A Step-by-Step Guide

GET HIRED
20 EASY TIPS
ATS-optimized resume template.
How tell your story & ace job interviews.

MOMO BERTRAND
MomoBertrand.com
MOMO BERTRAND
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Momo Bertrand

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My Story
I was born in Cameroon, Central Africa. I started my
first company at age 18. I then graduated as top student
at Catholic University, Buea. In 2018, I won a
scholarship to study at the University of San Diego
(USD), USA. I was selected to give the graduation
speech at USD.
I have diverse experience with Fortune 500s,
international organizations and startups. Also, I have
given speeches to a combined audience of 10,000+.
Videos I’ve created have reached more than 1 million
online viewers.
Read my full bio here:
https://momobertrand.com/my-story/

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GET HIRED
20 EASY TIPS

MOMO BERTRAND

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 PLAN YOUR
JOB SEARCH

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1. Build A Job Search Plan
Before sending out your resume, develop your job
search plan.

● Write down your career goals: your dream job, where

you want to work, your salary expectations, the work
culture you want to be part of and (most
importantly), the impact you want to make in the
world.
● Identify 1 - 3 industries where you can fulfill these
goals.
● In these industries, identify 1 - 3 job titles that match
your goals.
● Target 30 big organizations and 30 smaller
organizations that match your goals.

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2. Dig Even Deeper
After identifying your target industry or industries and
job titles, do the following:

● Make sure the jobs won’t be disrupted in the next 3

years (for example, through automation).
● Read reviews about the companies on your list on
sites like Glassdoor.com or Indeed.com.

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3. Talk to People Before
Applying

Talk to key people about your job search.

● Meet with at least 3 professionals in your desired
industry or industries.
● If you are in school, you can meet a career counselor
at your institution.
● Don’t talk to negative people. They will discourage
you from pursuing your dream. Only talk to
optimistic people who will give you honest feedback
as well as encouragement.
● Don’t use this step as an excuse for not applying.

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 OPTIMIZE
YOUR RESUME

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4. Resume Template
Full name, Location, Email, Cell and LinkedIn URL
3 job titles you are qualified to fulfil separated by vertical dividers.

PAGE 1:
1. Professional Summary:
What you are professionally + Who
you are in terms of personal
attributes.
Max. 4/5 lines.
2. Core Competencies and
Achievements:
Bullet point hard or transferable
skill and evidence with a major
achievement ($, % etc are great
here).
Max. 6 bullets.
Max. 2 lines per bullet.

PAGE 2:
3. Professional Experience:
Descending chronological order.
Company name, Location, Job Title,
Dates.
4/5 lines of responsibility description
and other achievements not
mentioned in section #2.
Subsection: Earlier Work Experience
for the 40 years+ cohort: no detail or
dates except company, location, job
title.
4. Education/Certifications.
In descending order of importance.
No dates for 40 years+ cohort.
5. Awards/Volunteer Work/
Publications, if applicable.
No photos, graphics, tables etc for online ATS.
Recent grads: your order is 1,2,4,3.
Source: Kirsty Bonner

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5. Sell Your Experience
On Your Resume
● Always back any claims you make on your resume
with evidence.
● For example, instead of “increased sales” say
“increased sales by 10% in 2020.”
● Avoid using generic terms like “hardworking” or
“motivated.” Instead, use specific terms listed on the
job description.
● Remember, 100 - 1000 people apply for each job.
Every time you write something, ask yourself, “how
will this set me apart?”

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6. Get Your Resume Past
The Applicant Tracking
System
● Many organizations use Applicant Tracking Systems
(ATS) to “filter” resumes.
● To get past the ATS, make sure your resume has
relevant keywords for that job.
● Avoid complicated designs (3 columns, graphics,
graphs, etc.) as they “confuse” the ATS.
● Adjust your resume for each application. Take a look
at the job description, copy the skills listed in the
description and add them to your “competencies” or
“skills” section.

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7. Get Your Resume
Reviewed
Four eyes are better than two.
● You can also review your resume for grammatical
errors using grammarly.com
● Another option is to send your resume to a trusted
friend or a professional in your desired role.

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8. Make Sure Your
Resume Matches Your
LinkedIn
Make sure in terms of positions and time, your resume matches
your LinkedIn or Indeed.

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NETWORK

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9. Map Your Network &
Reach Out
● Make 2 lists of all professionals you know.
List 1: People who work in your desired industry.
List 2: People who may know people who work in
your desired industry.
● Reach out to EVERYONE on List 1 and List 2. Start
with the people you are close to.
● Reach out via social media, LinkedIn, email, etc.
Don’t worry about being intrusive. It’s better to be
seen as intrusive than to be jobless.

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10. When Reaching Out
To Your Network, Do
This.
● Don’t send bulk messages. Send individualized
messages explaining your current situation, your
competencies, and what you are looking for in terms
of opportunities.
● Before sending them your resume, make sure it's
updated.
● Try to get an informational interview. Always ask if
you can meet them face-to-face.
●

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 HAVE
INFORMATIONAL
INTERVIEWS

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11. Prepare For
Informational Interviews
When you conduct informational interviews, you are
trying to get a better understanding of the industry or
company and see if the person you meet can connect
you to a hiring manager, a job, or another bridge
person.
● Prepare for the informational interview. Do basic
research on the people you are meeting.
● Have a good grasp of your experience and basic
questions like “tell me about yourself.”

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12. Ace Informational
Interviews When
Networking
● Try to meet people face-to-face if possible.
● Come in well dressed. Never be late. Never.
● Have a printed copy of your resume.
● Be polite. Don’t only focus on pitching yourself, be
genuinely curious about the person you are meeting.
● Ask career advice.
● If they are not hiring or don't know anyone hiring, ask
if they can refer you to someone else.

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BOOST YOUR
LINKEDIN
BRANDING

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13. Optimize Your LinkedIn
Profile
Your LinkedIn profile is not just your online resume: it
should tell your professional story.
● In the summary/about section of your profile,
highlight your objective, your biggest achievement
and one thing that’s unique about you. Also, add a list
of all the skills you have.
● Fill up every section with great detail: experience,
education, awards, projects. Don’t minimize any
section.
● Ask for at least 3 LinkedIn recommendations.
People trust more what others say about you than
what you say about yourself.

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14. Create LinkedIn Content
Don’t just be on LinkedIn to read or view other people’s
content. If you want to stand out as a professional and
get hired, you have to be able to create your content.
Here are some ideas you should explore:
● Your achievements & awards
● Interesting books, movies, etc.
● Motivational quotes
● Tips and tricks
● News in your industry
● Videos
● Interesting articles
● Career advice
● How-to's & tutorials

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15. Interact On LinkedIn
Be open to exchange and connect with other
professionals on LinkedIn.
● Make thoughtful comments when you see a post on
one of your subjects of interest. Go beyond the one-
line “great” or “I agree” comments. Write something
meaningful.
● Make an effort to respond to comments on your
publications thoughtfully.
● Follow influential people in your industry and learn
from them.

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 ACE JOB
INTERVIEWS

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16. Follow These Job
Interview Tips
Study the organization and master its mission, services
and challenges.
● Practice common interview questions, especially
competency-based interviews.
● Listen to motivational tapes.
● Say positive affirmations out loud.
● Write 2-3 questions to ask interviewers.
● Master your CV and be ready to talk about it
confidently.

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17. Ace Online Job
Interviews
● If you are doing a phone interview, dress up as if you
were going for an actual face-to-face interview.
Doing so conditions your brain to “act serious.”
● Ensure that you are sitting in a well-lit room free of
noise.
● Test your microphone and video quality in advance
by making a call to a friend using the video/phone
software you will use during the interview.

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18. Ace Face-to-face Job
Interviews
● Arrive early, but not too early. If you arrive, say, 2
hours before, you may disrupt the hiring manager’s
schedule.
● Dress appropriately for the interview. Just google
how the average person in that kind of job dresses
up in business casual, and then mimic that.
● Always give a firm handshake.
● Avoid strong perf as some people may have
allergies.

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UNTIL YOU
GET THAT
JOB…

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19. Stay Busy While Waiting
For A Job
Not having a job can be an opportunity. Here are some
interesting things you could do to stay busy:
● Start blogging or journaling. Write articles or journal
notes on your industry and post them on LinkedIn,
Medium, WordPress, or BlogSpot. This will keep your
writing skills on point.
● Volunteer at a local nonprofit you are passionate
about.
● Get free certificates. Just google “Free Certificate in
...” followed by your subject of interest.
● Connect deeply with family and friends.
● Work on your passion. Have you always wanted to
create art, to travel or exercise more? Now is the
perfect time to do all these.

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20. Do This Before Accepting
A Job Offer
● Make sure you double-check the work culture and
ensure that you will be a good fit. See the company’s
reviews online on sites like Indeed.com and
Glassdoor.com
● Make sure you have a good rapport with your
manager. Most employees don’t leave jobs, they
leave bad managers. Your manager will be the single
most important determinant of your job
satisfaction.
● Ensure that you have a signed document explaining
salary and other compensation details.

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21. Stay Positive
● Listen to positive affirmations each morning.
● Surround yourself with positive and supportive
people.
● Follow Momo Bertrand for daily positive content on
social media:

LinkedIn: Momo Bertrand

https://www.linkedin.com/in/askmomob/

Facebook: MOMO Bertrand

https://www.facebook.com/askMomoB/

Instagram: askmomob
https://www.instagram.com/askmomob/

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