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By Brenda L. Peterson, The Layoff Lady Job Search ChallengesWhen you're looking for a new role, there is a lot to do to help move your job search along. Getting your resume where you want it to be, tracking application progress, and scheduling meetings with others can take a lot of time and effort. Here are three excellent tools to help manage, streamline, and optimize your job search. The tools mentioned here all have a robust set of features in the free version with the option to pay for additional functionality. I'll focus on currently available features included as a part of the free version. Links for each tool are included in the "Learn More" section.   Teal: Tracking Applications and Customizing Your ResumeTeal is helpful in multiple aspects of my job search. Teal enables me to save jobs of interest, evaluate highlighted qualifications, and track my application progress with roles. Here is how I use Teal in my job search:
Teal continues to evolve and add new features--and offers much more than I currently use. This is the cornerstone of how I track my current job-searching activities. Calendly: Managing Meeting SchedulingMeeting with people during your job search can be very valuable. Whether you're meeting to learn more about a company, find out what tasks one does in a given line of work, or catch up with a former corworker, streamlining your scheduling process is a big timesaver. Enter Calendly. You can create a Calendly account, add your personal branding, and add language to describe yourself and what you want. You can also link Calendly with your Google Calendar and your webinar account (like Zoom or Google Meetup). Without paying an additional cost, you can select one free meeting type. I use the half-hour meeting, and I call mine "Virtual Coffee." It’s also helpful because our meeting can last as long as it needs to last (beyond that specified half hour) with no issues. Within Calendly, you can set up your available days and times, choose how far out in the future people can schedule a meeting with you, and even decide how many meetings you are open to having on a given day. In addition, you can select the mode of the meeting (phone or online) and include a few questions to help clarify the goals of the meeting. Here is how I use Calendly in my job search:
Calendly automates key components of scheduling. With a minor setup on the front end, I can spend less time finding a meeting time and more time on other valuable job searching and networking tasks. Grammarly: Clarifying Your CommunicationsYour job search is all about communicating your value to hiring managers and recruiters. Ensuring your writing is clear and correct is essential to demonstrate your professional value and credibility. Enter my new best friend, Grammarly. This spelling and grammar checker goes above and beyond what you may already have in word processing or email platforms. I run any communication I will put in front of job-searching influencers through Grammarly. Here is how I use Calendly in my job search:
Even this English major appreciates having Grammarly as a second set of eyes (or, in this case, AI) to polish my writing. Learn More
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By Brenda L. Peterson, The Layoff Lady Learning About YourselfWhether you’re considering making a career change, are currently in the midst of a job transition, or want to be more effective in your role, increasing your self-knowledge is a great place to start. A Good Starting Point: Values and StrengthsIn other articles here on The Layoff Lady, I’ve outlined ideas for exploring your values and discovering your strengths. Knowing more about what you truly value and what you are good at will help you think about the why, what, and how of the type of work you are driven to do. Reflecting on your findings will also help you have better conversations about your skillset and what motivates you personally and professionally. A Solid Next Step: Discovering Your Saboteurs It’s incredible how our strengths and values also show up when we are in challenging situations—often in good ways, but sometimes in more destructive ways. Learning about how you can get in your own way is a valuable strategy for making better decisions when you’re mid-crisis. Enter Shirzad Chamine. He is a professor, professional coach, and the author of the best-selling book Positive Intelligence. He introduces strategies for how to be mindful of what we know (IQ) our overall emotional intelligence (EQ), and how to leverage our positive intelligence (abbreviated as PQ). The end result is learning to be more effective and increase our overall. Nine Ways We Self Sabotage (According to Positive Intelligence)Here arer the nine saboteurs outlind in Positive Intelligence listed in alphabetical order along with my brief description of each:
Yikes. We're certanly not our best selves when we show up this way. Let's look at how you can identify your saboteurs and use that information to improve how you show up. About The Assessment To Find Your Top SaboteursSet aside time to take the 9 Ways We Self Sabatoge Assessment from Positive Intelligence. The assessment takes 5-10 minutes to complete. In addition, I suggest giving yourself 30-45 minutes to review your results and reflect. This assessment consists of 45 questions. Each question includes of a statement, and you'll rate your agreement with that statement on a 5-point scale ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. The directions encourage you to answer each question relatively quickly and go with your initial response. The final 7 questions are about demographics and finding out where they will send your assessment results. Your Assessment ResultsThe results you receive include a ranking of your top sabateurs and your score for each. In addition, you will receive the following information about each of your saboteurs:
Reviewing Your ResultsI find these types of assessments fascinating. As someone who is committed to ongoing professional development, I appreciate getting insights that might be hard for someone else to share. These insights are valuable, and also help me understand why I do what I’m doing as well as helping me to recognize those non-helpful patterns so I can adjust my approach going forward. Not at all surprising to me, my top three saboteurs are as follows:
My Initial Reflections On My ResultsHere were my initial thoughts as I saw my top three identified saboteurs:
My Additional Reflections On My ResultsUnder Controller, here are a few statements resonated with me from the details included within my report:
Reflecting on Your Results
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By Brenda L. Peterson, The Layoff Lady So Many Openings!Depending on your chosen field, and your desired work arrangements, there are a lot of jobs for which you could apply. While remote work availability gives us many more work options, figuring out how to prioritize open positions can be overwhelming. Here is my process for evaluating open roles and prioritizing those which I will submit an application. Searching for Available JobsAs of this article's original publication date, I just searched on Indeed.com for the job title Training Specialist. This search generated these results:
By any stretch of the imagination, I cannot apply for 631 jobs this week. Time to Apply and Available TimeOnce I decide to apply for a given role, I take about 30 minutes to research the company, customize my resume, and complete my formal application. In a given week, there are 7 days, which is 168 hours. There are not enough hours in a week for me to apply for that many jobs. Even if I somehow managed not to eat, sleep, or do even the most basic self-care, I could only apply for 336 jobs. Closer to the realm of feasibility, if I decided to dedicate a full 40 hours per week solely to applying for jobs, I could apply for 80 jobs—but definitely not well. There are also so many other valuable activities (meeting people and professional development being two of the most important) to be done during job searching that this is probably not the best way to spend 40 hours. Working this long and this hard can also put you on the fast track to burnout. Even dedicating 20 hours solely to applying for jobs, possibly meaning you could apply for 40 jobs in a given week, is most likely overkill. More Is Not Necessarily BetterThe more jobs I try to apply for in rapid succession, the less effective I am. While applying for jobs is in some respects, a numbers game, it’s not as easy as applying to all the jobs and knowing that one will work out. This strategy often causes people to waste time applying for roles where they are not very qualified. A better strategy is to prioritize jobs that are the best match for your skills and what you want and focus on applying for those well. Instead of solely applying for jobs, spend time building your skills, making new connections, and planning for contingencies. In any given week, my goal is usually to apply for three jobs. However, if I see several great opportunities or have not searched for a job in a while, I may apply for as many as six. Beyond that, though, my application quality suffers. Prioritizing ApplicationsTo apply for jobs well, you need to determine the best way to prioritize your applications. Instead of the “spray and pray” approach, think through what you want and apply with more purpose. This approach favors quality over quantity and will help you focus your efforts on where you can get better overall results for your time investment. Step 1: Know Key Characteristics of What You WantEarly in your job search, it’s essential to do at least a little soul-searching and be able to articulate what you want. This may include revisiting your values, identifying your strengths, and thinking about the work you want to do. For example, earlier career Brenda would have a list something like this on what she wanted from a role:
Having a stated list of preferences, and continuing to hone it as you learn more, is your first step in determining which jobs to target. Step 2: Narrowing Your SearchLet's go back to those 631 search results from my Training Specialist searches. By adding additional search parameters, we can narrow our results to jobs that more specifically meet our specified criteria: Starting with those 43 roles in Omaha:
Starting with those 588 remote jobs:
Step 3: Quick Job Listing ReviewNow that I have a more reasonable number of jobs to go through (12 and 45--57 total), I start to do a cursory review of the short descriptions of each role. No
Yes
I have now reduced the number of jobs that interest me to 31 roles. Step 4: More Detailed Job Listing ReviewNow that I have those 31 jobs in Teal, I look more closely at the following:
I remove jobs where I am not eligible. This includes the following:
I remove jobs with anything that might be a dealbreaker for me. This includes the following:
For the remaining jobs, I give them an initial rating of 1-5 stars and make notes on any areas I might want to explore further. I now have 18 jobs in Teal. Step 5: A Little More ResearchNext, I investigate a few things outside of the immediate job descriptions.
Now, I have 13 jobs In Teal. Step 6: Customize a Resume and Prepare to ApplyFrom the 13 jobs I have listed, I will apply for the jobs I'm most excited about and continue to reassess other openings listed. I will also add, remove, reprioritize, and take notes on specific roles as needed. Learn MoreBy Brenda L. Peterson, The Layoff Lady Your Salary RequirementsMost of us work so we can pay for our lives. When you are job searching, it’s important to determine your target salary range to make your job search more effective. Having this information will help you prioritize which jobs to apply for and help you have those early salary conversations. Let’s look at a few strategies for answering the question, “What are your salary requirements?” Start With Your Target RolesFirst, ensure you’ve done the requisite amount of soul-searching to determine what you want to be next in your career. Have a list of what you want to do, possible job titles, relevant skills, core responsibilities, daily activities, focus areas, types of companies, and industries. Having these details on your desired job will help as you start to do salary research. The DisclaimerWhile I feel comfortable discussing various financial and insurance concepts, I do not currently hold a license or any certification that deems me inherently qualified to give financial advice. The information provided here is intended to be used for educational purposes only. Sometimes, the core challenge is knowing how a system generally works, the terms used to describe what you’re asking about, and where to go for additional help. My goal for this article is to share information to guide you as you navigate the murky waters of job searching. I hope my personal experiences can help you cut a path through the wilderness as you try to figure out your next steps. Feel free to take my recommendations or not. Whatever you do, double-check my facts--and everyone's purported facts, for that matter. This is your life, and you will care more about your financial and healthcare decisions than anyone else. Use this information as a starting point for further research as you ultimately decide what’s right for you. Identify Your PrioritiesNow that you understand your target job and what that looks like, think about what you value in a job. For example, some may prioritize having a specific job title, receiving tuition reimbursement money to earn their next credential, and opportunities for a promotion within the company. Another person may prioritize having interesting work while also having schedule flexibility, the ability to work remotely most days, and low health insurance premiums. Still another person may prioritize alongside colleagues in an office, having the opportunity to mentor new employees, and finding a job they can keep for the next 20 years. Think about what is the most important to you. In addition, think about what you value in an employer. Working for a non-profit, government entity, start-up, family business, or Fortune 500 company will have salary, benefit, job security, and total compensation-related implications. Overall, think about what matters to you, and be aware of the salaries that align with your overall job preferences. Factors That Influence Your Target Salary RangeWhen considering your salary requirements, I suggest using a range instead of one specific number. Let’s look at strategies for determining your target salary range. Here are numbers you might have in mind that could impact your range:
I suggest the salary range you share with potential employers includes the lower number that is the minum salary you would happily accept and the maximum number is what you'd be really excited about. What Companies Are PayingKnowing what companies are paying for what you do should also factor in to your target salary range. Here are a few strategies for finding out more: Search For Open Positions in States With Pay Transparency LawsTake these steps to find out what open positions are paying:
Research Your Job Title and Geographic LocationMany websites have salary information. Two that come highly recommended by recruiters are Salary.com and Payscale.com. In fact, Salary.com has a Know Your Worth calculator where you can add details like your job title, location, education level, and years of experience and see the impact each factor has on your potential market value. Ask AroundFind out from other job searchers, recruiters, and hiring managers what salaries companies are paying for specific roles. You can also inquire with professional development organizations to see if there are industry or job-specific studies available that include salary-related information. Confounding FactorsHere are a few factors that might make this process challenging:
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By Brenda L. Peterson, The Layoff Lady Contract vs Benefits Eligible RolesWhen you're looking for work, it's important to know what salary range you have in mind. As you are initially searching for jobs, a key factor in deciding which jobs to pursue and which to pass on will be what you will earn. If you are looking at contract positions, the salary you will receive is the same as your base salary. Usually, you are paid a set amount for each hour worked with no additional benefits. Consequently, contract positions often have a higher hourly rate knowing that each contractor will have to cover their health insurance and other additional benefits that may be included in other job offers. However, If you are in a benefits-eligible role, you will receive additional value above and beyond your base salary rate. Let's consider what factors may be included in your total compensation package. A DisclaimerWhile I feel comfortable discussing various financial and insurance concepts, I do not currently hold a license or any certification that deems me inherently qualified to give financial advice. The information provided here is intended to be used for educational purposes only. Sometimes, the core challenge is knowing how a system generally works, the terms used to describe what you’re asking about, and where to go for additional help. My goal for this article is to share information to guide you as you navigate the murky waters of job searching. I hope my personal experiences can help you cut a path through the wilderness as you try to figure out your next steps. Feel free to take my recommendations or not. Whatever you do, double-check my facts--and everyone's purported facts, for that matter. This is your life, and you will care more about your financial and healthcare decisions than anyone else. Use this information as a starting point for further research as you ultimately decide what’s right for you. Your Work IncomeFirst, let’s look at a high-level, generalized overview of the money you may receive:
Employer Money You May Recieve For A Specific PurposeIn addition to receiving money in the form of a check or payment payable to you, you may also receive money earmarked for a specific purpose.
Insurance and Benefits, At Least Partially Employer PaidIn the United States, many people obtain different types of insurance through their employers. Employers often pay administration costs of the plan and help cover some of the costs.
Access To Purchase Additional BenefitsMany employers offer the option for employees to purchase additional benefits. These can include vision insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, enhanced disability coverage, supplemental life insurance, spouse life insurance, child life insurance, accident insurance, condition-specific health insurance, a legal protection plan, or orthodontic benefits. PerksCompanies may also offer a variety of perks. These can include items you can purchase for a lower cost or resources you can take advantage of that you might otherwise pay for elsewhere. These could include an onsite gym, onsite daycare, free parking, entertainment discounts, stamps, bus passes, use of the company van, cell phone plan discounts, or reduced entry fees for area attractions. Perks can also be anything that makes work easier, more engaging, or more pleasant. These could include shift bidding, flexible work arrangements, remote work, work-from-home days, summer hours, four-day workweeks, onsite flu shots, overtime opportunities, or company events. Time OffEmployers also often pay you for specific hours when you do not work. Here are a few standard categorizations for different types of paid time off: paid time off (PTO), sick time, vacation time, paid holidays, floating holidays, volunteer time, bereavement leave, jury duty pay, or military leave. Instead of having a specific number of paid days available for sick or vacation time, some companies have unlimited time off policies. In most cases, instead of earning and then choosing to use paid time off, you work with your manager whenever you want to take off. In general, as long as you are performing your job to an acceptable level, you can take time off. The Salary Question: RevisitedRemember, when a recruiter asks about your salary range, there is a lot more going on than just your base salary. Overall, I suggest giving a salary range instead of a set number to account for possible differences in company-offered benefits. Learn MoreBy Brenda L. Peterson, The Layoff Lady Onsite, Remote, and Hybrid Work ImplicationsOne challenge during my most recent job search has been the newly added focus on work location. Specifically, the following labels have become more standard on job listings: onsite, hybrid, and remote. While there are, indeed, many remote jobs available, I discovered first-hand that companies and job search sites are not necessarily aligned on what remote, hybrid, and onsite work arrangements mean. Let's dig a little deeper. Remote Job ClarificationsOverall, a "remote" job could mean one or more of the following are true:
Onsite, Remote, and Hybrid Roles in PracticeRegardless of the label, jobs may work differently in practice. Here are a few of the many possible scenarios:
Navigating Job Listings for Remote RolesAs a job seeker, knowing that companies may vary on how they list details in their job descriptions, here are a few strategies for navigating job listings:
Remote Work Implications: Candidate Location, Job Location, and PayThere are also a few other implications of remote work to keep in mind:
Strategies for Remote Work Salary ConversationsGiven these variations on how salaries work for remote roles, be sure to think through your financial requirements and how you will address questions about your desired salary:
Learn MoreBy Brenda L. Peterson, The Layoff Lady Messaging With Your ConnectionsOne of the benefits of having connections on LinkedIn is that you are able to directly send them messages. This is also a feature that I've seen used poorly on several occasions. Let's look at how to use LinkedIn messaging effectively to continue to build professional relationships. Let's also look at some guidelines for how to use this feature well. The Value of Mutually Beneficial RelationshipsTo have successful professional networking relationships, make sure those relationships are mutually beneficial. Networking is about give and take. Make sure that you are adding value along the way. This includes sharing useful content, congratulating people on their accomplishments, and answering one-off questions when people are asking for advice. In short, be a good LinkedIn neighbor. If you give more than you take, your LinkedIn connections will be more likely to want to help you. This is the real secret to successful professional networking--make sure it's a two-way street. Messages That Add ValueWhen you contact people directly, be sure your messages are not all you asking others to do things for you. Here are a few types of messages you can send to your connections that add value to the relationship and give more than they take:
Make sure you are not THAT PERSON who only reaches out when they need a favor. Direct Asks For Help: Worst PracticesAsking for help is an art. First, you need to be willing to ask for help. Next, you need to craft your ask in a way that you have a higher likelihood of getting that help. Here are the most significant issues I’ve seen with how people ask for job search help:
The Worst AsksEven though I am, by nature, a helper, here are the types of requests I receive via LinkedIn messages that will not get much of a response from me.
Why are these not good asks? For one, these are big asks. These are also the types of requests that would require me to do a lot of investigation to be truly helpful.
When you ask people to help you, put in your work first. Then, when they know you are committed to being successful, they are much more likely to help you clarify details. Direct Asks For Help: Better PracticesHere are a few better asks, but may only work with connections who you know very well and who you have helped in the past:
These requests are specific, which is better, but each is still a sizeable request. The first two may be time intensive. The next two involve me putting my reputation on the line to recommend you for a role. The final one requires a block of my time on my calendar. Depending on our interactions prior to these requests, my response may vary from “of course!” to no response at all. Again, remember to make sure your asks are aligned with how well you know one another. Direct Asks for Help: Best PracticesAsks are better when they are more specific and less time intensive. It’s also helpful if there is context. Here are a few asks that are more likely to get responses. The requests earlier in this list are more likely to get a response than the ones later on:
People Get To Say NoRemember, when you are asking for help, people will tell you no. More likely than telling you a direct no, they may just not respond. Ever. Keep in mind that job searching, like sales, means that you're going to hear a whole lot of no on the way to that one yes you need. When you need a specific thing, it's useful to ask multiple people for help to give you a better chance of getting a response. It's also not personal. We're each on LinkedIn using it to varying degrees and all trying to accomplish our own goals. Making sure that you are making the relationships mutually beneficial will make it much more likely that people will respond to you and want to lend you a hand when you need it. Learn MoreBy Brenda L. Peterson, The Layoff Lady Your Professional NetworkWhen I think about building my professional network, adding new LinkedIn connections is one of my markers of success. I use LinkedIn as a tool to create, build, and maintain my professional relationships. Turning People You've Met Into LinkedIn ConnectionsWhen I first started using LinkedIn, I connected with people I had met in person. At that time, my network mainly included the following people:
Creating New Professional ConnectionsWhen the pandemic hit, I realized I needed to shift my approach, or I would not meet anyone new. I also realized that since more companies were open to hiring remote people, I needed to broaden my network beyond the people I would encounter in person. In addition to the people I used to connect with, I now also started proactively sending connection requests to the following types of people:
Again, the more people I meet, and the more people I connect with who know about my professional value, the better I will be able to find a new role that meets my requirements more quickly. Opportune Times To ConnectI often connect with people when there are specific reasons to connect that are noteworthy, including the following:
Personalizing Connection RequestsIn the vast majority of cases, I personalize a connection request when I send it. When connecting with people I’ve met in person, I always remind them of where we met, include details about our meeting, share helpful information, and invite them to connect. Personalizing the request becomes even more critical if I send a connection request to someone I have not met before. I want to promote the possible value of that relationship. I include the following components when personalizing a connection request:
Here are a few examples of what I might include as a personal note in my personalized connection requests.
Learn MoreBy Brenda L. Peterson, The Layoff Lady What Do You Want To Be Next?We often ask children, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” As an adult who is in career transition, it’s time to ask yourself, “What do I want to be next?” Remember, you don’t have to do the same thing you were doing before, and now is the perfect time to think about what job is the right next step for you. Shouldn't I Just Take What I Can Get?As a job seeker, I understand the tendency to feel like you are in no position to be picky. However, when I talk with job searchers having difficulty landing a new role, not having a focus for their job search actually slows their progress considerably. Most of the time, employers are less likely to hire someone who wants what I would call “any old job.” Employers would rather find someone who genuinely wants to do a specific type of work, has the necessary skills, and is targeting an identified role. One of the best things you can do for the success of your job search is to figure out what you really want to do, then use your resume and LinkedIn profile to promote yourself as a match for your desired role. Take a BeatWhen your job suddenly ends, I think the natural tendency is to think “I need to be reemployed as quickly as possible” or to skip thinking altogether and seek out exactly the same job you had before. It’s not that you can’t seek out the exactly same type and job title you had before—because you can! Just make sure to reconfirm with yourself that it is the job you want. After my very first layoff, I took a moment for contemplation and thought to myself, “This is my chance to figure out what it is I want to do with my life! I can do anything?” Approximately 5 minutes later, I realized “For me, this is the right area.” Other times, when I fell in that “must get a job right now!” mindset, I just got a job with about the same title as my last job with about the same type of company. Was it a bad decision? Not necessarily. Whether you do the same things as before, or want to shift gears, make sure you’re actively deciding what is next for you. What do you want? Learning About YourselfThe first step of job searching is figuring out what kind of a role you even want. Instead of jumping right into the exact job you did before, it's wise to take a little time for introspection. One good step in this process is finding out more about your strengths. Learning about what you are good at--and how to tell the story of your talents and successes--can help you position yourself well as you apply and interview for a new role. Reflect on Your ValuesA good starting point is thinking about what you truly value in life, and how you express those values. Personally, I also find that it's awfully hard to think of the right words to articulate those high level ideas that matter to you. I discovered the think2perform Online Values Exercise at a previous job when I was designing a retirement planning seminar. Since thinking about your money (or your work for that matter) starts with what you care about on a larger scale, this is a great starting point. Personally, I take this assessment on at least an annual basis because the process helps me revisit my values in general and helps me more thoughtfully talk about what I do and why I do it. The assessment itself includes 51 named value cards and 4 rounds of reviewing the cards. The total time to complete this activity is about 15 minutes, and perhaps more depending on how much contemplation you do during the process. You also have the option to add your own values as needed. In the end, you'll have 5 value cards with descriptions that name and describe key areas that matter to you. After you identify your top 5 values, think about how you live those values in your life, and how you would like to express those values in your work. Use these as your guideposts as you move on to the next steps. Identify Your Work StrengthsThe CliftonStrengths Assessment (previously known as Clifton StrengthsFinder) is a wonderful tool for identifying what you are good at, how that manifests, and how your version of each strength shows up. It not only helps you identify your top strengths, but also gives you language to talk about skills you didn't even realize everyone else didn't have. To access this assessment, you can purchase the StrengthsFinder 2.0 Book (which includes a code for the new CliftonStrengths Online Assessment) or you can directly pay for and access the CliftonStrengths Top 5 Assessment on Gallup.com. Either option should cost around $20 for the basic assessment and results, with the option to purchase additional assessments or training based on your level of interest. The 30-minute online assessment includes 177 questions including paired statements. On a scale you select which of the statements is more like you. From there, you'll receive a report identifying your top five strengths along with a more detailed description of how those strengths are exhibited in how you interact with the world. Reading a report about yourself (one that is freakishly accurate, by the way) is downright life changing. After taking the assessment, you'll be able to see your unique talents, and have language to explain how what you do sets you apart from others. Having a way to put your abilities into words can translate directly into your resume, and how you talk about who you are and what you bring to the table. Reflect on Previous Roles and Identify What You Do and Don't WantThink about your previous jobs and reflect on what you liked and didn't like. As yourself the following questions and write down your answers:
Talk To People In Roles of InterestOne helpful way to find out more about possible career options is to talk to people who are currently in those roles. By reaching out to individuals in your professional network, and asking them to put you in touch with people they know who could help, you can make new connections and find out about specific companies and roles. This will help you start to bridge the distance between your skills, and possible job titles and companies that might be a good fit for you. Learn MoreBy Brenda L. Peterson, The Layoff Lady Eye on the Prize: Getting the InterviewThere are a lot of opinions on how to interact with employers early in the hiring process. They include everything from sending a basic “I applied” email to off-the-wall rom-com level gesture like sending the hiring manager a cake with your resume attached to the inside of the box. In this article, we’ll focus on using email to follow up after you have formally applied for the job. Regardless of your approach (and my overall follow-up recommendations are closer to the email than the cake end of the spectrum), stay focused on what you’re trying to accomplish. Remember, your goal at this point in the process is to get your application into the “must interview” pile. What Follow-Up Email Messages Will and Won't DoLet’s first set a few expectations on the impact sending a follow-up email message will have:
Like with most of the hiring process, there is no guarantee that you will get an interview for any given role. However, doing the right things consistently gives you a better chance of having a positive outcome. My Hiring Manager Horror Story: Follow-Up Gone AwryOnce upon a time, I was the hiring manager for an instructional designer position. A person who I had never met, but who knew a colleague of mine, had a background in instructional design and was interested in the job. Through our shared colleague, that person (who I will now refer to as “the candidate”) ended up with my name and work contact information. What followed was an example of the worst-case scenario of a how a candidate reaching out to a hiring manager can actually be detrimental. From mid-December through the end of the calendar year, over the course of 10 business days, the candidate (who—reminder—I had never before interacted with in any way) contacted me 16 times via phone and email about the open position. I do not remember what all the candidate asked during each request (because blocking out awful memories is a real thing). I do remember one early request was asking how to apply for the job. Given that this role was with a technology company, and I needed someone who could work independently and solve problems, a candidate who wasn’t sure how to apply for the job through a pretty typical Careers webpage was not going to be a top candidate. In addition, after they managed to apply, they then called and also emailed the recruiter multiple times, again in the spirit of follow-up. The good news—we definitely knew the candidate’s name. The bad news (for them)—we knew for sure we were NOT going to interview them. Worst Practices: Job Application Follow-UpAs a hiring manager, here are the issues I’ve seen when people follow up on job applications:
Finding the Right People and Contact InformationRemember, typically the two people to follow up with regarding your job application are the recruiter and the hiring manager. The first challenge is figuring out who these people are, then getting their email addresses. In some cases, the name of the recruiter may be included on the job posting. Through using LinkedIn or the company website, you may be able to find a professional email address to use for them. You can also potentially do some digging through LinkedIn and find out the name of the recruiter through their LinkedIn posts. It could be little to no effort to find their email address, or a genuine project, to find out that detail about the recruiter. For hiring managers, some job listings will include the title of the hiring manager (who the position reports to), or even sometimes their name. Again, you may be able to use LinkedIn to find their contact information, or you may find the naming scheme a company uses (like firstname.lastname@companyname.com) to figure out their email address. You may also need to contact HR or a current employee to find out more, or there might be fee-based services you can use. When it comes right down to it, it is important for you to determine how much time and money you want to dedicate to finding this information. You also need to decide if the time you spend on this quest is worth the value you will gain from sending a follow-up message. It's your call. What To Include In Your Follow-Up EmailOnce you’ve identified the person to contact, and have their email address, think about what you’ll say in your message. Here are my recommendations on details to include:
How a Follow-Up Message Might LookSubject Line: Following Up on my Support Manager Application Body of the Message: Hi, Annette. I’m Esme Whitlock, and I'm sending you a quick message to introduce myself, and let you know I just applied for the Support Manager role with Super Cool Company. Because I have a background working in tech support specialist and help desk supervisor jobs in manufacturing companies, I think I am a great match for this position. As indicated in the job description, I have experience setting up a knowledge base using Super Cool Software and training new staff on using internal resources. I also enjoy hiring and training new associates and helping them grow their skillsets to meet performance goals. These skills, and my desire to grow in my career, drive my excitement for this role with Super Cool Company. If you’re interested in talking to me directly about the Support Manager role and my qualifications, please contact me via text/phone at 555-555-5555 or via email at myemailaddress@myemail.com. Thank you! Esme Whitlock 555-555-5555 myemailaddress@myemail.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/mylinkedin/ewhitlock Follow-up Email Timing and FrequencyThere are also various opinions on when to contact a potential employer and how many contacts to make. I suggest emailing once sometime between the day you apply and a week after you apply to briefly introduce yourself and get your name in front of the hiring manager and/or recruiter. If you decide you want to do a second message, I suggest waiting until a week or two after the first message and modifying the message so it is not just a repeat of the first message you send. Remember, you get to do whatever you want to do. Some hiring managers and recruiters may be very open to messages, and others might prefer to avoid being contacted. I believe reaching out one to two times with a few days in between contacts should show your interest without venturing into being way too much. Learn More |
