If you’re feeling lost and need some help finding a job, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ve gathered some of the most important job-searching advice from “Ask a Manager.” Whether you’re struggling with your resume and cover letter or preparing for interviews, this comprehensive list has got you covered. With step-by-step guidance, practical tips, and even examples of good cover letters, you’ll gain valuable insights into what employers are looking for and how to stand out in the competitive job market. So, let’s dive in and start your journey towards landing your dream job.
Resumes and Cover Letters
The first thing to know is, if you’re not getting interviews, you probably need to fix your resume and cover letter. If you’re thinking your materials are fine, I’ve got to tell you: More often than not, when people who are struggling to get interviews tell me they’re confident about their resume and cover letters and I ask to review them, nearly always they are the problem. Whoever told them they were fine didn’t have the experience or insight to know what makes a really great resume or letter. So these job-seekers have been continuing to apply with mediocre materials and can’t figure out why they’re not getting interviews.
This is very likely to be true for you as well if (1) your resume mostly lists your job duties rather than talking about the outcomes you achieved at each job, and/or (2) your cover letter basically summarizes the information in your resume rather than adding anything new to it.
Read these:
Resumes
- How to Write a Resume That Doesn’t Suck
- How to Create a Resume From Scratch
- The #1 Question Your Resume Should Answer
- How to Rewrite Your Resume to Focus on Accomplishments, Not Just Job Duties
- How to List Accomplishments on Your Resume When Your Job Doesn’t Have Easy Measures
- How to Put Outcomes on Your Resume When You’re Not Sure How to Measure Your Work
- How Can My Resume Demonstrate Initiative, Problem-Solving, Work Ethic, and Other Qualities?
- 10 Mistakes You’re Making on Your Resume
- Stop Claiming Subjective Traits on Your Resume
- Those Big Paragraphs of Text on Your Resume Are Putting People to Sleep
- Should You Include a Short-Term Job on Your Resume?
- How Much Do Resume Gaps Matter?
- How Long Can Your Resume Be?
- Should I Lie on My Resume to Make Myself Stand Out?
- Here’s the Right Way to Format Your Resume
- The Whole “Resumes” Section of My Archives
Cover Letters
- You Need to Write a Better Cover Letter
- This Is Why You Need a Good Cover Letter
- These Are Bad Ways to Start Your Cover Letter
- Where’s the Line Between Necessary Self-Promotion and Overconfidence in Cover Letters?
- How Do I Write a Compelling Cover Letter When I Don’t Have Much Work Experience?
- Here’s a Template to Make Writing Cover Letters Easier
- The Whole “Cover Letters” Section of My Archives
Examples of Good Cover Letters From Real Life
- Example #1: Showing How to Make a Strong Case for Yourself Without Just Repeating Your Resume
- Example #2: How to Talk About What Differentiates You
- Example #3: From Someone Without a Lot of Experience
- Example #4: Showing How to Share Things That Wouldn’t Be Clear From Your Resume Alone
- Example #5: How to Go Shorter and Still Be Compelling
- Example #6: How to Talk in a More Conversational Way That Fleshes Out What You’re All About Professionally
- Example #7: Just a Really Good Cover Letter
- Example #8: With Before and After Versions
- Example #9: Also With Before and After Versions
Interviews
- The Ask a Manager Guide to Preparing for Job Interviews
- How to Answer the Most Common Job Interview Questions
- Behavioral Interview Questions, Demystified
- How to Answer Behavioral Interview Questions When You Don’t Have Good Examples
- How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” in a Job Interview
- How to Answer “How Does This Job Fit With Your Career Path?”
- How to Answer “Why Are You Interested in This Position?”
- How to Answer “Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years?”
- How to Explain Your Weaknesses in a Job Interview
- How to Explain to Your Interviewer Why You Left a Previous Job
- How Do I Tell Interviewers Why I’m Leaving My Job Without Badmouthing My Employer?
- Here Are the Secrets to Acing a Phone Interview
- These Are the Best Questions to Ask Your Job Interviewer
- Should I Fake Interest in the Job During an Interview?
- How Do I Juggle Different Employers’ Timelines When I’m Interviewing?
- Do I Still Need to Wear a Suit to a Job Interview?
- How Can I Avoid Ending Up in a Horrible Job?
- How Can I Find a Job in Another State Without Moving There First?
- How to Write a Thank-You Note After a Job Interview
- When Should I Follow Up After a Job Interview?
More
If you want more detailed guidance, there’s much more in my e-book, How To Get a Job: Secrets of a Hiring Manager, where I give you step-by-step help through every stage of your job search, explaining at each step what a hiring manager is thinking and what they want to see from you. Learn more here.
