The exams are finally over and now is the time that many young people start looking for a summer job. It’s a great opportunity to gain real-world experience, build your CV, and earn some extra cash. With so many students and seasonal work competing for limited positions, standing out from the crowd is key.
Whether you’re looking for your first job or aiming to expand your skillset, these practical tips will help you navigate the job market.
1.Clear and concise
Recruiters typically spend a very short amount of time, around 6-7 seconds, reviewing an application during the initial screening process.
As a result, you must ensure the key information about yourself comes across in the application. Make it easy to read and use formatting tools like bold and italics to help with the layout.
2.Stand out
Identify what experiences, extracurricular activities and achievements you have that makes you stand out from the crowd. Strive to be unique. If you have been involved in volunteering or working on a family farm, make sure to add that in as employers like to see that you can manage your time, and a hard-working ethic goes a long way. Try to think about what sets you apart from your peers and make it applicable to the job you’re applying for.
3.Get an external eye
It is essential to have a family member or friend review your CV and cover letter with a critical eye, especially if it is your first time applying for a job. It is the small details like spelling mistakes that can be missed but might be preventing you from getting to the interview stage, as hiring managers always presume you have double-checked your application.
As we are sometimes bad at highlighting our strengths, they might be able to point out some characteristics you have that you might not have realised.
4.Adapting
The biggest mistake some students and first-time applicants make is using the same CV and cover letter when applying to multiple jobs. Each company you are applying to is different, and each job specification is unique, which, as a result, means your CV and cover letter should be tailored to the specific role you’re applying for.
5.Mock interviews
This may be the first time you’re going for an interview so you might feel a little stressed and anxious. That’s all normal, and even experts in their field and CEOs still feel these nerves going into an interview. The best thing you can do is practice a mock interview.
Get someone you know to ask you a list of potential questions, and don’t let them go easy on you. The more interviews you do, the more confident you feel about your abilities.
At the end of the day, it is an opportunity to sell yourself. Remember you have a lot to offer so highlight what you can bring to the role.
6.Learn from experience
It can be easy to feel defeated if you haven’t heard back from any company or didn’t land the job you wanted. It’s important to go into each interview and think of it as an experience.
There is always something to be learned, even if it doesn’t result in success. Ask the recruiter for some feedback on what areas you can improve upon.
Sometimes, they won’t automatically do this, but normally, they are always happy to help. It can help you work on these areas going forward and improve on them in time for your next interview.
7.How to use LinkedIn
There are lots of places to looks for jobs, and LinkedIn is becoming one of the more popular for students. To optimise your LinkedIn profile here are some good tips:
List work experience with roles and responsibilities, and use numbers and metrics wherever applicable.Complete the profile by filling out all the relevant sections like education, skills, certifications, etc.Don’t forget to use keywords throughout your profile. That’s because many recruiters search for candidates using specific keywords related to the job they’re trying to fill. Reach out to graduates of your course through LinkedIn. 8.Useful websites
Check job listings on online portals such as Indeed, Jobs.ie, IrishJobs.ie, studentjob.ie and Jobbio.com. Visit career services at your university for job boards.
The exams are finally over and now is the time that many young people start looking for a summer job. It’s a great opportunity to gain real-world experience, build your CV, and earn some extra cash. With so many students and seasonal work competing for limited positions, standing out from the crowd is key.
Whether you’re looking for your first job or aiming to expand your skillset, these practical tips will help you navigate the job market.
1.Clear and concise
Recruiters typically spend a very short amount of time, around 6-7 seconds, reviewing an application during the initial screening process.
As a result, you must ensure the key information about yourself comes across in the application. Make it easy to read and use formatting tools like bold and italics to help with the layout.
2.Stand out
Identify what experiences, extracurricular activities and achievements you have that makes you stand out from the crowd. Strive to be unique. If you have been involved in volunteering or working on a family farm, make sure to add that in as employers like to see that you can manage your time, and a hard-working ethic goes a long way. Try to think about what sets you apart from your peers and make it applicable to the job you’re applying for.
3.Get an external eye
It is essential to have a family member or friend review your CV and cover letter with a critical eye, especially if it is your first time applying for a job. It is the small details like spelling mistakes that can be missed but might be preventing you from getting to the interview stage, as hiring managers always presume you have double-checked your application.
As we are sometimes bad at highlighting our strengths, they might be able to point out some characteristics you have that you might not have realised.
4.Adapting
The biggest mistake some students and first-time applicants make is using the same CV and cover letter when applying to multiple jobs. Each company you are applying to is different, and each job specification is unique, which, as a result, means your CV and cover letter should be tailored to the specific role you’re applying for.
5.Mock interviews
This may be the first time you’re going for an interview so you might feel a little stressed and anxious. That’s all normal, and even experts in their field and CEOs still feel these nerves going into an interview. The best thing you can do is practice a mock interview.
Get someone you know to ask you a list of potential questions, and don’t let them go easy on you. The more interviews you do, the more confident you feel about your abilities.
At the end of the day, it is an opportunity to sell yourself. Remember you have a lot to offer so highlight what you can bring to the role.
6.Learn from experience
It can be easy to feel defeated if you haven’t heard back from any company or didn’t land the job you wanted. It’s important to go into each interview and think of it as an experience.
There is always something to be learned, even if it doesn’t result in success. Ask the recruiter for some feedback on what areas you can improve upon.
Sometimes, they won’t automatically do this, but normally, they are always happy to help. It can help you work on these areas going forward and improve on them in time for your next interview.
7.How to use LinkedIn
There are lots of places to looks for jobs, and LinkedIn is becoming one of the more popular for students. To optimise your LinkedIn profile here are some good tips:
List work experience with roles and responsibilities, and use numbers and metrics wherever applicable.Complete the profile by filling out all the relevant sections like education, skills, certifications, etc.Don’t forget to use keywords throughout your profile. That’s because many recruiters search for candidates using specific keywords related to the job they’re trying to fill. Reach out to graduates of your course through LinkedIn. 8.Useful websites
Check job listings on online portals such as Indeed, Jobs.ie, IrishJobs.ie, studentjob.ie and Jobbio.com. Visit career services at your university for job boards.
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