Presenting Everything on a Silver Platter

Happy first Thursday of November!  I’m shifting gears a little this week and focusing on my roots – maximizing your professional experience (career!) across the tech industry.

Here’s what you need to know in tech in under 2 minutes…

What tech candidates should be thinking about this week:  How to present everything about your value to an organization on a silver platter.  It was another gut-punch in tech last week, with the announcement of 30,000 (!!) layoffs at Amazon. The market is tough right now and requires candidates to get hyper-specific on their search and how they will add value to a tech organization. I call this the “silver platter approach.”  To win, tech candidates need to present everything about themselves in a way that doesn’t require AI or humans to think about their role qualification. This includes:

1. Limiting broad “Open to Work” statements onLinkedIn without specific title/company/qualification examples.  Broad = out. Targeted = in.

2. Customized resumes for every position. UtilizeAI to close any/all gaps.  1 resume for everything = out. 1 resume for each job = in.

3. No more networking without specific jobs to go after within a company. “Pick your brain” = out. “This is what I need you to do for me” = in.

4. Create templates for job referrals for internal candidates to copy/paste and send to Hiring Managers. Leaving network to tell your story to Hiring Managers = out. Candidates doing all the work telling their own story = in.

5. Ratio of human referral vs online portal should be 10:1 = enough said!

Why this is important:  Your network is feeling the pain too. I’m seeing most tech professionals at all levels wanting to help, but they don’t have the time to put in a ton of work. That’s where the siler platter approach comes-in.  But implementing this “you don’t have to think or do anything but push ‘send’” will not only help you get in-front of potential Hiring Managers, but also make sure you’re utilizing your time wisely in today’s ultra-competitive market (win-win!). Bottom line – the candidate experience is tough, and a more focused approach is the only way to win.

Where you’ll see impact:  Incorporating a “silver platter approach”will help not only you present yourself more clearly as a candidate, but also assist those who are raising their hands to help.  Impact will come through:

1. Higher response rates from your network. If you tell contacts exactly what you need from them and exact messaging, getting ghosted or saying “no” will be a thing of the past.

2. Better likelihood of getting on top of the resume pile. By leveraging AI to customize each resume, you’re more likely to get noticed. Focus on keywords especially and keep your resume limited to 2pages max. Less is more here!

3. Better talk-track. A “silver platter approach”requires you to think clearly about the value that you bring, which impacts how you’re talking about yourself. Remember, people start judging you after the first 45 seconds talking together … the “silver platter approach” can help here too!

4. You’ll just FEEL better about your search. Much more targeted = more control = more calm = more success.  Love that equation!

Value Add – Additional ways to show-up as a leader:  If you’re a Hiring Manager or someone asked for job search help, think about how you’re providing feedback+ your requirements to candidates reaching out. Push folks contacting you to provide exact information you will need to present their application in a meaningful way. Ask them to draft messages and ensure resumes are customized for each role. Remember, you play an important role in the process and need to set your own “silver platter” expectations!

‍

Here’s to your Engaged Pursuit!