This article was written by Steven Steinfeld, a career and job search coach to students, recent grads, and professionals, on behalf of the Happy Grad Project.
Although understanding how to conduct an effective and efficient job search is the one thing that every new grad needs to know, I have come across very few new grads with that knowledge. The purpose of this article is provide a quick and general understanding of the job search process by putting it into the familiar context of dating.
Related: 2 Reasons Why Your Resume Is Like A First Date
To start with, just as if you probably not enter a dating site such as OkCupid without a relatively clear vision of your ideal date, you should not enter the job search process without a relatively clear vision of your next job and employer. If you don’t have such a vision, you may waste precious time pursuing jobs or organizations that are not realistic or a good match with your personality, interests, strengths, and values. On the other hand, if you have a clear vision, not only will you be much more likely to bring focus, energy and confidence into your job search efforts, you will be a much stronger interview candidate by virtue of having genuine enthusiasm for the jobs and organizations you are targeting.
It’s a good idea to take another look at comparing potential dates, even if you think you have identified the right one. Similarly, you should spend some time reviewing your career options even if you are relatively comfortable with your plans. There are over 400 broad professional job classifications and over 800 detailed professional job classifications, many of which you have probably not considered. There are also millions of employers in the U.S., including over 18,000 with more than 500 employees — each with a somewhat unique culture. Doing this research may help you save valuable time by determining which industries, jobs, and organizations to target, and may help you to avoid investing in additional education, training, or certifications that may be of little value.
Once you have identified your best target(s), you can move on to the first key step in both dating and job search — networking.
When you enter the dating process, you will want to give some thought in advance about how you want to be perceived. What are you going to say about yourself that it compelling to the point that she will want to know more about you (your “elevator pitch” or value statement). If there is interest, she will want to know about your background, including your school and work history (your resume), and you will want to add some compelling information that may not be obvious (your cover letter).
If it goes well, she will encourage a first date (initial interview). She will likely investigate you on Facebook and LinkedIn (for your brand), and maybe do a Google search on your name prior to the date. On the date, additional basic and behavioral questions will be asked. The more experience you have had with dating (interviewing), the more likely that you will have developed effective answers. At the end of the date, you will want to get some indication of whether there will be a second date (next steps).
You will probably text her to express how much you enjoyed the date and are looking forward to the next one (thank you note). You will introduce her to some of your friends (for recommendations), and she will introduce you to some of her friends (for reinforcement). You both think about whether marriage (full-time position) might work, and compare each other to exes or other singles you know (the decisionprocess).
Finally, after you discuss children and where to live (negotiation), you decide to ask her to get married (job offer). Of course, if you were too eager to get married, you might have overlooked some negatives in the situation, and the marriage may end in a painful separation before its time. This is why it is critical to only seek Ms. Right (the right job) and the Right family (the right organization) from the start.
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Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
BigstockMake a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
- How did I learn about this job?
- How did I apply for the job?
- Did I earn an interview?
- What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
BigstockAre you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
Let's start with resumes!
Every resume should be tailored to the position in order for it to stand out to recruiters and hiring managers. It may seem like a lot of work, but it's actually less work than submitting the same resume over and over again and never hearing back.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
BigstockYour job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
- Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
- Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
- Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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