Thread by @BanjiAlo

If you are a prospective or current international student or migrant this is for you

You can secure MULTIPLE jobs at once in your field if you distinguish yourself

I secured two job offers in Australia within two weeks in Australia without ap[ying online

#thread

The first thing you would probably hear from those around you when you finally commence your studies or arrive in a new country is how hard it is to get a job.

They might tell you the only way to secure a job is for you to switch careers. You really don't have to do this.

I studied Public Health and opted to stay put because I had a goal. It didn't matter if I couldn't secure a permanent residence in Australia after my studies. In fact, I was fine to leave, thankfully I haven't left since 2016

There are a million and one reasons why you won't get a job. For students, the main problem is that they leave it until it's too late - after their studies. This is a wrong approach and will leave you months or years of job hunting. You can be smarter. Come with me!

Imagine preparing for your friend's party, and you got a hint they are expecting 1000 guests but can only attend to 350 guests with seats and food.
If you are really hungry, then you will arrive at least two hours before the party starts

It's the same with jobs! Start early!

#1. When you are in school, please don't think like a student. Think like someone who wants to get a job after school. The competition is high! Early preparation is key.

So, conduct an environmental scan or passive job search and see what's available in your field of interest

#2. Look at the skills you need for those roles and start learning them ASAP!

Your degree and transcript are not enough to land you jobs. Wake up! The society is now very demanding and employers want more than just certificates.

The market is flooded with job seekers, so you should aim to be in the top 5-10% of your cohort.

#3. Know your strengths and weaknesses - ideally, you want jobs that align with your strengths and interests. A job-skills mismatch will leave you frustrated and will end in divorce. So, this is key.

#4. Be creative and improve your professional presence particularly on LinkedIn. Who says you can't get a website and load it with your career journey and accomplishments? Check out @AaronAkpuPhilip's personal blog.Forget your free Gmail account; get [e-mail] and standout

#5. Create your portfolio of work: imagine showing potential employers your work sample before attending an interview. You might end up spending the interview discussing your portfolio because they will be wowed!

#6. Continuous learning: congrats if you graduated top of your class in undergrad. You still need to build on that success. You need a growth mindset to succeed in the real world, therefore you have to keep learning.

#7. Constraints: what is between you and your dream job? For me, they were student visa (limited work rights), lack of Australian work experience, hard skills and competition from other applicants. I made sure I neutralised all these by graduation day. Know what can hold you back

#8. Your identity: After a recruiter finally gives you some audience, the last thing you want is for them to have difficulties pronouncing your name. Make is simple. You don't need Oluwadarasimi on your CV in the US; "Dara" is fine. Keep it simple and short

#9. Network! Network!! Network!!! Don't be a lone ranger. We are social beings. The more people you know the better. Harness the power of LinkedIn and grow your connections. I got a job on LinkedIn

#10. Be polite and nice: everyone is watching and you just don't know whose help you might need tomorrow. Dress nice to everyone! Colleagues, supervisors, co-workers, everyone!

#11. Internships and volunteering: As a young chap, you should be open to internships. Money is not everything. My unpaid internship experience was everything, and I wouldn't be where I am today without this wonderful experience. Not having local work experience can rule you out

#12. Permanent Residency and Citizenship is not a goal, don't make this your focus. Focus on achieving excellence in your career, and these things will come knock on your door.

Please RT and follow @BanjiAlo for more career posts. I write mostly on Medium

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