Finding a job is work. I always get bombarded with people to help find jobs. Usually because they feel the pressure of needing a summer internship or job experience.
Before you read, please have a general idea of what you are looking for, because that will make this easier on you.
If you don’t know what you want to do, I suggest visiting your college’s career center (even if you are an alumni the services usually are still available to you) or work with a recruiting firm or job agency. I know it’s not our millennial American culture to ask for outside help, but you might find that it actually can help you.
Here are the basic six things:
1. Networking
If you have network connections in management definitely use them. If you have direct network connections to the company with a good employee use them.
However, do not take advantage of your connections. Always be courteous.
When it comes to getting and giving recommendations, remember that you are a direct reflection of each other, so don’t be offended if they say they don’t have that kind of power or politely decline. It’s kind of weird to have a project manager refer their niece’s neighbor’s boyfriend for a job unless they have a mentor/mentee relationship.
2. Finding jobs
To be honest, networking is great if you’re already in your career because people don’t mind recommending you because you are established and can hold a job and won’t make them look bad.
If you’re just entering the work world, don’t think it is beneath you to use a job search engine or even Craigslist. Yes be cautious of scams but chances are if you research the company before you apply, you can figure it out.
Search an industry, find a company, go to that company’s website, look up employees who have worked there on LinkedIn, look at where they previously worked, look into those companies.
Not to mention ask around and read the newspaper. You might see a company is on the up and up and probably looking to expand or hire.
3. Resumes
Unless any of you are applying for artsy positions, you can really just use a template off the internet.
There is no “right” format for a resume, it’s all based on a hiring manager’s preference.
Most of my hiring managers have told me they prefer resumes that are more than one page in a normal font size with normal margins instead of cramming it all on one page, versus some of my human resource textbooks that say resumes should be no longer than one page. I’m sure most people will agree they’d rather read something that’s two pages than something in 8pt font (especially since most resumes are read online, number of pages kind of becomes irrelevant).
Using your best judgment of course. You don’t want to bore them with every little activity or odd job you’ve done. Like if you only worked somewhere for a month, you might not want to list it because it shows lack of commitment. If you’re applying to be an engineer intern, I don’t really need to know you volunteered at a soup bank every Thanksgiving in your resume.
In my personal opinion people, unless it’s a creative industry, really don’t want to see colors or special fonts. I know you want to make yourself stand out, but in my personal experience of reading resumes for hours straight. It gives me a headache when I had to read anything script or with more than two colors. Boxes, underlining, bolding, spacing, and simplicity are key.
The point of a one page resume is that it is concise, however if you are just getting started and have little to no experience, listing every relevant activity you’ve done or that relates to any sort of experience is a good thing! The one pager is just so people with 30 years of industry experience aren’t listing their high school activities, first jobs as servers, etc.
You can make your Linkedin profile expansive and detailed if you wanted. Because if someone is interested in you, they’ll check you out on there. Sort of like if you’re interested in dating a person, you’ll check them out on Facebook or Instagram.
Personally, my less relevant jobs I list at the bottom under a separate heading labeled, “other experience."
I then list: store (sales associate), church (volunteer), etc. No dates or descriptions needed. It shows I have other experience and connections with certain companies, however it’s not necessary.
In one of my HR classes, I learned each resume should be revised for each specific job. Which totally makes sense because when I would read resumes sometimes I would just CTRL-F certain key words from the job description. Online submissions make life so much simpler.
Final words on resumes, save your resume as a pdf and title it something simple like (Last name, first name_resume) or (first name last name resume) or (date resume_name), whatever works as long as you state your name. Adding resume to the file’s name is something you should do if you’re attaching other files, like a cover letter or references. Don’t write CV unless you actually wrote a CV, if you don’t know what that means, you’re chilling.
4. Cover Letters
Every job you apply for should have a cover letter. Your resume can be boring because it’s a basic summary of you without the fun things about your personality. Your resume could get you an interview, but your cover letter should make them want to meet you.
This is where you can elaborate on things. Like you like how philanthropic the company is and how their motto reflects helping others; values that are so important to you, who volunteers at soup kitchens every Thanksgiving (see what I did there). The founder of the company went to your dad’s alma mater, etc.
There are templates online for cover letters. Basically you need to say why you are interested in the company, why you are interested in this specific position/job, what you hope to gain and how you think you’ll grow, and most importantly, what you offer. Why hire you? Are you a hard worker, charismatic, innovative, an honest worker, educated, smart? Don’t forget to thank the hiring manager.
Final thoughts: personally when I read “To whom it concerns” I want to roll my eyes and be like I’m literally reading a template. Write “Dear Hiring Manager” or actually look up someone’s name in HR. People like to feel important, make them feel important.
5. Waiting Game
If you don’t check your email daily, you probably should start when you’re applying for jobs.
Don't get discouraged if you get a generic "Thank you for applying email" or "Thank you for applying but our qualifications are not met," or you don't hear anything. Imagine how many resumes are sent for each job posting.
Research the company and industries. Don’t get your hopes up for one job. Have several jobs. Apply for a why’d you do that, reach, realistic, and one you’re overqualified for.
6. Interview Tips
Research the company. Show up early. Be prepared. Check out Glassdoor for help. Drink some water. Calm down. Bring copies of your resumes, references, cover letter, recommendation letters, transcripts, etc. whatever is asked of you. Have questions prepared and be confident.
It’s better to be the most overdressed person in the room than the least or whatever that saying is. First impressions!
Final notes: there are just my opinions. I can be completely wrong but doing the stuff I listed above has helped me get internships, jobs, and offer letters. Maybe one day I'll elaborate on each basic thing above or help you figure out what your dream job is, but for now I hope this helps.
Chances are if you haven't applied for any summer internships by now... You don't have a real good chance. People have been applying since October, more realistically March. Interviews or screening take place usually in early May. Don't mean to discourage you but if you haven't applied or started a resume and want an internship this summer, probably either, A.) Ask your parents if they know anyone, B.) Keep applying away, or C.) Look for alternative ways to get experience and or make money.
