Job Hunting Myths Busted.

​You’ve graduated, you’ve been abroad for a summer, behaved recklessly, got a tan – and now it’s time for a real job. Great – hop on Google, type in ‘graduate jobs’ and Bob’s your uncle.

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Except it’s not 2005, so that isn’t likely to get you very far. If you’re in 2016 like the rest of us, you’re going to have to be a little bit more digitally savvy than that – in any industry, but particularly if you’re looking for a media role.

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So what is the best way to find a job? You’ll be overwhelmed with contrasting advice from all different quarters, and the truth is, there is no single best way, but to give yourself the best chance without giving over your entire life to your search, we’ve separated fact from fiction for you.

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Myth: Job boards are dead

This one’s been doing the rounds since, well, probably 2005. We can assure you that this is absolutely not the case. In fact, 51% of graduate candidates came to us via job boards last year. This should be your first port of call, but you need to be targeted or you could waste all day on them. Aggregators such as Indeed will let you set up email alerts based on location, job title or keyword and salary range, delivered daily to your inbox from virtually all job boards. You can also sign up for job alerts with us. You should also ensure that your Boolean search skills are up to date if you want to perform an in depth keyword search. Need a refresher?

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Myth: LinkedIn is just for experienced jobseekers

There are currently just under 17,000 graduate jobs advertised on LinkedIn. The employer you will end up working for is on LinkedIn. You should be too. And you shouldn’t just have a bare bones profile – put some time and effort into this. It is your personal branding tool – so comedy email addresses and drunken profile pictures are out. Fill in your summary – who are you? What are your strengths, and what is it you want to do? LinkedIn will then send you relevant job matches, and any potential employees are guaranteed to check out your profile. Once you’re up to speed, start connecting with people you know. If you have connections in the industry you’d like to work in, send them a friendly InMail. Proactivity is key.

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Myth: Social media is just personal

Think you can’t find a role on Twitter, or use Facebook to help launch your career? You couldn’t be more wrong. So just like LinkedIn, think carefully about the information you share. Those Facebook ads you see are extremely targeted, so the more professional info you include in your profile, the more likely these are to bring up relevant jobs for you.

Additionally, it’s likely that any company you want to work for has a social media presence, and will share details of any vacancies across these channels, possibly even before they use paid advertising sources. So get ahead of the game, target a dozen or so companies that you’d love to work for, and follow them.

This Huffington Post article will help you get the most from your Twitter job search, while this one from Forbes should help out with Facebook.

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Myth: It’s always best to go direct to the employer

Ok, we’re a recruitment agency, we would say that! But it really is true. If you’ve got a recruitment consultant on the case for you, they’ll be able to let you know every time something comes up which fits your skills. Once a consultant has met you, they can ‘sell’ you over the phone to an employer that may not have interviewed you based on your CV alone. And recruiters can give you invaluable advice about the company and who you’ll be interviewing with so you’ll go in with your eyes wide open, as well as negotiating salary on your behalf later down the line. So research which agencies cover the areas you’re looking in, and send over your CV with a personalised cover note.

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To give yourself the best chance of finding the job you want, you need to use all of these channels. Don’t forget – be targeted, tailor each message and application, and be confident about your abilities.

Good luck!

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