Before I delve into the topic, I will address my hiatus from blogging. Since I last wrote, work demands increased and life took a turn where my main focus was on family during the peak of covid when cases were still climbing; and later dealing with covid myself! Juggling life and posting blogs may have been put on pause but I've always known I would return when life wasn't so hectic. Fast forward to this year, I can happily report a better work life balance and stable family life. While I realize there can be curve balls thrown, I've taken my own advice which is also to handle things moment by moment and focus on what matters most.
Because this forum has value to me and to the few readers who might still venture on for advice, I'm taking time out to address a question that was asked very recently which was--"Do you have any tips for people who are looking for jobs/careers? (Where would you begin?)
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For this kind of advice, I plan to break it down to share thoughts to 2 different groups. To start, here goes the advice to those who do not know what they want to do and don't know how to start:
1. Create a Resume--make sure you have one that you are proud of:
- A good resume should grab the recruiters attention. All resumes can be generic, however if you can create one that mentions your proud moments (which may also show how you can help their company succeed), those kinds of information can help your resume stand out from the rest.
- If this link still works at the time you're reading this, I do like the advice given here:Resume tip and no I do not get paid for posting that. If the link is broken by the time you try it, I highly recommend a search on YouTube or the Internet on "resume tips." If you are already enrolled in a university, I'm 100% sure there is a Career Center which offers "free" workshops on resume writing/tips, so definitely take advantage of those. But if you are just out of high school and not planning to go to college & the internet is still a free search engine, then definitely utilize it for your journey.
- In following the advice for Creating Resumes above, please do the same regarding your cover letter (ie: find a way for your opening statement to stand out from generic ones.)
- If this link works in the future, there should be free cover letter templates for you to choose from here: Free Cover letter templates
3. Once you have your Resume and Cover Letter ready to go, if you are not seeking remote positions, I would highly recommend that you select a few places around your area where you would like to work.
You may want to create a LinkedIn profile too so that recruiters in your fields of interest can also reach out to you! But if for whatever reason, you choose not to create an account, you can try the methods I used way before LinkedIn even existed:
- Research the companies you would like to work in, explore their websites and search for job openings in the careers that interest you and follow their application procedures.
- If it's your dream company/place/institution, and they do not have an opening that interests you, you may want to find an different or entry level position that you can apply for which can help get your "foot-in-the-door" so to speak. If you are serious about this place, most people are willing to apply for starting positions which can help them learn how the company is run and then figure out whether they want to stay and move to a different position or leave altogether and find another career.
- After applying to one, try applying to several other places that peak your interest. In the past, I applied to at least 10 places per day every day for 30 days and yielded about 3-5 interviews that month before landing an offer. (Landing interviews can vary from person to person--for example it might not take you as long as it did for me or it can take longer depending on the experiences listed on your resume.)
- Make sure to edit your Cover Letter and Resume (if needed) to reflect the company you are applying to!
4. Landing an Interview
- Before the actual interview, I highly recommend you call a friend, family member or individual that you trust and practice answering interview questions out loud. Even if you practice in your mind, it's very different when actually speaking to people.
- If it's impossible to speak to someone for practice, perhaps try practicing answering questions out loud in front of a mirror.
- Alternatively you can also try listening to Workhaps tips here: Interview tips, Interview tips 2, Interview tips 3
- Feel free to research other interview tips on your own too to diversify your knowledge.
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For the advice to people those who know exactly what they want to do for example, a specialized role in a company/institution/industry and perhaps no openings found:
1. First you'll need to do your research on where to find people already in that role--for example, if you would like to be a Librarian. You will need to research and find a local Librarian and ask for an Informational Interview. Let this person know that you are interested in a position like theirs and schedule a time to speak to them either virtually, on the phone, or in person. You may want to interview a few others for possible different perspectives. You can ask things like:
- What made you decide to be a Librarian (or whatever role you have selected)?
- How did you get this role? What are the steps to get this role?
- What do you like most about this role?
- What do you like least?
- How would you describe a typical day?
- What is it like working with your colleagues/management?
- What is the company morale like?
- May I "shadow" you sometime? (Shadowing someone in their day will help you discover what a day in the life of this role can be like.)
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