Dear Fairy Job Mom - June 8, 2023

Hello Hello! Welcome to the latest edition of Dear Fairy Job Mom where you get answers to your burning questions around all things hiring, LinkedIn, personal branding, and inspiration!

I'm Alexis Scott - founder of The Fairy Job Mom, a career coaching consultancy focused on helping professionals market themselves into their next strategic career move! If YOU have a question for the next edition, please submit it HERE. 🎯

ALSO: 🗓 MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR JULY 11! The Fairy Job Mom is hosting the next So You Wanna Get Hired webinar - SALES EDITION! More info to come!

And now without further ado... let's get into it!

xo, Alexis 🧚🏻‍♂️ 💜

I was recently laid off and haven’t shared this “news” yet with my network. Any tips on what I should say if I make a post on LinkedIn? - Finding the Right Words

Dear Finding the Right Words,

First, I am sorry that you are going through a layoff - never a good time 🙁

Second, sharing that you were laid off is incredibly important to generate as many leads as possible.

When writing your LinkedIn post, there are two critical additions to sharing that you are now on the market:

1. ALWAYS include what you want to do next - potential titles, industries, etc.
2. Share your wins and what makes you a stellar candidate for those roles!

Marketing yourself as a resilient, talented, and focused candidate is key, and it starts from day 1.  

Sending you all the #gethired vibes I can.  Hang in there, and JUST KEEP GOING!

I recently was asked for what I thought was a networking conversation and the person showed up with a salesperson from their company and it turned into a pitch.  I was not sure how to react.  I am looking for work, so I don’t want to burn a bridge but I also feel like I should let the person know that this is not ok… how do I do this delicately? -Annoyed in the PNW

Dear Annoyed in the PNW,

I chuckled at your “name” and I’m gonna be honest here - I’d be annoyed also.  What a frustrating and awkward situation!

Being in the position where you are looking for work, I can understand wanting to be careful about how to approach the situation.

You have one of two options: 

1. Stay quiet - think about whether or not this information will help or hurt your situation.
2. Say something - again see above.

I do believe that there is a way to mention to the person who invited you that you weren’t expecting a sales pitch.  Maybe something along the lines of:

“Hey Joe, it was really great meeting you last week.  I wasn’t expecting anyone to join us for a sales pitch, but now I know a little more about your product. If I would have known X was joining us, I would have been more prepared for the demo!

If you are ever up for a networking call to get to know each other better, please let me know.  Hope that you and (insert party crasher’s name) are having a great week.”

Trust your gut on whether or not it is worth it to bring up the issue - or chalk it up as someone you probably aren’t going to bring closely into your network.

The bright side - you get to decide!

How do you think of what to start posting on LinkedIn? Everyone says creating content is important but I am not a great writer so even one post takes me forever. -Stuck in Florida

Hey Stuck in Florida,

This is a question I receive often.  How do you think of content ideas??

First, I post a lot about what is going on in my life and career.  Endless topics.

But if I get stuck I do one of two things:

1. I go into my camera roll and start looking at pictures to give me ideas.
2. I go to Pinterest and look at writing prompts.

You know what I do NOT do?  Use AI to write LinkedIn posts.  Which - that might be a spicy take, but I just don’t feel like AI is the answer for words that come from the heart and mind of someone learning and growing.

BUT some people do - so ask ChatGPT for ideas or to write a post if you want to give that a whirl… BUT I would ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS edit it into your own voice.  

Happy writing - you are the expert in your own story - remember that!!

BONUS: Anzel Botha wrote a great article with a ton of prompts - Check it out!!

I am debating on whether or not I should stay in my current job or start applying for new ones.  Based on pay sites and job postings I am definitely underpaid, but I love my boss and company a lot.  I’ve been here for 1.5 years and seen a small 3% raise - and I don’t see them being able to bridge the gap to market rate any time soon. What would you do if you were in this situation? - Torn and Confused 

Dear Tom and Confused,

I think the answer lies within.  I can’t answer this for you because there are factors that you must take into consideration for your decision.

The first is the market conditions.  I am not sure what industry you are in, but if the answer is tech -  think VERY hard about what you want to do.

Second, pay ranges are going down in some industries. In 2021 - with the hiring and pay raise frenzy, YES you most likely could have jumped ship into a new role easily and gotten a large pay raise. But now - I am gonna vote maybe.  Maybe yes, you could get hired and get a significant increase in salary.  But maybe not - a lot of companies are freezing roles and are bringing salaries back down to pre 2021 ranges.

Third, how do you feel about the work that you do and the leadership at your company?  If you enjoy them, maybe the answer is to stay put until the market smooths out and appreciate the fact that at least you are happy with the work that you do!  If the answer is that you do not enjoy it - then that is a different discussion. I am living, breathing, proof that pay is not everything.

Ultimately finding work that you love, and making enough to live the lifestyle you want to is the answer to happiness.  

Weigh your pros and cons and no matter what you decide, ALWAYS be open to conversations about new roles.  Even if you aren’t officially “looking”.

Summer slowdown is real but don't let that keep you from making connections, submitting applications, posting great content, or attending webinars - like the So You Wanna Get Hired - Sales Edition one coming on July 11!!!

Can't wait to learn from sales leaders on what they look for in their ideal hires.

And again - if you have a question you'd like answered: Submit it HERE!