How to Get the Job You Want

In the past year or so I have assisted many friends and others in their job searches. In this post I intend to cover the basics that lead up to getting the interview.

This advice is coming from someone who is not a professional job finding coach, rather someone who has honed the skills to her own satisfaction. By focusing only on jobs I want, where I have an "in" and by working very hard to perfect the resume and cover letter, I have never submitted more than 5 resumes during any given job search.

1. The Biggest Challenge - Getting Your Resume Noticed

Anytime, and especially during this economy, this is the biggest hurdle for most. Some people put out thousands of resumes in hopes of getting a call back. I suggest taking the opposite approach - focus only on positions for which you have an "in." In this digital age of social media and professional networking sites like LinkedIn, this stage of the job search has gotten much easier. Let everyone who is interested in your well being and success know a) that you are looking for a position, b) what type of position you are looking to find and c) which companies/industries are of particular interest to you. A very good friend of mine has taken this approach and within one week obtained 3 strong leads on jobs that are a) a great match for his skills set, b) desired pay range and c) viable leads, i.e. he knows someone who can hand his resume to the person who needs to read it in order for him to be called in for an interview.

Even more ideal is if you have the opportunity and gall to actually hand your resume to the person who needs to see it. I have done this on two occasions - once by crashing the going away party of the person whom I hoped to replace (got the interview, not the position), and once by working in the same building already and racing out to the hall when the hiring manager was coming back from the restroom (my "in" called me to let me know when was the right time - and it's the job I currently hold). This is a tricky approach and you must have the connections and gumption to be able to pull it off, but if you can, it is well worth it.


2. The Resume and Cover Letter - Personalization is a must!

Now obviously the resume you post on Monster.com will not be personalized, though it should be focused for the career that you want and use the verbiage that matches that career.

If you are applying for a specific job, your resume and cover letter MUST match the job description. You don't want to leave anything to the reader’s interpretation. That being said, you should never lie on a resume - it is bad karma for one and second it is simply foolish. I find that I give this advice to many people and they feel like it's too much work. The bottom line though is this - looking for a job is a full time job.


This is my approach:
First, take the job description and two highlighters of different colors. With one color, highlight every verb. These are things that will be covered in your resume. In some cases, job descriptions are without verbs. In this case, highlight all the specific tasks or responsibilities and qualifications in your resume color.

Next, highlight all of the softer skills and personality traits in another color. This will be what you cover on your cover letter.

Now the writing begins...
The cover letter is broken down into several distinct paragraphs:

1. I am writing in regards to xyz position which I viewed on xyz website (or heard about from your xyz employee).

2. Your need for someone with such and such experience is a good match for my x number of years experience doing just that. Here you may also include some of those soft skills. For example, "Your need for diligent staff who are cost conscious is an ideal match for my work ethic." and "Your search for someone with extensive accounting experience is a perfect match for my 9 years of full charge bookkeeping experience."

3. Delve a little deeper. In this paragraph you want to tie specific instances at your previous employment to the skill set they are seeking. Example, "I believe my experience doing xyz best demonstrates the skills you are seeking. During this project I ... (insert results oriented sentences here which match the hard and soft skills they are seeking but be careful not to repeat your resume text). I often use the Give Missourians a Raise Campaign for this section... "My diligent work resulted in success on election day when 76% of Missouri voters approved the proposition to raise the minimum wage in Missouri."

4. If there are additional points to cover, do so here and follow a similar format as paragraph 3.

5. Closing line - I look forward to the opportunity to speak with you about xyz position, please call me at your convenience (include your number).

Each of these is brief paragraph with no more than 4 sentences. They should get directly to the point while linking their needs to your experience.


The resume is verb filled and results oriented!

• Do ensure that every line begins with a verb. Ideally these are the verbs and tasks outlined in the position description.

• Do pay attention to the details and consistency in formatting.

• Do ensure that you cover every single point of what they are seeking. If there's something they are looking for that you do not have, either skip it or address it directly by letting them know that one of your skills is your ability to learn quickly or independently. Another alternative is to research what they want. Most recently this came up with a company who wanted someone familiar with "trust accounting." After a few minutes of research the job applicant realized he knew much more than he thought and he had comparable experience. As always, if it's not true, don't put it on your resume.

• Do proofread. If you right that you have "hi attention to detail" it is not only untrue it is laughable. And yes, people gather over resumes and cover letters and laugh. (Note, spell check won't catch a mistake like that either - you MUST PROOF and ask others to proof for you).

• Do include a "skills" section which will cover any software knowledge the employer requires and any other skills. This section should begin with an adjective which describes your skill level, e.g. "Proficient knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, Strong presentation skills, Excellent interpersonal communication skills" and so on.

• Do not feel trapped by making your resume go in a timeline. Your relevant experience should be front and center.

I believe this is enough to get any job seeker started. I know it reads like it's a lot of work and it is. For this reason I strongly believe you should only apply to positions for which you really believe are a good fit for your skills, your goals and your lifestyle. If you believe the job is right for you, it will be much easier to convey that during the writing and interview process.