Today is part two of how to land your first job! If you missed part one, this guide is the first in the Adulting with Abby series. Think of it as a Ned’s Declassified guide to navigating adulthood. Last week, I shared the tips and tricks I picked up while hunting for my first job in 2019. Today, I’m excited to share a Q&A with career coach Patrick Abbott featuring his expert tips on how to land your first job.

Patrick Abbott is a certified federal career coach and Career Development Officer. He’s worked with clients of all ages, including those as young as 21 and as old as 55. I was thoroughly impressed by Patrick during our interview and am already applying some of his recommendations to my own career, so I think you’re really going to enjoy today’s interview. Let’s dive in!

How to Land Your First Job

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: How can a recent grad stand out among all the other applicants, particularly in the current job market?

A: In the current job market, I’d recommend that the way to really stand out is to show you’re purpose-driven and you have a goal. So many people—and I’m not faulting them at all, especially in this COVID era—want a job, need a job, will scramble anywhere for a job that has one or two keywords. But a way to really stand out is if you’re working from having a true goal, having a true purpose, not just to get a job, but to start a career and to do certain things. If you can convey that, especially in the cover letter and in your interview—that you’re not just here to make a widget or fill out paperwork, but that this role means something to you, can help you accomplish something, and help the organization accomplish something—that would really help you stand out.

Q: What advice do you have for those who are uncertain of their purpose?

A: What I would recommend is to work backward. You can do this as a mental exercise with yourself or with a professional coach or even with someone you really trust. The first question I would start with is: What job do you want when you retire? Not a title, but what do you want to do? What do you want to accomplish? That involves some soul-searching. Once you’re done talking about that, ask: What jobs do that? What end post do you want for your life? And you work backward.

Let’s say you want to be a CEO. Well, what’s right before that? And what’s right before that? You map backward until generally where you are right now. Depending on your answers, you can have multiple different branches like a tree of I could do this or I could start here or I could go there. And there’s where I’d recommend working with your school, the departments, and your personal networks to discover, explore, and research these starting points. From there, the big thing is: What skills do these trades and jobs need, and not only need but want?

Then, do an inventory of your present skills and traits. You compare both where you are now and where you would need to be to get the prime spots that you want to start at. From there, create systems and lines of effort to establish how can you develop to achieve where you want to be where you first apply for jobs.

Q: What would you tell people that are intimidated by networking?

A: It has to be purposeful. One thing, especially introverts, don’t understand about reaching out is it’s not just a smarmy Hey, I’m going to shake the hand of somebody, ask what they do, look at their business card, and either move on or befriend them if there’s something worthwhile for me. What can truly stand out is creating a network of friends. Be kind to these people. Just talk to them, listen to them. Introduce yourself. Explain what you’re trying to do, not only professionally but also personally. If you invest that time in being a friend, it goes a long way. Those connections last longer than any LinkedIn connection you may have.

Q: What is the best place for recent grad to invest their time when applying? Is it a numbers game of submitting as many applications as possible, really tailoring their resume, or networking?

A: The networking is incredibly valuable but a place where a lot of people are lacking is in the resume. What I personally recommend to people is to create a master resume with everything on it. When you’re listing out the various features of a past role, don’t just have what actions you took. Talk about the actions and impact, so that people see you did things and these things had meaning. People also really try to give equal weight to everything which isn’t wise. When I update a resume, I make sure to focus my energy on the areas I really want to sell. Then, when you’re applying for a certain job, tailor that resume. Feel free to edit things out, keeping the impact and actions focused on areas the employer would be interested in.

I’m also a big fan of what Scott Adams calls a “talent deck.” Instead of writing a blurb like I’m a go-getter who wants to do all of these great things, figure out what skills and talents make you different than other people, and you can list them out on your resume. For example, I have computer programming skills. I’ve also taken project management. I speak Spanish. It may seem like it’s three wildly different things, but putting down those cards in your deck, you point out to the hiring manager that not only are you qualified to do the job you’re applying for, as they see in your resume, but you also have these additional skills that would allow the company to plug and play you in other spots.

Q: What questions should people always ask a potential employer?

A: The best ones I would recommend are customized, open-ended, and developmental questions. You can ask, “What do you wish a person going into this role would know?” This will help you figure out what you should hone in on, whether in the future if you’re applying to another job or if you get the job and you’re preparing for it. Another powerful question is, “How could I have done my resume or this interview better?” This can take people aback because they’ll think Well, you did good. They won’t tell you if you got the job right then and there but they may say, “We’re really looking for somebody who has additional computer programming skills” or something like that. You can take all of this knowledge and apply it to your development.

Q: What are the common mistakes people make in the entry-level application and interview process?

A: Generic resumes that they just spam out that aren’t tailored to anything in particular. Resumes that aren’t proofread—that’s a huge one. Another is during interview questions when candidates give short, straight-to-the-point answers. Play around with it. Explore. Demonstrate how good you are. That’s what they’re looking for. Also, after being asked “Do you have any questions for us?” either saying “No” or jumping into the benefits. That doesn’t sit well with those who do the interview.

In the whole interview process, you are trying to sell yourself, to make yourself the clear candidate so that they want you. Appearing open, willing, and upfront is really great. Asking the developmental question shows that you know you’re not perfect and that you’re not some young hotshot that thinks you are the best thing ever. It shows you will listen to advice.

Q: For anyone who has multiple offers, what questions should they ask to help inform their decision?

A: Say, “Eventually, I really want to have an impact doing X.” Not that you want a particular job, but you want to do X thing. “What are the best ways I can do X at this company?” With that open-ended question, it gets them thinking and it gets them sewn into your vision of why you want to have a certain role, how you want to have a certain impact, and how this job can help make that happen.

Especially nowadays, it’s almost viewed as an exchange of You give me job and money and I do job. If a person has a clear set of values, a clear goal, and a clear understanding of what impact they want to have, employers like that because they realize you’re not just going to come in, hit the clock, and go out when the clock’s done. Instead, they see you have a driven purpose and you view this job as part of that purpose. You’re going to dedicate yourself not only to the corporate vision and the corporate goals but also to your goals that align with the corporate goals, and you’re going to strive hard to achieve.

Q: What do you wish you had known when you were trying to land your first job?

A: What I wish I truly knew was really a personal thing in the sense that I wish I knew it was okay to embrace my passions because they don’t conflict with the job. I was completely afraid to be an individual. I was more or else applying to various places because the job descriptions had the word ‘geography’ and I was in a geography master’s program. But I realized it is perfectly fine to have that geographic passion and spread myself out because there are so many ways I can put my own mark on doing the job the company needs done, and also embrace the things I like as well. Initially, I was put into an office that dealt with humanitarian affairs. You don’t think of geography right away, but I was able to take that special geography way of thinking, take the topics I’m interested in, and go to areas that needed help and say, “I have the passion to help here.” Once I was able to do that, I was able to embrace it completely. Work became fun because I was doing my passion. Work’s goals were accomplished; everybody was winning.

Q: If you could only give a client one piece of advice for the job-hunting process, what would it be?

A: It’s a journey. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Work with Patrick: A huge thank you to career coach Patrick Abbott for lending his expertise on this topic! If you’d like to work with Patrick one-on-one, you can contact him at patrick.abbott@gmail.com.

I hope you found today’s post helpful! Let me know in the comments if you’re enjoying the Adulting with Abby series, as well as any topics you’d like covered in the future.

Other Posts You May Enjoy

How to Land Your First Job (Part I)

The Budgeting Tool that Changed My View of Money

An Intern’s Guide to Summer in Washington, DC

12 Things I’ve Learned in 23 Years