The Playful Job Seeker

Are you tired of the same old job application routine, endlessly hitting “submit” and hoping for the best? Trust me, there’s a more creative and laid-back way to land interviews. I’ve been down that traditional path, and it rarely got me anywhere. From finance, to marketing, to development. No-where. But don’t worry; I’ve got a unique approach that has worked wonders for me and many others.

Here is your guide! Please just stick to it - remember, it’s a numbers game, so try to increase your chances with an approach that not only works but makes the process of applying at least enjoyable.

1. Have a Resume That Stands Out

Let’s start with the basics – your resume. I’m sure you’ve got content down right, qualifications, skills, etc. However, this isn’t about making your qualifications sound good; it’s about making your resume look good. If you’re still using Microsoft Word, it’s time to level up. Try Overleaf, Canvas, or any other tool that lets you create a visually appealing resume, even if you’re no design expert. It’s worth the effort.

2. Use LinkedIn to Connect with People

First and foremost: You must learn to not NEED a job, but WANT a job.

Now, here’s where the fun begins – LinkedIn. Instead of throwing your resume into the abyss, let’s use this platform to connect with the right people. Imagine you’re eyeing a job at a company like Zoom. Go to Zoom’s “careers at Zoom” page and pick out two or three roles that fit your skills and interests.

Next, hop over to LinkedIn and search for “Zoom” to find their company page. Click on “People.” Pay attention to the filters available.

You want to narrow down your search by applying filters. Look for people in the engineering department, individuals from your school, those with a similar educational background, and aim for first, second, or even third-degree connections. The more you have in common, the better.

Start sending connection requests to people who meet these criteria. If they’re already in your network – fantastic, send them a message. If they share your school – great, reach out to them. If they simply have the same first name – go ahead and send a message. Even if you seemingly have nothing in common, send them a message anyway.

Remember, they have to accept your connection request first. Many will accept, some won’t, but it’s not a big deal. You just need one to three people to make this work.

Once you have a connection, send them a message. Keep it short and sweet – a couple of sentences explaining why you’re reaching out, a brief self-introduction, and a friendly closing.

Find something similar to talk about with them - a quick 30-second look at them online for a quick one or two lines to make the message casual, not intrusive, and more “human”. Example:

Hey, I’m NAME.

Love your posts about clean energy - definitely share the same views about the future! Saw that COMPANY XYZ has several open roles for a software developer which seem like a great fit for me (attach the roles after sending this message), and I’d appreciate it if you could refer me.

I’m new in the development world, with a focus on full stack development, and my experience could really benefit Spotify. Thanks for your help, and have a great day!

Email (& a bit… of Stalking)

Remember, you don’t NEED a job - you WANT a job. Another approach is with email.

1. Find an email. This can be found either through LinkedIn, Google, their company page, Twitter or using some kind of tool like [hunter.io]

2. Find something interesting about them, through the same sources - Google, Twitter, LinkedIn, Company Page, personal website, etc. This could be something like their job history, a blog post on their personal website, something related to the company, anything really!

3. Send an email with a catchy title. Say the person you’re emailing works at Shopify, and you find he/she has a side-hustle which is an e-commerce store with Shopify. You learn about their selling whisky. The email title: “Whisky is my favorite TOO 🥃!” The goal is for them to open your email.

4. Email Body. This is different for startups vs developed companies. Let’s start with a startup. Here you ask for a chat. A casual one. Since you WANT a job, you must not come across as desperate. Use the sandwich technique. First is opening the email with focus: the open roles. The middle: About them, making it personal. Last: Asking for a chat about them, and the open roles. Eg:

Hi,

I saw XYZ had an open role for a Front-End Engineer and just wanted to reach out. First and foremost, I had a look at your whisky store, and wow! Have to try your single-malt, being a whisky fan myself!

Wondering if you have 5-10 minutes in the upcoming week to have a chat. Love to learn more about XYZ, the open roles and of course, the whisky business!

Let me know a day/time, and I’ll move mountains to make it work! Kind Regards Name

For a developed company, a recruitment officer may be similar to above, but if you are targeting a developer or similar - here’s an example:

Hi,

I noticed that XYZ is looking for a front-end developer and wanted to reach out! Love your own venturing of whisky, and just wanted to say it’s impressive!

Wondering if you have 5-10 minutes in the upcoming week to have a chat.

Let me know a day/time, and I’ll move mountains to make it work! Kind Regards Name

You can “slide” in the request for a referral in the chat/email if they respond not wanting a call, or ask them for a referral after the call through email.

Remember the goal for both methods is: REFERRAL

“They won’t respond, I am bothering/annoying them!”

You’re not bothering them. In fact, if they refer you, many companies offer their employees a bonus – and all they have to do is submit your resume through the company’s internal portal. It’s a simple task for them, and people genuinely enjoy helping others.

With a referral, you’re almost guaranteed an interview as long as you have a well-crafted resume and apply to a role that matches your background to some extent.

And that’s it! I’ve applied to dozens of jobs using this method, and I’ve scored interviews. My resume is decent, my experience isn’t extraordinary, and my friends have had a similar experience. It really is this simple.

I’m sharing this because I genuinely believe that people are not taking advantage of this approach and are still relying on the old “submit and pray” method, which is the worst way to apply for jobs in today’s world.

Summary

1. Want not Need. Be casual, if you are not casual - your problem is that you are not aware there is more to life than jobs. Enjoy the process.
2. Make sure your resume is clean.
3. Connect with people working at the company you want to work for.
4. Email or LinkedIn message them, interested to learn about them, their journey, and the open roles.
5. Remember, people either get some kind of reward for referring you. People really enjoy helping others out also, some were even in the same position as you were.
6. That’s it!
7. It’s a numbers game - keep doing this.