During their job search, many graduates and students make numerous typical blunders that might lose them a terrific, well-suited position.
Automatically applying to hundreds of openings without giving your application materials or the job description much attention results in zero placements. It doesn't help that thousands of other recent graduates are doing the same thing.
So, how can you distinguish yourself and your application? Let's go over the steps to a successful job search.
1. Research
This should go without saying. Before you start anything, tests, interviews, or job searches, you should do some study to find out what you need to know, what you want to achieve, and who you should reach out to for help.
Make a list of industries in which you want to work or earn expertise. Look for particular firms in the UAE where you want to work. If the organizations don't have public job opportunities, find out who you need to contact via email or LinkedIn.
2. Be creative
Reaching out to family and friends comes first in the Middle East. Job seekers frequently ask individuals they know for job leads, which leads to them taking on unnecessary or ineffective jobs. They also miss out on chances that might have been better suited to them.
You've heard all the job-hunting and internship-search cliches: networking, information sessions, 15-minute coffees, innovative resumes, and so on.
But the truth is that none of them are clichés. They are some of the most effective ways to interact with potential jobs and possibilities. So, when you begin your search, consider how you may be innovative.
3. Consult your teachers
Another tactic that recent grads sometimes overlook is speaking with teachers. Professors teach students the A-to-Z of their area for a reason: they are experts in their field. They nearly usually have years of field experience, are well-connected to other experts, and are always willing to assist students with references. The same is true for advisors, faculty, and alumni.
Meet with your lecturers over coffee or during office hours to discuss their professional path, job objectives, the market landscape, or anything else you'd want to know!
4. Utilize the digital space
You've probably heard the expression "work the room," which refers to engaging and communicating with several people in a single place, such as during a networking event. Job searchers are no longer restricted to interacting with individuals in physical spaces. Working in the "digital room" is critical since all social media platforms have the potential to be considered as networking events.
Profiles on the Internet
Every professional should have a LinkedIn profile that showcases their greatest qualities.
Networking in the Digital Age
While you may mostly use Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for breakfast flat lays, picture albums from that summer in Sri Lanka, or to vent about job-hunting in the UAE via a Twitter rant, they are all nonetheless essential employment and networking tools.
Whether you have LinkedIn or not, you may connect with professionals; just make sure to send a tailored message. There is no worse LinkedIn faux pas than sending a connection request without a message to a professional you have never met.
Twitter isn't far behind in terms of networking and job-searching possibilities. Don't be scared to contact someone for an informational interview or to answer a job posting:
Discussion on the Internet
Utilize LinkedIn's professional organizations, articles, and discussions, and engage in them by asking questions. You will not be an expert in your industry at this point in your career, but as a student, your experience and opinions are significant to companies since they provide new ideas and challenges.
5. Learn how to sell yourself
As a rising young professional, you'll have everything but years of work experience to sell yourself, and what you lack in job experience, you may compensate for with volunteer, promotional, extracurricular, internship, or leadership opportunities. Learn how to sell yourself at networking events, university activities, career fairs, and seminars, among other things.
6. Keep your resume to one page
At this level, your resume/CV should always be one page. Entry-level candidates are not expected to have extensive work experience but are expected to be able to demonstrate how their experiences have helped them develop their skills.
7. Concentrate and use sparingly
No applicant should ever apply for every job or internship that comes their way. Employers will see this as a red sign since it indicates a lack of concentration and career direction. Apply for employment that interests you and personalize your application materials (particularly your cover letter) to the position. This means that ten jobs equal ten cover letters.
8. Display your personality and learn about their culture
Don't be hesitant to express yourself in cover letters, on the phone, and during interviews. If there is one thing that employers seek in recruits, it is a nice attitude, especially one that is a culture match. Employers want someone who can not only perform the work but also get along with the rest of the team, contribute positively to the atmosphere, and have fun! Making a buddy is similar to the job search process. You must be liked by potential employers. This implies you must be familiar with the culture and character of the firm to which you are applying.
9. “Interested”
There is just one occasion in which saying "interested" beneath an internship or employment opening is perfectly appropriate, and that is never.
Saying "interested" adds nothing to the original message. It does not distinguish you from the rest of the comments or demonstrate your desire and communication abilities. The purpose of responding to chances is to stand out from the throng and obtain contact information so that you may send your application.