Emma McLean: employment expert on how Kiwis can handle 'broken' job market

It's tougher than ever for jobseekers to find work, and one expert has revealed how people can get ahead in the current market.

Employment expert Emma McLean has revealed that doom-scrolling job apps isn't the solution, and that networking is important to find opportunities.

She joined the Afternoons team to explain further.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
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Speaker 2 (00:16):
The job market is particularly difficult for many people right now.
More competition and changing technology is adding to the sense
of frustration many are feeling were trying to secure work.
So how do you stand out to discuss? We're joined
by employment expert and founder of Works for Everyone, Emma McLean.
Get a Emma, how are you cure d Koto?

Speaker 3 (00:35):
I am good, Thank you.

Speaker 4 (00:36):
When can the job apps become a problem?

Speaker 1 (00:38):
Emma?

Speaker 3 (00:40):
Well, first of all, I just want to prep everything
I say by it's saying that I don't want to
revialize or underestimate how mentally and emotionally tough finding a
job is right now. I want to say that because
I don't want people to think that I think it's
so easy. It is brutal. So everyone listening out there,

(01:01):
I just want to acknowledge you. I think when the
job apps become a problem is when you are just
scrolling through them all the time, refreshing, refreshing, and you
can't see how you're ever going to get a job.
You can't see, particularly for people that want maybe hours
that are not the norm. Maybe locations that are not

(01:23):
the norm. It can just be deeply depressing to have
it in the part of your hand. Twenty four to seven.
This thought of this is never going to work.

Speaker 4 (01:33):
So you're not saying get rid of the online part
of job searching. You're just saying, just look at go
go to the browser a couple of times a day.

Speaker 3 (01:41):
I mean a lot of my clients you sort of
try to see job hunting as a job, just so
like do it during the day, and do it on
a desktop, do it on your laptop. But I just
think it's apps appear so tending and so easy, and
even the new ones that have launched to claim to
revolutionize job hunting, I mean maybe from the employer's perspective,

(02:05):
but from the candidate's perspective, this is nextly hard.

Speaker 4 (02:09):
Still doom scrolling employment opportunities that may or may not
be relevant to you at all.

Speaker 3 (02:13):
Yeah, exactly. So.

Speaker 2 (02:16):
Networking is clearly a big part of it that you've
mentioned before, Emma, and it was something that many people
fell back on in decades past. But what is if
someone doesn't have a big network or they're not sure
where to start, what is the best tip for extending
that Netwo network out of meeting new people.

Speaker 3 (02:34):
Yeah, it's a great idea. Be more human. Talk to people,
talk to people in supermarket lines, talk to people at
the bus stop. But you know, I tell you where
opportunities come from the most unlikely places, and people hire people.
I'll give you an example. I used to run my
kids school fear. In fact, Matt Keith was one of

(02:56):
the parents, and Matt Heath was one of the parents
at my kid's school Fear.

Speaker 4 (03:00):
But memps.

Speaker 3 (03:05):
Important.

Speaker 1 (03:06):
He was very important disco.

Speaker 4 (03:08):
I was running the bubble disco.

Speaker 2 (03:09):
Probably that's our job expected.

Speaker 3 (03:13):
So I used to run the Sophia. I am that
PTA mother. But I extend I extended my network so
much through that. I met people and really I started
my business about seven years ago, and through those contacts
I got clients. Now, who would have thought you would
get job opportunity to putting your hand up to run

(03:35):
the bubble disco. Do you know what I mean?

Speaker 4 (03:37):
Yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah, because you hear from someone who
knows someone that that that might have this, that might
lead to something like that.

Speaker 3 (03:48):
Yeah, because you know people by people. I mean another example,
and I think you know, look if you're listening to
this and you already have a job, and it's not
a problem. Build your network now, right, You know, you
always need your network often when you don't have it. So,
for example, he's a really tangible idea. If you have

(04:08):
a manager at your work or someone you work with
who really rates you, who you really connect with, and
then they leave. Before they leave, go up to them
and say, hey, Tyler, I have really enjoyed working with you.
You've made a big impact on my career. And I
want to say thank you.

Speaker 2 (04:24):
All I ever want to hear.

Speaker 3 (04:25):
Never and Tyler will he will always take my call. Right,
I'm going to stalk you now, Tyler. But I mean,
I think we have to think like humans in the
age of AI, which brings so much opportunities. What is
defensible as being a human And I think we need
to be human in this brutal job market. And I

(04:48):
know it's cringey, and I know reaching up people is hard,
but choose your herd, you know what I mean?

Speaker 4 (04:55):
Yeah? And speaking of being human, how do you deal
with the rejection? How do you not take it personally?
When you're applying for job, applying for job and you
just keep getting rejected.

Speaker 3 (05:06):
It is man, how do you not that personally right?
Because you're putting yourself out there. It is hard. I
think surround yourself with kindness, surround yourself with people that
love you, put lots of care apps around yourself. When
you are on this roller coaster. You are human. Humans
has feelings, and I think we need to be real

(05:28):
that it is really hard. Find someone to talk to
that you can share the highs and the loads with.
But don't pretend you're just fine.

Speaker 4 (05:36):
Right, And when you're talking to that person about the
highs and lowers, they might go ithly. I know a
guy whose whose wife is running a company and she's
actually looking for someone.

Speaker 3 (05:48):
And I think the key thing here is be clear
on the value you deliver to an organization. Don't just
say I'm looking for a customer service role. So to
say look, and I know this sounds wanky, and even
if I can say that word, but you could say,
you could say, look at the heart of my careers
or jobs today has been customers. I love solving customer problems.

(06:10):
I'm looking for and roll where I can really put
the strength to play. Now that helps me. If I'm
your butt, your mate and I can think, oh, well, actually,
my friends just open to restaurant. Maybe you should go
and talk to them, because I think, you know, we
all want to We want to have people working for
us that we can trust and that are proactive, So
demonstrate that in your job search.

Speaker 1 (06:31):
Emma.

Speaker 2 (06:31):
It's hopeful advice, and we've got a lot of listeners
and a lot of people calling through, So thank you
very much for having a chat with us, and hopefully
we'll catch up again soon. That is Emma McLain, employment
expert and founder of Works for Everyone.

Speaker 1 (06:44):
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