i sort of enjoy helping people with their job searches so hopefully this is helpful, happy to dig into specifics if you want (im in the US, other countries will have different advice)
What Is The Point Of This
the whole thing - to get a job, it's up to you to decide what sort of job and why (because I need money to live is the standard reason). every step of the process is to convince someone to give you a job, these steps aren't particularly rational. they don't make sense to neurotypical people (me-ish) either but they have an easier time ignoring how it's BS
cover letter - these are actually pointless and mostly a test of your ability to flatter the reader. only include one if the application requires it
resume - you have two goals.
- get past the automated filter. to do this you will include a bunch of keywords related to skills for that job. i'm in tech so for me that means rattling off a bunch of related programming languages and frameworks. you can actually just have a part of your resume that's titled like 'related skills' and literally just list our keywords
- convince the reader that you're worth talking to in an interview. this mostly involves listing things you've done that make the reader think "oh yeah, maybe they could do this job". there's a lot more detail we can get into here if you want, one important thing is that you don't have to just list the jobs you've had - if you have experience you can include it, even if it's just messing around on computers on your own
importantly, these are the only two goals of a resume. if it doesn't help you get past an automated filter or make an interviewer want to talk to you, don't bother including it
interview - talk the person into giving you a job. this one is the most bullshit but they're fundamentally looking for two things
- skills - you basically just have to be able to sound like you know what you're talking about since most jobs don't have an actual skills assessment (coding can be the exception afaik)
- cultural fit - interviewers won't say this, but they basically want to be able to imagine being your friend. i think this is probably the hardest one but being polite, expressing an interest in their opinion about the job, and asking thoughtful questions goes a long way
follow-ups - the point is basically just to remind the interviewer who you are and make them think you're a little more excited about the job than anyone else
a day after the interview just write this
"Hello x,
Thanks for your time speaking with me, I'm glad we had the chance to connect and chat about . After our discussion, I think my would make me a great fit for the position. I look forward to discussing next steps.
Best regards,
gull"
a week after (unless they've told you to expect a longer wait) write this:
"Hello x,
I just wanted to reach out and express my continued interest in the position. Thanks again for your time and consideration!
Best regards,
gull"
if any of this seems helpful let me know and i can keep going or we can dig into some specifics with your hunt
