“What are you going to do now with that $200,000 education?” My dad asked me this question painfully quickly after my Yankee’s Stadium graduation ceremony. Needless to say, he was delighted with my first professional decision: to become a yoga teacher. Related:How To Make Internships Translate To Employers When I told him about my next career move, which was to become an apprentice, his reply: “Erin, these aren’t real jobs. You’re learning magic, now?” It was precisely that connotation of the title juxtaposed to the dismal reality of the job market that drew me to apply for the position as apprentice to Shane Snow, a self-proclaimed technology geek and an advocate for the power of stories. The Chief Creative Officer of Contently by day, and a features writer/urban explorer by night, Shane was looking for someone to work closely with him in support of the release of his first book, Smartcuts: How Hackers, Innovators, and Icons Accelerate Success (and I’d be a crappy apprentice if I did not mention that it was rated one of top new business books of the fall and that he has been called the next Malcom Gladwell). After googling him and reading his features in Wired, Mashable, and the New Yorker, I decided that I wanted to work with him. Plus, I assumed I would get to learn the secret behind his awesome hair. And so here I am. My Contently business card reads, Apprentice to the CCO, and it never fails to extract an eyebrow raise and a smile. My co-workers have also shared their envy of the amorphous title. I've gotten to follow Shane on interviews, to tapings of video segments, and official Contently meetings with well respected companies. I've been a part of his book launch process and witnessed what goes into the publicity and preparation. I've helped him execute his online webinars and have gotten to do some writing of my own. The highlight for me of all of my experiences thus far has been the way Shane has incorporated me into every conversation. He introduces me as his apprentice, and explains that I am there to soak it all in. I become an equal in the room because he establishes it immediately. I am not a simply a scribe or Beverage Procurement Manager. I’m at the table and I’m meant to be there. The response has each time been the same: people find it fun and a reflection of Shane’s unique mix of wisdom and congeniality. Having an “apprentice” present rather than an assistant relaxes the room. In the slew of business meetings people attend each day, the master/apprentice paradigm doesn’t emerge as often as you might think. Of course, there are the less exciting administrative tasks — coordinating calendars, sending follow-ups, scheduling appointments, making sure he is eating correctly, and so on. But that is part of the deal: be there for the small things and the big things will come. A lot of what I do can be tagged as #PersonalAssistant. However, what differs is the commitment to teaching that threads through each unpredictable pearl of a day. It is obvious to me that Shane views our dynamic as a mutually beneficial relationship, where there is learning, growth, and support on both ends. This principle of teaching freely, of innovators and leaders offering value to others as key to their success is one he discusses in his book Smartcuts. The importance of mentorship is one of the most common pieces of advice I have heard as a “recent” college graduate (under three years is still recent, I swear). Female movers and shakers such as Huffington and Sandberg talk about mentorship as one of their key principles to success. One of the appointments I got to tag along with Shane was to interview the co-founder of the GLG group, one of the most successful start-ups in New York City, for a Fast Company article. Alexander Saint-Amand said something during the interview that really stuck with me: The best way to learn is through one-on-one instruction. Accelerate the process of teaching yourself a skill or gaining knowledge by finding a person who is an expert and ask them questions. Learn from them. I'm lucky enough to do this every day. As part of the millennial generation that is challenging traditional career paths and responding to the ever-shifting job market, I think being an apprentice is the way to go. Not only do I get to meet other movers and shakers, but I have someone looking out for my best professional interest. Also, sometimes I get to dress up like a robot. Anything goes when you’re an apprentice. Yes, dad, I’m pretty sure my job is magic.
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
BigstockMake a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
- How did I learn about this job?
- How did I apply for the job?
- Did I earn an interview?
- What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
BigstockAre you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
Let's start with resumes!
Every resume should be tailored to the position in order for it to stand out to recruiters and hiring managers. It may seem like a lot of work, but it's actually less work than submitting the same resume over and over again and never hearing back.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
BigstockYour job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
- Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
- Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
- Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.