Stop Overshooting and Start Getting Hired (Episode 180)

Chapters

• 0:14 Tough Job Market Reality Check
• 1:27 Don’t Overshoot Your Qualifications
• 3:11 Targeted Resumes And Cover Letters
• 4:51 Bypass Gatekeepers And Reach Deciders
• 6:39 Communicate Clearly And Build Trust
• 8:12 Show Flexibility And Support Others
• 9:52 Practice For Interviews And Scenarios
• 12:20 Dress, Presence, And Professional Poise
• 14:17 Use AI Wisely, Not As A Crutch
• 16:10 Focus, Follow Up, And LinkedIn Tactics
• 18:15 Side Gigs, Security, And Specializing
• 20:27 Routines, Mindset, And Speaking Success

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:07

Hello, friends. Welcome to another episode of your Motivational Gen Z and Millennial Expert Podcast. I am your host. My name is Dr. Jason Wiggins, and let's get started. Right now, I assure that there are many of you in our audience that maybe have recently lost your job or have graduated from college, are looking for a job, or you're hearing from your friends and family and others that getting a job in 2000, the later end of 25 and now 2026 has become a real struggle. You are not alone. You have to understand that we are all in this together, and this episode is going to help bring things to light. I'm a very experienced individual that interviews on a constant basis, and I can provide you some guidance tips that are going to help you navigate this tricky thing called job hunting and the workforce. Because when you're looking for a job, the number one job is to find a job. And it is hard. It is very hard. So we're going to provide you some guidelines and get you where you need to be. And hopefully, this will help you find that golden opportunity. So right now, with your skill level and everything you have going on, you know where you stand. You know what type of jobs are out there, and you know what you're applying for. But I'll tell you right now, the number one key aspect of looking for a job is don't overshoot your qualifications. Why? When you overshoot your qualifications, what you're doing is you're just spending time shooting a generic indeed job posting to an employer that they're going to X you out right away. They're not even going to give you a second look. Why? The first line of your qualifications is going to tell a hiring manager or somebody in HR where you stand. And that means you don't have the current job skills, you don't possess exactly what they're looking for, and you don't have the right resume type of template. We don't need no fancy buzzwords. I know we all like buzzwords. With AI, AI will cater some great resume builder for you, but a hiring manager can see right through that. So what I'm stating is be transparent, utilize integrity, and don't overshoot. There is a way to get around the job interview vicious cycle. The blockers call it that. The blockers that provide that you don't have the keywords, you don't get to the HR individual. Well, personally, I review all the applications that come across my desk via Indeed, and it tells me if you're qualified, it gives me the checkboxes to say John Doe or Jane Doe is qualified for the position. But even though you meet the qualifications, I have to go through it and analyze and make sure that it is right. Therefore, moving forward, don't overshoot your guidelines. Why? You're wasting your time and everybody else's. What I will tell you is if you're gonna grow, you're gonna grow within an organization. So with your current experience that you have in the job market, or if you don't, if education is your number one thing, you just got out of college, you had a few summer jobs, that's okay. Just tailor your resume specifically for that job and show leadership skills. Show why you would be an asset to the company. If you wash dishes, explain how you washes dishes in a good way that reflects maybe what you can do for the company. The whole point is to get an interview. You're not gonna get hired off of your application, you're gonna get hired once they start talking to you. So once you understand that all I need to do is get the job interview, that's step one. So get away from trying to do too much. Get the job interview. If you get the job interview, then you have a chance. If you don't, you don't have a chance. So some people will say, I have 400 resumes I sent in the last six months. Okay, out of those 400, how many of your states, your skill set is a good fit for that job? That's where you have to break it down. If you spend more time on those 25 to 50, write corresponding cover letters, demonstrate how you and your skills should be possessed and for that future job. So curtail it toward your skills, and that's will help you. And then research the company. If you really want to work for that company, research it. Find you know, identify what is strong suits about that employer, that potential employer, and then write an email, reach out, try to call, whatever it may be. You gotta gain the upper hand. You need to let them know you're truly interested. Because if you can get through the gatekeeper, then you have a shot. So step one was don't overshoot your bounds. Step two was get the interview, and step three is get around to the decision maker. So you have to go through gatekeepers, you have to find out maybe you go through LinkedIn, you like a post that they're involved in, or maybe you make a comment on the post, whatever it may be, you have to set yourself apart. You never succeed without really making an effort. Happiness may not always have action, but there is no happiness without action. So that is key right there. If you can listen to that and understand that, then that is going to be a big way to improve yourself, your skill set in what you can do. So now you've got to determine what is my skill set, what am I good at? Be yourself. Number one, be yourself. Have a sense of transparency when you talk to the interviewer. When I'm interviewing folks, I hear them try to be fancy, they try to talk their way through it, they give you a prolonged answer. I don't want to spend an hour asking you a question if I hire you. I want you to get to the point. I want to know what the answer is, and let's go from there. And then if I want follow-up questions, I'll ask you a follow-up question. So that is why you have to really develop your skills. And what's the number one skill within your skill set? Communication. Focus on developing strong communication skills. That will help you land a job, that will help you get through the interview process, and that will help you be a consummate professional within your industry. If you can't communicate, you're not likely going to have a lot of success doing the job. And the other key point I like to always talk about is building trust in others. How do people trust you? Do they trust you? Can they trust you as far as they can throw you? If the answer is yes, then that's a problem. Be transparent, utilize integrity, and make sure that you are carefully listening. That's why the good Lord gave us two ears and one mouth. Talk less, listen more. I know this is coming from a podcaster, but I can tell you with a certain, certain, certain way of doing things, you must, you must, you must listen more than you talk. I have been very, very hard on myself over the years because I had a difficult time doing that. And that's one of the things that I had to work on and continue to improve on. Being adaptable, very important. Every company wants to know that you're gonna jump through hoops and you're gonna be flexible. So during this interview process, you do whatever you can to try to be flexible. Maybe they have issues scheduling, maybe they ask you to travel, maybe they ask you to do whatever. If you can show that you're flexible and you're willing to work with them, even though they're having a difficult time scheduling you, that right there goes a long, long way. And then find opportunities to support others. Try to find ways that makes you separate from other peers, other job interviewees. Show that you are opportunistic and show that you're willing to support others. This is where you ask that interviewer, what's important to you? What are you looking for in your next applicant? Remember, it's not just about getting a job. You are ultimately selling yourself. You're selling yourself to show that you are the best candidate for the job. 2025 and 2026 are hard times to find a job. It is important to realize that I've had several individuals that have interviewed for a position for me lately that have said they've been out of work for over a year. So if you hear this and you are one of those that have been out of work for a year or more, you are not alone. We have to fight the battle. You are going to work. Speak it into existence every chance you get. You are going to work, you are going to find a job, and you will prosper. Will it be easy? No. A lot of Gen Z, the millennials, have side gigs. And you know why they have side gigs? Because they grew up when there wasn't prosperity, there wasn't great times, stock market crashes, COVID, all of these things that have impacted the financial markets. Baby boomers, generation X to a certain degree, they've always had the ability to have access to the money. Why? Because the jobs were fluid. Generation X and millennials cannot say that with a sense of certainty. So that is why these are all the side gigs do exist. Because you don't want to put all your eggs in one basket. You don't want to put all that money in one basket. You want to know that I got part of my money from pocket A, pocket B, pocket C. And that's where we learn a lesson about job security. Does job security exist? Do organizations truly care about their employees? Well, a lot of them will say they do, but their action speaks louder than words. That's why you have to be a team player, you have to lead by example, you have to leverage your expertise, identify your skill set, become an expert in something. When you become an expert in something, it makes it more difficult to become expendable. When you are not able to separate yourself from your peers, you become expendable. You don't want to be expendable. When you become expendable, you become a dime a dozen. The next person can take your job for a lot less. So when organizations are struggling, they are looking at their top performers. Can they be replaced? Maybe. Yes. No. You want to be on the know. Why? Because it shows and demonstrates that you have the skill set to be spectacular. When you're non-spectacular, then you find yourself out of a job. So many employers understand what it takes to do the job, but so many employees do not. And if you don't, that's gonna make things difficult. So when we talk about going through the whole job interview process, it is important. Once you submit an application, you gear up for the interview. You practice. Even though you may not have an interview yet, you practice. Why? Because the more you practice, the better you're gonna be. They're gonna ask you situational questions. They're gonna ask you why you left your last job, they're gonna ask you why your skills are different from somebody else. They're gonna ask these questions, so why not be prepared on how to answer them? Now, when I do a lot of interviews, one of my big pet peeves, please, if you don't listen to anything during this podcast and you want to get a job, there's one thing you must do. Wear dress, wear a suit, wear a shirt and tie, don't wear a t-shirt, don't wear just a button-down shirt, you know, not tucked in, don't wear jeans. Some of you might be laughing about, well, I would never do that. 80% of the people that I interview with don't dress appropriately. It's about identifying on how to be a professional. A professional knows how to dress, they know how to shake your hand, they know how to have a resume ready for you, they know how to have a portfolio ready for you, they understand what you're asking for, they're flexible, they're team players, they want the job. So, what separates them from the others? They pay attention to detail. They pay attention to what you're listening to, they repeat what you're listening to, what you state during the interview. These are defining moments that help separate the good from the bad or the ill-informed. Most of job interviewees are not bad. Yes, they're not bad. They're just not informed. They don't realize what it takes to go on the job market, how to be successful, write the application to interview appropriately. And how do you do that? You can utilize AI, but don't rely completely on AI. AI will give you a lot of buzzwords, it'll give you some hyphens. All of this stuff is employers can see this. You do not want to be copped out as, oh, this is completely straight from AI. If they find that right away, the first thought that comes through their head is this person is going to cheat their way. They're gonna look like they can do the job, but I don't think they can execute the job. So if your potential boss doesn't think you can execute the job, then they're not going to likely hire you. So we've talked about today getting ready for the interview. Getting ready for the interview, speak it into existence, but write that stellar resume. If you have to use AI, resume makers, additional copies, then do so. And don't continue to apply for jobs that were way out of your league. If they require a master's degree and you don't even have an AA, don't apply. You're wasting your time and theirs. If it writes easy apply, it may be just a simple second for you. But that's a simple second you could have spent the time on to do something that was worthwhile. And that's cater your responses to a job that not only do you identify with, but you're a good fit. Don't waste your time or the interviewers or the individual from HR that is scanning the resumes. They have the trackers, but those trackers will also identify if you're trying to fake it till you make it. That doesn't work in the real world. And everybody who told you you were great and you weren't, then that's on them. And if they told you you were great and you were, then that's excellent. But we have to give our college graduates, our new individuals on the workforce, our generation X, we gotta give them the tools. And what are the tools? It's about being transparent on the job, being transparent on the skills that are needed, catering your success through your resume. Get the interview, obtain the interview. If you get the interview, you now have a 25% chance of getting that job. If they're interviewing an average of four individuals for the job and you're one of them, you have a 25% chance. How do you increase that chance? You dress right, you have a resume ready to go, you have like a portfolio, you give a good firm handshake, you're on time. And when I say on time, it doesn't mean get there right on the dot. It means get on 10 minutes early and wait. If it's an online interview, then you sit in the queue and you wait till they let you in. But it's good to be there first, it's good to be ready, and that is going to demonstrate to the hiring manager you're ready to go. Success is yours. We've talked a lot about today about the interview, the vicious interview cycle, the resume cycle. But you can cheat the system, to cheat the system by spending all your time on jobs that not only do you want, because everybody wants the$500,000 job annually. But guess what? Not everybody's a CEO. That's why you need to find a job and then focus, write the follow-up letter. Find out who the executive is that's in charge of the hiring. Look on their LinkedIn, try to try to respond to one of their quotes or one of their discussions about something that you think is relevant and you can share with their industry. Remember to make yourself relevant, have them trust you, demonstrate integrity, be transparent, leverage your expertise. These are key points to help you get your dream job. If you look on YouTube, you're gonna find all the different opportunities, all the motivation to give you what you need to push forward for the right job. But ultimately, it starts with your resume, it starts with your desire, it starts with the ability to go through all the obstacles because it is not easy to find a job. I've been there and it's not easy. Now, in this job market, it's even harder. So that's why you do need to find the job hustles. You do need to find the way to keep your job and job security and and and make sure basically parlay that into different jobs. We all have expertise in something. Maybe some of you it's video games, maybe some of you it's it's cooking, but whatever it is, you can parlay that into something that you're good at. So today we've talked about all the important things about getting a job, about not failing in the job market. If you've been out of a job a year and you're doing the same things day in and day out, well, next morning, tomorrow morning, put your shoes on a different way. Put your socks on a different way. Start being flexible, start changing your attitude. Read up on some of the companies that you want to know more about. So when you get that interview, yes, you heard me say it. Not if you get the interview, when you get the interview. You have to speak it into existence. My wife is a big believer in that. The more you say something's gonna happen, the more likely it's going to happen. If you say I'm gonna be great at something, the more practice, the better you are at it, you're going to be great. Today is a day that is going to provide you with the tools. The tools to move to the next level, to get the job interview. That's the only goal you have if you're searching for a job. And if you're not searching for a job right now and you have a job, then you are in a great place. And even more so, if you're happy that you work for the company you do. That's even better. Because most people will say they don't like their job. And that is really a shame because we work our whole lives find our dream job. And if you don't like what you do, then it is going to make things difficult. Today, we talked about the important aspects of job hunting. Don't let people get in your way and don't get discouraged. Continue to build your communication, improve your skills. And if you're able to do this and you achieve your goals, you're going to feel much better for it. This podcast is for Gen Z and Millennials, and I'll tell you what, I could not want to be doing something more than doing this for you. So continue to stay engaged. Check the fan mail on BuzzSprouts. We're the number one, excuse me, I would like to say I'm trying to speak it into existence here, but we are the number two millennial podcast in America. So if I speak that into existence, we might just be number one. In the world, we are the 16th most watched and listened to Millennial Podcast. So there you have it. Continue to listen, continue to share, continue to be engaged. We have a hundred and almost 180 plus episodes. And so there's an opportunity to continue to aspire and learn and be more of yourself. So thank you everyone for continuing to listen. Please feel free to email me via the fan mail on Buzz Sprouts. And I look forward to continuing to hear from you and hear how we can continue to help you. So keep your heads right. Take care. And this is Jason Wiggins, your motivational Gen Z and Millennial expert. Take care. Talk to you later. Bye bye.