Try something new

Author: Stefan Waldvogel

Find a new way to reach your goal

A while ago, I dropped a message on LinkedIn and offered one hour of study time with random but local people. We studied little, but I meet three people and got a lot of information about what is going on in local companies. I know when jobs are open and who to contact. I was very surprised. LinkedIn is so powerful, you can use it in unique ways, the limit is your imagination.

Write a job-hunting message on LinkedIn
Many people do this, but most have the wrong focus. One example:

No1: I am not a native speaker and my grammar and spelling are not perfect at all, but if I would write such an important post, I would ask people to check my English. This post is the first work for a potential company, and it has to be perfect.
In the US, Cybersecurity internship roles are hard to get (912 roles, March 2021). This person will move to get the right job, and this is great. The biggest problem is: The focus is the person, it is not a potential company. Such a message becomes powerful if YOU want to help a company full fill their needs and you explain why and where you can do that. Explain this in detail, so people get an idea of what you can.
No2: This sentence is okay (exempt grammar), but I do not know what this person is doing. Cybersecurity is huge and employers have specific needs. This person looks for any role, but companies never have an “any” role.
No3: Job hunting is an active process, but this sentence looks passive. If you are a job hunter, you have to hunt. A hunted thing will not jump in your basket if you do not use your skills, right? It is important to connect with recruiters and companies before you write such an article. Recruiters or potential employers will not see this post without having a connection to them.
No4: Here is the hint of what the person wants to do. Maybe it is a hint about his skills, but I do not know.

Recruiters are “lazy”, they do not click and read your profile if the message is weak. On his profile and he had over 10 years of experience in IT and a ton of certifications. His message and profile didn’t match at all....

This person is not a native speaker and for them (me included) it is very difficult to write a perfect job hunting post. It is okay to struggle. If you are in a similar position, ask connections (native speakers) in the field for help. Take your time for writing such a post, maybe one or two days. Such a post can have very high visibility. One example: If I write such a message, between 5,000 and 50,000 people will see it. It is worth spending some days’ work on this message because it is one of the most powerful things you can do (if you are active on LinkedIn). Some people post these “I want” messages every week, and I do not think it is a good idea.

Other mistakes:
They write, I did this and I am good in that, I have these certs… I am great, give me a (random) job. Other posts look like this: I have Sec+, I archived a high score in Pentest+, I can do everything and add a huge list. –> Do not do this! Most people in Cybersecurity know or feel the Dunning Kruger effect… if you write like this, most employers assume you know nothing. On top of it: If you feel so great, you are very vulnerable to “ignorance” mistakes… I know all, I push this button without asking and then you shut down the sales department that generates one million per minute!

If you look for a job, switch the focus. A company might hire you if they have a missing thing and you fill this thing. The focus is the company and its needs, not your needs.

Create a video
Create a short video about yourself, and what you want to do. Sometimes I see great videos. Zach Hill (I.T. Career Questions) hat a great one, I am sure you can find it.

Special groups
If you are not white, male, you are in a special situation and you can use your special thing to your advantage. There are a lot of groups and some companies offer different programs for women, Blacks, Latinos, etc. Find these programs, apply and attend (zoom) meetings, ask questions and become an active member with visibility. If you do this, you have less competition, because you kicked out the big “white, male” part.

You are unemployed for over 2 years… you are eligible for special programs. Find your special group and use their power to get a job.

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