Cheat SheetsSurviving the Job Search

Craft a great résumé. Omit first-person pronouns. Instead, use action verbs. (Instead of “I was captain of X,” write “Captained X.”) Quantify everything that you can. Keep your résumé on a single page. Avoid any spelling, grammatical, or formatting errors. For cover letters, prepare a series of interchangeable parts. (See Appendix: Resources Mentioned in the Book). Above all, do not use your unpolished résumé as an excuse to avoid starting the 100 March.

Recalibrate and channel your focus in the right direction. Recalibration begins with a single principle: if you follow everyone’s advice, you’ll wind up right where you started, for all advice cancels to zero.

Triangulation is the process of determining which information is credible and which is not. To triangulate, conduct online research and repeat questions across multiple Informational Interviews to gather more opinions. Ask yourself which Informational Interviews made you excited and curious to learn more. Eventually, when you are ready, begin to seek job referrals.

How to not quit during the 100 March. In your 100 March, set the bar embarrassingly low at first. Commit to just five minutes per day, or even one minute. The goal is to build a sustainable habit. Go through the motions if you have to, but never miss a day. When you skip a day, your chance of quitting skyrockets.

Live like you are in Groundhog Day. Make your weekday routine as repeatable as possible. The more consistent your actions, the easier it is to weather the down days of the 100 March and progress steadily

Be willing to get uncomfortable. Being a great executor requires trade-offs and sacrificing some comfort. Success in your job search will come down to a choice between instant and delayed gratification. Make yourself delay gratification. In moments of doubt about performing an unconventional job search, remember Stephen Richard’s wisdom: “If you do what everyone else does, you will get what everyone else gets.”

Real confidence comes from discomfort. It’s very difficult to think your way into feeling better, yet it’s easy to act your way into feeling better. Mood follows action. Facing fear builds confidence. The more that you push the walls of your comfort zone, the less that doubt and fear pilot your job search and life.

Prepare for a job interview by leveraging your new skills. Being an Informational Interviewer prepares you for ensuing job interviews: you know industry terms, you become observant of the interviewer, you are confident, you know how to organize your questions in advance, and you know how to actively listen. You’ll use the above skills to crush each pillar of a job interview: be prepared, be proactive, be yourself, implement feedback, and be relentless in the face of rejection.