Job hunting was a pretty major part of my life from September to May. Like I said before, it sucks. If you’re going through it right now, I feel for you. The whole process can be stressful, annoying and just plain frustrating. I promise you, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
One of the hardest parts for me was figuring out how to adjust my search tactics to now, the digital era. It’s totally different than when my parents were my age and looking for a job. Here’s how to successfully search for your dream job and not drive yourself effing crazy in the year 2015.
|| Save all your cover letters
You know what’s great about computers? You can save everything and you should. I kept a folder on my computer for the job hunt with all my cover letters labelled based on the position I was applying to. I could easily refer back to old cover letters on the fly. It made it easier to quickly update and adjust accordingly for each job I was applying to.
Writing cover letters is one of the biggest time sucks when you’re applying for a job, especially if you’re also working full time and doing a million other things as I’m sure you are. Each cover letter should still be unique and tailored to the position you’re applying to, however, save yourself some time and keep all your old cover letters together for easy reference. The thing is, you might be applying for a caregiver job (What is a caregiver job?) at an old-age home or as a nanny. Both jobs are similar but require different qualifications and skills. So, make different cover letters explaining how you think you will fit in perfectly for the work. It sounds silly yet I didn’t start doing this until a few months in.
|| Enlist the help of friends
I owe all my friends (and my parents and Jeremy) a million thanks for putting up with me during my job hunt. They became my sounding board and a huge resource.
If you’re relatively fresh out of college, chances are some of your friends are also actively job searching or just recently did. My friends were seriously awesome about sharing resumes and cover letters to use as reference. I truthfully had no idea how to revamp my resume and update it so ended up using my best friend’s as a template.
Your friends are good people to vent to. Okay, always are, but I found them to be especially helpful when it came to chatting about career struggles. I was really grateful to talk with others my age in a similar situation. It was comforting and sometimes more helpful than venting to my mom or just keeping my frustration inside.
The best thing you can do is spread the word that you are searching. I couldn’t exactly publicize my search on Facebook or here on the blog. I did let people know I was looking and to keep their eyes peeled. I was amazed at how many things my friends sent my way. That’s actually how I got my current position.
|| Be Patient
This is probably the last thing you want to hear. I would’ve snapped at someone if they said this to me. It is the truth though. Patience is not my strongest suit (just ask Jeremy…) so it really took a lot out of me to “truth the process” and trust that something would fall into place eventually. I mean, it did, and I’m so grateful that the perfect job did in fact come along. Job searching can take forever and it’s not as easy as it sounds. Additionally, even if you do get a job offer, it would probably take a while to the point where you are inducted. This is because there might be a lot of formalities like pre employment screening, previous employment and education qualification review, interview process etc. Therefore, you might just want to keep plugging along and actively keep searching. Those opportunities will start coming in.
|| Google Doc
I really regret not keeping track of all the jobs I applied to from the start. Towards the end I started a google doc to track my applications and help with organization. Often times I’d apply for a job and a month later I’d be invited in for an interview. The issue was I had no idea what the initial job descriptions said anymore and couldn’t find the page again on line. Keeping all these things in one place plus any other important information about the application process ended up being really helpful.
|| Check out The Muse
This website rocks. The Muse is not only is a great tool to actually search for jobs, it’s also an incredible resource for all things jobs. I had no idea how to write a cover letter because sadly they don’t teach you that in college. I referenced this website practically every day for advice on things like best practices when writing thank you emails, resume tips and interview tips.
The content super down to earth and catered to the young professional crowd.
What are your tips for job hunting?
Great tips! Currently on the hunt for a job!