Search for...
Light Dark Auto
Job Search Posts

Job Search

Do not overcomplicate the job search process.

There are just 5 steps you need to follow (in sequential order):

Step 1: Research

Come up with a list of 20 companies.

10 are "practice companies" where you get rejected, learn from your mistakes, and apply learnings to your applications for the 10 "real" companies.

Follow the steps below for all 20 companies.

Step 2: Network

Spend 9 minutes to optimize your LinkedIn profile, so that you can start networking with recruiters and hiring managers (leave thoughtful comments, include common interests in your messages, and share news related to their industry).

The goal here is to land a coffee chat.

Step 3: Apply

Have your resume and cover letter updated and ready. Telling your contact, "Yea let me just update it real quick" screams poor organization and a lack of preparation.

Your LinkedIn profile is an overview of who you are professionally, while your resume and cover letters should be hyper-targeted for each role.

💡
Pro tip: If you replace the company name and the cover letter still makes sense, you don't have a good cover letter.

Step 4: Interview

  1. Use ChatGPT and/or Google Gemini to identify common interview questions based on the role you're applying for, and;
  2. Help you structure your answers using the CARL and RCS frameworks.

Step 5: Follow up

Do whatever it takes to find and save the email of all your interviewers to send follow up emails.

You have no idea the massive difference a "Thank you" note makes.

If the recruiter refuses to share, ask the interviewer at the end of the interview; if the interviewer refuses to share, message them on LinkedIn, if they don't have LinkedIn, guess using their name and company domain.

Take initiative, don't be lazy, increase your luck surface area.

My extremely unpopular opinion

If two people are running away from a bear, the one who survives just needs to run faster than the other guy.

This analogy applies to the job market as well: you don't need to hit all the qualifications listed on a job description, you just need to hit more than the next best candidate.

But, you might also be the one eaten by the bear if you don't out-network and outwork the other candidates. The job market is extremely unfair but complaining does nothing to help you land that job (I was the biggest whiner in college, I would know).

Approach the world as it is, not how it ought to be. Good luck!

Some of my favorite job search resources

  • Cover Letter Template (link)
  • Resume Template (link)
  • Networking Spreadsheet (link)