Are You Killing Your Job Search?

Searching for jobs may not be the most exciting practice there is as part of your ability to do a job well and complete your job description. It is a process that is highly subjective and each person will want to approach it differently and on their own terms. Well, even though you can customize your job search and implant your own personal style, you are going to want to follow the fundamental structure of an application process, which includes:

1. Error-proofing your resume. Make sure that you have not lied about your credentials and also that there are no grammatical errors such as misspellings. Studios are increasingly wanting to have the duration that you have worked for each title, so make sure you include the month and the year that you began and ended a position (just like in LinkedIn format).
2. Be professional and get to the point when sending in your application. You don't want to blabber or come off sounding like you are gloating. It is pretty difficult for a hiring manager to gauge your personality from a digital application--which most are--anyway. Your references will do the bulk of the work convincing the person in charge of hiring that you are a good person to work with. They also have tons of applications to read so you want to give your contact information, attach your resume to the email, and wrap it up with a chance for a follow-up, such as "I would enjoy the opportunity to interview with you."
3. Use a cover letter when possible. Not all applications require one, such as small studios that don't have organized websites or have less requirements for a candidate. If there is a section for a cover letter though, you will want to submit one. Hey--if there are two resumes that are similar and one has a cover letter and the other doesn't, it will look that much better during the decision process and make you seem more professional.
4. Keep your resume simple. Text-only and word doc format. I haven't found a job application that won't accept Microsoft word. I even save mine as Word 2003 compatible in case the studio is using old software to view the document. You don't need pictures of your work or yourself on the resume, you don't need colors, and you especially don't need it to be rasterized and saved as a pdf: it will be too hard to decipher your information and the resume is mainly to communicate your credentials, not to make an impression (except a bad one, if you don't follow these rules).
5. Being too rowdy on your Facebook page. I have past friends and childhood acquaintances that I am friends with on my social networking page, namely Facebook. Some people feel the need to be too comfortable on Facebook and share too much information. You will be guaranteed that your future studio will be viewing your profile and that your boss will friend you one day on a social networking site. Having pictures of yourself doing keg stands or having hateful or immature posts about how you are angry at the the world, or worse--your boss--will be bad karma for those who don't know anything about you yet other than what you decide to reveal about yourself online. Also, make your page public: if you have it as private, the studio may not be happy not being able to find out more about you. Just make sure to screen your pictures and untag yourself in any pictures posted by your friends that compromise your professional image. Why do you think it is such a blow to a movie star's reputation when they are caught in the lens of a candid-camera in an unflattering act? It is because they understand the importance of marketing their image and the world only knows them by what they choose to reveal about themselves. You should be on your best, most charismatic, and most exciting and interesting behaviors. Post pictures about you participating in hobbies like sports or being with friends to show employers that you have a life outside of work. Then post pictures of your work so that they know that you are passionate about your work and enjoy sharing it with your network.
6. Use LinkedIn to your advantage. When you meet someone at a networking event such as GDC, get their business card (make sure to have your own to hand out) and then go home and add them on LinkedIn with a personalized comment about what you discussed the night before. You should write a personalized detail about them on the back of their business card--after the discussion--so you don't forget.
7. Follow up after an application submission. Keep yourself fresh on the studio's mind and they will also understand that you are actually interested in the position. Keep these emails simple and professional. Sometimes you may not be able to follow up if you submitted via an online application system, which is unfortunate. The only way around this is to try and find the HR manager or Recruiter for the studio on LinkedIn and alert them that you submitted your application and that you would love the chance to interview. Don't be too pushy and give it at least a week or two before checking up on your application.
8. Send personalized thank you letters after an interview. Most of the time you will only be dealing with an HR manager until you get to the actual interview. If you are an artist, you will unlikely not be talking to any developers until you have passed the art test. Still, if you fail the art test, send a thank you letter to the HR representative just to show that you have decency and also to keep a good impression on their mind in case you decide to apply later in the future.
9. Always be on good terms with your ex-boss. They are your main reference, and they will most likely always be contacted before you are brought in for an interview. Unlike other references, you can't choose this one, and prospective studios know this. They don't want staged/canned answers that they might get by talking to your good friend at a studio, so they can count on your boss to give a realistic evaluation of your work. Don't ever make a bad impression on your boss, willingly, and also try to correct any difficulties you may have with them while you are still on the job. They will most likely be hard to contact after you leave the job, unless you were really good friends with them.

So, if you follow this checklist you will be grade-A quality for being able to get to the interview, which is really when the rubber meets the road and the process is becoming serious to hire you. These steps are a certain unwritten rule-set that HR managers play by and you have to be playing their game in order for them to understand you. So be a professional player and make sure to hit it out of the park!

-Ken

If you want tips on what not to do during your application process, check out this story: 12 Deadly Sins that Kill Your Job Search. http://newgradlife.blogspot.com/2010/01/job-openings-new-jobs-job-search-job_11.html