Wednesday, April 29, 2015

8 Pieces of Advice For You Job Seekers Out There

Get ready for the job search posts of all job search posts. This is a compilation of advice that I've complied from other sources as well as some of my own input. And you'll probably notice that a good amount of advice comes from The Muse and The Prepary, but they seriously know their stuff. Look into them more than just the posts I mention here.

This is a last minute tip I just found, but I'm seriously going to put this one to use soon to keep up with possible employers: The Free, Career-Boosting Google Feature You Should Be Using by Aja Frost published on The Muse.

If you're not quite sure on how to go about sending a thank you after an interview or when to follow up, read this by Jamie Petkanics: The 3-2-1 Rule of Following Up After Interviews published on The Prepary.

I think these networking tips could work for anybody at any time during their career (5 Smart Networking Strategies for Career Changers by Lily Zhang published on The Muse). I really like Tip #5: Going to Industry Events. Just recently, I went to an art career day at school. Though my field is graphic design, I decided to join in a printmaker's talk and really liked it. I'm even thinking of taking a class!

These resume dos and don'ts are some of the best advice I've heard (or read): 42 Resume Dos and Don'ts Every Job Seeker Should Know by Aja Frost published on The Muse. One piece of advice I liked: don't hide any gaps. Embrace them. I took a semester off between graduating from community college and starting a four-year college and I let people know that it was the best thing I've ever done. For that semester, I interned two days a week in the city and worked the other three.

If there you are going to read one link on this post, it's this one. It's an actual to-do list of what you should do prior to a job interview: An Interview Prep Checklist on Wunderlist by Jaime Petkanics.

And some of my own input:
1. Get a LinkedIn account. And keep it updated. And post things relevant to your field on it. Now that my senior year is wrapping up, more and more people are getting LinkedIn accounts or are using them more frequently. It's a great way to connect with your peers and other professionals. Trust me, you'll thank yourself later.
2. Lists are your friend. Keep lists of jobs you found, where you found them, who to contact, when you applied, when you followed up. Made an Excel spreadsheet. It's something we've gone over in class and something I've seen on Pinterest. Lists will be your saving grace.
3. Just because you're graduating doesn't mean you stop learning. Maybe it's the field I'm in? But just because I'm no longer going to be attending an actual class doesn't mean I'm going to stop learning. Future employers want to see that you're excited about your career and are willing to learn more about it.

What job search tips do you have? Share below, whether it's from a personal experience or another blog post you found online, let us know!


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