*GUEST POST BY DALEY QUINN*
Note: Don’t blame me if these tips don’t help you, as I have yet to actually secure a full-time, paid position after graduation.
I am apprehensive about writing this blog post today. Securing a job in this market often feels next to impossible, and since I am currently trying to get a job, naturally I shouldn’t be trying to help my fellow peers land a full-time position. On this rare occasion, though, I am feeling nice today.
I have gone through my fair share of interviews. While they have only been for internships, I am suspecting that the process of landing an interview for a job is about the same. Usually, a job applicant scours various job websites like Monster.com, Indeed.com, and others looking for a position. That’s not how I roll.
First of all, I’m looking for a full-time, editorial position in New York City. I rarely find any entry-level editorial positions on job search websites, so I do the next best thing: blast my resume into everyone’s inbox. And I mean everyone.
I don’t know when I first discovered that this was the best way to land an interview, but it worked. Last semester, while I was interning at Seventeen magazine, I landed about six or seven different interviews for spring editorial internships. This is how I did it:
1. Instead of emailing just the address that the company gives you to apply for internships (i.e. [email protected] or [email protected]) , search for the person in charge of interns, or an assistant. In my case, it was usually the editorial assistant. Of course, you should definitely still send your resume and cover letter to the address they send you, but you should also go further.
2. Sometimes you can find the address of the person you need to reach, but in my case, it was quite difficult. I have learned a trick that I know will help me (and you!) tremendously for years to come. If you don’t know the email of someone, you can do trial and error emails until one actually goes through. This is going to take time, but it is well worth it!
a. To do this, you must find the full name of the person you are trying to reach. Then, you need to find out which company they work for, and guess what their email might be! For example, let’s say you are trying to reach Jane Doe, the editor of a news website. Her email might be [email protected], [email protected], or [email protected]. Try and send your resume to the addresses. If they don’t work (aren’t real email addresses) they will just come right back to you! Keep trying different email addresses until your email goes through.
3. When you have figured out what each person’s email address could be in the company, don’t hesitate to email as many people as you want. Employers like to see persistence, and if they see that you want to work for that company that badly, they will assume you’ll do a great job if they hire you.
4. Try to cater your emails to each person. If I am emailing people at Hearst, I like to add that I was a former Seventeen intern so they know that I have worked for the company previously.
5. You may think this next tip is creepy, but I say it’s just being inquisitive! Sometimes I like to go through the masthead of an online magazine, print magazine, and/or blog, and copy names into LinkedIn to see the company employee’s profiles. I like seeing where they went to school, where they are from, and what they have done previously that allowed them to get to where they are now. It’s always interesting to see where an Editor-in-Chief started.
That’s about it, kiddos. Apply to those online job forms, but don’t forget to send emails, too! Make yourself known, and don’t be afraid to look eager! Life (and the frighteningly few weeks left as graduation approaches) is too short to not give it your all.
Note: Don’t blame me if these tips don’t help you, as I have yet to actually secure a full-time, paid position after graduation.
I am apprehensive about writing this blog post today. Securing a job in this market often feels next to impossible, and since I am currently trying to get a job, naturally I shouldn’t be trying to help my fellow peers land a full-time position. On this rare occasion, though, I am feeling nice today.
I have gone through my fair share of interviews. While they have only been for internships, I am suspecting that the process of landing an interview for a job is about the same. Usually, a job applicant scours various job websites like Monster.com, Indeed.com, and others looking for a position. That’s not how I roll.
First of all, I’m looking for a full-time, editorial position in New York City. I rarely find any entry-level editorial positions on job search websites, so I do the next best thing: blast my resume into everyone’s inbox. And I mean everyone.
I don’t know when I first discovered that this was the best way to land an interview, but it worked. Last semester, while I was interning at Seventeen magazine, I landed about six or seven different interviews for spring editorial internships. This is how I did it:
1. Instead of emailing just the address that the company gives you to apply for internships (i.e. [email protected] or [email protected]) , search for the person in charge of interns, or an assistant. In my case, it was usually the editorial assistant. Of course, you should definitely still send your resume and cover letter to the address they send you, but you should also go further.
2. Sometimes you can find the address of the person you need to reach, but in my case, it was quite difficult. I have learned a trick that I know will help me (and you!) tremendously for years to come. If you don’t know the email of someone, you can do trial and error emails until one actually goes through. This is going to take time, but it is well worth it!
a. To do this, you must find the full name of the person you are trying to reach. Then, you need to find out which company they work for, and guess what their email might be! For example, let’s say you are trying to reach Jane Doe, the editor of a news website. Her email might be [email protected], [email protected], or [email protected]. Try and send your resume to the addresses. If they don’t work (aren’t real email addresses) they will just come right back to you! Keep trying different email addresses until your email goes through.
3. When you have figured out what each person’s email address could be in the company, don’t hesitate to email as many people as you want. Employers like to see persistence, and if they see that you want to work for that company that badly, they will assume you’ll do a great job if they hire you.
4. Try to cater your emails to each person. If I am emailing people at Hearst, I like to add that I was a former Seventeen intern so they know that I have worked for the company previously.
5. You may think this next tip is creepy, but I say it’s just being inquisitive! Sometimes I like to go through the masthead of an online magazine, print magazine, and/or blog, and copy names into LinkedIn to see the company employee’s profiles. I like seeing where they went to school, where they are from, and what they have done previously that allowed them to get to where they are now. It’s always interesting to see where an Editor-in-Chief started.
That’s about it, kiddos. Apply to those online job forms, but don’t forget to send emails, too! Make yourself known, and don’t be afraid to look eager! Life (and the frighteningly few weeks left as graduation approaches) is too short to not give it your all.