Dan & Liz are joined by a new team member, Adamu Muhammad to talk about his recent job search experience and his advice for job seekers.

Simply put? Keep at it. Don't allow rejection to get personal, and understand if you have strengths in your field, eventually a company will see your value and offer a position.

We also briefly touch on cover letters, and why they are not such a thing anymore. At least in a tight job market like Eastern Iowa.

Resume resources for job seekers: corridorcareers.com/resume-services

All right. Good morning, and welcome back to

another episode of careers and coffee. I live.

Dan got my coffee here.

Hey, I do too. And we are pleased to be

welcomed by Adama Mohan, who just joined our team, I think is

that in quarter careers as a web developer, so we thought it'd be

awesome to have a dialogue and just share his experience as a

job seeker. Being that he just went through the process of

looking for a job. This is your I think third week with the

Gazette. Is that right? That's right. Yeah, third week. So we

wanted to ask you some questions put you on the spot a little

bit. So my first question is, has to do with your resume? And

I just want to know, how long and maybe how many drafts or

versions of your resume did he you go through before finding

one that you liked and felt comfortable with?

Yeah, absolutely. I'm glad to be here.

And cheers have my own coffee.

So So yeah, I, like Dan mentioned, I've been with the

Gazette for about three weeks now. And before then, I was

actually in the job market about a year ago. So I have recent

experiences, looking for jobs. So as far as my resume, so

because I think the version of my resume that I applied to the

Gazette, that was done. Actually, couple years ago, I

was laid off, where a couple of us were laid off in one of the

jobs I held before, back in 2017. And after that, the

company hooked us up with an agency. So that employment

agency kind of helped me out, draft a resume. And I've been

using that resume, since all I need to do is just to change to

add the jobs or to change the job description, date. But

during that time, I would say it took back and forth with the

resume people to get that all ironed out. And then after that,

it is adding dates and removing dates, as far as working on my

resume. So I got lucky with that already have that.

Would you say it kind of helped to work with

another person on your resume to, you know, put things in

perspective or with the structure of it?

It definitely, it definitely did. Before I work

with the agency that helped me with my current resume, I had a

resume. But when they did it, I had like their own better. So I

would say absolutely, if you can get a hand on someone, get a

hold of someone that will help you. Maybe review it, or maybe

even help you with some directions on how to do that.

That is always welcome. And I know there are some services

indeed.com, the job search website used to help people for

free, you will submit your resume to them, they will

schedule a call with you actually do your resume. But I

think that discontinued a service this year. So yes, I

will to question yes, if you can get a hold of someone you really

helped me.

We do have some career, resume service, links on

our Career Resources page on the Gazette. So we'll make sure we

link to those in the show notes. There are people in the

community that do help out with that. And there's also free

services with Kirkwood with IowaWorks and some other even

the library offers some consultation on resumes, which

could probably be helpful to an average job seeker.

We'll make sure to link to those.

Well, I had a question for you. And it was

really kind of just kind of put it in perspective. What do you

think the hardest part of job searching was for you?

Oh, man, the hardest part of job searching.

Like just the uncertainty for me. So you want a job? And you

know, like and with the COVID so you know that you are competing

with a lot of people I think I kind of mixed because with the

COVID we are hitting a situation where not a lot of people are

applying. But also a lot of people have been laid off that

are probably applying. So for me was the uncertainty. Like, when

would I find a fit? That was really I have kids they need to

eat. And I want to do what I like doing. Right? They say find

something you like doing and find somebody, that'll pay to do

that. So, yeah, the uncertainty was the biggest thing. For me, I

have my resume ready. And I kind of know my ways to apply. So

website, in person, even referrals. So the biggest was

the uncertainty.

Yeah, I would say that it's probably on the lot of

minds of job seekers right now. And not only that people

currently working that are maybe considering another job.

Definitely, that is something that is gonna play a role. So

another question I had was, how did you know when the job was

the right fit? Because you said it took you a while to find

something that was the right fit?

Yeah, absolutely. So as far as right

fit. So I know. So like the way I know everyone has his or her

own way of finding what they like. I know, personally, even

without getting paid, there are some, there are some certain

things I like to do. So like that, like Dan had mentioned, I

do web stuff with the Gazette. And there's some certain aspect

of web that I like. And so as much as I can, I try to find a

company that does that. Now they say, a beggar can't be a

chooser. So there's that balance, okay. Do I find

something? Or do I really become particular? About, Okay, I like

this, I must really find a job that does this. Can I find

something general? Or maybe I would like it. So that is that

you might be going through that. But for me, it's the constant

battle. And when I saw the job with the Gazette, one of the

things that attracted me was the fact that thegazette.com is a

website that constantly people see. And I like something like

that, like, how do you improve a website so people can use it? I

like the aspect a lot. So for me, that's what one of the

reasons why I applied.

That's great. Well, we're glad. We're glad you did.

When you were going through that process, well, I guess now that

you've come out of it, right. So now that you've got a job and

you're you're you've been here three weeks, so you're you're

the old you're not even the new guy anymore. Because we've had a

couple hires since you came on board, what what advice would

you give to current job seekers about you know, finding that

right fit or getting through those moments where you're just

really kind of overwhelmed with that uncertainty?

Yeah, I will absolutely say, no matter the

rejections, you get there is always a company that you will

be a fit. I know. I have had rejections. I think it's common

in the job market. And sometimes when I get rejections, I take it

personally. And what I mean personally is like, maybe this

is not my field. What am I doing? But it is one of that. I

think it's more than that. Sometimes it's more by a fit,

not because you're not good at what you do. Not at all. Maybe

you could know "ABCD". And the next company is not looking for

"B" is looking for "E" or you don't have "E" but you have all

these other skills. So So I, it's always kind of in the back

of my mind not to take it personally. To see that's okay.

Maybe I'm not a fit. Not because I don't know what I'm doing. And

there really, eases my anxiety as far as, "am I even worthwhile

for anyone? Would I bring value to any company?" So, as long as

you know something in your field, you can absolutely bring

value to someone else. Just keep looking. Keep going, I will say

that will be, if there's only one advice I will give, that

will be the thing. Just keep pushing, you will find someone

that you can contribute a value to.

Wow. Yeah, that's great.

Cool. Well, there's any other questions for

download before we call today here on careers and coffee?

No, I think we got the soundbite right there, you

know, just keep at it, keep going. You will find someone

that knows that you can contribute to their company. So

it's just making sure that your skills are the skills that

they're looking for. Yeah, just one last thing that came up.

Sorry, Dan, one thing that last came came up this week, I was

talking with our HR manager, and we were talking about cover

letters. And, Dan, I know it's been a while since we've applied

for jobs. But I know I put a lot of time and effort into that

cover letter. What about you,

I probably spent way more time writing out cover

letters then I have resumes. Five times as much time writing

out all these paragraphs and different experiences on onto a

cover letter.

Yeah. And so what I was hearing that was kind of

shocking to me from the manager was that, yeah, we don't really

look at cover letters too much anymore. And it wasn't so much

that she didn't look at them and consider them, they definitely

stand out when she did see them. But it wasn't really part of the

application process a lot. As long as they got a resume, they

weren't paying too much attention to the cover letter.

So my guess is if you're waiting to pull the trigger to apply for

a job, because you haven't got the cover letter, right, just

right yet. Keep it simple. You know, don't worry about you know

who to dress it to just just say hello, you know, my name is so

and so. And here's what I'm looking for if you want to write

a cover letter, but don't feel bad about not including a cover

letter, unless they specifically ask for it, you're going to be

just fine. Because, you know, it could be a web system. Uh, you

know that Adamu plays and that's going to be reading your resume,

you know, and it's not even going to be a person for a

little while until they pick out some of those keywords. And then

they route you into a system folder for an HR manager to take

a look at so don't don't let that be a barrier because I know

it can be very easy and that uncertainty when you're as

job seeker to put up, p t up roadblocks for yourself of

ike, well I can't apply for tha job because I don't know w

o to address the cover letter to just get rid of that barrier and

just go ahead and apply anyway Put your resume in there an

put yourself out t

Yeah, what do you have to lose right? Yeah.

All right. Well, that's gonna do it for us I love the messa

e today. Keep after it. And t e one thing I picked up on w

s -hey, find an employer to pay pay for what you like doing and

go work for them. Right? I love that little nugget there pretty

pretty simple. So Adamu, than you so much for coming on t

careers and coffee but with Li and I you know Liz and I, w

usually do okay with the banter but it's always good to hav

another person on, don't yo think

Yeah, let's get some more guests.

Take care everyone.

Thanks a lot. Bye.