Back in the first half of 2011, I found myself frustratingly out of work. After weeks of tirelessly filling in application forms and attending interviews I decided that:
A different approach was needed
Potential employers should instead come to me.
So I set up my own website to promote myself and find a job- www.offerdanajob.com
The site itself was pretty basic but provided a rather pithy way to summarise my skills and abilities and how I could benefit a company. Although the website was up and running the success of the campaign hinged on the use of social media; especially Twitter.
Using the site, I immediately started to connect with people but locally and internationally - everything from local news sites in Barnstaple, to blog mentions from Dayton, Ohio. Everyone was incredibly helpful in passing on my message that I was looking for work. By combining this with a small but targeted email campaign I got over 200 hits to the site within a week. Not bad eh?
The idea of setting up the website got a fantastic response, with plenty of emails back wishing me well in my quest for work. I was even featured in the North Devon Journal. After months of getting nowhere,
After Week 1 I had received 2 job offers, so was in the very nice position of being able to choose where I wanted to go.
THREE THINGS I LEARNT FROM 'OFFER DAN A JOB':
1) With such fierce competition among graduates, do something that stands out from the crowd. Be bold, audacious but most of all be confident. It sounds cliched but if you're not confident about your abilities, why the hell should anyone else be?
2) Do your research - If you're planning on sending your CV out spend some time to find the right person who could hire you. Sending it to admin@yourdreamjob will probably leave your CV in the hands of the receptionist, or a spam folder. Use LinkedIn or Twitter to find managers and senior staff who could be interested in you and then try to contact them directly.
3) By and large people are normally very willing to help out - if you approach them correctly. Rather than pestering folks out of the blue asking for work, try to build a rapport with people. See what they're interested and try to get involved. Take your time and then ask them if they have any positions going. You're much more likely to get a decent response, and if they don't have any work going then they might know someone who does.
If you've graduated and have found yourself in a similar position then get in touch. It would be fantastic to hear what other people have done to get a job.