Book Review: Grossman’s “Guide to the Post-Pandemic Job Market” Highlights Challenges and Opportunities

The world is in a “demographic, healthcare, and technological revolution” writes Frank Grossman — founder of Resumes That Shine — in “Guide to the Post-Pandemic Job Market,” his new e-book about today's job search process. 

Those societal shifts — combined with challenges brought on by the global COVID-19 pandemic — mean that jobseekers will have to be more nimble in the the future. 

“Whether you are in school now or are in mid-career and plan to work another 10, 15, or 20 years, your skills could be obsolete if you don’t respond to change,” writes Grossman. The average jobseeker’s skills will have to be stronger than ever to earn a living wage — even for jobs that previously didn’t require college degrees. 

While Grossman says his guide isn’t “crystal-ball gazing,” it provides research on the hurdles applicants face in today’s job market, jobs that are on the “endangered species list,” the evolution of the job search, the virtues of enhancing career skills (both hard and soft), and new paradigms and opportunities in the job market. 

One of the more fascinating aspects of the “Guide to the Post-Pandemic Job Market” is Grossman’s focus on growth areas in the job market over the next decade (an aspect that is sometimes overlooked in today's social media zeitgeist). 

Various media outlets have recently focused on the rise of remote work (with some companies making a permanent paradigm shift) as well as the trend of workers leaving the workforce in what's been dubbed the Great Resignation. 

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) recently shared a study (during the organization's 2022 annual conference) that reports 48 percent of survey respondents are “definitely” looking to work remotely. 

But according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) presented in Grossman's guide, the top 20 job categories between now and 2030 — with salaries ranging from $23,680 to $110,140 — are primarily in-person professions (“high-touch” jobs where one must be physically present to do the work are at — or near — the top of the list). 

The dichotomy between professions that will be “in demand” and those that are “desired” creates an interesting conundrum for jobseekers and career services professionals going forward. 

Jobseekers need to be practical. 

“It would be nice to look at the menu of jobs in demand for the post-pandemic 2020s and pick one that meets your criteria for a great opportunity,” writes Grossman. “This will not work for many of us because we must fit the job to be successful.”  

Since starting Resumes That Shine in 2004, Grossman has worked with a wide-ranging client base — tailoring resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, and job search strategies. He is a Certified Career Management Coach (CCMC) and a Nationally Certified Online Profile Expert (NCOPE). During the early stages of his business, Grossman served as a Work Readiness Trainer with the ResCare welfare-to-work program in Brooklyn, NY — writing, editing, and/or critiquing roughly 1,200 resumes in that role. 

Sprinkled with raw data and personal and professional anecdotes, Grossman’s “Guide to the Post-Pandemic Job Market” provides salient information and analysis for resume writers, career coaches, and jobseekers as they navigate the job search process. 

Order your copy of the "Guide to the Post-Pandemic Job Market" here. 

How to Get Started as a Subcontract Resume Writer

 

Fifteen years. That’s how long ago I published the first edition of “Making Money as a Resume Subcontractor.” But that was probably five years after I actually started writing resumes for a contracting writer. I also wrote for CareerPerfect from to May 2004 to October 2008. But before that, I wrote for a solopreneur contracting writer. Along the way, I earned between $500 and $2500 a month from my subcontract writing.

Before, during, and after my subcontract writer phase, I also worked with my own clients. Many subcontract writers do the same. They write as a subcontractor to smooth out the peaks and valleys in their own client load and income as they build their business. Or they want to get exposure to writing for a variety of different types of clients while seeing how another writer or firm operates their business.

But with so many resume writers feeling burned out these days, there’s a third reason to subcontract: To focus on the writing instead of the marketing and business management. Sometimes, you just want to write resumes, not spend your time creating content to attract jobseekers and filling your days with talking with prospects. 

If you’re interested in learning about how to get started as a subcontract resume writer, I’ve got you covered. The 51-page “Making Money as a Resume Subcontractor” special report addresses it all.

Chapters in the special report include: 

• Who Are Subcontractors and What Draws Them In?
• Show Me The Money! (Compensation for Subcontractors)
• Client Interaction & The Information-Gathering Process
• Managing Your Business: Can You Market Yourself and Subcontract?
• Signing on to Subcontract
• Comparing Contractors: Big or Small?
• Once You’re In, How to Stay in the Contractor’s Good Graces
• Don’t Forget Legal Issues
• Other Subcontracting Opportunities
• Golden Nuggets: Benefits of Subcontracting
• Keys to Success as a Subcontractor: From a Contractor’s Perspective
• Words of Wisdom from Experienced Resume Writers
• Results of Survey of Subcontract Writers
• Red Flags When Selecting a Contracting Firm
• Making a Pitch to Subcontracting Firms (including a sample Resume/Cover Letter)
• Your Contract
• Seven Profiles of Subcontract Resume Writers

Even if you’ve never thought about subcontracting before, there might be a subcontracting opportunity that is the right fit for you right now. One way to know is to check out the 25+ listings in the Directory of Subcontract Opportunities.

Each listing includes the following information:

• Specialization (what kind of clients does the contracting writer/firm target, and what services are provided)
• Client fee (what the client pays, not what the subcontractor gets paid)
• Writer qualifications (desired/required)
• How to apply
• What spells rejection for a candidate
• Special requirements
• Turnaround time for projects
• Pay to subcontractor
• Demand weekly (# of projects)
• Client management (client contact vs. ghostwriting; also, if the contracting writer uses a CRM)
• Phone consultation? Paid extra?
• Do writers upsell?
• Revisions? (how are revisions handled; included in pay or compensated separately?)

The Making Money as a Resume Subcontractor Special Report — and the 25+ listings in the Directory of Subcontract Opportunities — are INCLUDED in Bronze membership on BeAResumeWriter.com. There are opportunities with no client contact — and some with. Some offering 1-2 projects a week … or 1-2 a month. Some that pay as little as $75 per project, but some that are $500+. Like I said, there’s something for everyone, even if you’ve never considered subcontracting before.

Join as a Bronze+ member for $27/month or as a Bronze Annual+ for $279 a year. 

You’ll get full access to the “Making Money as a Resume Subcontractor” resources, plus all the other benefits of Bronze membership:

• New done-for-you content each month (Pass-Along Materials)
• A Special Report to help you with some aspect of your bsiness or work with clients
• A Profession-Specific Career Worksheet (licensed from Evelyn Salvador), based on member votes
• Two new Content Checklists each month to help you create client-attracting content
• 30 Ready-to-Use Social Media Graphics (conversation starters, inspirational quotes, and month- and holiday-related themes)
• Discounts on Resume Writer’s University courses (including the signature “Pricing Right” course)

Learn more here.

Note: If you are a contracting writer looking to connect with subcontract writers, fill out this online form to be included in the Directory of Subcontract Opportunities.

Answering the “Tell Me About Yourself" Question (Creating Your Elevator Pitch)

“Tell me about yourself,” the interviewer says.

“So, what do you do?” asks the person you just met at a networking get-together.

You find yourself on an elevator with a person you’ve wanted to meet. What do you say?

 

Be ready to say something! It’s smart to prepare a brief summary of your background and experience. Often called an “elevator pitch” — because it should be short enough to give during an elevator ride — there are many situations when a short, pre-prepared introduction (no more than 30 seconds) will come in handy.

This type of introduction can be used:

• When networking
• In a job search
• On career documents (in the cover letter, for example)
• In job interviews
• When a stranger strikes up a conversation with you in line at the grocery store
• To request an informational interview

You have probably heard the saying, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” So how do you provide a brief, concise introduction of yourself? 

I’ve created a simple 5-page guide to give jobseekers five easy formulas to choose from to help them create a succinct, memorable introduction — no matter their profession or the circumstances that they’re using the introduction.

 

An effective introduction should answer four questions:

• Who are you? (education, work experience, skills, specialization)
• What do you do?
• What sets you apart?
• Where do you want to go from here?

The guide includes five specific formulas to choose from. Jobseekers can pick the one that helps them create the best introduction to describe themselves and for the specific situation they are using it in. It includes lots of specific examples, plus eight tips for creating an effective introduction.

Purchase the guide here.

(Note: Bronze members of BeAResumeWriter.com, this is INCLUDED with your membership until March 31, 2022.)

This is Pass-Along Materials content, so this is content you can re-brand and/or re-work to use with your clients. Put your name on it. Publish it on your website, give it to clients as a bonus with their purchase of a job search package, or use it as an opt-in to gather names for your email list. (See the license below for what you can — and can’t — do with the content.)

Pass-Along Materials License:

[YES] Can edit, take apart, add to, or use/sell as is

[YES] Can be bundled with other products and/or content

[YES] Can be offered as a bonus

[YES] Can be used to create audio/video products

[YES] Can give them to affiliates to publish to promote your products/services

[YES] Can be used for opt-in bonuses (newsletter signups, etc.)

[YES] Can claim full ownership

[YES] Can alter e-cover graphics (if supplied)

[YES] Can publish as web content (except on free article directories)

[YES] Can be added to your own free membership site for job seekers

[MAYBE] Can be added to paid membership sites (if approved  — contact Bridget for approval)

[NO] Can submit to free article directories
[NO] Can sell on the Kindle platform (Amazon.com)
[NO] Can use as content for a LinkedIn Published post (unless stated in description)
[NO] Can sell resell or master resell rights (You can use these with your clients,

but you can’t pass the materials on to other resume writers for their use,

or sell the content to other resume writers for use with their clients.)

Are You Thinking About Your First — Or Next — Career Course?

More and more resume writers are starting to think about how they can generate passive income and recurring revenue in their career services business — and I AM HERE FOR IT!

There are only so many hours in each day and tens of millions of jobseekers that need us. One way to not only generate revenue but ALSO serve clients (and prospects) is to create content for them — in the form of ebooks, special reports, membership sites, and online courses.

If you’ve thought about creating online courses in 2022, I wanted to let you know about a free training next week from Teachable (which is the platform I use to host Resume Writer’s University and also my school for jobseekers.)

The free training is called teachable:u live, and it is based on Teachable’s flagship training program (typically reserved for Teachable customers), and it’s happening next week — January 18-20. I’ll be there — I hope you will join me!

During this virtual event, you’ll hear from established creators who will cover the most urgent topics related to growing and scaling an online business through courses. Whether you’re a new creator just starting out or an established creator looking to grow your business, there’s an event for you to join and learn from. 

The three sessions in teachable:u Live are:

7 Proven Steps to Launching Your First Course

Tuesday, January 18, 12:00 p.m. ET

This is the best place to start if you’re looking to build your first course with Teachable. Hosts Monique Daniels and Jess Catorc will walk you through Teachable’s proven seven-step process for turning your skills into a profitable online course business. 
 

How to Drive Conversion by Speaking to Your Customer's Emotions

Wednesday, January 19, 1:00 p.m. ET

This webinar is for you if you have grown your audience and are nearly ready to launch your course and make sales. Host Grace Abbott will teach you how to focus on your values, voice, and visuals to speak to your audience’s emotions and drive conversions. 

The Course Ladder: How to Level Up Your Course Strategy

Thursday, January 20, 2:30 p.m. ET

If you're already an established course creator and want to scale your existing business, don’t miss this session. In this fireside chat-style session, speakers Pat Flynn and Matt Gartland will talk about ways to build up from your first course to a full-scale course business. 

Teachable events never disappoint. You’ll get to connect with fellow attendees — and the speakers — via live chat during all three days. You’ll walk away with valuable insights you couldn’t get anywhere else (or at least not for free). And you’ll be more prepared and inspired than ever before to take action in your business. 

Register for free here.