You may be fresh out of college, excited to start working and making a name for yourself in your field of choice. You feel you’ve got the basics covered, with all the excitement of the achieving newbie graduate, and a bachelor’s degree to boot. However, you may be thinking about what you really know about the process of career applications. Where does one start?
Your parents may have their own ideas on how to make the A-list in employer rosters, from the best practices they had during their time. But do these still work? Maybe some do, and maybe some aren’t applicable anymore. Below is a basic guide to the preliminaries in landing your dream job:
1. Use your degree to your advantage.
If you will be making career applications right out of college, one of the best weapons you can use for landing your dream job is the degree that you just earned. Is your specialty applicable to the industry you are applying to? Employers will see that the subject matter you are proficient in will work greatly to their advantage, especially if you have decent grades.
2. List all relevant and career-specific work experience.
If you already have some work experience under your belt, list all the activities you were involved in that will show your employer that you have a basic idea of the job that you are about to take on. Even if you weren’t engaged in any form of formal employment beforehand, any kind of organizational work in school can help give them a picture of what kind of tasks you have been exposed to and are familiar with. If there was any kind of work you were engaged in previously that is similar to the job you are applying for, put them all in your resume. Remember that it will be beneficial to both you and your interviewer to get a good grasp of your capabilities and your knowledge in a certain field.
3.Tap into relationships that you have already formed.
A good way to get a foot in the door in the company you are applying for is to have people who know you to vouch for you to the decision-makers. If, for example, you have done some networking for investment banking jobs, this may be of great use to you when you finally apply for a career in that investment banking company. Forge rich connections and keep good personal relationships with people who are in the field you wish to get into, so they remember you beyond the qualifications listed in your CV.
4. Put your profile up on LinkedIn, and make sure to update it!
LinkedIn is a great way to be seen by employers on the hunt for their next big hire. If your profile is compelling enough for headhunters, you will definitely be contacted and considered for further assessment. Make sure to put relevant work experience and information about yourself – anything that would entice the executives who will need to approve your application in your chosen field.
These are just some of the ways you can project a captivating persona for desirable potential employers. Having these best practices in place can carve a positive way-in for you in the industry you’ve always dreamed of working in.
Leave a Reply