Dr. Kritika Gupta on Nutrition: “End the Year Right”

Switching our gears for the final issue of this year to a topic that needs urgent attention. Unfortunately, the end of the year may not be the most celebratory time for several households this year. Economic slowdown in the country, accompanied by mass layoffs have negatively impacted hundreds of thousands of homes in the U.S. this year. Historically underserved populations are disproportionally impacted by these layoffs. With several news headlines highlighting the numbers and dollar impacts of the layoffs, I want to divert our attention to the fact that layoffs do not always mean that companies aren’t hiring. We maybe in a layoff season but we are certainly not in a hiring freeze, at least not yet.

So if you are one of those who have been recently laid off, or who will soon be entering the job market, let me tell you one thing: you are needed. The only obstacle between you and your next job is that you do not realize that they need you way more than you think. However, the way the hiring process work these days is very different from the way it was working a decade ago. Here are some examples:

References and connections

In the past, your connections that include your supervisors, managers, and immediate colleague would not only agree to write a good recommendation letter for you but would also connect you with the right people and the right opportunities. This is no longer the case. With most work transitioning online, most hiring is happening through job boards social media like LinkedIn. In fact, extending “cold connection invitations” on LinkedIn and initiating the conversation has been found to be way effective in landing you a great job, also with a great salary!

Resume in 2023

Resume game has changed entirely. It is no longer a piece of document where you state your past job roles and responsibilities that would directly imply your experience and efficiency to the next potential employer. The hiring departments now screen your resume to look at the actual measurable impact, improvement, increase, and intelligence that need to replace the roles and responsibilities. Because let’s be honest – you could copy-paste your roles and responsibilities from any job application! So instead of writing “responsible for proper execution of projects,” perhaps specify “supervised x number of projects with y number of employees to generate z% of profit.” It’s a numbers game!

Verbal communication over dress code

I know applicants who didn’t wear a business suit or a tie to their interviews and are successful employees now. Times have changed. The way you greet the interviewer, your ability to convey the information, your ability to prove that you did what you have listed on your resume—are more important to employers than sticking to the traditional interview dress code. In the past, applicants would be rejected because of a visible tattoo or anything that wasn’t considered professional back then. It is joyous to see that those definitions and mindset are changing.

Finally, the negotiation

The golden rule of negotiation is that you don’t get what you don’t ask for. Negotiation experts swear by this rule. Even if you cannot afford a coach right now, its easier to find out a general range of pay for your position and experience online through job boards and company review platforms.

End this year by taking out those old documents and updating them to meet the newer unwritten expectations of applicants. We will talk more about this next year! Until then stay safe, warm, and hydrated. Perhaps make someone happy.