#ive submitted hundreds of resumes and this one fucking .

[lordsardine]

....

#a cold application actually resulted in a recruiter emailing me back but like. #.. #i finally have things to do at work ^^; #might as well do the fucking phone interview i mean nothing to lose with that #lmao it's for a fucking marketing role at harvard .......... #pay said it's higher than what i make rn but like.........probably not worth it #................hm #but hey!!! 2 years later! 2 YEARS LATER. and one cold application amounted to something #ONE!!!!! #ive submitted hundreds of resumes and this one fucking . #im like. somewhat over qualified for this job but pay is still higher? #man idk i'll just do the phone interview #miscellaneous #goes to show that if you wait on your resume longer than 2 weeks it's pretty worthless #it's only been 5 days for this one #Anyway. need to finish updating my music playlists and then a walk

[olivershen]

Congrats on your graduation, babe! Not sure what advice you need from me lol I might not be the best person to ask but I shall try my best!

Divided into four parts under the cut - 1. Resume, 2. Cover Letter, 3. Interview, and 4. Practical Fucking Advice-

I - RESUME

1. Header: The usual - Name, Email Address, and Contact No. Depending on what country you’re in, you can write down your mailing address. But nobody snail mails stuff where I’m from so I just put down my email ad.

Depending on where you’re from, you may or may not put a photo in you resume. If you’re in the US, DON’T. Not clear on the legality, but as far as I know, they CANNOT require you to send in a photo. My personal take is you shouldn’t put a photo. Ain’t nobody’s business what I look like as long as I can get the job done.

2. If you’re gunning for a profession which requires a license, put your license first. If you’re not licensed yet but already took the licensure exam and passed, then indicate when you passed.

3. University, Degree, Honors. If you’re a new grad, you put this first. If you’ve been working a few years, it gets put last in the resume. If you’ve been working for more than a decade, it could be eliminated entirely if you feel it’s no longer relevant.

4. Here’s the tricky part. You’ve just graduated, so what work experience do you put? Basically, everything that will show you’ll be a good worker for a company. Internship? Yes, put that first. Tutoring side job? Yes. Were you part of a college organization? Put it there and indicate what events / projects you handled.

I follow this format: <ROLE>, <PROJECT>, <ORGANIZATION> (Month Year)

Then below that, a short bullet point on the role. Focus on the results.

Here’s an example:

Lead Organizer, University Job Fair (April 2019)

- Led a team of twenty individuals in organizing a university-wide three-day job fair which gathered over one hundred companies and one thousand student participants.

Etc, etc.

No big project? That’s fine. Did you raise money for a charity as part of a school project? Put that in. Did you organize regular study sessions for your class? Spin that.

5. Other Data. Don’t put proficient in Microsoft, please. EVERYONE is proficient in microsoft. But if you know how to code or use advanced macro in excel? Put that in. Attended any seminars or trainings? Put it. Are you fluent in another language other than the dominant language? Put it, even better if you’re certified.

II - COVER LETTER

I absolutely hate this part, so here’s something I found online that’s pretty useful:

Here’s a good source. Don’t just copy and paste what you put in your resume. Use this to highlight a particular achievement you’re proud of and you think would best show that you’re a good fit for the role you’re applying for.

Side note: If you’re gonna mention the company somewhere in the body of the letter, make sure you don’t accidentally mention a DIFFERENT company you’re also applying for. This happens a lot.

III - INTERVIEW

Familiarize yourself with the STAR Interview Resonse technique.

Here’s how it works. When the interviewer asks you a question, say “Do you have any experience working with a diverse group of people?” - don’t just say yes. Use the STAR method:

S - Describe the situation or event you were in. [e.g. As head liaison for X event, I was in charge of coordinating with the different student organization participating.]

T - Explain the task you had to complete. Basically the hurdle you had to jump. [e.g. As liaison, you had to manage the contradicting demands of the participants.]

A - Action. Describe the specific actions you took to accomplish the task. [e.g. maybe you organized a roundtable discussion to encourage the participants to find a common ground. Maybe you found a way to meet everybody’s needs.]

R - Results [e.g. Was the result of your action successful? Best to describe in terms of concrete results. Maybe the post-event evaluation was a resounding success with overwhelmingly good feedback. Maybe you received a recommendation from one of the participants.

You get the idea. Here’s the key though - when you’re sitting there in front of the interviewer, you WILL NOT remember anything you’ve done in your life EVER. SO here’s the most important part - write it all down BEFOREHAND. Then practice.

Search for common questions and write down a Scenario/STAR response/Experience that might go with it. THen practice it.

I used to have little index cards with my experiences and I’d mix and match based on possible questions as I practiced.

IV - Practical Advice

1. Update your LinkedIn, seriously. Unless you’re in a creative profession, then maybe a website with your portfolio would be better.

2. Reach out to your weak links. Maybe a friend of a friend is looking for someone to hire for X role? Send out feelers that you’re searching. Bring it up casually to friends and acquaintances. Most jobs are not posted online.

3. Find out if any of your college classmates / senior friends are working in companies you would like to work for and find out if they have a job referral program. This is how most of the people I know get jobs. Plus, the person who referred you might get a bonus if you get hired.

Those online portals where you submit your resume and then type it out again in the next page are fucking bogus. If you can get your resume in via a REAL person, your chances are already higher than most.

Lastly, job searching is a full time job in itself. Don’t forget to give yourself a break. We’re in the middle of a freaking pandemic so nobody will fault you if you’d like to take a little longer figuring stuff out.

Use this time to experiment and figure out what makes you happy, and not just what pays the bills (if you can afford to experiment). You’ll be much happier down the line.

You have time, babe. You’re gonna be alright.

#long post #work advice #job search