, I suddenly became a failed father, a humiliation to my spouse, and pretty much a useless human being. Wherever we go, we get the question, “So, what do you do for a living?” Unlike any challenge or confrontational issue I had ever faced in my life, I had never questioned my identity or relevance. I suddenly felt like a satellite in the wrong orbit, spinning out of control. And that’s how the vast majority of job seekers feel. We help them with job search tools and strategies, but don’t do a good enough job helping them address the main obstacles – seeing themselves as a failure… as a dad, as a mom, as a human being – not just in the workplace.  

A written plan 

When we evacuated south Florida for Hurricane Andrew, it was awful. Beyond an inconvenience, we had no idea what we’d return to; if there would be anything to return to. But we had each other. And most importantly, we had hope. When we had to evacuate or, the dozens of times we had to prepare for an oncoming hurricane, we had a plan. When we lost power for over a week, we had a plan. And of course, when Ellen was diagnosed with breast cancer, the next day in the midst of fears and tears, we created a “Get Cured” plan. 

Job seekers have no plans

When I lost my job, I unknowingly had a plan. It was called: “Winging It.” Think about it… successful pilots, military leaders, sports coaches, interior designers – even you and me going shopping – have a well thought out written plan (shopping list) with goals and specifics needed to achieve those goals. Not job seekers. Ask a job seeker to show you their written rapid employment plan – with daily tasks, weekly goals, and the different strategies they chose to land a job quickly. You’ll be hard-pressed to find one. 

My son’s house in Tampa is totaled – three feet of water complements of Helene, and a tree crashing through the roof thanks to Milton. But he has a plan, he has a team around him, and he has hope. And everyone I know or have studied who has successfully dealt with a health issue, has had a plan, a solid team around them, and hope. 

Job seekers have no written plans, are going at it alone, and have little hope of rapid success. This is where empowerment coaching opportunities exist to help job seekers find hope in their futures… and believe in themselves to achieve their vision.  

Empowerment coaching 

1. Job seekers, like those who lost everything in the hurricanes or who are going through serious healthcare issues, must focus and invest 90% of their resources (time, money, energy)  on solutions, recovery, and successful outcomes – not the problem itself.  We attract what we focus on.  When we focus on success, we will inevitably achieve it.
2. Employ the Socratic Method and ask courageous and recovery/healing-driven questions… not ‘why me?’ / ‘self-pity’ questions.  It’s a law of human nature:  The quality of questions we ask, determines the quality of answers we get – and the speed and quality of recovery and success we achieve.  
3. Vision creates hope.  If we can see success in our mind’s eye, and believe it, we can achieve it.  In my opinion, there is nothing more important than a hope-filled vision.  When job seekers envision themselves in exciting new jobs, when cancer patients envision themselves cured, healthy, and playing with their grandchildren, and when those who lost their homes in the storms envision a better future with all the trimmings of yet-to-appear blessings in disguise… those blessings will appear. 

The post What Hurricanes Teach Us About the Job Search appeared first on PARWCC.

Melissa Venable, Ph.D., writing for Best Colleges, says, “Almost 30% of Gen. Z workers report that interviewing is their biggest job search challenge, and it’s 24% for millennials (i.e., ages 26-41).”  So, how are young job seekers addressing their interviewing discomforts? 

CNBC (among other reliable sources), reports that many Gen Zers are bringing their parents to job interviews.  “College graduations are in full swing and so are job interviews for Gen Z candidates. But with a slowdown in hiring by many companies and a job market flooded with certain kinds of talent, some younger workers are turning to an unlikely source to help set themselves apart from the competition: their parents.  One in four Gen Zers have brought a parent to a job interview over the past year, and roughly one-quarter have had their parents submit job applications on their behalf, according to a new survey of nearly 1,500 Gen Zers by ResumeTemplates.com. Another 13% admit to having their parents complete their human resources screening calls.” 

Problems When Parents Become Career Coaches

Paul Wolfe, former chief human resources officer for Indeed, and author of Human Beings First says, “It’s good to see and hear of parents wanting to help their kids with the job search and mock interviews.  But parents have to realize that they need to let their kids fly on their own in a job interview. The young person is the one we’re interested in hiring, not the parent. We’re trying to assess whether that candidate has the skills to do the job (on their own).”

But here’s another thing.  I’ve found that, in general, when parents help their Gen Zer kids with their job search, these well-intentioned parents are using outdated tools, strategies, and mindsets.  Many lack the technical, AI (Chat GPT), and social media expertise to be of full value.  Furthermore, when parents rely on information gathered online to help their kids, they discover differing and, often conflicting, advice.  One source says no more than 650-750 words on a résumé, while another says a two-page résumé can contain up to 1,500 words.  

And let’s face it, the technology used by employers today to recruit, screen, and select applicants makes it confusing to almost everyone, including Gen Zers and their parents.  ATS tracking, PDF attachment, keywords, key phrases, value propositions, diversity interviewing, leveraged interviewing, and employment agreements are just a few of the areas that most, parents are undereducated in. 

Stacie Haller, chief career advisor at ResumeBuilder, says, “Some parents haven’t looked for a new job in 10 or 20 years. If your kid needs help finding a job, get an expert to help them. You’re not an expert just because you have a job.”  

Finally, Deane Budney, executive recruiter says, “I’m actually surprised to see parents getting this involved in interviews.  In my mind, this alone speaks volumes of the candidate I would be interviewing.  That said, I don’t blame the kids; it’s the parents who create this ‘awkward’ situation.  I would quickly and politely ask them to get lost, and then I have a one-on-one with the candidate – alone.”

Interview Coaching for Job Seekers and Their Parents

If 25% of Gen Zers have taken a parent to a job interview in the past year, and it appears this trend is only accelerating, this topic must be addressed in all  job interview training.  Consider Gene Marks, whose LinkedIn article is entitled:  Parents attending their child’s job interview… as a manager, I’m all for it.   

Marks writes, “Many have thrown up their hands in horror at news that one in four of Gen Z job applicants, those aged between 18 and 27, have admitted to bringing a parent to their job interview. What a bunch of snowflakes.  They’re old enough to vote, join the military, see R rated movies, and even live independently. And what, they can’t go on a job interview without bringing along their mommy and daddy?

“Well I love it. Let’s embrace these parents. Invite them in. Give them coffee. Encourage their participation. Why?  Because a parent can reveal a lot.” (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/parents-attending-childs-job-interview-manager-im-all-gene-marks-cpa-fy1le/). 

Our Opinion Doesn’t Matter 

Whether we throw up our hands in horror, or love the idea, career and job interview coaches must accept that this is now a reality of the hiring process – like it or not.  Coaches now must learn to coach BOTH job seeker and their parents.  And I can assure you this is not easy.  And I can also assure you that this new aspect of interviewing is just evolving.  There are no protocols.  Yes, for now there is common sense.  But as we know, what is common sense to one can be the opposite to another.

In addition to all that is taught to prepare job seeker for interviews, the same must be taught to the parents and then… the really hard part… alignment!  For example, the interviewer asks a question and the job seeker shakes his head up and down indicating, ‘yes,’ while his parents shake their heads back and forth indicating, ‘no.’   This presents a unique perspective for the interviewer.   

Chris Bevin, communications expert says, “You have to teach nonverbal communication as much as the verbal aspect of interviewing.  And mirroring each other, both parents and job seekers, is critical.  When a job seeker confidently gives an answer and the parents frown, that’s telling.  In my opinion, parents attending interview with their kids make it more challenging for their kids because there are now more moving parts.  Meaning, more things can go wrong than can go right.”

This is not the venue to discuss the psychological and social aspects of why this is all occurring.  But it is important to understand some of the contributing factors because when we better understand circumstances, we can better coach for success.  

Lenore Skenazy and Jonathan Haidt of Let Grow call it, “The Fragile Generation.”  They write, “The problem has been brewing for at least a generation:  Beginning in the 1980s, American childhood changed. For a variety of reasons—including shifts in parenting norms, new academic expectations, increased regulation, technological advances, and especially a heightened fear of abduction (missing kids on milk cartons made it feel as if this exceedingly rare crime was rampant)—children largely lost the experience of having large swaths of unsupervised time to play, explore, and resolve conflicts on their own. This has left them more fragile, more easily offended, and more reliant on others.”

But, Vicki Phillips, writing for Forbes says, “Gen Z is drinking less, learning more, and embracing a spirit of global agency and impact that prior generations could not even imagine. Which raises the question: what were later Boomers and Gen-Xers doing when they were 15, 16 and 17?  As someone who has actually worked with Gen-Zers, I can tell you, the kids these days are more than alright.”  

Let’s Agree On This:

Given the many differing opinions on this issue, there is pretty much universal agreement that, since the beginning of time, most job candidates go into a job interview unprepared or underprepared.  Now, consider what LZ Granderson wrote in a June 2024 edition of the Los Angeles Times:  “Let’s start with employers saying younger applicants are unprepared. That should not be altogether surprising given the havoc the pandemic played on the world’s education system and the lives of young people during formative years. The ramifications stemming from years of interruption in learning and social development are beginning to show up in the workforce.”

My point here is this.  Interviewing was always been a fearful, if not terrifying, activity.  Twenty years ago I worked Kirk Bluin, the Police Chief of Palm Beach, Florida (now retired).  He was a military veteran, a SWAT team leader, and a good and fearless cop.  In helping him interview for the job of Police Chief, I was not surprised that he was terrified of interviewing with Palm Beach’s leaders – some highly influential people.  He was never afraid of bullets in protecting the nation or the people of Palm Beach.  But he was totally fearful of a job interview.  

Fast-forward to post-pandemic times, there can be no argument that Gen Zers face an even greater fear of what was already a fearful activity.  The reality is this:  One-in-four job seekers are bringing a parent to a job interview.  And for employment professionals and career coaches, when working with young job seekers, the focus must be on successfully coaching a whole new phenomenon: job seeker-parent interview coaching.

Job Seeker-Parent Interview Coaching

The protocols for this new phenomenon are still very much under construction (and being integrated into PARWCC’s Certified Interview Coach – CIC).  But one thing is for certain, coaching Job Seeker-Parent Interviewing will be totally unlike anything interview coaches have done in the past, because it requires a whole new skillset that is beyond critical:

• Job seeker-parent nonverbal alignment  
• Job seeker-parent job interview goals alignment 
• Job-seeker-parent communication style alignment 
• Job seeker-parent expectations alignment

Just for starters.

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