Job Search: The Nuts and Bolts

Presently, I am in the middle of a job search. Over the next few posts, I will write about what has worked for me and what has not. Given the present economy, I wanted to pass on what I have learned in looking for a job this time around. This post covers the basics of beginning a job search; there are multiple items in here that warrant their own article. Overtime, I'll work to cover all topics in depth.

Invest in a flash drive if you do not already have one. Prices range from around ten to fifty dollars depending on the memory size of the device. A flash drive allows one to tote around all of their documents and work easily from any computer. On the flash drive, I'd recommend a new folder for any job application containing the resume and cover letter submitted to that company. Scanning one's college transcript and a collection of writing samples to the drive will also be useful. The transcript comes in handy for reminding oneself of any coursework pertinent to a job, confirming grade point averages, and honors achieved. Depending on the job one is applying for, a writing sample might be required.

One might wonder why a flash drive is necessary if he or she already has a personal computer. If one is not working while looking for a new job, it is advisable to get out of the house. Treat the search as if it were a job itself. Libraries, Internet Cafe's, and Coffee shops all stand to provide a more stimulating environment than the house where one can sit in his or her underwear watching TV and casually flirt with the cover letter staring back blank. If you can get access to other computers at these locations, the flash drive will mean you don't have to carry your laptop around. It also facilitates accessing your resume on the fly which is useful if you are able to get the attention of a friend for a resume review or even to edit a cover letter.

Organization is critical to keeping track of multiple applications and making sure deadlines are hit. I have mentioned that the flash drive should be organized such that one is aware of the documents submitted for consideration for a position. A spreadsheet listing job postings will also prove useful. I personally have three sheets for jobs. The first sheet lists jobs that I am interested in and advance my career in the direction that I would like to pursue in an ideal world. Second tier jobs are jobs that I am qualified for though not necessarily interested in. Third tier jobs are those that I view as temporary but stand to pay the bills. Columns on each sheet include company name, position, website, pertinent dates, pertinent contacts, and the source by which I found the posting.

Every individual will probably approach this differently. In listing out the jobs and devising a system to track those applied to and those requiring submission, one will easily be able to assess how many applications they have out, when they applied, when they should follow up, and so forth. This is crucial to making sure that one is always actively being considered for a position while the job search continues. When applying to upwards of twenty five positions, this tool is very useful to gauge when one should be hammering out more resumes and cover letters or when one should pursue another indirect avenue for employment. Depending on the individual and the industry, I'd say one would want five or more applications processing at a time. Once there are a sufficient number of applications processing, one might pursue networking, developing a profile in a professional networking site, research, or some other avenue of development that might indirectly lead to a job.

So we have the system in place for what could be a long and exhausting job search. The flash drive will collect resumes, cover letters, writing samples, transcripts, job descriptions and any other file pertinent to the search. The spreadsheet will catch companies and positions that one intends on applying to. Beyond that, the spreadsheet will track progress on each position as one is reviewed and considered for a new position. As we move to build a solid foundation for the job search, one needs to turn his or her attention to the documents to be submitted.

Review and update the resume. Once this task is complete, email it to a few close friends. Ideally, these people understand you and your industry. If not, speak with them regarding what you have accomplished and where you seek to go in your career. These conversations can prove helpful as they might pick up on a task or an accomplishment that you have not properly showcased on your resume. Questions to focus the critique of your resume include: Is the font easy to read? Does the layout look balanced and presentable? Is the format conducive to the job one is applying to? The purpose of this interaction is to confidently establish a template for one's resume. The objective, coursework, and even the style of the resume itself will probably require customization for each job application. Tackling the resume first will prove helpful in providing these contacts with enough background to offer input on the content of your cover letters. It will also implant in their minds what sort of jobs you are qualified for in the event that they come across a lead during the course of their normal routines.

Once the resume is polished, one should turn to the cover letter. While the resume changes little position to position, the cover letter will probably change dramatically. Over time, it is easy to develop a "stump" cover letter. I would try and avoid this and regularly overhaul this document if you start to find that you've used similar letters for multiple positions. My thought here is that this document, and even the resume to an extent, should be organic documents. If you send out one version to five employers and it does not work, why would the same cover letter and resume work for another position? Writing a proper cover letter will require a couple of leads such that one can properly address the letter and accentuate the strengths and experience that will help them stand out as a candidate for that specific position. I'll aim to cover developing job leads in my next post.

The nuts and bolts covered: flash drives, initial organization, tracking applications, resume basics, and cover letter basics. The overall intent of this post was to propose a course of action for an individual at the outset of a job search. If the search stems from a layoff, these items should be addressed within the first week. Spending a lot of time up front on the resume will prove invaluable. One should not be sending out resumes and cover letters until one is confident in their content and reassured by the perspectives of another. I did not address the development of job leads in this article. In my experience, one should always be searching for new postings throughout this process. One should start cataloging leads in that spreadsheet from the first week forward. As mentioned earlier, this will be the topic of my next post.