Imagup General Magazine 2024
Opportunity! That’s the golden buzzer in the world of work and career. Nothing beats the right opportunity at the right time. Going to school and stacking up degrees is great, but without the right opportunity, it won’t amount to much.
That’s why everyone who’s starting out in the world of work or in a specific career should always be on the lookout for entry-level openings. These openings often require little to no experience and are usually less competitive.
To land such opportunities, you should be proactive and strategic. There are a number of easy to use online tools that can help you cut through the clutter and make you stand out. Here are some of them:
64% of people get employed through referrals. LinkedIn is arguably the world’s best job search and networking site. With over 600 million users worldwide, Linkedin is a job-seekers goldmine. Users include 30 million businesses with 20 million job openings available.
Here a few ways to use the site effectively:
Have a Complete Profile
A complete Linkedin profile does wonders. For instance, a profile with a profile picture/headshot is 9 times more likely to make connections. In fact, such profiles receive up to 21 more profile views than profiles without pictures.
Your headline should be precise. Also known as the job title, this 120-word headline provides a snippet into what you do.
Also, your summary should be thorough and catchy. It lets headhunters and profile-viewers in on the type of person you are. That’s why you should let your personality shine through your summary. Write in the third person and write in an engaging and interactive style.
Research
Use the search button often. Be keen on finding out about openings and opportunities within your niche. Aside from a listing of available opportunities, LinkedIn has extensive information on companies, what they do and what is going on with them. You can keep tabs on your companies of interest and also use such information to prepare for an interview.
Join Linkedin Groups
LinkedIn groups help make networking easier. It is also a tell-tale sign of your interest and passion. You’d have readily accessible information and inside access to opportunities.
Highlight Your Experience
As someone looking for an entry-level job, experience may not rank as highly as for someone looking for a medium- to the senior-level job. However, your trail of experiences can give your potential employer an idea of where your passion lies.
For instance, if you are looking to get employed with an NGO, proof of volunteer work would come in handy. So on your profile, mention and place emphasis on things you’ve done that show you’re passionate and ready to learn more in your desired job.
Use Content Marketing
Publishing on Linkedin helps set you up as an authority in your area. Even if your articles are not full of expertise, it establishes you as someone who is passionate about their field and one with the potential to make a difference.
Use WayUp
If you are a recent graduate or someone looking to break into a new field, WayUp is designed just for you. Unlike LinkedIn that focuses on all kinds of opportunities and openings, WayUp zeros in on college students looking for internships and recent graduates looking for entry-level jobs.
Started in September 2014 by two graduates, Liz Wessel and JJ Fliegelman, the website has close to 4 million users and well over 300,000 companies on board including startups and Fortune 500 companies. Whether it’s an internship or a part-time position, WayUp is your best bet.
You can use the website or the mobile app to start a profile and connect with companies who have openings available. Once you sign up, you can create a profile, add a resume and even fun facts about yourself. You’ll receive a registered list of job offerings based on your interest.
The good news? WayUp is free for candidates. Other alternatives to WayUp include Handshake, Huttlejobs and Pathrise.
Youtube
Ever heard of Justin Bieber? I can bet my last dollar you have. This award-winning singer is the toast of millions across the world. But how did he get his big break?
It started with a series of amateur YouTube videos. As his viewership grew from hundreds to thousands, he became more noticeable. Scooter Braun eventually discovered him and introduced him to Usher. The rest is history.
YouTube is a video behemoth. It has over one billion views per day and 300 hours of video uploaded daily making it an employee and employer goldmine. While you may not be a Justin Bieber in music, you can be a Justin Bieber in your field of endeavor.
You can start a YouTube channel and start posting videos about your chosen field. For instance, if you are into finance, you can start a YouTube channel on personal finance. By the time you are applying for a job, you’d have a trail of videos that lend credence to your passion and ability to provide solutions. Videos are a common way employers use to access and assess candidates.
Social Media
Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp. The social media bandwagon just keeps getting bigger. According to Adweek, 92% of employers resort to social media when looking for new recruits. That’s why your social media “game” should be strong.
First of all, follow your potential employers online. Read their posts often and keep tabs on any new developments in their company. This information would come in handy if you happen to land an interview with them.
As much as social media can help you land opportunities, it can also cause you to lose them. Most hiring managers and their team take the time to check out your social media presence to make sure you’re clean. Many prospective employees are weeded out this way. Do a simple Google search on yourself. It will help you find any unwholesome references that need to be hidden or removed.
Resume Builder
One of the critical aspects of any job application is the resume. Without a resume, your application is likely to be ineffective. However, creating a resume personally can be a difficult task, particularly if you are not savvy with word processors or you do not have any templates to work with. Sometimes, it’s just a lack of time.
In response to these challenges, resume builder software has flooded the internet. This software are intuitive with templates that anyone can use. According to resumebuild.com, you should export and edit these templates so that your resume doesn’t seem generic. A resume should be customized to each job you apply to. This increases your chances of getting an interview and being hired eventually.
In Conclusion
Landing entry-level opportunities can be tricky. However, with online tools and resources, this process can be simplified. Some key tools include the world-famous LinkedIn, WayUp, Youtube and Resume Builder.
Such tools provide the perfect platform and resources to make opportunities accessible to you and to prime you for them. So if you are a recent graduate or one looking to make waves in a new field, take advantage of these tools to stand out from the rest.
