Ep. 071: Questions to Ask Before You Apply for a Job, with Amanda Augustine

Successful job searches require time and effort. Spending time customizing job applications, targeting a job search, and a goal-oriented personal brand, will help job seekers find success more quickly, says career advice expert, Amanda Augustine. She advises job seekers to pick one goal for their job search, and then make sure all materials they create reflect that goal.

In today’s world, a professional resume is not enough. Job seekers also need to have an online presence that tells a consistent story. 90% of employers research job applicants online before deciding to interview them. This means social media accounts should have the proper privacy settings and your LinkedIn profile should closely match your job search goal. You are selling the most important thing you will ever sell in your life, which is your experience and your talents.

Even if you are considering a short-term job to pay the bills, look for the jobs that make the most sense for your long-term goals. If you are overqualified or underqualified for a job, but have reasons for pursuing it, utilize a cover letter to explain your reasons. Amanda suggests leveraging your network. A Career Crossroads study found job seekers are 10 times more likely to get a position, when an application is accompanied by a referral from an employee.

Mix these 3 methods of job searches for best results:

• Online job listings.
• Leverage a personal and professional network.
• Outreach to recruiters.

Applications and resumes will more than likely go through a piece of electronic software known as an applicant tracking system. The systems are designed to screen and rank resumes before sending them to the recruiter or hiring manager. If your resume is not formatted to make it through the system, a human may never read it.  Do online research to make sure you include the right keywords to pass the initial gatekeeper system.

Pro Tip — Make sure the must-haves of a job description match your qualifications closely.

Amanda Augustine Bio

Amanda Augustine is the career advice expert for TopResume. She gives job search and career guidance to professionals who want better careers, and to find the right job, sooner.  Amanda blogs regularly about career advancement on the TopResume website and also contributes to The Huffington Post. Her blog post, 7 Important Questions Every Job Seeker Should Ask Themselves inspired today’s podcast episode.

Ben’s Job Search Resource:

Ben’s resource this week is Cold Turkey. Cold Turkey is commitment based software that blocks websites you use as diversions, such as Facebook or other social media. The program includes a timer and once you set the timer you are unable to access the websites you submitted for up to 8 hours. Job seekers can use this to block notifications from job list websites that send out hourly notifications.

Jenna’s Find Your Dream Job Listener Question:

Jenna, Ben, and Mac offer advice to Thomas Ewing, who asks today’s Listener Question, “Should a recent college graduate go directly to graduate school or get job experience first?”

Listen to this podcast resource for additional information on the topic:

• How to Transition from College to Career with Satya Byock

If you would like the team to answer a job-related question, email it to jenna@macslist.org, or call her at 716-JOB-TALK. If we use your question on the air, you will receive either a copy of our new book, Land Your Dream Job Anywhere or a Mac’s List Coffee Mug, your choice. Or, if you’ve found a job resource you think everyone should know about, send it to ben@macslist.org, and tell him how it has helped you find your dream job.

Ben and Jenna’s segments are sponsored by Land Your Dream Job Anywhere (to be published February 1, 2017). The book offers practical, actionable, and proven tools to help you get clear about your career goals, find hidden jobs, ace your next interview, and more. Join the pre-publication list and get the first chapter of this useful resource free.

If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support!

Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com.

Tweetables:

“Find the right job, sooner with the Mac’s List Land Your Dream Job Anywhere book.”

“The sooner you have a targeted job search, the sooner you will get a specific type of job.”

“Your job search is a sales job, and the product you are selling is you."

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