Look at profiles of people who are leaders in the industry you’re targeting to get inspiration for what to highlight and how to present yourself in your own profile.
NETWORK VIRTUALLY
Social distancing hasn’t killed networking; it’s just made it virtual. The usual players – trade organizations, alumni groups and professional organizations – are all still meeting via webinars and video conferencing. Moving online can make networking less intimidating for newbies. You can ease into building connections, absorbing information and building the confidence to eventually become a more active participant. You can, and should, also make meaningful one-on-one connections. Not doing so will put you at a distinct disadvantage, since jobs are often filled via an employee referral. Lisa Kastor, director of career planning at the College of Wooster in Ohio, recommends building a “mentor map” with at least three mentors who can help guide you and make introductions.
“I coach students to identify a person who has at least 10 years of experience, one that knows them well academically and one who knows them well professionally,” Kastor says. “Start with who [you] know, articulate what [you] want and always ask for the recommendation of two more people to reach out to.” TAILOR YOUR RESUME Understand what a company is looking for in a candidate. Then, customize your resume and cover letter to that specific job posting. This is an important step under normal circumstances but it is critical now, as the economic upheaval of the pandemic has increased competition for available jobs. “Don’t be self-defeating and copy and paste the same thing into 100 job applications. That is not the right approach.” Rodenbaugh-Schaub says. Avoid simply listing skills or tasks. Instead, give them context. Highlight how your experience and actions delivered measurable outcomes. Tailoring your resume also means including keywords or phrases from the job posting, since companies use software to sift through the initial barrage of applicants.
Avoid simply listing skills or tasks. Instead, give them context.
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