Over 38 million people quit their jobs in 2021, giving way to a
According to global employment website, Monster, 90% of applicants have applied for jobs and never heard back from companies in 2021. Laura Weldy, an International Coaching Federation credentialed career coach with a focus on women and leadership, believes both employers and job seekers are to blame, due to uncertainty from both sides about their respective end goals.
“Employers are dropping the ball on being proactive and getting talent in the door because they are unsure what their business strategy should look like in the next couple of years,” says Weldy. “And employees are applying to many jobs, instead of targeting specific jobs they’d be an excellent fit for.”
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Weldy says wires may be getting crossed: employers may be solely focused on filling roles, and employees are struggling to find places where they can feel appreciated and supported for the skills they have now. The result is that many job seekers are choosing to lie or exaggerate their experience just to get through the door — especially those looking for entry-level jobs.
To help employees be clear about what they’re looking for in their next employer, career coaching can be a vital tool, Weldy says. Coaching can help workers establish clear goals and expectations and enter the interview process with confidence. Weldy shared her tips for getting through the great resignation and how job seekers can stand out in a recent conversation with EBN.
As a career coach, what does the great resignation mean to you?
The great resignation season as a whole was inevitable, given how unhappy employees have been for years and how long employees have been saying that the modern workplace is not working for them. This was not an avoidable occurrence — it was coming for many years.
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So here’s an opportunity for employees to come back to the table and ask, “What have I come to believe about myself?” They may have felt so frustrated at their job or so unappreciated over the past number of years. They need to ask themselves how they can let go of some of that mental baggage and come into this with a fresh slate. They should believe that they are valuable and then see how their new mindset changes their whole professional experience.
Why should job seekers at least consider career coaching?
Most people associate career coaching with something you do to succeed in a job you already have. But coaching can help job seekers identify their unique gifts and personal brands before employers ask who they are and what they’re all about. Career coaching is about building confidence in your own value.
The biggest thing folks tend to underestimate is how much they need to spend time getting on their own side. We assume that going into an interview, we will know how to advocate for ourselves. But often we don't because that’s not something we practice — not to mention we have been alone in our homes for two years, coping with a pandemic. Even just a single session or looking at coaching resources could help individuals shift to a better mindset.
One client I worked with had been in their previous role for a number of years and felt taken advantage of at their current company. Because they had spent so long feeling undervalued, they had started to believe that they didn't have much to bring to the table. So the idea of seeking out a new job or switching careers was intimidating to them. That’s why we worked together on reframing their experience, identifying how desirable their skill set was and what value they brought to the table, even if it wasn’t acknowledged by their current employer. This person was honestly really shocked once they started getting interviews and seeing how desirable they are as an employee.
Beyond working with a career coach, what other tips would you pass on to job seekers?
We talk about LinkedIn all the time, but leveraging your LinkedIn network does make a difference. You can reach out to people you may not even know and schedule informational interviews or casual coffee chats where you specifically ask them what it's like to work at their company and how you can stand out when applying to their company.
Also, YouTube and podcasts can be incredibly valuable. Lately, I have been shocked at the amount of content that's out on YouTube for the job search process. You can find specific interview questions or any stage in the hiring process explored on YouTube — it gives you a ton of resources from career coaches as well as longtime managers and HR experts. There are also apps like Speeko, which records what you say, and then gives you live feedback on how you can improve the competence levels and make yourself sound more confident, dynamic and engaging.
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Considering today’s labor market, what is your advice to employers who are racing to attract and retain talent?
I recommend employers consider non-traditional candidates in a way that they haven’t in the past. This is an opportunity for employers to
And for employees, I know that it can be really scary to quit your job or change career paths, but I still believe it's a really powerful time for employees to be looking for employers that value them. Employees have the upper hand right now. And although this might feel like a growing pains period, I do ultimately think that on the other side of this great resignation is a healthier workplace that is genuinely more supportive of everybody.
