🧠 MINDSET SHIFT: What really helps you in your ministry to marketplace transition?
If you’ve been on LinkedIn, you’ve seen this. The #opentowork banner option.
Tell employers and the rest of the world that you are looking for a job.
If you’ve been on LinkedIn, you’ve probably also seen the controversy.
Some people like the #opentowork banner. Some people say it makes you look desperate and is a turn-off for hiring managers.
What should you actually do?
Regardless of whether you have it on or not (we’ll talk about that in a second), you need to be leveraging your contacts. You need to be making the best use of your network.
In this day and age, having an internal connection is the best way to get an interview, which is the only way you’re going to get an offer. I talk way more in depth about that in this newsletter: Who Will Help You Get A Job As A Former Pastor?
In fact, I’ve seen stories of people who have all of the right credentials with great resumes not getting interviews. Just purely because the jobs are so competitive!
But what if you don’t have a network that you can leverage?
That’s one of the reasons that we created the Interview Accelerator with a community component. We have an entire space dedicated to making introductions for others in the community (including my network). We had six interviews happen in the two weeks before Thanksgiving, just from introductions happening inside the group!
OK, let’s talk about the #opentowork banner.
♟️ STRATEGY SHIFT: The #opentowork banner and former pastor job searches.
There are three good reasons to be on LinkedIn:
It has the most job opportunities that align best with your skills.
It’s the easiest place to find connections that lead to introductions… which lead to interviews… which lead to offers.
It has the most people with ministry backgrounds who are active on the social side (posting + commenting). Which makes it the most likely place to connect with those people.
I broke it down further in this newsletter: The Best Tool To Change Careers As A Former Pastor.
Numbers 2 and 3 are the big ones here.
So what does that have to do with the banner?
There is a good argument for not using the #opentowork banner on LinkedIn, even if you need a job and even if you are unemployed.
Reason 1: Human bias.
Some people have associated the banner with looking desperate, or a negative reason you are looking for work. Why would you tell the world that?
And that’s sad. And dumb. But very real.
You could get points docked for having your #opentowork banner up.
Reason 2: Your employer can see it.
There are ways to get around this (check out this newsletter: Leaving Vocational Ministry Without Fear), but that could send the wrong signals to your team, or your boss, or your board…
If you’re worried about that, good reason not to put it up.
Reason 1: Exposure to your network.
Three things show up everywhere on LinkedIn:
Your name
Your headline
Your profile picture (with the banner).
Having your #opentowork banner up publicly signals that you are on the job search to everyone.
If someone you know randomly comes across your profile, they will see that. Maybe they’ll reach out to you. Maybe they’ll help you out!
Reason 2: The #opentowork post.
When you put on your #opentowork banner, you have the opportunity to write an #opentowork post. LinkedIn’s algorithm will push this into your network more than a normal post you might write.
Then, if someone in your network on LinkedIn likes the post or comments on it, this will push your post into the feed of others that may not know you, but might help you.
So, it spreads the word even further.
I have an opinion, but I’ll let you decide.
If you are feeling fearful about hiring teams counting you out because of the #opentowork banner, or about getting found out by your boss or board… it will probably be better for your mental health not to use it.
If that is stuff you aren’t worried about, then the #opentowork banner can be a helpful tool!
Here’s my opinion.
First thought: This is why I started the newsletter talking about networking. Your network is your greatest asset.
If the #opentowork banner helps your network see that you’re looking for a job, that could be helpful.
Though, you have to do the right things on LinkedIn for your name to get into people’s feed… that’s a conversation for another day.
Second thought: If a hiring team has bias against people because they are asking others for help, do you want to work for that organization anyway? Sounds like a bunch of jerks.
✅ DO THIS RIGHT NOW: Get access to the ultimate guide.
Decide, do you want your #opentowork banner up on LinkedIn or not?
If so, read the article: Leaving Vocational Ministry Without Fear
Then write up your #opentowork post and go into your LinkedIn profile to turn it on!
🚀 FROM THE COACHING GROUP
I have amazing news! I have officially accepted an offer… I just ordered a confetti cannon and would love to announce it on our Thursday call.
🤝 WHO WILL HIRE ME?: 5 ministry friendly organizations with jobs for ex-pastors.
Because of the time sensitive nature of job postings, we post these in the newsletter only.
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The Ministry To Marketplace Interview AcceleratorJoin 108+ others who have successfully transitioned from ministry into marketplace jobs that value their experience. The Interview Accelerator will give you our proven step-by-step process, coaching, and community to getting more interviews for jobs that value your ministry experience and support your family.Let's hop on a call!
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