#77 – #84: #FBF – How to Land a Job (Series)

December 21, 2018

To celebrate the new year, we decided to relaunch our How to Land a Job series. We’ve broken the job hunt down into eight easy-to-follow steps to ensure the maximum success:

  1. The Connection
  2. The Resume
  3. The Informational Interview
  4. How to Land an Interview
  5. The Interview
  6. The Follow Up
  7. Closing the Deal
  8. The First 90 Days

We sit down with our CEO for 15 minutes each week, every week to get practical business advice so we can advance in our careers. In this series, we learn how to land a job…

Ep77: The Connection

Key Takeaways

  • Personal connections are key. Personal connections are key. Should we say it one more time?
  • Use LinkedIn to find connections to the industry you want to be a part of.
  • Make a robust LinkedIn profile. Join groups, like brands that you respect, and share things you’re interested in.
  • Your LinkedIn profile picture shouldn’t be too casual or too formal… somewhere in between.
  • Keep in mind that when someone introduces you to their network, you’re responsible for following through. You’re representing the person doing you a favor. Don’t take it lightly!
  • Don’t be afraid to reach out to close friends and ask them to introduce you to one of their connections.

 

Ep78: The Resume

Key Takeaways

  • Analyze everything on your resume. A single typo can cost you an interview.
  • CEO’s are looking to see the impact of your work, and not just a list of activities.
  • Avoid speaking too much from the first person – it comes off as narcissistic. Remember to stress how well you worked with a team.
  • Show cause and effect on your resume. What was the issue? And how did you overcome it?
  • Don’t use language that comes off as overly intellectual. Recruiters know when you’re relying on a thesaurus to express yourself.
  • List experiences that help tell a story and craft a narrative about your career.
  • Be sure your personality comes out on your resume. Whatever you can do to make your resume stick out in a pile of other resumes (in a non-annoying way), do it.

Ep79: The Informational Interview 

Key Takeaways

  • The purpose of an informational interview is NOT to get information. It’s a way to increase your network.
  • Go into the informational interview with a specific goal, don’t just ask, “What do you do all day long?” You should be asking for specific feedback.
  • Never say “I want to pick your brain.” You’re not a bird.
  • One of your goals with an informational interview is to leave a good impression on that person.
  • Cold calling to set up an informational interview is difficult. It’s better to have a personal connection make the intro.
  • Follow up twice. First, with an email the day of the informational interview, and then later to remind the person of what’s happening as a result of your conversation.
  • Want to really make a good impression? Write a thank you note.

Ep80: How to Land an Interview 

Key Takeaways

  • Complete whatever it is that they’re asking of you (i.e. cover letter, resume).
  • Try to send the same info to a contact of yours within the company.
  • Always include a cover letter no matter what.
  • Try to figure out a way to include your cover letter information within the body of an email incase the two get separated.

Ep81: The Interview

Key Takeaways

  • Skype Interviews:
    • Think about your backdrop: go as professional as possible.
    • Put your questions on sticky notes and place them all around your monitor. It keeps your eyes up so you’re not looking down during the interview.
    • Download the meeting platform at least one day before your interview so that you have time to test it.

    In Person Interviews:

    • It’s safer to dress up than it is to dress down.
    • Think about the whole package – you want to be carrying something (get a portfolio, or a messenger bag).
    • Your interview starts the second you walk into the building.
    • Arrive to your interview 5 minutes early.
    • Things to do before you arrive:
      • Google the company for any relevant news
      • Read their website
      • Find your interviewer on LinkedIn but don’t request them as a friend
      • Prepare some questions

Ep82: The Follow Up

Key Takeaways

  • Ask for clarification on their process and your place in it.
  • Send out thank you notes and emails to the people that you met with.
  • Follow up with your interviewers a few weeks later.
  • If you’re not hired, feel free to ask them why you didn’t get the job.
  • If you’re not hired, follow up with another handwritten note and a LinkedIn contact request.

Ep83: Closing the Deal 

Key Takeaways

  • Know your salary/benefits package before you accept the offer.
  • Inform a new employer of a scheduled vacation before you sign the offer.
  • Clarify a start date & time.

Ep84: The First 90 Days 

Key Takeaways

  • Be proactive: ask what the first 30-60 days will look like.
  • Ask for a weekly check in with your manager as well as a list of expectations for your 90-day check in.
  • Ask what the culture is like in the new office.
  • Don’t feel pressured to overextend yourself socially in the first 90-days.
  • Understand the lunch culture at your office.
  • Send out LinkedIn invites to your new coworkers.
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