Finding a new job: Explain Like I'm 5
April 2, 2018 9:22 AM Subscribe
I am tentatively looking for a new job. I have never really looked for a job in my adult life -- I got lucky and have been promoted and worked my way up the ladder at the place I was hired at straight out of college, and even that came from a summer "internship", where they hired me because I was the kid of someone who worked here. So now that I decided that I want to explore new opportunities, I do not have the skills to even know where to start. Help!
What do job-seekers do? Is having a LinkedIn profile and network mandatory? Should I reach out to a recruiter to find things for me? I've perused Indeed and GlassDoor - are there other websites that are good for this? I've applied to 2 jobs over the weekend, but they both seem sort of long-shots -- not exactly what I've been doing, but something I honestly believe I can bring useful skills to. I'm in a great position where this is really all optional, but as long as I'm expending effort, I want to make it worthwhile and give myself the best chance possible.
If it's relevant, my background is in Manufacturing -- specifically production planning, buying, EHS, and Continuous Improvement.
What do job-seekers do? Is having a LinkedIn profile and network mandatory? Should I reach out to a recruiter to find things for me? I've perused Indeed and GlassDoor - are there other websites that are good for this? I've applied to 2 jobs over the weekend, but they both seem sort of long-shots -- not exactly what I've been doing, but something I honestly believe I can bring useful skills to. I'm in a great position where this is really all optional, but as long as I'm expending effort, I want to make it worthwhile and give myself the best chance possible.
If it's relevant, my background is in Manufacturing -- specifically production planning, buying, EHS, and Continuous Improvement.
Suggestion #1: Spend time figuring out what jobs (or job fields) interest you. Consider what you like, and are accomplished in, at your current job. There may be some clues there. Investigate "job counseling" or "aptitude testing", perhaps through a community college or social services agency. It's OK that you end up with several ideas about where you might fit. This will be a worthwhile mental exercise because there's a direct correlation between the clarity of your focus and the value of the advice you will get.
Suggestion #2: Drop the reference to "tentatively." True, you may be uncertain about where and how to start. But in the end, you are either looking for a job or you're not.
posted by John Borrowman at 9:48 AM on April 2, 2018
Suggestion #2: Drop the reference to "tentatively." True, you may be uncertain about where and how to start. But in the end, you are either looking for a job or you're not.
posted by John Borrowman at 9:48 AM on April 2, 2018
Networking is key. Who do you know? Do they work places you would like to work? Do you have former co-workers who have moved on that you are still in any kind of touch with? What about old classmates? Even if they don't know of specific jobs, once they know you are looking, they may forward things they hear about to you.
posted by Rock Steady at 10:05 AM on April 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Rock Steady at 10:05 AM on April 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
The usefulness of LinkedIn varies a lot by field (it's pretty useless in mine), but I think one thing that makes it helpful is that you can google an organization you're applying for and then look up relevant staff on LinkedIn, supposing you already have a profile and lots of connections. At that point, you can see if anyone you know well knows someone at the organization, because getting your resume off the pile very often has to do with having an in.
posted by Smearcase at 10:17 AM on April 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Smearcase at 10:17 AM on April 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
Network. Let colleagues, friends in the field, former professors, etc. know you are looking. If you have acquaintances in your field you don't really know, invite them to get coffee and ask them about how they were able to climb the ladder and what skills employers are looking for these days. Let them know you're looking and you'd love to be kept in mind.
LinkedIn is a good idea because job listings are posted there. Recruiters also use it to find candidates. Also, I think it helps if they look you up and see you share some similar people in your network connections.
Don't apply to jobs via Indeed or a website like that. I was hiring for a job once and somehow it ended up on Indeed.com. No one at my company put it there, Indeed must have somehow scraped our own jobs page -- and the number of resumes via Indeed was overwhelming and they were pretty much all horrible. The resumes I got were so bad that I basically thought less of anyone who applied through Indeed, as if it reflected poorly on everyone who didn't go directly to our website and apply directly. (We could see if they came via Indeed or not.) If you are applying for jobs through a site like Indeed, you are competing with a ton of people because there are people there that will apply for any and everything. At the bare minimum, when you find a job you're interested in, go directly to the employer's website and apply that way. (But better yet, find someone in your network who knows someone there and who can refer you.)
posted by AppleTurnover at 10:55 AM on April 2, 2018 [3 favorites]
LinkedIn is a good idea because job listings are posted there. Recruiters also use it to find candidates. Also, I think it helps if they look you up and see you share some similar people in your network connections.
Don't apply to jobs via Indeed or a website like that. I was hiring for a job once and somehow it ended up on Indeed.com. No one at my company put it there, Indeed must have somehow scraped our own jobs page -- and the number of resumes via Indeed was overwhelming and they were pretty much all horrible. The resumes I got were so bad that I basically thought less of anyone who applied through Indeed, as if it reflected poorly on everyone who didn't go directly to our website and apply directly. (We could see if they came via Indeed or not.) If you are applying for jobs through a site like Indeed, you are competing with a ton of people because there are people there that will apply for any and everything. At the bare minimum, when you find a job you're interested in, go directly to the employer's website and apply that way. (But better yet, find someone in your network who knows someone there and who can refer you.)
posted by AppleTurnover at 10:55 AM on April 2, 2018 [3 favorites]
This first bit may sound obvious but I certainly took a while to learn this:
Be unrelentingly positive at the interview. Don't criticize their products or company even to show how great your alternative ideas are or how much improvement you would be able to make there. Find nice things to say about their current products and company instead.
Always apply directly to the company - they hate going through third parties.
Every time you send out a resumé, edit it to feature the bits that are most relevant to that job. You want to make it obvious that you are the right person.
posted by w0mbat at 11:18 AM on April 2, 2018 [5 favorites]
Be unrelentingly positive at the interview. Don't criticize their products or company even to show how great your alternative ideas are or how much improvement you would be able to make there. Find nice things to say about their current products and company instead.
Always apply directly to the company - they hate going through third parties.
Every time you send out a resumé, edit it to feature the bits that are most relevant to that job. You want to make it obvious that you are the right person.
posted by w0mbat at 11:18 AM on April 2, 2018 [5 favorites]
Agree that first, you need to figure out what you want to do.
Second, get your basic application materials in order. Fix up your resume and make sure it highlights your accomplishments, not just your job description. There's a lot of great advice on Ask a Manager. For me, it was worth the $$ to hire a company to help me with my resume (PM me if you want a rec). Write out a generic cover letter that you'll customize for each app. Create a basic LinkedIn profile and make some connections.
Third, start searching on relevant sites. Indeed, GlassDoor, and LinkedIn are your best bets probably. Set up email alerts. Create a spreadsheet to keep track of jobs your interested in. If you know specific companies you want to apply to, check their career pages weekly.
When you apply to a job, you'll want to tweak your cover letter a little bit and possibly massage your resume to make sure you're using similar language and highlighting what they're looking for. I do actually think it's best to apply on the company's website (rather than through Indeed or LinkedIn), because there's less chance that something will go wrong in the submission (this has happened to me). I recommend copying the job posting into a word processing doc for later review, because if they contact you for an interview and the posting is no longer live, you'll at least know what you applied for! Mark in your spreadsheet when you applied.
Fourth, look on LinkedIn to see if you know anyone who works at the company you applied to, or if you have any second-degree connections. Reach out to them. Also email or InMail anyone you know in your industry or at companies you're interested in, tell them what you're looking for, and ask them to keep an eye out for you for relevant openings.
To speak to your note about "long shots," I think a good rule of thumb is to apply for a job that you think you meet about 80% of the requirements for. No employer expects to get a candidate who matches 100% of the bullets on the posting, but 80% is a good ballpark.
posted by radioamy at 11:29 AM on April 2, 2018 [5 favorites]
Second, get your basic application materials in order. Fix up your resume and make sure it highlights your accomplishments, not just your job description. There's a lot of great advice on Ask a Manager. For me, it was worth the $$ to hire a company to help me with my resume (PM me if you want a rec). Write out a generic cover letter that you'll customize for each app. Create a basic LinkedIn profile and make some connections.
Third, start searching on relevant sites. Indeed, GlassDoor, and LinkedIn are your best bets probably. Set up email alerts. Create a spreadsheet to keep track of jobs your interested in. If you know specific companies you want to apply to, check their career pages weekly.
When you apply to a job, you'll want to tweak your cover letter a little bit and possibly massage your resume to make sure you're using similar language and highlighting what they're looking for. I do actually think it's best to apply on the company's website (rather than through Indeed or LinkedIn), because there's less chance that something will go wrong in the submission (this has happened to me). I recommend copying the job posting into a word processing doc for later review, because if they contact you for an interview and the posting is no longer live, you'll at least know what you applied for! Mark in your spreadsheet when you applied.
Fourth, look on LinkedIn to see if you know anyone who works at the company you applied to, or if you have any second-degree connections. Reach out to them. Also email or InMail anyone you know in your industry or at companies you're interested in, tell them what you're looking for, and ask them to keep an eye out for you for relevant openings.
To speak to your note about "long shots," I think a good rule of thumb is to apply for a job that you think you meet about 80% of the requirements for. No employer expects to get a candidate who matches 100% of the bullets on the posting, but 80% is a good ballpark.
posted by radioamy at 11:29 AM on April 2, 2018 [5 favorites]
Realize that it can take a long time, a lot of applications, and a lot of interviews.
posted by paper chromatographologist at 12:57 PM on April 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by paper chromatographologist at 12:57 PM on April 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
Oh yeah paper chromatographologist makes a great point...it will take a lot longer than you expect. You'll submit a lot more applications than you expect. Most places won't even send you an email telling you they've received your application, let alone when they've rejected you.
Another thing: ignore any advice of your college career center, your parents, and anybody who hasn't hired anyone in the past 5 years. I'm serious. Anyone who tells you to pick up the phone and call an employer, they're out of touch with current norms. Anyone who says you need an "objective" on your resume, also very out of touch (what you really want is a "summary of qualifications"). There's a lot of bad and outdated advice out there!
Also, yeah, AppleTurnover, I don't know what it is about Indeed, but most applications sent through their portal look like garbage. I can't figure out if the applicants are aware of it or not! It's a legitimate site but it's doing applicants a disservice. (And to answer your question on how your job posting got on there—they're both an aggregator and a pay-per-click advertising service. They scrape for jobs, and companies also pay to have their postings "featured" on the site.)
posted by radioamy at 2:25 PM on April 2, 2018 [8 favorites]
Another thing: ignore any advice of your college career center, your parents, and anybody who hasn't hired anyone in the past 5 years. I'm serious. Anyone who tells you to pick up the phone and call an employer, they're out of touch with current norms. Anyone who says you need an "objective" on your resume, also very out of touch (what you really want is a "summary of qualifications"). There's a lot of bad and outdated advice out there!
Also, yeah, AppleTurnover, I don't know what it is about Indeed, but most applications sent through their portal look like garbage. I can't figure out if the applicants are aware of it or not! It's a legitimate site but it's doing applicants a disservice. (And to answer your question on how your job posting got on there—they're both an aggregator and a pay-per-click advertising service. They scrape for jobs, and companies also pay to have their postings "featured" on the site.)
posted by radioamy at 2:25 PM on April 2, 2018 [8 favorites]
Have you read What Color is Your Parachute? It's not just about finding your desired career; the book is a job search manual. It's updated for the new economy, and is an invaluable resource.
posted by missmary6 at 5:26 PM on April 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by missmary6 at 5:26 PM on April 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
Specialty job boards tend to have more postings as you get further in your career. It may also be worth figuring out what local groups in your career field have networking events (whether it's a course, seminar, dinner, etc).
posted by typecloud at 10:37 AM on April 3, 2018
posted by typecloud at 10:37 AM on April 3, 2018
Set up a linked-in profile so that if someone googles you they can see that. I've always found jobs through people i knew. I wasn't "getting coffee and talking shop" networking, but i did let everybody know i was looking for a job, especially coworkers at my current job (with discretion) and that often gave me an in to somewhere.
posted by WeekendJen at 1:30 PM on April 3, 2018
posted by WeekendJen at 1:30 PM on April 3, 2018
Whatever you do, just know that I love you and support you, no matter what. Playing any part in your myriad successes has been the high point of my life. If you fall on your face, it won't change the way I feel about you one bit.
posted by Mr. Fig at 2:02 PM on April 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Mr. Fig at 2:02 PM on April 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: What's got 2 thumbs and a new job??
THIS FIG.
(2 weeks! apparently I am a hot commodity. or, I just timed things right out of luck)
I used a little bit of all of your advice, so thank you!
posted by Fig at 11:51 AM on April 24, 2018 [5 favorites]
THIS FIG.
(2 weeks! apparently I am a hot commodity. or, I just timed things right out of luck)
I used a little bit of all of your advice, so thank you!
posted by Fig at 11:51 AM on April 24, 2018 [5 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by neushoorn at 9:28 AM on April 2, 2018 [3 favorites]