1. Lessons Learnt in Job Hunting Youssef Bouguerra MBCS

2. Lessons Learnt in Job Hunting Introduction Lesson #1: Plan it Lesson #2: Network Lesson #3: Prepare for it Lesson #4: Dare to be Different Miscellaneous Tips

3. Introduction Objective Share the experience I had between 2001 and 2004 Telling anecdotes Learn from the mistakes I made How I would do things differently Focus on the most important lessons learnt Background 2001 to March 2004: “passive” job hunting April-June 2004: “active” job hunting

4. Plan it Treat job hunting as a project – have a plan Project plans look good on paper…

5. Plan it Draft CV Apply for jobs Prepare for interviews Interviews Accept offer

6. Plan it … but are worthless without: Strategy Scope An understanding of risks and opportunities In other words: Know where you want to go Draw a map for your journey Keep your eyes open for new territories In job hunting (unlike traditional IT projects), OSITOT’s are your friends!

7. Network Most available jobs are not advertised Internal referrals work better than out-of-the-blue speculative applications Use the experience of others – for example to review your CV It’s good practice to talk to employees (or ex-employees) of your target company to find out what it is like to work for them Don’t network with job hunting as your only objective – if it’s too obvious, it won’t work! The BCS is a great forum to meet new people

8. Prepare for it Applicable at all stages of the job hunting project: CV preparation Cover letter Interviews First day and beyond… Read job hunting books, go to your careers centre, local job centre… Prepare different versions of your CV and cover letters for different jobs (or job types) Research your target companies (website, brochure…) Prepare questions to ask at the end of your interviews What does it take to be successful at Company X?

9. Dare to be different Employers want you to impress them Dare to be different… but don’t overdo it! Play your difference to your advantage Be yourself Emphasise that you’ll be bringing new perspectives and experiences Do you speak any foreign languages? Work on making sexism and ageism a myth Sense of humour He who dares wins! Who knows…

10. This time next year…

11. Miscellaneous Tips Be patient 200 CVs sent, 6 invitations for interviews, 2 job offers Be confident Prepare, prepare, prepare… Listen to the market And enjoy the ride!