Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Jack Jarrett on How Talent Acquisition Really Works, Ethical AI for HR, and Why Giving First Pays Off
31 Plays2 months ago
Jack Jarrett (linkedin.com/in/jack-jarrett-97a384a9), an international talent acquisition and HR leader, joins host Dan Freehling (contempusleadership.com) to give listeners an inside view on talent acquisition at top organizations. Jack shares how AI is reshaping the talent acquisition lifecycle and human resources overall, including both its efficiencies and its ethical risks. Jack and Dan also explore LinkedIn optimization, networking strategies, trends in the social sector, how to highlight impact in your resume. Finally, Jack offers practical resources for organizations and professionals to stay adaptable and future-ready. Recommended reading: “Designing Your Life” by Bill Burnett and Dan Evans, “The Squiggly Career” by Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis, and “Dare to Lead” by Brené Brown. Show notes at forwardlookingleadership.com.
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to Podcast and Guest
00:00:01
Speaker
Welcome to Forward Looking Leadership, a podcast for visionary leaders building future ready organizations. I'm your host, Dan Freeling. I'm the founder of the coaching and consulting practice Contempest Leadership, all in for the social impact leaders you want in charge.
00:00:16
Speaker
I'm honored to be joined today by Jack Jarrett. Jack is an international talent acquisition and ah HR professional with extensive experience managing and advising on talent acquisition strategy and delivery for world-class organizations across international development, IT, tech, finance, public policy, human rights, and education.
00:00:35
Speaker
Jack has been part of it all. Sourcing, candidate attraction and engagement, talent pooling, ATS management, employee value proposition, workforce planning, generative AI and HR, and so much more.
00:00:46
Speaker
Listeners, you're in for an inside lens on talent acquisition at top organizations. Thanks for joining me on Forwarding Leadership, Jack. Thanks so much, Dan. I've really enjoyed your previous podcast and I'm looking forward to the conversations today. Really appreciate you taking the time to share all your insights with our listeners.
Understanding Talent Acquisition Lifecycle
00:01:02
Speaker
So first, can you walk people through the talent acquisition lifecycle from the organization's perspective? Basically, what are the stages of that? What happens at each stage? Sure, no, of course. So while the talent acquisition lifecycle has differed depending on the nature of the organization I've worked at, the lifecycle typically includes workforce planning, sourcing, thats select ah screening, selection, hiring, onboarding, and increasingly retention strategy alignment, so talent development.
00:01:31
Speaker
So for the first stage, workforce planning, we begin by understanding organisational goals and future workforce needs. It's all about aligning talent strategy with the business strategy.
00:01:42
Speaker
And as a talent acquisition function, we always want to be seen as a commercial business partner, adding value to the business. And we do this firstly by understanding current and future workforce needs and and ensuring that our hiring plans align with the
Creating Inclusive Work Environments
00:01:55
Speaker
organizational strategy. um Secondly, um we have the attraction and employee branding, um it's kind of sourcing stage.
00:02:01
Speaker
this and This is all about how we we tell our story as an employer. So while someone would want to, essentially saying why someone would want to work with us, we focus on shaping and communicating our employee value proposition, or EVP, which is just a fancy way of saying what makes us a great place to work.
00:02:20
Speaker
That includes our culture, values, mission, benefits, and what day-to-day life looks like in the organization. When we get this right, it helps us ah to attract people who share our values and are excited about the work we do.
00:02:34
Speaker
We also put heavy emphasis on making sure that our messaging is inclusive so that a wide range of people see themselves reflected in our organization. and feel encouraged to apply.
00:02:45
Speaker
Then we've got that sourcing and building diverse talent pools part of the talent acquisition function. So sourcing is where we actively go out and find great candidates. ah We don't just wait for them to come to us. So that means we balance two groups. We have the active candidates, so people applying to roles, so browsing job boards or actively looking for new opportunities.
00:03:04
Speaker
Then we have passive candidates. So these these are people who aren't job hunting right now, but who have skills or experience. ah We know the business needs. So we reach out to them directly, often through platforms like LinkedIn to spark their interest. And what's important is that we do this intentionally. We don't just look for the usual profiles. We actively seek out talent from different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives ah to make our workforce more inclusive and reflective of the world we serve.
Effective Onboarding and Retention Strategies
00:03:31
Speaker
We then have the screening and selection phase. Here we look for both technical technical competence and value alignment. So we can pick structured interviews and equitable assessments as a way of identifying this the correct talent.
00:03:43
Speaker
And we then have ah the hiring stage of the talent acquisition cycle, which is the offer management. So this is always done equitably and competitively. And always find that communication, clarity and is is so important here to provide a good candidate experience.
00:03:59
Speaker
We then have the onboarding phase. This is where many organizations, in my opinion, drop the ball. As a strong onboarding process reduces time reduces the time to productivity of a yeah particular boarder candidate and boosts retention.
00:04:14
Speaker
So it's not just about paperwork and IT logins. though Of course, this is a big part of the of the onboarding stage. It's a real strategic process that sets the tone for engagement, productive productivity and retention.
00:04:26
Speaker
And so a strong onboarding experience can improve new hire retention by up to 82% and boost productivity by over 70% according to kind of Glassdoor studies I've been reading recently.
00:04:37
Speaker
But too often I'm finding that the onboarding is treated as a one day event rather than a structured 30 to 90 day journey. The best programs I've seen different organizations I've worked at have include clear role expectations and success metrics.
00:04:51
Speaker
ah social and integration, so ah like assigning a buddy or a mentor and having those ongoing check-ins. So it's not just in the first week, but throughout the first few months.
Leveraging LinkedIn for Career Advancement
00:05:01
Speaker
For me, it's simple. but If you're investing and onboarding and keeping your talent, you need to ensure that you have a strong onboarding process. And skipping it costs more than organizations actually realize.
00:05:13
Speaker
But just to emphasize, at each stage of the talent acquisition cycle, we're looking for fit, not just culture fit, but culture add. And we're aiming to remove bias and create, vanish throughout that process. Then one thing I'm very keen to do at any organization I work at is having a continued evaluation, like a similar to like a monitoring and evaluation.
00:05:32
Speaker
team But a continued evaluation and continuous improvement review where we gather feedback from candidates and hiring managers on that talent acquisition experience ah review metrics. So time to hire, quality of hire, D&I stats, and we adapt strategies based on that data and feedback. So it's an ongoing evolving talent acquisition process down What advice would people on how to present themselves on LinkedIn so that they can get seen for this kind of stuff?
00:06:00
Speaker
you know it's ah It's a great question, Dan. And one that I did i get messaged with a lot saying, oh, can you review my LinkedIn profile and so forth? But I think for me, some of the clearest things as a talent acquisition professional looking at a profile is having clear, distinct aims in your kind of profile summary. So a brief overview of what your skills are and what you're looking for next.
00:06:22
Speaker
That makes it really clear to the recruiter, this is what I add as goal. And then secondly, as well, in your header as well, highlighting your key experience. So if you're a project manager looking to work in ah tech startups, it's putting project manager line tech as well. So it becomes really clear that this is what this person has experiencing and this is what they're looking for as well.
00:06:44
Speaker
And then while I'm not a big fan of saying having buzzwords in a LinkedIn profile, it's really useful to ensure that the candidates are putting in ah correct the correct terms and so forth um for the area they're looking to work in. So if it's a project manager, making sure they highlight the key methodologies they've worked on as well as an area on their CV.
00:07:04
Speaker
And another part that's often overlooked by by many people in there um when they're kind of looking at their LinkedIn profile is clearly highlighting the skills you have. So for each position, you can highlight the different skills that you've got. So for instance, an international development project manager, you could highlight your project management.
00:07:23
Speaker
You could highlight project management as a skill, highlight M&E and so forth, kind of like a project leader, highlight all the different skills under each ah each position because when somebody's looking using the LinkedIn recruiter function, they can search via skills as well. And that's also a way that recruiters identify talent pretty quickly as well.
00:07:41
Speaker
And then also in the current market, it's always really useful to have recommendations from from people you've worked with as well that are in a similar area to where you want to go or where you previously worked if that's just the case.
00:07:54
Speaker
has going as we get um As we get many roles that are coming through, we're constantly looking for candidates and we can see they've got recommendations, people they've previously worked with and so forth, and they can say they've had really success in the project.
00:08:06
Speaker
that's ah That's really useful as well. But one thing I also, I'm personally a big advocate for on a LinkedIn profile is showing impact very quickly. So if you, again, keep using the project manager example, but if you're a project manager working and you've got some different development projects, it's really clearly highlighting the impact the impact you've had. So so if you've delivered an education project, quantifying that impact as well, because that but that makes it really um clear to see the specific impact you've had as as an individual um as well. And that's a real key area that I always advise people to do as well, because then you can create a measurable impact, particularly as people are pivoting as well.
00:08:45
Speaker
Many parts of the kind of private sector and so forth, we're always looking for that quantifiable impact as well. So that would be something I would i would advise people to do on their LinkedIn profile. But more broadly on LinkedIn and using LinkedIn, i always advise people to not be static. And what I mean by that is not just to simply ah update their profile and hope somebody's going to find them.
00:09:05
Speaker
If you're interested in and in a in a career in a particular avenue, it's making sure that you you kind of comment and like posts about um a particular organization you're interested in working in. As this gets you higher up the LinkedIn algorithms in terms of when people are searching and you come up more on LinkedIn,
00:09:21
Speaker
recruiter searches and so forth as well. So that would be another area as well. And just posting as well regularly. So posting about areas that you find that you find interesting or um are relevant to the future the future job you're looking for as well is is really useful. Again, getting you up in the LinkedIn algorithms, but also but also kind of showing that you're an expert in that field as well is also really useful. All such great tips for people to consider in terms of how to use LinkedIn and update your LinkedIn.
00:09:47
Speaker
Jack, you mentioned the LinkedIn recruiter function. could you just really basically walk people through what that is, kind of how that works from from your side of things? Sure. No, of course. So...
00:09:58
Speaker
LinkedIn essentially has two distinct sides. It has the LinkedIn.com side, which is what we use as is kind of like your your average user. Then organizations can pay for a LinkedIn recruiter seat.
00:10:09
Speaker
This recruiter seat is a separate function of LinkedIn that allows people with a recruiter seat to search for the LinkedIn database, essentially, of candidates to identify people that match particular skill sets. And they use a Boolean search function typically to identify candidates.
00:10:27
Speaker
So that's why I was saying when you're using your LinkedIn profile and updating it, it's making sure you update it with the information you want to reflect in terms of the job search you're looking for next so people find you for that type of role.
00:10:37
Speaker
So LinkedIn Recruiter is ah is a tool we use to kind of headhunt and identify the passive candidates in the market who might not be looking for a role, buts but but have the relevant skill sets demonstrating their LinkedIn profile. Again, it's just so helpful for people to understand that's what's going on there and then adjust the profile accordingly. And I love this advice to be active on LinkedIn, especially with the organizations you're looking for. And it's interesting to know that actually moves you up the algorithm too.
00:11:04
Speaker
Absolutely as well. and And on LinkedIn as well, I get a lot of messages saying about this, about how to use LinkedIn. via VNX job search and so forth as well. And I'm always very much an advocate for the kind of giving first. And what I mean by that is,
00:11:18
Speaker
putting yourself out there, displaying your skill set and so forth, instead of just reaching out people saying, have you got any jobs? i've applied for this job. can you get Can you give me a job? It's much much better to be seen as as kind of an expert in your field. And then reaching out to say a hiring, if you have know somebody in the organization, reaching out to them and just saying, you could have a 15-minute coffee chat. It'd be great to kind of discuss your experience and your thoughts on this organization and so forth.
00:11:44
Speaker
And I would really advocate for that as a way of using LinkedIn to find roles as well. So not just a typical, hey, I want a job at your organization, essentially, but really using LinkedIn as that networking tool and actually kind of building relationships with people as well. Because with LinkedIn, I find in the networking side of things, it's a slow process. It's not an instant. Generally, from my experience, it's not an instant win just by messaging somebody saying I've applied for it.
00:12:11
Speaker
well Yeah, that transactional networking. And I'm sure that gets overwhelming and very old fast from the recruiter end of things, too. Absolutely.
The Role of AI in Recruitment
00:12:20
Speaker
So you've been a thought leader and practitioner in the ethical use of AI in organizational improvement, ah HR and recruitment.
00:12:27
Speaker
What do you see in terms of opportunities and challenges of integrating ai technology into these spaces? That's a fantastic question, Dan. And it's one that for those who know me know I'm really excited and passionate about this because it's one of the biggest shifts we're going see in how organizations attract, select and support talent. I think we're globally at the very early stages of understanding and integrating AI.
00:12:52
Speaker
But I think AI offers incredible potential in HR and recruitment from automating CV screening to natural language processing that can help reduce bias in job descriptions to predictive analytics in workforce planning.
00:13:05
Speaker
And I think that last one, predictive workforce planning, is going to be a real game changer. but In terms of the opportunities, and I think as I mentioned, like efficiency of scale. So for high volume recruitment, AI can reduce the time to high significantly by automating those repetitive tasks, such as interview scheduling and even initial assessments.
00:13:26
Speaker
And it can it can speed up candidate communication. So I've seen chatbots answer frequently asked questions to candidates throughout their recruitment process and indeed their onboarding process as well. So having that 24-hour, should say, responsiveness to keep candidates engaged across different time zones is really important.
00:13:43
Speaker
pretty useful and particularly for onboarding as well when you go in for your first day you're like oh what's the dress code or what are the office hours you can put this into the chatbot and instantly respond so you can send that message 11 o'clock a night before your first day and you'll get a response as well so that's that's great and according to the shrm AI tools can reduce hiring time by up to 30% on latest predictions as well. So I think that that's going to be really good. And I think as well, the potential bias detection. So a AI can flag gender or exclusionary language in job ads or identify patterns of bias in historical hiring data.
00:14:19
Speaker
but and But just a caveat on that as well is, of course, only as good as the information is trained on, but I think if it's trained on the correct data, it can certainly help with the bias detection as well.
00:14:30
Speaker
and And as I said before, that personalized candidate experience is massive. I think chatbots guiding candidates throughout the process, answering those frequently asked questions in real time and even recommending roles.
00:14:41
Speaker
based on skills or interests. So bringing a a level of accessibility and responsiveness that previously wasn't possible, particularly for perhaps those early career roles where we're getting a lot of people messaging as well. So that's some of the opportunities.
00:14:55
Speaker
But the challenges, as I kind of alluded to, um AI is only as fair as the data it's trained on. So if you feed it biased historical hiring decisions and the data, it will replicate and even perhaps amplify those patterns. So I know one large technology provider, I won't obviously name them, um famously scrapped an ai recruitment tool that downgraded resumes with the word women's in them.
00:15:17
Speaker
So because of the biased training data it's been provided on. So I think that's one area real caution. Secondly, I think a lack of transparency. So candidates often don't know when AI is being used and how decisions are made or how to contest them as well. So ethical AI usage really requires transparency, explainability and consent.
00:15:40
Speaker
And this is where regulation is catching up. So in the UK, we have GDPR and that's also in Europe and and it's requiring bias audits for automated hiring and transparency in this process isn't soon will become a legal requirement across all hiring processes, at least in the UK and EU.
00:15:56
Speaker
For instance, um in the EU, we have EU AI Acts, and so businesses will need to clearly show how AI is being used in hiring decisions. and So for organisations, this is going to mean more rigorous testing and documenting a processes, keeping data outputs, and being able to explain decisions of challenge. So this is something I've been emphasizing to a lot organizations I've been working with to be aware of when they're using a AI, because I think it's a really cool, um sexy experience thing to get involved in AI at the moment, but it's really ensuring that there's that transparency there as well.
00:16:30
Speaker
And from an organizational perspective, I always encourage organizations to clearly state ah what they view as good use of AI in an application process and also state what they don't see as good use of AI in an application process.
00:16:43
Speaker
So for instance, ai using AI to research an organization and and potential interview questions could be seen as a good use of AI at an organization. But using AI to assist you in answering questions in a live interview is not a good use of AI, as I've seen in an interview before.
00:17:02
Speaker
So I'd really encourage organizations putting out there what they view as good and bad use of AI for an application process. Because without doing that, it doesn't give the candidate much steer as well as to how they should use AI as well. So that's something I would encourage ai encourage organizations to do when using AI as well. But of course, that relies on having a um AI and policy in place um in most cases. So most organizations are kind of coming to terms with what an AI policy means for them before they can put that information out there.
00:17:30
Speaker
And I think as well, one of the other kind of risks of AI is that the over-reliance and optimization. So I think we risk treating AI outputs as the truth when they should be one input in a broader human-led decision-making process. So tech such as AI can enhance fairness, but it cannot replace judgment, empathy or values. And that's where where AI needs to be used hand in hand with the human touch as well.
00:17:56
Speaker
But for me, the bottom line is AI has massive potential to make hiring more equitable and efficient, but only if we use it intentionally, transparently and ethically. So I think organizations need to ask when they're when they're reviewing which software to use, who built the tool, what data is it trained on and how will they monitor its impact on real people, so real candidates.
00:18:18
Speaker
So I guess this isn't just a tech conversation. It's a values conversation. And I really believe HR leaders need to be right in the middle of those conversations when it's happening at an organization.
00:18:28
Speaker
But while I'm talking about the use of AI, I also thought it'd be useful to help to talk about the use the use of AI for a candidate. So I see a lot of CVs come through that have clearly been written by AI and not in a good way.
00:18:40
Speaker
Same structure, same buzzwords, same lack of strategy on their CV, so to speak, and also in the same font and color in terms of the headings and the different bits and pieces used. um I had one CV, two CVs come through from different applicants that were virtually the same.
00:18:56
Speaker
So it was really, really clear other than the name and The other person tells us that this has been around by AI. But when you use AI intention, it's a different story. You can get insights, you can get tailored suggestions, you get clarity before you rep apply.
00:19:09
Speaker
So I think it can be a really useful tool as a quick way to get early feedback on your application. and And it only takes a few minutes. So what I mean by that is it can essentially be, I could be a strong ah coach to say, apply for this role, don't apply for this role. And candidates can do it by uploading the job description into a large language model of your choice, then uploading your CV.
00:19:29
Speaker
and of course removing personal details first. And you can ask it questions like, what are my strengths for this role? Are there any gaps I should be aware of? What should I add or highlight to make this stronger? um This will give you insights and provide candidates with a practical way to use AI, as opposed to write me a CV using this job description, for instance.
00:19:47
Speaker
Such a great tip for candidates and for organizations too. So using it not to replace the human elements and not to replace the values and ethics and ability to to tell your own story and to to really put out compelling, why are we hiring for this role? What do we really need here? Or on the candidate side, why would I be a great fit for this role? How does this fit in with what I want to be doing? What value can I bring to the organization?
00:20:12
Speaker
And using ai as ah a supplement to that and as a tool for that and as a a resource for that rather than as a replacement for that. Exactly. Yeah, no, it's there as an enhancer, in my opinion. It's not there to do, if that makes sense. um And I think it's it's going to be a really interesting couple of years as organizations and candidates alike really grapple with with AI and what it means.
00:20:34
Speaker
Absolutely. so currently, where are you seeing AI being used in the hiring process? like what this This sounds like really fascinating stuff and stuff that's coming on all the time. Where do you most recently see this actually being in use?
00:20:49
Speaker
A lot of organizations are in the very early stages of using it and are quite cautious of using AI. So I'm seeing it a lot in kind of reducing the level of admin of those repetitive tasks. So again, it's just, it's using AI to do the interview scheduling.
00:21:03
Speaker
It's using AI to kind of write interview notes and so forth. So the hiring so the hiring team can focus on those more value-add aspects. So focusing on the questions and so forth. So that's one area I'm seeing a lot of organizations in the early stages using AI as well to yeah to enhance and improve their their recruitment processes as well.
00:21:21
Speaker
I've seen some organizations already, larger organizations using AI as kind of step forward to as chatbots. And I think it's it's awesome being able to questions and the candidates have in instant time. Because sometimes it might be a bit embarrassing to message a hiring manager about a certain question where if you can just ask an AI and it can come back with a generic response at any time, um i think that's really useful. So there's kind of a lot of areas I'm seeing organizations um use um use AI, of course.
00:21:50
Speaker
I think with the issues on the bias detection side, I've seen some organizations look to buy some AI software to help them with their job badge and so forth. And then I've seen some organizations take it away because they were cautious that the data had been trained on hadn't may have had some bias in it some as well.
Navigating Applicant Tracking Systems
00:22:07
Speaker
But I think on the workforce analytics as well, I've seen organizations use it to help um support future hiring trends and so forth. Again, training on organizations' data, but but using it to kind of predict so where they see the future hiring needs based on previous hiring metrics and also based on future hiring goals. But being fed with all the correct information, it can be really useful to help teams proactively start to talent pool,
00:22:31
Speaker
for future business business ah objectives. So those are kind of some of the key areas as I've seen it be used and be used successfully as well. There are also, with it going to more of skills-based hiring for many organizations, as opposed to just typically there's kind of the CV and so forth. um There are some providers that are pushing different AI assessment tools.
00:22:50
Speaker
So using AI to kind of do gamification skills assessments and so forth, which is really interesting and so forth. I think that's an area that's going to grow as we as we go through the as we go further through the decade.
00:23:03
Speaker
But those are just some of the areas. Yeah, fascinating to hear on all of that. I'm hearing from candidates a lot about questions around the applicant tracking system, the yeah Mythical ATS. Yeah.
00:23:15
Speaker
How does that really work from the back end, from what you've seen? And how much emphasis, if any, do you think people should put on trying to beat that or game that in any way? It's such a good question, Dan. And to be honest with you, like I think every grad fair I go to, every career event I go to, this is one of the questions I get. It's kind of like that gamification of the AS. But I think the first thing I always say is applicant tracking systems or ATSs are not the enemy.
00:23:41
Speaker
Despite what some job boards or TikTok tips um might suggest, most ATSs are not these robotic gatekeepers that are rejecting your resume because you didn't use the right fonts. In reality, ATSs are primary WAP flow tools.
00:23:56
Speaker
They help recruiters and hiring teams to manage to manage um track of applicants, communicate internally about candidates, scheduling interviews and stay compliant with different hiring processes.
00:24:08
Speaker
ah Yes, they do pass resumes and allow recruiters to search by keywords or filters. But in most roles, especially mid to senior roles, for instance, recruiters are still manually reviewing resumes. I think as Spencer Campbell has said previously on your podcast, it's recordings as well.
00:24:22
Speaker
it's still the The CVs are still very much being reviewed by application via a member of the hiring team as well. at least in the instances I've seen, whether it be organizations I've worked for or organizations I've consulted with. So the idea of beating the ATS is a bit of a myth, but for me, what really matters instead of having that that mindset of, I need to beat the ATS, is having clarity and structure in your application. So in your CV, using a clean, simple layout,
00:24:52
Speaker
avoid graphics or overly styled templates that can often confuse the parsing system. So your CV, it can look amazing when you write it and download it and send it.
00:25:03
Speaker
But when it gets fed through the ATS, the ah graphics can kind of really confuse it and it comes out all blurry or You can't read it at all, which i actually I think is a real shame because often you can lose a lot of candidates to that.
00:25:15
Speaker
But and also keyword alignment is important. but That doesn't just mean stuffing your resume, making with the keywords you see going through. So really read the job description, reflect relevant language naturally.
00:25:27
Speaker
If the role asks for stakeholder and goal engagement, make sure that phrase appears in your CV if it's generally true. had one CV I read a while back that just had lots of keywords taken the job description, just copied and pasted throughout the CV. And it didn't even make sense why it was in there. But I could see that the candidate was trying to use it as a way to boof the beef up there their way up the or trying to gain the ATS.
00:25:51
Speaker
And just on that as well. as So try and avoid gimmicks like... white text, hidden keywords or copying entire job ads into your resume. Recruiters can see and hiring teams can see straight through that.
00:26:02
Speaker
And it could really hurt your credibility as well. So what really works for me is tailor your resume to each job. This doesn't mean rewriting it but writing every time, but tweak the summary, adjust your phrasing and highlight relevant achievements. a bit like I said on LinkedIn, really highlighting those quantifiable achievements relevant to the opportunity.
00:26:20
Speaker
and kind of And then what I mean by that as well, just focus on outcomes, not just responsibilities. So I see a lot of CVs say manage social media, um which is great. But what I really want to see is what what impact did that have? So you could say managing social media increased engagement by 40% through targeted campaigns.
00:26:36
Speaker
So really showing that because... People want to, you know, hiring teams want to see that you've been there and done it and that you've had impact. And by doing that, you can show that. And if the ATS wagged you as a good match, great. But even if it doesn't, a recruiter can and often will review your application based on your relevance as well. And as I said, I think it's meant to say before, most of the time, it you know, the CVs are being reviewed by ah by a person all the time in the the case of the organizations I've worked at.
00:27:02
Speaker
And one last tip on this as well is that a strong resume is essential, but a referral or a well-timed note to a recruiter or hiring manager can help ensure your application gets reviewed and stand out.
00:27:13
Speaker
So I think adding in more hearing about networking, so having more open-ended conversations about the job, it the right fit i can will really help you kind of stand out as well.
00:27:26
Speaker
So I think need the the it's what i'm trying like sorry is trying is spending more time on the networking side of things, having open-ended conversations and reaching out to people and building those natural relationships are really um kind of the key things to do. And I think areas that people need to spend more time on.
00:27:43
Speaker
I think this is an area which really matters as opposed to just being isolated on that application. Not just from Spencer, not just from me. So keep it clean, write for humans, highlight your impact, tailor it to the kind of job you're going for, and don't worry so much about the ATS. It will either get through the ATS or some recruiter will see it if you're not at of these kind of like cattle call roles where they're just looking for very generic people. Exactly. Exactly. Exactly. You mentioned the showing impact on the resume. I'd love to get into that more with you.
00:28:16
Speaker
And a question I hear from people a lot is my impact isn't easily measurable. I can't say 40% increase in this. What do you advise for people in that kind of a situation? How do you show impact when it's not something that has a tangible metric?
00:28:31
Speaker
That's a really good question. And it's it's one that I was helping a friend with recently when they were applying applying for a new role. So they said they couldn't quantifiably show, for instance, that they had done much in their role, exactly is like as you were saying as well.
00:28:44
Speaker
So one thing that we kind of did is we just we just sat down, we just had we just had kind of ah ah table and we looked at, this was my job, what did it achieve? So quite often, but often you can just talk to the qualitative impacts as well.
00:28:56
Speaker
But one thing I would always encourage candidates to do throughout their employment at any organization is to have an Excel spreadsheet listing key wins. So you list the key impacts as you go. So, for instance, I supported XYZ on this project, um and these were some of the key things that were successes. So it's highlight, and then you kind of track that as you're going through your kind of your working life in this role. Then when it comes to ah applying for a role, you've got all this instantly to copy and paste and put in.
00:29:23
Speaker
If you haven't got any quantifiable metrics or so forth, you can term it as successes and list it in that way. If there isn't, if an organization, for instance, isn't tracking the quantifiable data, which is quite often the case. So you have to kind of think about what was the success of it as well.
00:29:39
Speaker
and And if you get any kind of recommendations or any kind of positive feedback from clients, from internal clients, you can highlight that as well. So it was deemed a success because XYZ and it was highlighted by key users as being really useful or whatever it might be. So just to kind of recap, one, it would be, I would advise Candice always monitor the their successes and track their successes.
00:30:02
Speaker
Each week, sit down on the next Excel spreadsheet and log the successes you've had as well, because you can refer back to those when you're applying for roles as well. And also, it's just good for mental health as well to know that you're constantly having an impact and in an organization as well. And then it's thinking about, if you can't phrase it in a quantifiable sentence, you can say about the successes, how it improves something, any positive feedback you received as well. But it's certainly a tough one when you haven't got those typical quantifiable data points to refer to. referr to Thinking of it in terms of successes is really useful, I think, for for folks because sometimes they can get tripped up in the, I need to show this in the most business-like way possible. And just even even taking it back a step of what were your successes, what were your wins, and then how do we showcase those? And sometimes when you probe on it a bit, there are quantifiable parts to this and sometimes there aren't. But even pulling it out of that, okay, i don't I don't know how to start with this into, okay, what were your successes? What were your wins with this?
00:30:58
Speaker
Yeah, exactly that. And you can show that the success is contributed to organizational objectives as well. So whatever that might be, if it really contributed towards that, you can highlight that in your CV, which really shows that you're a um but your yeah you're very kind of centered on business.
00:31:14
Speaker
success as well, not just focused on your position in the success, but how it contributes towards the overall business success as well. And that's a conversation I seem to have a lot with with with the candidates or friends or so forth that are in the working for early stage startups, working for not-for-profits that perhaps don't have the the system set up to measure quantifiable success as well. So it it's definitely an area that um that I can understand a lot of candidates struggle with.
00:31:39
Speaker
So useful and really great to be able to tie it to the organizational strategy and and goals and all of that kind of stuff. It's just really listen to those folks and get beyond just saying what you did in terms of responsibilities and moving toward so what, what was the impact, how did this connect to the organization, everything that Jack is saying here.
00:31:57
Speaker
Yeah, exactly. Because you're showing your biggest business impact or organizational impact, which is what we're looking for every candidate to do to come in and have an impact on the organization. So if you can show you're looking at your success within the wider business context or so forth, it's really useful because at the end of the day, that's what we're hiring people to do.
00:32:13
Speaker
But sometimes somebody can stay siloed into the success they have within their business unit. But looking more broadly how it impacted the wider business is I always, always to encourage people to do because it shows that you're thinking at that level as well, not just the level of your role. Such great advice and showing that you're, yeah, you're having this executive mindset and going beyond just your particular role. So again, just really, really great advice and highly encourage people to listen to this.
00:32:37
Speaker
Yeah, no, exactly. and And one thing as well, like I've noticed when people do this, it kind of really comes across to me in their CV. They're a team player, right? Like it's not just my impacts for this and so forth, but my impacts for this, which help contribute towards the wider business goals. So it really helps to emphasize that and that mindset to a to a hiring team as well. Again, just Yeah, really, really great advice there.
00:32:58
Speaker
So, Jack, what are you seeing in terms of broad trends for the social sector? I know it's in a ah moment of turmoil and drastic change right now.
Emerging Job Market Trends
00:33:07
Speaker
what are you seeing in terms of trends in terms of organizations, who's hiring, who has funding still, where people should be looking, anything like that?
00:33:14
Speaker
It's just, I totally agree with you. it is overall, it is it is a tough job market out there. And there are so many strong candidates who have incredible experience that that can be applied to so many different organizations as well. So think people really need to know that they have great experience and that the right job will be out there for them because I appreciate the market is tough at the moment. But there are a few areas that are really growing. So know climate adaption,
00:33:38
Speaker
resilience is is huge right now, especially roles tied to this kind of sustainability, disaster risk a disaster risk reduction and green financing. Also, organizations are looking more at localization within the sector, from what I can see. So skills in working with local partners, capacity building, locally led development are becoming more valuable. Digital skills are another big one. So things like data analytics,
00:33:59
Speaker
digital health and AI literacy, a sign show more and more in job descriptions I've seen recently as well. So making sure you understand how to use an AI as a software to improve your work as well. I'm seeing that come up in a few job descriptions, which I hadn't seen before in the sector. And finally, kind soft skills.
00:34:18
Speaker
like adaptability, cross-sector collaboration, and being able to navigate uncertainty at the moment are hugely valued right now. So employers are looking for people who can wear those multiple hats and drive impact, even in these fast-changing environments, but specifically tangibly on alternative pathways and the skills and roles that people could apply for.
00:34:39
Speaker
I've been getting a few messages about this, but obviously philanthropic and foundations, we're seeing pick up a lot of the weight right now. We can see an increase grow from these areas. So I would recommend, as I know it's been recommended in other podcasts as well, just to follow the funding.
00:34:53
Speaker
You can see who's providing the largest amount of funding and then the job opportunities arising from there. So private foundations are growing. if So those skills in grant making, financing, impact evaluation andto and stakeholder engagement.
00:35:05
Speaker
are highly transferable and highly wanted within those areas as well. Another area being impact investing in social enterprise. So the rise of blended finance has created demand for development professionals. So roles like um impact to investment analysis, social enterprise management, business development,
00:35:22
Speaker
specialists so could be strong fits to this sector as well and i've seen opportunities obviously within policy and think tanks and some governments as well so development expertise and governance public policy regulatory framework is really valuable here and also like those skills like business development project management private sector engagement are also in demand and then another area um particularly perhaps on the European side, is seeing that sustainability and climate change.
00:35:49
Speaker
This is a rapidly expanding sector, including yeah ESG, climate policy, climate finance, renewable energy. So I think a lot of developed professionals, global policy, state engagement and impact measurement find um opportunities there as well. But it is a challenging market and it is certainly it's only requiring requiring candidates to be proactive in their search in terms of looking at where the funding is coming from,
00:36:13
Speaker
building relationships through discussions on LinkedIn and networking with people in in those kind of areas to kind of get you in front of um in front as well. um But it is certainly challenging and people shouldn't feel on their own or feel it's a personal reflection of them. It's a challenging market, but I'm hoping we're going to start to see things improve. I'd double down on the challenging market and and not viewing this as a personal reflection. i think it's a very important point there. And thanks for the specificity on these different subsectors that you're seeing growing. And just from my experience working with different job seekers, I would totally agree with that. I think these are these are all areas to look at and
00:36:52
Speaker
really consider, especially as the funding shifts away from the the big donor-led development into these other adjacent areas. it's It's looking at these and really investigating them. And Jack mentioned the the doing the networking as a way to investigate these, and I think that's spot on. And Jack, actually on that point, how would you approach going about this networking to learn about these these different areas?
00:37:14
Speaker
It's a really good point. And I think networking is such a, um is is a real changing and ever, ever evolving area as well. I think a lot of people still see networking as kind of transferring the business card to somebody else and keeping that business card. But obviously the world's changed so much. So for networking, for me, I'm really about give first. So,
00:37:35
Speaker
posting a lot about the areas you're interested in on kind of LinkedIn or whatever site it is, of your blogger, et cetera, really highlight highlighting your interest and expertise there. And then reaching out to people in the relevant organizations that you would want to work in, but not just saying, Hey, as I said before, have you got a job?
00:37:51
Speaker
But Hey, um, I really enjoyed reading a piece about your work here. Would you be open to discussing it as well? So building those relationships as well, or, hey, how have you enjoyed working in this organization? Could I have like a 15-minute chat? there is Those are areas are really, really vital in networking.
00:38:06
Speaker
And another thing is like, ah see I've had a few people reach out to me and say, I've been networking for a couple of weeks now and I haven't had any any job offers yet. And it's just explaining that networking is a long game. It's not, it's not an instant transaction in most cases. It's building up relationships with people so you can kind of rely on those and be first through the door when opportunities, when opportunities arise, it
Building Meaningful Professional Relationships
00:38:27
Speaker
shouldn't, and it shouldn't just be something networking you're doing when you're looking for a job. I would always advise people to be networking all the time.
00:38:33
Speaker
um to learn from different people, from having different conversations as well, really building those human connections as well as opposed to it just being transactional as well. is is It's been really important. and when I've been kind of helping friends who unfortunately lost their jobs in the sector as well, I've really advised them just to build up relationships with people as well and give stuff.
00:38:54
Speaker
which didn't, if I'm honest, lead to jobs straight away. But now I'm starting to see friends kind of pick up jobs based on the conversations they've had with people back in January, February time, just discussing their joint interest of a particular paper that they they read that somebody had somebody written an organization and so forth. So those have been the real success stories on my side. But yeah, just emphasize, I think a lot of people are learning now.
00:39:18
Speaker
Networking should be something that we've done all the time. It shouldn't be something that's done simply when you're looking for a job because it becomes very transactional then. And I don't think that leads to the best outcomes. Yeah. And even removing that transactional expectation from any kind of networking. And if you're, if you're trying to do this more,
00:39:37
Speaker
give first networking, but you still want that quick transaction that comes through to people and that will pull you out of the game of um doing this over the long term. And and think it's really astute to point that out, Jack.
00:39:50
Speaker
Yeah, no, absolutely. It's just, I see, I often get a lot of generic messages. Hi, I'd love a role at this organization. it just comes across so um transactional and it doesn't put you at the top of the pile, though I think some people seem to think it does. It's networking is something got put a lot of conscious effort and thought into to get the real results. You get out what you put into networking.
00:40:10
Speaker
It shouldn't be an afterthought that you do, that you do just try and find a role. Absolutely. Absolutely. So in terms of longer term trends for social impact, the social sector, what kinds of things are you you thinking in terms of that? A lot of the organizations I have worked for with seeing a lot in digital transformation. So i think i think like require I think we're going to see a lot of NGOs and other organizations looking to build new kind talent capabilities around tech, data, and communication through those digital transformation pieces as well. So that's one area that I'm always conscious I need to upskill in and something I'm kind of encouraging others to do as well to kind of build your experience in that digital transformation side because that's where the future's heading. So whether that be AI skills, et cetera,
00:40:53
Speaker
as an enabler to support people, to support organizations. So essentially, yeah digital transformation is going to be one key area. And also seeing a lot more localization of leadership. So more investment in leadership in the global South and less centralization in HQs is another area as well.
00:41:11
Speaker
And I'm starting to see quite a few sustainability and climate roles come through. And I think this is going to increase more in the development sector, particularly in the european European side. Where I'm based, I'm starting to see a lot more of those roles come through as well. And those partnership models, meaning new roles and skills in co-creation, innovation and systems thinking, are going to start to come out more and more now. So I think ultimately the sector is evolving to be more agile and accountable to the communities it's serving. So that's ah kind of some of the key areas I'm seeing as well. Yeah.
00:41:40
Speaker
Yeah, it's but all part of this. and I've been calling it that the new social sector that that we're seeing shape up. And i think this is all all part and parcel of that. And on the upskilling in this digital transformation, and these AI skills, I know you're personally really up on this stuff. I would love to hear what you're personally doing to upskill yourself in this area.
00:42:01
Speaker
Traditionally, I've been using ChatGPT like a lot of people kind of to support me, but I've been doing a lot of kind of training on using yeah Microsoft Copilot now to support my everyday tasks. So I'm making a conscious effort to help yeah me use the Copilot and so forth and functionality to write those meeting notes and so forth instead of relying on me writing it down so I can really get engrossed in the conversation. And whilst I'm finding it needing it but it needs a bit of editing, I'm finding that I'm finding that it's really useful supporting me there. so And then and another piece as well is just if I'm reading a really long document, it's getting AI to help me help me to kind of summarize those different bit and pieces.
00:42:40
Speaker
But one key area I would recommend everyone um to really try and upskill in regardless of what sector, what area you work in is prompting. So prompting is the information you provide to pay to a chat GBT, for instance. um So really investing time to develop your prompts will mean you get better outputs as well. So it's really upskilling and developing your prompting skills is going to be really key, I think, going forward to improve your AI literacy and also your effectiveness and using AI to support your work um as well. um And another area for me is I'm always
00:43:16
Speaker
big on impact. I always want to be able to show the impact the team I've worked in has and and so forth. So I'm using AI to kind of support me in developing graphs of graphics as well very quickly that I can put forward to um um different members of staff to prove the impact of what we're having.
00:43:32
Speaker
And also using it real-time data to kind of support where where we have inefficiency, where we need some more support and so forth. um So, yeah, using that AI prompting and and the kind of digital skills ah da skills um to kind of um get a show impact is going to be the kind of areas I'm using it for as well.
00:43:50
Speaker
That's, I think, again, really helpful to have people have a ah really tangible sense of what this is looking like and where you're experimenting with it and starting to use it more. So thanks for sharing that, Jack. So for um cover letters, any thoughts on, from your perspective, what you see as the utility of a cover letter, what you look for, what you'd recommend to people?
Crafting Targeted Career Materials
00:44:08
Speaker
Cover letters, it's always been one that I get questions about, shall i write a cover letter, should I not write a cover letter? But when writing a traditional cover letter, my response is always to treat it as a narrative bridge, so connect your story to the organisation's mission and or avoid repeating the resume. So focus on motivation, alignment and value add to that organisation.
00:44:27
Speaker
and customizing it. So a tailored specific cover letter stands out more than a perfectly written generic one. And i always answer, always answer like, why this role? Why this organization? And why now? So those are the key areas or the key, the three whys that you should be answering if you're using a cover letter.
00:44:44
Speaker
But um I actually encourage those I work with to include ah those us you've up without to include a key skills assessment grid in your application. So this is essentially a table with the key requirements so on the left. So the key requirements in the job description on the left and on the right hand side details on exactly how you meet or exceed those requirements than they are looking for.
00:45:05
Speaker
So that makes it really clear to recruiters and hiring team members to see exactly how you meet the criteria. And given how many applications and we see coming through at the moment, I think having that helps to make a candidate really stand out because I think recruiters, I've seen different stats in this, can spend between 10 seconds to two minutes looking at one application. So making it really, really clear for a key skills assessment grid, these are the kind of key skills you're looking for.
00:45:32
Speaker
On the right-hand side, this is how I meet there meet that criteria and indeed exceed it as well. I think that's a really useful tool. And when I've seen it come through a few times, I'm always like, wow, this candidate is really focused on showing us as an organization why they kind of meet all the criteria and should go forward the next steps.
00:45:50
Speaker
Such a great tip for people. And I've i've seen ah recent example of that with ah with a client where they did that. And i was i was looking at it, I was like, wow, that's actually really strong and makes a lot of sense there. And paired with all of the questions that you said before, the the three whys of your your personal motivation for this and how you're looking to add value to the organization. And then this skills grid can be a really powerful combination.
00:46:14
Speaker
Absolutely. And it's just, it's emphasizing that the candidates put a lot of time and effort in to make sure they understand what an organization's want, what they want and how they can contribute to that as well. And again, if you can, it's including those quanta viable impact pieces or just those qualitative side as well. So qualitative successes that we were speaking to before, really putting that in there as well. So not just saying, yeah, I have five years experience as a project manager,
00:46:38
Speaker
saying, but five years yes, I've got five years of experience project manager, but really detailing that, saying two years at this management consultant, this project manager, managing these types of projects. These were the key kind of successes and doing that for kind of each position just really, really highlights how you have that experience. And quite often it gives the hiring team all the information that they kind of would want to get from an interview in some cases and draw out in an interview straight away. So it it really kind of It really speeds you up in that recruitment process because you've provided so much information that's relevant. And it really highlights that you're interested in the role and want work the organization as well. And this this this isn't just an application of 100 that are going through in terms of like how perhaps an employer may feel if they get a really generic CV and application come through.
00:47:21
Speaker
yeah what do you mean by the why now? Yeah, no, that's a you know that's a really good one. So quite often in interviews and so so forth, we say, why are you looking for a new role now? And it's really kind of emphasizing, say, for instance, the candidates, like I've been working this organization three years, learned all the skills, and I'm really keen to apply it to this organization, et cetera. So, and it's, you know, ah or built up, of you know,
00:47:42
Speaker
all these skills and I'm ready for my next challenge because of this XYZ. It's really emphasizing why this is the perfect opportunity for you now to move to that that organization as well. Whether it's because you've got all you feel that you've got all the key skill sets and this is a great opportunity, or whether it's you feel like i've done all the I've reached the limit of what I can kind of achieve here and I want apply my experience for your organizational goals, but it will be very different and very personal. But just providing that context and background is always really useful to understand the motivations of the candidate as well. Again, just such great advice for people to follow in terms of crafting cover letters that really showcase that and help the other side and really understand why this is hyper relevant for you and why they should care about your application there.
00:48:26
Speaker
Yeah. Absolutely. Jack, what books, or it doesn't necessarily have to be books, any any resources of any medium do you find yourself recommending the most to job seekers, people thinking about career, anything like that?
00:48:38
Speaker
I think if you're a job seeker or you're thinking about a career change, there are a couple of books I would recommend. So first up is Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans. So they're Stanford professors who apply design thinking to careers.
00:48:51
Speaker
And it's all about getting unstuck, testing out different career directions and building a life and job that really works for you. i think yeah like for me, I think it's super practical. And it's especially if you're not quite sure what the next step is. um And another great one on that is The Squiggly Careers by...
00:49:06
Speaker
ah Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis. This book really feels relevant now because careers aren't linear. And this gives you tools to navigate change, identify your strengths and grow your confidence.
00:49:17
Speaker
It's like a career toolkit for the modern world, really, to be honest. And they also do a great podcast as well that I would recommend listening to because I think quite often... You can feel like done my master's degree, I've worked in this organization, I've worked at management level, and now I've been made redundant, and I don't know where to go next. It really emphasizes that career isn't linear.
00:49:36
Speaker
It is going very squiggly, and that is similar to life. So I found that really useful as well. And then if you're a leader if you're in leadership or stepping into one, Dare to Lead by Bren Brown is is a must read. It's all about leading with courage and vulnerability, being open, human and real with your team. yeah I think when I read it, it's kind of really changed how way i think about leadership.
00:49:58
Speaker
Yeah. no So there are some key ones that I've been listening to at the moment. The whole reading, I should say, listening to. Thanks for sharing that. Yeah, I would definitely double down on the designing your life and dare to lead recommendations. And I have not heard of this squiggly career as well, and I'm very excited to dive into that as well. So thanks for sharing that.
Recommended Resources for Career Growth
00:50:15
Speaker
No worries. They're great. um Helen and Sarah are really good. And i think it's a really good time for people in this sector to be listening to that as well. But I also kind of, i also follow Harvard Business Review, McKinsey, People Analytics content,
00:50:27
Speaker
and for social impact, Stanford's Social Innovation Review. I find those things are really useful just to read it every now and again give me a little bit more perspective as well. Yeah, so right for the moment and then this broader exactly in business and strategic thinking as well.
00:50:40
Speaker
Yeah, that's been a big thing I've been recommending to people is, especially at this moment for the sector, is going beyond the kind of echo chamber bubble of things that are explicitly designed for nonprofits or i NGOs and getting into all kinds of different resources on career and on leadership and really bringing those into play. 100%. Exactly. You're totally right. Because I think you've almost become a bit of an echo chamber, just hearing kind of the same things, but to hear different perspectives on it's always great. And I totally agree with that, Dan.
00:51:09
Speaker
So Jack, thanks so much for joining us and sharing your expertise with listeners. If people want to follow along with you, learn more about your work, how can they go about doing that? Yeah, so people are keen to in contact. So listeners can connect with me on LinkedIn, Jack Jarrett. and Jack and then Jarrett, J-A-R-R-E-T. And I often share insights and talent, equity and the evolving world of work. And I'm conscious this is a real tough time for the sector. So I do get a lot of messages saying, what would you advise? Or can you look at my resume, et cetera?
00:51:37
Speaker
And I'll always do my best to respond as well, because I've got to really try to have a gift mentality, particularly at the moment as well. So always keen to touch base or even just ah chat about the um that the way the world is at the moment as well. It's always cool to get different perspectives from different people. The generosity is really coming through and I would highly encourage people to take Jack up on ah this. And you're you're seeing this give first mentality in action here. And this is how how we get connected too, is we we've come across each other on LinkedIn and saw some of what each other had created. And then this is how these kinds of things happen. So I would highly encourage that for people.
00:52:11
Speaker
Absolutely. And I've been ah really enjoying going through your podcasts and on just listening to the different perspectives and so forth as well. um it's but They've been really useful for my own kind of thinking about careers, but also kind of also how I think about different situations and stuff like that.
00:52:27
Speaker
It's been really, really useful. So thanks for having me on. And I'm really privileged to um be part of all the great speakers you've had before. I'm so glad to hear that, Jack, and means a lot. And thanks again so much for taking the time to come on and and share your insights with folks. So really appreciate it. Thanks, Dan. All right, take care.
00:52:42
Speaker
Hey, everyone, I hope you got a lot out of that episode. And if you did, if you could please share it with someone who might find it valuable and take a second to leave a quick review on whatever podcast app you're using. Even just the stars is great. It goes a long way in helping others to discover the show.
00:52:55
Speaker
and if you liked this episode, check out a previous episode with Dan Perez on executive search, career psychology, and why generalists don't get hired. Here's a clip from it. We live right now in a world of amazing opportunities and almost endless opportunities out there. I mean, between LinkedIn and job boards and so so many other resources, we have countless opportunities to find great organizations, understand different potential career paths.
00:53:25
Speaker
And what's interesting is that we think that should make things better. But what actually turns out to happen is that we get super anxious, we get get overwhelmed.
00:53:36
Speaker
And it's like why you hear these stories out there of people applying to hundreds of jobs and then just getting frustrated and burnt out because they think that with all of this choice,
00:53:48
Speaker
that things will be easier, but it's it's actually very overwhelming. And there's a famous experiment around the paradox of choice involving jam in ah in a supermarket.
00:54:00
Speaker
And that basically researchers would give people like 20 plus choices of jam to buy or they would give them like four or five. And you think that people that had more options for jam would would be better off.
00:54:14
Speaker
But no, it turns out that that number just overwhelms people. And so they don't end up buying jam. They're unhappy with their choice and compared to the people that have just a few options.
00:54:26
Speaker
and they end up more likely to buy jam and they're happier with their choice. And so what i really like to coach people on is that you've really got to start narrowing down your options, really start being super selective about what you focus on.
00:54:44
Speaker
in your job search. Really only engage with two to three open applications at a time. Really make sure that those are the highest quality, best fit for you.
00:54:56
Speaker
Don't just fire off your CV to hundreds of roles. i mean, if you're applying to that many, there's got you've got to be more focused. You've got to be more specialized because it gets that it it gets down to that idea is that if you're applicable to these hundreds of jobs, then there's probably then you're probably not applicable to any of them because you're not thinking clearly about the things you want.
00:55:21
Speaker
You're not prioritizing enough. So I really urge people I partner with to focus on that. Be very selective. really narrow down and so they can really limit the paradox of choice.
00:55:33
Speaker
And you think that might be cutting yourself off from opportunities, but as people start to narrow down, what they realize is that there's huge arrays of opportunities within those very select those very select things that they prioritize.
00:55:49
Speaker
And so it really helps them move forward in their job search in a very mindful and thoughtful way and they start to get better results.