Job Searches Are Better with the Buddy System

The buddy system works for more than just field trips and summer camps. Instead of making your job search a solitary affair, team up with a friend and tackle your search in tandem. Pairing with a friend will help you find more opportunities, perfect your interview style, and give you the support you need throughout the process. Getting the most from your buddy search method is easy to do if you follow these steps:

STEP ONE: Have an Initial Brainstorming Meeting

Whether you meet up at a local coffee shop or you connect long-distance via Skype or Facetime, all great partnerships start with an initial meeting. During your meeting, take turns talking about what you want from a job and any specific employers or areas you have in mind. By having someone else to bounce these ideas off of, you can pare down your top priorities, and target employers, into an actionable list for your job search. You may also get additional ideas when you help your friend with their lists as well.

STEP TWO: Work to Perfect Your WIFM Commercial

Your WIFM commercial will help you show, in quantifiable numbers, why you are the right person for a specific job. Having a friend that you can work with to craft this type of personal “commercial” is invaluable. First, you can help each other craft the short pitch, and then you can practice it with a real live person on the other end critiquing it. You can work on hitting the right points and making it as tight, and persuasive, as possible. If you are able to meet in person, you can also coach each other on eye contact, body language, and pacing.

STEP THREE: Interview Prep

Before you get to the step where one, or both of you, are taking interviews, you can begin to work with each other for interview prep. Go over strategy, practice answering tough interview questions, and create job-specific questions you can ask the Hiring Manager. It also helps to do an entire Mock Interview Assessment where you can practice everything from the initial handshake to asking about the next step in the process.

STEP FOUR: Plan a Post-Interview Call and Rework Your Strategy as Needed

You may not know how to feel about your performance after a job interview; lucky you have someone to contact to talk about what occurred. Plan a follow-up call or Skype-session ASAP after any interview you or your buddy take part in. This way you can talk out the experience, see where you shined, and where you might have to make adjustments. You’ll learn a lot just by talking about your experience, and possibly learn even more by listening to your friends experiences. Make a pact to continue to do these types of debriefs even after one of you finds a job.

AppleOne can help you and your buddy take your job search to the next level! From resume assistance to tapping into the “hidden” job market, we’ve got you covered. Apply here to get started.