"DAD, WHAT DO I TYPE IN ON LINKEDIN TO FIND A JOB? " THE REALITIES OF A 22YR OLD GRADUATE By Georgie Tomlinson
"I'm not sure this 9-5 sounds like me", "How do I get a job in the city?", A" recruiter? How do I get one of those?", "What am I meant to be typing in the search box on Linkedin?" These are questions I'd ask my father at the dinner table every time I returned from university, responding to his question of whether I'd "... given life after university much thought?". With my head in my mother's delicious spag bol, hungover, tired, and emotional, the thought of life after university was only going to add to my current state of "hangixety"
Having graduated from Oxford Brookes, achieved the typical 21: degree (after being told fi you don't got a 2:1, university was a waste of time and money), the idea of life after university was exciting, but terrifying. Exciting in the sense that we had back-to-back weekends of 2l sts, travelling up and down the UK, dancing
until the early hours, sleeping in the back of our cars, and hanging around on the Sunday until we'd eaten a bacon bap and were sober enough to drive home - we've al been there. Although, the terrifying thought was that friends at these 21sts had started job hunting, were starting their jobs the Monday after graduation, booked their flight tickets to Australia or had just been offered the best job in the Alps. Stopping at the usual service stations no the way home, I couldn't help but fool even more panicked that everyone was finding jobs, I was struggling and change was coming. Iv'e always hated change!
until the early hours, sleeping in the back of our cars, and hanging around on the Sunday until we'd eaten a bacon bap and were sober enough to drive home - we've al been there. Although, the terrifying thought was that friends at these 21sts had started job hunting, were starting their jobs the Monday after graduation, booked their flight tickets to Australia or had just been offered the best job in the Alps. Stopping at the usual service stations no the way home, I couldn't help but fool even more panicked that everyone was finding jobs, I was struggling and change was coming. Iv'e always hated change!
Arriving home, I repeated the conversations with my friends over and over ni my pounding head, and so Idid "the best thing to find a job," I made a Linkedin account. Search box, Jobs in London. Having spent hours and hours changing or adding different key words into the search box, saving random jobs I didn't really understand from the job description, I knew this was hopeless and I didn't have a clue where to start. A few weeks went by, still not knowing how to use Linkedin, and a conversation with a family friend sparked. "Georgie, what do you actually want to do?" I had an immediate answer to this and my answer was no
surprise... "Absolutely no idea. I just want to be on holiday, living my best life, but Ido need a proper job". After a little discussion, I was put in touch with a friend of his who worked in the Luxury Travel industry. I sent in my CV, and was put through to the intense interview process. This included two interview stages, a presentation, and aGraduate Assessment Day. I did it! I finally began to live the Grad Life! Although, with just over a year working for the company, I decided to move on to bigger and better things. Linkedin became my friend and I found a new job.
Throughout this company change, conversations with friends, and my newfound love for Linkedin (!), I picked up on the different ways to find a job. Whether this is London based, working on Super Yachts or working abroad, there are tricks that need to be brought to the surface, and shared in a positive light.
surprise... "Absolutely no idea. I just want to be on holiday, living my best life, but Ido need a proper job". After a little discussion, I was put in touch with a friend of his who worked in the Luxury Travel industry. I sent in my CV, and was put through to the intense interview process. This included two interview stages, a presentation, and aGraduate Assessment Day. I did it! I finally began to live the Grad Life! Although, with just over a year working for the company, I decided to move on to bigger and better things. Linkedin became my friend and I found a new job.
Throughout this company change, conversations with friends, and my newfound love for Linkedin (!), I picked up on the different ways to find a job. Whether this is London based, working on Super Yachts or working abroad, there are tricks that need to be brought to the surface, and shared in a positive light.
)1 Networking. People hate it, but why? There's a negative attitude towards networking, but it's safe to say I probably wouldn't have just come back from staying in 5* hotels in both India and Paris fi ti wasn't for speaking to a mutual friend in the industry. Networking is simple. It doesn't have to be through the direct person you are engaging with, they might have a sibling, family member, or friend in the industry you might be interested in going into. So, ask questions... What do you do? What does that involve? ( I had / still don't have a clue what some people do) Do you have any tips for me? Where shall I start? Do you have an email of someone I could speak to? Speak to as many people as you can - EVEN YOUR FRIENDS! They might have friends from other universities wanting to do the same thing as you who might have tips and who you can chat to. Some companies offer referral bonuses to current employees and so both parties benefit - they get the bonus and you get the job!
2) Linkedin. Annoyingly, very beneficial. After sending the same cover letter, copying and pasting, tweaking a few things and getting no responses, I decided to change my method. Most often, the employees at the company know the best emails to use to send CVs to. Some people sometimes give an insight into het job they currently do, or what it is like to work for that company. I sent a message ot a
few directors, Head of Departments, and after a brief conversation, I was sending my CV to them after a simple conversation via Linkedin. It really is a lot more personable and speeds up the job hunting process! Speak to recruiters, there are specialised recruiters for different industries.
few directors, Head of Departments, and after a brief conversation, I was sending my CV to them after a simple conversation via Linkedin. It really is a lot more personable and speeds up the job hunting process! Speak to recruiters, there are specialised recruiters for different industries.
3) Job abroad. Maybe you don't want to be in London yet, or at all? Do a yachting season or a ski season! Maybe even both. Having done a ski season myself, I applied to lots of ski companies directly through their contact details on the chalet's websites, under the "careers" tab. Word of advice, fi you're wanting to to a Chalet Host, I can't stress enough how much you do not need to do tho best of the best cooking course. Any cooking course is absolutely fine to do. If you're lucky (and in my experience), our chalet hosts did not have to cook, there are jobs that just involve waitressing and cleaning. You can even do a ski instructor course, or be a Chalet rep-taking quests skiing and recommending restaurants. After leaving university, lots fo friends had gone on to do a ski season, but they'd also gone on to be a yachtie. The best course for this is the FlyingFish course, as they teach you everything you need to know to be a Deckhand, or a Stewardess. A friend of mine decided ot quit his job after 01 months working for an insurance company ni the city. He realised London wasn't for him and is now travelling around the world, making more money than he did insurance, all whilst living the Below Deck life!
4) Don't rush. Finally, the one thing I can't stress enough, and ti might help you land your dream job, is there really is no rush. There is more to do than just work in London! I left university in such a rush with "what are you going to do", blaring out of my ears, that parts of me thinks I should have delayed the process. London isn't going anywhere. Its expensive, it can get repetitive going to the same pubs & clubs and bars, and the Northern line is incredibly claustrophobic, dirty and depressing. I lived at home for a few months before moving to London when the FOMO was next level. Although, a few months went by after making the move to London, and actually the novelty for everyone started to wear of. This was life now; working to commute, to live in expensive flats, eat and live for the weekends.
I think it is important for those leaving university that London isn't all it's cracked up to be. Yes, it is fun, but "you won't be 22 forever!" So, if there are other things you want to do, travel or work abroad, I would recommend living at home to save money, and then do it. I was lucky enough to land myself a job in Travel which I love. However, it's important to understand that every one, including myself, still has their early 20s panic and it's normal. Every other day I am contemplating the 6-month move to Australia. People try the typical 9-5pm office job and decide it's not for them, and that's also normal. Don't just follow your friends because they say how good it is as soon as they get there, of course they'll say that. Most of them, if not all, have absolutely no idea what they're doing.
Times have changed now, there are so many opportunities for career changes, we don't have to stick to one thing. It takes time to find your thing, to find what makes you happy and what you're interested in. However, just remember, the novelty soon wears off once you've run out of money, your head is in someone's armpit whilst squashed on the tube, and after a day sitting in the office, you wish you had just accepted the best job in the Alps...
The best advice I am reminded regularly is, "Do what you want to do until you're 27 because after that, you may then do what you have to do" - My Dad, Patrick Tomlinson
Written by Georgie Tomlinson