How to stand out in your job search

According to new ADP data 122,000 new jobs were added in July, falling below estimates. Andrew McCaskill, LinkedIn Career Expert, joins Wealth! to discuss strategies for standing out in the job market.

McCaskill emphasizes that individuals should prioritize upskilling and ensuring their skills align with their industry. However, he also stresses the importance of developing "transferrable skills" that could be applicable to other industries that may offer better opportunities or higher pay.

Additionally, McCaskill highlights the growing importance of AI in the job market. He recommends taking courses to become well-versed in AI technologies, as this knowledge is increasingly becoming an asset for both individuals and companies.

For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Wealth!

This post was written by Angel Smith

Video Transcript

When you're negotiating that salary, if you are switching jobs, what are the things that you should be keeping in mind and, and taking to that negotiation table?

Yeah, I mean, I think that one of the things that you got to think about is industries, one of the things that we talk about a lot is transferable skills.

You may say, well, I'm a tech guy or I'm a consumer goods um person.

And, but what can I do to take those transferable skills to other industries that may be hiring and that all those other industries that may have higher pay bands?

Right?

So thinking about, ok, well, if I have legal skills and I'm a and I'm a lawyer or if I'm a marketer or if I'm a communications person, those skills are highly transferable.

I can take those to any industry.

Let me look at the industries that are hiring and across the bow of those industries, which ones have the highest pay bands.

And that means you got to do a lot more research in terms of looking at those job openings to say, ok, where can I, what industries are hiring and what industries that are hiring are paying the highest pay bands.

That's a really smart way to start to think about how you put together your strategy for that big move.

Just lastly while we have you here and, and this one is a curveball for you because, uh, because I know that you're so skilled at what you do, but there's a lot more chatter, a lot of increasing thought we should say for employees that are afraid that their job might get taken by A I.

But there's also uh uh a thought process of, you know, how can I best equip myself to work with some of these tools and maximize my own productivity.

How are you hearing that discussed?

How are you hearing some who are in the workforce best position, their own skill set to leverage new technology in order to be able to kind of maximize their own output.

Brad.

I love this question because I, I think that there's a school of thought of people who are willing to sort of race with the machine and those who are, who are thinking, I'm gonna rage against it.

I think that the number one thing that folks need to start doing is start to play with A I tools, chat GP T or github or even using copilot um at work to start to get familiar with what the tools can do and how they can best be used in your line of work.

I would also say that if you do not have A I skills or if you are not A I conversant, you need to start taking some courses around it.

You can go on linkedin learning tons of those courses are free right now.

If you don't know what a large language model is, you need to get on there and start to play with those tools and you need to start getting your skills up.

We have, um Our research says that 71% of hiring managers are saying that they're willing to hire someone with A I skills and less experience over someone with more experience and no A I skills.

That's a big deal.

Don't be afraid of that.

Actually lean into it and start to play with those A I tools and get those A I skills and then talk about those A I skills on your resume and on your linkedin profile.

Here's the deal.

My prediction for this year is that the number one question that hiring managers and recruiters are gonna start asking job candidates is how are you using A I tools and A I skills in your work, your professional and your personal lives and job candidates should be ready to answer that question and answer it with confidence because they will likely get it.

It's a big deal.

I would say too, for people from underrepresented groups.

Um I think it's also a really important thing for all of us to get those skills too because A I tools and A I skills could actually be career accelerators for folks who have, who have been, you know, sort of underemployed in the pla in the past or maybe have gone into, um, jobs thinking, ah, this is gonna be my stepping stone job and then once I get inside, I'll do this.

Next thing A I is gonna be in high demand.

There's gonna be a lot of eyes on those A I on people with A I skills and they're gonna be getting tapped for new opportunities much faster.

See I knew you were up to the task.

Andrew mccaskill linkedin, career expert, Andrew.

Great to see you.

As always.

Always.