I just completed a job search after running my own business for a couple of years, and based on my experience, I have some suggestions, including using AI.
According to Lifeshack, an AI-powered job search platform, it takes 100-200 applications to land an offer. This is partially due to a misalignment between jobs people want and available roles. I only apply for roles if I’m both qualified and might enjoy them.
When I started my search, I looked at three areas: sales in recruitment tech, sales more generally around marketing and advertising, and development for a nonprofit. I wrote three resumes highlighting my experience in those three areas. Then, I only needed to make minor adjustments.
I did the same with cover letters. Recruiters are generally looking for a safe hire. That’s often someone who was recently in a similar role. If you’re changing industries or job roles, it’s more complex, particularly through a recruiting team.
I thought about getting a certificate in nonprofit management but didn’t pull the trigger.
I regularly changed my LinkedIn headlines and titles depending on what I was looking for. I turned my green Open To Work banner on. I used LinkedIn Premium to gain insights into employee tenure and contact people who were no longer employed in the job role I had applied for. Thanks to all who got my messages and responded.
How I used a variety of AI tools in my search.
I used Secta for headshots. I need them for LinkedIn and various business sites. While I prefer authenticity, this is much faster and cheaper than a photoshoot with many outfits.
I use Grammarly to avoid spelling and grammar errors. I had also heard about people using Teal’s AI resume builder and job tracker.
Teal is a personal career growth platform. I used the free version. I prefer my resume writing tone; that’s just a personal preference. My layout is chronological, with black words on a white background and no columns or shaded areas. If I want to use a keyword, I use it in context. Since it’s three pages long, a lot gets left out. My goal is to include relevant information. I could have gotten more help with my resume from Teal, and I can see the value if you are applying for more jobs than I was. I’m at the level I can handle manually.
For each job I applied to, I copied the job ad and put it in a file with the company’s name. Later, I added the resume and cover letter I used. I applied to about twenty posted jobs, always going to the company career site, looking at how it was listed, and applying there to land in the company ATS if they had one. Then, I’d locate the recruiter on LinkedIn and message them briefly that I applied for the job title and rec # in the ATS. I would mention a common contact if we had one and explain why I thought I was a good fit.
If you go through a similar process, checking the company website and team on LinkedIn, you will be much less likely to find yourself at the end of a recruiting scam. This story stuck with me.
I also networked by letting various people in the space know I was looking. A lot of job search comes down to the size and quality of your network and timing.
Getting a job by pulling people to you is much easier than applying.
I was interested in several ad agencies. When a note from a recruiter arrived in one of my DMs, I replied immediately since I was familiar with the agency. My takeaway is to ensure your phone, email, and LinkedIn are all set up and that you’re checking them so you get everything. Also, talk to recruiters. If it’s not for you, maybe it’s a good fit for a former colleague.
Then, I pulled one of the company white papers, read it, and posted it on LinkedIn. An exec contacted me because she saw the article getting downloads and found the source.
After each interview throughout the process, I sent the person a thank-you note and immediately notified the recruiter that I was done and still interested. I did have a question about how the initial offer was structured, so I found an ADP article and asked the recruiter to share it.
After one more meeting with the CEO BOOM, I got an offer. An internal champion thought I ran the process like I managed my clients, and that’s accurate.
After I accepted, I asked the recruiter how he had located me. The green banner was irrelevant. He used a LinkedIn Recruiter license and searched for people who had worked for a competitor. That made a lot of sense.
Job postings do still work. I had a good candidate experience at a local SMB email marketing software platform. I applied to a sales ad without knowing how their sales roles were structured. I once spent an hour describing exactly what I do to a recruiter, and she recommended the wrong role. Later, I looked at her LinkedIn, she had started a week or two before I met her, so I’m sure her advice was well-intentioned. In this case, I had a good recruiter screen. Then, I had an interview with a manager there.
The recruiter sent me four Gong recordings to prep for the final interview, which involved three managers in a row. I was impressed and hadn’t seen that as interview prep offered by the company before.
The first interview of the round was more about sales and culture. The second one prepped me for a trial call. I did it once for the manager, got coaching, and tried it again. He gave me a great line you’ll likely hear if you ever sit near me. The third call was to show I could do a quick telephone call to convert a trial into a buy. I tried it, got more coaching, and completed it.
Then, I realized that one of their senior sales coaches knew a friend of mine. I found her on LinkedIn and got the lowdown on the culture; it was quite positive.
I don’t use Glassdoor anymore because it lacks context. You can get some gems, directional advice, and reviews posted by HR or unusually disgruntled former employers.
Overall, I felt positive about my search experience.
Gallup management consulting company talks about leaning into your strengths. In my case, that is a longer, relationship-driven sales cycle. I could also apply that skill set to partnerships, training, and nonprofit development.
Interviewing can be frustrating, stressful, and occasionally insulting. If you take the reigns and decide what you want to do, where you want to do it, and your bottom line for salary, benefits, commuting, and other potential issues, you’ll likely get a better result than you would by applying and waiting.
