Job Search Strategies

But hey, why stop there? Maybe throw in some expertise in deep learning, blockchain, and astrophysics while you're at it. You know, just in case the entry-level analyst needs to predict black holes while building dashboards. It’s become a trend on LinkedIn, job postings that read more like a wish list than a real role description. 📌 Entry-level roles demanding 10+ years experience 📌 Job descriptions blending the responsibilities of Data Analysts, Data Scientists, and Data Engineers into one role 📌 Tools listed that perform the same function Why Does This Happen? 1️⃣ Lack of Understanding – Some recruiters do not fully grasp the differences between data roles and simply lump everything together. 2️⃣ The ‘More is Better’ Mindset – A belief that listing every possible tool will attract the best candidate. How to Fix It ✔️ Consult the Experts ✔️ Define whether you need a Data; Analyst, Scientist, Engineer, or Architect. These are not interchangeable. It has become common for recruiters to mash up the responsibilities as if they’re just different names for the same job. To be clear: they’re not. 📌 A Data Analyst interprets data, builds reports, and supports business decisions. They need strong skills in Excel, Power BI, SQL, and basic Python or R (if needed). 📌 A Data Scientist builds machine learning models, works with large datasets, and focuses on predictive analytics. They typically use Python, R and basic statistics. 📌 A Data Engineer builds and maintains data pipelines and infrastructure to ensure data flows smoothly. Their tools? SQL, Python, Spark, AWS, Databricks, Snowflake—more on the back-end side of things. 📌 A Data Architect designs the overall structure of a company’s data systems. Think database design, governance, and ensuring scalability. Now, why do recruiters mix these up? 🔹 They assume all "data" jobs are the same - If it has "data" in the title, it must involve Excel and SQL, right? (Wrong.) 🔹 They want a unicorn – Instead of hiring three specialized professionals, they try to squeeze all those responsibilities into one person to "save costs." The result? A burned-out employee who eventually quits. Let’s Do Better If you’re a recruiter (or a hiring manager), here’s what you can do: ✅ Know what you actually need – Do you need an analyst to build reports, or an engineer to manage data pipelines? ✅ Ask the team – Before listing "must-have" skills, consult with the data professionals to see what’s actually required. ✅ Be realistic – No one knows 15+ tools at an expert level and no one should need to. ✅ Prioritize Key Skills – Instead of a 20-tool laundry list, focus on the core 3-5 tools that align with your company’s stack. If your team uses Power BI, there’s no need to demand expertise in Tableau. Stop hunting for mythical "full-stack data scientists with 10 years of experience in tools that didn’t exist five years ago" and start hiring real people with real skills for real roles.

“You’re our first data hire.” That line makes some data vets cringe and others salivate. Why? The first data hire is everything and anything that they need to be to get the job done. There can be a lot of hacky things done to deliver the data: - manual processes - using Excel as a database - etc. While some look at those hacky things as bad practice, for the first data hire, it’s a demonstration of their adaptability and versatility. Eventually, those practices are - automated - migrated to better infrastructure This is where a first hire must be strategic. Knowing what they can get away with in the near term, but prepping for the long term. So, if you’re looking to hire your first data person, look for the following: - Leadership potential (you will likely grow your team one day) - Strategic thinking (ID business objectives, link data to them) - Versatile skill set (ETL through to presentation) - Technical proficiency (SQL, Viz, & Python) - Data ethics and privacy knowledge - Curiosity & a continuous learner - Data infrastructure knowledge - Project management skills - Problem solving skills They are hard shoes to fill, almost unicorn-ish, but they exist. If someone doesn’t check all these boxes, industry knowledge and a strong desire to learn are solid hiring traits. Stay nerdy my friends! #dataanalytics #datacareer #dataanalysis

“Australia’s IT market is booming” that’s what everyone says, right? Tell that to the thousands of skilled migrants stuck in the limbo of job hunting. I recently read a story of someone who’s spent 4 YEARS desperately chasing an IT job in Australia. - Master’s degree from an Aussie uni. - Certs in Business Analysis, Python, SQL, Data Analytics. - Hundreds of applications, countless tweaks to resumes, networking events, volunteering… Yet, crickets. The brutal truth? Australia’s “local experience” obsession creates an invisible barrier. You’re “overqualified” for graduate roles, yet lack “local experience” for senior ones. Catch-22 much? Here’s the kicker: Australia markets itself as the land of opportunity, yet many skilled immigrants find it a land of endless waiting and silent rejection. ▶︎ As a recruiter, I’ve seen incredibly talented immigrants dismissed purely for “lack of local experience,” even when they’re clearly qualified. Personally, if someone has the right skills, even from a different country, they still get a call from me. ▶︎ Here are 3 moves you can make this week to boost your chances: 1. Adjust your language → Reframe your “foreign experience” into local terms. Swap jargon for Aussie-friendly language (e.g. “stakeholder management” > “client interaction”). 2. Learn the local resume style → One-pager, punchy summary, clear achievements. No dense blocks of text. Seek help. A quick session with a local recruiter or tech career coach (e.g. Careersy Coaching) can help. 3. Quality over quantity → Instead of 50 generic applications, send 5 tailored ones. Add a short but personalised note to recruiters/hiring managers on LinkedIn. Make it personal, not just transactional. Immigrants: Keep adapting your approach your skills are valid; your challenge is communication. Employers: Talent doesn’t have a postcode. Expand your horizons beyond local bias. Do you think Australia’s fixation on “local experience” is outdated, or justified? Comment below, let’s have this conversation.

A challenge I’ve seen many companies struggle with is how to hire a standout person for their first ‘data’ role … when no one currently in the company knows what ‘good’ looks like. How on earth do we pick who to start with? 🤷♀️ And because talent attracts talent, early hires are key. It’s a challenge made harder by the fact that ‘data’ in all its multi-dimensional glory (from AI products, to stream processing, to management reporting and everything in between) is a young profession with none of the standard qualifications, industry associations, certifications, etc that many use as a shorthand for ‘good’ in other areas. Much depends on the current state, industry, growth prospects, etc of your business so there’s no ‘one size fits all' answer. But let’s make a start: 😃 Hire someone more senior than you think you need 😃 If data is important to your business, then data needs representation at your leadership table. While good data people will have some software engineering background, software engineers are NOT by and large particularly expert in defining, collecting, structuring and storing the data needed to build compelling data products, let alone AI products. So hiring someone with 4-6 years data experience, popping them next to your eng team and expecting emergent value is asking for trouble. 😃 Look for someone who is very interested in the breadth, depth and connectedness of your existing operational and behavioural data 😃 Good folks want to continue to be impactful and they know this will come hard and company patience will wear very thin if they have to start from a scrappy, incoherent base. Every company wants the icing on top, and preferably yesterday. Good folk know that they need to start with at least the ingredients for a good cake first. 😃 Make sure your prospective hire can hold a strong conversation with engineering and product and customer experience / service 😃 Ensuring credibility with the engineering team means you’ll avoid folks whose experience is limited to spreadsheet modeling and powerpoint presentations. While you want someone who can pull together your strategic approach to data and data products, you don’t want to hire someone who can write a plausible strategy - and then wants to hand it off to someone else to execute. Similarly, if your prospective hire isn’t eager to talk to both your product peeps and the folks who deal with customer onboarding and complaints then they probably haven’t shipped anything to production and supported it through first contact with the customer. Image credit to engin akyurt on Unsplash

Your best hire is already in your building. Here's why 73% of companies can't see them: Before you call a recruitment agency (yes, even mine), try these 5 strategies first. Not because I don't want your business - but because the right hire might be closer than you think. 1. Look Beyond Department Boundaries Someone in accounting might be perfect for operations. Career progression isn't always vertical. ↳ Internal moves cost 70% less than external hires and boost retention by 40%. 2. Activate Your Referral Network Good people know good people. Make your vacancy visible to everyone - not just the hiring team. ↳ Employee referrals have 4x higher retention rates than job board hires. 3. Tap Your Extended Business Network Your suppliers, service providers, freelancers, and consultants see talent across industries. They know how you operate and who might fit. ↳ This is the most underused hiring channel - but often the most effective. 4. Use LinkedIn Strategically Don't just post once and hope. Get your leadership team sharing the role. Talk about impact, not just requirements. ↳ Posts from leaders get 3x more reach than company page posts. 5. Advertise Wisely Job ads can work - but only if you can handle the volume. Be realistic about your capacity to respond and screen. Is your time best spent here? ↳ A poor candidate experience damages your employer brand for years. Smart hiring means exhausting these options first. When you've done this groundwork, that's when agencies like mine add real value – accessing the 85% of candidates who aren't actively looking or applying to adverts. Which of these strategies has worked best for your business? Drop your experience below 👇

Do early-stage startups need a data hire? 🕵🏻♂️ I was talking about this yesterday with a data leader who has brought in to build data for a VC-Backed startup. The answer we came up with is...🥁 yes!! But only if you do it right. I was employee # 1 at Crowdville back in 2015. (Loved those first few years at the Google Campus offices in London 🙌🏼) We grew quickly till we were 15 of us. But we didn’t hire anyone in data. It wasn’t until a couple of years later that someone finally joined to help with data. And I still remember that moment of astonishment: 📊 Seeing dashboards with clean historical trends 📈 Spotting patterns in user acquisition and retention that I had been guessing (and stressing) about for months. That was the realisation: If we had hired someone in data earlier, we would have saved so much time and money. 🚀 So, at early stage, not having any data capability is a missed opportunity. Here’s when a data hire actually makes sense for a startup: ✅ You’re making important investment into product or marketing…but they’re based on guesswork or scattered metrics. ✅ You work in a data-rich industry, but no one really owns it. ✅ You’re spending more time building dashboards than acting on insights. ✅ Team leaders argue what they are doing is a priority, without giving evidence with data. But even if you decide you want to hire your first data person, there are different options: 🧑🏼💻 A junior or mid level technical person 📈 A senior data leader 💡 A consultant or fractional data person. There are obviously pros and cons with all of the options, but please, choose one of them 🙏🏼 #Startups #DataHiring #HiringAdvice #DataStrategy

43% of hiring managers can't spot skills in resumes. I fixed that. Skills beat resumes every time. Traditional hiring methods miss talented people who can do the job but don't show up well on paper. Here's how to find hidden gems using a skills-based approach ↓ 1. Send tests before checking resumes: Why it works: 92% of employers say skills tests find better candidates than resumes do. Action: → Create an automated process to send assessments to all applicants before looking at their job history. 2. Focus on what they'll actually do: Why it works: Real job tasks show true abilities better than past titles. Action: Design practical tests based on daily responsibilities. → Give candidates real scenarios to solve. 3. Look at data, not degrees: Why it works: Measurable results cut through bias and show who can really perform. Action: Build clear scoring guides for all assessments. → Compare candidates using numbers, not gut feelings. 4. Think "add" not "fit": Why it works: Different viewpoints make teams stronger. Action: Look for people who share your values but bring fresh perspectives and new ways of working. Stop missing out on great talent. Test skills first, and read resumes later. — 📌 If you agree (and want to support my work): → Like → Repost Thank you!

Lawyers, most job seekers focus on job portals and online applications, assuming that’s where the best opportunities are. But here’s a reality check: nearly 70-80% of jobs (especially senior roles) are never publicly advertised. They get filled through internal referrals, networking, or headhunting. As a career coach for lawyers and law students in India, I’ve seen this play out time and again. Law firms and legal teams often prefer: ✅ Internal referrals – Saves time and ensures trusted hires. ✅ Legal recruitment agencies – Like Neeti Shastra, which specializes in targeted placements. ✅ Direct headhunting on LinkedIn – A powerful tool for mid-to-senior roles. So, if you’re only relying on job postings, you’re competing with thousands of applicants for the same positions. Instead, here’s how you can tap into the hidden job market: 🔺 Build genuine connections with lawyers in your practice area—engagement matters! 🔺 Stay in touch with your alumni network—your seniors might be hiring. 🔺 Work with legal recruiters—especially if you have 2+ years of PQE. 🔺 Be active on LinkedIn—many hiring decisions start with a strong profile. A passive approach won’t cut it in today’s competitive legal job market. Be strategic, be visible, and go beyond the job portals! If this was helpful, share it with someone who needs to hear this today. ________________________________________ 📍 I help lawyers secure their dream jobs. 📍 I assist lawyers and firms in generating high paying leads.

The way we hire is broken. Here's what I would do instead: 1. Have the hiring manager write what are the 3 main functions of the role and the 3 most important skill sets they are looking for. 2. Fill out information about what kind of hours are expected in the role and what kind of characteristics and qualities would make a person thrive. 3. Share a salary range within $30K spread and be up front about the total compensation package. 4. Write the job description in human voice that speaks to painting a picture of the day to day with all the information above. 5. Set a specific deadline of when to apply by and 1-3 quick (no more than 10 minutes spent total!) qualifying questions to assess candidate's capabilities to do the actual job. Example: (for a marketing manager: how would you go about creating a title for a SEO blog post ranking for keyword: interview). 6. Put position on hold and don't accept any more applications. Review all submissions and select 3 that are most closely aligned with what hiring manager is looking for. 7. Interview top 3 in Zoom interview with specific set of questions. Share notes with hiring manager to decide who top 2 are. 8. Bring top 2 contenders in for on-site or Zoom panel; no more than 3 interviewers. Important questions should be flushed out ahead of time and have a scorecard to be objective about overall fit. 9. Update each candidate that took time to prepare for interviews on status and when they can hear a response back. 10. Extend offer. If accepted, close requisition, and let everyone who applied know the position has been filled. What did I miss? As a in-house recruiter and headhunter, I know this is easier said than done with the volume of candidates - but feel strongly if employers have clarity in the beginning of what the non-negotiables they are looking for, recruiting would be more smooth sailing! #happilyhired #interview #recruiting

I had the good fortune to participate in a career readiness session organized by the Led By Foundation which is doing some awesome work! I was able to spend some time with young law students and fresh law grads looking for internships, jobs and the like. While I was able to share some of these tips with them, I wanted to pen them down here for the broader audience. 1. Network Actively: Build and maintain professional relationships. Attend legal networking events, join bar associations, and connect with alumni from your law school. Networking can open doors to opportunities that aren't advertised. 2. Tailor Your Resume and Cover Letter: Customize your application materials for each job. Highlight relevant experiences and skills that match the job description. A well-crafted cover letter can make you stand out. 3. Gain Practical Experience: Consider internships, clerkships, or volunteer work to gain practical experience. Even if these positions are unpaid or temporary, they provide valuable skills and networking opportunities. 4. Leverage Online Platforms: Use LinkedIn and other professional networking sites to showcase your skills, connect with professionals in your field, and search for job openings. Join groups and participate in discussions to increase your visibility. 5. Research Potential Employers: Learn about the firms or organizations you’re applying to. Tailor your application to show that you understand their work and how you can contribute. Mentioning specifics in interviews shows you’ve done your homework. 6. Prepare for Interviews: Practice common interview questions and scenarios, especially those specific to the legal field. Be ready to discuss your past experiences, your understanding of legal principles, and how you handle challenges. 7. Stay Informed: Keep up-to-date with developments in the legal field, especially in your areas of interest. This demonstrates your commitment and can give you talking points during interviews. 8. Consider Alternative Legal Careers: Explore various career paths beyond traditional law firm roles, such as compliance, government roles, legal tech companies or legal journalism. These roles can offer valuable experience and opportunities. 9. Continuing Education: Consider taking additional courses or certifications relevant to your area of interest. This can make you more competitive and show a commitment to ongoing professional development. 10. Be Persistent and Positive: Job searching can be challenging and sometimes discouraging. Stay persistent, keep applying, and maintain a positive attitude. Each application and interview is a step closer to your goal. #sundaymusings #payitforward #givingback #careeradvice #lookdeeper