This is the second part of my Job Hunt strategy. In part 1, I go over my resume and in this part I am going over the job hunt and interview process. Without further ado, let’s get back into it.
At this point you should have a really strong Resume and (if you are Software Engineer) a Portfolio. From there, I apply for jobs on Indeed, iHire, ZipRecruiter, Dice, and any other job board. I then go on the company’s website and apply directly on their site as well (if the job is listed there). I have found more success in applying directly on their site versus just doing job boards. If the job isn’t on the company’s website I still apply, I just don’t apply both places, if that makes sense.
Just think of it this way, anyone can press “quick apply” to 1000s of job applications each week. It looks better if you take time out to apply directly on their site (PIA yes, but worth it) not as many people are doing that. So, while they have the job posting out there, they are going to prioritize people that apply directly on their site vs people that apply on job boards. So, while I apply directly on those job boards, I also do their sites to cover my bases. Due to this, I have to have a simple way to remember where I applied and when so I can follow-up on these job applications.
Trello
I use Trello to save all jobs I apply to. There is this Chrome Extension called One-Click Trello that I use to add the job to a list called “Applied / Follow Up” in my Trello board. The only power up I have is the Calendar Power-Up (called exactly that) so I can view my jobs in a calendar view and Kanban view. I use Trello due to the fact that it is completely free. I have tested the premium subscription (got a offer for a 1 month trial) and it is not worth it, so don’t bother.
Here are some screenshots of my current Trello board setup for my job applications: (these are taken from my iPad)
As you can see, I have 5 columns and each column has cards in it. The optional column is the “Have to wait to follow up until due date” as these are ones where I am waiting on feedback or have some reason why I can’t follow up exactly 7-days from my application date. On Web and Desktop I can collapse these columns so that I can see the total number I have in each.
When you click on any of the items, this is how the top looks. I have whatever is in the title bar on Chrome as that is what the Chrome extension uses. I only change it when I move them into the “interviews” column so it is easier to find the one I am looking for.
As you scroll down, Attachments show up next (below) and those are links to the contact page, any notes I have in UpNote about the job (more on that later), as well as a link to the original job page where I found the job. The last link gets added by the Chrome extension automatically.
The next thing that shows is a quick checklist. This checklist shows what I do with jobs: I follow up 1 week from original application, then 2 weeks, and finally 3 weeks. If they don’t answer by the 3rd time, I still follow up that 3rd time but I give up and move it to “not selected”. I keep it like baseball, 3 strikes and you are out. The times contacting them and then they are gone.
If I am interviewing (as I am with the screenshot below) I check off all the follow ups anyway (easier than deleting for me) and then I add comments about when the interview is.
You can see the comments I keep below. These are just some of them. I make sure to keep status updates in the comments so that I can see exactly what is going on. I will keep contact details for the company or person in the comments as well.
Comments on Cards
There are also automations that I set up for when cards get added to either the “Not Selected” or “Applied/Following Up” columns. For the “Applied/Following Up” automation, it automatically sets the start date to today (the day I add it) and then sets the due date for 1 week from today. It also automatically adds the checklist that you saw above to the card. I copy and paste ALL info from the job description in the description of the card (manually).
I always move jobs to “Not Selected” versus archiving or deleting them because I prefer to keep them on hand until I get hired at a new position in case they contact me out of the blue one day.
From there, I do this to 35 jobs max a day. That is because it adds up quickly. First week you will have just 35 to apply to (quick and easy, over in an hour or two). Then next week you have 70 jobs, 35 to apply to and 35 to follow up or archive if you got a denial already. And so on and so forth. You can do more or less. I try to aim as close to 35 as possible. On really busy weeks (due to life or interviews) I do less (like zero or 10-15) but I always try to at least follow up even if I am interviewing.
I have made the mistake time and time again where I had interviews and then I stopped applying because I had several interviews or companies contacting me and then BAM! They were all gone and I was back to square 1. Don’t do that. Don’t make my mistakes.
When I follow up (after 1 week), I always try to call. I prioritize calling over emailing as it is more personable and I have received more responses by calling rather than emailing. I hate talking on the phone but I do it anyway. Employers like that. I leave messages like this:
Hello, This is Erin __. I applied for the ___ job directly on your site and via Indeed/ZR/your website back on ___. I was looking to follow up regarding this application. My phone number is 555-555-5555. Thank you.
When I fill out Contact Forms on the company’s website or send them emails I use the following template:
Hello,
I applied for the XXXX Position on XX X, 2024. I am emailing to see if I could get an updated status on this application.
I am a trained ___ Developer who has several years of experience in the field. So, I believe I would be a good fit for this position.
I am available for an interview when you are available [or state particular dates/times]. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I have attached my resume for your review. [if email, if contact form you can write “You can view my resume via my online portfolio here: [address]”] You can also view my online portfolio at: [address here with a hyperlink if it is an email]
I am looking forward to hearing back from you,
Erin __
Just make sure you read over your email/contact form message several times before you send it. I have left in the XXs or forgotten to attach my resume a few times and had to resend the email/form.
From there, interviews are next. I keep notes for Interviews in UpNote.
UpNote
UpNote is a one-time purchase note taking application. It is $39.99 currently and it is a super nice app developed by 2 developers in Ukraine. I am using it to draft up these blog articles and I use it for journals and more.
If you don’t want to use UpNote, this can easily be duplicated in any other note-taking application. I don’t have anything complicated in my notes. You can see an example note here.
As you can see I keep everything I want to say in the note so I can make sure I am using the right words/phrasing and saying exactly what I want to say. When I am in interviews, I go blank if I don’t have my notes. I tested this early last month with my first interview after getting laid off. I didn’t prepare or have notes and I wouldn’t have hired me. I did awful in the interview. So, I fixed that quickly.
The reason why I have company listed twice is because in the UpNote sidebar, you can see part of the title as well as part of the first line of the note. So, I keep the title as the job name (so I know what I am interviewing for) and then the company is on the second line so it is easier to find the note I am looking for.
Now I store as much information in the notes as I believe I need for the interviews. The template shown (and linked) above is just the absolute basics for what I need for my interview. Here is an example of notes I kept for an interview that I excelled at:
You can see I made notes about the company and I selected questions to ask the interviewer. I always ask questions and I make sure I asked 4-6 questions depending on how much time is left.
I keep these notes pulled up on my phone via the app so I can reference them during the interview. I make sure my phone is not visible on camera but it is clearly visible to me and I’m not staring at it during the entire interview.
I have another note with questions pulled up to ask the interviewer that I use to select 4-6 questions to ask. I recommend keeping this link bookmarked or copy and paste it to your notes. It is extremely useful and I find interviews love these questions.
UpNote also allows me to copy links to these notes to my clipboard so that I can link my Trello cards and these notes together to make it super easy to find.
After the interview, I follow up the next day and then once or twice a week from there. So if the interview is on Wednesday. I follow up on Thursday and then again on the following Tuesday and every Tuesday after that until they say they closed the job or scheduled the next interview. As long as you aren’t spamming the interviewer, it is never a bad thing to follow up on jobs. It actually shows that you are eager to work and companies prefer that. You are more likely to get an interview/the job if you follow up versus not following up.
Other Important Information
I get most of wording and such from AdviceWithErin on YouTube. This is not me. She is a different person. She is really good with her professional wording so I try to watch a lot of her shorts to get a good grasp on what to say and how to say it.
Here are some videos I recommend of Erin’s:
Negotiations/Accepting Job Offer
From there it is just negotiations which AdviceWithErin can go over better than I can (she has videos and shorts on that) and getting the job.
That is my entire strategy. It works for me and I hope it works for you. Do you think I could improve it any further? What do you do that is successful for you?
Hello, I have been developing since I could touch a computer. I love technology. I currently own several devices:
- Windows Desktop PC (Windows 11)
- iPhone 15 Pro
- Apple Watch Series 5
- iPad Pro 12.9" M2 Chip
- Work MacBook Pro 14" M3 Max with 32GB RAM.
I love having all of these devices to test out all the different projects I have my hands on.
As you can see, I have 5 columns and each column has cards in it. The optional column is the “Have to wait to follow up until due date” as these are ones where I am waiting on feedback or have some reason why I can’t follow up exactly 7-days from my application date. On Web and Desktop I can collapse these columns so that I can see the total number I have in each.
When you click on any of the items, this is how the top looks. I have whatever is in the title bar on Chrome as that is what the Chrome extension uses. I only change it when I move them into the “interviews” column so it is easier to find the one I am looking for.
The next thing that shows is a quick checklist. This checklist shows what I do with jobs: I follow up 1 week from original application, then 2 weeks, and finally 3 weeks. If they don’t answer by the 3rd time, I still follow up that 3rd time but I give up and move it to “not selected”. I keep it like baseball, 3 strikes and you are out. The times contacting them and then they are gone.
As you can see I keep everything I want to say in the note so I can make sure I am using the right words/phrasing and saying exactly what I want to say. When I am in interviews, I go blank if I don’t have my notes. I tested this early last month with my first interview after getting laid off. I didn’t prepare or have notes and I wouldn’t have hired me. I did awful in the interview. So, I fixed that quickly.
You can see I made notes about the company and I selected questions to ask the interviewer. I always ask questions and I make sure I asked 4-6 questions depending on how much time is left.
