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Resumes

15 Locating Job Openings

Once you have gathered the necessary information for your resume, the next step is to locate a job opening you would like to apply for. I recommend job search websites such as LinkedIn, Handshake, and Indeed.com, but there are many others. Further, if you have a company in mind that you would like to work for, check their website directly for job openings. (In fact, I recommend that if you find an opening on a job search site always check to see if the opening is posted on the company’s website. It is better to apply through their online portal directly than to apply through a third-party site.)

Before you start searching, familiarize yourself with job titles and keywords in your field to increase your chances of a productive search. It is important to know what specific job titles are used for entry level positions, and what key words or skills employers in this field are typically searching for.

When I graduated from college, I wasn’t familiar with entry level job titles. As a new graduate looking for positions in public relations I applied for a lot of positions as a PR Coordinator. The title sounded appropriate, and I felt qualified for the positions. But what I didn’t know did hurt me. I found out later that “coordinator” is not an entry level position in PR. Instead, I should have been searching for PR Specialist positions. I wasted a lot of time, and my ego was severely bruised when I didn’t get calls for interviews. I could have easily avoided this misstep with a simple google search of “job titles for entry level positions in PR.”

Spend some time experimenting with searching on sites that post job openings and familiarize yourself with open opportunities in your field. It is a good idea to look at both jobs you are qualified for, and jobs you would like to get in the future.

Take note of the keywords and skills employers tell you they are looking for in their job postings. These are words or phrases you see repeated on multiple job openings (and you probably also saw them during your google search for keywords in your field.) These keywords should be included in your resume and your cover letter to demonstrate that you understand your field as well as current employer needs.

 

Keeping Records

As you conduct your job search it is important to keep good records. If you see a job openings that intrigue you, save it to your computer or print out a hard copy. It can often be difficult to find openings again, and sometimes employers pull openings from the internet once they receive a certain number of applicants. It would be a shame to see something you are interested in only for it to disappear later when you are ready to apply.

Further, it is important to have a copy of the original job opening to review when you are called for an interview. Remember, the job posting tells us everything this employer is looking for. It is like having the answers to the test before the test is given. If this original posting is lost, or can’t be located, you will be at a disadvantage when you go in for your interview.

I also recommend creating a spreadsheet to keep he jobs you apply for organized and even create separate folders on your computer that include the job posting and the application materials you send to this employer. The better records you keep, the easier time you will have later in your job search, as you can review these before your interviews.

When you create your spreadsheet, here are some of the categories you may want to include:

  • Name of employer
  • Position title
  • Original job posting
  • Where job posting was located
  • Date you applied
  • Contact information
  • Was I contacted for an interview? Y/N
  • Follow-up details

 

Activity: Create a job search spreadsheet

Using the suggestions above, create a job search spreadsheet that you will use later when you begin your job search.

 

The Importance of Identifying Keywords on the Job Opening

As previously mentioned, it is important to be up to date on the key words and phrases in your field. But once you select a job opening you would like to apply for, the keywords the employer uses in the posting become even more important.

Remember, an employer puts out a job description that includes exactly what they are looking for in a candidate. It is up to you to demonstrate that you are the right person to fill this role by addressing each of the needs they have listed on the original opening. Your resume will only be reviewed for a matter of seconds during the first round, so using the exact keywords and phrases on the original posting will help the person, or machine, who is scanning your resume quickly see that you are a good fit for the position.

I like to highlight the keywords and phrases right on the original job opening. That way as I am creating my resume for this position, I don’t have to keep rereading the listing. This also comes in handy later if I am called in for an interview because I can easily review the listing and don’t have to search for the keywords and phrases again.

As you review multiple job openings you will see that some keywords are repeated, but it is important to cue in on what is unique about the specific opening you are applying for. You will find that each job posting is unique, and to have the best chance and being called for interviews, you will want to make each resume you create for each job opening unique, as well.

While a lot of information can be repeated from resume to resume, each resume should be unique for each opening that you apply for and include the key words and phrases they have demonstrated are important by including them in their job posting. Save all the resumes you create, eventually tailoring your resume to each unique posting will get easier as you can copy and paste from previous versions of your resume to create new and unique resumes that meet the needs of every job opening you apply for.

 

Activity: Identify a specific opening and keywords on the posting

Select a specific job opening and mark all the keywords and important qualifications they are looking for.

 

Activity Using Generative AI: Identify keywords on the job posting

Copy and paste the job description into generative AI and ask it to identify key words and phrases.

 

Conducting Research on the Company’s Website

Before you jump into creating your resume spend time reading through everything on the company’s website. Employers provide a nice overview of the company and their values on their websites. Often you can find employee profiles, mission statements, initiatives, community projects and other information that will truly give you a feel for the company and what they value. This can give you a lot of clues as to what type of candidate they are looking for and ideas for things to include in your resume and cover letter and to talk about in an interview that the employer is connected to, and thinks are important.

Being able to demonstrate in your resume, cover letter, and in the interview that you are familiar with the company on a variety of levels will only be to your advantage, and it demonstrates that you are serious about the position, that you are knowledgeable about the company and the industry, that you pay attention to detail, and that you take the time to research to prepare yourself for new situations.

For example, I was interested in working for an organization a few years ago and after reviewing their website I learned that community service and volunteer work were of particular importance to them. Their website was filled with descriptions of employee service work and their mission statement mentioned the importance of giving back to the community. I revamped my resume to highlight my volunteer experience, and during the interview I was told, “Great that you have so much volunteer experience. That is important here.” Having this extra insight helped me secure this coveted position over other applicants who were just as qualified in terms of education, skills, and experience.

 

Activity: Research the company

  1. What is the company’s mission statement?
  2. What values are expressed on the company’s website?
  3. Do you know anyone who works here? Can you conduct an informational interview with them to learn more about the company and/or the position?
  4. If you have LinkedIn, double check if anyone you know is employed at this company. Many times we are connected with people but are not up to date on their current employer.
  5. Are there current initiatives included on the company website? What are they? Do you have any experience or connection to these initiatives? If so, how?
  6. Consider your research. How can you include items on your resume that align with this company’s goals and needs specifically?

 

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