Trainings
Job Seeker Coaching
Employers trainings
Job Seekers trainings
Trainer
Jordan Carroll
The Remote Job Coach and author of “Remote for Life”
1
What does a good resume look like?
A good resume
5-10 Second Rule
- Function is more important than design
- You only have a few seconds to keep their attention
- Don’t make them dig for relevant information
Keywords
- Customize your resume every time
- Use exact keywords and phrases
- Match to your own experience and achievements
How to write good bullet points
Powerful Verbs
- Start with action verbs: Executed, Established, Produced…
- Focus on impact for the company not just tasks
- Companies care about key performance indicators like money and time
[Skills + Experience + Metrics]
- Skills – Keywords from job listings that match what you’re good at
- Experience – Specific experiences that substantiate your skills
- Metrics – Numbers, percentages, and dollars that substantiate success
Structure and Design
Use Highlights and Skills
- Focus on relevant accomplishments at the very top (unless new grad)
- Match your highlights to keywords and phrases mentioned
- Use the job description to highlight the skills that you have
Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
- Most companies use ATS to parse resumes automatically
- Avoid adding graphics, boxes, and pictures or weird fonts
- Send resumes directly to hiring managers and recruiters if possible
Here are 2 templates you can use: template 1 | template 2
2
What does a good cover letter look like?
Know Who You’re Addressing
- Use the job description and research online who might be hiring for the role. Sometimes it’s on LinkedIn, or mentions the team in the description.
- If you can’t find it, try to find a few people at the company to have an informational interview with and find out who to address your cover letter to.
- You can use a tool like mailscoop.io to find someone’s email to send this directly to them.
- Try to avoid using “to whom it may concern” – at least use the name of the team in your address if you can’t find specific name.
Show Unique Value
- Match the unique value and specific highlights from your experience with the job description.
- Explain why this role is the logical next step for you and a benefit to them.
- Always focused on why we benefit their organization.
Summary of Why You’re a Good Fit for the Company
- Research the company and find information about the culture
- Include conversations as it’s great to put what you learned in the cover letter and shows you’ve done your research.
- Find a way to link part of their mission into how you live your life.
3
How do you network on Linkedin
Photo
- Your photo is incredibly important in greeting someone to your “landing page.” It should be a high resolution photo, front facing, well lit, and smiling is preferred. You can also use the Profile Pic Maker free tool to create your own profile photo with a cool background.
Change your settings
- Update your settings so that you’re open to work for recruiters to see the specific roles you’re able to do.
Headline
- Headline is your “elevator pitch” to anyone who might be interested in hiring you. You can use 220 characters, but be as clear as possible. Include the specific job role or keywords that are in multiple job descriptions that fit what you’re looking for.
About
- A good about should be speaking to your “target persona” and the hiring managers and recruiters who might want to hire you. Imagine you are them when you adjust your profile.
- Whatever you put in your LinkedIn needs to speak directly to them, provide relevant, substantiated, and quantifiable (when possible) proof that you are what you say you are. Instead of “telling” people who you are – “show” them.
Experience
- Have a completed experience section that speaks to the impact you provided to each role and company you worked for.
- Organize the information so it’s formatted consistent across your different experience so it looks clean. Include metrics and bullets and keywords directly from job descriptions that fit what you’re looking for when you can.
Endorsements
- Make sure the top 3 skills you are getting endorsed are the ones most important and relevant to the roles you’re looking for.
Recommendations
- Getting written recommendations and endorsements can go a long way in proving your credibility. Ask people you’ve directly worked with and who know the value of your work to write you a glowing recommendation.
Networking
- Make friends! Networking is just about interacting with different people.
Engage with companies
- companies can see how engaged you are with their brand. When you identify specific companies you want to work for, make sure to follow them, and comment and engage with relevant content they put out.
Connect with people
- Understand who your target persona is – who are the types of people that you need to connect with: the ones who are already doing the job you want to do and the ones who are hiring for the job you want to do, or those who may be able to help you in the process. Feel free to download my networking on Linkedin guide here.
4
Prepare for an interview
Research is the most important thing you can do to set yourself up for success:
- What is the company’s mission statement?
- What are their values?
- Search the company name in Google and sort by “News,” what comes up?
- How does the company stack up in its industry? Who are their top competitors?
- What are their goals/initiatives for the coming years?
- What’s the company origin story?
- What can you find out about the specific team you’d be working on?
Go deep
- Check if the company’s founder has been featured on podcasts.
- Look up the company on Glassdoor
- Do a Google search to see if you can find the company interview process/questions!
- Apps like Blind can provide insights into a company’s recruiting and interview process.
5
Setup right before, during, and after the interview
Physical Setup
- Smile – it can feel weird or fake to overly smile but especially if you’re over the phone, DO it! This will also help your anxiety if you’re nervous.
- Stand if you can (or sit up straight) – standing is a great way to perpetuate confidence and allow your voice to project. When on video, commit to straightening up your posture.
- Make sure there’s ample light (video calls) – don’t show up in the dark. If you’re going on a video call for your interview, make sure your face is illuminated.
- Consider what your background looks like (video calls) – take away all excuses for an interviewer not to like you because of something you have in the background. No controversial or polarizing object in the background!
- Hardwire your connection if possible – don’t rely on wifi for video calls, especially important ones.
- Find a quiet area – not to be overstated, find a quiet place in your home, or wherever you are. Put the dog in a room furthest from you, have a family member take them on a walk.
- Wear headphones or use a mic – Avoid speakerphone.
- Minimize distractions – don’t risk the chance of other activities, keep other devices on airplane mode, close all tabs on your computer other than your notes, or what you need to have in front of you. You need to be at full attention.
- Move beforehand – right before you jump on the call do a little dance, some pushups, a power pose, get into a confident state. Physiology directly influences your emotional state.
Practice your stories
- Start by taking the keywords from the specific job description and the company website.
- Map these keywords out to the different star stories you’ve created. Practice saying them out loud in conjunction with each other. It should go something like this: “That’s a great question! I’d have to say [reiterate part of the question they asked in your answer] + [keyword from job description or company website]. [STAR answer]. This would be a benefit to [company] because [benefit statement].”
- Consider using the STAR Method to answer interview questions that come your way.
- Situation – Share the context of the situation and a short lead-in to give the interviewer the jist of what was happening at the time.
- Task – Your responsibility during the time of the situation and what was expected of you.
- Action – What you did in the moment to handle the situation and your responsibility. This should be a major IMPACT moment!
- Result – Try to always quantify a result if possible. If not, make sure you focus on the outcome that you directly made.
Ask good questions
- One of the true tests of a job interview is the questions YOU ask.
- Job interviewers are judging you based on these questions because it indicates how much research you’ve done, how creative you are, and what’s important to you.
- These questions should be thought-provoking and should display your knowledge of the company and the role. The questions should also be aimed to gain the opinion of the interviewer, and you shouldn’t ask anything you can easily find the answer to online.
- Link to question guide
Following up
- This email should serve a couple of things:
- Thanking them for their time
- Show your proactivity
- Reinforce why you’re a great candidate for the role
- Once you send this email out – add your interviewers on LinkedIn. Always “add note” – and send a quick thanks for their time there too, and you can reference that you just sent over an email.
7
Joining a Community for Job Coaching Support
Join the Jobs for Humanity Discord community
to meet recruiters and specialized organizations that offer:
- Job coaching on all topics discussed above
Plus - Language skills support
- Soft and technical skills
- Obtain legal support
- Obtain housing support
- Obtain childcare support
Credits
Prepared by Jordan Carroll
Designed by Isabelle Trad
Edited by Roy Baladi
Designed by Isabelle Trad
Edited by Roy Baladi