If you’ve been job searching for a while now and it’s getting old, you may have fallen into some bad habits. Rather than practice what doesn’t work, work on what does.
Check your resume. If it’s grown from that neat one pager you started with, to a lengthy, wordy document you need a magnifying glass to read and patience to want to, streamline it. Go with a reverse chronological format because that’s what interviewers prefer. One page is best, two at the most, no matter what your experience is. Use 12 point type, serif font, wide margins, and bullet points to make your points. Focus on quantifiable accomplishments (what you did) rather than responsibilities (what you were supposed to do).
Lead with an objective that names the job you’re targeting and be sure to include key words from the job posting. Spell check, grammar check, and give it to a human to check.
Keep in mind, your goal is to create a user-friendly, easy to read, succinct resume that tells what you do and how well you do it in seconds, not minutes.
Check your applications. Whether you complete an application on paper or online, the operative word is “complete.” That means fill in all the blanks with the correct and current information requested. At a minimum that information includes the names and addresses of places you’ve worked, the name and contact number of your immediate supervisors, the dates and duration you worked and reasons you left; names, addresses and telephone numbers of your references and your professional relationship to them. You’ll need to provide personal identification with your social security number, driver’s license number, or both. If you apply in person, dress ready to interview, because that’s what you might be called to do. Be courteous to the people around you and respectful of the space you share.
If you’re disappointed that interviewers aren’t as affirming and encouraging as you might like, welcome to Objectivity 101. Most interviewers know that it’s best not to raise expectations with encouraging words or douse hopes with critical feedback. Those who do it best play it down the middle and neither show nor say anything to applicants that could later be misconstrued as biased, off-base, or inappropriate. Knowing that you’ll need to stay focused throughout the interview process, practice that way. Rather than needing applause to affirm your performance, rely on solid preparation that comes from self assessment, self awareness, research, and practice.
Apply to openings that match your talents. Practice interviewing before you get to an interview, not after you get there. If interviewers do all the talking and you can’t get a word in, try harder. Get permission from your references before you provide their contact information. Employers are drawn to applicants who, in addition to their solid track record, are positive, energetic, and optimistic. Your resume is only as relevant as you are, so learn to articulate what you do, why you care, and how you benefit the people and places where you work.
