Whether you’re getting ready for graduation or summer break, there’s one small hurdle blocking the light at the end of the tunnel known as the spring semester: application season. Especially in today’s competitive and uncertain market, landing a job or an internship can feel like full-time employment. If you’re following expert tips and curating each of your applications, the process is time-consuming at best and emotionally draining at worst.
As a grad student who’s worked with career services at multiple institutions and now has several friends who are career services professionals, I love helping make the hunt a little less mentally draining. Today, I’m distilling the wisdom of my mentors and colleagues to help you navigate the process with peace and confidence.
Set Up Detailed Job Alerts
One of the easiest areas to save time in the application process is the search! Many companies and most job boards have the option to set up recurring alerts for new positions that match the criteria you set. You can typically opt for daily or weekly alerts and filter as specifically as the site allows. For example, companies like Disney and NBCUniversal allow you to refine your results based on the most common criteria for postings, while platforms like LinkedIn are beginning to use artificial intelligence to match positions based on your activity and searches.
You might also be able to set up multiple job alerts, which I highly recommend. Since I’m interested in opportunities in the higher education space, I’ve historically had two job alerts set up on HigherEdJobs – one for roles that meet my “target” criteria, and another for roles that fit into a broader classification set, in case a good fit is categorized in a way other than anticipated.
Have Multiple Resumes Pre-Written
You’ve probably heard that your resume needs to be tailored to the job description, not just your cover letter. You’re probably thinking, “How am I supposed to have the time to make a new resume for every application?” Instead of starting from scratch every time, do a little research on the types of jobs you want to apply to first, read through the job descriptions and try to categorize your findings into different “buckets.” From there, you can pre-make a resume for each of your buckets and only have to make minor tweaks if specific applications require it. I’ve even seen a few “master resumes,” which are over one page long and serve as a word bank-style document that you can use to cut and paste into resumes for specific applications. You can have as many versions of your resume as you want, in whatever style works best for your workflow!
Write a Master Cover Letter Template
If you have the space to upload a cover letter, you absolutely should include one. Not only does it show you want to go above and beyond and that you’re truly interested in the role, but it also allows you more space to better explain why you’re a great fit for the position and why the position is a great fit for you. However, cover letters take the most time to complete once you’ve decided to apply to a role.
Similar to your resume, you can have a template ready to go. You’ll likely have a lot of potential experiences, accomplishments or projects you’ll want to mention in your various cover letters, though, so one clever workaround is to have a “master” doc. There, you can keep a couple of sentences about each of your highlighted samples that you can “plug and play” into your primary cover letter template. This prep work helps save time in drafting while maintaining your voice throughout your application.
Prepare a Document with Information You Can Copy and Paste
Unfortunately, some application systems don’t yet have reliable “autofill with resume” options. The ones that do will still likely have questions you’ll see a lot of, where the answers won’t necessarily be on your resume, like reference contact information or the reason for leaving a job. You can speed up this process by keeping a document with these answers pre-saved, so you can just paste them in instead of retyping them every time. As you discover new questions, you can add to this doc.
Start Networking Before You Start Your Active Search
References do make a difference in your application! Think of it as a pre-validation that affirms you’re a real person with at least somewhat relevant skills, not an AI bot applicant (yes, those exist). However, if you’re looking to earn a reference without knowing anyone when you’re ready to apply, you’ll face some obstacles. Most professionals view a reference as their personal recommendation, so they want to trust that what they’re recommending meets their standards. For that to happen, they’ve had to have at least some connection with you prior.
The best way to approach networking is with authenticity and genuine interest. If you’re only looking for a reference, you won’t form as strong a connection. Networking is your opportunity to learn more about the company, become familiar with its roles and structures, and gain insight into whether or not it’s a good fit for your interests before an interview. Even if you never apply to a company you were considering, these networking conversations can provide valuable advice to help you advance your career and discover new potential you didn’t know before.