7MS #239: Bye Bye Dream Job - Part 1

Goodbye, dream job...

Yep, it's true. The dream job I started in 2016 has come to an end (TLDR: the position was moved overseas so my contract wasn't renewed) Sniff sniff...I'm gonna miss you.

BUT that means I've been sharpening my job-hunting skills, hounding recruiters, punching up my resume and scouring the Web for good job sites and other resources. In this episode we're going to cover the following recommendations:

Make a kick-butt resume

There are great online resources for creating a great resume, but here's a few of my personal preferences and opinions on what makes a good/bad resume:

  • Keep it short but sweet. Personally I think resumes should be three pages or less. If you had me a 17-page autobiography I'm going to suggest you get an agent and sell your novel on Amazon.com.

  • It should be readable - using cartoon-letter fonts and mixed font sizes is not "creative" - it's an assault on eyeballs. 12-13pt font is awesome. 10 hurts. 16 is shouting.

  • Are you human? - I really like to see an "Interests/Hobbies" section with things you do not related to work - what sports/instruments you play, charitable groups you're involved in, family activities, etc. It's a great conversation starter and often used as a way to remember you once the interview is over. "Yeah, I really liked the guy who had the side gig as a juggler...he had some funny stories!"

  • Consider a "fake" phone number - if you're going to be submitting your resume to "cattle call" sites, you might want to use a Google Voice number as you might get a lot of calls. Many of those calls can be spammy and/or about positions you don't care about (see next section for more info).

  • Consider a "fake" email address - playing off the point above, if your resume is getting passed around you might end up on every spam list known to man. If you own a domain you might want to create a "jobs@" address outside of your primary one to keep clutter to a minimum.

On the menu for next episode:

  • Finding a job (good sites and resources to aid your search)

  • Interviewing for a job (how to be awesome at writing and speaking, as well as tips for being humble and thankful)