With the endless crawling through job boards, writing cover letter after cover letter, and retyping your work experience even after uploading your resume, it can feel better to work in retail forever. KIDDING!
Use these tips to make finding a job as smooth as possible if you’re struggling to find a new summer (or post-graduate) job.
- Upgrade to LinkedIn Premium membership. This is not a paid recommendation; I believe LinkedIn Premium is a helpful tool. For one thing, it’s reasonably priced; for another, it helps you compare yourself to other people and provide valuable insight into how to improve your resume and profile.
Get Signing up for LinkedIn Premium won’t guarantee you a job. Still, it will provide you with the resources you need to efficiently market yourself, ask for the compensation you deserve and link you with key decision-makers.
- Send “Awkward Emails.” Many find self-promotion and networking to be disingenuous, but this is not the time for modesty. It’s essential that you market yourself and reach out to people who can help you.
Sending networking emails and making awkward phone calls are all part of the process. On LinkedIn, this could mean using the “Message the Job Poster” feature to contact recruiters directly to express your interest; on some job boards, it could mean doing some research and getting the company’s HR person to let them know you are interested.
Although the idea of “cold calling” may give you the creeps, it’s an important step on the road to a job. (Think of it this way: if you don’t do it, you may be left behind.)
- Apply the 60% rule to your situation. You may have learned the statistic that men apply for jobs even though they only meet 60% of the requirements, while women only apply if they meet 100% of the requirements.
It’s crucial to understand that applying for jobs entails an unspoken understanding between you and your new boss that you’ll need time and preparation to fulfill all of the duties of your work. This isn’t anything to be ashamed of. It’s reality.
Many organizations, thankfully, have taken measures to counteract this gender-based presumption. Many also have a disclaimer like “you are encouraged to apply even if you don’t meet 100% of the qualifications mentioned below.” While stretching your work application categories might seem unnatural or awkward, keep in mind that it is not your place to decide whether you will be a good match for the job. It is up to the businesses to make this decision. All you can do now is register as a candidate and apply.
There are no golden formulas for negotiating the job market, no easy formula that guarantees you an ideal job in your ideal city with your ideal salary. All you or anyone, for that matter, can do is get up and keep trying.
After all, it just takes one job for you to be hired.
ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter is a coach who worked as a recruiter for what seems like one hundred years. His work involves career coaching, as well as executive job search coaching, job coaching, and interview coaching. He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 podcast in iTunes for job search with more than 2100 episodes.
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