Banji Alo Profile picture
Sep 3, 2022 21 tweets 9 min read Read on X
Many international students enrol for another degree to remain lawful in various countries because they couldn't find a job.

I feel terrible.

Why?

It can be very expensive to study again.

Here are 5 ways to avoid this loop:
#1. Mindset

The problem with many students is that they only think about work after they graduate.

They live like we are in the 80s.
In the '80s:

- Education wasn't as common
- Employers wooed students with jobs
- Our parents got jobs before leaving school.

E.g. My dad, in his early 20's, got a job before leaving school. The job came with a brand new official car and a driver.
Let's forget about the car and the driver.

These days, you will be lucky to find a job before leaving school. Why?

- It's harder
- More competition. Graduates are everywhere.
- Society has become more demanding. Thanks to tech
Action:

- Start thinking about your next job in your first semester
- Plan towards it

Use the free guide to get started:

hinterviews.com.au/freecourse/
#2. Priorities

Knowing what to pursue at any time is critical for your career journey.

I see many students chasing permanent residency visas.

They say they are only after PR and do not need to find a job.
But how can you easily get PR without a job?

The next thing you hear is that you are back in school after the visa ran out.
One of the easiest ways to get PR is by securing a job offer.

- Don't chase PR.
- Earn it by being relevant in your field
- Follow career success. PR will come knocking at your door. Easy.
#3. Money

I will explain this point with a scenario.

John has enrolled in a two-year program. He has depleted his savings on tuition fees. He is not happy about this and plans to recoup his money later.
John is in Australia and intends to use his two-year post-study work visa to max out his work hours by earning as much as possible from 3-4 casual jobs.

John got his two-year post-study work visa

John worked for 22 out of 24 months.

He then realises his visa is about to expire
What next for John?

He doesn't want to "go back home", so he uses all money he saved from his casual jobs to enrol for another degree.

- Money wasted
- Time wasted
- Energy wasted

The old student cycle begins yet again.
- Unless you plan on leaving the country, a post-study work visa is NOT an opportunity to work forever.

- Use this visa to strategically position yourself ahead of the career that can help you achieve your long-term goals

- You can work yourself out when you get PR
@ritapurity
#4. Not job ready

Truth be told, many students are not job-ready.

While at school, they :
- Attend classes
- Write exams
- Wait for graduation day

After graduation, they realise they can't find a job because they lack key skills.

Their consolation prize is their certificate.
What happens?

- Some end up enrolling again for another degree

You can do better while in school.

Check out this thread:

#5. Lack of Clarity

Many students don't know why they are enrolled in a degree.

Schooling has become a trial and error.

Yet, education is not cheap.

They enrol to:

- While away time
- Leave their home country
- Postpone their job search
- They just want another degree
- etc
Essentially, they enrol for the wrong reasons.

The result?

They don't know what to do with their degree or how to find work.

The next step?
- Another degree
- They end up with 3 master's degrees and one year of work experience in total
Action:

- Know what you really want out of that degree
- Understand yourself and what you know how to do best
- Seek feedback from industry professionals
- Sometimes, you don't need multiple degrees. Save your resources.
Enjoyed this thread?

1. RT and Follow @BanjiAlo for more

2. Use this free career strategy guide to land any job you want before graduation. It helped me land two jobs.

careerdigest.substack.com
Free career guide for international students:

hinterviews.com.au/freecourse/

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More from @BanjiAlo

Apr 28, 2023
A friend rang me after applying for 40+ jobs in 2 months with 0 contacts and 0 interviews

I got him 4 recruiter contacts, 3 interviews and 1 officer in 2 weeks

Here's what we tweaked:

#thread
He initially told me he was job hunting and would prefer to apply online

After reading his profile, I tried to discourage him, but he insisted on online applications.

I agreed but on a condition
I told him:

"If you don't get a job in 60 days, we will do it my way"

He agreed.

Deal.
Read 17 tweets
Apr 16, 2023
I recently helped 3 professionals prepare for job interviews.

They landed their dream jobs at:
- JP Morgan, UK
- Australian Government Health Department
- International Research Institute, UK

They couldn't thank me enough.

Here's how I prepared them:

[steal my template]
1. There are 3 key stages in a job interview - entry, process and exit.

The entry and exit are the most important.
#1. The Entry

You need to put your best foot forward for the entry by ACING your first question.

It's crucial
Read 18 tweets
Oct 12, 2022
I had a 50% pay cut when I left my casual jobs in Australia to start a professional 9-5 one

You might think it's a crazy idea

Here are five reasons why it wasn't:

#thread
1. Post-Study Visa

After my degree, I received a two-year post-study work visa.

This visa lets you work unlimited hours in Australia. Same with Canada, the UK, etc

The problem is that many international students don't use this visa correctly.

They:
- Use it to work as much as they
- Use it to relax, cool off and travel the world for months

I am not saying this is bad, but if your goal is to get a permanent visa, then you need to understand that these aren't your immediate priorities.
Read 16 tweets
Sep 25, 2022
I get shortlisted for at least 90% of the jobs I apply for.

Here are the 5 resume strategies that work for me every single time.

[Not your average resume advice]

#thread
1. Knowing the job of a resume

Your application process becomes easier once you understand that a resume only has one job.

-- To SELL you. @OgbeniDipo

Yes, a resume is a marketing tool.

@wakawaka_doctor
If it doesn't sell you, then forget it.

You won't smell the interview door no matter how solid your skills are or how talented you are.

You are the king, and your resume is your messenger.

It needs to represent you and convey your message properly. @ritapurity
Read 26 tweets
Aug 27, 2022
Do you think your challenges will end once you travel abroad?

You lie!

The journey never ends.

Here's what I have found:

(read more)
It's interesting how many young professionals think all they need is to travel abroad and all their challenges will be resolved.

@SummerOkibe @Oludeewon
I am sorry to inform you that it will most likely be the beginning of your challenges.

Why?
Read 15 tweets
Aug 9, 2022
I have reviewed 100+ resumes of graduates and early career professionals in 2022.

99% of these resumes need massive re-work

Here are 12 common issues I noticed

#Thread
#1. Resume Length

Most CVs with 4-5 pages have less than 3 years of work experience.

#Employers will only scan your resume for less than 10 seconds

Keep it to one page
#2. Formatting

Many of these CVs are poorly formatted.

- Margins are not concise
- Bullet points are out of order
- Inconsistent font size and style
Read 18 tweets

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