2020 has thrown us some curveballs and for one reason or another many of us are now tasked with finding a new job, and possibly a whole new career. In this post I cover the step-by-step process for making sure you are going after the right kind of job and then making you the best candidate for the role.
This blog post covers:
Evaluating you skill-job fit
Refreshing your LinkedIn
Getting a professional resume (for $0)
Starting a job application tracker
Building an interview prep research list
Preparing interview questions
Evaluate Your Skill-Job Fit
Research job posting for your dream job (or at least the dream job you are applying for right now). Make a running list of the required skills and experience. Do you possess those skills and experiences? The job market is evolving at an ever-increasing rate, so the job title you might have applied for two years ago, could be called something completely different now. The required skills (hi, ‘remote work!’) may have changed as well.
Next, look up people with the your desired job on LinkedIn and see what skills, accomplishments and experience they have on their profile. Sometimes there are gaps between what a hiring manager thinks they need and what it actually takes to do the job. Capitalize on identifying that difference and use it to your advantage.
Now that you have a solid list of attributes, which ones do you have? Are they clearly identified on your resume and LinkedIn profile? Also ask yourself if you are applying for the right job for your current skills and adjust your search accordingly.
No LinkedIn profile or resume? No problem, keep reading.
Refresh Your LinkedIn Profile
LinkedIn is usually the first thing that comes up when someone Googles you, so while job hunting, you want to make sure it’s up-to-date and tailored to the type of job you are after. Even if you haven’t logged into LinkedIn since 2008 you can get your profile refreshed in under an hour. Download this free LinkedIn Profile Checklist to get started.
Bonus: once or twice a week share an article you find interesting, helpful or insightful in your target industry. Add a line or two of your thoughts (and a hashtag or two if you are comfortable using those on LinkedIn).
Get a Professional Resume (for $0)
In a pinch a Word document resume will do, but if you want to stand out and make your application look that much more professional, use a Canva resume template. Canva is completely free to use (they do have a paid tier, but also plenty of free resume templates). Take a look here. Remember to use a template that is industry-appropriate and when in doubt, minimal is always better.
Start a Job Application Tracker
What isn’t measured, isn’t managed. If you are going to start on a job application campaign, or even if you are just casually applying for jobs it helps to keep track of where you have applied, when and the outcome. You can also use a tracker to list any warm introductions that your network can make for you. And trackers don’t need to be fancy! A table in Google Sheets or Excel is all you need.
Interview Prep Research List
Prior to each interview you will need to research the company and the hiring manager. This is critical in demonstrating that you are prepared and are interested in the company you could be working for. While each company is different, there’s a common set of questions you can research for every job and company. Compile your own list or use the one below as a starting point:
What is the general history of the company? Are they new? Been around a while?
How is the company doing right now?
Why might they be hiring for the role?
What are the current challenges faced by the hiring company?
Is the company publicly traded or private? Does this impact the role?
What does the company say they value? Usually core values are listed somewhere online. These sometimes are very generic, but may give you insight to things like their stance on diversity.
Prepare Interview Questions
Write out and/or print a set of role-relevant questions to ask during your interview. Don’t forget to ask about soft-skill and company culture questions as well.
One bonus question that can help you stand out - ask: a year from now will you know the candidate you selected was the right one? This question has two effects: 1) it helps you stand out as this is not a typical interviewee question, and 2) it forces the interviewer to list all the desirable attributes and associate them with you - even though you’ve haven’t actually done any work for them yet.
Now you’re ready to start applying and interviewing. Some of the best places to start? LinkedIn job boards, Indeed, theMuse, WeWorkRemotely and Greenhouse.io. Happy hunting!
