When I did my first resume rehaul, not to long after the lay off, I realized that 10 pt Arial font just wasn't going to cut it. So I got a template off off the Microsoft Office website and tweaked it. I also did my best to include keywords in the content of my resume and spent a good deal of time writing up cover letters.
I really like this link on how to make a resume shine. What I like is how it shows a before and after image of a sample resume. Most of the points I was doing...I like to scan, so most of the points were intuitive, but I completely missed putting a title at the top! Talk about obvious things you miss.
Lately, I've renewed my push to customize my resume for the job, which involves more than changing the title and summary. I thought I was already doing a reasonable job of customizing, but then at a job search event, I saw someone speak about her successful job search in which she changed fields. I didn't have much time at the end of the event so made a bee-line to her, got her card and followed up with her before she started her new job. I asked her about what she did.
My new contact told me about creating a pitchbook and sent me materials from her outplacement firm. It's really very logical in that it lays out the job description and you, the candidate's, qualifications for it. I am shocked with myself that I did not think to do this. (I am also shocked my outplacement firm didn't give me materials on this.) A central component is a table. On the left side, the req's specifications and qualifications. On the right, what you offer. Now, my standard protocol before applying for a job is creating this table. Before I apply to a position, I fill this stuff out, then write up the cover letter and resume.
It takes much longer to run through this exercise so I can't pound out an online application in half an hour any more, but I believe it gives me more clarity of purpose when I apply. This is a such simple exercise that makes a huge difference when applying. This exercise helps me shape my summary statement and customize my accomplishments and previous job descriptions to match the role.
A definite Don't I should include is reading too many articles on Inc.com. It's an engaging magazine for entrepreneurs, and I got the feeling that I was doing something productive, but in retrospect, I was in a fantasy land. I ended up writing a resume for a pretend company where I was the hiring manager, which makes sense. Would you really want to work for someone who didn't share your values? But what I was missing was the nitty-gritty details of how I would offer value to a potential employer, not my fantasy version of an employer.
One good reason I've had less time was I'd been preparing for an interview for a small pharma and I am pretty excited about it.
Preparing for the interview
First, mentally. As opposed to other prospects, where I held back my enthusiasm for a job, I said to myself that this was the job I wanted...really, really wanted. It's perfect for me and I am perfect for them and here are all my reasons why. As Napolean Hill would say, I had a burning desire for my goal. Corny, but true. The candidate who wants the job more gets it.
Second was research. I researched the company and their prospects, the therapeutic area and the current standard of care, pulling information from the web and creating Word and Powerpoint documents. I built a spreadsheet on the available drugs and their mechanisms of action. Then I mined my network to get informational interviews with people who either do this type of job or who work with patients. I did my best to insert these details in my interview subtly, but for the most part, my interviewers didn't seem to care that much. I would do it again because I felt prepared and I think it reflected in my confidence level during the interviews.
Everything regarding the interview was done very professionally and on schedule, so it gives me confidence in the company I'll be working for. There were some details of the plan that I would consider aggressive, but these days, what isn't?
Pretty much most of my free time leading up to the interview was devoted to preparing. Thing was, I didn't have much free time. Since the end of the school year, we've been consumed with family and volunteering obligations.
Prioritizing
I think the most difficult part about looking for a job is how to handle priorities after a good interview. Do your follow-up--thank you notes and anything else the company wants you to do and then move on to another application. But there are no guarantees so you absolutely must keep feeding your funnel. Yes, I know this. Problem is in practicing this.
I haven't put in a new application anywhere yet. I also did hear back from the other position I was hoping for. The company has decided to delay hiring for a few months. So it is absolutely critical to get a few applications in by the end of the week.
That said, I had a busy week volunteering, managing kids, just stressing. So my body has to readjust. I think it sounds lazy and complacent, but I know that without recharging, I simply can't focus. Also, the sound of rain in the mornings, which we've been getting a lot of in the Midwest, makes waking up very hard. Finally, I have obligations to organizations and people I can't ignore that have been put on the backburner until I finished this interview. Can't ignore Kharma!
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