
![Happy Career](https://career-lunch-storage.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/v2/blog/articles/happy-career.jpg)

If you were given 75,000 hours to do anything, how would you use that time? That&#39;s the number of hours that full-time workers clock up over the course of their careers, according to Art Markman, a psychology professor at the University of Texas and author of _Bring Your Brain to Work_. For many of us, says _New York Times_ writer Tim Herrera, that time might be used better. In the &quot;Smarter Living&quot; section of the _Times_, Herrera poses a question: &quot;Are you doing what you actually _want_ to be doing?&quot; Most people—80% according to life coach Scott Dinsmore—are not happy in their jobs. Here are some concrete suggestions for how to become part of the one-in-five who really enjoys their work, along with practical tips on researching a more satisfying career.

As we start thinking about being happier at work, it&#39;s worth distinguishing whether it&#39;s a wholesale change of profession you&#39;re looking for, or more a question of reshaping (or &quot;optimizing&quot;) the job you&#39;re currently doing. For optimization, some coaches recommend keeping a record of the tasks you enjoy—as well as those projects you dislike. By noting these different activities over several weeks, you should generate patterns. Pick out the positive elements, then craft a long-term plan on how to make these a larger part of your job and your career.

### **Imagining the Future**

Choosing career presents a more comprehensive challenge. Many of the strategies that have been used traditionally by workers involve some kind of visualization—a process of imagining or planning what their next job will look like. One planning path is to follow your passion: think about your major interest and use it as the cornerstone of your new career. &quot;When you&#39;re really interested in something, and you&#39;re really engaged in it,&quot; says life coach Christie Mims, &quot;you&#39;re going to be happy, you&#39;re going to be fulfilled.&quot; A second suggestion is to spend time figuring out your values, then find a profession that matches that philosophy. &quot;The litmus test for job satisfaction is what you would do no matter how much you were being paid,&quot; says career coach Maggie Mistal. &quot;Some people want that excitement of having every day be different. Others want to be creative in their work. For other people it could be about giving back.&quot;

### **Going Directly to the Source**

After all the visualizing and the planning, jobseekers still need authentic information about the new potential careers. &quot;Go out and talk to real people,&quot; says Mims. &quot;Talk to at least three or four people in the industry, field, or career that you&#39;re thinking about exploring or pivoting to.&quot; Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, the authors of _Designing Your Life_, refer to these as &quot;prototype conversations.&quot; Whether it&#39;s a career in enterprise-level CRM sales or a position as a financial analyst in the banking industry, there are hundreds of professionals who are already making a living in that field.

### **Meeting the Right People**

There are a range of ways to reach these professionals. For some jobseekers, it&#39;s about emailing family and friends to leverage their contacts. Tell them exactly what you&#39;re looking for, ask if they have contacts in that industry who could help you, and follow up those leads. For others, LinkedIn is a portal to access key professionals: search for the relevant terms, research the appropriate professionals (demonstrating your research both proves your interest and flatters them), then send them a message. &quot;I really like the work you&#39;re doing. I was particularly interested in the article you wrote last week. Would you mind spending 15 minutes speaking about your industry with me?&quot;

A third way to set up these informational interviews is through an innovative platform such as CareerLunch, which enables knowledge workers to do their own research. &quot;CareerLunch offers an easy and convenient way,&quot; said one user, &quot;to get in touch with companies and more importantly _people_ who take their time for you and provide deep insight.&quot; Another CareerLunch user met with a strategy consultant at one of the top consulting firms, saying, &quot;I had the opportunity to gain valuable insights into the company and the values that define the workplace&#39;s culture. I also learned about the specific role itself and the responsibilities therein. It was beneficial to be exposed to a successful career path within the firm and discuss the skills necessary to adapt to this dynamic environment and thrive in your role&quot;.

Learning more about industry sectors, possible careers, and individual roles empowers jobseekers, giving them real data on which to base their decision. With genuine information, much of the apprehension and assumptions that might block you are taken away. And by the time you start your new journey, you&#39;ll do so with clear eyes and the knowledge to adapt successfully and thrive.
		

Imagination and Conversation: How to Choose Your Career


![Hybrid Work](https://career-lunch-storage.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/v2/blog/articles/blog_hybrid_work.jpg)

Today's work environment looks different from any other time in the last 30 years. As companies confront pandemic lockdowns and economic disruption, industry leaders including Microsoft and Boston Consulting Group are figuring how to adapt and take advantage. The evolution toward both working in-person and working from home has gained traction, says [BCG](https://www.bcg.com/en-nor/publications/2020/managing-remote-work-and-optimizing-hybrid-working-models). According to Microsoft's recent [Work Trend Index](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/hybrid-work%22%20/), "flexible work is here to stay, and the talent landscape has fundamentally shifted". Two thirds of leaders are considering redesigning their offices for hybrid work, and hybrid's even more popular with employees: 73% want to retain remote working options. With knowledge workers able to work from anywhere, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says companies must rethink "when, where, and how people work." Here are the key trends and best practices to help companies and HR managers to navigate this transition. 

### **New Trends in Hybrid Work**

Hybrid may be here to stay, but many companies have yet to adapt fully. As meeting hours and online chats increase every month, knowledge workers are reporting digital overload. That's particularly true for Generation Z workers, says LinkedIn editor George Anders. "For people just starting in their careers, this has been a very disruptive time. It's hard to find their footing since they're not experiencing in-person onboarding, networking, and training." Workers, rather than managers, have found hybrid work harder, according to the Microsoft survey, which noted that the percentage of leaders who are "thriving" was far higher than the equivalent percentage of employees.  

For managers and HR directors, risk of employee burnout should be a wake-up call. Companies which fail to support their people and don't adapt well will lose staff. Conversely, businesses that manage the evolution thoughtfully will attract talent---a pattern already apparent in online recruitment. Over the course of the pandemic, LinkedIn saw a 500% increase in remote job listings. "This shift toward working from home is likely to stick," says LinkedIn chief economist Karin Kimbrough, "and it's good for democratizing access to opportunity. Companies in major cities can hire talent from underrepresented groups that may not have the means or desire to move to a big city."  

### **The Role of HR** 

Companies which take care of their employees will gain a significant recruitment advantage. Knowledge workers may be remote---distributed over different geographies or separated by time zones---but if they feel part of a supportive, authentic, and interdependent community, they'll be productive and loyal. The [BCG report](https://www.bcg.com/en-nor/publications/2020/managing-remote-work-and-optimizing-hybrid-working-models) emphasized the need to bolster managers' emotional intelligence, so they can connect with teams better. Training managers in team building is a good start, as is identifying best practices from other departments. Another strategy is to maintain pandemic-era support systems for virtual employees: regular HR check-ins, "watercooler" discussion groups on Slack, and policies that support workers' mental health.  

Treating individual employees with flexibility will be vital, as working from home can look different to workers at varying stages of their lives or employees with health vulnerabilities. Some employers are introducing "wellness days" to combat the stress of the pandemic and reduce burnout. Some have provided financing for home-office improvements. Other firms have leveled the playing field by treating in-person team members the same way as remote workers during video conferences: everyone appears on their own screen, so virtual folks don't miss out on real-world interactions.  

### **Corporate Foundations for Hybrid Success**

For leaders, that message of integration should be a cornerstone of hybrid work culture. In company executives, that means doubling down on [virtual collaboration](https://www.careerlunch.com/blog/the-future-of-teamwork-insights-into-new-virtual-collaboration): connecting working groups across departments for sharing ideas; empowering team leads to make decisions; and increasing the speed and energy of iterations. It means clarifying the mission, so that purpose can drive decision-making. And it means investing in workplace infrastructure that optimizes collaboration while providing security and flexibility for online and in-person environments.  

As work shifts to a hybrid model, with some people operating in the office and others working from home, the Microsoft report recommends that managers focus on "extreme flexibility." Brick-and-mortar workplaces will still be valuable, enabling colleagues to share ideas, brainstorm, and inspire others in the office. But flexible approaches also demand thinking outside the cubicle and re-imagining the technology, processes, and policies that shape how work is done.  

### **How Managers Adapt**

Thinking about work in this way is fundamental to how managers create a culture that spans digital and physical realms and retains talent. What do your people need? Do you need a moderator to ensure participants contribute and feel included in video conferences? How do you create spaces that encourage not only collaboration, but deep focus, or informal interaction? "Organizations need to understand that being nice to each other, chatting with each other, and goofing around is part of the work that we do," says Microsoft researcher Dr Nancy Baym. "They feed productivity and nurture the soil from which people will produce ideas."  

One approach for managers to support teams and avoid Zoom overload is to balance asynchronous teamwork (like editing a shared doc at different times of day ) with synchronous collaboration---working together in real time. "We're operating in a new world but many of us are still doing things the way we always did. We need to completely rethink our digital processes," says Microsoft researcher Dr Sean Rintel. "More dynamic, creative, or emotional topics may require a meeting, whereas informational, status, and technical topics may benefit from more long-form document collaboration, a Teams channel, or email." 

### **Competition for Talent**

While research teams from Microsoft and BCG are united in predicting that the future will be hybrid, corporate success is never guaranteed. As businesses move toward a new world of work, certain strengths will drive companies in the competition for top talent:  

-   flexibility in the "how, where, when" of work;  

-   integration between teams; clarity of purpose; and  

-   a caring approach to their employees---whether they're based in a big city office or working from home in a small village.  

By implementing these measures, companies will gain a significant recruitment advantage. After all, in a world where remote workers are prized, recruiters can find talent everywhere. 
  

The Future of Work: How Companies and Managers Can Thrive in a Hybrid World 


![People](https://career-lunch-storage.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/v2/blog/articles/informational-interview.jpg)

How do recruiters attract the best and the brightest? Winning the “war for talent”—a phrase coined in 1997 by a McKinsey consultant—used to be a simple matter of money and prestige. But in 2020, the recruiting rulebook is changing fast. Today’s sharpest graduates and young professionals are evaluating global companies on different professional criteria than previous generations did: employers’ work culture and values, how meaningful and satisfying their jobs are, and the quality of their work-life balance. And as recruitment dynamics increasingly favor employees over companies, only the most adaptable employers will attract top talent.

### **Disrupting the Recruitment Model**
Traditional recruiting processes are ripe for innovation, with inherent weaknesses at both ends of the hiring ladder. For prospective employees, finding a company with the right cultural fit is challenging. Career fairs and corporate workshops—the traditional mainstays of big firm recruiting—rarely convey a company’s working environment. And even after a job seeker has taken the time to sort through online lists of job vacancies, it can be difficult to gauge a company’s work culture from an impersonal website. It’s often only when candidates interact with their future colleagues outside of the formal interview process that they get an authentic sense of what the job will be like.

When it comes to multinational employers, long-established talent acquisition processes are reactive and often slow—by the time that teams post job ads, they desperately need new staff. And even with a selection of good candidates, the process of applying and screening and interviewing (not to mention the challenges posed by COVID-19) can take weeks, or even months. For managers responsible for building teams or completing projects, that time lag means increased workloads on their groups, higher stress, and slower progress. If companies want to attract top-tier team members, they need to make their recruitment more dynamic, improve their employer branding, and create more personal interactions with new talent.

![mans_back](https://career-lunch-storage.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/v2/blog/articles/working-man.png)

### **More Proactive, More Personal**
For the most agile and motivated 21st-century workers, newer recruitment models and technology offer a more proactive approach. Instead of passively waiting for a job posting that might appeal, they’re actively hunting for data about companies they want to work for. As recruiters know, most of the top workers in any industry are already employed. They’re unlikely to even search for jobs. But these networked knowledge workers will grab opportunities and insights on their next job.

To attract this kind of motivated talent, top employers are developing their brands by leveraging their own internal staffing assets. Current employees can become brand ambassadors, for example by hosting workshops at their former university. They can also pass on their own contacts, enabling their employers to create networks of potential staff members — a rich pool of talent that firms can turn to whenever there’s an opportunity.

### **A New Recruitment Option for Employers and Talent**
CareerLunch is a new startup operating at the intersection of these two groups, facilitating informational interviews as an authentic way for modern employers to meet exceptional talent. Job seekers select a company by industry or job field, apply for a lunch using their LinkedIn profile, then enjoy an informal meeting with a relevant professional — over lunch, coffee, or Zoom. It’s a fast, straightforward, and informal way to learn more about employers and work environments and to build professional connections.

For first-rate industry employers, CareerLunch provides an organic way to identify the best future workers, enhance their brand with fast-rising talent, and to develop real relationships that will culminate in successful hires. Founded by Simon Hofer and Konstantin Nesterov in Switzerland in 2019, CareerLunch may be relatively new, but it’s already forming major partnerships with established businesses through the DACH region, signing up multinational companies including PwC, Siemens, Accenture, and Coca-Cola. “People are the secret ingredient in our success,” says Carina Geiger, Employer Branding Specialist at Coca-Cola HBC. “With CareerLunch, we regularly meet high-potential candidates for our Rise Management Trainee Programme in a format that inspires both our employees and the talent they meet.”

### **Greater Challenges, Greater Rewards** 
At a time when COVID-19 has made recruitment more challenging, contemporary models of uniting talent and employers are more critical than ever. The recent prevalence of Zoom meetings is a recent example of how fast-adapting HR departments can communicate with a far wider pool of talent. As new competitors emerge to challenge traditional recruiters in the war for talent, the winners will be the workers and companies who understand that modern recruitment is both personal and proactive.

*DISCLAIMER: I now work at [CareerLunch](https://careerlunch.com) after meeting the founders through their own platform :-).*
        

From Personnel to Personal: How Modern Job Seekers’ Needs are Changing the Rules of Recruitment


### **An authentic recruitment experience** 
Traditional recruitment doesn’t make it easy to assess a candidate’s cultural fit or give prospective hires much insight into their possible future work and colleagues. We built CareerLunch to pair talents with employees for informal exchanges over lunch and give both sides more authentic opportunities to get to know each other.   

### **A growing number of top employers**
Leading companies from various industries are joining our platform to connect with talents. Launched in October 2019, we are proud to already welcome over 20 top employers from 3 countries on our platform. For talents, this offers a unique opportunity to connect with employees from a broad range of backgrounds and industries. As more companies are joining constantly, make sure to regularly check our website:
[careerlunch.com](https://careerlunch.com).

### **An entrepreneurial team**
The co-founders, Konstantin and Simon (that is me), know each other from their previous startup founded in 2017. It took us two years and four product iterations until we started CareerLunch. James was the first one to join the founders and together we launched the first version of our new platform in October 2019. Raphael joined the team after meeting Simon (me) through one of our own CareerLunches that we conduct regularly with talents. Going into 2020 with solid momentum, we’re happy to get additional support from Marine!

![CareerLunch Team](https://career-lunch-storage.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/v2/blog/articles/careerlunch-team-photo.jpg)        

PS: If you want to meet our team simply sign up for a CareerLunch with us on: [careerlunch.com](https://careerlunch.com)
        

The CareerLunch Story


![Happy Talents](https://career-lunch-storage.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/v2/blog/articles/happy-talents.jpeg)

All the way through university peers tell you that your career should start in a large organization. It looks good on your CV, you make a steady paycheck and you can climb the career ladder. But by focussing only on all the big, well-known organisations you might be missing out on some excellent opportunities with SMEs. Did you know that 99% of all companies in Switzerland are SMEs? And that 2 out of 3 jobs are created by SMEs? Here are 3 reasons why small companies have big opportunities for you. 

### **1.  Your contribution is making an impact**

Why be a small cog in a large machine when you can directly steer the machine? In small companies with flat hierarchies and fast decision-making processes, your contribution will be visible, and you will directly impact the success of the business. The increased visibility will also foster the overall team spirit as everyone must pull their weight. 

### **2.  Your career could accelerate exponentially**

Your contribution is making a visible impact in your SME, so your responsibilities will grow early on in your career. Thanks to flat management structures you will get exposure to senior executives and really understand how every aspect of the business operates. Especially, in a startup-environment you will additionally accelerate your progress through the growth trajectory of the company. Just remember that Google and Amazon also once were SMEs. Imagine what kind of career its early employees enjoyed! 

### **3.  You are getting ready for the future of work**

With the transition into a new world of human and machine collaboration under way, the future of work will hand an edge to job seekers and employees that can adapt fast over people with specific skill sets that may become obsolete. In an SME you will often juggle among different tasks and will continuously learn to adapt to new challenges and responsibilities, which is exactly the ability that the future job market is seeking most. 

### **How to meet small companies with big opportunities**

In the end, a great place to work at stands and falls with the company culture. A great way to learn whether a company is the right fit for you is to talk with its people in an informal setting---e.g. over lunch, coffee, or Zoom. To facilitate such informal meetings, [CareerLunch](https://www.careerlunch.com/) and [Swiss Life](https://www.swisslife.ch/de/private/themen/lebensereignisse/berufseinstieg.html?utm_source=Careerlunch) launched a platform together that allows you to connect with the "rising stars" among the SMEs. Check out the video below and book a free lunch with an SME [here](https://www.careerlunch.com/companies?type=rising-stars).

<Video src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7fi05VN_200" />
        

Small Companies with Big Opportunities: 3 Reasons why SMEs will Kick-start your Career


![FUSE banner](https://career-lunch-storage.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/v2/blog/articles/fuse-2020-banner.jpg)

In a moment of unprecedented change, companies face the opportunity to grow with increasingly diverse employees and the challenge to make sure that no one gets left behind. That “inclusion imperative” was top of the agenda this month at FU.SE Digital 2020, a virtual event to discuss the future of work bringing together C-level executives from companies such as Microsoft, The Adecco Group, and Boston Consulting Group; thought leaders; and innovators including Swiss startup CareerLunch.  

“This event is about making sure that we take the right decisions, that we develop the right regulations,” says Adecco CEO Alain Dehaze, “to support technology to make the future work for everyone.”  

Diversity is one of the corporate world’s greatest current agendas. For decades, many companies have recruited employees based on “cultural fit”—will a new employee slip seamlessly into a firm’s working culture? That approach, however, often results in a lack of strategic perspective and cultural stagnation; if everyone looks the same or comes from the same background, there’s no one to challenge unconscious biases or provide fresh perspectives.  

Over the last 15 years, more and more companies are recognizing the extraordinary value of inclusive workforces. In a recent survey of companies in Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States between 2008 and 2010, those firms with more diverse boards reported significantly higher earnings and increased shareholder equity.  

Wall Street has taken note—today, more than half the companies listed in the S&P 500 employ a diversity and inclusion officer. And diversity is only getting more important: 60% of those positions have been created since 2018, according to U.S. recruitment consultancy LHH. 

Instead of using the lens of cultural fit, modern recruiters are looking for “cultural add.” In this new version of talent acquisition, diverse employees still function well within a company, but they also bring innovative thinking, challenge biases, and broaden a company’s culture. 

Sounds good for companies, but what about those new employees—do they benefit from this more inclusive hiring trend? Yes, they do. Employees who feel safe and valued for who they are consistently show greater wellbeing and happiness. And that doesn’t just boost HR teams’ retention efforts, it bolsters firms’ bottom line. “Being happier at work is tied to better health and well-being, more creative and effective problem solving, [and] more productivity and innovation,” writes Dr. Emiliana R. Simon-Thomas in Greater Good Magazine, published by University of California, Berkeley.  

The most innovative and agile companies are embedding diversity into their hiring platforms in multiple ways. It’s not just HR professionals that look for new team members, everyone is a recruiter. That’s one of the strengths of CareerLunch ’s approach, which pairs relevant professionals (that previously might not have been involved in the recruiting process) with potential jobseekers for an informal meeting. By opening up hiring to include managers throughout an organization, companies are making both their recruitment process and their talent acquisition more diverse.  

At FU.SE 2020, attendees learned that employees who participated in CareerLunches reported an increased sense of purpose. Diversifying hiring like this offers a virtuous cycle. The more companies can integrate this kind of collaborative recruitment, the faster they can innovate, and the stronger their culture.  

At the start of the digital conference, attendees were asked, “How can companies leverage technological advances to make workplaces more inclusive and diverse?” This is where recruitment innovators are gaining traction. Using CareerLunch’s platform, a company with a mostly-male roster might pair female executives with female jobseekers for informational interviews. A firm with several team members drawn from the same privileged network could open its doors to talent from underrepresented groups. And a finance graduate looking for career opportunities may find unexpected finance roles in retail or technology.  

From the discussions at FU:SE 2020, it’s clear that shaking up traditional hiring practices to increase inclusion offers benefits for both employers and employees. Embedding diversity into recruitment practices—through collaboration, process change, and technology—bolsters productivity, increases employee satisfaction, and makes companies stronger. Fresh ideas like these can make the future work for everyone. 
		

Working for Everyone: The Increasing Value of Diversity


![Remote Speakers](https://career-lunch-storage.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/v2/blog/articles/fuse-2020-remote-speakers.jpg)

Jobs are changing faster than people. At the online conference FU:SE 2020 earlier this month, business leaders, nongovernmental organization officials, and recruitment specialists including CareerLunch discussed the increasing mismatch between skills and employees.  

More than 250 executives and leaders from Microsoft, The Adecco Group, Boston Consulting Group, and other high-profile organizations heard a challenge from the conference organizers: “As the half-life of skills shortens, the ability to learn, change, and adapt will become much more important than any specific set of skills”. For major companies in public and private sectors, the rising demand for employee agility represents a paradigm shift. For top recruiters, however, it’s a golden opportunity. 

At CareerLunch, we’ve been having conversations like this with recruiters for some time—it’s why we were invited to participate in FU:SE 2020 alongside other industry leaders, broadcasters, university academics from three continents, and European Union officials. Over the course of the online panel discussions, one key idea emerged about how to future-proof talent acquisition: hiring employees who could adapt as their jobs evolved.   

In an increasing range of sectors, HR leaders are prioritizing cultural attributes—specifically the ability to keep learning—over narrowly defined skill sets. The current COVID-19 pandemic only underlines this need for versatility. “Protecting the employee, rather than the actual job, and a commitment to re-skilling are absolute necessities,” OECD Deputy Secretary-General Ulrik Vestergaard Knudsen told FU:SE 2020 attendees. “If we adopt a life-long learning approach, employees will be prepared for changes in the labor market, helping to overcome this unprecedented adversity which we are experiencing.”  

Employers that match their company culture with this kind of always-learning talent—rather than picking employees who check the boxes for a fixed job description—can gain a critical edge in productivity. “People with higher value fit stay longer and perform better,” noted the Harvard Business Review in a 2019 article, “than people whose values fit less.”  

It’s not just companies seeing benefits; cultural match also provides positive results for employees. Harvard Business Review reported that “people whose values are more aligned to those of their organization are more committed to the organization, more satisfied with their job, and less inclined to leave.”  

Jobseekers are increasingly looking for a company that matches their values as well as their skills. Nearly half of American employees looking to leave their current position identified company culture as the main reason they were leaving, according to a 2017 report from British recruitment group Hays.  

Employees who feel seen as individuals—rather than employees fulfilling a role—will repay that cultural inclusion with loyalty, creativity, and authenticity. After all, everyone is more complex than their job title; for every attribute and accomplishment listed on a person’s resume, there are ten more facets that make up that person’s skill set, character, and values.  

It’s one of the reasons why CareerLunch’s informal meetings between jobseekers and professionals pay dividends—both sides get a more authentic sense of what the other offers. While candidates see what a company looks like from the inside, professionals can spot talent that can strengthen their team or another department immediately. And if there’s no position available, when opportunity presents in future, that contact can become a colleague.  

In the best companies, that sense of inclusiveness and cultural IQ in the recruitment process is mirrored in the management of knowledge employees. Within individual teams, employees’ roles are becoming more organic, instead of having a strict function defined tightly by a job description. Teams are shifting toward a collaborative rather than a siloed approach. And more companies (especially in the startup and tech world) are adopting flatter hierarchies, rather than traditional, stratified, top-down structures.  

Forward-looking hiring managers understand that when they screen jobseekers for a match with the company rather than a role, they’ll gain benefits in the long term. With skill requirements constantly changing, it’s vital to invest in team members who’ll be able to reshape their skills over time, rather than picking a person with the perfect skill set right now. To future-proof recruitment, companies will need employees who can adapt to changes in their job, bring new perspectives to their team, and drive change within their organization.  

How to Future-Proof Your Recruitment


![LinkedIn Title](https://career-lunch-storage.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/v2/blog/articles/linkedin-title-picture.jpg)

Featuring more than 700 million professionals, LinkedIn has become the world’s biggest recruitment platform. It’s a route to apply for jobs directly, a hub to network, a place for future employers to check out your résumé, and a forum to promote yourself, especially when using emerging job platforms such as [CareerLunch](https://www.careerlunch.com). Given how important LinkedIn has become in today’s talent acquisition market, it’s critical to understand how a strong profile can give you an edge with HR teams. When recruiters scan online résumés for the right candidate, they’re looking initially at the keywords in your LinkedIn headline. Management Consultant. Executive Assistant. Front-End Developer. Right from the start, it’s vital that you describe yourself as accurately and succinctly as possible. Here are three ways, or layers, to take advantage of LinkedIn’s features.

![LinkedIn Phone](https://career-lunch-storage.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/v2/blog/articles/linkedin-phone-picture.jpg)

### **1. Highlight Your Achievements**

For job-seekers, layer one starts with making sure that all your most important information is included and highlighted. You want to make the recruiter’s job as easy as possible. Build your headline using keywords: focus on your job title and top-level skills (Sales Manager, SaaS; or Software Developer, Java/JavaScript). Then write a clear summary and choose a good photo. Pick an image that fits how you want to appear professionally; if you’ll be working in a corporate environment, avoid the Instagram vacation shot, no matter how good the sunset is. 

Okay, you’ve got the headline, summary, and photo all set. These are the sales highlights, the shiny bodywork on the new vehicle that catches a buyer’s attention. Now it’s time for the engine—this is the content that really drives recruitment. As you list your previous jobs, remember to include your biggest achievements at each company. If an HR director has come this far, it’s because they’re interested in you and they’ll want to see what you’ve actually done. Take the time to fill all the sections; a complete profile looks thorough and avoids the gaps that some talent evaluators can view as red flags. 

### **2. Strengthen Your Language**

Layer two is all about how to strengthen your profile and reinforce your appeal using direct and active language. When you’re summarizing the accomplishments at your current job or previous positions, use verbs such as “managed,” “built,” “developed,” and “launched.” They’re powerful words, carrying connotations of responsibility and success. Now think about other verbs often seen in résumés: contributed, assisted, advised, helped. Not so direct, right?  

Before you start stacking up a list of bold verbs, watch out for unearned buzzwords. Phrases such as “team builder” or “experienced leader” might seem impressive, but it’s usually better to make the case for these attributes using evidence. For example, “I led a sales and marketing team that beat revenue predictions for 16 consecutive months.” Be mindful about beating your own drum too loud with titles or labels; let the recruiter draw his own conclusions from your work.  

One place where you can show a little more of yourself is the summary. Tell your story in a way that shows why you love what you do; how you came to sales, for instance, or what first drew you to coding. For folks applying for creative positions, a great summary can display personality and humor. Write as simply and naturally as you can—this is the most direct expression of who you are. Avoid jargon and, if in doubt, keep it short. 

### **3. Build Your Brand**

That sense of personality is the pivot to layer three in your profile: expanding your personal brand. While layers one and two get your foot in the door and start the recruiter leaning forward, the third layer is what separates the top talents. Demonstrate your enthusiasm for your profession by showing engagement in relevant topics, joining online discussions, or commenting on articles you’re interested in.

Although LinkedIn is a powerful shop window for employees, it offers far more than online résumés. Making the most of this network’s millions of users requires job-seekers to stretch beyond their own profile. That might start with featuring links to previous projects, by building your own community by connecting with others, or by showing your passion for Android apps with attached content. People like to work with colleagues who love their job and who love to learn.

If you’re feeling you’ve spent enough time promoting your accomplishments, consider testimonials. You may no longer work for one company, but featuring a couple of testimonials from former colleagues (ideally picking out qualities you highlighted in your summary) is a fantastic way to leverage earlier stints in your career.

At its most straightforward level (layer one), this international recruitment platform offers a free, intuitive, and searchable website to market your skills. Those who dig deeper into layer two and spend a little more time on their profile will sharpen their language and hone their appeal to talent acquirers. But for the top-tier talents of layer three, LinkedIn is a genuine difference maker—a way to illustrate your skill set, share your passion, and differentiate yourself from the competition. 
		

Three Layers of LinkedIn—How to Polish Your Profile and Attract Recruiters


![LinkedIn Title](https://career-lunch-storage.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/v2/blog/articles/virtual-notes-picture.jpg)

Video communication has never been more important. In today’s networked economy, with millions of information workers collaborating 24/7 across time zones, online meetings are big business. Whether you use conferencing products from Microsoft Teams, Skype, or Zoom, you’ve probably spent hundreds of hours in front of your computer’s camera over the last 12 months.  

The current COVID-19 crisis has only accelerated this worldwide phenomenon. Today, students participate in virtual classes, employees make remote presentations, experts host international web-based seminars and jobseekers attend online interviews. We’ve collated six of the best video communications practices from sources including Stanford University researchers, on-camera business coach Karin Reed, and the CareerLunch team that are particularly relevant for online meetings and virtual interviews. 

### **1. Make eye contact**

Look into the camera. See the camera as your conversational partner, rather than simply the tech facilitating the call. By looking at the lens (and not the screen), you’re looking right into the eyes of your colleague. A direct gaze can be seen as a mark of honesty and a way to build relationships. One trick is to elevate your laptop to eye level, so you’re looking straight—rather than up or down—at your counterpart.  

### **2. Mind your position**

Keep your distance. Most people interacting on Zoom sit at the same distance from their laptop as when they type, which means the only part of their bodies we see on camera are their heads. Move your chair back an arm’s length from the screen so that your partner can see your torso and you’ll bring more personality and expressiveness into your conversation. Some people use their hands to communicate. By thinking horizontally—rather than limiting oneself to the screen around their face—jobseekers can show confidence and display emotions that will build rapport with recruiters.  

### **3. Adjust your lighting**

Lighten up. Most internal lights are in the ceiling. Home and corporate facilities haven’t been designed for contemporary video communications, which is why people often appear on Teams or Zoom with shadows across their faces (this can also happen when you have a window behind you). Think of how movie directors illuminate their sets—they want the audience to read the expressions of their actors. If you can position a light at a lower level and in front of you, your non-verbal communication will be richer, and you’ll be able to connect more effectively. 

### **4. Show authenticity**

Be yourself. Online interviews come with high stakes, so it’s tempting to project an image of what you think recruiters want to see. Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through. With so many interactions taking place online, recruiters are thrilled to see authenticity in interviews. Especially in informational interviews, where you talk directly with a professional or a team lead instead of HR, authenticity is key to leaving a lasting impression.  

### **5. Dress appropriately**

Dress with care. You may be working from home, but it’s still important to dress appropriately. Long story short? No tracksuits! The old adage about picking your wardrobe according to the position you’re aiming for still applies. But, again, you can afford to show some of your own personality in your choices. “Dress for the role you want and the person that you are,” advises a Forbes 2020 [article](https://www.forbes.com/sites/chriswestfall/2020/01/19/the-new-dress-code-what-to-wear-job-interview-fashion-style). If you have multiple interviews with the same company across different days, keep your looks similar. Avoid vertical stripe patterns that can affect monitor frequencies. (And if you have a profile picture on the platform you will be using, be sure that its style matches yours.) 

### **6. Consider your surroundings**

Look behind you. Even if you’ve nailed the technological approach, you look terrific, and you’ve developed a similar connection as you would face to face, an online interview can still be derailed by a basket of dirty laundry in the background. Consider your environment; if you’re Skyping from your bedroom because it’s your only private space, make sure you’re okay with whatever’s visible behind you, whether that’s sports gear or a bookshelf.  

Online interactions offer different challenges to in-person meetings, and the candidates who work on their video communications will gain an edge in recruitment. For jobseekers looking to sharpen their own presentation skills, informational interview platforms like [CareerLunch](https://www.careerlunch.com) offer multiple opportunities to meet professionals virtually in an informal setting. 
		

The Six Secrets of Success in Virtual Meetings


![Home office](https://career-lunch-storage.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/v2/blog/articles/home-office.jpg)

Work is changing. In today’s global economy, virtual teamwork has been increasing for several years as multinational teams collaborate across geographic borders. The current coronavirus pandemic has only accelerated that trend—more teams are relying on technological tools to interact virtually. In a research that combined surveys with more than 2,000 employees, 30 research projects and studies of the human brain, Microsoft has assessed what’s changing in the virtual new world, the pros and cons of video conferencing, and how work will evolve. 
### **Online Works**

Remote work offers advantages for employees in multiple ways. While cutting a commute can immediately improve work-life balance, many home-based information workers also benefit from greater control over when they work. The Microsoft study illustrates how the amount of Microsoft Teams chats increased by 20% at 8 am and 6 pm (both times outside the traditional 9–5 workday) as a result of teams working on more flexible schedules. “If we have a more flexible work schedule, we can be more productive.”, reports one information worker, “I can take breaks and not feel one bit bad about it.”

Employee wellbeing has risen for some as a result of virtual teamwork— 62% of survey respondents reported higher levels of empathy for colleagues after observing their home lives. For remote workers, the move to online also made work more inclusive. “Remote participants used to be invisible,” said one information worker, “but not anymore.” And it’s not just employees who are benefiting; companies now understand that a lot of work can be done remotely. According to a Boston Consulting Group study of 12,000 workers in Germany, India, and America, 75% of workers said they were “at least as productive” when working remotely. 

### **Virtual Collaboration Needs Work**

Working from home is not always easy. Intermittent wifi is one problem, ergonomics another. “At the office, I have a keyboard, two screens, and a comfortable chair,” says one information worker. “When working from home, I’m sitting at the dining room table.” Sharing a residence presents challenges, whether that’s millennials jockeying for space with roommates or parents figuring out home-school. More than 50% of under-40s in the UK, China, and the US reported difficulties balancing personal responsibilities while working from home, according to US market researcher Harris Poll. 

Even when remote workers do find quiet time and space to concentrate, virtual teamwork can be tough. Video conferences—in which workers concentrate exclusively on the screens in front of them—are more tiring online than in real life, reveal Microsoft researchers. Looking continually at close-up images of colleagues (and yourself) can cause “Zoom fatigue,” says Jeremy Bailenson, founding director of Stanford University’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab. This is attributed to the lack of behavioral cues you can grasp in person, such as whose turn it is to speak, extreme focus time and seeing little of the people you are talking to.

### **Tips for Remote Work **

Despite the challenges, there are some best practices for virtual workers:

- Increase the size of the viewing window showing your colleagues (this will help concentrate and pick up more information from them), or remove the window featuring your own face (this helps to avoid that you focus on your own image and feel nervous), Bailenson suggests.
-	Create distance between yourself and the camera so you can communicate with your hands as well as your face. 
-	Break up your workday with regular intervals— take breaks every 2h, as that is when stress begins to set in when working online.
-	Limit meetings to 30 minutes - this is when meeting fatigue sets in during virtual calls - or insert breaks into longer meetings.
-	Remember to be mindful of your work-life balance, and to keep boundaries between home and work although the physical boundaries might be unseen.
-	Appreciate the benefits that remote work can bring such as flexibility and more empathy with your colleagues.

### **Work in the Future **

For some employees, working from home has been a dynamic forced by the coronavirus. But for many workers, the pandemic has caused a paradigm shift. The way people balance work and home; the adjustment in how teams collaborate virtually; and the shape of employees’ working hours (more spread across different times) have profoundly changed over the last year. Many are still adjusting to the new normal. The Microsoft study cites one future challenge: new teams which have formed and bonded virtually will not necessarily mesh as easily back in the office. However, recent video-conferencing technology improvements (better tools for sharing information; audio that reduces background noise; features to show colleagues that you’re not contactable) should make work more efficient for teams combining in-person and remote models.

### **The Best of Both Works**

The hybrid model—featuring virtual work and office attendance—is likely to continue post-pandemic. Both models have merit. In-person office work enables colleagues to build relationships more naturally, while gaining insight into co-workers’ home lives has brought many virtual teams closer. Flexible and fast-moving firms can differentiate themselves to prospective employees by integrating best practices across in-person and online collaboration. In the Microsoft study, more than 70% of managers and employees said they wanted to maintain the work-from-home model, at least part-time. Innovative recruiting platforms such as CareerLunch already embrace the hybrid work model, allowing ambitious job seekers to learn more about companies through informal meetings – either in person or from the comfort of their home.



**Sources:** 

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2020/07/08/future-work-good-challenging-unknown

https://news.microsoft.com/innovation-stories/microsoft-teams-together-mode

https://www.bcg.com/en-nor/publications/2020/managing-remote-work-and-optimizing-hybrid-working-models
		

The Future of Teamwork: Insights into New Virtual Collaboration


![June Blog](https://career-lunch-storage.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/v2/blog/articles/june-blog-picture.jpg)

Authenticity works. Employees who are authentic—behaving at work in a way that mirrors their own values and their sense of themselves—are happier and more productive, says Patricia Faison Hewlin, professor of organizational behavior at McGill University. “When we are authentic, we feel a greater sense of well-being,” says Hewlin. “We have lower levels of depression, we tend to be more satisfied with life, and we are highly engaged in our jobs.”  

The recent pandemic has only strengthened this shift toward bringing our full selves to work, as colleagues increasingly depend on each other to overcome challenges. “The shared vulnerability of this time has given us a huge opportunity to bring real authenticity to company culture and transform work for the better,” says Jared Spataro, corporate vice-president of Microsoft 365.  

### **Be Honest about Your Skills and Yourself**

Recruiters understand the value of genuine colleagues. “Hiring authentic people actually can help organisations because they are performing better and they are more committed, feeling more satisfied in their work,” says Dr Sunny Lee of University College London’s School of Management. While it is possible to get a job by saying what you think a recruiter expects to hear (rather than being yourself), this phony approach often ends badly for both the worker and the company, says Lee. “Over the longer term, a poor-fitting applicant who presents himself inauthentically in order to acquire a job will likely perform poorly, be less satisfied, and more likely to leave.” 

### **Consider What You Really Want**

Before diving into how to be authentic in interviews, it’s worth focusing on two preparatory steps. The first is to figure out what success looks like for you. “People chase after things other people told them they should want,” says Nicholas Pearce, a professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. “It takes a lot of courage to turn away and define how you plan to keep score, even if it doesn’t make sense to anybody else but you.” Spend time talking with people who know you well—colleagues, family, mentors—and identify traits and values that are fundamental to you. The second step is to plot a path toward a job that fits those values and matches your skill set. It may require a substantial process such as retraining; or perhaps it’s about finding the company with the right cultural fit.  

### **How to Be Authentic in an Interview**

So how can you bring your full self to an interview? Coach Pallas Hupé Cotter recommends being “strategically authentic . . . turn the volume up on the parts of yourself that connect well with others and turn it down on the parts that, at first blush, might not.” By focusing on those of your characteristics and abilities that match a specific job or working culture, you can show both passion and personality. Other useful tactics include asking questions (showing that you’ve done your research on the company and that you’re interested in learning more), keeping your answers relevant and brief, and telling stories—personal anecdotes that paint a picture of who you are and what you’ve done.  

One classic interview question—what are your weaknesses?—can look initially like a trap. While you should avoid featuring a weakness that’s a key part of the job description, don’t be afraid to bring up skills you’re not strong on, says career coach Angela Smith. “If someone can be honest and have the self-awareness to answer that question, I think that says a lot about their emotional intelligence and their professional maturity.” Using that “weakness” to demonstrate a growth mindset and shaping the narrative around it clearly, can turn a negative into a positive. It shows the interviewer “that in combination with self-awareness, one also possesses adaptability,” says Dr Lee, “and the capacity to effectively regulate one’s behaviour.”  

### **How to Use Informal Interviews to Be Yourself**

Authenticity is a pathway to enhancing satisfaction and engagement at work, as well as a key part of the job-seeking process. Being authentic during an interview can help you find a position where you’ll be successful and fulfilled. Informational interview platforms such as CareerLunch can provide an opportunity to practice being authentic, as the informal nature of these interactions makes it easier to be yourself.  Meeting companies informally will help you  get more comfortable with your communication skills, find out what tactics work best for you, and identify multiple companies and cultures where you’ll find a great fit for your authentic self.  
  

How Being Authentic at Work Will Help You Thrive


![July Blog](https://career-lunch-storage.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/v2/blog/articles/july-blog.jpg)

Jobseeking can be a marathon. But with one special tool, you can turn it into a sprint. The key is _informational interviews_, informal conversations with professionals who are doing the work you&#39;re interested in exploring. These authentic meetings not only give you great information on company culture, says Steve Dalton, author of _The 2-Hour Job Search_, but they also build up your professional network. That network then becomes your key to unlock what _Forbes_ magazine calls &quot;the hidden jobs market.&quot; According to _Forbes_, 80% of jobs are never advertised; instead, they&#39;re shared (and won) by insiders. Jobseekers who can use it to expand their networks can exponentially increase their odds of hearing about these positions _and_ winning them.

### **What Makes Informational Interviews So Valuable?**

Although it might appear to an outsider like a low-stakes conversation over a cup of coffee, an informational interview is actually a game-changer. It provides well-prepared candidates with an opportunity to enhance their technical skills and offers real advantages over the short and long term. Let&#39;s break that down and start with the technical side—a jobseeker who completes several informational interviews will hone their interpersonal and listening skills, build up a knowledge base about working cultures at different companies, and increase their confidence, authenticity, and familiarity at handling face-to-face professional meetings.

In the short term, jobseekers can gain a tactical edge on their peers for positions that are publicly advertised, by gaining background information and adding allies who can advocate for them within company teams. The exposure gained during informal meetings may also benefit employees in the case of &quot;hidden jobs&quot; that have not yet been publicized, says career strategist John Lees, author of _The Success Code_. &quot;The visibility may put you straight onto a short list, even if a job isn&#39;t advertised.&quot; In the long term too, it&#39;s a shrewd move to incorporate informational interviews in a professional practice, even for folks who aren&#39;t thinking of getting into the company. By developing their network, professionals increase their strategic reach in that field. And if it comes to changing career, this kind of networking is even more crucial, because jobseekers are less likely to get leads from headhunters, who generally assume they&#39;ll stay in the same type of role.

### **So What Makes a Great Informational Interview?**

Once you&#39;ve penciled in an informal meeting, deepen your research. Spend time looking up the person, company, and industry. The more familiar you are with the jargon, the acronyms, and the competitive landscape, the more your contact will recognize your dedication. When you start the meeting, introduce yourself concisely; you&#39;re there to listen and learn rather than sell yourself directly. Say that you&#39;re looking to meet experts in different companies (or industries) to understand the best fit for your next professional steps. Think about what you want to get out of the conversation and use that to shape a handful of prepared questions:

- Frame open-ended questions with &quot;what&quot; or &quot;how&quot; so you get a fuller answer, rather than posing a question that can be answered with &quot;yes&quot; or &quot;no.&quot;
- Be open in asking about the challenges of a particular role or industry
- Avoid the questions that you can find out yourself with a quick online search
- Learn what particular skills will lead to success in this career
- Don&#39;t be afraid of asking how to best position yourself and how to make the most of your own skill set

As you approach the end of the meeting, respect the time limits you&#39;ve suggested; successful people are usually busy! Dorie Clark, author of _Stand Out Networking_, suggests saying, &quot;I want to respect your time. I would love to keep talking, but if you need to go, I understand.&quot; After the meeting, send a thank-you (bonus points if you can personalize the message to include something you discussed in the conversation). Follow up on any advice you were given—not only is this worth doing in itself, but it&#39;ll give you an opportunity to report back to your contact, develop your relationship, and let them know how useful it was. Consider forwarding a link to an article or content that&#39;s relevant—think what might be valuable to your new contact. And remember the &quot;Ben Franklin Effect&quot;: someone who does you one favor is more likely to grant a second.

### **Make Jobseeking Numbers Work in Your Favor**

Although it&#39;s always possible to sharpen your interview skills, searching for a job can often be distilled into sheer numbers. Specifically, how large is your professional network and how many referrals can you generate? Take advantage of the different platforms on offer: leverage LinkedIn&#39;s search functionality, use Google, employ email. CareerLunch provides a particularly efficient platform, empowering jobseekers to set up informal meetings quickly, conveniently, and at scale—you can apply for as many companies as you want. Whichever approach you use, remember to make informational interviews not just part of your search for a new job, but the keystone of your ongoing professional practice.
  

The Fastest Way to Find a Job

![August Blog](https://career-lunch-storage.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/v2/blog/articles/2021-08.jpg)

### **Why Employee Engagement Starts at Recruiting**

Employees who feel included and engaged in their company&#39;s work are more productive. That&#39;s the key finding from multiple business surveys, from a report by Indian professor of management Dr Chandra Sekhar Patro to a survey by Bain &amp; Company. Increasingly, however, corporate success is not only seen in terms of income. Companies who get their employees engaged will also boost staff retention, workforce well-being, efficiency, and employer brand.

By contrast, a lack of engagement among employees can also hurt businesses, says Tim Eisenhauer, author, developer, and co-founder of Axero Solutions. &quot;People who don&#39;t feel connected to their work have little reason to stick around.&quot; And the risk of low engagement isn&#39;t just about the hassle of replacing lost team members, it can cost serious money. In its 2021 government sector survey, Deloitte estimated that employee disengagement is costing US federal agencies $65 billion every year. Those factors (positive and negative) represent a huge incentive for leadership teams. The surprise is not that companies are investing in engagement and inclusion—they are—but that they&#39;re not embedding it from the start in their recruitment processes.

### **Trends in Engagement and Inclusion**

Companies worldwide are expanding their efforts in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) for a range of reasons. Yes, there are financial incentives. Equally, though, there are social justice-related reasons driving DEI uptake. Over the last two or three years, the western news agenda has been dominated by large-scale popular movements pushing for greater equality for historically under-represented groups. The Black Lives Matter movement and the #MeToo movement have illustrated a widespread appetite for reducing discrimination and increasing equity in society, entertainment, and business. Employees want to bring their creativity and hard work to ethical companies and they will gravitate toward firms with that reputation. Forbes magazine wraps things up succinctly; in a recent article entitled &quot;Three Trends HR Professionals Should Have on Their Radars in 2021,&quot; it notes, &quot;Employee engagement is more important than ever.&quot;

Businesses attuned to this cultural shift have responded in various ways to make themselves more attractive to top talents. More companies are clarifying their mission—to explain how employee&#39;s contributions align with larger goals. Large firms, especially in the US and European IT sectors, are flattening their corporate structures to create less hierarchy and more autonomy over decision-making at lower levels. Some managers are encouraged to act as coaches rather than bosses, according to Gallup. And firms are expanding their DEI practices, say Deloitte researchers, from &quot;recruitment practices that target minority groups&quot; toward rethinking their entire diversity approachg.

### **Engagement in Recruitment**

While most established businesses are investing in engagement and inclusion as part of their full-time employees&#39; offering, the most forward-thinking firms are embedding these ideas into their hiring. &quot;A recruitment strategy that brings more engaged employees onto your team will improve your entire department&#39;s performance, reducing attrition, increasing productivity, and helping keep your star performers working at their best,&quot; says recruitment process outsourcing specialist greenbean. It&#39;s important to note that initiatives to increase inclusiveness must be supported throughout the organization, or it will lead to disengagement. A McKinsey article told the story of a North American energy company that introduced inclusive policies without subsequent support from senior leaders. The result? &quot;Minority-group employees viewed inclusion systems as just an empty ticking-the-box exercise.&quot;

Inclusion in recruitment starts at the first point of contact, not day one in the office. To bolster DEI, many companies can improve in two areas. The first is about getting people who are well-suited for their jobs; it&#39;s about a cultural fit to find folks that will be engaged, believe in the mission, work hard, and be both fulfilled and productive. In job postings, describe the company culture and work environment accurately—that way, HR will attract people who feel like they belong. The second area is in making sure that candidates feel seen, heard, and respected; they&#39;re not just numbered applicants. Keep the hiring process moving briskly; make sure every candidate knows what&#39;s expected of them and where they are in the process; and communicate promptly and clearly.

### **Empower Your Team**

One key method in increasing employee engagement in recruitment is to leverage not just your HR staff, but your whole team. With their professional networks and deep knowledge of your working culture, they&#39;re simultaneously a source of new recruits and great advocates for your company. CareerLunch provides companies with a reliable platform to foster inclusion and employee engagement: it gives internal professionals an opportunity to help shape company hiring, it offers jobseekers a chance to represent themselves as solid candidates, and it enables companies to get the right people on board. Built around informal meetings between jobseekers and established professionals, CareerLunch offers an authentic way to build working relationships. So by the time a position becomes available, the company already knows not only what&#39;s on a jobseeker&#39;s CV, but also what she&#39;s like, what she&#39;s looking for, and that she&#39;ll be a great cultural fit.

Why Employee Engagement Starts at Recruiting

![Sad SpongeBob](https://career-lunch-storage.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/v2/blog/articles/2021-10-04-sad.gif)

Whether it’s your first job hunt or your hundredth, it seems impossible to avoid the inevitable sadness that comes with it. And no wonder! Ironically, job searching becomes a full-time job of its own, and an unpaid one as well. After painstakingly filling out multiple applications, tailoring your CV, writing letters of motivation on why they should choose you, and going through multiple interviews to only get an email saying “We thank you for your application. Unfortunately…”.

![Dumbledore](https://career-lunch-storage.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/v2/blog/articles/2021-10-04-dumbledore.gif)

That would even get the ultra-optimistic SpongeBob depressed. So, what do we do? We all are bound to change jobs and look for new opportunities; it’s an unavoidable part of life. Don’t worry! Luckily, we’ve got you covered! We will show you not only how to keep your cool but to actually enjoy the process and reap benefits along the way.

### Reframing your point of view

First things first, it’s important to frame the situation in your mind correctly. Most of us view the recruiting process as a challenging and time-consuming process, which is fair. However, approaching the job hunt from a different angle will shift the power dynamic in your favor. Not only will you be able to control your attitude during the whole process, but also to stay sane during the drought period a.k.a. no new interesting positions or no callbacks after an interview. I know it sounds repetitive and easy on paper: “Just stay optimistic and everything will get going”, but research backs it up. David Burns M.D., a psychiatrist who graduated from Stanford University promoted cognitive behavioral therapy in his book “Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy”. He states that “Your emotions follow your thoughts just as surely as baby ducks follow their mother. But the fact that the baby ducks follow faithfully along doesn’t prove that the mother knows where she is going!”

To simplify, letting yourself to fall into that pit of negative thoughts will inevitably drag you into a bad emotional state along with it. And as we all know, nothing good comes out of it. To avoid that, Burns suggests identifying the pattern of how your negative thoughts start to emerge. Therefore, when you’re aware of the pattern, you can battle that negativity with actions or thoughts that puts you back to a positive state. With time and practice, this will come to you naturally and you’ll be able to keep your cool and stay in a good mood.

![Stay calm](https://career-lunch-storage.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/v2/blog/articles/2021-10-04-stay-calm.gif)

### No expectations

As the old saying goes, “If you have no expectations, then you’ll never be disappointed”. Yet again, easier said than done. However, when you act upon having great expectations, you are bound to set yourself up for failure. By diversifying your choices, which means not putting all your eggs in one basket, you’ll be able to manage your expectations and handle rejection without getting upset. There are plenty of great opportunities, and therefore, ensure to you take advantage of them but not obsess over it. Don’t fixate on something specific. Keep your options and horizons open. And who knows, what exciting new opportunities you might discover!

### Networking and the game of hide and seek

One word we are all much too familiar with in the professional world is “networking”. Although, it is a tiresome concept, it is crucially important. Most job positions are filled without even being published. It’s easier and faster to hire someone internally through friends or recommendations as trust and familiarity with the potential candidate’s skills and abilities play a crucial role.

Even if there are no positions currently available for you in a given company, doesn’t mean that the desired spot won’t open up soon that in the future there won’t be. Being on a company’s radar sets you far ahead any other candidate in the recruiting process, as you will be the next one to access the hidden opportunities. Therefore, start building relationships ASAP with the companies you’re interested in.

Yet again, easier said than done, right? But bear with me.

+ First, go on informational interviews with your companies of interest. This is a way to make connections and leave a good impression. Do your research in advance and ask the right questions. Find out whether the company’s culture fits your needs, if they value their workers and care for their growth. Who knows, maybe your dream company is not what you expected it to be, or the opposite, you’ll be reassured of your choice. One of the form of informational interviews out there is the informal lunch. A free platform like CareerLunch provides an opportunity to meet the potential employers relaxed and informal environment for informational interviews over a lunch.
+ Secondly, make authentic connections. Don’t bend over backwards to make a good impression but find commonalities and keep an upbeat attitude during your interaction. According to research done by Lauren Rivera of Northwestern University, likable people are 90% of the time hired over other candidates with similar background and skills.
![Prince charming](https://career-lunch-storage.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/v2/blog/articles/2021-10-04-prince-charming.gif)
+ Thirdly, seek connections everywhere. Maybe there is a guest lecturer or a seminar from a company you’re interested in, you crossed paths with one of the employees in a coffeeshop or you have friends in common, don’t forget to reach out and leave a pleasant impression. It might just play in your favor; you can gain a new friend or a position!

### Finally…

Approaching your job search positively and making meaningful connections along the way actually has an upside effect of making the whole process not seem so bad – you might actually find yourself enjoying it. And while you continue the experience and grow your network, it will be evident when you speak to people that you are the type of person they might like to work with.

How not to get depressed during the job search?

![Hi Five](https://career-lunch-storage.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/v2/blog/articles/2021-11-17-hi-five-everyone.png)

When choosing a career path, everyone wonders if they should seek out a traditional corporate job or if joining a startup or SME (Small and Medium Enterprises) would be the right choice. On the one hand, big corporations offer a fancy workplace, great employee benefits, and a prestigious company name. However, getting noticed and implementing big changes in big organizations is easier said than done. While there is no right choice, startups and SMEs certainly offer a great opportunity for personal and professional growth.  

Here are 6 reasons why you should consider working at a startup or SME: 

### Jack of all trades 

Rather than having a specific job description with clear responsibilities at a large company, at startups and SMEs you will likely get to do a variety of tasks. Not only will this give you an opportunity to learn different skills, but also ensures you'll never get bored of your day-to-day work life. Getting to juggle many responsibilities will keep you on your 'A' game and allow you to develop a broad skillset.  

### Flexibility 

One of the most attractive benefits of working in smaller organizations is that you can work with your own flow and have greater room for flexibility. After the pandemic, the possibility to work from home became a key benefit for many people. Startups and SMEs found it easier to adapt to the new working environment and offer the desired way of working post-pandemic. Another key to flexibility is time. Some people are early birds that prefer to start their working day at 7 a.m. and finish by 3 p.m., and others like to sleep in a bit more. Startups and SMEs tend to be open to accommodating their employees' preferences. How about dress codes? If you're not a fan of the suit and tie and prefer comfortable clothing, then go for the rising stars! 

### Your actions matter 

Not that the actions and changes you implement in large corporations don't matter, it is just that sometimes, they can feel less noticeable as the company has hundreds of decision-making processes every day. In startups and SMEs, you get autonomy and creative control over your ideas and incentives. The outcome may bring a sizable benefit to the company, and you get to gain experience first-hand as a decision-maker. 

### A full 360 

If you are not sure exactly what you would like to do, but you know the general direction you would like for your career, working in a smaller organization could be the right choice. Without being confined to one department, you will get to experience all angles of the business. You can quickly recognize what you would like to focus more on, and find your strengths, while at a bigger company, you may never have the chance to figure that out. 

### Creativity 

These days it is important to give employees an outlet to be able to experiment and have an impact with their creative ideas. A big hierarchy often stands in the way of you moving forward with your creative ideas for the business. It can be even discouraging as you need to convince multiple people across several departments and wait a long time until your idea gets approved. Small companies not only encourage this, but are happy to hear your ideas on how the business can grow and flourish. Just make sure you are ready to see your big ideas through!  

### Employee centricity & connection 

At startups and SMEs, employees get to know each other and you get to work closely with senior leaders in the company. You get to showcase your skills and get support from key decision makers. Moreover, team size in SMEs and startups are relatively small. Therefore, you get to work closely with people across the whole company and develop close connections with your coworkers. 

It's clear there are both benefits and setbacks to working at a large corporation or at startups and SMEs. This is why it is best to reflect on the options, and choose where you feel the most comfortable and have room to grow. But if you're undecided about what you would like to focus your skills on, if you want to have more control over your work, or you simply want to experiment and work in an ever-changing working routine, why not see if meeting one of our [Rising Stars](https://www.careerlunch.com/companies?type=rising-stars) would be the right fit for you.  

### How to meet SMEs with big opportunities 

Overall, company culture is a great determinant of a great work environment. The key to getting a feel of a company's culture is to meet them in an informal setting, such as having a chat over a lunch or coffee. To provide such an opportunity for informal meetings, [CareerLunch](https://www.careerlunch.com/) and [Swiss Life](https://www.careerlunch.com/companies/swiss-life-ch) have partnered together and created a platform where you can connect with the [Rising Stars](https://www.careerlunch.com/companies?type=rising-stars) among SMEs. Discover many career opportunities in various fields on the [Rising Stars](https://www.careerlunch.com/companies?type=rising-stars) page and book a free lunch with an SME [here](https://www.careerlunch.com/companies?type=rising-stars).

The benefits of working at startups and SMEs