Employment! AKA Encouraging Words from a Formerly Discouraged Job Hunter
My job hunt officially ended Tuesday, April 13. I was then that I breathed a sigh of relief, gratitude, exhaustion and accomplishment… I had done it. After MONTHS of searching, applying, traveling, interviewing, emailing, taking meetings, etc etc.. I landed a job. And by months, I mean, over 1 year… I mean like 15 months. Fifteen months since I graduated college and went without a fulltime job. Note the use of fulltime. I wasn’t a complete waste of space.
So what was I doing in the past 15 months? Freelancing, building my resume and contacts, working retail, cruising the internet, trying to blog, attempting a move to Los Angeles, figuring out what I wanted… and trying to do it all with a smile, but trust me, I was feeling low.
As my sister said, good thing I came equipped with good coping mechanisms because I had all the ingredients to plunge into a depression spiral. People were usually quite surprised at my upbeat attitude and lighthearted impression I generally exuded about my job hunt. My response to this? What else was I suppose to do? Sit around and mope? Go, “woe is me!” ? There were (are) hundred of thousands of other people in my position and getting down about my situation wasn’t going to get me anywhere so I had no choice but to take it one day at a time and stay positive (it was hard, and didn’t always go this way).
So now that I landed a real, fulltime, salaried position what can I say to those who are still in my recently vacated position of unemployment?
1. Looking for a job can be a fulltime gig in itself. The job hunt can be long and exhausting. It helps to set goals about how many jobs you want to apply for in a day, week. And take breaks– step back and get some perspective.
2. Take it one day at a time. No need to dwell on past rejections. If you get some constructive criticism (ie, after an interview, on your resume) take it and approve upon yourself. Each day can bring a new opportunity so keep thinking ahead.
3. Utilize all possible resources. Work every connection you have. Use alumni networks to help you get your foot in the door. Offer to take informational meetings and interviews. And since this is how I got my job, don’t be afraid to use a staffing agency– they can have access to jobs not even publicly listed and they are advocates on your behalf.
4. Think about what makes you happy. Take time to figure out what you would really like out of a job. This can help focus your job hunt and give you ideas about where you see your career going. It can also be the inspiration for a blog, twitter, youtube channel… etc… something to help build and diversify your online resume.
5. Rethink your resume. Let others look at your resume. Take suggestions. Keep your resume to 1 page, especially being a young professional. Think about it from an HR perspective– how can you make the most out of your space in terms of organization, descriptions, etc. Once I revamped my resume to a better format with targeted, meaningful bullet points, I started getting way more interviews and compliments on my resume.
6. Don’t overthink your interviews. There is such a thing as over preparing. I’ve found interviews go much better when I don’t prepare talking points beforehand but rather speak more naturally and at-the-moment. This helps make the interview flow more like a conversation and definitely made me more relaxed.
7. Follow up! Followup.followup.followup! If you liked the company and want the position, be persistent. Keep your name on their mind.
More tips? Post below. Hope they help and happy hunting!
