Career Coach Q&A: Hidden job market, networking, and resume success

If you’re a learner (or thinking about joining this program), you’re in luck! We had a chat with Zoe, our Manager of Careers and Partnerships to ask questions about the job market, how to network effectively, and to share her tips on improving visibility on the job search journey.

Here’s what Zoe shared with us: 

We’re excited to learn more about you Zoe! Could you give us a brief introduction to your role and how you support this program?

Hi! I’m the Manager of Careers and Partnerships for the Cybersecurity for Energy program. My role involves 1:1 coaching for our learners during the course and post-course to support them with understanding and preparing for the job search process. A lot of these coaching sessions involve: resume and LinkedIn profile reviews, mock interviews, salary negotiation discussions, and strategy sessions to help them build a strong plan for their job search. I also develop and deliver career readiness workshops and connect our learners with networking opportunities with our employer partners. 

If I’m trying to transition into a cybersecurity role and want to get more exposure, how should I get started?

It’s important to have a strong application profile and LinkedIn profile. Pay attention to what skills and certifications you see in the job postings you are most interested in. Focus on finding ways to add those to your own skill set. Networking and visibility are also important. Connect to professionals working in the industry and ask them about their own career journey, there’s so much to learn from others who are already in the field! Building this network helps connect you to new people and companies, word of mouth is a powerful way of forming new connections and hearing about untapped markets and opportunities. 

I’ve been having trouble finding a job in this sector, is there something that I’m doing wrong?

There’s several things I look at when a learner shares this experience with me. First is the resume. It’s important to have a resume that is formatted and optimized for ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems). Without this, you won’t even pass online application screenings, meaning a real person won’t even get a chance at reviewing your application. 

To really stand out in your applications, you also need to be networking. This is the only way to guarantee that a real person is reviewing your application. Coffee Chats, also called Informational Interviews, are a great way of connecting with professionals in your field and learning more about their roles, teams, company, and experience. Building these relationships can help lead to potential referrals, interviews, new connections, and can help you tap into the hidden job market. 

If you’re landing interviews, but not passing through the first stage or two, then your interview skills likely need some help. Focus on building STAR answers for behavioural interview questions and practicing or reviewing possible technical assessments. 

If you’re struggling with finding appropriate roles to apply to, the first thing that I remind my learners is that you don’t need to match 100% of the job requirements! Don’t rule yourself out too early, continuous learning is important and sought after by companies. Apply to anything you feel confident that you can excel in, (and remember you should always be given some onboarding and training support in the beginning transition). 

What is the hidden job market and how can I access it?

The hidden job market refers to positions that are available but not publicly posted. Sometimes companies don’t publicly post opportunities because they want to save money on the online posting costs, or they are hoping to recruit through referrals and word of mouth. To tap into this, you need to network. Make a targeted list of companies you are most interested in and begin reaching out to employees on the team(s) you would like to join. Remember, you’re not looking for an open job posting on the website right now. Your intention is to build relationships at these target companies and look for opportunities in places where you don’t already see them. The results may not be immediate, but building these relationships early could lead to interviews or even job offers in the near future if you build a strong connection with the individual. 

Will I be supported in my job search journey (when I join this program)?

Yes! The most common areas I support are: material reviews (resume, LinkedIn profile, cover letters), job search strategy building, mock interviews, salary negotiations, advice with networking and preparing for informational interviews, and more! Basically anything you can think of relating to job searching. 

Do you have any examples of how you’ve supported a learner in their learning journey? What was the outcome?  

Resume reviews are something I do with every single learner. But recently I worked with someone who has worked in IT for over 5 years, has been doing a lot of upskilling into Cybersecurity, and recently completed our Cybersecurity for Energy program. They had been applying to entry-level Cybersecurity Analyst roles for months without a single interview. Immediately, I identified some major changes we could make to their resume to help with ATS passing and overall readability and presentation. After a bit of an overhaul, they’re now getting regular responses to their applications and interview invites! They’re in the middle of interviewing with a few different companies right now and I know an offer is just around the corner. 

What’s your best resume tip?

Best tip, keep it simple. Single column, plain text resumes are the best. They may look a little boring but they’re the most effective at passing ATS and also the easiest for real humans to skim quickly as well. Did you know that recruiters spend an average of just 6 seconds reviewing a resume? Simple formatting makes it way easier for them to get the info they need quickly and decide if they want to proceed with your application. 

Do you have a resume pet peeve?

Extremely long and text-heavy resumes. Your resume should never be longer than 2 pages! Don’t sacrifice white space to try and jam in more words, more is not necessarily better. 

How can someone effectively network in a digital world?

There are so many virtual events in every industry. Pick the ones that are most interesting to you and check them out! After attending and meeting new people, send LinkedIn requests to those you want to keep in touch with. Be sure to share where you met them from and mention something specific from your conversation/the event that you enjoyed. 

LinkedIn outreach is normal! I have so many learners who say they’re nervous to send cold messages, which I understand fully. If you’re new to it, it can feel awkward. But that’s what LinkedIn is for - networking! So make those connections, reach out to people of interest, follow companies, and join groups. And if you don’t get a response from someone just know it’s not personal. Don’t be shy to follow up 2-3 times. 

What are some questions that I should ask at the end of an interview?

• Based on what I shared with you today, do you think my skills and experience are a good fit for this role?
• Are there any areas I can clarify or provide more context for you to demonstrate how I am a good fit?

Now, let’s finish up with a rapid fire. Email outreach or virtual coffee chat?

Virtual coffee chat.

Cover letter or no cover letter?

No cover letter.

We learned a lot from this chat with Zoe, and have been taking down notes ourselves (these were solid tips!). Ready to upskill into a Cybersecurity role? Join our Cybersecurity for Energy Program and get 1:1 support from Zoe so you can navigate your career journey seamlessly. 

If you’re looking to elevate your skills in other IT fields, we’ve got a catalogue of data courses that you might be interested in.