How to go from college or university to getting a job
How to go from college or university to getting a job
When you’re looking for a job, make THAT your job! In other words, treat the function of finding yourself a job as a project that your boss has given you. Almost like you’re working to achieve a target or goal your boss has given you.
Make sure you have a plan. It must consist of:
- Your objective, for example, “To find a job in marketing by [date].”
- Your timeline, eg. I will contact 15 new companies per day, attend at least three networking events per month and post relevant posts on my social network accounts at least once a week.
- Your resources: These are the people you will ask for help, like your lecturer to look through your CV and your contacts in the field to send out your CV on your behalf, etc.
- Your strategy: What is it you’re going to do, which sites will you post your CVs on, which contacts will you get hold of, etc.
In order to create a plan, you have to do research so the first step of your plan is research!
You’ll find that when you create a plan like this, you distance yourself personally from the task and it becomes a job you have to do. Instead of playing a PC game, you now have five things you have to do to achieve your target.
This plan will also ensure you have thought about how to tackle this task so you don’t apply a scatter approach to finding a job.
When working for free actually PAYS!
Don’t just rely on job openings you come across, contact companies and speak to the right person there about working for their company in your field of study to learn, you will do this for free.
You’ll find that some companies will say yes and this is the BEST thing that could happen. Why? Because once you have a foot-in-the-door, you will prove to them that they should hire you! Do everything they ask, go beyond and above that with a great attitude and there’s little chance that they won’t want to hire you!
Sales tip # 1: You’re offering them a service they need!
Don’t be apologetic or pleading in any way, you are going to add value to their business. Yes, they will have to show you the ropes and invest in you, but it will be worth their while. So stand up straight and proud and go get it dude!
Personalise your covering letter
One of the biggest jobs you’ll have is to personalise your cover letter for every company you send your CV to. Why? Because bland generic letters get you nowhere.
Step 1, find out who the right person is to address the email to, personalise the email with Dear Shelley, or whatever their name is.
Step 2, find out what they’re looking for (if it’s not a job opening, research their website to find out what they do) and highlight your strengths in terms of those exact requirements.
Follow the email up with a friendly note via email about a week later – leave your CV attached and your cover letter in the same email below. Say something like, “I am sure you have been inundated with CVs, I just wanted to wish you the best with your recruitment. If you’d like to meet to discuss how I can start adding value to your business, I would love to come through to chat with you.”
The message is personal and friendly, it almost treats them as a friend which add warmth, it puts your email back in front of them a bit after the deluge of emails they received from applicants. And possibly most importantly, it invites them to contact you, in other words there’s a call-to-action.
Use these tools and you will find a job quicker than you thought possible!