This document provides advice for recent graduates on finding their first job. It recommends allocating at least 90 minutes per day to the job search. Key steps include defining yourself online through profiles and resumes, researching jobs and companies, using your network for informational interviews, and only applying to jobs as a last resort. The document emphasizes consistency across online profiles, researching potential employers, practicing interview skills, and continually upgrading skills through online courses or in-person classes.

1. Telling your story/getting hired
(for my kids and their friends)
greg shove, founder/ceo, socialchorus
@gregshove
Jan 2015

2. Finding your first job takes time, so
allocate enough time
• It’s al least 90 mins a day:
– 30 mins less on buzzfeed.com
– 15 mins less looking at your friends fashion
pinterest board
– 15 mins less on deadspin
• One less episode of whatever show you have
already seen

3. Don’t rush to the last step
• A lot of people rush to apply for jobs, as if # of
applications submitted is a sign of progress. It’s not.
• Follow these steps:
– Define and represent yourself online
– Find 10 job descriptions that you think you could do
– Find 50 companies that have those job descriptions inside.
– Start informational interviews with friends
– Start working your network to get to those companies
– Start targeting people at those companies
– Start applying for jobs (last resort)

4. If I was looking for a job
• I would make sure all my online profiles are
consistent and current (words, photos)
• I would look at my profiles from a mobile
device – look OK?
• Check my FB privacy settings
• Upgrade my LinkedIn account
• Ask others to take a look at my profiles and
give me feedback

5. Informational interviews
• Goal: 10 within 30 days.
• Why: learn, build network, follow leads to
potential employers
• Steps:
– Create email template to ask for interview
– Build target list – via friends, family etc
– Prep list of questions.
– More good advice here:

6. In terms of finding a job, we are all SO
lucky
• It’s never been easier to communicate who
you are, what you care about and how you
can change the world (or company, or job)
• It gets easier and faster every day to find and
connect with the people you need to connect
with (eg potential employers)

7. 5 steps
• Define yourself online
• Define a list of jobs you want
• Research the companies with those jobs
• Use your network and start to create your
own
• Be your best self in person (interviews)

8. Define yourself exercise
• Pick 3-5 words that describe you - your skills,
passions, hobbies - that you want someone who
reads your resume or looks at your linkedin
profile to appreciate about you.
• Pick a couple photos that describe who you are,
what you love to do.
• Write a tweet that describes who you are - with
one hashtag.
• Pick your preferred resume template and draft –
get feedback from friends

9. LinkedIn – deserves it’s own slide
• Create your own great profile
• Google “how to create a great linkedin profile”

10. The resume
• Pick a template that is easy to scan
• No typos
• No inconsistencies, missing blocks of time
• Follow the best practices – check out or
google:
– http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2012/0
5/10/how-to-write-a-resume-when-youre-just-
out-of-college/

11. Represent yourself online
• LinkedIn profile – 100% complete, including
join some relevant grps and follow some
relevant companies
• About.me profile (tell a more personal story).
Be super cool and set up a rebelmouse profile.
• Twitter handle – at least claim it and create a
profile (consistent with others)

12. Be able to speak to your personal
keywords and your passions
• What blogs do you read regularly?
• Who do you follow on twitter?
• Does the way you spend your non-work time
match the interests/passions you say you
have.

13. Tools for social presence
• about.me, rebelmouse.com
• Upgrade your Linkedin account so you can
contact more people (its worth the $$)
• Buffer for scheduling your social posting
• Medium.com for great mid-length content
• Build your own blog:
– Squarespace.com
– Crushpath.com

14. Tools for research and outreach
• Crunchbase.com, Glassdoor.com, company aboutus
page and linkedin page, twitter feed
• Use rapportive plug-in for connecting social profiles to
email
• Use yesmail/bananatag to see if your recipients open
your email.
• Use clearslide if someone wants you to send them a
PPT prezo.
• Feedly to track topics
• Mention to track names of people – including your
own

15. If I was writing/emailing prospective
jobs
• Develop several email templates – personal
intro, thank you, reach out again
• Make emails brief, bullet points, links, clear
request or call to action
• Don’t attach your resume – link to Linkedin
profile only (it’s being read on a phone)

16. Cold-calling someone that could hire
you (professional stalking)
• Check if they have a social presence – twitter,
prezos in slideshare, quora etc
• Follow them, comment on one of their blog
posts

17. If I was interviewing
• I would make sure all my online profiles are
consistent and current
• I would follow the company on LinkedIn and
Twitter
• I would research the person I am seeing on:
LinkedIn (groups), Twitter, about.me
• I would not friend request them on FB or
LinkedIn before the meeting/interview

18. Practice for interviews
• Expect all kinds of interview questions
– A good starter list:
– http://jobsearch.about.com/od/interviewquestionsanswers/a/t
op-50-job-interview-questions.htm
– http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/01/11/how-
to-ace-the-50-most-common-interview-questions/
• Ask others who have interviewed there – or use glassdoor:
– http://www.glassdoor.ca/Interview/index.htm
• Be prepared for video interview – so practice that with a
friend via skype

19. My recommendations – therefore my
bias
• Get a job quickly
• Get a job that means you have to use lots of
software to get your work done
– any software
• Move your role closer and closer to the
software
• Stay 9 months min, 18 months ++

20. As an employer, I ask myself
• Will this person get their shit done
• Are they authentic/real/passionate about
SOMETHING
• Will the company/team be BETTER if we hire
this person
– Will they do more than asked
– Will they help others on team
– Will they manage projects not process

21. Other thoughts
• Room mates and after-college friends matter -
read this:
– http://lifehacker.com/5926309/how-the-people-
around-you-affect-personal-success
• Be reading a real book – and don’t look
terrified when someone asks: “whats your
favorite book?” (or app)

22. The bullshit excuses I hear…
• Those privacy settings are confusing
• Don’t have time for extra classes/training
• I don’t have enough to say on social media
• Twitter is lame
• Linkedin is boring

23. You must be GREAT at
• All google app’s
• Powerpoint (sadly, yes)
• Box, Dropbox, Evernote etc
• Excel (I don’t mean you can figure out how much
your friends owe you after a weekend at
Coachella, more than that)
• The tools that the best in your field/domain use
• All social platforms

24. Upgrade your personal productivity
• Evernote
• Mailbox or gmail app.
• Wunderlist – or a great cloud to-do list that
you like
• Tempo for a better calendar
• Refresh for meeting prep
• LinkedIn apps (both)

25. Keep going to school
• Take some classes in person
– General Assembly or what’s in your town?
• Find some relevant meetups
• Nothing local, do it online
– http://www.skillshare.com/
• Follow others, read their blogs: Seth Godin,
Gary Vaynerchuck (for biz) or the
people/topics you care about