When I was a kid, it was my dream to explore the seas as a marine biologist. In my teens, I wanted to be a funky drummer in a rock band. During my college days, I honed in on my writing skills and got a degree in journalism. Today, I’m still exploring what I can do.
I’ve had more career changes in the last three years than most of my friends have had in their entire lives. I love the exploration, and thought I’d share some insights I gained so you can go out there and land your dream job.
1. Keep your resume close at all times
You never know when you might run into someone and they ask you for your resume. Just last week I was talking to a recruiter and she told me to send her my resume as soon as I could. When I was on my bus ride home, she emailed me to tell me someone had submitted their info before me and they’d not be interviewing any more people. I now keep my resume and portfolio readily available on my phone, so I can have it at all times.
2. Socialize professionally
I had the common sense early on not to throw anything on social media that I wouldn’t gladly show my grandma. Turns out this works for recruiters, too. Last year, Social Times reported on a study from Jobvite that found 92 percent of recruiters are actively using social media to find their candidates. These sites include LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and even Snapchat now.
3. Be mobile
More and more work is being done through our phones. Last year, Forbes had this great story about a man who applied to nearly 90 percent of his jobs through his phone, and received three offers after a month of searching. The story goes on to speak with a recruiter who even conducts his interview via FaceTime.
4. Don’t tell.
The power of storytelling can be a powerful element to tell many things at once, engage your interviewer and stick in their mind. Forbes recommends going with the traditional problem, action, and conclusion story arch. My recommendation is have a few in your pocket that can be molded to meet any question.
5. Know what you want
Make a list of the places you want to pursue and know why you are looking at those businesses. Often people go into interviews so desperate for a job they forget to talk about their own passions and talk to the interviewer about what they want out of the job at hand. Recruiters will appreciate seeing you’ve done the research and already have an understanding of their culture.
As I mentioned, these are mostly my pieces of advice. I’d love to hear if anyone else has some insights to share.
Happy job hunting!