Job Search Tips Dispensed While Hiking

Recently, I spent a few days with my daughter hiking in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. She's defending her PhD in a few weeks and is in the throes of figuring out what comes next. While she worked for a few years prior to going back to school to get her doctorate, she’s still relatively new to the job search process. She asked a lot of questions, and I shared guidance as we trekked up and down our various climbs.

Below are some of the key points from our discussions. With the fall college recruiting season starting off, I hope these are helpful to the new entrants to the work world in your lives – and maybe even those who are more experienced as well.

• Get clear on what you want to do. Many young people aren’t sure – and that’s normal – but it’s important to figure that out as best you can before you get active in your job search. You’re going to need to be able to articulate what you want to do and why you want to do it. It needs to be credible, and it needs to feel authentic. Whether you use assessments, research, background discussions, or any other approach, get as clear as you can before you start sending out cover letters and resumes.
• Spend 80% of your time on outreach and 20% on applications.?The job boards make it all too easy for you to apply for roles. Increasingly, they have tools that will match you to posted jobs even without your directly applying for that role. As a consequence, company recruiters are overwhelmed with applicants. In all likelihood, they’re only going to give each resume a few seconds of consideration. Your odds of getting noticed in those instances are minimal, so you need to spend more of your time reaching out to people in the companies where you’d like to work. Make connections that allow you to get to the recruiter and the hiring manager. Taking this approach isn’t ‘cheating.’ It’s hustle, and it’s necessary.
• Follow up on your emails.?My daughter asked me when it was ok to follow up on emails she’d sent. My advice was that it’s?always?ok to follow up at least once, and that doing so a week later isn’t being too pushy. Most of us get more email than we want, so a follow-up email (with amended subjects like: “Following Up: [Original Subject]” will help draw attention to your original message. If you’re really interested in speaking to someone, a second follow-up may be appropriate in some circumstances, but use your judgment. After that, it’s usually time to accept defeat and move on.
• Be proactive.?It’s always amazed me how few people take a proactive approach to pursuing the jobs they want. PathWise recently posted a 10 hour / week social media role. We received 1,700 applications. Two people reached out directly to the email address on the company website. Two people out of 1,700! Do you think they got extra consideration? Absolutely! In the same spirit, you should proactively prepare for interviews. Write a cover letter to accompany your resume (see below). Research the company. Come prepared with questions. Learn about your interviewer’s background. Write a thank you note afterward. Even these small steps will set you apart.
• You / me / we.?Cover letters, while time consuming, are an investment in jobs you really want. They demonstrate extra effort. We recommend a simple three-paragraph structure. Paragraph 1 focuses on “you”, i.e., the company and why they’re a target. Paragraph 2 focuses on “me”, i.e., why you’re interested in the role and why you see your background as a good fit. Paragraph 3 focuses on “we”, i.e., what you and the company can do together.
• Write your SOAR stories. In your interviews, you’re going to be asked to provide examples of your accomplishments. Structure them as SOAR stories – situation, obstacle (or task), action, and results. You can use examples from any aspect of your life – prior work, school, volunteering, whatever. Just make sure they’re going to come across as compelling to your interviewers. Try them out with friends and family if you’re not sure.
• Ask for feedback when you get rejected.?Odds are that you’ll interview for roles you don’t get. When that happens, try to get a few minutes with the recruiter or hiring manager to find out why. It will help you to make adjustments in your approach going forward. Not everyone will be willing to do a feedback chat, but get them when you can.

We have a ton of other job search guidance and tools on the PathWise website, and we have a fantastic online course on job searches and career changes as well that's currently 50% off! So if you, or someone in your life, is looking for their first or their next role, please encourage them to sign up for a PathWise membership.

JR and the PathWise team

Recent and Upcoming Podcasts

August 19, How A Golf Pro Built A 7-Figure Digital Business, with Eric Cogorno.?The title says it all. Eric was a successful golf pro and coach, but he was working long hours and wanted to scale his approach. He started creating YouTube videos a while back and now has over 500,000 followers across his social media accounts, a premium subscription service, and other offerings as well. And he’s working less.

August 26, The Untapped Power of Discovery, and How it Can Help Leaders at All Levels, with Karen Golden-Biddle. Yes, this title is just too long (mea culpa), but Karen’s short book and the stories woven through it provide some great insights on how to use discovery to drive innovation, tackle complex challenges, and even to plot your next career move.

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Career Themes of the Week

August 19 – Critical Thinking.?Leaders seek people who don’t merely accept the status quo but who question it. They want people who push for deeper insights and who don’t just stop at a superficial diagnosis or answer. And that’s what critical thinking is about. We’ll explore the topic and provide a few tools to help you boost your critical thinking skills.

August 26 – Problem Solving.?In all aspects of our lives, we encounter problems. Some have simple solutions. Some are more complex. We’ll share some approaches that will help you work through the problems in your life in a more structured and effective fashion.

Stay updated with PathWise! Follow us on?social media ?for daily posts on our weekly theme.

August Book Summary

August Book Summary

The Story Factor, by Annette Simmons, presented by PathWise’s Daniela De Luca.?Stories are powerful, often more so than facts and analysis. They touch something deep inside us, sparking an emotional connection, making them more memorable, and helping us see their meaning. Annette Simmons covers the psychology of story, types of stories, and how to tell a story well. For these reasons, The Story Factor has been called one of the best 100 business books of all time.

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