Let's Chat: Job Hunting

Ahhhhh.
The excitement that you're coming to the end of your degree, you're almost finished with the most hellish  best three years of your life and you're going to be a grown up!

You're SO excited!!
NO! It's a trap! The grown up world is boring, scary, you have to sort out taxes, can't go for student housing or blame your crazy sleeping/parting habits on being a student and most importantly... No more student discount. OUCH. 



SO anyway, I thought I would do a post about job hunting. As regular readers of my post will understand I do currently have a job. However, if necessary it is possible that I can do this work wherever my TV grad life takes me, I don't need to be in the office. So I'm still applying for jobs all over the country in order for me to progress my career.

And it is looooong. To help all you newbie graduates or long time job hunters out though, I thought I'd do a post showing what I do to help me keep my job hunt organised and heading in the right direction.



1) Sort out your social media. 
I know, I hear you. I made the 'urgh' noise myself. It's so annoying having to make your accounts private or seperate or just monitor what you say. But just keep an eye on it. I have seperate accounts under my full name and my nick name, but even on the nick name account I don't really post any contreversial stuff or things that may put employees off. It's normally me moaning that I'm annoyed, hungry, cold, tired or that The Apprentice isn't going how I want. But just bear it in mind.

2) Create a 'Job Spreadsheet'
I've only done this recently, but it's already helped me see where/when/why I applied and it helps me organise things in my mind. This way I know when I might expect to hear back from the jobs, and lets me know how many of them have been successful (such a depressingly small number). In a weird way it also lets me stay positive, because people say it takes 50 no's to get a yes, well lets see if I can get a yes before I get to 50! I have columns from what the role is, who with, how long it would be for and also a contact name in case I ever need to get back in contact.
(this has also led to me becoming a bit obsessed with spreadsheets...)


3) Use Social Media!
So many people these days (ie my mother) think that Facebook is full of people saying that they've just eaten an apple and watched Eastenders. But there are some brilliant Facebook groups out there to help with jobs/research etc. I know for my dissertation I found some great TV groups that were willing to answer my 10000 different surveys to help me out with my research, and every TV job I've got since Uni has been found on a cracking Facebook group for TV Grads. (feel free to message me if you want any advice on this!) Not only this but sending a nice message on Twitter, keeping up to date with your LinkedIn and looking for advice on Pinterest can always be useful!

4) Go out and GET IT
Sorry to say, having a degree does not often give you a fast track to a job. Especially not in the creative fields. You're not going to have some amazing job land on your lap just because you have a degree. You are still going to have to go out and work for it I'm afraid. And don't just go out and apply to your dream job right away, you're not suddenly going to become a director or land a place at Glastonbury. Applying to jobs that you're not qualified for is just going to annoy people, and people remember people that have annoyed them - trust me on that.

5) STAY MOTIVATED AND POSITIVE
TRUST ME. I knowwwwww how depressing it is applying for jobs and getting nothing but no's, or even worse getting nothing! But just try to stay positive. Someday, you will land your dream job, be where you're supposed to be at that time, and all the struggle becomes worth it. Remember, nothing worth it comes for free.

And of course: