Let me first say job hunting is exhausting. Getting up the energy to jump on the job boards, scan the job descriptions, and then deal with the unintuitive, horrible job systems (seriously, can't we make this a little easier? I'm looking at you, Workday!) can take a toll on your confidence, your psyche, and your family. 

I wanted to share my experience and some tips for anyone currently in a job search.

First, don't give up. I know it's hard, but staying positive and trying is essential. It can be discouraging when you don't hear back from jobs you've applied to. Or, more so, get that wonderful canned response that company X has decided to pursue the role for a better fit, even though your experience matches the job description to a T. You can only polish the resume so much, but with that said...

Second, tailor your resume and cover letter to each job you apply to. This is overused and told by so many, but there's truth in it. Don't just send a generic resume and cover letter to every job you see. Take the time to read the job description carefully and highlight the skills and experience that are most relevant to the position. I used https://www.jobscan.co/ to scrape the job description and crafted it using the out-of-the-box tools. However, I do want to caveat it: the tool isn't perfect. It can help, but it doesn't always mean that you will hear back even if you spend time on the resume. I hit scores of 90+ on the tool, and 9 times out of 10 didn't hear back. 

Likewise, with a tool like theladders, you can send 15 resumes in 5 minutes. From my experience, it doesn't work. While you get that small endorphin rush of applying to so many jobs, the hit rate on these was 0%, even though I was hitting the notes on the job description. There's also probably some unwritten rule that those get flagged, but who knows, as I don't have any data to support my rationale. 

This 👆🏻was about an hour of time on Ladders applying to various roles. Zero interviews.

Third, it's a numbers game. Unless you have a specific company in mind and have been keeping them on the radar and know the recruiters or someone at the company, it's a bit of a crapshoot. You might look at the job description and think this is a great opportunity and spend hours working on the resume and/or cover letter and apply only to get ghosted or canned rejection letter. Look for any avenues into the company, hit up your network, and contact the recruiter if it's available. It's squeaky wheel syndrome, but it works. 

Fourth, spend some money. While you might not have a hefty severance or you are just looking while still employed, the tools that cost money are often worth it. I paid for Ladders, LinkedIn, and Jobscan and dropped some cash on a career coach. You don't need to do all of those things; investing in yourself is money well spent. Often times they are monthly subscriptions, and they can be turned off once you land that gig. Don't drop into an annual contract unless you like the tool and see value. 

Fifth, network, network, and network. Attend industry events, connect with people on LinkedIn, and contact people you know for informational interviews. Networking is a great way to learn about job openings and make a good impression on potential employers. I contacted people I worked with whom I hadn't talked to in years, and they proved incredibly valuable. I reached out to other people I saw looking for work and just said hello and that I'm also looking, and if there's anyone in my network, feel free to ping me. Pay it forward as much as possible because that positive energy can be infectious and helps. 

Here are some additional tips that helped me land my job:

• Be organized and keep track of all the jobs you've applied to and the status of each application. Jobscan's dashboard is pretty friendly with this and makes it easy to see what you've applied for.

• Follow up with employers after you submit your application and interview. I did this on every job I was excited about; LinkedIn is an easy way to find them, and sending a follow-up note with how your experience matches the role can be a promising avenue. 

• Be confident in your experience, know that you are a great value to any company, and will eventually land in a role that fits and you can grow from it.

  
  

I know that finding a job can be a challenging process, but it's important to stay positive and keep trying. Just keep applying and networking; eventually, you'll find the right job.

Once you've landed your dream job, take some time to celebrate your accomplishment! You've worked hard, and you deserve it.