I’m spilling all of the corporate tea in this “Ask Breakroom Buddha” series.
If you have a career question that you’d like me to answer send your question here! You might be featured on the next Ask Breakroom Buddha post!
A little job hunt + resume hack that is VERY rewarding if done right.
During one of my job searches, I had 1 DAY to create an email template and presentation deck.
Sounds simple, but it wasn’t.
The team gave me a creative brief that included 2 fliers with basic information. I then translated those fliers into an interactive email AND a 15-page deck.
I then gave a full presentation breaking down my thought process behind why I built the email in a specific way. I also walked through my entire deck as if I were a brand representative for the brand.
Combined all of that research, work, presentation prep, and presenting took hours to do.
I didn’t get paid for that assignment or my live presentations.
And I didn’t get the job.
So…. the mindset you need to adopt is that “you always need to leave with something,” a concept coined by Denzel Washington (see below). Without this mindset, you’ll likely experience extreme burnout, frustration, or a sense of being exploited during your job search.
There are a few lessons + hacks in this, I promise.
Interview Lesson One: Limit Access To Work Samples
When tasked with assignments during your job search, always limit access and copy permissions. No one from the team or company should be able to copy or use your work after you’ve presented it, especially if you don’t get the job. (More on this here)
Interview Lesson Two: Keep Your Digital Portfolio Organized
Lesson 2: Always put the completed assignments in your digital portfolio. I like to use Canva’s Website Builder and Google Drive to collect all of my assignments.
Interview Hack One: Adopt the Mindset of a Consultant
Hack 1: Always list yourself as a “Consultant” for the brand that denied you. The team valued your “expert” ideas and concepts, which essentially makes you a consultant. Job hunting and completing assignment is a full-time job, so you might as well list yourself as a full-time “Consultant” on your resume, LinkedIn, and portfolio website.
Interview Hack Two: Adopt the Mindset of a Consultant (Pt. 2)
Hack 2: Make sure you name-drop the past brands’ names that you consulted for in your next interview AND send a small snippet of the completed assignment to the hiring manager of the new company as proof (if the work is relevant). 👀
What’s Next: Get Ready So You Don’t Have To Get Ready (Job Search Edition)
