If you’re like I was in uni and you’re sorta just floating by, making as little effort as possible and occasionally showing up to (often the wrong) class to get your name ticked off, you may wanna do a severe 180.
Turns out that’s it’s pretty damn competitive out here in the real world, kids. When the dust has settled and you’re sitting in your underwear clutching your degree, eating baked beans and crying about being unemployed, you’ll 100% want to have tried harder while you were studying.
So, in order to get your foot in the door of whatever industry you’re vying for, try your hand at a couple of the following tips.
Network Your Socks Off
The first step to making connections in low and high places is to actually attend your classes. You’d be amazed at the amount of networking you can achieve if you’re actually there, in person, talking to people.
If you have an idea of what your dream job is, let people know – other students, your tutors, even that parking inspector who’s stung ya four times for parking illegally on campus. The more people you tell, the more chances you have of getting a lead/good reference/offer to intern or work at your ideal company. It never hurts to get along with your professors anyway as a smile can be the difference between a pass and a fail (probably not true but trying won’t hurt).
Work For *Shudders* Free
Okay, so hypothetically no one wants to work for free – or at all. This is the real world though, so everyone has to make sacrifices at some point in their lives.
Whether it’s an unpaid internship or voluntary freelancing, working for free will give you a good sense of whether you actually want to be in that field. Plus, there’s always the potential that said internship or voluntary labour could lead to actual, money-in-your-bank-account work.
If you’re an international student in Oz completing your last year of uni, there’s a way you can cop some work experience that’ll give you the chance to stay in Australia longer or take the skills you learn to wherever you head next. Check out Bupa‘s 485 Visa health cover and find out how you can get six weeks free Working Visa Cover*.
Gut Your Social Media Accounts
Depending on what job you’re going for, chances are you’ll wanna take a look at literally all of your social media accounts – I’m sure someone out there has lost the chance at a job after their would-be employers spotted the erotic Harry Potter fan-fiction stored on their Tumblr page.
Honestly though, crank up your privacy settings on every account you own and go through each one with a fine-tooth comb – that photo of you in Thailand smiling next to a tiger might come back to bite you so it’s probs not worth the risk.
Sort Out Ya Papers
This one’s a doozy.
While you’re still in uni and therefore probably don’t have a tonne of relevant experience to pad out your CV, there are still ways to make it look profesh to death and a shoo-in to get potential employers’ attention.
The ideal CV will be streamlined and succinct, so you can toss your hobbies (lol remember when we used to include hobbies in our CVs?) as well as your part-time paper route out the proverbial window. If you’re unsure what your employer’s looking for in a cover letter and CV, don’t be afraid to ask someone for help – perhaps one of the professors you bonded with during your sweet networking sesh?
*Only for new customers on OVC Working Visa covers issued by Bupa HI Pty Ltd ABN 81 000 057 590 on direct debit who join by 31/08/2018. Receive your 6 weeks free after your first month of payment. Excludes Ultimate Corporate Visitors, Short Stay Visitors, Standard Visitors and Standard Plus Visitors. Not available in conjunction with other offers. Other waiting periods apply. Fund and policy rules, yearly limits, exclusions and other waiting periods apply.
