We are doing the "Get Job Ready" challenge in March at Virtual Coffee. We'll work on creating, revising, or updating your job packet materials and that elevator pitch!

Goals

The goal is for you to end the month with the following:

• A complete and updated resume tailored to your job search or position
• A complete and updated cover letter that creates a personal connection
• A captivating elevator pitch

How it Works

We're focusing on creating and updating job application materials. Whether you're actively looking, getting ready to look, or want to update your materials in case that dream job comes along, this is a great time to do it with the community to keep you accountable and get feedback.

We're breaking this challenge into two parts, but feel free to focus on what's most important to you.

Weeks One and Two: Resume and Cover Letter

Resume

Step one: Find a job post.
Step two: Match your skills to the post.
Step three: Make your resume stand out.

This also includes updating your LinkedIn profile if you'd like.

Cover Letter

Step one: Do some research. Learn about a company and make a connection.
Step two: Do some storytelling. A cover letter isn't a written resume. It's an opportunity to go deeper.
Step three: Connect your experience to the position.

Week Three: Elevator Pitch

An elevator pitch is a short speech introducing yourself, what you do, your experience, and why you would be an excellent person to have on the team. The idea is to confidently convey information about yourself in a short amount of time and leave an impression on the mind of the person who hears it.

You can create a one-minute-long video to practice delivering your elevator pitch, then ask someone to listen to it and give you feedback. And if you're comfortable, you can use Loom and share the link to your elevator pitch here for some feedback.

Week four: Tying it Together

Your resume, cover letter, and elevator pitch should work together to tell your story and represent where you are on your career journey. Each piece should complement the others. This week, take time to ensure they work together.

What if I Need Help or Want to Help?

• At the end of the month, you can share your resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile, and link to your elevator pitch video on Loom here—if you're comfortable—and ask for feedback.

• If you are a seasonal developer and want to help others, consider returning to this post and giving valuable feedback to any incoming submissions.

• If you have recommended and reliable resources around job materials that you want to share, feel free to drop them in the comment below.

Job Application Materials and Resources

Here are some valuable job application materials and resources from Virtual Coffee members to help you out:

• How to Promote Yourself to Potential Employers – Abbey Perini — Virtual Coffee Lunch & Learn
• Optimize Your Resume For Both A Hiring Manager And An ATS – Jennifer & Abbey — Virtual Coffee Lunch & Learn
• Breaking down coding problems in interviews – Courtney Landau – Lightning Talks 2021
• Resume Roundtable – Bryan Healey – Virtual Coffee Lunch & Learn
• FlowCV: free resume builder
• A list of Ian Douglas's Interview Resources

Final Words

It's always a good idea to keep your job application materials up to date. Especially with the current challenging employment situation in the tech industry, spreading kindness by learning with and helping each other prepare for job readiness is one of the powerful roads to success.💙

If you want to know more about Virtual Coffee community and what we do, check out our website. You can also join the waitlist if you're interested to join our community!