Some of you might be planning a job hunt soon. I’ve been career coaching for a while. I have found when you don’t know the lingo, you may not know what it takes to find a job these days. I’ve helped hundreds of people land their dream job. To help you land yours, here are my job hunt ABC’s:
A: Applicant Tracking System (ATS)- Human Resources (HR) software you have to get past by tailoring your resume to match the keywords and phrases from the job posting. Every. Single. Time.
B: Bring home the bacon-make moolah doing what you love to, not what you think you have to.
C: Career Coach-someone you hire to support and walk you through finding a job. A career coach makes the job search process easier so you get hired faster. Ahem, wonder who I’m talking about?
D: Doing to learn employable skills that employers want and will pay you for.
E: Earning to live: Earning teaches self-reliance and increases self-esteem and self-sufficiency. So nobody’s living on anybody’s couch till they are 35.
F: Follow up is your job and doing so shows initiative and interest. Plus, the fortune is in the follow up.
G: Gutsy-During the interview, be gusty enough to ask good questions about the role and close the deal at the end.
H: Hiring process- includes applying for jobs with a tailored resume, interviewing, salary negotiations, receiving and accepting an offer, background checks, and onboarding onto your new job.
I: Interviewing: My specialty. Practice, practice, practice. Do. Not. Wing-it. Know your success story material inside and out so you nail the interview. Cuz the interview gets you the job!
J: Job description: This is the write up that gives the requirements and qualifications for the job. It is posted on a job board like Indeed, LinkedIn, or Zip Recruiter or on a company’s website.
K: Keywords: Cover letters and resumes must be hammered with keywords to get past the ATS.
L: Learning to do more with your natural abilities and interests, will give you a more fulfilling life.
M: Moolah! Before you talk money, know what’s important to you so you can negotiate on your best behalf.
N: Network with people who know you, who’ll vouch for you, and give you an outstanding recommendation to a potential boss. Get it in writing and on LinkedIn.
O: Offer-Best. Part. Evah! When they make you an offer, you have the most leverage, so politely ask them, “Can you email me the details?” You want to get it in writing. Just never assume you have a job until you have an offer, no matter what anybody implies.
P: Preferred qualifications: These are the qualifications that employers are hopin’ and prayin’ you have. If you have them make sure you speak about your experience with them during the interview.
Q: Qualifications are the strengths, skills, and experience employers list on the job posting. If you have any of the preferred qualifications, you are golden.
R: Resume The resume’s job is to get you an interview. It requires tailoring to match keywords from the job description and the layout must be ATS-friendly.
S: Service: Living to serve others gives us fulfillment and purpose in life.
T: Tell me about yourself: Typically, this is the first question of the interview. Practice your tell me about yourself until it’s smooth. If you come out of the gate sounding competent and confident, YOU’LL be the one who sets the tone for the rest of the interview.
U: Upskilling-keep uppin’ your skills so you stay marketable- you bring value to an employer. If you don’t have employable skills, GET. SOME. NOW.
V: Video interviews-Test your camera and audio at minimum, 15 minutes before you log on. Keep your eyes on the camera lens, not the monitor screen. Dress from head to toe in your full interview outfit. No professional up top and Underoos on the bottom. Be in a room alone where no one can walk in front of you and distract you or walk behind you naked. No joke.
W: Wear conservative clothing. No bright colors or giant jewelry, and you men-leave the hooker heels at home. It might feel boring, but you want the interviewer to focus on what you have to say and how much they want to hire you, instead of how your sunshine-yella shirt is so freakin’ blinding.
X: X-factor Your awesomeness that sets you apart from all the other applicants.
Y: Yee Haw! What employers say after they hire you!
Z: Zip-a-dee-doo-dah! The happiness you feel after you’ve landed your dream job!