Finding the right job
Q: I’ve been applying for a lot of jobs lately and seem to have found myself in a weird grey area. I can only seem to find jobs that I’m overqualified or underqualified for. I never hear anything from the entry-level jobs and the jobs I’m underqualified for turn me down after one or two interviews. I ask for feedback but never get any. Should I tweak my resume to seem more entry-level, take interview classes, or just study up on topics I don’t know much about?
What do you recommend?
A: This sounds like an opportunity to begin again and start fresh. Without knowing the
industry you’re pursuing or your work background, start networking to have informational interviews — meaningful, deep conversations with people who are connected to people who know you, trust and vouch for you. Ask them to review your resume and give you feedback as to what are the top two or three skills you should hone and any experiences you need to gain to get a foot in the door; even by volunteering or pursuing something unpaid (temporarily) so you can bolster your resume.
It sounds like you’re getting interviews and proceeding to the first or second round, which is a good thing. I’d recommend yes, brushing up interview skills to tie your skills and experiences back to the job, but if you’re underqualified for them and landing the initial employer connection up until the first or two round and that’s where it ends, employers may think you don’t have the ability right now to step in and do the job.
Focus on articulating past situations when you learned something new quickly and succeeded so you can share examples. Interview classes, a career coach or contact at an alma mater’s career center on campus can help polish your talking points so you’re both authen
tic and convincing in being able to demonstrate how you can do the job.
Your ideas are spot on: It’s always a good idea to learn about topics you don’t know much about. If you interviewed for industries or areas that were new to you, perhaps that came across during the interview. Absorb as much as you can -- this includes industry articles, company news, social media feeds, industry experts, blogs, etc.
I’m not surprised employers aren’t sending feedback mainly since they would need to give the same type of feedback to every single candidate they didn’t pursue as equal opportunity employers. Plus, many companies simply don’t have the time. So don’t take the radio silence personally although it could be frustrating for sure.
Whatever you do, don’t give up! Continue looking for jobs that you’re qualified for, as it sounds like right now you’ve been found either underqualified or overqualified, hence your predicament. You may want to tweak your resume to get your foot in the door and work your way up, focus perhaps on part-time opportunities to also work
your way up/expand your search, brush up on interviewing, learning as much as you can. Good luck!
Q: I have a job interview lined up next week. It’s video. I’m pretty good at them, but help! I have nowhere quiet to go. My two roommates are always home and we have two barking dogs. I quit my job last month, so I can’t go into my old office (even though I knew that would be weird if I still worked there). What should I do?
A: First, congrats on your upcoming interview! And it’s great that you’re thinking ahead now rather than during the interview when you’re distracted and concerned
about the impression you’re making with potential interruptions. You have several options.
Connect with your library and ask if there are quiet study rooms you can reserve. If they do, and it seems quiet and ideal for your sanctuary interview location, notice the lighting, acoustics, seating height and more so you can bring a portable Ring light and adjust the height of the chair so your eye level meets the device’s lens. Think also about
background if you need to bring an artificial plant or something simple and portable.
Co-working spaces are another option. Many of them offer day-only deals or a trial day so you don’t have to be a monthly member. In addition, they usually have some type of private office situation that you can reserve by the hour.
Another idea is a local community college — see if perhaps their library has an option or if there’s somewhere else quiet on campus you can reserve for an hour. Once you start researching these avenues, new ones will probably emerge, so then it becomes a matter of finding the one that best suits your needs. (And if there’s a cost, check with your tax accountant, but it’s probably tax-deductible since it’s related to your job search!)