Job Hunt

     Ah, hello there from the land of job hunting. I've learned so much over these last few weeks about where to search, resumes, cover letters, and answering interview questions.  Honestly, this is the first time in my entire adult life I have ever needed to search for a job.  I've always been lucky enough to have another (better) position lined up prior to leaving my last.  So while I am always grateful for a chance to learn, I'll just say it's been hella stressful.

     With that, I feel like I should be sharing a few tips and tricks I've learned and also how I've grown during this process.  So read on job hunters!

     Your resume will most likely be put up against applicant tracking software or ATS.  This basically means human eyes will not see your application but will be relying on an algorithm similar to what dating sites use to match you with the position.  The top matches will then actually be reviewed by HR and from there the phone interviews will be scheduled.  Which I cannot blame companies for using this software, I mean who honestly wants to read 100 resumes when maybe 10 are worth a callback?

What if?

     So here is the thing... that software may miss you even if you are qualified for a variety of reasons.  You have "copywriting" listed and they want "writing blogs and educational articles". Not that same phrase so you won't get that point so to speak.  I spent a lot of time identifying what it is I want to do.  And when I found a job that I knew I would be a fit for I read the job posting and highlighted the key skills, education requirement, experience requirements, and any software proficiencies desired. Then I made sure these terms were in my resume and cover letter.  This greatly helped for positions I was applying for that were in high demand.  I also used jobscan.co to really help learn how to identify these factors.

     Cover letters are honestly the bane of my job hunting existence. A good cover letter can take you a long way, but a mediocre one can sink you. No one wants a repeat of your resume.  We can all see the key competencies there.  So instead, be sure to include a few stories that explain your success with the top one or two skills needed for this position. Tell them about a new marketing campaign you launched or program you designed.  Or even the story of how you went above and beyond for a client.

     And please, on all this, include measurements.  Are you in fund development... tell them what you raised.  Are you a project manager? Then explain how many accounts or projects you worked with.  Sales? Let's hear those numbers.  If you are good at your job then you most likely have some metric you were graded on.  Share that information. This will explain why you are ready for a promotion!

My Interview Look... Trying to be an adult here

     I know this may seem like common sense for a lot of people. But for those of us who have been out of the game for a while, or just don't seem to have any luck... I hope these tips help! Fingers crossed my interview skills are on par with my resume skills!