Seasons with Purpose

14: Seasons of Careers: Springing Into Your Next Chapter!

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Today on the pod, we're talking about the realities of the job market with the Founder and CEO of JBR Executive Recruitment, Julie Biber!  If you're in the job market, or considering taking a leap into a new career season, this is an honest conversation about the hiring process today and realities of seasons of transitions - especially in the corporate world and business community.  Julie talks about her transition from the corporate world to her own executive recruitment firm, some incredible hiring tips to consider and how maintaining and growing your network will never be a waste of time.  Julie is a light in this world and has so much goodness to share in this episode.  Don't miss it!

https://www.jbrexecutivesearch.com/


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SPEAKER_02

Welcome to Seasons with Purpose, where we have honest conversations about how seasons of all types show up in our lives and how we walk into and through them with intention. We're glad you're here. We just had our first listener's last episode from Vietnam. So if you're coming from Vietnam today, I don't think I know anyone in Vietnam, which always makes me feel good when I'm doing this as a part-time gig that it's people I don't know listening. So I'm just so thrilled you're all here, no matter where you came from. Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, wherever you're listening, um, we're so thrilled to have you. Today is fire and a really honest conversation about the state of the job market and realities of seasons of transitions, specifically today in the corporate world and the business community. If you're feeling God leads you towards a job change or you've been forced into a job change you weren't expecting, this conversation is for you. And even better, I'm joined by one of my dear friends and former colleagues, Julie Bibber, CEO of JBR Executive Search Firm, her own executive recruitment firm that she launched a little over a year ago. Prior to going out on her own, Julie served as global managing director of executive recruitment, search, and succession at Edelman for over 20 years, where we met and worked together for many years. She believes strongly in a recruitment culture rooted in best practices, competitive intelligence, and an exceptional candidate experience. She's a case study of maintaining your network, nurturing relationships, and always learning. And I can say from experience that she truly takes the time to thoroughly understand the people as people, as a person, not just as a professional. And she's just all around a great human being. She's a powerhouse in the industry and the marketing business community, but that doesn't even pale in comparison to the amazing family she's built at home. She's the wife to Fielding, the mom of four grown children, two boys and two girls, and now the Nana to three grandkids. I think you're gonna love this if you are in that season of life. And now over to our conversation with the one and only Julie Bimber. We'll talk all about it, but I'm just so proud of watching you build your thing and now being willing to share helping other people build their thing. I'm always in awe of you, and I'm so glad you're here, finally.

SPEAKER_01

Well, thank you. You've been a mentor to me as as many others have been, and I love to help where I can. I love to set seeds where I can, and I'm excited. Congrats to you having your own podcast. Like, look at you. I want to be you when I grow up. No, it's so cool and it's fun. And I was listening to a few of them, you know, Ben Boyd in particular. It was so good to hear his voice. And just our network from the Edelman days is unmatched, so it's an honor.

SPEAKER_02

And it's a good reminder that network is what it's all about.

SPEAKER_01

Network is king or slash or slash queen.

SPEAKER_02

100%.

SPEAKER_01

People that your network makes sure, you know, stay connected. Network. It's there's nothing more than important than doing that. So here we are, and this is an example of.

SPEAKER_02

I'm so so excited. Thanks for always being a part of my network, to say the least. Absolutely. Not to mention my life. Okay, so for my pod squad, tell us about yourself and what season of life and career you're in currently.

SPEAKER_01

Excellent. Okay, so tell a little bit about myself. So Julie Bibber, I always like to start with some of the personal I am a mother of four. I have two daughters. I have two sons. I have three grandlittles. Um, I call them my littles, Scarlet, Jack, and Baker, um, who are just the little sunshines of my life. Um and I am happily married. I have my wonderful father that lives near me. Um I'm blessed with just a a great brother, um, who's also my best friend, and just a wonderful network of friends, etc. So a little bit me about me from a professional standpoint. We recruited for Edelman. Um, as you know, for 26 and a half years. People always ask me, why do you say and a half? How do you get it, Katie? Edelman is wonderful. But you count all the days. You they all count. So 26 and a half years, I spent in some capacity of recruitment. Um, started out with Chicago, merged to New York, took on the US, not myself, we had with a team, and then branched over to global oversight of recruitment. About a year and a few months ago, I left the firm and I had always aspired to go out on my own and hang my own shingle and start my own recruitment as a search firm. And I did. It's entitled JBR, so that's Julie Bibber, and the R is Reigns. So that's my husband's last name. And I never took on his last name officially throughout the years. It was always Julie Bibber. And when I got remarried, I felt it was important for my own brand to keep my name, but the extension of Reigns added to the title of JBR. Um, and I was so excited to create the logo and get the launch, which ignited February 1st of 2025. So I'm about a year in. And I'm having a good time. It's a lot. I know we'll talk about that and in the the transition from in-house corporate to doing my own thing. But I'm very blessed with the network of clients that I have, the network of candidates, and um, it's definitely an extension of that. So what season am I in? Um season insofar as March 20th was the first day of spring.

SPEAKER_00

What season of life do you think you're in?

SPEAKER_01

Season of life.

SPEAKER_00

I like that. So season of life that I'm in. I would say the word growth. Yeah, I love it.

SPEAKER_01

So I'm building growth, contact, reimagining, especially with my own firm learning season of maybe even like a rebirth, if that's the right way of saying it. Um I I didn't know what I didn't know stepping into this. I I spoke to a lot of mentors um and others that have done it and always imagine what it might be like. But um I would say that it's a season of growth.

SPEAKER_02

That's amazing. And how's the season of being a grandparent? It's is it what you expected?

SPEAKER_01

Everything and more. It just it brings out the I am kind of goofy. I like to just laugh and be silly with them. All bets are on. You know, it's it's just we do dance parties, I have nicknames for them. They my granddaughter Scarlett puts makeup on me and I walk out looking like um, you know, however I want to look. But it is everything. And I'm so grateful they're 10 minutes away from where I live. So I see them quite often. I go to gymnastics for her, hockey, um, soccer. And um, you know, it's just it's my it's my getaway, it's my um balance, I would say. And and that's where my parents always used to say that about my children, but then they'd leave and they drove nine hours back home. And I'm so grateful that I'm so close because it just here's the perfect way to explain it. It fills the void when I became an empty nester when my youngest Drew left for college.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Especially, you know, the youngest and boys and all of his buddies in the house and all the above, sports, etc. The house was too quiet. Yeah. And so with the littles approaching, it filled that that gap or that void to just um you know, just bring back a lot of life.

SPEAKER_02

I love watching you as a grandma. What do they call you?

SPEAKER_01

Nana. Nana. My kids called my mother.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

She passed away six years ago, so they call me Nana.

SPEAKER_02

Okay. I love your Nana. Your Nana face your Nana season. I love, love, love it. Okay, so f weather, what is your favorite weather season and why?

SPEAKER_01

Oh, I love that question. You know, I thought through it, and it years ago, if we would have done this 20, 25 years ago, in a heartbeat, I would have said summer. I was the one that, you know, lay out in the sun, bring on the palm trees, I want to come back from a vacation with the darkest hand.

SPEAKER_00

Yep, yep.

SPEAKER_01

I always felt like I was healthier doing that. But it's contrary to that, but I really thought about that, Katie. And you know, it still is summer. Some of the reasons why, of course, warmth, of course, the sunshine. I feel like sunshine brings more smiles no matter what. But it's also in the growth mode. Um, a hobby of mine is planting flowers. And so I know that's spring-like-ish, but in summer, just seeing the hydrangeas bloom. And my dad live grew up on a farm and he always had a garden in the backyard, and I was always weeding the garden and picking the peas and the raspberries, and just I was so excited as a little girl to see the growth of that. And now, fast forward into where I am now, it's really the season of summer for that, for the bike rides, for another thing I thought about summer that I love is I love the smell of cutting grass.

SPEAKER_02

Is that your favorite smell? Because that's another question I love. Like, what's your favorite smell? It tells you a lot about people, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Or it's like a grill when you walk by and you can smell hamburgers on a grill. And you know what it's all summer magic. Yes, I may believe it's summer. Now, I'll close with this though. Living in the Milwaukee area, living in the Midwest, always being from the Midwest, other than three years that I lived in London back in the late 90s. Obviously, we have all four seasons, and I I do love spring where all this everything's blooming, and then fall where you get the beautiful colors. Winters are a little too long here, but yeah, it it's summer.

SPEAKER_02

Still you're still a summer girl. I love that.

SPEAKER_01

I'm still a summer girl, yes.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, that's good. And especially in the north, to your point, winter becomes very long and no one sometimes. Yeah, as we all age, I just like winter less. But I know you, and I know what you were just implying is you have to have the seasons. You can't, I mean, I can't imagine not having, yeah, a little bit, a little shorter winter would be okay with me. But otherwise, I need still fun during the holidays for sure. Yes, yes. Okay, so you told us about your transition from the corporate world. What made you do that? And what have you learned in the transition?

SPEAKER_01

So I always I had a dream of always running my own recruitment firm at a larger scale, though. It was more like maybe being a partner at a search firm and leading a large team there, or maybe starting my own, which I I did consider a few times, and then maybe having it purchased by a search firm. Um, but then when I started talking to a few people after I left Edelman, because I took a beat for a couple months um just to decompress um for a little bit, and into speaking with some folks, they were all just just duly launch it, you know, with with the network that you have. Um, a few people said I'd be immediate clients for you. So I got my LLC. I figured that out, talk to an accountant. It wasn't, it was not overwhelming, but it was more of my personality is to dive right in, just dive in and you know, have the hope. I have a strong faith, a belief, a humble, you know, level of confidence that it's gonna be one day at a time, but it we're gonna make it work. So I wasn't sure. I I gave myself a year to see how it was, and then if if things weren't to the degree that I was having fun, I was challenged, the amount of work was not as plentiful as I would hope for, then I would be looking at perhaps going back in-house. So, what have I learned in the transition? There is a level of independence that is essential. I am to a degree a one-woman band. I have some external help once in a while, which is great. I am um, you know, doing everything from soup to nuts. So when you're chasing invoices, when you're um, you know, the follow-up, the, you know, handling all the candidates, the client flow. Um, one lesson I did learn, somebody told me, um, just say yes to all the clients coming in from the beginning, and and then it will funnel. I did say yes and it grew too big. And I'm saying that with, you know, not not sounding ego, but it did grow too big. And I had to sit back and I had to identify because I'm very much of a person who wants to give that percent of excellence to clients and candidates. And when you have too many clients, it's just stretch too thin. So therefore, I had to look at narrowing it to a degree, and some certain specific clients, very grateful for them. I I did several placements and recruitment for them and still continue to do that. So it is true, it starts to funnel. And um, I'm over a year now, so I'm continuing Katie for another year.

SPEAKER_00

Yay!

SPEAKER_01

We'll just we'll just see how it continues to go. I'm very happy.

SPEAKER_02

Which is also a beautiful part of it. One year at a time in the season you're in. What a beautiful thing, too, that you've built something you can do, but you also could walk away or do something different at any point.

SPEAKER_01

And that's also well, I just want to give this message out to anyone in all transparency. I I I thought I might be at Edelman forever. And it wasn't the case, so it was a a a time to take a beat, be with family, decompress, and just reimagine, re- you know, identify, take a look at, and anybody can do it. Anybody can do it.

SPEAKER_02

So well, you know I'm one of your biggest cheerleaders, but we all are, and we knew you could do it, and it's wonderful to watch you in it, and I'm proud of you. You're rocking it. And I also love that it's something if you're not having fun and you don't love it, you can pivot away from it too. But you're doing the thing that God for sure built you to do and living in it. Yes.

SPEAKER_01

I know what I'm good at and I know what I'm not good at.

SPEAKER_02

So amen to that in this season of life, right? You and I've had this conversation, and I think I've said it on the podcast before it's my favorite thing. When even if it's just like a person at a coffee shop who was made to be a barista, I just love watching people, some that I don't know, who are living their best lives in the thing that Lad created them to do. I'm like, that's my favorite. I walk out of stores, I'm like, and then the opposite is so hard for me to watch. Just recently, my kids who are teenagers literally made the observation why is this person a teacher? She hates kids, you know, they were just talking about she hates kids, she complains about school all the time. If a teenager's takeaway is they're not enjoying their life or anything in it, go do something else, lady.

SPEAKER_01

Anyway, exactly, determine, and that's where you can look into who am I? Yes, is my brand? What is my value proposition? 100%. And um, I encourage everybody to sit back and take a look at that.

SPEAKER_02

If you like what you've heard on the Seasons with Purpose podcast, the best way you can help and support us is sharing or following the entire podcast or the specific episodes you love the most. It would really mean a lot to me if you could share it so that it can have impact on others. Another way you can support the podcast is purchasing the cutest gifts on blue designcompany.com or at their new location in Percival, Virginia. Podcast listeners get an exclusive code seasons 15. If you put that in on the website, you will get 15% off everything that they offer. Fathers and Mother's Day are coming up, birthdays, summer gifts to just take to cook out. They have the cutest personalized stuff, and are just a really great company and pillar in our local community. And I'd really appreciate if you support them. It helps the podcast, and we're just so grateful for their support. Now back to our conversation with Julie. So for those who are willing to jump or looking for something new right now and thinking about that. What is their brand? What's their value proposition? What is the job market like? How do they jump back in if that's their inkling or they just heard you say that and they're like, I'm ready to do it. Let's go.

SPEAKER_01

Yes. So that's that's a big, big question. I'll start with the job market first. As I started my own firm last year and just speaking with so many candidates and clients and seeing the growth of that. This year is better. This year, I feel, I just feel it. Insofar as you know, you scroll through LinkedIn and you see, I'm sure you see it all the time, Katie, like friends posting, VP of Comms here, senior manager at Starbucks. Like just across the board, I'm seeing daily people posting opportunities. Um, and it appears that a lot of them are growth generated. So my feeling is that this year is still going to be rocky, volatile, a bit uncertain. But for anyone that is looking through that window and thinking, should I put my toes in the water? Yes, I say go. Be open-minded, have your resume updated all the time. Stay networked. You mentioned earlier, Katie, about networking. Networking is so critical. And even if it's uncomfortable for you, that's okay. Because it's like the more you do it, the more it just becomes natural that you're talking to a best friend in the backyard or something like that. And I'll use this as an example. People will reach out to me and they'll say, Julie, I just don't know how to get in front of X, Y, and Z about this opportunity at said Coca-Cola. Um and they'll ask me, I'm perfect, all the skills match, but I got a a um a rejection letter. And then with all the good of AI, there is still some negative perfect aspects of AI in that sometimes the Coca-Cola was just a pull it out. It could be HP, it could be, you know, Yeti, whatever. Um, but at the end of the day is the human contact is so critical. And it's not just a political thing of, oh, who you know gets you through the door. If you have a strategy of how you can connect with how will you set yourself apart, how will you differentiate yourself so that once you are able to get to a human and present yourself. So I always share that as feedback from the onset to people in that do your research, find names within the company, find people that you know that may be connected with that. Right. Because oftentimes it may just go through a big funnel of several resumes. And you know, there's a lot of candidates out there, very good candidates who have perhaps been laid off, and you need to give it your best shot. So positive, it's still um, you know, a bit vol just the the the the uncertainty. But I always tell people, you never know, keep conversations going, even if they're informational conversations with places, people will not forget you.

SPEAKER_02

Love that. If they're considering something new, like brand new, is the process the same or is there other things to consider if you're looking at something totally new? Because that sometimes that's not always the networking.

SPEAKER_01

Right. Eyes wide open is what I would say. And you know, you have to sit back, you first you have to self-reflect and really understand why you're pivoting to the the total brand new. Um, speak to as many people as you can who are in that sector, that industry, that type of role, to really formulate that yes, this is the right decision. Then you have to go to the the real tactics of it. Um, because at times it could be a salary cut. So when I say, you know, eyes wide open, that to me is is the the mantra and the the framework for that. But it's also to ensure that your confidence is at a level that you're confident to interview for something different and new. You're confident that your skills can translate over to whatever that might look like. And you also have the hope slash faith that, you know, this is the right direction, but also be okay with if it doesn't work out, what's next?

SPEAKER_02

A backup plan.

SPEAKER_01

Yep.

SPEAKER_02

Yep. Plan C. Plan Clan C or D. Or F. F or Y. Yeah. You just never know. Okay, so I think most people know what a recruiter does, but how do you describe what you do in recruitment and what do you wish everyone knew about recruitment?

SPEAKER_01

It's the best job in the world, the whole live world. I remember back in the day at Evelman, people from the HR team, and nothing against them. They well, they would start in recruitment, then they would want to go over and be an HR generalist. Great. You know what? It gave them the opportunity to try something else. But I always thought in my head, how could you leave recruitment? Like I felt like they were breaking up with me or with us on the recruitment side. You know what? Recruitment is all about engagement. Recruitment is about um staying connected. Recruitment is about having a very good intuition on a person and in that person being a good strong match within a company. Recruitment is having a good foundation of a business acumen. Because when you're thinking and you know, speaking with a client, you need to understand the client, the culture, what they do for a business, because you're out hunting for the candidates than for you know the the roles that you're working on. Recruitment is a very, you get very high when you make a placement and you find, yes, I found a Katie Carter, but then it's like you just start, you start back up in that hustle. So, of all of the greatness of recruitment, what I would also say to somebody that might be looking at either transitioning into it or just starting it and having a career in it is that you have to have a thick-ish skin for the various stakeholders that you work with. You need to also be comfortable with the urgency, the the fast piece of we needed these people yesterday, and then balance it with I understand that and respect that, but we also want to make sure we get the right diverse pool of people in front of you, and that takes time. So just having having that as well, but being a trusted partner, um, you're an ambassador, you're a cheerleader, you're a frontline of whatever organization. But to me, it's the best job in the world, and it's so much fun.

SPEAKER_02

You're you're built for it. I think your client, your clients all for all of your career, but especially now, I can just tell the fact that you love recruitment. I think people, especially in the corporate world, have this idea of what recruiters do and don't do. And that's sometimes so dangerous, right? Because you they go in thinking, and I'm sure you've seen this in your independent world, people go in thinking this is how it works to your point about urgency. Like, I need someone tomorrow, and they have just told you what they need, let alone whether you can go access people you know or how you haven't even started that process.

SPEAKER_01

So you get one job description, a job spec from one hiring manager, and then a few weeks later they shift and move a little bit, which is fine. It's they're they're running the business. Um, but it's also managing expectations from the candidate as well as your hiring manager and just building that that trust. What I will say that people sometimes have a misnomer um or a myth about recruitment, and I I do portray that it's the it is the best job and it's fun, but it's hard work and it is stressful at times. Oftentimes it's not a nine to five job. You're speaking to candidates tonight. I used to be at sports events and I'd be on the phone looking for a global head of corporate comms, and I'd see my son playing basketball, looking at mom, being on the phone in the bleachers. It's time well spent, but it can be time consuming.

SPEAKER_02

Wouldn't it be nice if all corporations offered people jobs from 10 to 4? That would be delightful. But that's not generally how it works. No, not at all. Talk about seasons of recruitment. Did you I mean in the early days, did you have an actual Rolodex? Like people you knew and did you have I mean you had two of that in my head, no in your head. I mean, because I was before cell phones, like think about that.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, when I first started, so I was in London and Edelman was one of my clients in London, which is always interesting. I love that story. Yeah. Um there, yeah, we didn't have LinkedIn, which is my, you know, I can't imagine without LinkedIn. I had yellow pages, yeah. And I'd be going through, you know, looking at PR firms, calling in, head-hutting people out, writing down in big yellow notebooks of names, and you know, these are networks, these are prospects, here's a pipeline for consumer healthcare or technology, what yeah. I used to have paper everywhere, yes. So times have definitely advanced. They've definitely changed. But what I will say is that the term smile and dial, whereby I used to have to pick up the phone all the time because I didn't have LinkedIn to send a little, you know, engagement note to about a job. And I'd be headhunting out, I'd be, you know, finding ways to get past the receptionist to get through to Joe Smith. And there is something about that human contact that if I had reached out to you and said, This is my buddy Travis Kessel, who's an amazing, you know, Travis well, amazing recruiter. And um, we worked together at Edelman and we we did this course together, and I I'll always remember it. The the best tagline to call and reach somebody and get their interest is to say, if I was headhunting you, Katie, if I were to talk to you about an opportunity that may be clearly different than what you're at today, would you be interested in exploring a conversation with me? 95% of the people will at least you'll get a yes. Yeah, and then you take it to the next step. Because it is a red carpet strategy, it is like a level of you get them up to that, and then it's let's go. Now, now you're meeting with Richard Edelman or who whomever. But at the end of the day, I'm hopeful that the the headhunting, the the art and the craft of it lives on because a lot of people are relying on you know LinkedIn or AI and reaching out in different ways, and just that human touch to me is so significant.

SPEAKER_02

And what a beautiful thing that that hasn't gone away or and it's still it's still so important. And to your point, with the addition of AI, it's actually the complete opposite in the AI world. There's so little anything, and you can see while it why it's so sterile and such a waste of time. It's like you click things and it goes into the abyss because nobody's actually touched it, and people haven't said, Wow, this it matters that this person did this for this role where it doesn't just copy and paste into the job. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And that's where I would I just I'm always so even when I'm speaking to people and they're asking my advice on follow-up or cover letter, what do I do? Sure, you can put something through AI and you know, but make sure it's true to who you are.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah. Yep.

SPEAKER_01

Your authentic self, there's nothing better than that. And you, you know, you you're gonna need to go in if you get the job and perform. And you know, you don't want to ever, you know, have a resume, value proposition, whatever it is that you bring forward that isn't true to who you are.

SPEAKER_02

Such good advice. Um, okay, I've always wanted to ask you this question. And you have seen it all in this industry. What's your favorite interview question of all times and why?

SPEAKER_01

Oh my gosh. I you know what? I love that question. And I actually used it with my son last night. And it I I'll I'll tell you the question first, and I'll use the example. So, my favorite question is what are your superpowers?

SPEAKER_00

Love that. That's so good.

SPEAKER_01

And I say it might it might be one or it might be a couple, and uh nine out of ten or ten out of ten, I'll get the response. That's a really good question. I've never been asked that before. And I stole it. I stole it from my friend Russell Dubner. Okay, you would ask people that. And he was a tough critic. He would ask people that, and it really pulls out, it helps differentiate, right? It helps me like instantly this is what they'll bring to the table. Um, it also helps distill when the c when the interview or conversation is going and they've given examples, and maybe you know, I wasn't able to ascertain what a superpower was. So last night my son Drew had a had a podcast with um an NFL scout um podcaster, and he watched some of the former interviews that the man did to prepare him. And as we were talking through possible interview questions that he'd get, one of them was, What are your superpowers? And my son got that last night. I'm like, bingo. I knew you'd get that, Drew.

SPEAKER_00

So oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_01

I think it's really important for people to think about because it boosts confidence, it helps you sit back and really believe in yourself that you know what I may lean really far on the art side, not so much on the science side, but at the end of the day, you know, here are my superpowers, and here's here's what Julie brings to the table, here's what Katie brings to the table. And it's it's also a fun question.

SPEAKER_02

I love that. It's also good on both sides. If you're a hiring manager, it's a great question to ask, but it's also really good to know your own value proposition, know who you are, and know that answer for yourself if you're the one in the seat. So that's I was gonna actually potentially ask you both, like which question, but that works for both.

SPEAKER_01

If you ask people if you don't know your value prop, I'll be asking that. So figure it out. It's one or two sentences, it's what you bring to the table, it's your elevator speech, it's your brand, it's who you are and what sets you apart. And it's so so important throughout your career, and it changes, right? Just like seasons, it changes. So constantly work on your value prop and what your superpowers are because you have them. Everybody does.

SPEAKER_02

I love I love the value prop point. Specific question should your value prop just be something you can articulate, or do you put it on your resume?

SPEAKER_01

Both, both, and that's why it's so valuable. You put it on your resume at the top of your resume because what I have found, not necessarily with myself, but it is, it has I have been known to do this. If your resume gets way too long, and bottom line, it shouldn't be more than two pages, but as we get more years of experience, but a lot of times people will only look at the top section of your resume and not even through the rest. But it's you know, it's your core skills, it's your core competencies, your superpowers, it identifies your advantage. Um and it's just crafting a statement. It's a brief, powerful statement. It helps you stand out the job market, it amplifies your resume, it helps you excel in interviews, and it also helps you make a lasting impression. So the the person's value proposition, if somebody does not have one, I encourage everybody to put pen to paper and create it. And also you're about something on LinkedIn, you have it there, you have it at the top of your resume, you have that as a statement when somebody asks about yourself in your interview, and you go from there.

SPEAKER_02

I love that. Such good advice. Everyone, if you don't know what your value proposition is, go do it now and copy and paste it on all the things. Yes and yes. Even if you're not in the job market, you should know that answer. It should be somewhere where people can find it. In a world where LinkedIn leads, it should be findable for you and who you are in the in the space. That's such good advice. Absolutely. I love that.

SPEAKER_01

Or even if you're having a down day and you're losing a little bit of faith in yourself, everybody has them. You just have it like posted somewhere and you just reread it. I'm worth it. Yes, I'm worth it.

SPEAKER_02

100%. I love that. Pin it up all over the room, people. Okay, I know you've mentioned your faith in your job and career. Do you pray for candidates? What do you pray for in the midst of your role?

SPEAKER_01

You know, I'll just start with trust, trust in the process, trust in the engagement. Um, and that goes from everything from you know, trust that I'm making the right decision about who I'm moving forward with a short list, trust that it's the right thing for them because a lot of times I'm headhunting and pulling people, you know, convincing them to talk to and leave an opportunity that they're somewhat content and happy in. As well as then that translates over to the client. Um, trust that the whole relationship is is all very strong. I I would say to somebody, you know, it's like a happy marriage, right? It it's, you know, you're you're joining a new organization and a new role, and we want to make sure that it's right for everybody. Um, so those are the things that I think about and I really I really believe firmly in because it is a big part of somebody's life.

SPEAKER_02

100%. It's a big deal. I almost see you like a conductor sometimes, and you've told me stories over the years where we've been involved in a search together, where if the hiring manager doesn't know what they're doing, you're spending so much time just teaching a hiring manager about the basics of hiring for all of that to fit together and work perfectly as a conductor?

SPEAKER_01

Um hoarding of the cats, whatever we want to call it, but yes, yes, for sure.

SPEAKER_02

Yes, and you're you're an expert at that. I love it. Okay, before we wrap, what other tips if our listeners are in the job search or considering going back into the job market in the next year or so is mandatory that they think about or have. I know you mentioned value proposition on your resume. Always update your resume. What else?

SPEAKER_01

Here's a couple other things. It's a great question. A lot of people are in a job already. So researching and searching and networking and outreach, all of that takes time. So you need to allow yourself time, dedicated time, so it's not a knee-jerk of what you're doing. Just like with recruiting, I could reach out to a hundred people and two people are in. So it's just the more that you reach out to, obviously, the better chances that that you will be seen and you will be heard. So set set aside ample time for this, but don't keep putting it off. The importance of starting now and starting the networking and the contacts and the outreach. The other thing that I would say is be assertive, do not be aggressive. Aggressive is a turnoff completely. I don't it's just it doesn't matter who it is. If you're pouncing on, you know, a job that you're so interested in, you keep it's just something that is is not the right recipe in your engagement of looking for something. But I would say also be confident um and believe in yourself because you play the tape forward and everything works out, right? You will find that right opportunity, whether it's a complete transformation of what you've been doing or something like for like and similar. It might take six months, it might take nine months. But I saw phenomenal individuals that were looking for opportunities, and it's just warms my heart when I see where they've landed and what they're doing now. But sometimes it does take that amount of time. So that patience and continuing to believe in yourself. And if you don't believe in yourself on whatever given day you reach out to people who do to pick you back up. That's some Julie Beber advice off the shelf.

SPEAKER_02

That is that is really good, and goes to the network piece that we've said so many times. Those are those people that can pick you up or say that wasn't the right thing anyway. Move past it.

SPEAKER_01

It always works out. This was meant to be, but yes, everything works out.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, God has a purpose, even in the even in the changes, even in the things that feel like they're going wrong at the time. You're like, ah, what's happening? What's happening?

SPEAKER_01

That's what I say to my kids. God has a plan in this.

SPEAKER_02

A hundred percent. Okay, so if they want more Julie Bibber life advice like you just gave, where do people find you?

SPEAKER_01

On LinkedIn, okay, and I am putting out more thought leadership, etc. After my year of building, and now into my second year, it's a year that I want to be now putting out more. My email is Juliembiber at gmail.com. Um, and those are the main places. So look forward to connecting with more people. I'm so happy to have been part of this with you, Katie, today. And um, it was a lot of fun. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02

I'm so proud of you. Thank you for joining us.

unknown

Bottom of my heart.

SPEAKER_02

You're welcome back here anytime. She's a giver and a helper, everyone. So seriously, if you have questions, go follow her pages because she it she often shares good advice or opportunities. So if you're looking for things, she'll post and share opportunities. Or if you're a corporation, call Julie if you're looking for the right person. She'll break out her Rolodex, her original black book, and serve you well. Yeah. We're excited to see your next seasons, even if it's one year at a time in what you're doing, and can't wait.

SPEAKER_01

So I'll be back.

SPEAKER_02

Isn't she just the best? I love any time I get to spend with her, and I hope this conversation was helpful to any of you who may be in a season of job transition or job change or God putting on your heart for you to go do something different. I hope some of those tips she gave you and some reminders about the process are helpful as you go into that season or thrive in that season right now. So cheers to whatever season you are in. May you thrive in it with purpose and intention. If you've made mistakes in this season, learn from them and start over again tomorrow. I'm rooting for you. Go be great today, and we'll see you here next week.