Welcome to the Fairygodboss Job Search Bootcamp!

Fairygodboss

April 20, 2024 at 10:51AM UTC

Our mission has always been to help women succeed. And after seeing the pandemic disproportionately impact women’s careers, we’re getting more hands-on than ever to see that mission through. The best part? We want you to be a part of it.

We received over 100 applications and handpicked six FGB’ers who will give us a glimpse into their job search journey. For the next three months — our incredible co-founders Georgene Huang and Romy Newman will be providing them free one-on-one mentorship sessions and support to them along the way.

How to get involved:

Each week, we will be sharing exclusive tips from Georgene and Romy on that week's dedicated topic. Our participants will also be starting conversations in FGB community on how to tackle each step of the job search process.

Support them in getting one step closer to their dream job by sharing your wisdom, thoughts and experiences. 'Like' this page, bookmark it in your browser, follow us on Instagram and keep up with the Community Feed for for a step-by-step view of the bootcamp.

If you're on the job search yourself, you can use these resources to fuel your own job search. Be sure to share your results in the FGB Community; we'd love to hear about your process!

Let's get started.

Week 7: Interviews

Interviewing is one of the most feared parts of the job search process — ask anyone. This week, our Bootcampers put some of their questions and concerns at ease by participating in mock interviews with Fairygodboss founders Georgene Huang and Romy Newman. They also reviewed interview best practices, starting with the advice in these articles:

4 Typical Interview Questions and How Not to Answer Them

Questions to Ask in an Interview

If an Employer ‘Ghosts’ You After the Interview, There’s 1 Thing You Should Do

Overall, in any interview, you’re being judged on fit based on how well you can answer questions in a way that demonstrates your value. For each interview, you should have a “thesis” that you’re proving out with your answers. This thesis often looks like, “I’d be a great fit for X job because I have X, Y, Z skills, demonstrated by X, Y, Z achievements, that can solve problem X.” Centering each of your answers on this thesis can bring you greater interview success.

Week 8: Come back next week for more job search discussions and advice!

Week 6: Networking 101

This week, our Bootcampers got a special session from Executive Coach Elizabeth Lions on how to network like a pro. Not only did Lions answer all of their networking questions, but she also shared her best advice on how to make your connections count. We've distilled her tips below:

1. Have a purpose in mind when you reach out to someone, and don't be afraid to ask for help! Be clear about what you're asking for and always have a call to action. Tell someone exactly how to help you.
2. Get the person you’re trying to network with on a call. People don’t help emails. People help people.
3. Get out of the mentality that you’re alone. When you’re an “I” the walls come in quick, but when you’re a “we” there is an opening and there’s a flow.
4. Don’t forget you should always offer the person you’re speaking with your network in exchange.

Feeling inspired? Check out this article on the six ways to network on social media that you haven't thought of yet, then get started!

Week 5: Cover Letters

This week, the Bootcampers worked on refining their approach to cover letters with Fairygodboss Co-Founders Georgene Huang and Romy Newman. Cover letters are a critical part of personalizing your experience — telling your story. Before the sessions, they read and reviewed resources from Fairygodboss, which we've rounded up for you below:

I’m a CEO — These 3 Job Application Mistakes Make Me Instantly Reject a Candidate

Your All-in-One Cover Letter Guide

How To Write A Cover Letter

Exactly How to Start a Cover Letter (Plus Examples!)

Week 4: Resumes

The resume is the centerpiece of the job application, so knowing how to write one that makes an impact is a critical step to any job search. This week, our Bootcampers had their resumes reviewed by Huang and Newman. After, the two leaders distilled their advice.

"Resumes can look like activity lists and what makes them better is when they're reframed to demonstrate impact and growth, with activity data and information playing a supporting role rather than taking center stage," Huang said.

Demonstrating impact can be achieved by focusing on outcomes of your job activities, instead of listing responsibilities. For example, instead of saying you "sourced and pitched 100+ clients," say you "Closed $60,000 in revenue by sourcing and pitching 100 ideal clients." You can ensure you're demonstrating impact by including some kind of number or metric for each prominent line item you include under an experience.

Huang also emphasized that first impressions matter. It's frequently stated that recruiters spend about 30 seconds looking at a resume when first deciding who should proceed in the process, so details like headers and keywords truly matter to making the impression you'd like to make.

"What words are on top, bolded, larger, in headings, et cetera can lead a person who is only taking a cursory glance to conclude things about you and your experience," she said. "For example, if you are trying to change careers and your recent job titles don't match what you want to pursue, be careful how much prominence you give your 'old words' vs. 'your future words.'"

Be careful what words you're using in your title and objective statement, in your skills section and in the title of each job experience. You can do that by doing keyword research to match industry best practice for the jobs you're targeting.

"It's all the same underlying content, it's just about what you emphasize," Huang said.

Want more advice on writing a great resume?

Read a Q&A with Marlissa on what to highlight in a resume here.

Week 3: Personal Branding

"'Personal branding' can sound unapproachable," Fairygodboss CEO Georgene Huang said after her bootcamp sessions this week. "But it can start with baby steps."

Over the last few days, our bootcampers took some of those small steps towards building a brand they love. Huang had advice on where to begin:

"Follow influencers in the space you want to make a name for yourself. You want to associate yourself with the area in which you want to land a new job — particularly if it's a career change. You can 'like' or 'comment' on LinkedIn posts if you aren't ready to write a full-blown blog post yourself. You can tweet and retweet thought leaders in your space. You can comment on Medium articles. These small steps add up to surrounding yourself with the people and content you need to align your 'brand' with."

During the sessions, Huang and Fairygodboss President Romy Newman encouraged bootcampers to search their names on Google and review their online presence. They suggested taking the necessary steps to remove any unflattering content and to ensure thought leadership and professional social media profiles come up first. They also encouraged bootcampers to review their LinkedIn profiles "from the outside." Huang explained why this is an important step for job seekers:

"Job seekers should look at how their LinkedIn profile is viewed by others. Certain sections truncate, and headlines are important. Realize that long paragraphs will be truncated and not show for most people unless they actively are trying to dig in. How can you make sure the headlines and most apparent parts of your profile shine? This sounds very tactical, but small changes can make a big visual impact for people who are glancing very quickly at your profile online."

Want more advice on how to make your personal brand the best it can be? Check out the discussions below:

Read a Q&A with Andrea on increasing your digital footprint here.

Read a Q&A with Heartie on making your LinkedIn look sharp here.

Read a Q&A with Carmelita on fixing unflattering Google results here.

Read a Q&A with Kim on tailoring your LinkedIn profile to specific jobs here.

Week 2: Elevator Pitches

This week, our bootcampers perfected their elevator pitches. After coaching her sessions, Fairygodboss CEO Georgene Huang shared her process for crafting a strong pitch:

"Start by defining what type of role you want and pick out two or three of your strengths that can be applied to that role. Think through your previous experiences and select one that highlights those strengths. If you've correctly matched your strengths to the role you want, then your elevator pitch will clearly articulate your expertise and give your audience a good idea of the value you can add. Finally, practice your pitch and don't be afraid to own your accomplishments — you earned them!"

Want more advice on elevator pitches and starting your job search off on the right foot? Check out the discussions below:

Read a Q&A with Kim on her elevator pitch questions here.

Read a Q&A with Heartie on her elevator pitch questions here.

Read a Q&A with Carmelita about finding your life's passion here.

Read FGB'ers' advice on jumpstarting your job search here.

Week 1: Introductions

It's time to meet the members of our Job Search Bootcamp cohort! This week, the cohort met for the first time and learned about one anothers' life paths and 2021 goals.

Now, it's your turn. These are the women we will be supporting along their job search journeys. Read on to learn more about their backgrounds, what they're looking for from their careers, and what they'll be focused on learning over the next few months.