Peppercorn.ai hosted an informative conversation with Peter Gray, moderated by Lirui Li on March 25, 2022. Peter is a recovering Wall Street recruiter who now recruits social impact leaders and fights bias in hiring.
He's guided nonprofit organizations and social impact employers through 25 leadership successions and many more strategic hires. He also trains employers on diversifying hiring outcomes and coaches individuals on overcoming bias in job search and career advancement.
Peppercorn Parleys are conversations revolving around the journey to What's Next! Get the latest insights, tools, resources, and insights that can help you get clarity and confidence in your professional career. Hear from leaders, HR folks, hiring managers, recruiters, and even individuals on their own journey to What's Next.
Lirui Li, Peppercorn Head of Community, will discuss with Peter his own career journey along with his advice on finding the right job and carving the right career path for you — as well as YOUR questions! Register today and submit questions you have for Peter!
Let's get to know Peter and get some lessons to help you on your job search as you move forward!
Peter's background
Recovering Wall Street Recruiter and New Yorker who has found his way to Madison, WI.
Went to college but didn't know what he wanted to do. He become his college alumni online community that ended up having lots of swapping job leads between the alumni. He started getting recruiters who wanted to partner or buy his lists. So instead of selling his lists he went to Business school and then Korn Ferry and worked full time as a recruiter. So a side project became a full-time job for himself.
Training Video
Peter loves this next training video. If you get a chance watch it till minute 3:12.
I don't want to steal away the thunder of the video if you didn't watch it but the message was about the character learning to take the power of her own powerlessness . She looked at things from a different perspective and showed her true talents. (hitting the apple with an arrow rather than the original target).
Now watch the rest of the video!
Everyone else was doing things based on the social construct of what was thought needed to be done. However, the main character did something different and showed her true talents. How do you move away from the social constructs - ie especially looking at job postings and tweaking your resume for every job.
First off - 1 out of 5 people is not getting a job because of a job posting.
Second of all - Job descriptions are like round holes and that is looking for the exact round peg that matches. This is called round peg bias. A company is looking backward on what the job description should be versus you as a candidate who is forward-looking on your career.
Go beyond the job posting! It should only be a part of the job search. This may sound counterintuitive but you should be spending more time on researching, building your story and networking. A job posting will NOT get you a job.
Articulate your Story
The job market rewards specialization, not generalizations. Need some help to clearly articulate where you want to go then check out Module 200 Ideal Position in Peppercorn Discovery. (Sign up here if you haven't already).
Identify the players and individuals who can get you to What's Next!
Identify the prospective employers you would like to work with for What's Next!
Craft your personal brand message (Module 400 Marketing portfolio with Peppercorn Discovery.)
Your personal brand is a combination of Who you are (Module 100) and What you uniquely offer (Module 300)
Relationships are key to getting your next role
Mapping where you are going
Create an A, B and C list of your prospective employers.
Start with your C list folks. The more you talk to your lowest hanging fruit the more you will know people in the industry, gain more subject matter knowledge, you learn the lexicon and the issues that matter. All this helps you get more confident and clear in your story.
Looking passively always
Always have continuous conversations passively so you don't need to reach out to people just when you are looking for a job. Keep your relationships warm and build the right relationships for you.
- Attend networking events
- Take a few days to work outside of the home
- Reach out to people in your own network to touch base
Benefits
Look beyond the normal benefits when negotiating. Check out this article for the latest benefits in 2022.
- Cobra benefits
- Eligibility dates
- Professional development support - emphasize your growth
Thank you Peter for your amazing insights!
Want the guidance and structure to help you tell your story and get closer to What's Next for you. Join Peppercorn Discovery and complete the program on your own or join our next cohort!
#careercoaching #selfawareness #levelupcareer #careerchange #careerjourney #careerpivot #jobswitch #careerdesign #jobdesign #careerplanning #careernetworking #jobnetworking #jobsearch #jobsearchtips #growthmindset #worklifebalance #jobseekers #opentowork #bio #networkingletter #careercoach