Job hunting is stressful, and we application season always starts in September. A lot of you may start to think about which industry to get into late until your final year. However, it is always helpful to think ahead. Gaining some work experience can help you figure out whether you like a particular job or not. Therefore, I want to give you some advice for job applications based on my own experience. My intent is not to pressure you but to save you some time and energy during the job-hunting process.
Compared with the pandemic period, this year there are much more job opportunities. Besides using the career centre service to prepare an excellent CV and practice for interviews, I think it is useful to create a LinkedIn account. It can help you find all sorts of different types of jobs that you may never think about. LinkedIn will remember your preference and send advertisements based on your searches and interests, which can save you a lot of time. On my most recent job application, I contacted the company's recruitment manager and invited her for an online meeting to ask some questions and show my interest. I think I left a good impression on her and she appreciated my positive attitude toward the job, which is one of the main reasons why I ended up getting the job. When faced with challenging situations in interviews it is always important to remain calm under pressure as interviewers will still consider you even if your answer is not perfect.
Another useful piece of advice is connecting with people that already work in the company you are applying for, especially if they are Leeds Alumni. I obtained a few internships using this method because they taught me how to prepare for the recruitment process. By talking with alumni, you can also get to know the structure of the company and potential promotion pathways in the future. I highly recommend you invite them to have a coffee together. As far as I am aware, people love drinking coffee during a working day. This is a good chance for you to work on your CV and Cover Letter with the help of a professional. By asking them questions you can also find out whether you actually like this job or not. I still keep in touch with a few alumni who regularly send me some job positions that I may be interested in.
You may find it hard to balance the study you need to work hard on as well. What I did was plan my schedule one week or even two weeks ahead on my calendar. You should set a specific time period for university activities, after this, you can put down the job application deadline. As with an essay, you shouldn’t leave your job application one day before the deadline. Unfortunately, you may have to give up some time having fun, depending on your productivity, but don’t forget to save enough time to rest each day. The reason why I highlight this is that I get sick after working all day. It took me months to get a job and I thought I missed out on lots of good ones. Nevertheless, as a survivor of my placement year and the graduate job-hunting process, I can ensure you that eventually, the job you get will be the most suitable one for you.
I hope you get your dream job and please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.