Job Search Tips
After talking to Recruiters, Hiring Managers and going on lots of interviews - below are my synthesized job hunt tips.
Job Boards - Besides the big players like Indeed and Linkedin are there more industry or city specific job boards you could look at? This is also a great question to ask your professional network. Are there Facebook groups or Slack channels where a community you are adjacent to shares jobs? Or are there purely social group chats and Facebook groups where you could share succinctly what you are looking for?
I struggled with feeling unworthy after not hearing back on jobs I wanted. So it's important to mentally be in as positive of a mindset as possible. Realize that interviewing is like dating and you may never know why they didn't pick you. You are worthy and you will find a job.
I tracked what I did everyday towards my search so I could look back on the week and realize I accomplished a lot even though I felt like I didn't get very far. Looking for a job is work and make sure you acknowledge your efforts.
Looking for Roles
Self Reflection - Take time to ask yourself what you really want to do and what you are capable of doing. Consider looking at the 'Purpose' and 'Career' questions I shared here to brainstorm on what roles you may consider that you didn't realize you were qualified for.Job Boards - Besides the big players like Indeed and Linkedin are there more industry or city specific job boards you could look at? This is also a great question to ask your professional network. Are there Facebook groups or Slack channels where a community you are adjacent to shares jobs? Or are there purely social group chats and Facebook groups where you could share succinctly what you are looking for?
Job Titles - Once you have a sense of what roles you are looking for, start to look at job openings for that title. Do you see related position titles pop up? Many companies call the same role something different and what is a Manager level at one place could be consider Director level somewhere else. Make a list of all possible job titles and then look up on Linkedin people with those titles and see what their background is that led them there. Basically, go down a hole to discover the many ways this type of job may be presented and what the qualifications are.
Job Alerts - For each variation on a job title, set email alerts via job boards like Indeed and Linkedin. Set alerts on more than just one site as different sites capture different openings. Are there certain companies you are interested in? You can sometimes set alerts for their job postings directly on their site, bookmark their job posting page to check it frequently, or set a standard job alert just for any role within that company.
Engage Your Network - Genuinely reach out and check in with people you know personally and professionally (ideally months before you start your search). Let your job search come up in the conversation and have a specific short blurb ready on what you are looking for. Saying you are looking for jobs in Marketing is too broad. Say what industries, company size/stage, job titles, etc you are looking for. I made a list of people I wanted to engage with for my job search and then it was easy to follow up with them on my progress, what contacts they have and to let them know once I got a job. Also, your network is wider than you realize. I looked back through whom I had texted with, emailed, know on Facebook or am connected to on Linkedin. Do your parents or favorite yoga teacher know people in your desired industry? There is no harm in reaching out as long as the ask isn't too big.
Informational Interviews - I asked my network if they knew anyone that had the job titles I was interested in and then asked if they would connect me. How can you find a way to talk to someone who has a similar role or is higher up in an organization that may have some influence over the hiring process? This is not about asking for a job, it's about being curious to understand more about possible roles, what they are looking for, what skills are required, etc. Make them feel like a valuable expert. Most importantly, ask if they could connect you to someone else related to keep your network growing. How can it be a two way street where you help them as well? Perhaps follow up with an industry article they may have missed or a resource related to something they mentioned (doesn't have to be professional).
Linkedin - Make sure your Linkedin is fully filled out, you turned on the feature that you are looking for new roles, and send friend requests to Recruiters at the companies you are interested in. Recruiters look for specific words like 'CPG' not general words like 'project management' on Linkedin. Be as quantitative on your profile as possible.
Once You Find a Job To Apply To
Creep Hard - Once you find a job you are interested in, who do you know via Linkedin that could give you an intro to someone at the company? Can you find out who is the likely Hiring Manager and Recruiter on Linkedin? Clearbit is an email extension to find anyone’s email. If you are cold applying online without any personal connections, email the hiring manager to increase your chances of actually being seen.
Stand Out - This will be unique to you and the company's culture. Could you make a sample presentation to show how eager you are and that you understand their product? Could you send them a thoughtful gift? Could you visualize your resume differently? I made a document called "Working with Me" that explained my preferred communication style, managerial approach, etc and used it as a follow up for interviews.
Cover Letter - From talking to Recruiters, cover letters can carry little importance. Sometimes they don't even look at them because the cover letter could reveal personal details that later on could be blamed as reasons why someone wasn't hired (ex. in a cover letter someones states they are a new mom coming back to work and then consider it discrimination for not getting the role). However, some Recruiters still review a cover letter. Come up with a strong template that can stand out, and just adapt a sentence or two for the role. I don't recommend putting too much importance on this.
Resume Key Words - Run your resume and the job description through sites like JobScan to see what are important words to include in your resume. There are so many applicants to a single job and your need to get past the algorithm layer of qualifying. If you can fill your resume with more of the words they are looking for, you are more likely to be reviewed by a real person. Sometimes I would add in more of the key words in white font to the bottom of my resume (so they are invisible) but the bot would pick it up.
Stand Out - This will be unique to you and the company's culture. Could you make a sample presentation to show how eager you are and that you understand their product? Could you send them a thoughtful gift? Could you visualize your resume differently? I made a document called "Working with Me" that explained my preferred communication style, managerial approach, etc and used it as a follow up for interviews.
Cover Letter - From talking to Recruiters, cover letters can carry little importance. Sometimes they don't even look at them because the cover letter could reveal personal details that later on could be blamed as reasons why someone wasn't hired (ex. in a cover letter someones states they are a new mom coming back to work and then consider it discrimination for not getting the role). However, some Recruiters still review a cover letter. Come up with a strong template that can stand out, and just adapt a sentence or two for the role. I don't recommend putting too much importance on this.
Resume Key Words - Run your resume and the job description through sites like JobScan to see what are important words to include in your resume. There are so many applicants to a single job and your need to get past the algorithm layer of qualifying. If you can fill your resume with more of the words they are looking for, you are more likely to be reviewed by a real person. Sometimes I would add in more of the key words in white font to the bottom of my resume (so they are invisible) but the bot would pick it up.