job hunting advice
I posted this for one of my networks last week, and as I’ve prepared to interview college work study students, I’ve realized how much bad advice is out there. so here’s some solid advice for posterity.
(this is based off of my experience applying to jobs and hiring students in the US, I’m sure a lot of the advice is applicable to other countries, but some stuff might not be, for example resumes/cvs are wildly different depending on your country)
applying to jobs:
have a solid resume/cover letter
for your resume:
have accomplishments listed, not just job duties
take high school stuff off once you graduate college
start with a relevant experience section, listed chronologically (newest first), then an other experience section, also listed chronologically. If you don’t have any experience relevant to where you’re applying, stick to a chronologically newest-oldest experience section
don’t add a skills section unless you’re listing skills that are self-taught, that you didn’t learn at another job. if you learned something at a job, it belongs under that job in the experience section
DON’T ADD AN OBJECTIVE
keep it to a page unless you have 5+ years of experience, and everything is substantial
no weird formats. just keep it straight forward. I had a student hand me a resume with light blue font. don’t do that. (unless you’re going into design, then there are different rules) stick to simple black font (on white paper)
cover letter:
don’t just repeat your resume, add new information
don’t be overly formal, keep it professional while still showing personality
write a separate cover letter for each job
connect your experiences to elements of the job ad, without outright listing them, just incorporate it
do some research about the company. find something that excites you about their mission, talk about that.
it may sound harsh, but companies care more about what you can offer them than what they can offer you, so show how you can fill their needs, not how working for them would help you (of course, it’s best when a job’s mutually beneficial, but that’s something to talk about in an interview, not a cover letter)
start the letter as : Dear Hiring Manager, (or Dear Mr/Ms _ if you know the name)
don’t be pushy, especially in the closing. thank them for their consideration and end there. don’t say anything like “I’ll contact you in a week to set up an interview” please don’t.
applying in general
don’t “follow up” with the company. if you’re deathly curious and it’s been a month, you can email once to get an update. that’s it. one polite email, anything else will come across as annoying (this is different with retail/food service, you can follow up with a call then, but don’t do it for office jobs
don’t email the hiring manager/hr with questions unless you can’t find the answers anywhere else. someone may tell that this helps you “stand out” but really, it’s annoying. I keep getting emails from students who saw my job ad asking questions whose answers are in the ad. all this does is make me question their reading ability and they stand out in a bad way for not being able to follow instructions
FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS. read the job ad. read it again. make sure you submit everything they need in the format they ask. this is your first test as an applicant.
interviewing
prepare for the interview!
I use ask a manager’s AMAZING interview guide and you should too
take the notes she recommends so that you have well thought out answers
use bullet points so that you talk more organically, instead of just reading your notes word for word
come up with thoughtful questions to ask them, especially if anything in the ad makes you question whether the job is the right fit for you
phone interviews
don’t be scared of the phone interview, it’s the best way to weed out candidates who aren’t a fit while wasting no one’s time with traveling
use a landline if you can, but if you can’t, make sure you’re in an area with good reception
you can have your notes in front of you!
make sure you sound cheerful, since they can’t see your face it’s the only way to show enthusiasm
in person interviews
look nice! most fields still like interviewees to wear a suit. (of course, I don’t think anyone expects students to wear suits to interviews, but it would seriously impress me if a student wore something nicer than jeans or yoga pants) buying a suit can be intimidating but here are some tips:
get a blazer instead of a suit jacket if you’re going into a field that doesn’t require a suit on a daily basis. blazers can be paired with jeans and a tee shirt to dress up an outfit
I prefer pencil skirt suits, because I wear pencil skirts with sweaters or nice tops and cardigans, but you can also pair those things with nice pants!
your jacket and pants have to match exactly. it’s not a suit if they don’t
button downs aren’t necessary, you can pair a nice shell top with a suit too, just stay away from anything too sheer until you know if that’ll be alright based on the office culture
wear comfy (but nice!) shoes in case they give you a tour of the entire campus.
don’t arrive too early
know the parking situation before you get there
look around at the other employees, see how they interact, how they dress, can you imagine yourself here?
go with your gut. if you see any red flags, or if anything makes you uncomfortable seriously consider if you’d really want to work there every single day
after an interview
send your interviewer(s) a thank you email
the one-time follow up by email still applies (unless it’s for retail/food service
listening to advice:
everyone and your mother will try to give you advice. know who to listen to
prioritize advice from hiring managers in your field
your parents (unless they are a hiring manager) probably have outdated advice. when they tell you to “pound the pavement” and “keep calling to show your interest” just smile and nod, then disregard that advice completely
college career centers sometimes give really bad advice, double check what they say by researching advice from professionals in your field
read ask a manager. seriously. do it. her advice is ace and the commenting community is spectacular, unlike most comment forums on the internet.
and most importantly:
DON’T STRESS TOO MUCH! when you’re applying to your first job, the hiring manager doesn’t expect perfection. but if you follow this advice, you’ll be head and shoulders above other entry-level candidates!
