“I’ve applied to over 300 Customer Success jobs and haven’t heard back from any for an interview!” Sound familiar? This job market is tough, but there are minor tweaks you can make to boost your applications and stand out to recruiters and hiring managers.
It took me two months of actively applying to Customer Success roles before landing an offer that I accepted. To set the expectations, I “worked” more than 40 hours a week when I was on the job hunt. It was draining, exhausting, and sometimes demoralizing. However, I learned that by making tweaks to my applications, finding a balance between the chaos, and building and relying on my strong support system, I was able to keep sane and land a CSM role.
Resume Tweaks:
The first part of a job application - your resume! What worked best for me was to make sure every bullet had a purpose by including key Customer Success statistics from previous roles. These included:
- What kind of accounts have you managed (SMB, mid-market, enterprise)
- Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) of your book of business
- Stats from KPIs in previous roles
- Exceeded expansion rate by X%
- Achieved X% customer retention compared to Y% goal
- NPS score of X
Possibly an unpopular opinion, but I did not need to edit my resume for every job application. As long as these statistics were there, I felt confident in submitting one master resume.
Networking with First Connections:
Networking is everything. It is definitely how I landed my current role. Something to think about is how to get an internal referral when applying for a job. The easiest way would be if you know someone at the company and ask them for a referral.
Second Connections:
The above situation doesn’t happen too often. If that was the case, I searched for the company on LinkedIn and looked for any second connections on the employees page. If I saw one, I would ask our mutual connection for an introduction. Having a mutual connection usually made the second connection more inclined to speak with me. From there, I would ask about their career trajectory, company culture, and eventually for an internal referral.
Third Connections:
If there were no first or second connections within the company, I sent connection requests with a message (always include a message!) asking for a 10 min coffee chat to CSMs, alumni from the university I attended, or those in the same city as me. Having those minor commonalities can help with response rates.
The final networking suggestion I have is to send a Loom video (Loom is free!) to a CS decision maker (Director level). This is to advocate and promote yourself. I know it can be difficult and uncomfortable, but it works. In the video, include:
- Why you would be a great fit for the role and company
- Give an example of an achievement that ties back into the job description
- State a core company value that resonates with you and why
Find Balance and Create Your Support System:
The job hunt is DRAINING! Be KIND to yourself. Whenever I became frustrated or felt like giving up, I took a break and did something that helped me recharge like taking my dog on a walk or reading a book. I would also try to reframe my outlook and remember that this is only a temporary stage in my career.
I also leaned very heavily on my support system during this time. My family and friends were always there for me. When I felt as though I needed an outside perspective and exercises to manage my stress and anxiety, I sought out therapy. I was very lucky to have both a network behind me as well as the resources to go to therapy. For me, having support was crucial during my job search.
Take Away:
The Job search is a difficult time but you are not alone! Do little things including CSM-related statistics on your resume, networking and advocating for yourself, sending those coffee chat requests, and making sure to put yourself first. These minor tweaks, creating balance, recharging, keeping a positive mindset, and leaning on your support system can help boost your application and make you stand out.
