Remember being handed back a test with correction marks all over?

It was a dreaded feeling, and at the time it was easier to focus on how you could have done better rather than viewing it as feedback. Now that my education is over, I go out of my way to reach out for feedback to improve on.

One of the inspirations for this post stems from applying for jobs and receiving little to no feedback as to what made my application or candidacy not an ideal fit. Here are some of the tips I have used in the past to gather further information on how I could improve for the future:

♡ If a rejection email comes from someone within the department, reach out for feedback on what portions of your application/interview could have been improved.

This can also be phrased in a way that compares your candidacy to an “ideal” one, what differences does that entail?

♡ If no rejection email was sent, find someone who is in the position (or similar title) you are aiming for and reach out for feedback on your resume/portfolio.

Discussing what the company was looking for, or how they presented their work, can help you better align your own work and application processes.

♡ Reach out to recruiters. Be sure that they have expressed being open to receiving portfolio/resume/career feedback, and that you are not bombarding recruiters who may not have the bandwidth to assist you in the current moment.

Opening conversations with recruiters will help you receive feedback and insight into the current climate or your area of work.

♡ Attend online/free events surrounding your area of expertise.

Through following other people in the industry, and attending LinkedIn conversations and talks, there is a lot of information that can be gathered on what to present, tweak, and build upon just on LinkedIn alone.

Thank you to those few companies that take the time to provide feedback, the information is extremely valuable and allows a candidate to grow and learn needed skills for the future.