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Are you tired of Googling ‘how to prepare for an interview’ only to get pages of overwhelming results? We get it, we’ve been there many times. It can be exciting but terribly exhausting. Screens after screens after interviews after rejections. If you’re experiencing job search burnout, you’ve come to the right place!
We’re sharing tips that have personally helped us prepare and nail the interview process. We’ve put together a Job Search Survival Kit to help you filter through the fluff, maintain confidence and come out on top.
The average job search process takes 5 months from application to hire so it’s important to maintain a healthy pace and mindset throughout. (topresume.com)
A common mistake most of us make when we decide it’s time to look for a new job is diving right into updating resumes and mass applying to job posts. Especially when you’re unemployed, you probably feel way more pressure to hit the ground running, but there are some important steps to take ahead of time to help you prevent burnout and create a better overall experience.
Whether you’re passively or actively looking for a new job, taking time to fully understand what you’re looking for and why is key to setting yourself up for success.
It’s a lot easier to find the right fit when you know what you’re looking for and it helps you network more effectively too.
Reflective questions to ask yourself:
Schedule certain times and days that you can commit to your job search to help balance stress and avoid burnout. Especially if you’re working a full-time job, setting aside time to job search is vital.
What time of day do you feel most energized and focused? What days do you have the most flexibility and time to allow for your job search?
Before you dive into updating your LinkedIn profile and resume, take what you learned from your reflective questions and start applying it to figuring out what companies, industries and jobs are ideal for you and your needs.
Companies – Know their mission, values, culture, and anything else that’s important to you so you can focus on those kinds of companies.
Industries – Do you want to pivot industries? Why? If you want to stay in the same industry, understand why so you can strengthen your profile and resume to cater to that.
Jobs – Reach out to your network and ask for informational interviews with people in positions you’re targeting so you ask questions that will help you determine if that position is a fit.
Now that you have a better idea of what you’re looking for and why, you can start to tailor your resume to align with the kinds of opportunities you want to interview for.
Resume writing is annoyingly subjective. No matter how many people you ask for resume help, you will always get different responses.
Recruiters and hiring managers are reviewing a crazy amount of resumes daily. When you’re asked about your experience, don’t read the bullets. They’ve got that covered. Hiring managers want to hear more context and depth to your experience.
This is usually the first thing recruiters see, so it’s important to make sure your LinkedIn profile is updated and includes keywords that are relevant to your job search.
Don’t know where to start? Check out this webinar of James Hornick and Ryan Brown who give everyone a look under the hood into the LinkedIn Recruiter platform to see how searches are executed and which parts of your profile are most important.
Watch the webinar here: Webinar: Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile – Giving Job Seekers the Recruiter’s View of LinkedIn
TLDR: You can apply most resume tips to your LinkedIn profile.
Now it’s time to tap into one of your biggest advantages – your network. Forbes found 85% of job vacancies are filled via networking.
Friends, family, and colleagues want to help you find the right job so don’t be afraid to ask for a connection. Make a list of people you know at companies or in jobs that interest you and use that as your compass.
You can also look for virtual networking events to help expand your network. This is a great way to hear what else is out there and learn best practices. You never know who you’ll meet!
This principle states about 80% of outcomes from 20% of causes. And it works great with the job search process and keeping things in perspective – don’t spend more than 20% applying to job posts so you can spend 80% networking.
This is a unique way to share your skills and expertise as it relates to the job in a way that’s actually interesting and engaging. Instead of saying “I’m hard-working and resourceful,” tell a story of how you illustrated hard work and resourcefulness. Keep it engaging, easy to remember and to the point.
Here are some tips to get you started:
But first, you have to nail that phone screen. You’ve probably had countless phone screens with too many recruiters to count and it’s exhausting! Instead of just going through the motions, treat it like a practice interview.
Prepare for the phone screen:
It’s more important than you think! The recruiter is the gatekeeper to the hiring managers so make sure you leave a good impression by doing the work ahead of time. If you can’t make the screen or you need to reschedule, please let your recruiter know ahead of time. No shows are a no go – we’re all adults here.
Here are tips on how to set yourself up for success:
Always have questions prepared. If questions come up during the interview, write them down so you can ask them later. The last thing you want is for the interviewer to ask if you have any questions and you say “Nope.” Asking questions shows you’re engaged, interested and want to know more about the company and opportunity.
Here are some examples:
Repeat after me: do not talk politics at work. Or on LinkedIn.
Or in job interviews. Or on first dates. Or at Thanksgiving dinner.
Unfortunately for those of us in the business world, 2025 ruined it. There’s just no way around the fact that tariffs are the issue driving the business climate right now. Every client, candidate, and partner is asking about it—or struggling because of it.
So maybe, just maybe, talking policy isn’t just okay—it’s necessary. Dare I say, productive.
So get ready for a little nuance from Jeff Smith and James Hornick in The 10 Minute Talent Rant, Episode 107, “Talk Policy, Not Politics”
Episode 107