Peer Career Consultant Blogs

Synopsis:

This blog will help you understand the concept of professional leverage and provide instant action items to drive results.

Introduction to leverage: 
As a college student, it’s easy for life to feel like a never-ending rollercoaster. It’s a perpetual balancing act where there just isn’t enough time to study for the latest test, go to all your club meetings, and much less apply to internships/jobs. This is why I think that leverage is so crucial. Ultimately, leverage as a college student means creating more impact with the same or less time inputted. Without it, you only benefit equal to the effort you put in. With it, however, your time can work for you without you having to lift a finger. I want to make it clear that this blog will not encourage you to slack off as job offers land in your lap. In fact, the aim is quite the opposite by encouraging intentional, upfront focus to stretch your effectiveness as a young professional and a job applicant. Practically, this sense of leverage can materialize in countless ways but here are a few ideas to get you thinking:

Process development
While it will be painstaking at first, I’ve found it extremely effective to create and hone a standardized process flow for networking, applications, and interviews. Similarly, having a template you can depend on for interviews will give you a foundation and level of comfortability heading into any story or technical question. Organization is key and I stress the importance of having a centralized area to track applications and your network. Here is an example of what it may look like: 

Application tracking:

In this example, you’re able to track each of the different roles you’re applying to as well as staying on top of what stage you are in for each process. This will help you reach out to recruiters at the right time and also cut out hours of administrative things like managing passwords for each company portal. As you’re likely submitting multiple applications at any given time, organizing your efforts will help you contextualize your different candidacies.

Network tracking:

In this example of a networking tracker, you can stay on top of each contact you have with applicable pieces of information that will be crucial when you set up follow-up meetings or eventually ask for referrals. I like to keep detailed notes from findings of networking calls so that I can refer back to them for insights and to remember personal things about the contact. By keeping this level of detail, you’ll save yourself a lot of time in the future. Additionally, you can set up intervals since your last contact with this person to re-reach out to them to keep the connection warm.

Content creation
I believe content creation is one of the most underrated things you can do as an applicant. Examples of my definition of “content creation” could include a blog or social media page covering a niche. Let’s say you’re someone who closely follows the financial markets and has chosen to start a blog about it. By writing thorough posts, you now have content and thoughts that exist outside of your own speech. This means that a now unlimited number of eyes and ears can experience how you think 24/7 (whereas before you could only convey this through an actual interview). This effect is further compounded on social media platforms where you can even interact with professionals in the applicable space. By doing this, you allow hirers to look through your curated content which will put you leaps and bounds ahead of other candidates. Believe it or not, the number one thing companies look for is a genuine interest in their field. This is because passion can outshine and outlast any bursts of “motivation”. Skills can be taught, but a sense of drive cannot. There is no better way to show this drive than taking the initiative to keep up with and create thoughtful content about the topic at hand.

This same tactic can be employed with having a personal website/portfolio. We all know that a resume should strictly be one page long - which can often limit how you tell your story. By creating a website, the power is fully in your hands of how your past experiences, work, and thoughts can be conveyed. You include a link to your personal website on your resume to further its reach when recruiters/interviewers are looking over it. Another upside of a website is the visual aspect where you can tangibly show past work and the impact it's had. Many companies have dedicated sections in their applications for a personal website/page. 

USE THEM. 

Creating positive, lasting relationships
While networking seems like the most cookie-cutter solution to your job-applying woes, there is a reason for its continuous recommendation. Every career conversation you walk into should be very well thought out with catered questions for the person you’re talking to. It typically is not best practice to ask for a recommendation right off the bat so your initial conversation(s) should be spent building rapport and gaining an understanding of what your counterpart does. If you can create a lasting impression, your name is now at the back of the minds of countless people within your network. By proving your ability to maintain relationships and talk sophisticatedly about the applicable topic, you will now be right at the top of the list if your connection (and their connections) is looking to hire. Throughout time, you will build a strong rolodex of people you can reach out to for questions, advice, or help with any challenge you’re faced with. You can think of your close network as having a personal board of directors who will steer you in the right direction, no matter the issue.

Conclusion
Time is your most valuable resource as a prospective applicant and eventual professional. By leveraging your personal processes, brand, and network, you will reap dividends as your first career conversations turn into internships and eventual full-time roles. To achieve this, you have to be intentional about how you spend your time to maximize possible outcomes. I hope this post will inspire you to utilize leverage as I’ve described or how you personally see fit. Good luck!