The Job applicants - Jobseekers fall in here to share your experience

[GreenGem 58]

My tips for finding a job (I work in a corporate professional role, so my advice is based on that and on the advice / conversations had with recruiters - your experiences may differ):

1. Make sure you clearly state you are a Lawful Permanent Resident, or whatever wording states that you are able to commence work immediately.
2. Here in the US, it's a Resume, unless you are an academic, in which case it's a CV.
3. Make your Resume short. In Australia, my Resume was 10 pages long because I've been working a long time. Here that won't fly. 2-4 pages max.
4. Order (besides basic contact details) is core competencies, education, work history, references.
5. With references, list out the names and the titles, even if you don't give out the contact details. As it happens, my employer didn't bother with the reference check but she said she likes having them there on the Resume.
6. Always do a covering letter. Think of your resume as the product, and the cover letter as your elevator pitch. Keep it to one page explaining why you are the best person for the role AND stating, once again, your ability to work immediately in the US.
7. Americanize your spelling.
8. Differentiate your resume, without overdoing it. My resume got me calls from recruiters where I wasn't right for the role, but the layout and presentation of my resume had them saying 'Look, I know this isn't the role for you but can we meet anyway and talk through your resume'. Don't underestimate the impact of a visually impressive resume.
9. Treat job hunting like a job. Each morning I had an email arrive from Indeed.com with roles that suited my skills. I would, after dropping the kids off at school, sit down and narrow down the ones I wanted to apply for. I then spent the morning creating cover letters (make them unique, the recruiters can tell what is copy and pasted) and submitting applications. I kept a spreadsheet of each role I had applied for and when.
10. Follow up a few days after you submit. It doesn't hurt and it shows you have hustle.

As I mentioned previously, I was looking for five weeks and, in the end, had three excellent offers from which to pick. I did all of the above. I didn't get my dream job. But I got my dream organization and I figure, I'm in now and it's up to me to target and get that dream job.

Thank you so much for this Emily. I had been looking for a job for 4 months now and landed 2 interviews but no offer yet. It's really hard. Can I seek your opinion about my resume? It's only a page long. The only job experience written was the one I had before I migrated here and I've had the same job for five years. Will that be ok?

[EmilyW 1,461]

Sure, PM me and I'll give you my email address.