How to succeed in your job search and get your dream job

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Willena Long, an Executive Career Coach and Senior Technical Recruiter for the past decade. In this conversation she discusses the role of a recruiter in the hiring process and what you should do when it comes to your resume and LinkedIn profile to get a recruiter’s attention to get you in the running to interview for your dream job. She also shares additional strategies that have helped her own clients land dream opportunities at some of the biggest tech companies in the world. 

 

QUOTES

“[When it comes to reviewing potential candidate’s LinkedIn profile] I'm going to skim at it first, so maybe 15 to 30 seconds to see if they are a good fit. If I can tell from the 30 second review, they have the titles, a few key details and keywords that are popping out to me, then I'll maybe give it a little bit more time and then do a quick reach out.” - Willena Long
“If you're putting yourself out there, it should be a job that you really want. So you should want to invest the time in tailoring each resume for those jobs. A lot of companies are looking for people that can highlight their brand and not just what you do, but who you are. And so when you're doing your research on each company, you should really be researching before you apply at each company and understand their mission statement.” - Willena Long
“I personally don't read [cover letters], but the hiring manager might. You're writing the cover letter for the hiring manager, more so than the recruiter in most cases. So the hiring manager is going to be more likely to read it than I would, but I wouldn't say it's a waste of time, always try to put one together if you can.” - Willena Long

 

TIMESTAMPS

[0:52] Meet Willena
[4:10] Explaining the working relationship between the recruiter and hiring manager when it comes to filling a specific role
[6:46] What happens after a recruiter posts the job description of a role
[7:37] Why you shouldn’t care how many professionals apply for a certain role
[9:35] Reapplying to a company if you were recently rejected
[10:26] Moving to the next level up in your career externally than trying to do it internally
[12:42] How recruiters look at LinkedIn profiles and how you should write yours to increase your chances of a recruiter reaching out to you
[15:59] The main part of the resume you need to get right if you want a response on your online applications
[17:07] Discussing appropriate resume length
[19:13] Additional LinkedIn strategies professionals should use to help them get noticed and land their dream job
[28:57] The importance of tailoring your resume for each application and how to do it effectively
[31:51] The importance of cover letters for job applications
[33:10] How long it takes to hear back from a recruiter after you submitted your application online
[34:12] Why you shouldn’t worry about the amount of applications for a role and apply anyway if it’s still open
[35:21] One way video interviews and advice on how to succeed at them
[38:00] Common interview mistakes professionals make
[43:14] Tips and advice for professionals looking to make a move this year and how they should go about their job search right now so they can get that next opportunity they are looking for
[44:06] Main career challenge that Willena had to overcome to get to where she is today in her career
[45:41] Contacting Willena
[48:18] Outro

 

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