Looking for a job, let alone your first one can be daunting. I am in a privileged position in which I never needed to work to sustain myself while studying because my family supported me. Adding to that, I come from a country and surroundings with a tradition of everyone doing the exact same thing, full-time studying, be that with family or government support, so it was not like that was encouraged.
However, my studies are coming to an end, and I will need to find a job soon after so I can be financially independent. As much as this excites me it also frightens me. While I never officially worked, I have done my fair share of volunteering as a content creator, from writing to video editing, for three years. Somehow, I always found these projects more fulfilling than finding an unpaid internship at some big company – yes, because that is most certainly what awaited me. I can say that is justified by me being strongly against those, which is true, but that would not be a complete truth. Volunteering gives me more flexibility in deciding when I want to complete my tasks, which tasks I want to fulfill and which skills I want to develop. Attached to that is the sense that I can quit at any point with no real repercussions – which I never ended up doing. I think this comes from a need that I must be in control, and if I am not getting paid for my work, I might as well control it a bit.
Even though I have obtained multiple skills that I would get in a regular company, when I am applying for jobs, I can never fill in the work experience section, which I feel puts me at an unfair disadvantage – a disadvantage chosen by me. Furthermore, I have decided to do something about it so I can correct this aspect to some extent. I hope these two tips can be helpful if you are looking for a job (they might be more useful for those who are applying to positions that deal with some type of content creation).
Create a portfolio. After three years of creating, I have more than 250 pieces to showcase my skills and experience, yet they are scattered around the web. First, a lot of companies that are looking for people to fulfil creative roles already ask for a portfolio. Second, personally, it feels great to have all your achievements in one place in such a way that they are easily accessible (even if you feel like you don’t have a lot to show, you probably have something of worth that you can put there).
Look for application processes in which you can already showcase your abilities in the early stages. Obviously, if you are in desperate need of a job you will apply to everything that appears on LinkedIn. And that is completely understandable, but what I am saying is to give precedence to these types of applications. Yes, they will be time-consuming, and you’ll have to commit early on. Yes, in the end, if you don’t land the job, it might feel like a giant waste of time. However, you are practicing your skills and applying them to a specific company so it will give you an idea of what it is like to produce content for them. You are also producing additional content to add to your portfolio, and you are indeed showcasing in a practical way what you know which helps you cover the fact that you have never had a real job.
I know it is not much but hopefully, it will help you start your search and keep you motivated as you practice your skills. And remember not to take rejection too personally :)