Game Changing Career Advice for Your Job Search

One of my favorite Instagram features is the question box for Stories. It makes interacting with followers easy whether we want to discuss red flags when dating or crowdsourcing recommendations. Over the weekend, I asked Instagram followers to share a piece of career advice that was a game changer for job searching. Per usual, I’m blown away by the wealth of knowledge that this community has!

Game Changing Career Advice for Your Job Search | Washington DC Blogger

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Following discourse and analysis around the Great Resignation has been interesting especially seeing it play out among friends and even at the company I work for. The combination of the labor shortage and pandemic has led to lots of open positions and opportunities to seek out higher paying roles for some. As a disclaimer: things vary by industry, position, and geographic region so be sure to do further research with all advice.

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Game Changing Career Advice for Your Job Search | Why is the Role Open?

Employee turnover can tell a story which is why it’s a good idea to ask why the position you’re applying for is open.  Some advice from followers around this:

“You need to ask why the position is open. Interviews are TWO way streets.”

“An interview goes both ways; be confident knowing what you bring to the table.”

“Ask why the position is available? Is it new? Why did the last person leave?”

“Ask how many people have filled the position in the last year. It can be very telling.”

Game Changing Career Advice for Your Job Search | Be Ready to Negotiate

Negotiating can be uncomfortable but is not something to shy away from. In most cases, hiring managers are going to want to hire you for the least amount of money they can so be prepared to counter offer (and even walk away if they refuse to offer what research says your worth.) Here are the negotiating tips from readers:

“Always negotiate salary! The worst they can say is no.”

“Ask for more: money, development, training, etc. Whatever it is that you need to be successful.”

“Consider the entire package (salary, bonus structure, 401k, education benefits, etc.)”

“Don’t lowball yourself. I got a $50,000 raise by making a jump recently.”

“Salary isn’t the only negotiable! (Work from home, flex working opportunities, bonuses, time off) Whatever is important to you is worth negotiating.”

“When asked salary, say the highest number that doesn’t make you laugh (after researching). Try to ask them the range they have budgeted. Recruiters, HR, and hiring managers EXPECT you to try to negotiate so don’t be scared. There’s almost always another $5,000.”

“For expected salary or salary history, I always list $0 or $1. Don’t negotiate against yourself.”

Game Changing Career Advice for Your Job Search | Tips for Interviewing for a Job

Interviewing can understandably be nerve-racking. I try to look at all interviews as good practice so that even if you completely bomb an interview, you’re getting personal growth in that you’re learning more about how to interview, potential questions, and how to answer those questions. Here’s the advice y’all shared when it comes to interviewing:

“Keep a ‘Me’ file: a record of praise and compliments given by colleagues.”

“An interview is nothing more than a conversation between two people to see if it makes sense to do business together.”

“Be sure to ask where previous people who held this role have gone.”

“Always send a thank you note after an interview, even if you think you botched it.”

“Ask, ‘What qualities do the other applicants have that I don’t have?’ Then respond with confidence.”

“You are interviewing them just as much as they’re interviewing you. Follow your gut!”

“If you’re offered an interview, you’re qualified on paper; they want to see if your personality fits.”

“A boss told me to ‘always be interviewing, don’t stay unless it’s your best choice.'”

Game Changing Career Advice for Your Job Search | The Job Application Process and Writing a Cover Letter

One job searching fact that has stayed with me since I first heard it is this, “Men apply for a job when they meet only 60% of the qualifications, while women only apply when they meet 100% of them.” Here’s some of what y’all had to say on the job application process:

“Tailor your resume to each job application. Use action verbs that show you can do it. You don’t need to be able to do 100% of the things on the job description. Apply with confidence.”

“If you apply for something that’s a stretch, either with content or experience-wise, write a cover letter! This lets you connect the dots in a way that resumes often can’t.”

“Use resume keywords to trick the app algorithm — use LinkedIn to mimic language.”

“I hired a resume writer and it was worth every penny.”

“Hiring a resume writer helped me find the confidence to apply outside the company and to pitch a new role in my current company with a pay raise.”

“Take your graduation date off your resume.”

“Turn on the ‘looking for work’ feature on LinkedIn. Recruiters will reach out.” Pro tip: you can turn this feature on and set it to only be visible to recruiters.

“For every 10k ins salary you want to make, it takes one month to find a job. So if you want 80k, go into the search with the goal of an eight month timeline.”

“Maintain your resume and interview regularly.”

“Look at the ICJY method of cover letter writing! Industry, career, job, you. Zoom in with each paragraph from what about the industry interests you down to why you would be a good fit for them.”

“My Masters advisor told me not to count myself out before employers do. I’ve always applied for jobs I was interested in. Even if I didn’t think I was qualified. Although I’m still job searching, I’ve gotten interviews that I didn’t think I would ever get. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there!”

Game Changing Career Advice for Your Job Search | Is Job Hopping Bad?

This is fully my opinion, but the career norms we were taught have shifted. There’s a number of factors: generational differences, the pandemic, increase in remote work, technology, etc. If you look at LinkedIn or any type of career forum, you’ll see a lot of discourse around what the appropriate time to switch jobs is. Again, there’s no one size fits all for any advice (!!!) but it’s smart to always keep your eyes and ears open to opportunities. Here’s some of what readers thought about leaving your current role for a new one:

“Get the pay increase you deserve by changing jobs every 2-4 years. This worked for me!”

“The only way I doubled my salary was to leave my job (and then was hired back at the new rate.)”

“My last raise was less than 1%. The only way I’ve been able to ‘get a raise’ that will actually change my life was to find a new employer. My last two employers didn’t offer merit based raises.”

“People who stay at the same company for two or more years on average make 50% less in their lifetime.”

Game Changing Career Advice for Your Job Search | General Job Advice

Honestly y’all came through with so many good tidbits. I asked the question hoping it would be helpful for someone out there and was really impressed by the thoughtful responses. Some more advice from the audience:

“Stand up for yourself especially if you’re a women I’m the only woman in the room most days but I run that room and don’t let people try to talk down to me.”

“Find a mentor and then BE a mentor. Pay it forward always!”

“Utilize your network.”

“Build your experience and skills so that you’re invaluable.”

“Review your employee benefits regularly! Not just your health insurance plan but perks like discounts, gym, health related items, and reimbursement programs. Research FSA eligible items because some will surprise you! Sunscreen over SPF 15, skincare products with acne fighting ingredients, menstrual products — including period underwear, and even travel expenses for medical appointments may all be covered.”

“Find a person who’s job you’d like to have and see what skills they have that you can be working on.”

“Get every promise in writing and set boundaries.”

“Don’t leave a job until you have a job.”

“Consider moving far away for a job. Even if it doesn’t work out forever – it’ll be an experience.”

“Your company wants you to stay — it’s cheaper for them than hiring someone new for your position. Ask for a raise or a bonus especially now as people are leaving jobs.”

“Read Glassdoor — some stuff could be exaggerated but you could see consistent problems.”

“My father in law told me that you’ve got to change jobs to succeed. It helped me to leave a 10 year job.”

“Don’t hesitate to reach out to people with backgrounds or jobs you admire for advice.”

“Get LinkedIn Premium and reach out to recruiters.”

Hope this was a helpful post! I know I’m always curious to hear insight from others about things like job hunting, salary negotiations, when to leave a job, the list goes on. Huge thank you to everyone that chimed in over on Instagram.