Some job searching tips

Hi All, I figured we all need more help finding jobs or internships, etc. I've learned some things over the past year or so that have helped me get interviews, and I want to share them with you, my darling tech commers.

When searching online:

• Craigslist is a great free resource, but be careful because this means there is a lot of spam/false posts. Don't click on links sent to you via email, especially if the message seems generic and/or there are a lot of types and spaces i n b e t w e e n words. This means it's a bot.

• ALWAYS title your inquiry emails appropriately. Usually this means the position for which you're applying. Don't title it RE: XXXXXX because it's unprofessional. This is your first contact with the company, and you should make yourself sound as professional as possible. The specific email title alerts the person that you're applying for the job and it allows them to categorize and find your emails easier.

• Be aware that, if you're applying for a job you find through job boards, that probably 100 or more people have already applied before you - especially since a lot of people are out of a job right now. Because of this, it's important to stand out in your inquiry email as much as possible without looking over-the-top, unprofessional, or that you're trying too hard.

Some good tips for "standing out" in your inquiry email (aka the cover letter):

• Use eye catchers like bold lettering, bullet points/short lists
• DON'T start every sentence, and DEFINITELY not every paragraph, with "I." This is hard to do when you're trying to convey everything you can do for the company, but the extra effort makes you stand out and sound more eloquent.
• KEEP IT SHORT. Because so many people have probably emailed the same person for the same job, it's not a good idea to send him/her two pages of how awesome you are. This is why lists come in handy - you can highlight your skills/experience.
  
• Use verbage found in the ad. If the ad asks for someone who is a multi-tasker who can work well in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment, and can work well in groups, mention those exact phrases in your letter.
  
• If you're relying heavily on online job boards, make sure to surf them regularly. Like I said, if the post is more than a week old, don't bother. Try to catch new posts every day and apply IMMEDIATELY to reduce the risk that your email is #213 applying for the same job. Most places will only look at the first thirty inquiries.
  

I have honestly had more luck getting interviews using these methods. I've gotten many job offers but also have had interviews that are dead-ends. This is normal, especially for us younginz' fresh out of college.

With the rise in use of the internet for job searching, it's becoming less common to see people walk in to apply for places. I encourage you to get out and physically go to these places you really want a job at, and meet people face to face. This puts you in their memory more solidly than a faceless email.

I also encourage you to apply to places that "aren't hiring." Just because a job isn't posted, doesn't mean they will not consider you for employment. I got my current job doing this, as a matter of fact. If they're gracious enough to mention that there are no positions to fill, kindly ask them to keep your resume on file and call back every month. Sometimes you can weasle your way into an impromtu interivew if you can talk them into it - even if it's not for a job, just for a meet-n-greet.

Print your resume on really nice paper, not copy paper from Wal-Mart. The texture of good resume paper has some sort of psychological effect on the people who are handling your resume and it puts you above others who are just printing them out on said crappy Wal-Mart paper.


Have different versions of your resume.

Make one that is traditional and easy to edit. If you're sending Word documents via email, make sure to use proper layout options instead of your spacebar and tab key because it never looks the same on their end as it does on your computer.

If you can, send PDFs for your resume to prevent this problem.

Use your technical communication/document design skills to create interesting layouts that stand out from the rest. Use color (sparingly). Too much looks unprofessional.

I have three different resumes, one that is easy to copy-n-paste into text fields, one made in Word that looks professional with a couple of colored headings (this one I use for most of my serious inquiries), and one full-blown designed-to-the-teeth resume that I have in PDF form that's strictly for artsy-fartsy jobs.

ALSO: Business cards are awesome. I'm going to design my own and print it out for cheap at Kinkos or someplace. They're a good tool for networking and, of course, it looks professional.

If anyone needs business cards designed, I would be glad to help out (I need more portfolio builders).

(Oh yeah, also, physical and digital portfolios are a must-have. Look into it!)