Networking and Referrals–Job Search Lessons Learned: 12 Key Take-Aways (09)

“It’s not what you know, it is who you know.”

This comes up twice in this series. That is how important networking is. Wait, is there an echo in here? Well, this is different from before. Now, you are an active job seeker, which means you have to ramp up your network activity and turn those connections into referrals. This article, and the next article, Applying, are done in parallel with each other.

In this article, I will cover the network interaction before and during the application process. In the Applying article, I will specifically touch on the applying and follow-up process.

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Résumé–Job Search Lessons Learned: 12 Key Take-Aways (06)

Now that we have our detailed and supporting information ready, let’s create the most awesome [advertised] résumé ever! But, how? I am going to be transparent, there are too many ways to go about this. In fact, it can be overwhelming. There are so many templates and so many opinions on what works best with the ATS (automatic tracking system), recruiter, hiring manager, and so forth. Even then, depending on your industry, the format and color scheme can change significantly. For six months, I edited my résumé on my own, taking into consideration all these factors, scouring the internet for free advice, and finally deciding to seek a professional’s help.

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Résumé Information–Job Search Lessons Learned: 12 Key Take-Aways (05)

Résumés should be custom made for each role you are applying for and are supposed to be two pages or less with an appropriate amount of white space. Sometimes that is a pretty tall order. You need to have a reliable source of truth that is easily accessible. That is where the document entitled “Detailed Résumé and Supporting Information” comes in to save the day.

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