154. How to Stop Applying for the Wrong Jobs with LinkedIn's Career Editor

Andrew Seaman (0:00)

Job hunting is a numbers game, but not usually how people like to think of it. So people usually think to say, it's a numbers game, and I just have to send out a ton of applications. But really it's a numbers game by being strategic.

So if you are struggling to get a job, think about it, you know, your LinkedIn profile, people, they look at their skills section, and they put like communications, Microsoft Word, those things. And how many other people have that on their profile? Think of those like skills that make you unique, that companies are really looking for. Because if I was an employer, and I looked on LinkedIn for someone who has communications, and Microsoft Word has a skill, I'm bringing a lot of people up.

Kendall Berg (0:38)

Assume everyone interviewing for the job you want has the same technical background.

Andrew Seaman (0:43)

Yeah.

Kendall Berg (0:44)

Assume they've all done the same technical things, they've all worked in the same industry, they've all done the same, built the CRM system, I've used this axe. Assume it's all the same. What do you bring that they don't bring?

That's where your resume needs to be focused, that's where your interviews need to be focused.

Corporate life is a game, but no one hands you the world book. Here on Secrets of the Career Game, we break down the unspoken norms and behind the scenes dynamics shaping your career today. I'm Kendall Berg, that career coach, and I guide professionals to grow, advance and leave with clarity. Each week, we explore the tools, habits and conversations that build confidence, presence and long-term momentum. Today's guest is probably the most famous that we've had on the podcast, mostly because if you've ever logged in to LinkedIn, you should know his face. So this is Andrew Seaman. He's joining us. He is a LinkedIn team member and the owner of the Get Hired franchise. He publishes the job search newsletter in LinkedIn. He is an incredible resource, and we're so excited to have you, Andrew. Thanks for coming on the show today. So you have retired your podcast. You're on to newer and better things. What is, tell listeners a little bit about your background, how you got into doing what you do today for LinkedIn, and kind of where you're going in this new year.

Andrew Seaman (2:09)

Sounds good. Yes. And obviously, again, thank you for having me.

So I come from rural northeastern Pennsylvania, north of Scranton. And I always wanted to be a journalist. And I was very fortunate that I got to do that. I, after grad school, I went and got my master's in graduate in journalism. I don't necessarily recommend two degrees in journalism, but I did that. And I always wanted to be a political reporter. And right after school, I went to DC working for Reuters, and I was covering a little bit of the White House and the Affordable Care Act. And I realized that political reporting is very interesting and it's for some people, but it's also very boring.

And I always use the caveat like, obviously, it's not boring now.

But it was just, it wasn't for me. So I came back to New York and I was still working for Reuters, and I was covering the science of medicine then, because I was covering the Affordable Care Act for a long time. And I did that for the better part of a decade, and then I moved into digital editing where I was doing the social media, digital video for Reuters. And then my friend was at LinkedIn, and he was telling me that they had a news team, and I was like, okay, because I knew other social media companies had news teams, but they were mostly kind of glorified business development people, because I worked with them, because I was the digital editor. So I was like, okay, but then as I learned more about it, I was like, this is interesting, this is different. So position opened up on the team, and I applied and I got rejected. And then another spot opened up a year later a little bit differently, and I got it. For some reason, at that time, the LinkedIn news team was very small. It was only 45 But for some reason, they weren't doing a lot for job seekers or people in their career. I think it was just like, you know, everyone had that traditional journalism mindset. And after talking with our editor-in-chief, I was like, what if we did a newsletter for job seekers? And it sort of took off and took on a life of its own. And I kind of created my own job for me, for myself. So I just, you know, ever since then, I've just been the job search and career person. And I really like it because I think sort of the nugget of my career is like covering and learning about things that are innately universal to people. So like whether it's like the science of medicine about like, you know, which drugs are good, you know, in terms of like approvals, or if it's, you know, how to get a job and pay your bills. I think that's sort of the through line of my career.