We lucky Canadians have a national holiday on Monday, so my husband and I decided to make it an extra long weekend by taking Friday off, too. That means that, when you read this, I should be sitting in the sun in an undisclosed location, enjoying a gin and tonic. Actually, given that I usually set my posts to publish in the early morning, I’ll probably be stepping on Cheerios while chasing after my kid when this hits your inbox. Regardless, I just want to wish all the Canucks a happy long weekend, and to let everyone know I’ll be back to my bloggy goodness–not to mention my email accounts–on Tuesday.
I’ve spent the last two months working with clients who are on the post-academic job hunt, and I’ve learned a few things along the way about what people find the most troubling and confusing about the process. In the best tradition of Glamour magazine, I’m going to present a do and don’t list summarizing some real golden nuggest of wisdom.
DO contact someone inside the organization if you’ve got questions. Sometimes that might be the hiring manager, sometimes in might be HR. One of my intrepid clients found someone inside the organization who would be her peer, someone who had the same job title that she was applying for. She asked a few questions about the job, and got back a really fantastic, informative, helpful reply. Not only did she glean some clues for how she should position herself in her application, not only did she demonstrate initiative to her potential employer, she got her name front and centre with someone who, it so happens, is on the hiring committee.
DON’T underestimate your past experience. I’ve had clients casually mention accomplishments in passing that hadn’t appeared on their CVs because they felt like ancient history (i.e. before the MA) and weren’t relevant to their academic work. Sometimes that stuff ends up quite fruitfully on the résumé. Any kind of volunteering, internship or leadership roles you’ve had can be useful woven into a résumé or cover letter, providing proof of the strength of your skills.
DO demonstrate enthusiasm. Employers want to bring people on board who will have energy. They want people who can get excited about the work they do and that the company/foundation/organization does. Excitement does not equal a lack of professionalism. Excitement equals commitment, drive and teamwork. Can you answer the question, “Why do you want this job?” with enthusiasm? If so, your future employer is gonna like that a lot.
DON’T be afraid to mine language and information for all different parts of your life. Clients have sent me grant applications, various cover letters, CVs, old résumés, some publications, lists of likes and dislikes–things that we wouldn’t use directly in their applications, but that give me a sense of their skills and that they can use as proof of their skills.
DO be yourself. Let your freak flag fly. If you act like someone you’re not, you’re going to be in a real pickle if you actually land the job. But more to the point, what you might perceive as a weakness or liability can actually be an asset. For some of you, you might feel like your Ph.D. is a liability. I had one client who had a hidden disability, one that she could hide very, very well. But instead of doing that, she was open about this disability, thereby demonstrating how her knowledge of and experience with disability issues actually makes her a strong candidate for the job.
DON’T confuse a CV with a résumé. They are two totally different docs. A CV is a list of all your accomplishments in one part of your life. It is read by people who have those same accomplishments, too. A résumé is an argument. It is a carefully crafted argument for why you are the best person for that job, with proof indicating why you are exactly what the employer needs. The company needs someone with good communication skills? You’ve got good communication skills! And you can prove it, too!
What have you learned along the way about the job application process?
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