Job Hunting Blows
“If you are insecure, guess what? The rest of the world is too. Do not overestimate the competition and underestimate yourself. You are better than you think.”
When I graduated last December with my Graphic Design degree, I was under some distorted illusion that it wouldn’t be long before I’d be gainfully employed. I thought I would send out a few dozen resumes, land a few interviews, and at least one potential employer would be so over-the-moon in love with me that they’d offer me a position.
Silly me. That’s how the process worked 20 years ago. It’s not how it works today. This time, I quickly learned that I am not unique. I am one talented graphic designer in a pool of hundreds of others who all want that same job.
My job search sent me into a deep funk from thinking no one wanted me. Maybe, I thought, I did all that work to earn my degree for nothing. I felt the urge to quit my search and return to freelancing full-time, but I stumbled around, made mistakes, and learned to navigate the process.
Here are my top 10 tips for finding your next professional role. It’s a wild ride, so let’s go!
Include your previous jobs on your resume - even if they don’t have anything to do with the direction you want to go in your career. Why? Because chances are you gained and exercised soft skills while you were there. Soft skills include leadership roles, creative muscle, resourcefulness, taking and improving from constructive criticism, adaptability, organizational skills, and time management. Soft skills travel with you from job to job, improve over time, and help you to get ahead in the workplace.
Take the time to create a professional-looking resume, and be honest! As a graphic designer, my resume reflects my branding, but Google Docs, Word, and Canva all have template galleries with resume options. Spend the time to make it look scannable, clean, and professional. Resist the urge to embellish your accomplishments. Just be honest.
Treat job ads as guidelines. You don’t have to have every skill or qualification listed to apply for the job. I view job descriptions as wish lists. Employers know that most applicants will not have 100% of the skills or qualifications in the job description, but they throw them out there, hoping to land a unicorn. Be confident. What you don’t already know, you can learn.
Know where to look! There are dozens of job-hunting websites. These include LinkedIn, Glassdoor, ZipRecruiter, Indeed, and Upward but don’t limit yourself to these! Open yourself up to more options with employment agencies and freelance sites that connect employers with freelancers. Here are a few to check out:
Creative Circle - https://www.creativecircle.com/
Robert Half - https://www.roberthalf.com/
Mondo - https://mondo.com/
Pangea.app - https://pangea.app/job-posts
The Mom Project - https://themomproject.com/
Freelancer Club - https://freelancerclub.net/
Upwork - https://www.upwork.com
Take advantage of job opportunities through your college or university’s career center. I found my current position through my college’s monthly newsletter. If I hadn’t of opened the email, I would’ve missed out, and I love my new job! Also, reach out to the career center at your college. They can help you build your resume and have apps and resources to aid your job search.
Create friendly, professional relationships with your college/university professors. Employers often reach out to college professors in search of new talent. And trust me, professors remember responsible, organized students with good communication and time-management skills. So you’ll want to be on their radar when employers come calling!
When you click Easy Apply (or 1-click apply) on LinkedIn, 3,461 others probably did, too. As a result, your resume probably won’t be seen, and your efforts are unlikely to render a call or email. Lower your expectations.
ALWAYS include a cover letter tailored to the job description. Writing a custom cover letter shows that you took the time to read the job description and have performed a bit of research on the company. Cover letters are a pain in the ass, but the effort pays off. My only interviews were for jobs I applied for with a resume and a cover letter.
Send a thank you email or a thank you card ASAP following an interview. This is so important! It shows appreciation for the time the potential employer spent getting to know you and keeps you at the forefront of their minds. Keep it brief and reiterate why you think you’re the best person for the job in one or two sentences.
Stay positive and persistent. The job-hunting process is both draining and demoralizing. Ghosting is commonplace, and most employers don’t even bother sending rejection notices. You will send out dozens, maybe even hundreds of resumes. That’s the reality of job searching. Hang in there. Your relentless persistence will pay off.
Have you recently found your dream job? What tips and tricks can you add? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
Sources:
Cover art created by Stephanie Johnson.
https://resources.workable.com/hr-terms/what-are-soft-skills
https://hbr.org/2019/05/you-dont-need-to-meet-every-qualification-to-apply-for-a-job
