We posted this article in 2024 but wanted to update it to include new thoughts, new tech (thank you, AI) and to reach new readers of Publishing Trends.
Although our firm, Market Partners International (MPI), does a lot of different kinds of consulting, we’re known for recruiting. We’ve found presidents, publishers, publicists, and production pros—you get the drift. This past week we landed a marketing director and an editorial director, and helped find a senior sales executive (it was a good week). As a result, we’re often the first call after someone is laid off or fired, or just restless.
And because we talk to people in various stages of their careers, we are able to gauge who is likely to land somewhere and thrive, rather than spin their wheels until they give up or take whatever comes along, regardless of the fit.
When You’ve Been Let Go
Some who are laid off are given the option of outplacement. Take it; the one-on-one coaching, access to courses, opportunity to network, and practical help with resume writing and LinkedIn profile development are very helpful. If you aren’t offered it by your company, ask for it.
If this isn’t an option, there are ways to approximate some of these services. Most job sites, like Indeed and LinkedIn, offer resume building tips for little or no money. But a surefire way to improve your LinkedIn profile is to look at profiles of colleagues whose job titles are similar to yours.
Tips for LinkedIn
Two areas that don’t always get attention are the “About” section and the “Contact” section. The former should be robust (boastful!) and the latter should include an email address (and if you have one, a website) so that people can reach you without going through in-platform messaging.
It’s always surprising to find that people who are not actively job hunting don’t feel the need to create a fleshed-out profile. Does that mean you never want to be approached about an opportunity, or you want to wait until you’re playing catch-up after receiving a proverbial pink slip?
Having a detailed profile makes it easier to engage with other industry colleagues whom you might meet at parties and conferences.
Update Your Resume
As for resumes, hiring managers routinely ask for them. Putting one together, especially if you have created a detailed LinkedIn profile, is easy (and yes, Claude or your generative platform of choice can help).
Some executives we work with say, “I haven’t had to update my resume in years.” Regardless of tenure, you need to have a resume.
If you’re thinking of broadening your job search, once you have a solid resume that highlights your career moves and includes specific accomplishments: Take that two-pager (never more) and ask your favorite AI platform to distill your skills and experience with an eye toward expanding your job opportunities. Ask: What are my most transferable skills? What experience translates into a more managerial job, or one that has an international component or spans both sales and marketing?
One colleague fed their resume and a job description into an AI tool and prompted it to spin out a compelling cover letter. She did spend some time infusing the content with her own voice and fine-tuning for accuracy. This seasoned media professional landed an interview and ultimately received a job offer.
The caveat of using AI to generate content is that it may hallucinate or leave out important information so it’s up to the user to make sure that resumes and cover letters are, in fact, 100% representative of their experience.
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Metadata Matters
Meanwhile, be aware of applicant tracking systems, which many companies use to weed out applicants. How to game the system so that your resume isn’t held up before it lands on the right executive’s desk? Julie Blattberg, a senior advisor to MPI and a metadata expert, reminds us that it’s important to add relevant keywords to your profile, resume, and cover letter. “Consider the work you do and your areas of expertise. Then, think like a recruiter—or a search engine. Use industry- and role-specific terms. For example, a senior marketer might include ‘management experience,’ ‘content strategy,’ and ‘customer acquisition’—phrases that can be easily understood by humans and identified by filters.”
Remember that some companies use software to process and prioritize inbound applications before a human ever lies eyes on any individual’s documents.
So when applying for a specific role, she added: “It’s a good idea to mirror language in the published job description, but only do so where pertinent to you and your experience. When updating a dusty resume, look for keywords and verbiage from job specs of roles you aspire to have.”
“Open to Work” or Not?
There’s much debate about whether to add this label to your LinkedIn profile. While nowadays there’s pretty much no stigma about being unemployed, someone who is casually liking your post or comment may think twice if they anticipate a follow-up request to help you in your search.
On the other hand, people who are currently hiring or hear of an opportunity in the future—whether full time or part time—will have you on their radar. Speaking of part-time, some job seekers may be wary of taking on consulting work for fear it will interfere with their search or that they’ll land a job before the project is done. Neither is an issue, especially if you’re clear about your end goal of full-time work.
We find that consulting is an excellent way to gain new experience, make additional industry contacts, and “try on” a company or organization (like being engaged before getting married). Sometimes those freelance projects turn into larger engagements or full-time positions.
Taking on consulting work will keep you engaged and, ideally, gives you a potential reference who can speak to your strengths. As for leaving a fractional gig for a full-time job, fear not: There will be other consultants to happily take on the project. Or you can do what one enterprising candidate did and ask for a four-day-a-week position so that she could continue with her consulting (which was not competitive).
It May Take a Village
Todd Berman, formerly a VP Sales Director at Penguin Random House, also thinks it’s important to know what you liked in previous positions, and what you want from your next job. He credits Phyl Terry’s Never Search Alone: The Job Seeker’s Playbook with focusing his efforts so that he could enunciate that when he networked.
Terry has created more than five thousand Job Search Councils which individuals can join at no cost other than the price of the book. In Berman’s group, there were five people from disparate industries who met once a week to provide feedback, coaching, and, perhaps most importantly, structure, to the search process. All five found jobs six months after they started their group. Todd is now at Cambridge University Press & Assessment as SVP US and Canada and Head of Retail Sales, Americas and Europe.
Mind Your Post-Interview Manners
While an applicant’s belief that an opportunity is worth pursuing is key, keep in mind that the job doesn’t exist simply as a great fit for your aspirations. And regardless of how the interviews go, everyone should get a “thank you” email.
A client recently turned down a candidate who neglected that step, because she was deemed “insufficiently eager” for the job. This lapse was especially flagrant as the candidate was interviewing for a publicity role; a PR pro would know that relationship management tactics like thank-you messages are table stakes during the interview process. (Yes, email is fine for this type of communication. And each person you meet with—including HR representative—should receive one from you.)
The ideal timely post-interview note will include: expression of your enthusiasm for the position, a reiteration of some specific ways that your experience and knowledge align with the expectations for the role, and emphasis on anything that would help to “build the case” for why you are the ideal candidate. Be authentic and specific.
Networking to a New Job
But getting to the hiring manager often takes more than belief in a good alignment of aspiration and job description and a great resume. It usually involves extensive networking. One person looking for a job tells us that he has a spreadsheet of people he’s contacted, when he first talked with them, what they discussed, and when a follow-up is appropriate. (We have had people contact us more than once without remembering our previous conversations.)
When talking to a potential networking contact, it’s important to make it a dialogue; that person has a job, a life, and a network, too. It’s also important to briefly recount your “story”—whether your path to unemployment or (as the case may be) concern about potential unemployment.
Job seekers who then tell their network that they’ve snagged a terrific position thanks to their help, are spreading good karma, which even the most seasoned networker or hardened recruiter will appreciate.
What Makes a Good Job Candidate Look Amazing?
Some qualities we’d expect to see in a proactive job seeker: a candidate who’s done their homework and is well prepared, with an updated resume and LinkedIn profile, and a clear idea of which skills are needed to perform the job.
Good luck!