Having been out of the game for a long time, searching for a new job is daunting. While there was some semblance of hope and even excitement at first, that feeling has been short lived.
For a long time my job search strategy consisted largely of what I like to call "Fire-and-Forget Resumes." It's exactly what it sounds like. I shoot off my current resume in response to all the openings I can find which seem to match my skillset. I began the big push around this time last year. I didn't keep track of exactly how many job offers I responded to, but I think a safe average was approximately 20-30 per week for a couple of months.
The results were pretty dismal.
I got a grand total of 2 positive responses (interview invitation) after all of that. The first was a shock to hear anything from as it was for a job posted on Craigslist. The other wasn't even a legitimate reply to my FaF resume (I had a connection to the hiring manager and sent him an email stating that I had applied). Neither of them worked out.
My interview for the Craigslist posting went bad for my own lack of interview skills/practice. That one also made it clear that I'm nobody in web design/development without some kind of portfolio or links to work, which I really didn't have. Even with 3+ years of web maintenance experience. Even with a Bachelors in CS. The second opportunity actually had me coming in to 3 levels of interviews...before silence. What was once a fairly active dialog went dead for a week or so until I got an auto-response from the application site stating that the position was closed. That could have meant it was dropped for lack of funding or some other not-necessarily-filled reason. But what it most certainly meant was that the aforementioned "connection" didn't matter enough to him for extending the courtesy of a phone call or email to break the news.
After doing that song and dance for a few more months, I started "seriously" pursuing the job hunt. For now though I'll leave you with a few key points learned thus far:
- You're only as good as what you can prove. The job/career you're after will be calling on you to perform in some way. Keep track of all accomplishments in an action-based job, and document everything you generate in a creative or productive one. I didn't and I'm paying for it now.
Unless you're fresh out of highschool or college heading into an entry-level position thats only concerned with coursework, make sure you have something tangible to show for yourself. Even if you you are fresh out of highschool/college start doing (and documenting) the type of tasks or related things you will be asked of in your career path.
- Connections and networking contacts are good for getting your foot in the door at best. Don't assume having a connection gives you a colossal advantage. If you have the chance to use a connection, go for it, but stay objective and don't for a second think you're riding the gravy train.
P.S. Don't be part of the "fake it till you make it" crowd. You're part of the problem unless you're really good at BS-ing up front and breaking your butt to get up to speed when no one is looking.
