Career Planning in the Era of COVID

What does the job hunt look like right now? What do you do if you suddenly need to look for work and don’t know where to start, or you’re coming up on graduation and are eager to become part of the work force but don’t know how to describe what you can do?

As a hiring manager, I can tell you, the resume is your primary tool, but do not belittle the value of a good cover letter. Do the research and tell your story. When I post a part-time position that requires Zoom virtual event experience, I am NOT looking twice at a resume from a graduate of the University of Petroleum (yes, it is apparently a thing) or a cover letter that clearly states the candidate is looking for a full-time position in Medical Transcription (yes, it was also a thing). If your background is clearly opposite from the requirements, explain WHY in your cover.

If a position requires you to be in-person in Florida and you clearly have a background based in Pennsylvania or Kentucky, it is OK to explain that you have recently relocated (or are looking to) and what drew you to the opportunity. And no, it cannot simply be that a position was posted. Use words from the job description and how you relate. Demonstrate that you understand what the requirements mean. UC, San Diego has a great public search Career Center website including articles on resume building and cover letter design: https://career.ucsd.edu/succeed-search/cover-letter/index.html   LinkedIn and other resources are also available for free.

Be honest. Address your goals, but match the requirements to your skills. Bad example:  I am looking to become a valuable member of a great team. [Isn’t everyone?]

Good example: My background in virtual event design, managing Zoom and Adobe Connect web conferences will translate well into this sales role focused on creating valuable event outcomes for our clients struggling with the transition from in-person to virtual. [See that? Own the position – avoid words like “your” rather use “our” as if you are already part of the team!]

Another tip/trick is to save your resume/cover letter as a single document. Screeners or hiring managers do not have time to sift through the 100’s of applications they receive via LinkedIn or Indeed AND download multiple documents from each. Yes, you can paste your resume directly into the online application portals through these sites and it will show up “at a glance” when they open the notification, but if your resume has a lot of formatting, this may not show up properly. I should think allowances are made for the portal structure, but if you want to be sure your resume is displayed as intended, definitely upload the file, but save everyone the step, include your cover as just another page. It will be read.