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Madeline Mann is an HR and recruiting leader. She has an award-winning YouTube channel, "Self Made Millennial," and over half a million followers on social media. Her mission is to help people create great resumes, land interviews, and secure their dream job.
In this episode of Motivational Mondays, Madeline shares some of her best advice for young professionals looking to enter the workforce.
Madeline was the head of HR at a tech company and she was always pouring over resumes with executives. Many wonderful candidates made resume mistakes that cost them the opportunity.
So, Madeline started replying to applicants and told them why their application was rejected. She thought she would be the job seeker’s hero but she quickly learned why people don’t do this. No one takes constructive criticism well.
Many young people often walk into corporate interviews blind with little resources or experience under their belt. It was then that Madeline decided to be proactive. She wanted to give the applicants tips based on what she saw. She started posting videos on YouTube, TikTok, and LinkedIn, and her content exploded.
Madeline emphasizes, “Personal branding is the secret to having long-term job security.” It sets you apart from everyone else. What makes you different? How does someone feel when they read your LinkedIn or interact with you?
That’s all part of your personal brand. You can intentionally leave people with the impression that you want them to have. You should also portray yourself consistently across different platforms and in your resume/CV.
The “Tell Me About Yourself” Worksheet
“Tell me about yourself” can be one of the most intimidating interview questions for someone to answer. And most people blow it! They interpret it as, “Tell me your life story.” But the question is about providing context for the interviewer. You want to address things that are related to the role you’re applying for and get to your professional core. Madeline created the “Tell Me About Yourself” worksheet to help interviewees answer this question correctly for a positive outcome.
WHY NETWORKING IS AN IMPORTANT TOOL TO UTILIZE
When you’re conducting a job search, you can’t measure success by the number of applications submitted. Madeline emphasizes that your focus needs to be on the amount of interactions you have with people. An interaction could be an interview, talking to someone at a company, or having a conversation with a former colleague. The best way to get your foot in the door is by building relationships through networking.
Listen to the entire episode to hear Madeline’s tips for leveraging LinkedIn and how to make yourself seen and heard in the workforce.
Listen to the bonus episode to learn why you should soul search before you job search and why you should focus on quality and not quantity when sending resumes.
Resources:
Check out Madeline's website
Connect with Madeline on LinkedIn
Check out other Motivational Mondays episodes