The COMPLETE job search guide: From planning to applying with Gemini | Google

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Original language: English

Original video: The COMPLETE job search guide: From planning to applying with Gemini | Google · Channel: Grow with Google · 41:48 · Watch on YouTube

Topics: Enterprise AI applications

Summary

This guide walks through the job search process, from identifying transferable skills and writing a career identity statement to planning, applying, networking, and preparing for interviews. It demonstrates how Career Dreamer can connect a person’s experiences and interests to possible career paths, and how Gemini can help improve and tailor resumes, practice interview answers, and build a personalized job search plan. The video also recommends keeping a portfolio and a spreadsheet tracker to organize materials, contacts, applications, and company research. Throughout, it emphasizes reviewing AI-generated content, keeping it truthful, and making sure it reflects your authentic voice.

Key points

Transferable skills can come from many parts of life, including volunteering, sports, education, caregiving, and work.
Identify transferable skills by reflecting on experiences, listing the skills developed in each, and connecting those skills to potential jobs.
Career Dreamer uses a person’s background and interests to identify skills, draft a career identity statement, and explore related roles.
Use Gemini to review a resume, highlight transferable skills, add measurable results, and tailor the resume to each job description.
Effective networking involves identifying people to connect with, choosing a networking approach, tracking contacts, and building mutually beneficial relationships.
Use the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to structure concise, specific answers to behavioral interview questions.
Practice interview answers aloud with people you trust or with Gemini Live, providing details about the role so the practice is relevant.
Build a personalized job search plan with Gemini, then review, adapt, and save it in a job search portfolio.
A career identity statement should clearly and genuinely communicate skills, interests, goals, and passions.
Track applications, resume versions, contacts, interviews, and company research in a spreadsheet, updating it throughout the search.

Chapters

Start	Chapter	Summary
00:01	Recognizing transferable skills	Learn how skills from work and other life experiences can transfer to new roles and how to identify them.
04:12	Exploring career paths with Career Dreamer	See how Career Dreamer uses experiences, education, skills, and interests to draft a career identity statement and surface potential jobs.
10:28	Improving and tailoring your resume with Gemini	Use Gemini to strengthen a resume’s structure and content, then tailor it to a specific job while keeping it truthful and authentic.
15:14	Planning and building professional relationships	Learn how to identify networking contacts, choose ways to connect, organize your network, and maintain mutually beneficial relationships.
21:40	Answering behavioral interview questions with STAR	Apply the Situation, Task, Action, Result framework to give clear, compelling interview answers grounded in specific examples.
27:02	Practicing interviews with Gemini Live	Practice interview questions aloud with Gemini Live and use its feedback to improve and complete STAR-based answers.
29:41	Creating a personalized job search plan	Use Gemini to outline and refine a job search plan based on your goals, career identity statement, schedule, and preferred format.
34:29	Writing a career identity statement	Understand how to write a concise, genuine statement of your skills, interests, goals, and passions and where to use it.
37:06	Tracking applications and researching companies	Organize applications in a spreadsheet and use Gemini to summarize job descriptions and research companies.

Quotes

That’s why they’re called transferable skills. — 00:32

your resumé should always be a reflection of your unique professional identity — 14:08

STAR stands for situation, task, action, and result. — 21:40

always treat AI-generated content as a starting point. — 31:13

It’s a living document. — 41:18

Concepts and entities

transferable skills, Career Dreamer, Gemini, Gemini Live, Gemini Deep Research, STAR method, Google Sheets, Google, LinkedIn, Lightcast

Full transcript (original language)

00:01 Maybe you’re a pro at juggling your child’s after-school activities. Or you might be the go-to tech troubleshooter with your friends. Or perhaps you’re a dedicated volunteer at an animal rescue. No matter what life experiences you’ve had, they help you develop incredibly valuable skills. For me, I spent time waiting tables. This helped me hone my customer service skills and anticipate what someone else needs before they ask for it. This experience as a server also made me a clear and succinct communicator who is able to tailor my messages to different audiences.

00:32 And believe it or not, all of these skills are useful in my job as a program manager and leader. Today, thanks to your experiences, You have skills right now that you can bring to a new job. That’s why they’re called transferable skills. The things you’ve learned in one situation that can be applied to a completely different one, like a new job. Knowing what your transferable skills are can help you decide which jobs you want to pursue. You’ll also be able to better communicate the connection between all of your different life experiences and the job you’re applying for.

01:04 This, in turn, helps you shape your resume and talk yourself up during an interview. And the exciting part is, there are companies out there right now looking for your transferable skills. Many employers are now using skills-based hiring practices. This means they value selecting candidates based on the skills needed to be successful in the job, over strict education requirements or previous job titles. So let your transferable skills shine through. Many people think about technical transferable

01:34 skills first, like programming or data analysis, but other skills like adaptability, communication, problem-solving, and teamwork can be just as important to employers. I’m not expecting you to know what your transferable skills are right now. In fact, a lot of people find it hard to identify the qualities that they have that employers would want. Partly because your skills are second nature to you, it’s easier to identify your transferable skills by taking it step by step. The first step is to reflect on your life experiences.

02:07 Think about every aspect of your life, not just the experiences you think are job-related. Have you volunteered? Are you a mentor? Do you coach sports? Have you taken a leadership role in a group situation? The second step is to think about the transferable skills that you developed in each of those experiences. For example, did your volunteer position involve any detail-oriented administrative duties? Did you need to brainstorm fundraising ideas? Were you in charge of an in-person event?

02:38 Take a moment to reflect on your own experiences and jot down the skills you built by doing those activities. The third and final step is to think about how your transferable skills can lead to a potential job. Here are some examples of how this works. Project management roles often require strong communication and planning skills. An executive assistant may already have these transferable skills because the job involves managing complex schedules, coordinating meetings, and communicating with their stakeholders. In other words, an executive assistant might have transferable skills

03:10 that are relevant for a job as a project manager. Well consider this. Delivering pitches is a key part of a public relations job. So the industry values strong presentation and leadership skills. Teachers must confidently present valuable information to their classes and lead and manage their students. So many teachers may have transferable skills relevant to a PR role. Let me share one more example. Many roles across various industries require the ability to be a team player and a strong collaborator.

03:41 These are transferable skills that can be developed during military service, in sports, at school, or in other environments that involve collaborating with diverse personalities to meet a shared goal. You’re already carrying around a good amount of valuable skills, so you might be further along in your job search prep than you originally thought. As you move through this course, you’ll learn how you can tap into these transferable skills throughout your job search journey. Career Dreamer is an experimental tool that uses

04:12 AI to make career exploration easier and more personalized to you. Using your unique background and experiences. Career Dreamer pinpoints tasks and skills you’ve likely developed in other roles. also known as your transferable skills. Career Dreamer bases these skills on real job data from trusted sources like Lightcast, ensuring they reflect actual job requirements. Then, using the skills identified, Career Dreamer helps you draft a career identity statement, which, as a reminder, is a clear and concise

04:42 way to communicate who you are and what you have to offer professionally. It can streamline your search by helping you narrow in on jobs that are aligned with your career goals. Let’s start using Career Dreamer to help uncover transferable skills based on your previous experiences and interests. If you want, you can follow along with what I’m doing on your own device. You can access Career Dreamer by visiting grow.google slash Career Dreamer. First, you’re asked to share a current or previous role you’ve had.

05:14 For this example, let me share a little bit about my own background. My first job out of college was in public accounting. Then I took a break from corporate America to help my dad start a business. And during that time, I worked as a bartender and server. So I’ll start by first adding accounting associate, click Next, then add finance to the question about role and industry, which I should note is an optional field and can be skipped if you wish. Career Dreamer will populate a list of related tasks that,

05:44 in this case, an accounting associate likely performs in a role. I’ll choose a few relevant ones based on the work that I did, and click next. Then Career Dreamer draws on real job market data to break down these tasks into transferable skills. When we hover over each skill, there’s a helpful explanation of why the tool included it. Let’s select a few, like problem-solving, which I did a lot of in my accounting role. Financial analysis, data entry. And because I had to pay close attention to my work to avoid

06:15 costly mistakes, I’m going to choose attention to detail. An area I had to spend a lot of time on. Next, Career Dreamer presents the building blocks of my career identity. On the left there are four categories: experiences, education, skills, and interests. Notice that the transferable skills I chose are already filled in on the right. The tool has already started crafting a career identity statement. To get a more complete view, You can add details about your education like an associate’s degree,

06:47 bachelor’s degree, or a professional certificate. For the sake of this demo, I’ll put my high school experience. Then click next to pinpoint the specific skills I gained during high school. The tool asks for my favorite subject. Mine was physics. Now I’ll add the transferable skills I learned from physics to my list. This helps fill out the list of transferable skills even further. For these, I’m going to choose scientific method, technical communication and also teamwork. You’ll notice that as the

07:18 list of skills grows, the career identity statement updates along with it. So let’s look a little closer at the career identity statement. that Career Dreamer has drafted. What I see here is a great place to begin, but I think we can make it even richer by adding more background information. Let me add in the bartending job I mentioned earlier to see what skills might surface there. I’ll put in service industry as the industry. Then the tool will generate some insights and we can pick some relevant activities and then relevant skills.

07:50 Now I want to add some of my interests. For me I’m passionate about basketball. I loved playing when I was younger and now I watch my son play. I’ll choose a few reasons why I like the sport. And now the identity statement has been updated with this new information. If you want to keep exploring different ways to phrase the career identity statement, click regenerate and Career Dreamer will rewrite it. And don’t worry, you can always see the old drafts by clicking version history.

08:22 Once you land on the version you like, copy and paste it into Google Docs so that you can continue to edit and adapt it. Remember, you want to make sure that your career identity statement authentically represents you when you create your own career identity statement. I recommend adding it to your job search portfolio. A folder where you can keep all of the helpful materials you’ll create in this course. Now watch this. Clicking Explore Paths will reveal a variety of career possibilities tailored to your career identity.

08:52 Each job shown draws upon at least some of the skills we selected. The credential filter allows you to customize job results. Let’s say I uncheck experiences in education. The tool now prioritizes roles based on my skills and interests. Notice the variety of positions that may align with your transferable skills. Let me click on one of the roles. Say financial analyst, so we can learn more about the job description, the average salary and the level of education typically required.

09:22 Then as I navigate down Career Dreamer shows some of the ways that the skills I identified overlap with this role. what a day in the life in this role looks like, and areas in which I could focus in order to be an even better match for roles in this field. Pretty cool right? There are other ways you can use Career Dreamer after you’ve identified your skills and generated a career identity statement. For instance, let’s say you want to find local financial analyst roles. Click the Find Jobs Near You button to see current job openings in your area.

09:55 You can also take the first steps toward your goals with Career Dreamer’s Jump to Gemini feature. It provides ready-to-use prompts for drafting cover letters, updating your resume, and discovering even more career paths with Gemini, your AI assistant from Google. Now it’s your turn to use Career Dreamer for your job search. You might find deeper connections between your skills and experiences and jobs you’re considering. Or maybe you’ll find a new way of confidently describing your story and what you bring to the table as a job candidate.

10:28 So when it comes to your resume, you need a document that showcases your relevant skills with measurable results. It needs to be in a professional and easy-to-read format, and crucially, it should speak to each specific job. Think of it as needing a custom key to open every door. But while tailoring your resume is essential, the initial step of even updating your resume can be time-consuming. What if I could streamline both processes first, helping you enhance your core resume

10:59 and then making it a breeze to tailor it for each unique opportunity? That’s exactly what we’re going to explore. Let’s use Sage as an example. Let’s say Sage has been working as a coffee shop barista, and a head server at a fine dining restaurant. Now she wants to leverage the new skills she learned from the Google Project Management Certificate to apply for project management positions. But she needs to update her resume first. Here is Sage’s existing resume.

11:30 You’ll notice that while she includes information on her previous experience, the format could be clearer and it doesn’t effectively highlight the skills and experiences relevant to project management roles. Sage has already identified her transferable skills and created a career identity statement following the same steps that you’ve already taken so far. So now let’s explore how Gemini can help update her resume for a project management role. We’ll ask for feedback on the resume’s content and structure,

12:03 and we’ll add Sage’s career identity statement for context. We can prompt Gemini with something like. Provide comprehensive and actionable feedback on the attached resume to help me maximize my chances of success for roles in the project management field. Here is my career identity statement to help. Then I’ll copy and paste the career identity statement that she developed in the initial phase of her job search plan. Gemini gives some suggestions for where Sage could start

12:33 pivoting her resume from one focused on the customer service industry. her current field, to one that focuses on her desired field, project management. Gemini’s feedback includes ways to align the resume more closely with Sage’s career identity statement, as well as areas that she can rewrite to emphasize her transferable skills. It also provides text to show the advice in practice. So let’s say Sage reviews these suggestions and uses parts of it to help update her resume.

13:05 Here’s what the new version of her resume could look like. Thanks to Gemini’s suggestions, Sage can call out her transferable skills in the Summary of Skills section. And there are now metrics to describe her work experience, which really brings those skills to life. Now Sage has a resume that’s more aligned with her project management goals. But remember, this is the generic, untailored version of her resume. So it will still need to be adjusted for each specific job that Sage might be interested in, since keywords vary between postings.

13:37 This resume needs to be updated accordingly. So let’s start a new chat with Gemini about how we can update a resume based on a job description as a reference. Let’s attach Sage’s resume. We can prompt something like. Please suggest ways I can update my resume to make me a top candidate for this job description. Then I’ll paste the job description and make sure to attach the updated version of the resume we created. Check out Gemini’s response.

14:08 It breaks down the ways that Sage could tailor her resume to show better alignment with this specific role, and why. Remember, while AI offers a powerful starting point, your resumé should always be a reflection of your unique professional identity and use your authentic voice to give employers a genuine sense of who you are. And of course, it should always be truthful. Here’s one more pro tip. When you’re creating your own tailored resume, label or title each version of your resume, perhaps by including the name of the company

14:41 you’re applying to and save all of those versions of your resume in your job search portfolio. This way, you can quickly access each version and make tweaks to your tailored resume for each new job you apply for. AI assistance can be a valuable resource when it comes to updating your resume. Now, the most important step: take your current resume. Put these strategies into action and see the difference for yourself. People often think networking means barreling into a crowded room.

15:14 Locating your target. Also known as the biggest name in the room and wowing that CEO, VP or president with a canned pitch. But actually, effective networking is about making a true connection that can last, and that can be mutually rewarding. Networking has personally helped me build lifelong connections, even friendships. I’ve become an advisor to people who have networked with me, and I’ve helped some as they search for jobs. I really remember the people who’ve had impactful, meaningful conversations with me.

15:47 And sometimes those networking conversations even made me want to interview them for a role. It’s important to refine your networking skills because for some roles, building professional relationships can be a vital aspect of the job search. If you’re just starting out, networking can help you learn about job opportunities and meet people who can support you in your job search. Or, if you already have some professional experience, people you meet. While networking can give you guidance on how to advance your career or develop new skills. You can also get on the radar of people and companies that are looking to hire

16:20 now or in the future. To make the most of networking. You have to do more than just show up. You need a plan and you need to prepare. Even if you’re the type of person who can wing it during any social occasion and still impress everyone in the room. You should still plan and prepare for networking. And for those of us who are less comfortable with networking. Planning and preparing can help you feel more confident. Let’s break down five elements of successful networking. Let’s start with how to identify your ideal audience.

16:52 Write down who you want to network with and why. This could include people in roles you aspire to. Individuals working at companies you’d like to join, or experts whose insights you value. If you’re aiming for a different position within your current company, it could be colleagues or managers in those relevant departments. Add people like former managers, peers, old classmates, and friends of friends. Anyone who you have a potential connection with can be a lead for networking.

17:23 I also find it helpful to identify people who may open the door to even further contacts. These people can act as connectors to help you expand your network. Checking out your connections on professional sites like LinkedIn can help you find those second- and third-degree connections. Next, commit yourself to networking by coming up with a few concrete ways to start. Once you’ve identified someone who you want to network with, look for ways or events where you can connect. If you’re further along in networking, you might want to set up

17:54 phone conversations, coffee chats, or video meetings with the people in your ideal audience. Throughout it all, it’s important to organize your connections. Keep track of your current and potential connections in your job search tracker, so that you continue to have everything you need in one place. Your spreadsheet can get messy fast, so I’d recommend organizing your contacts into groups. These groups might include allies who are people you have a strong, frequent connection with, acquaintances who you have a less frequent connection with but are still friendly with.

18:26 The expanded network, which includes people you haven’t met but would like to. And insiders, which features people you can reach out to who are in your ideal role. Now you’re ready to build a networking strategy. This essentially means deciding how to network. Let me share three common ways. The first is one-on-one networking. This can be done with someone who works in a company or industry you’re trying to get into, or someone with particular expertise or connections that would be valuable to you. To engage this type of person, check to see if you have mutual connections.

18:58 Who could introduce you? If you don’t, you can try sending a brief introduction message, but make sure it’s meaningful and specific. Be respectful of their time and give them a clear idea of why you want to connect before you meet with them. Prepare a few talking points. Why do you want to talk to them? What specific skills or experience can you learn from them? What do you want to do with that knowledge? And last but definitely not least, what value or benefit can you offer to this person? The second type of networking is social networking.

19:31 You don’t always need to interact face to face with people to form a connection and exchange ideas. Social media is perfect for this and it can help you expand your contact list beyond the people you meet in person. For example, you can join LinkedIn groups to share ideas with people in your desired industry. Finally, there’s large-group networking. To get started, Research, conferences, talks, and in-person and virtual events where you can meet and talk with multiple people. If you’re nervous about going to these types of events alone, you can try

20:04 inviting a friend, coworker, or, say, an ally from your list to come with you. After you’ve made new connections and added them to your trusty spreadsheet. You need to make your connections last. After all, what good is a list of contacts if they aren’t willing to help when you need it in the future? Think about all the information you received about each connection you’ve made, and figure out who you like to get to know better. Add these notes to the networking tab of your job search tracker. Then plan how and when you’ll reach out to them to continue the relationship.

20:37 You don’t want to do it too frequently and annoy them, but you don’t want to wait several months and potentially lose the connection. Try to strike a happy medium. Also, when you do reach out again, consider referencing what you talked about when you met. You can even log these dates in your tracker to easily reference when you were last in touch with each person. And always remember that networking is about building a mutually beneficial relationship. Make sure you’re not only reaching out to the connections when you want or need something.

21:08 You could, for example, occasionally contact them just to share an article that you think they’d find interesting or helpful. As you become more confident in your networking skills and are getting yourself out there more and more, be sure to bring positive energy to each meeting. Show enthusiasm. Be aware of how you present yourself to others and follow up with a thank-you note. Now that we’ve finished our networking session, let’s do one last trip around the room. Say our polite goodbyes and move on to the next part of our job search journey.

21:40 Whether you’re asked about a significant challenge you overcame or a successful project you led, behavioral interview questions are designed to understand how you responded in past situations to predict your future performance. The STAR method is your go-to strategy for tackling all of them. Let’s dissect the STAR method with an example so you can unleash its full power and impress interviewers. STAR stands for situation, task, action, and result. It’s a storytelling framework that can help you communicate your experiences and skills in a clear, concise, and compelling way.

22:15 This will help the interviewer understand exactly how you successfully managed certain situations. How might this come to life in a real interview? Well, let’s go through each part of the STAR method by answering this question. Can you tell me about a time you failed and what you learned from this? Start with the S, or situation. Set the scene for the interviewer by providing important background and context where possible. Give vivid details, but don’t go overboard. Focus on the most critical information so they understand what happens later.

22:49 So for our example, let’s describe the situation. I worked at a company that produced kitchen appliances, and we received a big order from a retailer, but a shipment of an essential part from our usual supplier was unexpectedly delayed, which caused an urgent supply chain issue at the warehouse. Next, describe the T or task. Share your role and responsibility in the situation. What were you trying to achieve? This could be something like, “I was responsible for all ordering and procurement.” So the potential part shortage was on me.

23:20 I needed to find a way we could secure new units of that part. So we could meet the customer’s deadline. Then detail what action you took to problem-solve the issue. That’s the A in STAR. In my opinion, This is the most crucial part. Describe the specific steps you took to address the situation or complete the task. Focus on your individual actions and contributions using I statements. For instance, I quickly researched new suppliers that met our quality standards and I found one who could deliver the part immediately.

23:51 Finally, share the clear and measurable result of your actions. Where possible, quantify your results with numbers or specific data. It’s also good to mention what you learned from the experience. In this case, I managed to get the part the next day from a new supplier, and I was even able to negotiate a price 10% less than our original supplier. I also implemented a new system with backup suppliers for every part to ensure we had a plan for it. If we had shipment delays again, I learned to look for risk, even in areas

24:25 where we hadn’t had issues in the past and to have a backup plan. The STAR method can help you answer tough interview questions like this one, and gives you a chance to showcase some of your key skills, namely quick thinking and problem-solving. The STAR method can also help you keep your answers short and to the point. This is a lifesaver when you’re nervous and you’re more prone to rambling. Let me show you a second example about how the STAR method looks in practice. As a hiring manager, I often ask about challenging stakeholder situations.

24:56 One candidate’s answer really stood out. When I asked about a difficult stakeholder. They immediately framed the situation: a product launch where the head of sales disagreed with a marketing plan. They then described the task needing to find a compromise. What impressed me was the description of the actions. They explained how they used data, market research, and customer personas to support their strategy and understand the sales team’s goals. This led to productive discussions and a blended approach.

25:29 They clearly stated the result: a successful launch. They met everyone’s objectives. This candidate’s well-structured answer, clearly outlining the situation, task, actions and result, effectively demonstrated their problem- solving and communication skills. Even if you’re feeling confident about an interview question, the STAR method can help you better highlight your strengths and successes. For example, you can use the STAR method to help you describe how you exceeded expectations. Improve the way a task was normally done.

26:00 Received kudos from a customer you helped or came up with an innovative solution to a problem. These are all common interview questions that you might be asked. So start thinking through your responses now to use the STAR method to its full potential. I recommend thinking of at least five stories or projects that you can share with the STAR method. Take a moment to write them down and add them to your job search portfolio. That way, you’ll always have a reservoir of compelling anecdotes that are interview-ready.

26:31 When I’m the one in the hot seat, interviews still give me unwanted butterflies, but the STAR method has helped me present my best self with practice. I hope having this tool in your belt will help you feel more confident for different questions that might come your way. Nailing an interview isn’t just about having the right qualifications. It’s about how you show up as a person and communicate in the moment. It’s hard enough to land an interview, so you don’t want to waste the opportunity. Let’s explore some ways to practice for interviews

27:02 so you can feel confident, prepared, and ready to shine. Practicing with a friend or family member offers valuable human connection and diverse perspectives. In addition to that, there’s another helpful way to prepare. One that provides flexibility to practice anytime and offers expert-style feedback on your responses. It doesn’t require coordinating schedules. That’s using an AI assistant like Gemini. Gemini Live lets you have natural conversations in real-time, making it an excellent resource for practicing interviews. To practice

27:34 with Gemini Live. You need to have the Gemini app on your phone. I’ll open the app now. Tap the live icon and jump right into describing the interview practice I want. Let’s start by giving Gemini Live some important details about our upcoming interview. I’m applying for an entry-level customer service job with a financial services provider. This will be my first interview with the company. Can you ask me some interview questions and give me feedback on my responses?

28:04 I’m going to try to answer using the STAR method. All right, let’s get started. Here’s your first question. Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult customer. Sure. Once when I was working the customer service telephone line. A customer called and was upset because the order was late. I looked up this order and discovered that the order had actually been delivered two days before, and our email system had failed to notify them. So I told the customer this and they found the package and they were very pleased. That’s a good start. But remember the STAR method.

28:36 Can you tell me more about the situation? For example, what was the specific reason for the delay and what steps did you take to resolve the issue? Oh yeah. That’s right. Situation. Task. Action. Result. STAR. Because I asked it to, Gemini Live is using the STAR method to give me feedback on my interview answer and guide me toward a better response. Remember to try to provide as much information about the job you’re interviewing for as possible. This way, Gemini Live can ask you relevant questions. that you might actually be asked by the interviewer in real life.

29:08 The more information you provide, the more helpful your dialogue will be. Practicing your answers aloud will help you get comfortable in real interview situations. So ask your neighbor. Call your mentor. And of course, use Gemini Live. Go ahead and give it a try. You can take as much time as you need to get confident in answering interview questions and practice with Gemini. Any time you need to. Studies show that people with a job search plan are 30% more likely to get an offer, and 26% more likely to become employed.

29:41 Hi, I’m Sydney and I’m a senior marketing recruiter at Google. I’ve been working with hiring managers and candidates for over a decade, and have placed hundreds of people in different roles, from IT to marketing. In that time, I’ve learned firsthand what can help you get hired. One of the best parts of my job is finding great people and connecting them with the right roles. When I get to make that call saying, you got it, that’s what it’s all about for me. I’m here to share advice and strategies that can help you in your job search for almost any role or company.

30:13 So far, you’ve established the foundation for your job search by identifying your transferable skills and crafting your career identity statement. Now, with a clear understanding of what you have to offer and how to articulate it, you’re ready to build a job search plan. A job search plan is a document or checklist that outlines the steps you need to take to effectively manage your job search, and it’s personalized to you. It typically begins with some self-reflection and great news.

30:43 The transferable skills and career identity statement you’ve already created form this crucial first step. So you’re already on your way. But of course, there’s more to do. The good news is that I can help you build a personalized plan for your search. While there are lots of gen AI tools out there, I’ll show you how to build a job search plan using Gemini, an AI assistant from Google. The techniques I’ll show you work with other generative AI tools, including ChatGPT, Copilot, or Claude.

31:13 And remember, while you’ll learn many ways to use AI in your job search, always treat AI-generated content as a starting point. Review everything for accuracy and adapt it to authentically represent you. Using Gemini is as simple as explaining what you need help with and giving plenty of details on background. Think of it as having a conversation to get to the information and ideas you need. The more context you give Gemini through your input called a prompt, the more helpful results you’ll get.

31:44 The Google Prompting Essentials course covers all you need to know about writing a great gen AI prompt. So check it out if you want to learn more. Now, without further ado, let’s start building your job search plan to follow along with what I’m doing. Visit gemini.google.com. First, ask Gemini to outline a job search plan. Tell it about your needs. You can also include background about yourself, like your career identity statement. You could provide Gemini with something like

32:14 act as a career resource. Help me outline a practical job search plan. Create a step-by-step plan to find a new job as a marketing coordinator. For reference, my career identity statement is: And then I’ll copy and paste in the career identity statement. Now let’s check out what Gemini comes up with. Okay. This is helpful. Gemini has outlined the steps to search for a job as a marketing coordinator. It covers everything from understanding yourself to evaluating offers.

32:47 One thing I find particularly useful is that it uses the unique career identity statement from the prompt to personalize each step. You can use a prompt like this to create your own job search plan. Just plug in the type of job you’re looking for and your career identity statement. From there, you can continue adding follow-up prompts to dig deeper into any of the steps and customize the plan further. For example, you could ask Gemini to suggest more job boards in a specific industry that you’re interested in.

33:20 Or you could ask about common challenges people face when they are trying to transition into that role to get more specific results. You could even include the amount of time you’re able to spend each week on your job search plan. This will help Gemini prioritize which job search activities are most feasible and effective for you. And if you have a preferred format like a bulleted list or a checklist, you can include this in the prompt as well. Outlining the steps in your job search plan is an iterative process

33:54 with just a few exchanges with Gemini. You can create a plan that helps bring organization and clarity to your job search. After you create your own job search plan, save it in your job search portfolio so you can easily reference it and update it as you go. You can copy and paste your plan into a document, or just click the share button in Gemini and choose Export to Docs. So now it’s your turn. Head over to Gemini and start crafting your job search plan. It can act as the recipe that keeps you on track to finding a job catered to you.

34:29 No smoky kitchens included. In general, I try to avoid being in a situation where I’m lost in the woods. But if I were, I’d navigate my way out looking toward the North Star. Knowing its position clarifies your own location and provides a clear direction forward. And essentially, this is how a career identity statement works, too. It’s your North Star that helps guide your job search and keeps you on the right path. So what’s a career identity statement?

35:00 It’s a few sentences about yourself that go beyond a simple list of qualifications. It’s a way to give recruiters, hiring managers, and other professionals a quick but insightful overview of what you bring to the table, including your key skills, what generally interests you, your career goals, and even what you’re passionate about. Let’s check out an example of a career identity statement, and then discuss why it can be such a powerful asset in your job search. Here’s what a career identity statement might look like.

35:31 I’ll give you a moment to read it. This career identity statement works well because it clearly lays out a valuable and pretty unique mix of skills and experiences. By calling out both my analytical side from finance and my focus on customer service. It immediately shows that I’m well-rounded. Plus, mentioning specific backgrounds in finance and service adds some weight and gives a clear picture of what I can actually do.

36:02 Finally, mentioning my passions adds a personal touch and illustrates what truly motivates me in my professional pursuits. When you’re pulling together your own career identity statement, steer clear of being too general. Use specific skills and examples instead of vague phrases. Also, make sure it’s focused. Highlight the most important aspects of your professional self rather than trying to be everything to everyone. Keep the tone positive and genuine and avoid anything that sounds arrogant or negative.

36:34 And finally, aim for clarity and conciseness. A short, impactful statement works best by combining your skills, interests, goals, and passions into a career identity statement. You’ll be able to present your most authentic self to the job market. Now you might be wondering where will I share my shiny new career identity statement? You can use this statement when you’re networking or introducing yourself. You can incorporate it into a cover letter or job inquiry email, and you can even use it in your professional

37:06 bio for an online profile in just a few sentences. You can highlight what makes you unique, while also narrowing in on jobs that match your goals and values. At this point, I hope the job search process is starting to look a little less like an insurmountable mountain and more like a gently rolling hill. Now that you’re on the right path and looking north, let’s keep going. Now you’re entering the job application phase, which can often be the longest part of your search. You’ll likely be submitting numerous resumes during this time.

37:39 If you’re finding it challenging to keep track of even a few applications, you’re not alone. But fear not. We’re here to help make things easier for you through the power of Gemini and Google Sheets. Having a system to organize your applications is incredibly helpful. Knowing where and when you applied, who you’ve communicated with, the outcomes of your applications, and the platform you use. All of this can be easily managed with a spreadsheet. So what should be included in your job search tracker?

38:10 Start with the basics. Like the job title, the company, the job posting link, and the date you applied. To keep things organized. You can also track which resume and cover letter you used for each job application. In addition, you may want to include information about the company you apply to, such as the company name, website, and industry. Having a website readily accessible saves you time when you need to revisit their About Us page. And tracking the industry can help you identify patterns

38:41 in your job search and refine your focus if needed. Finally, make sure to track your progress like the dates of calls, interviews, and any offers or rejections. This will help you stay on top of everything. Creating a spreadsheet from scratch that includes all of this information can feel overwhelming. So to simplify things and give you a head start, we’ve created a template that you can easily copy and customize for your own use. Remember, this template is a starting point. Feel free to tailor it to your specific needs, just like you do with your resume.

39:14 First, let’s talk about the job description column. Of course, a full job description is available in the posting itself, but including a short summary in your tracker can help you quickly identify each opportunity. It can also act as a reminder and a differentiator between the various roles you’re applying to. This summary can be particularly useful in industries where job titles are similar across different companies. For example, if you’re applying to ten different jobs that are all called IT Support Technician.

39:45 Then a short summary of each of them can help you keep track of which one is which. Simply copy and paste the job description and ask Gemini to summarize it in two or three sentences for easy inclusion in your tracker. In your tracker. I’d recommend including both the link to the full job description and the summarized version. Another important column is company research. Understanding a company is key when learning about a role and deciding whether to apply, and it’s especially important before an interview.

40:15 Showing interviewers that you know their company’s history and priorities proves your interest in the role. For a broad view, explore the company’s website, LinkedIn, recent news and their social media. Aim to understand their culture and recent activities. For deeper insight, you can use Gemini Deep Research. This advanced feature acts like a research assistant analyzing diverse sources to pinpoint a company’s trends and business drivers. You can find it in the Model Versions dropdown under Deep Research.

40:47 You can tell Gemini that you have an interview coming up at a company, and provide it with the job title. Then you can ask it to research the company’s current needs and priorities. Then Gemini Deep Research will create a research plan and a detailed report that you can save and link in your tracker. You can even get an audio summary. It’s important to keep in mind that Gemini Deep Research might be less effective for very small or local businesses that have limited information online. You can also leverage Gemini to summarize your findings

41:18 for easy entry into the company research column of your job tracker. This allows you to quickly recall topline information about each company by using the job search tracker template and leveraging Gemini to help you fill in the information. You’ll be able to stay organized, informed, and proactive throughout the application process. Once you’ve started using the tracker, keep adding information as you go. It’s a living document. And don’t forget to add it to your job search portfolio so that you can continue

41:48 to keep everything in one place and use it to keep yourself on track.