Job Hunting
(This is based on some advice I shared recently with friends on the job market.)
Unfortunately, job hunting is often a full-time job in itself. And not always a fun or fair one. I've found the approach that works best for me is steady and methodical. As you start to search, I recommend the following:
- Get all your job site alerts tuned up so anything interesting ends up in your inbox.
- Try to submit 4 or 5 solid applications a week. If I can a couple callbacks on those, I'm satisfied that my approach is sound and my resume and cover letter are sharp enough. Then it's a crapshoot.
- Always submit a cover letter! Have a couple generic letter. Tailor one of those for the position you're applying to.
I keep a basic spreadsheet of job postings and continually reorder it (like a backlog!). I apply to no more than one job a day, whatever is at the top of my list. If I get a rejection or get ghosted, mutter a curse, cross it my off, and move on to the next one. I try to take something useful away from my rejections and keep revising and refining.
Beyond the usual suspects, here are a couple smaller job sites I'd recommend checking out:
For me, interviewing is largely a process for discovering the shorthand for successfully communicating my experience and abilities. Here's a pretty good idea for preparing that I've used and recommended to others:
