Elements of the Career Search Process
Below are listed the fundamentals of the career search process. Please contact Regina (regina.regazzi@gatewayscareers.com) if you are interested in getting coached in a particular area or the entire process.
Resume
The resume should tell the reader who you are and where you want to go. Every bullet point on your resume is an opportunity to hook the reader into wanting to speak with you. A good resume will tell the story about where you’ve been, with sections showing progression and growth, taking the reader on a logical path to who you are today. If the average time someone takes to read a resume is between five and seven seconds, you must focus on the most important points you want to make and position those right where the reader glances.
Cover Letter
The cover letter should share the most pertinent information tying your experiences with the job you seek. The job description is your guide to how to focus your cover letter. You can use paragraph or bulleted formats (two-three bullets).
Networking/ Target List
Networking is hands-down the most important part of the career search process. If people can champion you from within the company, you have a much higher chance of moving your resume to the top of the pile and getting the interview. A variety of tools are readily available to help you build out your target list of companies. LinkedIn is a great resource to see if you have first or second degree ties into a company and role. Your “informational interview” email requests should be customized, giving the recipient a reason to want or at least be willing to speak with you.
Interviewing
Interviewing is your chance to tell stories that prove to a company that you can do a job. If your stories show that you have previously done something, the assumption is that you can do it again. Generally, you should have 7-10 holistic stories that check a number of boxes, and you should practice them so that you are able to respond no matter how the questions are asked .
Decision-making/ Negotiation
Ideally, you are already thinking about what is important to you, so that when you have a job offer in hand, you are able to evaluate it based on whether it checks the boxes for what’s most important to you. The goal is to be able to add value quickly so that your new teammates see you as a great addition to the team/company while also having an opportunity to grow in the role.