Episode 28: Job Search Tips - New Year, New Job with Kristen Reed

Hey, everyone! Welcome back to another episode of Leaving The Nest. I'm your host, Kathleen Pellegrino, from ROCS Grad Staffing. Our mission is to help you find a job out of college and thrive in the real world. 

It's a new year, the perfect time for a new job and a fresh start. But during challenging times, it can be harder than ever to stand out in a saturated market, especially when you only have a few seconds to make a strong impression. It's important to be creative and find ways to catch the eye of the employer amongst the other applicants. 

Today, I am joined by Kristen Reed, a marketing professional in the Fredericksburg area and a former employee of Job.com. She's here to help me shed some light on what job searching looks like in January and what it takes to succeed. 

We'll discuss ways to customize your resume and cover letter and quantify your experience with rock-solid examples of your contributions. She'll share both the good and bad news of starting a job search in the new year,  examples of mistakes job seekers often make and the importance of personal branding in the digital age. 

Thanks again for listening to Leaving The Nest. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Kristen. 

Please leave us a review wherever you are listening and share this episode with others you know who are just Leaving the Nest. We wish you all a happy holiday season and a wonderful New Year! 

In This Episode:

[01:33] – We're introduced to our guest, Kristen Reed. 

[02:17] – Kristen shares her experience as a student-athlete at WVU and how it helped develop her work ethic.

[04:25] – Kathleen and Kristen share why the new year is an excellent time for new hobbies. 

[05:15] – We hear about Kristen's challenging experience Leaving the Nest.

[06:21] – Kristen shares why referrals are still the primary source for finding the right job.  

[07:09] – We hear from Kristen about her job search in the age of the fax machine. 

[09:47] – Kristen shares her experience working at Job.com during a recession. 

[11:38] – How job seekers can help themselves stand out during a challenging hiring economy. 

[12:55] – Out of desperation, the gig economy and billboard resumes were born. 

[14:09] – Kristen shares the most critical aspects to focus on when searching for a job. 

[18:10] – The difference between finding a job in the 2008 recession and today.

[19:13] – Finding a job in the age of personal branding. 

[20:14] – How COVID-19 opened up more options.

[21:21] – How the core aspects of job searching have stayed the same. 

[22:02] – How technology has sped up the hiring process and why it's crucial for job seekers to be ready to make decisions more quickly, just as employers are. 

[24:06] – Kristen shares what job searching looks like as we tiptoe into a fresh new year. 

[27:11] – It's still a numbers game: why you don't want to lose momentum in your job search.

[28:11] – Kristen shares what she's up to now. 

[30:02] – Kristen shares her one piece of advice for someone looking for their 1st job out of school.

[31:12] – Kristen shares some important advice from Gary Vaynerchuk.

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