Tips for Getting a Job Anywhere (4/4)

This post is part four of a four part series on getting the job you want.

16) Define Your Rich Life

One of my favorite people to get advice from is entrepreneur, Ramit Sethi. He encourages his followers to define their “Rich Life.” Have you ever sat down and thought about what a successful or “rich life” would be for you? This can be a helpful exercise, because, if you don’t spend some time thinking about it, you’re likely to default to whatever society considers “successful.” Usually, this means making a lot of money, buying a bunch of stuff, and gaining power over others. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with raising your income, buying things, or climbing the ladder, just be mindful to make sure it aligns with your goals. If you don’t know what this looks like for you, how can you know what jobs/companies will lead to a life that matches your version of success?

17) Highlight “Other” Experiences

Sometimes it seems like all job postings require 1-3 years experience, even for entry level roles. Even if you don’t have internships on your resume, you probably have experience that you may not be considering. Things like larger group or club projects in school, individual research/data analysis projects, or personal tinkering/hobbyist projects can also highlight skills and abilities to employers.

18) Answer Interview Questions Clearly

A good framework for any interview answer is (1) describe at a high level what the project/experience was, (2) talk specifically about YOUR role - what skills you used and how you solved the problem, and (3) what the result or significance ending up being (why it mattered). This approach helps to avoid rambling and make sure you are giving information the employer cares about.

19) Get Your Hands Dirty

Go out and do something to learn new skills or practice working with others. Build a deck, make an Arduino system, freelance, launch a high altitude balloon.

20) Connect With Your Connections

Sometimes just getting your resume in front of the right people is the biggest challenge. Remember all those people you went to school with or met along they way? There is no shame in asking for help and using your network. I’ve seen people create creative LinkedIn posts describing their skills and letting people know they are looking for work.