27
Reality check:
Most employers view any experience
as good experience. However fancy
or loser-ish your job title was, and
whether the work was paid or unpaid,
to employers it’s all a ‘plus’. Any
experience demonstrates that you have a
responsible attitude to work and that you
have experienced life beyond academic
institutions. In other words, it shows you
can exist in and interact with the real
world, not just in the uni bubble. OK, so
The job hunt
maybe your holiday job isn’t quite as
impressive as your friend’s internship
at a political think-tank in Washington
“This ‘waiting for the big idea’ mindset
DC or traineeship at a big City bank,
tends to prevent grads from looking for
but make no mistake – it still counts.
Yes, even if you spent your summers au
great first jobs, where you’d gain
pairing, stacking supermarket shelves or
experience and perspective”
litter-picking at Glastonbury, employers
want to hear about it.
lounging around on your parents’ sofa, great experience that will prove useful
So, just because your holiday job doesn’t or killing time doing mind-numbing temp
when applying for future jobs that you’ll
sound great to you, that doesn’t mean work, is a minute you’re not spending
like even more.
you should downplay it to potential trying out something new to see whether
recruiters. And don’t even think about you like it.
the good news:
leaving it off your CV altogether. Instead,
You’re in the driving seat and you always
careers advisers suggest you squint I know that the idea that there’s one
were. You’re not leaving your job-hunt up
and look at it differently. There’s a perfect job for you out there is immensely
to the gods, or fate, or the stars. You are
good chance you’re undervaluing the seductive – rather like believing there’s one
in charge of your destiny. You don’t need
experience you’ve gained. Even if your perfect soul mate – but this sentimental
a grand plan in order to ‘make it’. Instead,
work experience doesn’t seem related in belief can be hugely destructive. Sitting
have faith in your ability to make smart
any way to anything you might want to do back and waiting for your dream job to
decisions as you go along. You’ll end up
in the future, it has taught you something. come to you is just about the worst thing
where you want to be.
you can do.
the good news:
It means you do have something to put in Even if you find a job you love for a while,
the section on your CV marked you won’t love it forever – you’ll move on
‘Employment history’. And you’re not as to bigger and better things. Or you might
far behind other candidates as you think. get your dream job and find you don’t
In fact, if you invest a bit of time, you like it as much as you thought you would.
can even make your experience sound Second, this dead time spent waiting for
Myth Busting
halfway impressive! inspiration to strike can be seriously bad
news for your CV – not to mention your
reaDer OFFer
Myth 3: ‘Eventually, your dream job bank balance. Third, this ‘waiting for the
will just strike you’ big idea’ mindset tends to prevent grads
‘Dude, Where’s My Career?’ by tanya de
Perhaps you think... from looking for great first jobs, where Grunwald is published by Summersdale
If you don’t yet know what you want to do you’d gain experience and perspective and available through all good booksellers
long-term, it’s a bad idea just to take any to help navigate your future later on. And
priced £8.99. GradJobs readers can order
old job in the meantime. It’s a waste of finally, the idea of a dream job triggers
the book for just £6.00 (plus £1.95 p&p UK
time getting experience in a field you might unmanageable levels of panic, expectation
mainland only).
not even end up in. If you wait long enough and even paralysis in graduates.
To order please contact Littlehampton
the idea for your ‘dream career’ will just
Book Services by phone on 01903
pop into your head. A much more sensible approach is to set
828503 or send a cheque (payable to
out on the right path towards a fantastic
Littlehampton Book Services) to LBS, P.O.
Reality check: first job – by which I mean your first
Box 4264, Worthing, West Sussex, BN13
Whatever the circumstances, waiting time proper job after uni. In this job, you’ll be
3TG and quote reference ‘GradJobs’.
is dead time. Every minute you spend picking up new skills and bagging some
GradJobs Magazine | Winter 08-09
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