Long Term Open To Workhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-betts-177b528/

Hello elpha community! I am writing this post for some advice. After nearly 20 years at my former company I am finding it very difficult to land a new role. I have applied for hundreds of jobs and have had some good interviews. I keep getting the dreaded 'went with another candididate' email. I also have a very high rate of hearing nothing back for many applications. I am not doing a very great job of networking, it feels forced a bit. I would love any advice or tips this community can offer. Thanks in advance!

justinenicol·Aug 09

@hollybetts I wish I could give you better advice than to "not give up" - but I'm in the same boat, and am finding it uniquely challenging to re-strategize and keep my momentum up as well. One thing I'll say is that networking did not come naturally to me either but if you force yourself it can be very rewarding. It is of course important to network strategically but I like to cast a wide net and start talking to old colleagues, friends, whomever has 30 mins to spare in their day. I find it encouraging to have conversations with people under the context of 'networking' that don't feel so transactional. And it is really nice to talk to someone virtually that isn't in your immediate circle, without the pressure of needing to win them over for a job. If you find a good template or script on chatGPT and send to as many people in your network as you feel comfortable, at least one will respond and set something up with you, and I'm sure you will gain something that you didn't expect over the course of the conversation. Whether it's advice, a new perspective, or best case, a lead you will feel always better off after. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn - as long as I'm job searching I'm always up for a chat! Good luck :)

hollybetts·Aug 14

Thank you for connecting with me on linkedin. I do have some good scripts and I will push through and try to get better at networking!

justinenicol·Aug 15

I'm sure it will be easier and more rewarding than you anticipated. Hope it goes well!

CristinaM·Aug 09

Hey, Holly, The reality you're describing is indeed pretty much the norm these days and I can relate to how tired/frustratedTypically for highly skilled (aka perceived "expensive/high risk") hires, if you are indeed landing interviews, the ability to close a role results from one of the two elements below:- clearly articulate what you can do in the specific context of the potential new role; I know how frustrating it must be to explain things that you might think are self-understood from your profile / CV, but trust me, this is the single biggest issue (statistically) - explain how you will adapt & fit; especially with your (very) long tenure with only one employer, even if recruitment criteria do not specify "multiple employers" / "multiple industries" (which happens more often than you'd think), you have to create a clear picture of how autonomous you'll be in handling the team and org culture, politics etc...I'd gladly chat a bit with you to explore some more tailored tips - feel free to book a spot https://calendly.com/d/4bf-dn4-4wp/discovery-call.

Iynna·Aug 09

Hey Holly! Thanks so much for reaching out here and sharing your experience. It is definitely not fun and I feel for you, sending you a hug! Firstly, I do not believe you are alone in this case. I am not saying this to undermine your experience but more so to make sure you know it's not a YOU thing necessarily. It's a tough time right now. How long have you been applying for roles? And what's been the strategy so far? Do you go on LinkedIn/job boards and send in your CV and cover letters? There's definitely a high rate of ghosting that happens now especially as a lot of companies are also losing their talent team :( (this is not backed by data at all but more my personal observation, in the past 3 months, at least 50% of our new members are women who were in HR/Ta and sadly affected by layoffs) The second piece is what kind of roles are you applying for and what kind of companies eg corporation or startup-ey/newer companies? I am saying this because for a lot of newer firms they will likely value someone who has a range of different experiences. I was on your LinkedIn and did notice you have spent a few years at one company (which to some it may signal that you won't be flexible at a newer leaner org) and has had incredible experience so I'd actually focus on getting those experiences out more so that people don't get stuck on the fact that you spent 19 or so years at one firm. basically don't leave anyone room to create an image of you that's not you.I'd also think more about the type of jobs you want to have and type of companies, you have tons of good experience in ecommerce so perhaps it is good to focus on companies that are in that space and are growing / could use a senior leader. lastly besides the networking part that everyone will likely advise you on, I'd encourage you to be creative in your job search ie. spend less time on job boards and more time figuring out how you can keep using your skills eg consult for a younger organisation, mentor founders/startups (if you find accelerators/incubators you like, you could even do it remote if there's none where you are), join an organisation board (that's in your field of work) Good luck!

hollybetts·Aug 14

Thank you for your feedback. I have been applying for roles similar to what I have done in the past and all in the ecommerce space. I have applied for roles at many different sizes of companies. I record my interviews and get advice from a career coach after the fact. I do think networking is the part I am not doing well. I have also been trying to keep my skills up to date by using coursera and linkedin learning. I think your advice about consulting or mentoring is great, I will look into some opportunities to do that.

Iynna·Aug 14

Thanks for your note! Regarding networking, what do you currently do and what would you like to do differently if you could?

Daree·Aug 11

I'm in the same boat Holly (and I spent 22 years at one company so I can relate), but I think everyone else has given some great advice. Summer is slow, the economy is weird, but we've gotta stay the course!

hollybetts·Aug 14

Good luck to you! While I am glad to hear that I am not alone in this, I am sorry that you are experiencing the same issues.

Iynna·Aug 14

Oh @dawns gave some fantastic feedback on a somewhat related thread, in case you find it useful https://elpha.com/posts/6yr8sugw/how-to-handle-perceived-ageism#zauriwes

dawns·Aug 17

Thanks for sharing, @iynna! Glad you found it helpful.

ColleenOBeirne·Aug 14

Definitely not alone ! Im in the same boat

hollybetts·Aug 14

Good luck to you, I hope you find something great soon.

ColleenOBeirne·Aug 23

thank you

madelineeggering·Aug 16

Hi Holly,I work for a company that specializes in helping executive level women (Director through C-Suite) find the next right role and make sure they are compensated properly for that role. The problem that many of the ladies I speak with on a daily basis come into is very similar to what you are describing. The reason for this problem is that 90% of executive level roles are never advertised online and of that 50% are only there because of legal reasons but the roles are actually already spoken for. This means that as you are putting in applications to posted positions, so are 2000 other candidates and you are all competing for 5% of the actual available roles out there. Tapping into the hidden job network is not always easy but that where these roles are located. When it comes to landing roles in these higher levels, I can't tell you how important branding and positioning are as well as networking. If any of this interests you or it is helpful I would love to chat with you and see if what we do can help you. Here is the website to the company I work for. www.bossmakeher.com

dawns·Aug 17

Great point about the hidden job market, @madelineeggering. It becomes so much more important, the more senior the roles you are targetting. I also love your company's mission.

dawns·Aug 17

Hi @hollybetts, the struggle is real! I just had a quick look at your profile on LinkedIn and see that you have a wealth of valuable experience. One thing that I see, is that you have presented your experience as a list of tasks ("built", "managed", "executed" etc.). However, focusing on the outcomes from those tasks ("achieved", "delivered", "enabled", "resulted in...") creates a much more powerful message about the impact you have on a business/ team/ organization. Some smart word-smithing might help. Also think about who you want to be: creative or commercial? Trying to be all things to all people makes your profile less sharp, leaving the hiring manager confused about where you could fit into their org. Less is sometimes so much more. I hope this sparks your motivation, and wish you good luck!