Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/649887
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 6 MARCH 2016 Careers & Training III Taking the first step into the career arena LEAVING the comfortable embrace of academia is a daunting task and the thought of having to find a job after graduation is the source of many sleepless nights. All is not lost, however. There are many things new graduates can do to improve their chances of finding the right job for them. Decide on a career path and focus all your energy on achieving it Employers don't like vague applica- tions. Pick something that most suits your interests, experience and skills. In applications demonstrate your pas- sion and knowledge for that particular path. Follow your interests and choose an industry that you are enthusiastic about. It will help you to get the jobs you want and to build a career long- term. Don't think about your first job as the defining one Many graduates think their first job will determine their future career path. It won't. You will change. The world of work will change, so try to think instead about what you'd like to do in the next 12-24 months to make the decision more manageable Don't be afraid to make mistakes because developing your career is a continuous process. Don't make a decision based on what your friends or family think you should be doing. Instead, carve out your own career path." Doing a master's won't make you more or less employable Unless your master's degree is vocational, having that qualification on your CV won't make you more attractive to employers. Master's are unlikely to open many doors that are closed to you unless you're thinking of going into academia. The only time a master's will make you more employable is if it improves your skills and work experience more than a year spent doing something else would. You'll have to work hard to make a master's improve your em- ployability – but it can be done. Harness the power of social media Social platforms such as Linkedin and Twitter can be used to find jobs. Show your interests in a career path by joining in discussion on Twitter. This will make employers familiar with your name. Research suggests 40% of employ- ers use social media to screen candi- dates, so it's important to keep your online profile clean. Take charge of your job search It's important to see your graduate job hunt as a continuous process. Start thinking about how to take control of your career development on an ongoing basis – by knowing your skills, values and interests – as this will be helpful for you throughout your working life. In order to feel in control of your job search, you need to follow three steps. First, follow industries or fields of work that interest you. Second, proactively search out employers, don't wait for adverts, or rest on the use of recruitment companies. And third, make contact with people who already do the roles you want. Ask them how they got there, what the job is really like and whether there are any opportunities coming up. Most people will be happy to help you if you approach the right way. After time, you'll possess a fantastic network of useful contacts for the next stage of your career. Don't give up on your dream job With high competition for graduate jobs in the UK, it's easy to feel dis- heartened when looking for a job. You don't have to give up on your dream job once you're clear what that is. But it is worth thinking about what skills and experience you need for that job. Do you need to retrain? Or bolt on some extra skills in digital media, for example, where there is currently a skills shortage. It's OK to not know what you want to do when you grow up – most people don't. It's also alright to take risks and learn from these experiences. If you can, try and get into something that you enjoy and that really enhances your skills so you are able to deter- mine what you like, what you don't and what's important for you. Social media and the job search WHO could have predicted a decade ago that social media would have such a grip on our lives? The rise of social media can be seen as both a godsend and a threat to jobseekers. Why? Because not everyone is sure how to use it. HR departments no longer have the time or resources to plough their way through hundreds of CVs. They want to be able to see if the applicant is worth bringing in for an interview. Social media, if used correctly, can propel a job application to the top of the pile – simply by be- ing different and innovative. Social media makes it very easy to see what makes a prospective employee tick – giving employers a view of that candidate before they actually meet them. How to get it right So, how do you make sure you create the right impression? The first thing you should do is set up a profile on professional net- working sites such as LinkedIn to give yourself a better chance of being noticed. Get your name out there. You may find that you connect with people who end up on your interview panel or who have the power to shortlist you for a position. Facebook and Twitter can also reap great rewards if harnessed correctly. Don't be afraid to show your personality, comment on in- dustry trends and news, and fol- low the right people in that sector to try and attempt interaction. While the majority of employ- ers don't like CVs with photos, it makes sense to get a shot done for your social media platforms that looks professional. Lastly, be prepared for the echo chamber that is Twitter. Don't be downhearted if you're not followed by those you're following, or if your attempts to start a conversation with an industry bigwig are ignored. Interaction through social media will happen, but don't try and force it. How to get it wrong Facebook and Twitter can be great when it comes to showing off your talents, but there is noth- ing more stupid than thinking employers won't check you out before deciding whether or not you're worth an interview. Take these things into con- sideration: there is a difference between showing personality and pushing out photos of you and your friends partying. They might not go down so well with your potential future boss. Clean up your profile – it's a given that companies check social media these days. Use the internet to promote yourself and your tal- ents. Don't let stupidity scupper your chances of success. Similarly, offensive language is a no-go. Any keyboard warrior can mouth off at others online, but it's there for everyone to see. Do you really want to lose sight of your dream job just because of a risqué, off-the-cuff remark to one of your friends on Facebook or Twitter? Depending on what role you're after, it might also be wise to steer clear of posting anything too political. While no employer can discriminate against you on political grounds, everyone has different views on what goes on in the world, and they might not want differing opinions to disrupt the office. More employers are using so- cial media to screen prospective employees, with Facebook, Twit- ter and LinkedIn being among the most popular. So, before you post ask yourself: do you really want 140 characters ruining your career?