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Hi there, my last contract ended abruptly back in December 2023.
I have submitted over 170 applications since then. I even applied to roles I had no chance of landing just for sheer luck.
my background is healthcare and project coordination. I’d love some interview tips. Please comment if you can help. Thank you.
I wish you luck in your search! I'm hoping you have or will begin hearing back from some of those soon and if you are concerned, just remember that the holidays usually add significant amount of time to the process.
For interviewing, a few prep ideas:
-Check into their Vision, Mission, and/or values online and as much you can learn about their brand. Think of examples you can recall that demonstrate how you align to this overall culture. You may be directly asked and if not, you'll want to sprinkle these in your conversation.
-Values can also give you good ideas for questions to ask. For example, my current company mentions "having fun" as part of their cultural values so I asked "I saw having fun is part of your culture.. how does this team add fun to their work?"
-Determine what some of the most important behaviors seem to be from the job description (ex. - excellent customer service, responsiveness, etc) and write down examples of times you've demonstrated that and it made a positive impact on a project or incident you were working with. Review these so when you are asked "tell me about a time when .." you already have several stories in mind that are both impressive and relevant!
On an application note:
It sounds like you've applied in masses. That is great and one valid approach to landing something! But if you find you're having a hard time getting interviews, another approach might be laser-focused targets vs. a wide net. This looks like finding roles and positions that are a really great overall fit for your talents and personality specifically and tailoring resumes to both the job and the company culture each time, maybe writing/editing cover letters, reaching out to team members in attempt to network/ask questions, etc. It takes a little more mental effort but it's basically approaching it less a numbers game and might give you a better chance of getting noticed in the places you already have a better chance of being hired. (But I still encourage you to shoot for those higher level roles you might not be fully qualified for but are aligned in every other way!)
Hope some of that is helpful to you. Best of luck and I hope you'll update us :)
My background is not in healthcare, but I will say that Jacksonville, FL has a TON of healthcare jobs.
I have been job searching throughout 2023 and many recruiters have said employers are not broadening their search for talent outside of a narrow vertical of their industry, and also paying less. So keep your chin up and find related companies to your past experience.
Let's connect on Linkedin. I am also with healthcare background and see a lot of project management roles here and there. Linkedin.com/in/queena
https://www.zippia.com/advice/how-many-applications-does-it-take-to-get-a-job/ keep going 1-100 apps is one interview i was speaking w a man who tests job sites he automates it send out 500 a day . he told me 150 is a rookie move it sucks but you got this
Thanks, I'll take a look.
Are you getting interviews? 170 applications seems like a lot in a short time and you might be better served targeting your search. I think the key to interviewing is prep— know and be able to succinctly communicate your value proposition and why YOU are the best candidate. Match the job’s requirements to your experience. Craft and be able to deliver concise examples of how you’ve been able to solve similar problems in your past work. Master your responses to all of the basic interview questions, all companies tend to ask. As you do interviews, you will get better and better.
Are you getting interviews after you submit your application? Or you are not getting interviews at all?
I get calls from recruiters daily, about 50% have been scam calls. But I also feel like the timeline is against me. I started applying right before the holidays and 2024 just started. But no actual interviews
"back in"? December was just a few weeks ago. And holidays thrown in there. I don't think you've even given your currently applications a chance to settle.
especially as most people were not fully involved in hiring at year end. They are probably just starting to get back into the process of looking at applications, etc. I agree with your post - needs time. December is not an easy time to get responses from ANYONE.
Agreed! This would be an excellent time to send out lots of follow-up emails about the applications submitted and when they are looking to start the interview process for the role.