Are you in the market for a new job?
In the pressing times of job searching, you’ve probably have bumped into generic advice like, “Pursue your passion,” “Leverage your network,” “Brush up your resume and LinkedIn,” “Dress for success”, among other things.
These pieces of advice are helpful and, to a certain extent, they do work. But some of it does get old and overused, because job seeking is as unique and creative as an individual.
If you’re reading this article, chances are you’re here because you already have the intent of knowing Comfort Works’ team better and you may be hoping to someday be a part of it.
So, which advice should you listen to when you want to be part of Comfort Works’ team?
Do you have to be an active LinkedIn user to fulfil the “brush up your resume and LinkedIn” advice? Does wearing matching socks during the interview matter when you try to “dress for success”?
I’m here to paint you a much bigger picture on how to make your application at Comfort Works stand out. Or for many other companies for that matter.
Instead of following the exact by-the-book job seeking formulas, simply be open to possibilities and know what our recruitment team expects – and what impresses us!
Really know what you want
In case I don’t stress this enough, before you start everything, do a big self-reflection on what you want. While we’re sure you’re ready to dive into the depths of the job search, we recommend starting with a crucial but often-overlooked first step: focus on you.
Have you ever discovered you’re skilled at something that you’re not passionate about? Many of us have (I know I’m guilty of it). Sure, the more skills you have the better – but it’s hard to build a fulfilling career around something that doesn’t excite you.
So, before you start applying, take some time to reflect: what is the ideal role you want? What kind of impact do you want to make in your job and in the company you work for? Find time to decide, what is your Ikigai?
If we hire you based on your skills and experience only, we’ll get a skilled employee. If we hire you based on your skills, enduring passion, and different experiences and perspectives, we’ll get a Comfort Works rookie. And that’s what we want to have and nurture in our diverse team.
Don’t worry about how pretty your resume looks
If you are spending an excessive amount of time making your resume stand out, don’t worry about it. What matters is what’s written on your resume and the messaging you want to send across to us.
It may be tempting to reuse your old CV and simply update it, and we accept that. Just make sure that your CV:
- Aligns your skills and experience with the job you’re applying for. Tie your work to the role qualifications and include data to support it.
- Specifies about the outcome of your projects/work. The basic formula is: “Accomplished (X) as measured by (Y) within a period of (Z).
- Presents any leadership role you held – whether it’s back in school for any extracurricular activities or a previous role.
- Kept short. Concision and precision are keys – so think twice before listing down 10 bullet points in your 6-page CV!
Cover letters aren’t required, so it’s your call on whether or not to include one. If you choose to include it, keep our suggestions for building a good CV to your cover letter. Tailor it to the job you’re applying for and tell us how you’ve made an impact, use data to back it up.
Don’t be daunted by the experience required
We try to specify any guardrails in the job description without being overly prescriptive on things like years of experience, which can deter great candidates from applying.
In our job advertisement, you’ll notice how we mention that you may or may not have the right degree or amount of work experience for the job. We’re never particular about it. We care about what you can do and how you do it, not about how you got here.
A strong record of conscientious, thoughtful work speaks volumes. We are looking for someone who’s capable of building something from scratch and seeing it through.
Of course, this can change when we’re looking for senior/leadership positions. But it’s not really always about the number of years of experience you have. It’s about how capable you are in executing your current role and how much you want to make an impact in Comfort Works.
So, if you spot a “4 years of experience in leading a team” in our job ad and you’re short of 1 year in that area, but you are confident and excited about leading our team and bring us to our vision– go ahead, click that apply button. We would love to hear how you can make a difference in our company.
Be genuine in your conversations with us
Every single touch point we have with our candidates comes with the purpose of getting to know you better. We want to know your past experiences, background, what your interests and passions are, and how you can combine all these in our available roles. Frankly, there’s no right or wrong approach in presenting us who you are.
We don’t screen for the right keywords or buzzwords in your resume or your answers. We believe in humanising our recruitment process by having a genuine conversation with you and understanding your thought process.
If you’re ever in an interview stage with us, remember that you’re not here to pitch your work and win a client’s nod. Instead of convincing your talent to us, tell us how impactful your project was.
Did it solve a problem?
Was there anything you wished you could have done differently?
More importantly, how technically feasible was your solution? Because it also shows the level of awareness you have for other teams that will be involved in helping you finish the project.
While touching the topic of your past work or portfolio, tell us a story behind that project.
What was your role there?
Were there any problems you encountered?
How did you solve them?
Empathy for others, the humility to admit mistakes, and willingness to give examples of challenges you’ve faced will help us get a sense of your character and how you work in a team.
Passion talks
Passion attracts people. If you look up the most influential speeches on YouTube, you will find that they all share one major thing in common: their speakers are passionate about their subject.
If you can communicate this same type of passion about how much you like the role and how you want to contribute to us, you will win over your audience. Show us you support our mission and how you can help.
Tell a short yet compelling story about yourself that shows off your passion and abilities. The best business people are great storytellers. This may also help you become a more memorable candidate and win the competition.
Hopefully, these few points provide some insights into our recruitment world. Out of all the points, I would emphasise greatly for you to have confidence in yourself. We always say this to our candidates – even those who don’t make it – we have a great confidence that you’ll do great in your path. Whether it will intersect with Comfort Works or in other companies you’re applying to, believe in yourself that you’ll find a fulfilling job and that time is not far from now. Stay motivated and hungry, all the best in your career search!