Madi Plot Lib

Adapting my Schedule

I rely heavily on time-blocking in Google Calendar to structure my day. This includes not only interviews but also dedicated time for skill-building, networking, and self-care. Having a visual representation of my week with drag-and-drop functionality helps me manage my time effectively and allows me to change plans on the fly. Also, when I change things up, I make sure to use my calendar to track what I actually ended up doing as well. This allows me to plan accordingly for the next week because I can see when I had energy for various tasks and what tasks I consistently deprioritized.

Adapting my Job Application Strategy

Long Game vs. Short Game

I’ve learned to balance the long-term strategy of building a strong professional network and the short-term strategy of sending out a consistent stream of job applications. While reaching out to recruiters about immediate opportunities is crucial, I also have also been investing time catching up with former coworkers and getting their two cents’ worth about the state of tech. This has allowed me to better prioritize my time as well – I take what people say and apply it to prioritizing learning areas I was struggling to rank based on my own research.

Messaging Recruiters or Employees for Every Job I Apply To

Sending personalized and thoughtful messages to recruiters has become a big part of my strategy. It’s not just about expressing interest but also showcasing how my skills align with the company’s values and needs. I’m hoping this approach yields better results than just applying blindly.

Updating My Resume and LinkedIn

Whereas I don’t tailor my resume to each application, I have recently created two different versions of the document to make more sense for either Data Engineering or DevOps positions. I have had a number of positions that involved a lot of overlap between the two, so I was sure to highlight my responsibilities differently for each version. I also made a Key Achievements section at the top of my resume to note projects that I led, being sure to list quantifiable results. This was honestly a good ego boost!

Then, for LinkedIn, I fed my resume into ChatGPT and it wrote a nice bio for me. I changed words and phrases that sounded pretentious or very AI-generated until I felt good about it. Then, I looked through my skills section and removed any that were too basic like Powerpoint or Excel and added any that were missing. So that when recruiters search profiles, they can not only easily see what DE/DevOps skills I have (as they’re no longer muddied by old fluff), but will also find my profile using keyword searches.

Prioritizing Activities That Make Me Feel Good

I’ve come to realize the importance of downtime during a job search. While it’s important to stay proactive, I also schedule periods of free time to recharge. However, I remain flexible and am willing to adjust my schedule based on my energy levels and the demands of the job search process. I’ve also tried to add exercise and fun time with friends into my schedule as energy allows. It’s helped a lot to give myself three options for exercise depending on my energy levels. I also love getting moving by meeting up with friends for a walk.

Conclusion

By adapting my schedule, refining my job application strategy, and prioritizing self-care, I’ve found a more balanced and sustainable approach to the job search.

Thanks for reading! Next time, I think I’ll write about SQL query performance tuning, so keep your eye out for that!