Job searching is a necessary part of your professional life. However, there are some do’s and don’ts. Right now I’m going to talk about something that hits very close to home when it comes to searching for your next job or even your dream career.

While the title of this post hints at what not to do I also want to touch on a few things that you should do.

What NOT to Do…

  1. Get Discouraged:
    • So you’re sending out 30 resumes a day and aren’t hearing anything back. That doesn’t mean give up does it? No! It means that you should constantly rework your documents to the best of your ability. Heck, you could even send it to a mentor for advice.
  2. Be Afraid to Ask for Help:
    • Students everywhere have advisors and mentors willing to help you out. Use those resources to your fullest potential. I recently applied for an Aquatics Director position at the Avon YMCA (currently being built) and I didn’t get a call back or anything. What did I do? I messaged the HR Manager through LinkedIn and asked how I could improve. She gave me recommendations and I’ve been researching and looking into getting the certifications she suggested.
  3. Burn Bridges:
    • Just because you didn’t get hired, you shouldn’t let them know they missed out in such a strong way that they would never consider you again. Employers may not have had a position for you at that particular point, but it’s no reason to say, “It’s your loss.”

What to Do…

Listed below, you can see some suggestions of how to boost your job searching abilities.

  1. Spruce Up Your Resume:
    • Stop sending the same old resume to new companies. Especially, if you aren’t getting any call backs. A strong and up-to-date resume is a great way to persuade someone to call you. Try a new design and stop using the default “Word” templates. See @robbyslaughter‘s resume. Robby’s Resume!
  2. Improve your Writing:
    • Maybe you have been passing out a stale or dull cover letter. You really need to grasp your reader’s attention in the first 10-15 seconds! If you’re lucky, they’ll keep reading and put you in the “follow-up” pile.
  3. Be Personable:
    • Stop rewriting the same cover letter time in and time out. Write for your audience. If you are applying for jobs at XYZ Company show that you’ve got some insight on who they are and what they do. Also make sure you share how you will help their company.

I wish anyone and everyone the best of luck and I’m also interested in hearing your do’s and don’ts! Please feel free to leave your suggestions in the comments below.