Over the past week I’ve collected quite a few links from those much smarter than me on how to improve your job profile.

What’s been consistent in their advice:

• Use job descriptions and wordclouds.com to generate the most used words, THEN tailor your resume for those exact words
• Add value - Create something that most applications don’t (ie video, personal projects/presentations) that show your interest
• Prep for interviews, take notes during, and learn from each by identifying strengths/weaknesses
• Always follow up post interview
• Do the things that others don’t, and get the jobs that you want

I’ve been applying using these strategies and have continually received application views as well as interviews.

The next step in my progression is to focus on creating value for the companies I apply and really want to work for.

The Power of Video

Social media shows how we prefer information

Facebook is primarily writing

Instagram is highly visual

Twitter is for brevity in writing

and the up and comer Tik Tok is heavy on video

This is the secret sauce no one is talking about.

Reaching out by video, especially in a remote setting, is a game changer when it comes to job searching and cold outreach.

• It humanizes an avatar by showing your face, revealing your passion, cadence, and confidence
• It forces you to collect thoughts on the fly, as well as craft a personal pitch (useful in sales, job search, socializing, etc)

For the next jobs I apply to, I’m going to experiment with crafting 1 minute videos on why I want the job, how I’m qualified, and who I am.

Another idea to implement is using video as a thank you follow up for post-interviews. Take some quick notes on each person that interviewed and post a quick video within the email.

Set. Yourself. Apart.

In addition, getting more reps by accepting some challenges online, I uploaded a video reviewing the Morning Brew (it's rough, but I'm glad to have done it!)

This accomplishes a few things:

1. gets me comfortable in front of the camera (more reps)
2. humanizes a profile (not sure if the tracking systems flag videos in their algorithm)
3. forces me to determine “Do I really want this job? Or am I just spraying and praying?”

The broader application of this is that I can “review the game tape” and notice my faults when speaking. Similar to an athlete looks at his swing or his stance. It’s the small improvements over time that allow an overnight success and accelerates your career.

Other Applications and Adaptations

If you already have a backlog of written material, you can do what Nat Eliason is doing and use previous articles as videos.

I highly recommend doing this, or using video to talk about what you already know, what you're working on currently, or what's been on your mind.

At the end of the day, the first 50 or so videos you make are gonna be shit, so might as well get them out of the way quick!

Closing

It’s important to do everything in your power to optimize your job search process.

It’s also important to devote focused time to one aspect of it rather than being half-ass in many different places.

You need small, measurable experiments that allow you to determine whether they have worked.

Next week I’ll report back on the outcomes of these changes, and shift to some other topics as I delve deeper into the process

If you want free career help - Teal is offering their 4 week programs at the end of October/early November with code JOBTOBER

Here’s the link for those that are interested