Applying for Jobs
Once you have identified the job opening you want to pursue, you must begin the process of applying for jobs. This will require you to prepare materials, such as a resume, cover letter, and references, to send to your prospective employer, and to prepare yourself for interviews and professional relationship building. You will need to be well organized, punctual, and on your toes during this process to ensure that you are a competitive job candidate.
Job Applications:
Applying for a job is a process, just like looking for one. Different employers have different procedures for processing job applications, this means that the application process may take just a few weeks, or several months, depending on the employer.
It is perfectly fine to ask for an estimate of how long the process will take, as you will need to know this in order to choose from your job offers and move into your new position when you need to.
Job applications consist of the following: cover letter, resume, references, and interview. Some positions may have other elements in their application process, such as a background check, assessments, immersions (in which you spend a few hours or days in the workplace performing your potential role), physical tests (for physically demanding positions), and more.
Cover Letters:
A Cover letter is your introduction to a potential employer. It is where you present yourself to an employer as a prospective employee, and where you present your argument for why you are a strong candidate for a position in their organization. In a cover letter you will need to address your strengths and skills, a concise professional story as pertains to the job or employer you are addressing, and why you are a strong candidate for a position.
It is important to consider the kind of language you are using when you write a cover letter. A cover letter is a formal letter and so you should use different language than you would in a conversation. Read the job description thoroughly, and break it up into key points. Use these key points from the job description to shape the content of your body paragraph.
Note:
When writing a cover letter, it is important to include ‘action verbs’ These are verbs which concretely describe your abilities, talents, achievements and experiences in the workplace. These words should be specific and should refer to clear examples of what you can do and have done in a work context.
Format: A cover letter should be…
◈ one page long.
◈ Times New Roman font, set to 11 or 12 in size.
◈ 3-5 paragraphs. A paragraph is 4-10 sentences.
It should contain…
Contact information: At the beginning or top of you cover letter you will include your contact information, meaning your name, email address, phone number, and your home address (include what feels comfortable to you)
Paragraph 1: introduction: why are you applying for this position? What interests you about the organization? What interests you about the job opening? State the position you are applying to in this paragraph. If someone has referred you to the position or organization, also state their name in this first paragraph.
Paragraph 2-4: body. This may only be one paragraph, but it may be up to 3. In this section you will explain how you will help the organization meet their goals if you are in the position. Explain how professional skills and experiences you have will help the organization and be useful in the role you are applying for.
Read the job description that the organization provides very closely, and make sure that you respond to each element in it. You can even use the language used in the job description to make sure you are addressing important points.
Paragraph 5/final paragraph: closing. This may be the third paragraph, or the 5th, depending on what is necessary for you to make your argument. Restate your interest in the position and the position you are applying for, and close with your name, as would conclude a letter, for example:
Respectfully, Johnny Appleseed
Editing: This is as essential as writing the cover letter.
◈ step back: from your cover letter for a few hours or a day after you have written it. This will help you return to it with a clear head which will make it easier to edit it.
◈ Find an editor: Think of someone you know who is a good writer or who has a strong professional history to look over your letter, make edits, and give you feedback. This will help you shape it into the best version of itself, and catch errors or omissions.
◈ Be precise: make sure that you give clear examples for all the statements that you make.
◈ Peel off Excess: cut back excess language, run-on sentences, unnecessary adjectives and any other verbal ineciency. The more focused, direct and precise your cover letter is, the stronger, more convincing and more confident your argument is.
C.V.s and Resumes:
A resume and a C.V., or curriculum vitae are similar, but slightly different. A C.V. is your complete professional history: this is every job, project, gig, internship, credential, training or other professional experience you have had. You will use this to make your resume.
A resume is a summary of your credentials and work experience. A resume tells a professional story of who you have been and who you are becoming as a professional, using select credentials, certifications, job history, skills and work experiences. You will adjust your resume according to the job, field and employer you are applying to based on what is relevant. A resume is what you will send to prospective employers.
References:
A reference is someone who knows you well and can speak favorably about you. A good reference has shared enough experiences with you that they can point to these as examples of your strengths, skills, interests and potential.
There are a number of different kinds of references including: personal references, professional references, and academic references.
It will be important to choose your references carefully – as a young adult you may not have many options, but as you grow older this will change.
Conventions, Etiquette and Preparation for References:
Choosing professional references, asking them, briefing them, listing them, thanking them, and maintaining them are all important steps.
Interviews:
Interviews are conversations with prospective employers and professionals in your field of
interest, they can range from formal to informal, and can have different goals, from a new job, to a new relationship, to insight and guidance.
To Prepare for an Interview:
Research the organization: learn about the organization, business or institution you are applying to, know their history, mission and attitude, and have a sense of what about it resonates with you and why.
Research the field/industry: learn about the field/industry you are applying to work in as it will be essential to know the terrain and to be able to show competency in your interview and demonstrate interest and seriousness of intent. Be up to date on how the industry is changing, its history and know how to talk about what interests you in the field.
Research the position: Go over the job description for the position you are applying to, and know it well. Have a clear sense of how you can perform the role described, and be able to communicate to the interviewer in your own words what the job requires. If you need more information to understand what the role entails, find similar positions at other organizations for more information.
Know your resume: Understand the professional story that your resume tells, know what you have included and be ready and able to point to the elements on your resume as you answer the interviewer’s questions.
Know your experience: For each goal or responsibility in the job description, come up with a clear example from your professional history that will indicate your ability to fulfill that task. Likewise, have a number of key moments in your professional history that speak to your strengths in the workplace that you can point to during the interview. Be able to speak about your strengths and accomplishments, and also be strategic about how you can describe your challenges or soft spots in the workplace, as the interviewer will likely ask you to talk about these as well.
Talk to a professional in the field or organization: To prepare and make sure that you are comfortable talking about your field of interest, and with professionals in that field, contact someone in your personal or professional network who can conduct a practice interview, or simply have a conversation with you.
Brainstorm questions your interviewer might ask: As you are preparing for your interview, consider what questions the interviewer is likely to ask and consider how you would answer these.
Prepare questions to ask: come up with 3-5 questions to ask your interview, about the position, the workplace and the industry. This is one way to communicate your thoughtful interest in the position.
Dress appropriately: Consider what attire will be most suitable to the position you are applying to, and dress on the nicer side of that.
Learn about your interviewer: If you know who will be interviewing you, consider learning about their professional background to get a sense of who they are, what they are coming from, and what your points of commonality and resonance might be.
Bring important materials: Bring a printed copy of your resume, cover letter, and references, just in case. Also bring a notebook and a pen, to take notes during the interview if this feels necessary and appropriate.
The Interview:
Arrive 10-15 minutes early: this is a good way to communicate your seriousness and responsibility. It is also important because you may not know exactly how to find the place where you will be doing your interview so this will leave you time to find it, to get a drink, and use the restroom.
Silence your phone: Turn your phone on silent and put away, not only during your interview, but also while you are waiting for it to begin. By being engaged, present, and looking up rather than at your phone, you will communicate seriousness, maturity, and confidence, as well as respect.
Have a good attitude: Come into your interview in a hopeful, calm, and collected mood. If you believe things will work out for the best, they very likely will.
Listen carefully: be a good listener and make sure that you process what the interviewer is saying, do not interrupt, and make regular eye contact. As you answer the interviewers questions make sure you are staying on track and are addressing the points they have asked for. If you find yourself unsure of what the interviewer is asking or of whether you have addressed their question, simply ask.
Body language: be aware of your body language. This can do two things: help you relax, and help you connect with the interviewer. By keeping your shoulders and neck relaxed, and year head and neck lifted up and facing toward the interviewer, you will relax your mind and body and communicate your engagement to the employer. If you find yourself folding in on yourself, crouching, turning away, or avoiding eye contact, adjust your posture, and relax.
Provide Examples: During the interview, be sure to provide concrete examples for the questions the interviewer asks, and for the accomplishments, skills, and abilities you bring to the table.
Focus on the positive: speak from confidence, hope and self belief, and bring up moments and experiences from your professional history that are positive, and do not dwell on negative aspects as you respond to the interviewer.
Ask questions: if you have questions for the interviewer, about the workplace, their experiences, the position, or the questions they are asking, ask! It is not only perfectly fine to need more information or clarification, but also a sign that you are invested, engaged, and have the confidence to express yourself when you are curious or confused.
Conversation! At best an interview becomes a respectful conversation between professionals, so let yourself relax as the interview progresses, do not become too casual, but allow the interview to ebb and flow, move and change as a conversation would. At best the interviewer will get a feel for you as a person as well as a professional, and this will help you stand out as more than a resume and a cover letter.
To Conclude an Interview:
1. Thank your interviewer: be sure to conclude the interview on a gracious note, whether it went smoothly or was awkward, it’s always good to end things on a positive and open note – even if you do not get the position you are applying for, they may take note of you for positions in the future, or may refer your to other openings. You never know what may come.
Follow-Ups and Thank-You:
After the application process, having sent in your cover letter, resume and references, and having
completed one or even two rounds of interviews, you may want to follow up with the prospective employer during the process. You can check in about whether they have received or processed your materials, and thank them for the interview.
This is a way to continue an active correspondence with the employer and to gauge the timeline of the process.
It is essential to feel out the situation to decide whether this kind of follow-up would be correct or if it would be too much, use your best judgment or ask someone for their perspective.
Job Offers:
A job offer is an affirmative response from a prospective employer you receive after the application process. A job offer means that they are offering you a position and a set of terms.
The terms include salary or wage, hours or schedule, benefits such as insurance, retirement and sick-leave, and term of contract. It is essential to understand what exactly they are offering both because it may be slightly different and more detailed than what you knew when you applied, and because labor contracts can include details and conditions which will affect your employment in ways prospective employers may not want to communicate beforehand.
An example of this is in the case of contract work, in which your employment with an organization may end either at the end of a certain period of time, or upon completion of a certain project: it will be important to know which.
If you have multiple job offers, it will be important to return to the template you used to choose job openings, and compare how they meet your criteria in terms of interest, values, goals, and logistics.
If you do not receive a job offer, still send a thank you to the employer and the interviewer, and conclude by rearming your interest in the organization. This will leave the door open for you to apply to other jobs there in the future, and for them to possibly extend other offers to you, or keep you in mind.
Your network is your professional community, and consists of people you know and have known in a professional context, and people who know the people you know: like a village or a town. Like any community, it requires active care and engagement.
It is important to stay in touch with meaningful people from your professional history, with colleagues and mentors, and to provide mentorship and assistance to others when you are able.
It is also important to meet new people in your field and build relationships with other professionals. By doing this you will grow your professional community, learn new things about your field, be tuned in to news and changes in your field, be tuned in to opportunities, and be able to share opportunities, news, and knowledge yourself.