How to Effectively Prepare for Your Job Search

While embarking on a job search may feel a bit daunting, if you get organized before you kick things off, the process will likely be a lot smoother. While it may take a while to hear back from recruiters and companies, having yourself well-prepared will relieve some of the stress from this journey. 

Here’s a checklist to make your job search feel more seamless. Control what you can control. WARNING: There’s a lot of building, creating, and self-reflection ahead.

• Gather your evaluations and work samples – understand your strengths and weaknesses. Identify tasks you truly enjoy and those you want to avoid.
  
• Build a list of 20-30 accomplishments – be able to talk about each one in the STAR format in an interview and ensure they cover the most common behavioral interview questions.

• Build your resume – I recommend creating 1 master resume that includes every accomplishment and detail from your work history. Length and format are not as important here. This isn’t being sent to anyone – it’s a tool for you from which you can copy and paste into a new, customized resume for every position to which you apply that includes the most relevant skills and accomplishments for that specific role. While you can’t change where you worked and when, you can alter the order in which you present information under each role and the skills you highlight. Be sure to write a summary that captivates the reader and encourages them to read the fine details.

• Build your LinkedIn profile to align with your resume – Some companies will check for consistency.
  
• Set up an appropriate email account – If you get 200+ junk emails per day, create a free account that includes your name, initials, or some combination that readily identifies you. This will allow for easier access to key messages and the fun email addresses from the 1990s and early 2000s are no longer in style.  Also, create a professional email signature on your personal account. You can also carry this same signature over to your phone. 

• Ensure your voicemail isn’t full – Make the greeting simple and professional. And check it. Recruiters will call you and leave messages.

• Build templates that are customizable – Draft a cover letter that can be customized to a specific employer and job. Draft a thank you letter that can be customized to a specific employer and job. Draft a networking email that can be tailored to a specific individual, industry, company, job, etc. Have a base from which to work and the customization piece becomes much easier.

• Create a list of target companies – companies you admire, those who have shared values, those who truly interest you and you are excited to work for. Then expand it to include competitors and upstream/downstream organizations.

• Create a list of target job titles – Titles in companies can be deceiving. Some clients call an accountant an analyst and a CFO of a $5 million company required a completely different skill set than a Fortune 500 CFO. Use this as a guide when searching for positions but keep your options open. Don’t have blinders on.

• Build a tracking mechanism – Keep track of where you apply, who you network with, and when you need to follow up. This will keep you on track and ensure nothing falls through the cracks. 

Your preparedness is within your control. Ensure you are ready to impress every person you connect with to get to that next step in your career.