This is a true story as told to JustJobs Academy which houses career interviews and job search advice for professionals in any industry. Visit to read about how to tame your ego and ask for feedback on the job.
My current title is Director of Marketing. I work for a privately held hotel group that owns and operates 17 properties under five different brands that are recognized nationally and internationally. I was offered my position after being in the job market for more than two years.
Even though I enjoyed my previous employer and co-workers, I became frustrated with my former job when I realized there was little chance for me to move up the proverbial ladder. I reached out to friends I had in the hospitality industry and took my time conducting my job search. Before accepting the job I have now, I received six offers, which I turned down.
With the help of my industry contacts, I was able to find the group I work for now and ensure that I would have opportunities to move into other positions in the future.
The technology I relied on most heavily during my job search involved social networking sites. Since I was actively employed during the two years I looked for my current job, I was rarely available to discuss other opportunities during traditional business hours. I easily managed to keep in touch with people using networking sites, however, and received information about companies that were hiring regularly.
As an added benefit, I had the chance to learn about some of the individuals with whom I’ve conducted business for years, but never had the chance to meet face-to-face. I’m not sure I would have befriended many of these contacts on a social networking site before entering the job market because I just didn’t think of them when I visited these sites in the past. I’m glad I did, though. I feel like the strength of my relationships with most of them has increased and I’ve come to look forward to hearing from them in something other than a work context.
If I decided to look for a job as a Director of Marketing with another company, I would separate myself from other candidates by discussing the success I’ve had marketing different brands of hotels in unique ways while adhering to the guidelines dictated by the owners of the brands. My ability to satisfy my company’s shareholders as well as the companies that allow us to use their brand names in exchange for a fee, would distinguish me from others applying for the same job.
I still use social networking sites to connect with professionals in my field even though I’m out of the job market. I believe these sites along with the prolific use of the phone are the most effective tools to help anyone trying to find a job in the hospitality industry.
While I searched for a new job, I had the displeasure of participating in an interview that was an absolute, positive disaster. I agreed to interview for a senior level marketing position that was vacant within a hotel group that owned more than 200 upscale properties, but did not know the name of the person who was going to conduct my interview. When I arrived at the scheduled time, I found myself being interrogated by a person I’d shared a major with in college – our major was hotel administration.
We hadn’t gotten along while at Cornell and we didn’t get along in my interview. We ended up spending two hours arguing about issues we’d disagreed on twenty years earlier which, apparently, are issues we still can’t agree on now. We only stopped our heated discussion when my interviewer’s boss entered the room and told us to lower our voices. It was embarrassing. I learned to always keep my voice low no matter how passionately I feel about something and to not reignite whatever issue burned down the bridge of friendship between me and someone else from this experience, no matter how tempting it may be to do so.
The most important thing I’ve learned on my own about the professional job search process is that it never ends. Even though I’m content with my current job, I still exchange information about opportunities with my contacts all over the world. I remain up-to-date with this information because I don’t know when I’ll be looking for another job in the future. I feel I need to be prepared at all times, especially because people are not traveling as much as they used to in today’s economic climate.
Even though my school has a great career services program, I did not use it during my most recent job search and probably wouldn’t in future ones either.
If I could redo one event from my professional past, I would not have left a job I had working for a museum in Boston, MA, after graduating from college. I left my fundraising position because of a conflict with a co-worker. I still regret my decision now, more than 20 years later. I thought I was making some dramatic point by tendering my notice, but all I really did was succeed at acting like a spoiled child.
Even now, I feel foolish for letting my emotions and personal opinion of someone else justify one of the poorest decisions I’ve made during my career. I hadn’t learned that I don’t have to like everyone I work with, or be liked by them, to get a job done and done well. I hadn’t yet experienced the reality that sometimes differences between people actually help to get something accomplished more effectively that it would get done under different circumstances. I wish I had stayed at the museum; I still love long enough to learn these critical lessons and many others.
Job search lessons image from Bigstock
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
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Make 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
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Are 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.
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
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Your 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.
This is a true story as told to JustJobs Academy which houses career interviews and job search advice for professionals in any industry. Visit to read about how to tame your ego and ask for feedback on the job.
My current title is Director of Marketing. I work for a privately held hotel group that owns and operates 17 properties under five different brands that are recognized nationally and internationally. I was offered my position after being in the job market for more than two years.
Even though I enjoyed my previous employer and co-workers, I became frustrated with my former job when I realized there was little chance for me to move up the proverbial ladder. I reached out to friends I had in the hospitality industry and took my time conducting my job search. Before accepting the job I have now, I received six offers, which I turned down.
With the help of my industry contacts, I was able to find the group I work for now and ensure that I would have opportunities to move into other positions in the future.
The technology I relied on most heavily during my job search involved social networking sites. Since I was actively employed during the two years I looked for my current job, I was rarely available to discuss other opportunities during traditional business hours. I easily managed to keep in touch with people using networking sites, however, and received information about companies that were hiring regularly.
As an added benefit, I had the chance to learn about some of the individuals with whom I’ve conducted business for years, but never had the chance to meet face-to-face. I’m not sure I would have befriended many of these contacts on a social networking site before entering the job market because I just didn’t think of them when I visited these sites in the past. I’m glad I did, though. I feel like the strength of my relationships with most of them has increased and I’ve come to look forward to hearing from them in something other than a work context.
If I decided to look for a job as a Director of Marketing with another company, I would separate myself from other candidates by discussing the success I’ve had marketing different brands of hotels in unique ways while adhering to the guidelines dictated by the owners of the brands. My ability to satisfy my company’s shareholders as well as the companies that allow us to use their brand names in exchange for a fee, would distinguish me from others applying for the same job.
I still use social networking sites to connect with professionals in my field even though I’m out of the job market. I believe these sites along with the prolific use of the phone are the most effective tools to help anyone trying to find a job in the hospitality industry.
While I searched for a new job, I had the displeasure of participating in an interview that was an absolute, positive disaster. I agreed to interview for a senior level marketing position that was vacant within a hotel group that owned more than 200 upscale properties, but did not know the name of the person who was going to conduct my interview. When I arrived at the scheduled time, I found myself being interrogated by a person I’d shared a major with in college – our major was hotel administration.
We hadn’t gotten along while at Cornell and we didn’t get along in my interview. We ended up spending two hours arguing about issues we’d disagreed on twenty years earlier which, apparently, are issues we still can’t agree on now. We only stopped our heated discussion when my interviewer’s boss entered the room and told us to lower our voices. It was embarrassing. I learned to always keep my voice low no matter how passionately I feel about something and to not reignite whatever issue burned down the bridge of friendship between me and someone else from this experience, no matter how tempting it may be to do so.
The most important thing I’ve learned on my own about the professional job search process is that it never ends. Even though I’m content with my current job, I still exchange information about opportunities with my contacts all over the world. I remain up-to-date with this information because I don’t know when I’ll be looking for another job in the future. I feel I need to be prepared at all times, especially because people are not traveling as much as they used to in today’s economic climate.
Even though my school has a great career services program, I did not use it during my most recent job search and probably wouldn’t in future ones either.
If I could redo one event from my professional past, I would not have left a job I had working for a museum in Boston, MA, after graduating from college. I left my fundraising position because of a conflict with a co-worker. I still regret my decision now, more than 20 years later. I thought I was making some dramatic point by tendering my notice, but all I really did was succeed at acting like a spoiled child.
Even now, I feel foolish for letting my emotions and personal opinion of someone else justify one of the poorest decisions I’ve made during my career. I hadn’t learned that I don’t have to like everyone I work with, or be liked by them, to get a job done and done well. I hadn’t yet experienced the reality that sometimes differences between people actually help to get something accomplished more effectively that it would get done under different circumstances. I wish I had stayed at the museum; I still love long enough to learn these critical lessons and many others.
Job search lessons image from Bigstock
Bigstock
Bigstock
Bigstock
