Finding the job of your dreams can be pretty tough. Matching your preferences to the employer’s preferences and acing every step of the process is a daunting task, but with a little preparation and organization, you’ll be blazing your way through the professional world in no time.
Step 1: Create a Resume
Start out by listing out everything professionally significant you’ve done with general date ranges, and a slight description of what you did there. A general rule of thumb for resumes is to keep it at one page. Make sure you keep notes of what experiences might be more important to certain employers and types of jobs, and be ready to tailor it specifically for each job you apply to. Creating a LinkedIn account and uploading all your experiences there can be really helpful!
Google Docs, Word, and the internet as a whole have lots of fun and creative templates that can be a great jumping off point!
Step 2: Start Searching!
Jobhunting can seem super intimidating at first because of the sheer amount of opportunities out there (or sometimes the lack thereof), but websites like Indeed, LinkedIn, Handshake, Monster, and Glassdoor are amazing points to start. Make sure you know what you’re looking for (full time or part time?), is there a specific location, season, amount of pay, or other preference you have?), and create a list of opportunities that interest you.
Alternatively, if you know anyone working for a specific department or company you’re interested in, ask them to keep an eye out for potential openings for you or if they could set up a job shadow for you to learn more about it.
Step 3: Apply!
Once you’ve got at least four or five jobs that interest you, list out everything each application needs, put it all together, tailor your resume, write a cover letter if necessary (super helpful guides and templates for these are abundant online), and submit it!
Step 4: The Interview
Congrats! Your application totally rocked their socks off, and they’ve called you in for an interview. Before you go to an interview, make sure you’ve thorougly researched the company if you haven’t already. Know their mission, their values, the job you would be doing, and formulate a list of questions you have about the position well in advance. Also, even if there’s no dress code stated, it always creates a better impression to be a little more formal than necessary rather than a little more casual than they’d like.
Overall, be bold, be confident in yourself and your skills, and do the best you can!
Step 5: The Aftermath
If you’ve gotten the job, congrats! Be proud of yourself taking this step forward in your career. If not, that’s alright too! According to the LA Times, the average job seeker is rejected twenty-four times before finding their fit, and every job application is great practice for future interviews. Keep searching, keep trying, and eventually, you’re bound to find your fit!