“When you get, give. When you learn, teach.” – Dr. Maya Angelou
The “Work” section of our blog is really my little baby. I’ve always had a drive to succeed. But it wasn’t until a few years ago that I realized I also love sharing what I’ve learned and helping other women achieve their professional goals too. Due to recent events (i.e. unemployment), I’ve been reassessing my strengths and goals so that I can find my next opportunity. This will be a multi-part blog so be sure to check back. Today, we’re going to start with some job search basics before we dig deeper into each category.
1. The Resume
First and foremost, your resume needs to be tight and polished. It’s an important document that shows what you’ve achieved. However, your resume should also be a billboard for the job you want. Make sure you have a strong bio introduction. This is your 3-minute elevator pitch for yourself in writing. Highlight how your strengths and accomplishments make you perfect for the job for which you are applying. It’s even worth tailoring your intro to each individual opportunity, so now’s a good time to highlight those common words in the job description and get writing.
And please, please keep it to one page. I know there is a lot of debate about this, but as they say, if Elon Musk can have a one-page resume, then so can the rest of us.
2. Navigating Online Job Boards
There are a lot of job boards out there. And it can be daunting to set up searches on all of them. So here’s a little secret, you really only need to look in two places. Maaaaybe 3, but that’s up to you.
LinkedIn is going to be your very best friend. Be sure to check back when I go into more detail here later on. Keep your profile updated and add new contacts to grow your network. I can’t emphasize enough how important this is. The last two jobs I had, I knew someone who worked there and got a great referral. I made sure to update my status to “currently looking” while I was unemployed, but you may not want to do that if you’re still at another company. LinkedIn has really become the place to go for job searchers and companies hiring. You can set up daily or weekly alerts on your keyword, location, title and desired salary. Most jobs even let you apply using your LinkedIn profile which makes that whole process a lot easier.
I also recommend Indeed. It’s an aggregate of most of the other job boards like Monster and CareerBuilder. So having them all in one place is a lot easier. The job matches weren’t as good as LinkedIn, but there are still some companies that only post here.
As for the debatable third place to search, I’d say check out an industry-specific or skill-specific organizations and local chapters. I know that the Dallas PMI chapter regularly posts only project manager jobs. So you might find something there that got lost in the bigger boards.
One last bit of advice. It was not fruitful for me, but I did go direct to some key company career pages. I started with a google search of best places to work in my city of Dallas. I just went down the list from there. It’s time-consuming but still worth mentioning.
3. Applying Online aka the Painful Part
UGH. Applying online is not fun. I’m not sure why someone hasn’t figured this whole process out. I really don’t want to create accounts at 50 different company career sites. Each with their own password requirements of 8 characters, one number, and a blood sample from your first born child. It’s a pain. Luckily, LinkedIn is starting to make it a little easier. A lot of places let me sign in directly with my account and auto-filling a lot of the information.
Special Note to My Ladies: Don’t let the job descriptions discourage you. I know we tend to think we have to check every box of the requirements before we apply. This is crazy. Don’t do this. If you meet most of the requirements, go ahead and apply. I promise you the guys are already doing this.
Also, reconnect with your BFF LinkedIn. Premium lets you see who’s looking, who’s applying. You can also message recruiters directly about any open positions.
4. The Interview – OK, this Part Can Also Be Painful
Do your research. That’s worth saying again – DO YOUR RESEARCH! Check out the company website, do a google news search to see what’s happening. Try to get the names of the interviewers. Stalk them on LinkedIn. Do you have a contact in common? TIme to shoot them a note and ask for a referral. Or at the very least, some tips about the job and the what the hiring manager is looking for.
Also, dress up. I have never gone to an interview in anything less than a full blazer and smart dress or pants. Even if it says business casual, you can never be overdressed in a suit.
5. The Follow Up
Once you’ve made it through the phone screens and 4-hour interview marathons, be sure to send a follow-up email thanking them. I see a lot of recent grads make this mistake. But believe me, hiring managers notice this and it can make a difference. A quick note of thanks along with a line or two about what you discussed is all you need. Just make sure you send it within the first 24 hours or so.
And that’s it. It’s definitely not rocket science but all of these tips were crucial in my job search. Be sure to check back (or sign up) as I’ll go into more depth at each step. There are too many resources and 14 years of great advice than I could fit into one little post.
Best of luck on your search. May the odds ever be in your favor!
PS: It’s worth adding here – even if you get a rejection, this is still an opportunity to improve. Ask the recruiter for feedback from your interviews. Find out what areas you were lacking in, so next time around you can be prepared with an answer. I was surprised at my last feedback telling me I seemed really nervous. While I thought I handled it well, I still have some improving to do.
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