If you read my prior article and you’re here now, it looks like you’ve decided to go the traditional route to provide an income. There are lots of job sites out there and they are just a google search away. I’m not going to speak too much about them except to say that you should think about the type of job you’re seeking, (field or industry, full time or part time, etc.) and do some research in order to best choose the job sites that fit the employment you’re seeking. A little time spent researching fit makes it more likely that you are found by the employers seeking out candidates like you.

Let’s talk about the basics- resumes and applications.

You might wonder why you’ll need a resume today with most of the seeking/hiring process being handled online. Your resume is a living document, a living history of your experience and training that you will use over and over again. Dates, names, places, job titles, responsibilities, achievements are all recorded- so instead of you struggling to remember all of that data you will have it on one document, at first, so that you wont fumble or possible sound/feel confused or unclear on job applications and during interviews. You will both feel and project confidence as you are able to clearly speak to your history. Your prospective employer will see that you prepared yourself and will understand that you will bring this good habit of being prepared with you – you will stand out from the majority of applicants in a positive way.

Take your time with your resume- take the time now to make sure it is accurate and comprehensive. It will pay off for you. As a hiring manager one of the qualities that made one candidate over another was their preparation- it indicated that they truly cared about this job, this interview- it wasn’t generic effort, it was focused.

Remember that experiences outside of traditional work matter too. Volunteer work, projects you worked on as a student or intern, work study, all of those matter- especially when you are just starting out in your career. These help you tell your story if you present them clearly and make them relatable to the work you are seeking.

You should have 2 resumes, one that is the comprehensive living document, and the one you tailor from that to best fit the job you are seeking. Some of your experience just isn’t going to be pertinent to the job you are presently seeking. Remember that resumes tell your story, but that the hiring manager won’t have time to read novels from every candidate- you want to make yours an excellent synopsis of who you are and what makes you valuable.

Hit the high points- if you are seeking a supervisory position make sure that the story you compose skews towards your strengths and experiences in a supervisory or leading position. If the position you are seeking desires attention to detail and productivity make sure that your resume highlights the experiences and qualities that you possess which would lead the hiring manager to see you as a great fit.

Ideally the resume you present should tell the hiring team all that they need to know about you in one page- that’s why you’ll need more than one resume. If it takes a page and a half to tell everything don’t worry about it too much. That first page is what matters- make that your compelling storyline. If you don’t tell your own story others will, and they won’t tell it as well, or as completely as you can.

Use sites like Glassdoor, Indeed, etc., to gain insight into what the companies you are targeting really look for in a prospective employee and what their company cultures are really like. Reddits exist for companies too, and while a lot of that information may be from “disgruntled” employees you might find patterns of behavior and common experiences that lead you to reconsider if you really want to work for an employer. While there will always be some compromise and conforming, you get to decide what your limits are and if the opportunity is worth it.

Do the work. Knowledge is power, and finding out that one company or another just will not be a good fit with who you are can save both you and that employer no small amount of misery and bad feelings.

I am applying for a job within the organization I currently work for, and tomorrow I will look at the information I present and tweak it to better fit the position I am seeking. I will refer to my comprehensive resume for all the information I need to present myself as a great fit for what the new position requires. I’ll also be going over my own history while I do, re-familiarizing myself with myself and so beginning the process of preparing for this job, this application, this interview. I will be writing the story of who I am now, how I got here, and why I am who you need to hire as the best fit both now and going forward.

The longer you have been working the more difficult it can be to keep all of your history clear and in chronological order. You will hopefully have built a long enough list of achievements and accomplishments that remembering them all could be difficult with little to no notice.

You will need to be able to speak to what you have listed on both your resume and application.

When you fill out applications have your resume on hand- it will make that part of the process easier for you. If you are applying for several jobs it will make that task so much less stressful because you will have all of the information you need at your literal fingertips. You won’t waste energy being frustrated because you can’t find … or because you can’t remember…

You can better spend that energy telling your story and planning out your next steps.

Be honest on your resume and applications. Don’t embellish, don’t fudge. A good hiring professional is on the lookout for dishonesty or real inaccuracy, Your application or interview will not be their first- if you try to fake your way through you will be found out, and you will burn a bridge not just with that individual, but with that company and potentially who they network with. It is just not worth it.

So you put together a good application, supplied a solid tailored resume/work experience and you got the call- the employer wants to interview you for the position! You have 1-7 days to get ready for it… How? What can you do to make sure you nail the interview? That’s what I’ll talk about next = how to interview- and it’s not only about answering questions. Thanks for reading!