You have been waiting a long time for this time to come, and finally: you graduated! After the three days’ euphoria regarding your graduation and possible post-graduation vacation, you realize that, yet again, it’s time to grow up!
Finding a job during this economic downturn is especially hard, that is why you need to take it seriously and consider your job search as a job per se.
I graduated from Copenhagen Business School last November and not speaking Danish, I soon realized that if I did not want to go back to Italy and work almost for free as an intern (again) I had to scout the market and work hard to find a job. I have to admit, I was pretty lucky compared to many stories I keep hearing, and after two months (though I was sending out 6 to 10 applications per week) I have found a very good job in Digital Marketing at Miinto UK.
Here are some of the tips I gathered through my own experience of job hunting that I would like to share. I hope they help you succeed too:
Smartly “Abuse” Social Media
Nowadays, it is very important to be “out there”. Companies are very proactive in finding new candidates, and if you are not on the Internet, they won´t find you! There are many websites through which you can make yourself and your skills visible. Some of the biggest and most popular are: LinkedIn, Monster and GraduateLand. Do not forget to monitor your own university for opportunities they may offer!
Take time to fill in your profile 100%; many job portals make your profile more visible if it is complete. You can also set up automatic email job alerts regarding jobs that match your profile and interests.
If you have drunk pictures of yourself on summer vacation on your Facebook, make sure you have a closed profile for those that are not your friends: companies DO check you out on social media!
Job portals actually do work: I have been contacted by companies through some of the above websites so make sure to make use of them.
Network
Let everybody know that you are looking for a job: your friends, your professors, your parents and your parents’ friends. Be specific on WHAT KIND of jobs you are looking for. Come out of the shade: meet people, talk to them and be reachable; you never know who they know, how big their network is and how they might end up helping you.
When working part-time at a restaurant while studying, I had the fortune of meeting business people on a date or with family, that would leave me their business cards and ask me to send them my resume.
Be Proactive
Statistics confirm that a great majority of job ads never really get published on companies’ sites. So it’s good to actively search for jobs within companies you’re interested in and send unsolicited job applications to the right department. Even if the company is not searching for anybody within your area at this time, they will keep you in mind when something comes up.
I am still getting emails for unsolicited applications I have sent months ago!
Build a Rock Solid CV
Your resume is your business card, so make sure it’s accurate, well written, and free from errors! My suggestion is not to include every single experience you have had, but just the relevant ones. Check your university’s Careers Service, they will most probably be happy to review and correct your CV.
Every country requires a specific format and CV length. If you are applying for jobs in different countries, it can get quite annoying to always have to find the right resume format. If you are within Europe, the EU makes accessible the EU CV format, that you can directly download from the Europass website; it is available in all EU languages.
Ask for Recommendation Letters
Don’t be shy, ask your professors, your previous managers or co-workers to write a few lines of recommendation for you. Once you have one, or a few, send them along to relevant job applications together with your CV.
I got my current job thanks to a recommendation letter written by one of my previous employers; my current boss was impressed and called my previous manager.
Now you can also add recommendations on LinkedIn through the “Endorsement” tab.
Remember: You need to be strategic in your job search. Decide what kind of tools you want to use, be consistent and monitor social media for new job openings. Narrow your research to specific geographical areas and types of job. Set a target: decide how many RELEVANT applications you want to send per week and STICK to it! Finally, try to keep a positive attitude, don’t get discouraged and be patient; things do not happen from one day to the other.
Still unemployed? Read “4 Reason Why You A Young Unemployed Graduate”
Image Credit: Google Image and Europass template
ABOUT AUTHOR:
Sara Coppola is a freelance writer and creative content write for Miinto UK. Sara has a background in Economic and International Business with a focus on Social Media and online Marketing.
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