Transforming a circumstance into a job search advantage (a client success story)

Episode Transcript

Hello! My name is Julianna Yau Yorgan and I’m a career coach who helps introverts succeed in the workplace by unleashing their introvert superpowers

Today, I’m going to share a client success story of:
Someone who normally would be considered at a disadvantage in the job search
How she changed her circumstances so that she would have an advantage instead, and
How you can do the same in your job search

I chose this topic because so many people assume that they aren’t in a position of power because they’re the one looking for work.

Especially in the current job market, where there’s been an influx of amazing talent looking for work because of mass layoffs,

And some hiring managers seeming to be holding out for the perfect, unicorn employee.

I love this story because although Emilie is an introvert, the approach we took with creating her job search strategy can really work for anyone.

Emilie came to me because she was graduating from university in a few months and wanted help securing a job.

I normally work with people who are mid-career and looking to either make a major career change or break through a hump in their career,

but I agreed to work with Emilie because she was otherwise a perfect fit for coaching:

She was accepting of the idea that getting help will make the process faster and more certain,

was open to being challenged past what she’s been told already,

and was willing to do the work to get that job.

Like many recent graduates, Emilie assumed she was at a disadvantage in the job search.

She had limited working experience, was unfamiliar with interviewing beyond retail and volunteer roles,

and was discouraged because most job postings were all asking for more experience than she had.

She was facing that age-old conundrum that many of us did at the start of our careers:

how do I get experience if every job needs me to have experience?

So we started by looking at what experience she did have, to see how we could create a targeted job search strategy.

Based on her experience and education, we decided she would target junior marketing positions for smaller fast food chains.

This would leverage her experience working as a barista–which we positioned as having familiarity with fast food operations,

her volunteer work in marketing–where we highlighted her accomplishments,

and her education in communications–which gave her current insights into marketing trends and approaches.

These smaller chains were also less likely to attract marketing professionals with 3+ years of experience,

so part of the strategy included targeting employers who would have a smaller job pool for her to compete in.

With her personal situation, she was also happy to be living at home with her dad for some time.

This became an advantage for her because she wasn’t in a hurry to land just any job.

This meant she could be selective with where she applied and hold strong to her goal of earning a median salary for the position.

To further differentiate herself, she agreed that for this first role, she would accept working in the office every day.

Although her ideal workplace would allow for some work-from-home arrangement, being open to a fully in-office workplace shrank her pool of competing job applicants even more.

So instead of seeing her situation as one where she was at a disadvantage, I worked with Emilie to change her circumstances so she could be a top applicant in her target roles.

And because she committed to her plan and the work required on her resume, cover letter, interview prep and salary negotiation strategy,

She started a job as a Marketing Coordinator for a small national fast food chain within a month of graduation–and scored the median salary she was targeting.

So how can you apply a similar approach to turn a situation from one that seems like one of disadvantage to one where you’re the top candidate?

First, look at your expertise in a role and the industry or industries you have the most experience in.

Aligning your job search with where you have the most experience will increase your chances of success–even if it’s limited like Emilie’s.

Second, look at your personal situation to see where you can turn your “normal” into an advantage.

Does your personal situation mean that you can work hours that are less desirable to others? Or maybe you’re at a point in your career where you can work for less pay but more flexibility. Or maybe you’ve been recently laid off but have sufficient severance to subsidise a relocation if you’re offered a position in another city.

Third, consider any decisions you can make on employment terms you’ll accept that others may not.

Will you agree to work in the office more, if that means you’re getting paid significantly more? Or maybe you can commute to a town where you can stay with family a few days a week. Or maybe your partner already has excellent health benefits, so you can accept a position that offers less coverage.

Whatever it is, there is something about your situation that gives you an advantage–you just need to look for it.

Okay, that’s it for now.

If, like Emilie, you’re looking for some help with your job search strategy, check out my new coaching program for introverted job seekers.

I designed this especially for introverts who are currently employed and looking for a new role, are looking for help with their job search, but not wanting to pay for 1:1 coaching right now.

I’ll be sharing more details on the program next week. In the meantime, you can sign up for the interest list to be the first to get the details and access to limited early-bird bonuses.

I’ll drop the link to the interest list signup in the show notes.

Alright, I’ll see you next time!