Have you ever felt both thrilled and terrified at the same time? You might be feeling this way right now if you are graduating in May. I know I certainly do because in eight weeks, I will be completely done with grad school and I am not sure I have found the job that genuinly excites me. As a result, for the next month or so, we will focus on how to dominate the seemingly terrifying job hunt. Today we will start by connecting you with some of the best resources we have on finding the career path that inspires, excites, and motivates you. Because life is too short to spend your peak years at a job that sucks the life out of you.
1.They tell you to network, but what would happen if you removed that pressure and just reached out to people you thought were doing interesting things in the hopes of building a genuine relationship? This is where introverts, and semi-introverts have a leg up on the smoozers of the world. If you’ve tried “networking” and are ready to try a new approach, check this out (There is even a modifiable script for old contacts at the end).
2. In the hunt for your perfect job, you will inevitably meet someone that can help you and you might have to reach out to them more than once, which can make you feel extremely annoying. The Muse breaks down how to ask for multiple favors with ease.
3. Your resume is not the end all be all but it is usually your first point of contact with the world you are trying to enter. So get a format that works for you and then focus on adding killer content like this person did. And when it comes to resumes, I highly recommend taking a two step approach. First, reach out to your career development office and get some feedback from them. Then ask someone with experience in your dream industry to take a look at it because they will have an eye for the types of things that your future employer will want to see.
4. This Forbes article on writing an epic cover letter brings me life because it’s so different from the dreadfully boring cover letters that your school has probably taught you to write.
5. Let’s say you’ve spoken with people in your field, you’ve written a beautiful resume and cover letter and applied for the job. What now? Should you follow up or wait to hear back? This one is tough because there is so much conflicting advice on what to do, especially since some companies won’t reach out to you if you’ve been rejected. While some applications explicitly state that you shouldn’t call them, my friends who happen to be recruiters encourage me to pick up your phone and call. In their words: recruiters love it when candidates take initiative, and by simply calling and speaking with someone for a status update, you have already made your application stand out. When you speak with a recruiter and tell them what you’ve applied for, and who you are, you’ve pretty much had your first interview. On top of making yourself look good, you’re also saving a lot of time that you would have spent waiting for results. By no means are we saying that you should badger companies looking for a response, because that can and will definitely hurt you. Start with a phone call, and if nothing changes, send a follow-up email a few days later. Unfortunately there is no step by step guide on how to woo a recruiter; you have to make your best judgement and make sure to sell yourself while you're at it.
Do you have any tips on how to get on your dream career path? Share your tips with the rest of us below :)
With Depth & Candor,
Hiwote