"I Got The Job": 20 Job Search And Interview Tips People Swore By In 2023
1."Three important tasks to do before applying for a job:"
"Research the company: Before applying for a new job, take the time to research the company you are interested in. Look into their mission, values, and culture to see if they align with your own. This will give you a better understanding of what it would be like to work there and if it would be a good fit for you.
Review the job description: Carefully read and analyze the job description to ensure you have a clear understanding of the responsibilities and requirements. Make sure you have the necessary skills and qualifications for the position. Additionally, consider whether the job aligns with your career goals and if it offers opportunities for growth and advancement.
Check company reviews and reputation: Look for reviews and feedback from current and former employees to gain insights into the company’s work environment, management style, and employee satisfaction. Websites like Glassdoor can provide valuable information and help you make an informed decision about whether or not to apply for a job with a particular company."
2."When asked for your expected salary in an interview never give a number. Instead, give a range."
"If asked your salary expectations don't say 'I was thinking of X dollars.'
Instead say, 'For this role, I expect the salary to be in range of X to Y.' The starting point of that range should always be the salary that you would like to get."
"Never give your lowest number either."
3."Even if you are happily employed, spend 30–45 minutes job searching a few times per year."
"Most people stop looking at other options once they get a job they are content with. Even if you are happy/content at your current job, you may find that you are being underpaid or underutilized for your skill set.
You might find that you are more thankful for the job you do have after seeing what is out there, which will make you happier at work.
You may also find yourself needing another job sooner than expected, so it’s a good idea to know what is going on in the market and not be left feeling totally shocked and unprepared.
If you are unhappy at your job, or just stuck in a rut, seeing what else is out there might motivate you to make a much needed change. Not all jobs are going to be 'fun', but life is too short to work a job you truly dread going to.
Online job postings are everywhere. LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Craigslist, Indeed, and Monster.com are a few that come come mind that can be browsed casually while watching Netflix.
BONUS TIP: If you have a work computer or phone, don’t use it to browse or apply for other jobs. Always assume someone has access to your device."
4."If you're barely under meeting the job requirements, apply anyway. You may be able to land the interview and progress from there. Let them decide if you're good enough, don't do their job for them."
"It's incredibly common for hiring managers to 'shoot for the moon' on the job description, listing the skills of their ideal candidate but not necessarily a realistic one. Always apply if you truly believe you can do the job. I have seen countless times where candidates who were under-qualified on paper were hired over more-qualified candidates thanks for their interview, attitude, etc."
"Also, you don't need to beat the requirements, you simply need to beat the next best person."
5."If you work in an office, dress up every once in a while. You’ll stand out less if/when you’re interviewing for other jobs."
"Every time I dress up nice I get accused of applying for other jobs. Kinda makes me want to apply for other jobs."
"Jobs like this are like partners who always suspect you of cheating. It says more about them and how they see you that they aren’t secure enough to not be suspicious."
6."Let your interviewers know you have/had multiple interviews."
"Had a fair few job interviews this week. After each interview, I've been asked about other roles I've applied for. I've always responded with, 'I've had a few interviews already this week, just waiting to hear from the outcome.' If they're interested in you, you'll get a much quicker turn around."
"That's a great pro-tip! It helps an employer know that you have other options and that you take your job search seriously. I've definitely found this to be helpful in the past. It also shows that you're not desperate and have the confidence to negotiate if need be."
7."Tips for landing on your feet after a layoff."
"Layoffs suck but there are ways to make the experience less painful.
Get your finances in order: Understand your severance, apply for unemployment, and budget your financial runway immediately (including cutting down on expenses).
Create a job search plan: It's not enough to apply and wait. Edit your résumé, share it with friends for review, or work with a professional. Leverage your network and let them know you're looking for work, and reach out to companies.
Give yourself a break: Layoffs are often a business decision and do not indicate your performance or worth. Give yourself frequent breaks after layoff and during your job search to avoid burnout."
"And apply for that unemployment same day if you can. Don’t drag your feet."
8."You can use ChatGPT to help you prepare for job interviews."
"Last week, I had an interview and realized that ChatGPT may be able to help. I’m not the best at wording professional responses but I had the barebones bullet points for what I wanted to talk about. I typed in something like:
'Write a job interview response to the question 'tell me about yourself' that uses the following points:'
Then I listed five to 10 things that summed up my recent career experience. It generated some very well-worded responses that I could in turn generate back into bullet points to look at while responding in the interview. And this worked for every typical interview question without a hitch. Give it a try to get ahead of your job applicant competition!"
"I did the same and more: ChatGPT can also help you optimize the CV and cover letter (or provide you with a good starting point for both). Give the AI some information about the role you are applying for, so that it can tailor the CV to that role. You could also ask the AI for things the interviewer might ask you and what potential answers can be.
A recommendation: Start with the CV. Once that is well-rounded, continue in the same (!) chat by stating that you also need a cover or motivation letter based on that CV. That way, the AI can incorporate your CV data in the cover letter.
I got the job."
9."Questions you could ask at the end of job interview:"
"As someone who was in charge of hiring, these are some good questions.
What are the challenges of this position?
What are the first priorities of this position?
How has this position evolved?
What have past employees done to succeed in this role?
What do you like most about working in this company?
Do you have any hesitations about my qualifications?
Please tailor which of these you ask to what has already happened in the interview! Further questions should be guided by whether you feel they will add anything to your knowledge of the company/position and will put you in a better light."
10."Google who you're interviewing with."
"Not many people think to do it. A few years ago, I Googled the boss I was working for and found out he was on the sex offender registry. I do it regularly now and just came across the person I interviewed with this week in the news for her sheriff husband being part of January 6th. Boy howdy, how I would have hated to work for her."
"I'd say look at them on LinkedIn, so they can see you've done your research."
11."Save the description of the job you apply to. If you get it, you can use it to update your résumé."
"For the past several years, I've started saving the job description of the postings I apply to. I try to do it whenever I get called to interview, because the employer will take it down shortly after.
When I have gotten that job, I hold onto the posting and use the description to update my LinkedIn profile and résumé. Whenever I'm ready to apply somewhere new, I can easily point to the skills and duties I've been actively doing. It can be hard to succinctly say what you do, but this makes it easy because it's already in professional, efficient Human Resources jargon."
"Some companies will take down the posting before or during the interview process. It's helpful to have the job saved so you can review it and be ready for questions."
12."Any time you complete a significant project or accomplishment at your job, immediately add it to your résumé. It's far easier to trim it down in the future than it is to remember forgotten successes."
"Not just what you did, but what skills you used to do it, and the business objective it contributed to."
"I have a folder in Outlook where I save things like this or kudos from my boss/other execs for annual reviews as well."
13."You don't need to find a job you love. You simply need to find a job you don't hate."
"Literally. I quit a job I hated for a job I can tolerate and am much happier regarding having to go to sleep at night and wake up for work."
"If you can’t find a job that aligns with your passion, find one that can fund it. For most of us, the latter is the best option."
14."Use a Boolean expression to help find jobs."
"I use a Boolean expression to help me find jobs in my industry. Most people just do a regular search like 'job title in state/country' and may get positions that are relevant but not quite to your skillset.
Here is a Boolean expression anyone can use if they are not code savvy or techy:
("job title" OR "job title" OR "job title") AND ("State" OR "State Abbreviated") AND ("entry-level" OR "junior" OR "trainee") AND (hiring OR job OR vacancy OR position OR employment) AND (company OR organization OR firm)
Here is an output example of it filled out:
("data analyst" OR "business intelligence analyst" OR "BI analyst") AND ("California" OR "CA") AND ("entry-level" OR "junior" OR "trainee") AND (hiring OR job OR vacancy OR position OR employment) AND (company OR organization OR firm)
You can remove/add the additional OR statements for your search criteria.
Once you finished your Boolean expression, copy and paste into Google, and you should be all set."
15."Consider more than salary when switching jobs."
"Calculate all benefits on top of pay such as the following:
Benefits (Medical/Dental/Vision). ASK HOW MUCH IT COSTS PER PAYCHECK DURING/BEFORE INTERVIEW!!! This was a mistake I made. One job took hundreds out of my monthly pay.
PTO amounts/flexibility
Holidays offered
401(k) matching percentage
Bonuses
WFH/Hybrid/Commute times
Add it all up and compare different companies' packages. Our time is a big investment, and although it's not very hard anymore to apply for jobs, it can be a big process and investment on both sides. Make it worth it."
16."If you're job hunting, leverage ChatGPT to generate custom cover letters to each job you apply for."
"I've been throwing my application at anyone who would listen. I was using a generic cover letter that I would just tune to each job I was applying for. This was time consuming and slowed down my applications/ hour metric.
Enter ChatGPT. Now I take the job listing requirements, prompt ChatGPT to write me a cover letter, and bam. Perfect custom cover letter detailing why I'm a great fit for everywhere I'm applying for.
I went from getting nothing back to getting interviews and offers in about two weeks.
Don't just take this cover letter and paste it as-is. Read it, and reword things as you need."
17."Stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs by learning new skills and staying informed."
"It's no secret that artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the way we work and it's also eliminating certain jobs. As technology continues to advance, it's important to be aware of the changes in the job market and take steps to prepare for them. Here are a few examples of how you can prepare:
Learn new skills: By learning new skills you can make yourself more valuable to employers and increase your chances of being hired in a new field.
Stay current: Stay up-to-date with the latest developments in your field and be aware of the changes happening in the job market.
Network: Building relationships with other professionals in your field can help you stay connected and be aware of new opportunities.
Invest in yourself: Investing in yourself means that you are not only prepared for the future but you are also taking the initiative to invest in your future and your career.
The job market is constantly changing, but by taking proactive steps to prepare for the changes, you can increase your chances of success in the future. With the rise of AI and other technologies, it's important to stay informed and take action to secure your place in the job market."
18."If a prospective employer asks why you’re leaving your current employer..."
"Give a reason that involves something the new employer has that the old employer doesn’t. If this new job is a smaller company, 'I’m looking to work for a smaller company.' If the new job is more hands on, 'I’m looking for a job where I can be more hands on.' Etc.
That way you are already complimenting something this prospective employer has while refraining from negativity regarding your current employer."
19."Watch out for recruiters who message you directly with the full job description without a link to actually view the full job description. Often there isn't actually a job posting with the company described at all and it is a scam."
"There are two major routes they can take, and I am sure there are more I am unaware of:
They try to get a lot of your sensitive information and commit identify theft, like opening credit cards in your name.
They say you need to pay for equipment or training from a third party before you start the job, when in reality the equipment or training doesn't really exist."
20."Your interviewer is just as anxious as you are."
"As part of my job, I have interviewed what feels like hundreds of people, and I realized that many candidates don't think about how the interviewer feels.
The best way to make an excellent impression is to think about how to make the interview pleasant for the interviewer:
1. Be friendly. Make small talk at the start. Engage, chuckle. By doing so, you set the tone for the interview as, 'thank god, I won't be pulling teeth with this one.'
2. Don't monologue. If you're asked a question like 'tell me about yourself' or 'tell me about your experience with X,' keep the answers to under two minutes. Monologuing, unless it's for a very technical answer, shows you can't get to the point, and it's tiring to listen to a story you don't care about. All the questions we ask can be answered in 1-2 minutes, so if you take more, you're rambling.
3. Follow the S.T.A.R. pattern of answering when asked questions like 'tell me about a time you had X problem.' This is the best way to form answers and the gold standard we're taught to look for.
4. Have at least two questions for the interviewer. There's nothing more awkward than sitting through 20 minutes of me asking you question after question, then you say you have nothing to ask in return."
Comments have been edited for length and clarity.
H/T r/LifeProTips.
Did you get a new job in 2023? Are you looking for work right now? Tell us what helped in your search (and what didn't) in the comments!
