I was one of the first candidates from my class to have a job interview and the first candidate to receive and accept a job offer.
What challenges did you face in your job search?
Before Job Search Master Class® (JSMC), my only exposure to résumé writing was through a military transition program. But that program didn’t teach how to research the job I really wanted or to tailor a résumé for a specific job opportunity.
How did you use Job Search Master Class®?
JSMC builds the job search process slowly to help you organize something you’re not used to doing. I prioritized and managed my time by focusing on the things I knew would happen and the topics I would be asked about. Every evening I divided my job search into four sections: résumé prep, interview prep, technical question prep, and applying to jobs/following up on jobs.
I was prepared for battle on two key fronts: my résumé and my job interviews. I worked on my résumé for at least an hour a night; submitting it for feedback and then making the changes that were suggested so I had a very strong résumé. Identifying the key points and issues I was passionate about helped me use my résumé as a tool to eventually guide the final interviews.
The interview prep is key. Recording myself answering questions wasn’t fun and I spent hours redoing the same questions over and over: “Tell me about yourself. What are your flaws?” I hated watching the video of my answers at first, but I started to get better at it. I became more and more conversational and that helped me excel in my actual interviews.
What were your key benefits from Job Search Master Class®?
When I finally got in front of an interviewer, my résumé spoke for itself. I was prepared for the initial question and my résumé kept them asking about topics that really highlighted my experience and passion and made me feel comfortable in the interview. As a result, I was one of the first candidates from my class to have a job interview and the first candidate to receive and accept a job offer.
Searching for a job that would replace the income I previously made while looking for a career change was extremely stressful, and I didn’t have a lot of experience in Information Technology. I expected to be starting at a lower salary than I was previously making.
When the first job offer came in, and my wife and I saw that our quality of life would be the same even with a career change to a new field, we slept a lot easier. What I didn’t expect was that Job Search Master Class® would work so well, that I would get a subsequent job offer for a lot more.
The I was prepared for battle on two key fronts: my résumé and my job interviews.
I was one of the first candidates from my class to have a job interview and the first candidate to receive and accept a job offer.
When the first job offer came in, my wife and I saw that our quality of life would be the same even with a career change to a new field.