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A couple of people have asked how I found my new job, so I present to you How This Introvert Found A FT WFH Job: A Thread 
. Please keep in mind that I claim no expertise in this area. It took me 9 months. But I can share what I did, what worked, & what didn’t. #jobsearch
. Please keep in mind that I claim no expertise in this area. It took me 9 months. But I can share what I did, what worked, & what didn’t. #jobsearch
I guess the first thing I did was figure out my non-negotiables, which in my case was that it had to be a WFH job. That was partly due to covid but partly bc my anxiety and I are much happier when I do not have to go to an office. /2
Also, I do not live in a major metro area. Jobs here are very limited in number, and many of them don’t pay well, which sucks bc the COL is high. (This frustrating combo is very common in the mountain west.) WFH was obviously the way to go for me. /3
I did most of my job search on job boards, including indeed and simplyhired, which many people will tell you are total wastelands. And yes, it felt that way much of the time. /4
Three things I did that helped: 1. I picked three search areas relevant to my background/experience to focus on (online teaching, instructional design, and customer service). I created a unique cover letter and resume for each of those three areas. /5
I tweaked the cover letter for each job. To some extent, I did the same for the resume. For the more tech-focused instructional design jobs, I used a snazzier-looking resume (template by @fimechanic). /6
2. I did not spend all day every day on jobs but I did set a goal for 3-5 job apps per day. I ramped this up towards the end of the year when I was starting to feel more panicked. It did work: more apps —> more response. /7
3. I stopped applying on the job boards. That really got me nowhere & was a waste of time. Applying on company sites was far more effective (but I used the job boards to find the openings, then from there went to the company’s job board). /8
I did spend time on my LI profile, but because I didn’t use it to network, it wasn’t helpful. I did notice that companies would check my LI profile once I applied so in that sense it was useful. I guess. I hate LI. /9
I was offered interviews from 3 places in total. One interview sucked - I felt like I was communicating with robots. One was fine but the pay wasn’t great. And the third set of interviews was for the job I got. /10
I’m convinced I got this job bc I was highly motivated but they were also highly motivated bc their business grew this year. So that took out a lot of the BS I’ve encountered previously in job searches. /11
Also, the job ad specified some really odd office hours. Whatever, I can work all weekend, sure. So in my cover letter I made sure to highlight that I could absolutely work those weird hours. And I think that helped. /12
(In the end they gave me normal hours... Whew. But I would have worked the weekends!) /13
I guess my main advice (which you probably already know anyway) is to apply to a lot of positions (but not randomly - don’t waste your time on things you’re not qualified for), don’t apply on indeed or simplyhired or whatever, & take note of anything the company seems... /14
...kind of concerned about (in my case, work hours) and use it to your advantage if you can. /15
Also this job market sucks VERY BADLY. And a lot of employers are jerks and treat applicants badly. If it’s making you feel terrible, that’s bc you’re a hardworking empathetic person with a lot to offer and they’re treating you like crap. /16
So I dunno, nothing really new here, but that’s what worked for me. After NINE MONTHS. You probably have a better plan than I did and if it’s taking forever, it isn’t your fault. But keep going.
