In this interview a Social Services Case Manager details her most recent job search. Using online resume templates to help create an enticing and modern resume, as well as preparing for interviews by using friends as mock-employers she gained an edge in her job search. Read the full article to benefit from all of her insight and advice.
I work as a county Social Services Case Manager and have three and a half years of experience in this position. I spent four months searching many different job listings via the internet and newspaper want ads before I discovered this position posted on Monster.com. The posting was actually for an exam and those who passed the exam were allowed to submit their application and resume for the job.
When creating the resume to apply for this job, I knew I wanted it to stand out. Using computer graphics, I added a small three-tone color block pattern to the top of the resume which set it off and gave it a nice appearance yet kept the resume professional. In fact, when later attending a job interview, a committee told me it was the nicest and most appealing resume they had ever received. I researched ideas for creating resumes on the internet and discovered several sites with modern resume templates; I used these sites for inspiration. This website not only gives ideas for creating a great resume, but also provides tips for job interviewing.
If I were to apply for this same job again but with another company, I would use the same resume but would adjust the wording around to specifically meet the criteria the hiring committee is looking for. Since I know more about what the job duties are after having worked in this position for a considerable period of time, I can add more detailed keywords to the resume to fit the criteria the committee is seeking in a job applicant such as, "ability to adjust my communication style to fit each individual I am assisting." I know now the clients I serve have different lifestyles as well as backgrounds and communication abilities are varied. One communication style does not fit each client and must be adjusted per individual to meet their understanding. This would allow the interview committee to understand that I know how important communication styles are and would set me apart from others.
An important part of my job is keeping up with ever changing regulations and computer technology helps me do this. I work in an office away from most other Case Managers which I need to communicate with on a regular basis in order to help me to keep up with these changes. Our primary source of communication is e-mail through the Microsoft Outlook program. When I receive an e-mail, a small envelope shows up to alert me that I have received the e-mail. I can't image how my job would work without this technology. I also used this same system when I was looking for specific jobs. I could put in specific words I was looking for in a job title such as secretary or administrative assistant. When these jobs would post, I would receive an e-mail alert to notify me that a job posting has been created that I may be interested in.
Job interviews can be very stressful and I learned that the more experience I have interviewing and the better prepared I am, the less stressful the interview will be. I have interviewed for jobs I know I didn't get because I didn't know how to answer a question and became stressed which stopped my ability to answer further questions in a calm and professional manner. The last job interview that I had went very well but it was only because I was well prepared. I tried to anticipate the questions that would be asked by studying the job duties and knew how I was going to answer each question. I sat with someone to practice several times and had them act as the person performing the interview. When I went in for the actual interview, many of the same questions were asked and I knew how to answer each one.
The single most important thing I have learned in the professional job search process is to not just turn in a resume and expect a call. I turned in many resumes that I never heard back from although I was well qualified for the position. I learned to follow up with each resume I had submitted with a quick phone call within a day of submitting the application and asked just a few questions about the job. This let the employers know that I was serious about working for their company and I got more calls for interviews after making those calls. It was also beneficial to know a little bit about the company I was calling and to incorporate this information into the questions I would ask about the position.
Although I know the Career Services programs at colleges or universities can be very helpful in job searching, I did not use these services in finding my current position. However, I did discover that many job postings are listed by employers who post their help wanted requests specifically at colleges or universities trying to get applicants who are freshly trained right out of college.
The only event I would redo in my professional past is to leave a job I was not happy with sooner. Your job and career should make you happy. Although my current job is challenging, it is a job I enjoy and look forward to going to every day I work. I wish I had discovered this job sooner!
This interview was conducted by VeteranJobs.net and is one of several interviews, others include a and a Prison Sergeant.JustJobs.com is a job search engine that finds job listings from company career pages, other job boards, newspapers and associations. With one search, they help you find the job with your name on it.Read more » articles by this approved business partner | Click here » if you’re a businessImage from Lisa F. Young/Shutterstock
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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.
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