Career | NexGoal

Matt Hendershott
Career Advice, Career Change, Career Growth, Culture, Data & Trends, Job Search Tips, Mental Health, Networking
November 23, 2021

Making A Career Change During The Holiday Season

For many, the winter holiday season is a time of reflection and contemplation. Regardless of which individual holidays you celebrate, there is a common theme of togetherness and gratitude that make it easy to get into this contemplative mindset.

As a result, many put together New Year’s resolutions of goals to accomplish or things to change about themselves, and these resolutions are often work-related. Maybe taking an extended time away from the day-to-day of your job provides a different viewpoint when the holidays end. Maybe talking to family and friends during gatherings gives you new ideas or allows you to refocus on what’s important in your life.

Whatever the reason, holidays are a perfect time to take stock of your life. Because of this, many find themselves looking for a career change. Searching for a new career during the holidays can already be a difficult but rewarding challenge, as we discussed recently. Yet in this post-pandemic world, more individuals are reassessing their careers than ever before, and the holidays can actually be a smart time to start working on a career change.

A desire to change careers is normal

Planning a career change can be scary no matter what time of year it takes place, but know what you’re not the only one considering it. According to Washington Post’s Heather Long and Scott Clement, almost one-third of workers under 40 considered a career change during the pandemic.

“Many people told The Post that the pandemic altered how they think about what is important in life and their careers. It has given them a heightened understanding that life is short and that now is the time to make the changes they have long dreamed of. The result is a great reassessment of work, as Americans fundamentally reimagine their relationships to their jobs.” -Heather Long and Scott Clement.

The pandemic forced many layoffs and career changes, and time away from the office made people reflect on the work itself according to Yale School of Management’s Amy Wrzesniewski (reported by MarketPlace.org’s Kristin Schwab).

“It shakes people up. It makes them really think about how they’re spending their time, who they’re spending it with, what they’re spending it doing. What seemed tolerable before may not seem tolerable anymore. It may seem very different.” -Amy Wrzesniewski

While the holiday season is a much different source of reflection, the downtime can lead to the same conclusions about one’s career. If your reflections do lead you to the idea of a career change, Northeastern University has a helpful list of signs it may be time to take that leap. They provide a detailed guide on how to assess your career situation and what changes can be made.

Meanwhile, hcareers.com’s Deb Ward recommends making a personal development plan this holiday season while providing additional questions to reflect on.

Why the holidays?

Maybe you’re thinking, “It IS time for a career change, but shouldn’t I wait until the new year?” In our previous holiday job search article, we suggested that while there are challenges to looking for a new job in late November and December, jobs are still out there, and there are a plethora of ways to take advantage of the holiday season.

The lack of competition is one of the mightiest boons of the holiday season, especially if you’re switching to a new industry. A common myth is no one is hiring during the holidays, which leads to a lack of applicants. This can be used to your advantage!

The holidays also provide perhaps more networking opportunities than any other time of the year. Professional and personal office parties provide a chance to mingle and gather information. Holiday cards are a great way to stay in touch with contacts in a personal manner.

Camden Kelly’s Carly Weiner offers even more advantages to a holiday job search. Companies oft have ‘use it or lose it’ budgets at the end of the year. For HR managers, the best way to make sure they don’t lose it is to hire someone before the new year. You may not start your position until January, but you’ll be in the books and ready to go.

It’s also easier to take some time off for any potential interviews if you’re still at your current job, Weiner writes. It’s common for employees to take more time off in December for holiday commitments, and that can make it easier to fit some searching and interviews into your routine.

Ultimately, if you’re set on a career change, there are zero reasons to put it off until January, writes Forbes’ Jack Kelly. Amid this time of uncertainty, many people search for a career to make them feel fulfilled but slow down during the holidays when they should be ramping up instead, Kelly believes.

“Since we are in a new type of world where everything seems possible, why not start on improving your work life right now? View today as the start of the new year and work life. It’s your chance to get ahead of the crowd, as most people put off their job searches during the holiday season and resume it again in the first few weeks of the new year.” -Jack Kelly

Wrap up

Take some time to really contemplate where you’re at in your professional life this holiday season. If you find that part of life wanting, know that you aren’t alone. More workers are considering career changes than ever before. The holiday season may not be the easiest time to find a new job, but it offers some perks no other time of year has. If you’re really invested in a career change, there’s no time like the present. ‘New Year, New Me’ your way into a new career by using this time to your advantage.

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Matt Hendershott
Career Advice, Career Growth, Job Search Tips, Resumes
November 3, 2021

Writing Pitfalls To Avoid On Your Resume

You’re writing your resume, and you’d like to make your accomplishments stand out. You think to yourself, “How can I spice this up and get the manager’s attention?” You think of some of your favorite workplace-related films and the cool business lingo you’ve heard the actors throw around. You decide to call yourself a ‘rockstar’ at sales.

The hiring manager sees this, sighs, and moves on.

Just as there are words that can help you stand out or get through resume processing tools, there are plenty of words that might seem clever but actually hurt your first impression. Resume.com believes that not only can an employer learn about your skills and qualifications but also your communication skills and personality.

The experts at Indeed, Glassdoor, and Monster each have their list of words to avoid on your resume. We combine these into three categories of pitfalls to avoid before your next job search.

1. Overused buzzwords

We’ve all seen movies like The Wolf of Wall Street and Glengarry Glen Ross where we see actors playing suave businesspeople comfortably dropping impressive-sounding jargon and we want to emulate. Maybe you believe that your thought leadership created an ecosystem of synergy, causing everyone to buy-in. Perhaps we’ll get off on the next exit and discuss these findings at the next junction. But for most managers, buzzwords like these are overused and mostly used for padding.

In a compilation of most hated resume words by AvidCareerist’s Donna Svei, the buzzword “dynamic” made the list. Polled career advisor Bob McIntosh had this to say on the word,

“Your resume and interview presence should give a “dynamic” meta-message. If they don’t, using “dynamic” on your resume won’t get you an interview or a job offer.”

A common mistake is trying to make an entry-level job sound much more exciting than it actually was by throwing out jargon and synonyms, but a skilled hiring manager knows all the tricks. It’s much better to be clear, concise, and direct.

2. Telling instead of showing

The above words can be all sizzle, no steak, and fall into our second pitfall: telling instead of showing. Monster uses the phrase ‘hardworking’ as an example. Anyone can say they are a hard worker, and most organizations would like to assume every candidate they consider is willing to work hard.

Instead of saying it, use your resume to show how much of a hard worker you can be. Use examples and numerical data to back up your claim. What hard work have you done in your career, and how can you show it to the organization? ‘Detail-oriented’ is another common case. It’s a trait employers want every candidate to have, and it will make every mistake you make in the process more glaring.

Other common words and phrases falling into this pitfall include ‘accomplished’, ‘people-person’, ‘team-player, and ‘expert’. You want to avoid cliches whenever possible, but if you’re ever in a situation where you feel like there is no better way to express your point, make sure to back up your point with clear, expressive examples. Almost every career option will need to work with other individuals; don’t call yourself a team player. Instead, tell the employer how you led a team to increase brand awareness by 13% over the last year, and explain how you did it.

3. Unnecessary information

Hardworking and detail-oriented aren’t the only unnecessary words or phrases that make up a good portion of resumes. Once you’ve finished describing your experience and education, it’s easy to fill up extra blank space with phrases like ‘references available on request’ or ‘salary negotiable.’

These types of statements apply to every candidate and don’t deserve space on your resume. They can also make you look overeager; traditionally, salary discussions shouldn’t happen until later in the hiring process, and not being negotiable would be a strange stance.

In addition, anything resembling an objective summary is unnecessary. The content of your resume should make your skills apparent.

“If your resume is self-explanatory, there’s no need to take up valuable space with anything that’s redundant. Also, if you’re submitting a cover letter with your resume, that should be more than sufficient in addressing your objective for your application,” says Glassdoor writer Caroline Gray.

Wrap up

Just as knowing what to include on a resume is critical, the flip side of the coin is knowing what not to include. Even seemingly harmless buzzwords or small phrases may keep you from getting an interview.

Thankfully, armed with this knowledge, you can make necessary corrections. Use action-oriented verbs and phrases to show off those traits and accomplishments you’re proud of. Show initiative and show that you were the cause of success, not just ‘responsible’ for things. The aforementioned experts above have informative lists of examples of words that do help your resume and can be a great place to start.

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Staff
Job Search Tips
November 26, 2018

Emotional Intelligence: The Key to Athletic and Business Success

A while back, NexGoal asked a simple question over our social media channels: What traits acquired from your athletic career have or will help you in your professional career? The most common answers were persistence, determination, time management, and teamwork. However, one of the most interesting answers we consistently saw through our various channels was the idea of emotional intelligence. Defined, emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions, and those of the people around you. EI is a term that has been around for a while but hasn’t always been associated with sports. Four-time Olympian Bo Hanson describes EI in sports as such,

“For years we have marveled at how the great athletes are able to “switch themselves on” to create amazing performances with incredible consistency. We would describe them as being composed, mentally tough, having the right psychology, a great sports mind, emotionally controlled or simply determined or focused. Today we recognize these athletes as having high levels of competency in the area of emotional intelligence.”

Perfecting the mental side of an athlete’s game starts with a thorough understanding of EI. With high EI, traits like persistence, determination, and teamwork become easier to display because the athlete has full control of their emotions and is able to turn those emotions into positive behavior.

So how does the emotional intelligence that you learned in sports transfer to a career outside of sports in the business world? To better understand how, we need to look at the components of EI. According to Daniel Goleman, an American psychologist who helped to popularize EI, there are five main components of emotional intelligence:

Self-awareness
Self-regulation
Motivation
Empathy
Social skills

In the following sections I will describe how the 5 components of EI make a difference for an athlete and how an athlete can translate those components to the business world.

Self-Awareness:

Self-Awareness is the ability of one to understand his or her strengths and weaknesses as well as recognize their emotional state. In sports, self-awareness is essential for success. Coaches always talk about playing within yourself, which essentially means playing to your strengths. To be able to do this an athlete needs to be aware of what they’re good at and recognize their role. By recognizing and accepting their role, an athlete is able to better contribute to a team and allow for another player to pick them up in their weaker areas. The concept of roles also applies in the business world. You should be aware of your role in a company and stick within that role. That doesn’t mean you can’t improve on your weaker areas, but it does mean that you should be the very best in the role you’re assigned. By being the best in your assigned role, you become a valuable asset to your company and put yourself in good position for success.

Recognizing your emotional state in the midst of competition is perhaps one of the hardest things to master in sports. Losing control of emotion can be catastrophic in the heat of competition as it can affect individual and team performance, as well as team morale. That is why it is important in competition to be aware of your feelings quickly. Playing with emotion is fine, but it has to be controlled. Some coaches refer to this as playing on the edge but not over it. Much is the same in the business world. Emotion can be a great motivator in company culture if it is positive. However, negative emotion can be extremely hurtful to employee morale and company culture. If an employee is constantly scared that they might get berated for not doing their job, they will be more cautious in their work which can lead to stagnant creativity as well a high turnover rate for the company. By learning to recognize your emotional state, you can begin to decide when it is appropriate to display certain emotions to get the most out of co-workers or employees.

Self-Regulation:

Once you are able to recognize your emotional states effectively, you have to be able to regulate those same emotions. As Hanson described, in athletics this is the ability of the athlete to stay composed and mentally tough no matter the circumstances. The ups and downs of competition cannot get to an athlete. They need to maintain an equilibrium of emotions that balances both highs and lows if they hope to develop consistency in their craft. This means not dwelling on both failures and successes. What’s important is what you do next. Your emotional state also rubs off on teammates which make your regulation of emotions even more important as it can affect the overall team’s performance.

This same mindset should be carried over into the working world. “Being able to stay composed and have the confidence to talk to high level executives and make presentations is essential to the success of any person in business, especially to those in sales,” says CEO of NexGoal and former NHL player Kevin Dahl. Just like in athletics, the moment should never be too big for you in the corporate world. It is essential to keep your composure in the most high pressure situations. By regulating your emotions, you can keep calm and focus on the task that needs to be accomplished.

Motivation:

If an athlete wants to be the best at their sport, they need to be able to motivate themselves. Self-motivation in sports involves persistence, determination, and focus. An athlete who can motivate himself or herself has clear goals that they want to achieve and will find any means necessary to overcome obstacles that stand in their way to meet these goals. It is their hope that while they drive to meet their goals, their teammates will recognize their efforts and follow their lead. The most motivated athlete is often the best athlete because their passion for their sport will not let them quit and force them to get better.

In the business world, these same traits of motivation can lead you and your company to the top. Setting clear goals for yourself or your company is essential to motivation. To be successful in the business world you need to know where you want to be and then have a plan to get there. Motivation is what will drive you to carry out your plan and allow you to reach your next goal! When looking at how to motivate yourself and others you have to ask yourself if you’re passionate about your job. Passion and dedication are key drivers of motivation and if neither exists, perhaps it’s time to explore a new career. Once you find your passion, it’s just a matter of keeping your eye on the prize and continually finding ways to meet the goals you have set for yourself and others.

Empathy:

An athlete is not always at the top of their game. All athletes have days where things just aren’t clicking. It is important for an athlete to understand this so that they are better able to show empathy to their teammates when they are struggling. To show empathy is to actually put themselves in the shoes of their teammate. A good teammate is one that has a complete understanding of each of his or her teammate’s personalities and is able to quickly diagnose the root of what is causing their poor play. It is then up to the athlete to pick up their teammate and find a solution so that the team can thrive.

Having the ability empathize in the working world is equally important as it is in athletics. You are not always going to be able to make everyone happy or achieve complete motivation no matter how hard you try. However, you do have the ability to understand why a person may not be happy or motivated by empathizing. Two of the best ways to effectively empathize with someone are active listening and reading body language. Active listening involves providing feedback to the speaker when they are speaking to you. By engaging the speaker with feedback, they are more likely to feel that you care about their problem which can lead to more openness and cooperation. Reading body language is also essential because a co-worker or employee might say one thing but their body language could very well be saying something different. By recognizing different intricacies of body language, you will be able to tell what a person’s emotional state really is and adjust how you speak with them so that you can better use empathy.

Social Skills:

Having good social skills is one of the most important traits an athlete possesses as a teammate. Social skills in an athlete are really a culmination of the first four aspects of EI. To possess effective social skills an athlete must be aware of their emotions and be able to regulate those emotions. An athlete must also be able to motivate his teammates through communication as well empathize when a teammate isn’t playing to their full potential. If an athlete has perfected the first four EI concepts, then they are well on their way of being a master in social skills.

Possessing good social skills in the business world also involves mastering the first four aspects of EI. Communication in the working world is key because saying or typing the wrong thing can have dire consequences. Self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, and empathy all play a role in helping avoid such costly mistakes. Social skills are also important to have when you are trying to convey an idea or persuade someone. Both situations involve strong interpersonal or presentation skills and also a complete understanding of your audience. Having an understanding for your audience is very similar to understanding your teammates. You have to realize each person is different and you should prepare to communicate with them as unique individuals.

Summary:

EI in athletics and the business world go hand in hand. The EI you learned playing a sport can be easily translated to your working profession. Go back and think what made you a good athlete and teammate, and take those same traits and use them in your career. More likely than not, the EI experience you gained in sports will put you far ahead of the competition in the business world.

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Zach Seybert
Job Search Tips, Recruiting
September 12, 2018

The Benefits Of Working With A Recruiter To Find Your First Job

Growing up, people around you always stress the importance of going to school and getting good grades so you can get a good job. As you progress through school (college or even graduate school) and get closer to the “real world,” the anxiety surrounding the job search slowly starts to creep in. Finding that coveted first job doesn’t need to be such an arduous process! Thanks to the efforts of recruiters, finding a job, whether it is your first or just a change of scenery, can be made easier.

Working with a recruiter can be intimidating for both rookie and job veteran job seekers alike. Although there are a variety of resources available, there remains a lot of unknowns about the process. At NexGoal, we specialize in placing former athletes and job seekers with the athlete mindset in new careers nationwide. Our recruiting team works tirelessly to take the stress out of the job search and help you find your first or next job.

We asked our recruiting team for some advice they would give to job seekers of all experience levels and how they can aid your job search. Here are some of their responses:

“One misconception I come across is candidates think they have to pay to work with a recruiter. That is not the case with NexGoal.”

“Recruiters take the stress of job searches off recent grads by matching them up with interested clients and making sure we help them through the steps of the interview process.”

“Some companies only use recruiters for filling open positions, which means candidates wouldn’t even know the position exists without working with the recruiter.”

“We help them [job seekers] gain confidence in interviewing and make them fully aware of employer expectations.”

“Recruiters can provide valuable information about the company including interview prep, company background, etc.”

“We are another resource to get job seekers the best chance at receiving a job offer as soon as possible.”

Our recruiting team is not alone in recognizing the benefits of working with a recruiter. In an article for TheMuse, Erin Doyon, a Talent Acquisition Consultant at Philips, shared some ways to leverage a relationship with a recruiter when trying to land your first job.

Optimize Your Resume And Cover Letter

Your first impression to employers comes in the form of your resume, so it is crucial to make sure that it stands out in a positive way. Many employers use an applicant tracking system to weed out job seekers that fit their mold. An ATS identifies candidates whose resumes fall into certain parameters, often using keywords that they are looking for. A recruiter can help you tailor your resume to best stand out to employers. If you want a head start on this process, Doyon recommends using a tool like Jobscan to optimize your resume and cover letter with the right keywords based on the job description you’re applying for. When tailoring your resume, make sure you include these five essentials but eliminate these overused phrases!

Communicate Your Interests And Goals

What is it that you want to accomplish in your career? What kind of jobs are you looking for in order to meet that expectation? It is important to ask yourself these questions prior to not only applying to jobs but also working with a recruiter. If you can’t figure out what you want to do, chances are a recruiter won’t be able to help you.

One way you can get an idea of what you want to do is through informational interviews. Not only can these help you figure out your career goals, but informational interviews are also a great way to build your network. In doing so, a recruiter can essentially play “matchmaker” for you and connect you to people in your industry of choice.

Make It Easy For Recruiters To Advocate For You

A recruiter’s job is to essentially sell the best, most qualified candidates to various hiring managers. To help them do their job correctly, help them help you. In your discussions with a recruiter, be forthcoming and honest with information. If you aren’t interested in a certain job, tell them as such. Ghosting is becoming more and more popular in the hiring process and is one of the top frustrations for recruiters and human resources professionals alike.

The more information you give a recruiter, the easier it is for them to advocate for you throughout the hiring process. Doyon recommends “humble assertiveness,” and says, “Be willing to do anything, especially because the stereotype of the millennial is that they’re too good for some entry-level jobs. This dream job you want comes from dedication and enthusiasm. If you really want a job, express that to a recruiter. On the other end of the coin, if you aren’t interested in the opportunity, you should express that as well. This is information the recruiter needs to know in order to best portray you to the employer.

One of the easiest ways to stand out to both employers and recruiters is to be diligent in your follow-ups after a conversation. Chances are most people don’t think to follow up with a recruiter, but are more focused on impressing the employer with a follow up. In doing so with a recruiter, you are continuing to make it easier for them to advocate on your behalf.

Wrap Up

Recruiters can take a lot of the stress and anxiety out of your job search, but it all starts with being open and accepting of their help. There are things you can do to make their job easier, which in turn, will also improve your chances of landing a job. If you’re a recent college grad looking for your first job and haven’t considered enlisting a recruiter’s help, now you know some things to consider when creating a relationship with one!

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Staff
Job Search Tips
August 2, 2016

Three for Thursday: 3 Cs of Personal Branding

“If you don’t like what’s being said, change the conversation.”

These were wise words spoken by legendary Mad Men character, Don Draper. They are especially wise in the context of personal branding.

There are many students who have just graduated college this past semester who are now faced with the task of finding employment. With unemployment at 4.9 percent, competition has lessened for many positions and job seekers can be more selective in their employment choices. This doesn’t mean it’s easier to get the job you always wanted. You’re not going to get noticed with the same cookie- cutter business graduate resume that 95% of your peers or going to put out there. So how do you make yourself different? Change the conversation. Create the personal brand that you want employers to see and not what they are expecting. The following are the “Three C’s” of personal branding and they can change the conversation to get you noticed.

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Create

It all starts with creating your message.

One of our favorite stories from last year was the story of Nina Mufleh. Mufleh’s dream job was to work for Airbnb. She tried to get in touch with the company through job postings and emails but had no luck. That’s when she decided to think outside the box. She ended up creating a website for herself that highlighted her knowledge of Airbnb and the travel industry, how she thinks they could improve, and how she was qualified to work at Airbnb. Her efforts ended up getting noticed by both Airbnb’s CMO and CEO and she eventually got an interview with the company.

What Mufleh did was create something that no one else had thought of doing and an opportunity presented itself. She realized that there were other people who probably were as qualified or more qualified than herself on paper and she decided to change the conversation to highlight her knowledge of Airbnb and the travel industry. Everyone has a resume and a LinkedIn. What can you create that someone else doesn’t have? You don’t necessarily have to create a website but maybe start a blog that demonstrates your knowledge in a specific area. If you’re a numbers guy, create a new statistical model or formula. Take an area that you are strong in and display it in a way that is original and creative.

Customize

Creating a unique experience can help you stand out.

A quick marketing lesson: When trying to create brand awareness, one needs a clear message that highlights their brand in such a way that resonates with the target market while differentiating itself from different brands. Let’s use bottled water as an example. Company A might claim that their water comes from mountain springs and is therefore more natural and refreshing than other brands. Company B may claim that the material used to bottle their water is more bio degradable than other brands and is therefore more eco-friendly. Both companies are selling the same product, however they are customizing their message to appeal to a specific target market amongst bottled water consumers.

This is the same process you should be using when applying for a job. How are you going to customize your message and differentiate your personal brand so that it appeals to the company you’re applying for? If you’re applying for a job in sports highlight your athletic experience and how it coincides with the position. If it is an international job, highlight relevant traveling you’ve done and the knowledge you gained from the experience. Overall, you want to establish a brand that is unique and can’t be duplicated by another candidate.

Connect

Reaching out is key!

If you’ve been following our blog series, you already know that we have touched on the importance of connecting and networking in our “Life After Graduation” blog. It is however well worth our time to reiterate how valuable connecting and networking can be. Connecting is what ties the first two C’s together. You can create and customize your personal brand all you want, but if you do not build an audience your brand and message will fall on deaf ears. Humans by nature do not like unfamiliarity. Make your brand known and easily recognizable. Familiarity is what can separate you from another candidate.

Athletes have a particular advantage when it comes to connecting their personal brands. “Athletes get a lot of chances to meet people in their community. Events like fundraisers and booster events are a great way to integrate yourself into the local community and meet people of influence.” says NexGoal CEO Kevin Dahl. “Mingle, get business cards, and follow up with these contacts. You have a great opportunity to be put in front of the people that may hire you. Make a good impression and seize the opportunity!” Putting yourself in situations where you are surrounded by people who have influence can make all the difference in gaining the attention you desire.

Summary

Are you ready to change the conversation and get your dream job? Follow the “Three C’s” of personal branding and you will effectively put yourself in the driver seat of accomplishing your goal.

Take the First Step

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