I am happy to announce that 5 months, 26 applications, and many nights of fitful sleep later… I have finally secured a job as a research assistant in education research! (≧∇≦)

It’s a short contract, but I’m just glad for a start. I am excited to work in a job that lets me nerd out and learn while working. Even better, I don’t start so soon (because the HR is slow), which means I still have time to catch up on dramas 😏

In return for the good vibes and kind advice Beanies have offered, I present:

💜✨ PurpleTeapot’s Guide to Job-Seeking ✨ 💜

In the comments, I will be sharing some tips I gained, with personal examples. Hope it’ll make your job search easier than mine!

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    1. Reflect on your latest work experience.
    Before starting your search, evaluate what worked and didn’t work for you in your previous stint (another full-time job or an internship). Your insights will guide you in what positions to apply for, and what questions to ask prospective employers during interviews to assess whether the job will be a better fit.

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    2. Think about the skills that you enjoy using.
    When job-hunting, we tend to think about what industry and positions we are interested in, but this can be limiting. Sometimes the market doesn’t have enough of these positions, or your current qualifications don’t match demands, or it turns out that your strengths don’t fit the job as well as you believe.

    Thinking not just about what role interests you, but what skills you enjoy using, can open up unexpected but suitable options. If you’re not sure what you like, you can try the opposite—eliminating what you don’t like. Also try doing this career personality test and Adobe’s Creative Type test.

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    3. Read online articles.
    The job market has become more demanding and unpredictable compared to the past, but an advantage we have is more access to advice and help online. I found The Balance Careers and The Muse very helpful, even though they weren’t specific to the local job market.

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    4. Keep your LinkedIn updated!
    If you’re early on in your career, it’s unlikely that you’ll get scouted on LinkedIn. But updating your profile can serve two functions.

    First, you get information on prospective companies looking for skills you possess. Write a short intro on your career aspirations and fill in responsibilities from your past work experiences. Be sure to include keywords for hard skills you gained.

    With this, you’ll start turning up in prospective employers’ random searches. Sometimes it’s a company you didn’t know about or expect you’d be a fit for. Use this to reverse-search them and see what positions they’re hiring for. (Look up job portals and their websites, as they don’t always pay LinkedIn to advertise open positions.)

    Second, when a hiring manager for a job you applied to does a directed search of your profile, they can learn more about you than what’s in your resume.

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      I went and deleted my LinkedIn a little over a year ago because I hated it. HAHAHA But yeah, I know I have to put up a LinkedIn profile at some point.

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    5. Make a master document of your job search and review it.
    Make a document with two sections: future and past applications. Under future apps, you can save links to jobs you’re interested in, order them by deadline or preference, and also dump a list of positions you’re not sure about but want to keep in mind.

    Under past apps, detail positions & companies you applied for, the date the hiring ad was posted, when you applied and heard back, and the dates of tests/interviews and the outcomes. This will give you a sense of hiring timelines. It’s also good for when you need to jog your memory on which cover letter to retrieve and edit for a new app for a similar role.

    Using this, review your search on a regular basis. If you’re not hearing back despite a ton of applications, is it because you’re cutting it too close to the deadline and they’ve already hired someone? Are you applying for very similar positions? Try applying quicker next time, or adjusting the type of jobs you’re applying for, and see if you land more interviews.

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    6. Save application materials for the jobs you applied for.
    Save and organise the job descriptions and your resume and cover letter for each position. Hiring processes can be long, and there’s no guarantee you’ll remember the details of a job when you get an interview call.

    You can also easily find and modify past materials for future apps to similar roles. But make sure someone else (a friend or career advisor) has given you feedback on the original copy first, so that you’re not churning out versions of an ineffective cover letter.

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    7. Tap on your personal network.
    A long job search can take its toll on your mental health and social life, especially if a lot of your friends are already ahead with their careers and you feel self-conscious when with them.

    But if you have a supportive network, don’t be afraid to leverage on it. Catch up with friends and share your job search concerns. They might know about job openings you don’t, or be able to suggest career paths you’re suited for but haven’t considered. After all, there’s a limit to what opportunities a single person knows and can find.

    A job search can feel isolating, but make sure you’re not the one isolating yourself. You might be surprised at the help you can find if you try asking.

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    8. Be attentive before and during your interview.
    In today’s job market, interviews are no longer a one-way process of employers assessing you. You are also assessing whether the company is right for you.

    Google “Interview red flags for employees” and read up on the topic. Try to gather enough information so that you won’t jump into a job despite warning signs, only to suffer mentally and physically, or to quit shortly after.

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      My Experience
      I met a very disorganised, hasty hiring manager, which I mentioned in an OT some weeks back. When a hiring manager is rushing, doesn’t ask basic questions to sound you out (“Why are you interested in our company/ this position?”), and misses important info on you, it’s a sure indicator of what they’re going to be like as a boss.

      I had a strange experience with another company whose offer I had rejected. They tried to enter negotiations with me without clarifying whether I wished to do so. The way they approached it cohered with the top-down, overly traditional culture I sensed during my interview. I talked about it in another OT comment.

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    9. It’s okay to reject an offer without others lined up.
    This comes with two caveats: that you’re financially able to take more time to secure a job that fits better, and that you’ve assessed the offer and you’re sure it’s a poor fit.

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      My Experience
      After close to 4 months of unsuccessful applications, I received an offer (mentioned in no. 8 above). Both my logic and intuition told me to reject it, but I was becoming weary of the job search, and feared I wouldn’t get another offer.

      A friend told me to rank these in order of importance: job content (interest, engages your strengths), opportunity for growth and development, relevance to career path, good working culture and co-workers, and pay + benefits. Then she told me to list out the pros and cons of the offer. When I was done, the answer was clear.

      I also reasoned that it was better for me to hold out for a few more months to secure a job that fit better, rather than to rough it out for one year in an unsuitable job before quitting. Researchers have also found that you might be more stressed in a bad job than if you remain unemployed.

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    10. Breaks are really important!
    Thanks @TurtuallySarcastic for reminding me of this one! Sometimes, you just need a few weeks off to rest. Even while you’re actively searching, do a mix of other types of work (e.g. volunteering, part-time jobs) and relaxing activities.

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      My Experience
      I tried to make use of the flexible schedule that came with unemployment. I exercised routinely, met friends for meals, caught up on a bunch of admin for Seoulbeats, and buddy-watched shows with my mum.

      I also took up a part-time job with a florist. It provided a bit of income, but more importantly, it made me feel like I was doing something worthwhile. It was a much-needed change from the futile mood of my job search at the time.

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        These are honestly really great. Thanks! *bookmarked* for the unemployment + job hunt that is likely to begin in a year from now (for me).
        And congratulations on the job! 🙂

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          Thank you! ^^ Have a good study break and since you’re looking ahead, I’m sure you’ll be fairly prepared when the time comes!

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        These are great pieces of advice ~ thanks for sharing! I will likely be using them in the next year ^_^

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      *blushes* erm you’re welcome? :p Congratulations! I am so happy you got to deliver good news in the end! 😉

      Some weeks you just have no job interviews, exams or interesting applications to busy yourself with, or need to wait for feedback (which is not a guarantee). It is usually during those weeks that the bad thoughts emerge (again). I used to view it as a punishment for being unemployed, but I know better now.

      If students need to take study breaks, why should job hunters be any different? I personally preferred lazily browsing the internet and watching K-dramas during those weeks, and ironically it was during my last break week in March that I got both my current job offered and got selected for other job interview rounds. Things can change quickly, or you can at least change the way you view things, if you step back once in a while.

      During breaks you can also create good habits and improve soft skills. I started with a mini work-out and drinking some water one day, now three years later I cannot go a day without that mini work-out or watter bottle. It is not enough by health standards, but it is quite impressive in my case. Another one would be my awkwardness around babies. I used to be scared to hold my baby goddaughter back then, but after playing with her and helping to care for her for 3 years, not only am I her favorite playmate now, I also have no issues stealing her baby brother from his mother’s arms :p

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        Ahaha, you became a baby whisperer through your job search breaks. That’s an unexpected twist XD

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    Congrats on getting the job! 🎉🎉🎉

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    Congratulations! 🙂 And wow, this is a very detailed and helpful post-mortem. (Now go reward yourself with dramas hehe)

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      Thank you for working so hard on recapping The Bug in Your Site and making it possible for me to share posts like this! ^^

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    Congratulations!!!!
    Thank you for sharing these tips, they are very useful!

    You ve reminded me to start updating my linked in! If you update as you go, it will be easier keeping track of your achievements 🙂

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      Thank you! Yes, I was lucky to have been updating mine diligently because I realised I would’ve never remembered the stuff I did otherwise.

      It was also fun surf LinkedIn to see the strange things other people put in their self-introductions XD

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    Congrats!!! (And this is an awesome guide!)

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    a big heaty congratulations girl… and am sooo happy that you found the work you love doing….
    learn as much as you can but don’t forget to enjoy… have fun….

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    Thank you and congrats, PurpleTeapot!!

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