What I’ve Learned About the Job Hunt From Reading 100 Job Listings This Month

I grew up in a household where we were taught a job is literally just a job. You have to have one in order to pay bills, put a roof over your head and put food on your table. What do you do, though, when the mentality your parents raised you with has flown out the window? How do you explain that to people?

A job is no longer just a job to me. I’m not aiming to jump at another stepping stone. I’m aiming for the boulder labeled “Career”. Of course, I’ve always been a job hunter. I’ve always been on the lookout for a newer, better, more exciting occupation and opportunity. However, those opportunities seemed to always come to me in the form of a job I couldn’t really move up in.

Before I moved to Colorado, I had several phone interviews for jobs in Colorado. The initial interview would go great. I’d even get a call back to set up a face-to-face meet with the manager. The issue, though, was that I wasn’t sure any of the jobs I’d interviewed for were truly what I wanted to do. I’m not a call center type. I’m not really a marketer. I don’t want to do door-to-door sales.

I had three phone interviews in the two-week timeframe before I moved to my new home. Each employer said the same thing to me: “Well, we really need you to fly out here for a couple days so we can get you through the interview process.”  In the back of my mind, I knew I should comply with what each employer wanted me to do. After all, I needed a job. The bottom line was that I didn’t really want any of those jobs. It wasn’t worth the flight expenses or the hotel expenses. Not a single one of them. For me, I just reasoned if I was going to spend my hard-earned, hard-to-save dollars to fly to Denver and back plus the hotel expenses, that job had better be exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

For the last four years, I have gotten so used to working with the general public face-to-face. My specialty and focus since graduating with my first degree has been customer service and communications…though I’ve always considered myself a writer and more creative type. I’m from an extremely small town in Iowa. Moving wasn’t easy for me, but I wouldn’t say it was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. What’s made the move even more difficult, though, is not wanting to settle for just any job but knowing eventually I might have to.

There are several little things I’ve learned in the past several weeks as I’ve combed through every job board site you can think of. The most important—in my opinion—are the following:

1. Do Things That Are “Optional” and Put Your All Into Everything

As I was applying for jobs, I noticed the only jobs I was receiving a call back on were the ones where I included a cover letter with my resume, even if it was just an optional part of the application. I’d also recommend making sure to double and triple check any documents you send in to a potential employer.  Have two or three other individuals check over your application materials and if you want to be the best applicant ever, I’ve also noticed saving these documents in PDF form has won me a few brownie points here and there.

(And for more tips on tiny resume tricks that make a huge difference, we’ve got 37 of them in this blog post.)

2. Having More Than One Type of Resume Is Great—Not Misleading

Do you have expertise in more than one area? For instance, I’ve got experience in communications, writing/editing, customer service, and sales. I have two separate resumes: One for the communications and writing and one for the customer service and sales. This is completely okay. I have a lot more experience in several other areas, but I list those in the ‘Skills’ section of my resumes.

3. Do Your Research

Look into a company before you apply for the job. I made the mistake of not doing any research at all for one company. I went in for a face-to-face interview my first week in Colorado and the job turned out not being anything like what I thought it was going to be. Needless to say, though I was hired for the position, I had to turn it down and was kicking myself for letting the process get that far.

4. If You’re Given the Chance to Interview With a Company, Take It

Interviews are experience, and experience prepares you for whatever could come next. Not sure you want to take the job? There’s no harm in going in for the interview. If, by the end of the interview, you feel as if it just isn’t a position for you, there’s no harm done. You can still tell the employer in a professional way you just don’t feel as if you’re the person for the job. I’ve had to do it twice in the last two weeks. Often people starting their careers forget that interviews are a two-way street. The employer gets to learn more about you, and you get to learn more about them as a prospective employee. This is a great time to get a real feel of your potential employer! Keep that in mind!

5. Know That You Have to Start Somewhere (But That Doesn’t Mean You Shouldn’t Be Careful)

Unless you do have 30 years of experience, you’ll start small in most companies. This is oftentimes why I stick with the mentality of a job being a job. We need the experience to work our way up or to apply for the careers we truly want.

That said, beware of smoke and mirrors.  In many cases, a potential employer may make a job sound better than it really is. If you feel like a job is too good to be true, ask questions. Get specific with your interviewer. Be curious. If they don’t have the answers, give them your email and tell them you need the answers. You always want to be aware of what it is you’re getting yourself into. Questions are a great way to weed out jobs, so you can find your dream job.

For any individual out there trying to find the perfect career fit for them, I can’t sugarcoat it: It’s difficult. I’m sure for some individuals things may just fall into place for them. That isn’t the case with every individual, though. Be aware, research and make necessary adjustments to any and all application materials. Know your worth, know your boundaries and know your surroundings.

Job hunting isn’t hard.  Career hunting can be, though.  Make sure you do plenty of research, tweak your resumes and other application materials and realize you may have to work your way up in any career field.  Keep a positive attitude and a bright personality, and always be ready to ask or answer questions.