The job market is bad. What do I do?

A late-stage PhD student asks - I’m getting towards the end of my PhD and was planning to start looking for jobs soonish. I know people who are applying for jobs right now and they’re not hearing back from anything even though they’re well-qualified. It seems like the market is bad, so what can I...

I applied to 80 jobs and have only gotten got 2 interviews...

A postdoc asks -   I’ve applied to so many jobs (like 80 or something, I’ve lost track) and have only been invited to 2 interviews. I showed my resume to my mentor, so I know my resume isn’t the problem. Is the job market just terrible right now? 

I know when I want to finish, how do I get everything done?

A fourth-year PhD student asks-  I’m planning to graduate one year from now, and I know there’s a lot of things I need to do, like finish my research, write my dissertation, submit my paper, go to conferences, start networking, get my resume ready, apply for jobs. Where should I start? 

How do I make my resume stand out?

A 5th year student asks -   I’ve heard that it can be a good idea to add creative formatting and styling to make your resume stand out, like using a unique color of paper or an unusual layout? Would this make me a more memorable applicant, or is it just annoying? 

What questions should *I* ask in an interview?

A second-year postdoc asks - At an interview, what are the best questions to bring when they ask “do you have any questions for us?” I never know what to say, and I just end up asking about the hiring process logistics or asking them what they like about the company.

Is it too soon to start applying for jobs?

A PhD student asks - I’m planning to be done next December. I know I’ll need to apply for jobs, but I don’t want to apply too soon. When is a good time to start?  

How do I get people to contact me on LinkedIn?

An early-stage postdoc asks- I’ve been on LinkedIn for 6 months, but no one is contacting me (except for a bot that wants me to upgrade to premium). What should I add to my profile so more people will reach out to me?  

How important is having a one-page resume?

A postdoc asks- I’ve read that a resume always has to be exactly one page. But it is really hard to capture everything I’ve done. How important is the one-page resume rule? 

Is networking really necessary?

A late-stage postdoc asks-  Is networking really necessary? I don’t like the idea that ‘who you know’ is more important than ‘what you know.’ I’ve done a lot of great research, and when I get a job, I want it to be because of my work, not my schmoozing. It feels like cheating. But, I’m also just...