We’re in an increasingly competitive job market. As the pandemic driven recession hits, Prospects estimated that graduate jobs were going to be at just 2/3 of their normal level. A March ONS survey estimated unemployment at 5%.
For job hunters, this makes an already challenging task even more difficult. How do you stand out when every job you apply for has received hundreds of similar, well-qualified applications?
This was the conundrum I faced after I graduated last year. I’d seen all the usual suggestions- getting a recruiter, creative CV formatting, a polished LinkedIn profile- but these things didn’t seem to make a difference to the overall progress of an application. Surely- I thought- there must be a better solution?
In creative professions, at least, a lot of young job hunters have found that solution in the imaginative use of social media. Want to show that you can edit video? Maybe it’s time to put together a brief show reel and share it on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Want to show that you have what it takes to make it as a comedian? Time to film some comedy sketches at home. It’s not enough to just drop a couple of drab links at the bottom of a CV – it’s time to go out and get your content in front of potential employers – the modern day equivalent of dropping your CV off at the head office.
We’ve seen the rise of this kind of job hunting in recent months, and even some exciting successes. Benji Bozemer, known under the handle @Bonjee, managed to secure a data analyst role in just two days, after he posted a brief CV video to the short-video platform, TikTok. Likewise, Ffion Clark, a recent MA Broadcast graduate from Cardiff University, shared her CV on the same platform- and had bagged herself a job in just two months. This isn’t to mention the successes of make-up artists, comedians and dancers, who have secured sponsorship, advertising opportunities, and traditional media opportunities through social media.
If you’re not social media savvy, putting together a poster style CV might be more your speed. You can find inspiration on Pinterest, LinkedIn, and even Instagram, if you’re willing to wade through a bit of content. Think about how to present your skills in a way that fits the image of the company- a McDonalds menu for your fast-food chain advertising role, or a faux-press release for your new political communications role.
I was lucky that, by the time I secured my role here at the Agency Partnership, I hadn’t needed to move my CV to TikTok or Tinder. Instead, I was able to use a couple of the more traditional outlets- namely LinkedIn and recruiters- to find TAP, a boutique agency with high-profile clients, and get my job here. But that’s not to say that new job hunters shouldn’t consider it. As Ffion Clarke wrote in her TikTok bio, “TikTok got me a job!” Could it get you one too?
Article by: admin
No Comments