Remember the blank page at the start of this course and the one vague line that refused to turn into a CV? Your career folder now holds a requirements map, a story bank, a positioning statement, a proof map, a master CV, a LinkedIn profile, a company list, and interview notes. Every piece tells the same story. Now it’s time to send it out into the world.
Two Ways a Search Goes Wrong
When it’s time to apply, many people fall into one of two traps. The first is spray and pray. You send the same CV to as many postings as possible, with no tailoring and no contacts, and then conclude that the market is impossible when replies don’t come. Under time pressure, you skip everything you learned in this course.
The second trap, waiting until you’re ready, looks like the opposite. There’s always one more project, one more course, or one more pass on the CV to finish first. Nothing ever feels ready, so nothing gets sent. That’s often fear of rejection dressed up as diligence.
Honest, specific materials in front of the right people will do more for you than a perfect CV that never gets sent.
There’s a third, quieter trap too, which is applying only through job boards because contacting people feels pushy. Then every application competes in the largest pile, with nobody inside who knows your name.
