10 Smart Things A Job Seeker Can Do

A friend of mine recently shared this article with me. The tips may sound a bit of a cliché but I like them so reposting here with my Brussels-perspective comments to these tips:

10 Smart Things A Job Seeker Can Do *

#10 Be positive!

Prepare yourself mentally. It will be a long process. Don't expect to get hired straight away. The bar in Brussels is really high so if you're not an exact match to a certain profile or if you're not born under a lucky star, it could take a while.  

Take a hard look at your finances. Really important. Lots of internships are unpaid & full-time. Don't wait to get the internship offered so that you start negotiating for an allowance. NGOs budget at least an year in advance so chances are that they will stick to that part. Forget also about working part-time. If you don't have the finances, don't apply at all. This will keep you out of the black list of applicants.

Doing a SWAT analysis is a useful thing. I would personally not rely on my own biased judgement. My advice - ask a friend or a couple of friends to do this for you. It's easier to have a clear perspective on your weaknesses and threats from a certain distance.  

Set realistic goals. True. Please don't review them daily. You'll get crazy if you do that.

Develop a job search strategy. And by that I certainly don't mean knocking on the doors of NGOs with a CV in your hand. That's not a job search strategy. But hey, you've just scored a 10 on the Brussels humiliation scale.  

Treat your search as your job. It is a job, and it's a full-time one. Take the time to review your application before sending off.

Network to build relationships not to find a job. Smart advice. How do you spot the novice intern in Brussels? (S)he starts the conversation with "Hi, I'm an intern at... I am looking for a job, blah, blah, blah" I'm not kidding. I've heard that at least a dozen times. Never gives the right impression. So be curios, but be smart.  

Focus on self-improvement. Work on your French/German/Spanish or whatever transitional skills you (would like to) have. You can never lose an investment in knowledge and it's one of the few things that employers actually do care about.  

Volunteer and stay relevant. Plenty of opportunities to do that in Belgium. Don't miss the chance to get to learn a new organisation & some people. Go to conference, seminars, trainings...  

Be positive. That's easier said than done. I'm a huge fan of negative thinking so I established a ritual: each time that I get a negative response to a job application I go for a beer! A Belgian one ;)


* Credits to Brad Attig, Ivy Exec’s Director of Talent Development

Click here to apply

Not surprisingly the first thing to see when you open the EU Careers webpage is the "Face a bigger challenge" banner. EU Institutions and their websites do indeed qualify as a bigger challenge than being unemployed.

Most EU Institutions have webpages that perfectly reflect their functioning- messy & disturbing at times. Bad design and user interface which will confuse even the most computer savvy among us is the first obstacle to find, say, an internship at European institutions. Even if you have for some reason lost the battle with EU Institutions though, you still have a chance to win the war. Brussels offers a variety of opportunities at NGOs and think thanks. Here's a short overview of the most important websites for vacancies.

The bibles for every graduate looking for a job or an internship in Brussels are:

• The job site of EurActiv 
• And Eurobrussels

Both offer a very good and up to date database of the current vacancies in Brussels and the region. The websites are really useful, especially for positions in marketing, communications, EU policy or general administration. A user-friendly filter allows you to specify job category, location and your experience (or the lack of it ;)) The downside, of course, is that many other applicants follow the same websites.

Here's one which I personally just discovered. Judging on the quality of the website, it is worth a try.

Something similar could be found here.  Although I have to warn you to look carefully at the vacancies before applying. It is possible that the vacancy is 2-3 years old. Also some of the links are often broken. What this website is highly useful for is that it provides a really good overview of organisations with internship programmes. By simply scrolling down, you can see a very extensive list of NGOs and think tanks. Even if they have no openings at the moment, it is definitely good to keep an eye on them. 

A Guide to Internships at EU Institutions

Ever wondered where and how to apply for an internship at the EU Institutions? Personally, I do it all the time (I mean wondering). The procedures are quite unclear, slow, confusing. Websites are extremely user-unfriendly, but given the potential they're worth giving a try. Here's an overview of the main EU institutions in Brussels where you can apply for an internship.

Traineeships and Study Visits in the European Parliament 

Traineeship at the European Commission  

Traineeship at the European Ombudsman service

Traineeships at the European Economic and Social Committee

Traineeships at the various Community Agencies

And although I am pretty sure that you can do an internship at the Committee of the Regions, I couldn't find any link with further information. 

Connect the dots, said Steve Jobs

If you’re one of the thousands of young graduates that have recently applied for a job, then you most likely know the feeling; the feeling of disappointment when you found out that you’re not going to get the job (internship) you’ve applied for. The bitter feeling takes over you and you start questioning your skills, personality and even the significance of your achievements. The feeling is even worse if the job was one that you appreciated, sincerely wanted and believed to be experienced enough for.

Most HR specialists will always manage to take a rabbit out of their hat and tell you a reason why you are not suitable for a position. To name just a few: lack of experience, not the right qualifications, or an unsatisfactory interview.  As I was reflecting on this today, I came across, not surprisingly given the circumstances,  SteveJobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address. It is quite moving, regardless of whether you're an Apple-maniac or not, so if you haven’t heard it, now is the perfect time to do so. To make the long story short, Jobs explains how everything in his life had happened for a reason.  Dropping out of college and being fired from the company that he established was his destiny, the route he had to follow. Without following exactly the same (career)path he wouldn’t have been the visionary Steve Jobs that we knew. 

This made me think and re-think my perspective. Maybe it’s not you, your application, personality or qualifications. What if it is simply destiny? So if you’ve also quit college, have been recently fired, are doing the third (un)paid internship in your life, a PhD, or a third MA or you’re simply not getting the dream job, it is (maybe) because this is your destiny, the route you have to follow. All these things are just dots. And even if now, from the perspective of an unemployed job-seeker, you fail to see how these dots could be related to each other, how these unfortunate career steps could actually be part of your way up, a sort of destiny master-plan for you, one day you will. Because:

You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your guts, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

So next time when you hear that you’re not the person they’ve been looking for, remember that maybe it's exactly the opposite - this is not the company YOU're looking for. A failed job opportunity is just a dot, a dot, which will soon make sense. A blessing in disguise...

Never say it out loud

While surfing on the net today, I discovered a website with different types of "catchy" openings for cover letters. One of the recommendations, obviously suitable for overconfident applicants who target the same type of recruiters, was to start your letter with "You should be crazy not to take me!"

Yeah, right! I quickly closed that page in an attempt to clear my mind from that contagious thought. Truth is every time I start writing a cover letter this idea just gets stuck into my mind, making me believe that I am the only possible candidate who fulfills the requirements and is available immediately. The ugly truth is - I am not. There are at least a couple of more candidates, who if not better, are equally good as me (you). Thinking that "they" should be crazy not to take "you" is wrong on so many levels, so where should I begin?

First, confidence is one thing. Overconfidence is something totally different. It blurs your assessment of where you stand, what your skills and qualifications are and what they need to be. If you start writing a cover letter with that idea in mind, you will most likely fail to identify your weaknesses. By only pointing out how you "fit" the requirements you neglect your vulnerable points. And I honestly believe that mentioning your weaknesses in a positive way in the cover letter is a must.

Second, overconfidence can backfire. HR people are different. You never know what kind of person will look at your application. So in case you are not familiar with the person or organisation your applying for, be careful with bold (opening) lines.

Third, if you're not swearing by the power of positive thinking, my advice is to be moderate in your expectations. This way actually being invited for an interview will be a surprisingly good event.

Last but not least, I've heard already a couple of people applying for jobs they are not qualified for, say the same thing. So even if this thought slips into your mind, never say it out loud.  You cannot imagine how ridiculous it could sound.

Fingers crossed!

ban on Europass CVs

Studied in Harvard,

was a freelance journalist,

speaks Chinese,

interned at NATO

 ....and so on ...

Why, why, why should you put all these brilliant things in a standard Europass CV template? I just don't get it. If anyone has the answer, please, let me know.

European Job Day 1-10-2011

With the annual event for wanna-be Brussels employees in sight I decided to list few reasons why NOT to attend the European Job Day:

1. Job fairs simply don't work. I know that you have a friend, who has a friend, who managed to find a job at such fair. I have a friend too. But believe me, the general rule is that job fairs are the place to be for employers, not so much for job seekers.
2. European Job Days 2011 will offer you the chance to meet the same employers that the EU Job Days 2010 did. A quick look at the website reveals the (OMG) shocking fact that this year's selection is an exact match of last year's. My feeling tells me these companies offer the same positions. Let's hope for the sake of the thousands of people attending that these vacancies are different if existing at all.
3.  It's crowded so if you're up for some pushing or squashing, be my guest. Even if you're able to survive the crowd and you are ready to sacrifice that nice pair of shoes, you need to keep in mind that your attendance will most certainly be unnoticed. There are hundreds of people passing by each stand. HR people are exhausted and pay absolutely no attention to who you are or what you want. It's almost impossible to stand out in that crowd (unless you are naked or something). Moreover, what's the point in queuing for two hours when sending off your CV is 3 mouse-clicks away. 
4. There is only a limited number of actual employers. Most of the stands are occupied by recruitment agencies. Visiting their office could prove much more useful then annoying them on such a busy event. 
5. Just to enter the building you need to bring at least ten copies of your CV. Hmm, ever heard of "Think about the environment" EU policy? Guess not.
6. Last but not least -  it's on a Saturday and I don't know about you, but I can think of at least ten other things to do which are funnier than applying for a job :) 

So unless you have an interview scheduled for that day or you're curious to take a tour in the Berlaymont building, my advice is to skip this "recruitment" event and enjoy your weekend! 

Content-rich CV

I stumbled upon a very creative and slightly creepy (especially, if you’re watching the video on mute) interactive CV. Take a look at how this student integrates technology, design, artistic skills and innovation into his CV. I am not quite sure whether this guy was able to find an internship. I am certain though that he will find a job.
To be honest I hate the photo mostly because I imagine how many hours I will spend Photoshopping my flaws for such a high-resolution pic. But the QR codes are definitely a very fresh idea that will impress any potential employers. Moreover, if you're applying for a communications or marketing related position then you can definitely benefit from such a content-rich CV. You can link it to a blog, LinkedIn profile, twitter account or special webpage with your CV. Choices are unlimited. Still, I have to warn you: be careful with that Summer 2011 Facebook album ;)
So the message is: job hunters respect the basics & add value by experimenting!

QR CODE - Content-rich Resume from Victor petit on Vimeo.

CV for starters

Frankly, I would hate to dedicate a whole blogpost to the CV. Much has been said about it and the internet hosts an endless number of websites with tips on how to make the best of your Curriculum Vitae. Yet, the hundreds available templates say little about young graduates whose CVs contain not more than a BA or MA. How do you fill in the blanks? Education and diplomas are one thing, work experience - totally different. And still it is possible to construct your CV in a way that even with little pre-professional experience, it is attractive enough for potential employers.

So how do you do that? Here are my little tips.

• Describe your studies. It may seem obvious to you what your discipline entails, but don't forget that people with different background and knowledge will screen your CV. Names of disciplines could be very misleading, especially for people coming from a different country. Chances are that in Brussels your CV will be reviewed by a person of who-knows-what nationality. E.g. a diploma in communications in Bulgaria means you are an engineer. In Belgium (depending on University) it could mean PR, advertising, journalism, marketing and so on. So don't take it for granted that people would understand what your BA or MA means.
• List your majors. List your majors or the subjects that you have enjoyed the most. A nice trick is to change them according to the opening you're applying for. If you are applying for an organisation that deals with copyrights and you've studied Media (or copyright) law... then you should not hesitate to list it.
• Don't forget your thesis. Most graduates tend to forget that they've spent months working on their final thesis. This counts. Add a brief description, the name of your supervisor and (if impressive) the final points. 
• Papers, workshops, projects.  Have you been involved in different projects or researches, have you written a brilliant paper? Don't forget to mention it. 
• All experience counts. To most people experience = professional experience. Luckily, that's completely not true. Summer jobs, internships, volunteer work, 1, 2, 3-day trainings, etc. all count as long as they are relevant to the positions.  
• Seminars, conferences, etc. If you are currently in Brussels then you should definitely take the opportunity to attend the various seminars and conferences organised in the EU capital. These things add a nice touch to your CV, show your engagement & willingness to learn... (I know how it sounds but that's reality) 
• List your (internship) assignments. Describing your day-to-day tasks or projects that you've worked on during previous internship is essential. I could imagine that this will take a page or two so be  selective. Choose the most important (/regular) ones. Nevertheless, keep in mind the requirements of the job your applying for. 
• EU template. Unless you're applying for an institution that specifically asks for the standard EU CV template, don't use it. It's horrible, it's ugly, it's boring. And most likely there will be 50 other people that have already used it.
• Picture? This is a tough one. We could argue about it forever and still reach no conclusion whether you should put a picture on your CV or not. My feeling tells me that if you're applying for an NGO in Brussels, you should better avoid putting your smiley face on a CV. If the company (organisation) specifically asks for it, than it is out of the question that you should put your picture. However, my personal experience is that various organisations tend to brand themselves as an "equal opportunity" employer and therefore see CV pictures as an obstacle for this. Tip: if you see on the bottom of the page that "We are an equal opportunity employer and encourage..." than definitely forget about the picture. Friends say that French and Belgian companies prefer pictures... So my advice: think twice before hitting the "send" button. 
• Typos, misspellings, switched lines, missing words... Annoying, I know. But it really gets your CV down-rated when people see these "little" things. I wouldn't give the advice to let s.o. else read it (cause I know that people will ignore it, just as I did). My advice: when you finally have a version of your CV with little or no mistakes, try not to mess it up. Be careful when adding/ removing things... Double, triple check everything....
• Layout, people! Even if you keep the layout of your documents basic, it's still better than having several different fonts or interlines in a single document. If you're filling in a template provided by the organisation, please, please, please don't mess it's layout. Take the time to fill it in, or ask a friend to help you (if you don't manage). I don't know about zodiacal signs but the layout of your documents definitely tell a lot about yourself! At least to me. Poor layout means that you're probably not really good with computers or MS Word (a must for every soon-to-be Eurocrat). It could also mean that you have superficial interest in this job or that you're simply sloppy. Either way, it doesn't really add value to your application. And guys, learn how to check boxes in MS Word :) 

What makes Brussels so special?

Most people referred to this blog page through Google or any other search engine are fully aware of the benefits that Brussels has to offer to young graduates. EU institutions are among the most attractive employers all over Europe. Along with them, though, EU Council, Parliament & NATO headquarters had formed fruitful ground for various lobby organisations, NGOs & think-thanks. If you are advocating for human, women's, animal's rights, or even the rights of photovoltaic solar panels, Brussels is the place to be. With its wealth of job opportunities for (the extremely popular, but rarely useful) social and political scientists (like me), the Belgian capital has turned into a synonym of high class income and little work. And since demand outweighs supply, it is not unusual that for one position there are more than 400 applicants. Yes, you've got this right. Paid internships or general positions in administration, where no specific skills are required (or at least this is what the majority thinks), tend to attract hundreds of applications from wanna-be Eurocrats.

The ones that are already here seem to like letting off the steam every now and then. Young expats, paid and unpaid interns, MEPs assistants and various other groups have lately boosted the popularity of the night-life in Brussels. A drink after work, some networking (we are job hunting after all) or casual sex. The EU district has it all.

What makes Brussels unique to me though is the multi-culti environment. I love speaking English at work, French on the metro, Dutch on the train. The variety of nationalities, looks, ideas, languages, cultures, so unusual for Belgium, is mostly concentrated in Brussels. And that's what makes it the place I want to be!

Bilingual

I was planning to introduce myself in the second blog post and tell something more about me and my education and experience, interests and future aspirations, but due to some unexpected developments I would have to postpone this. Today I got a call from an organisation where I applied for a 6-months paid internship as a communications assistant. Sounded nice, interview went more than fine, my profile is a perfect match for the requirements. I had a good CV, they said, good references and they were obviously satisfied with my answers at the interview. Despite this the organisation called to let me know that this is obviously not enough and the internship has been (surprise, surprise) offered to someone else.

Besides the bitter disappointment, as I was counting on this opportunity, I couldn't help but wonder what my application was lacking. "You are not a native English speaker. And we need someone to correct us as none of the people in the office is", said the voice. Great! Nowadays it is not enough to be smart, educated, outgoing, friendly, innovative, creative, motivated and experienced. Job hunters also need to be native English speakers in order to edit and/or translate the organisation's communication. Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't there a whole science about this, and a profession (in which other young graduates are hoping to specialize)? To make it even worse - this is Brussels. Here being a native English speaker is also not enough. If you are bilingual French-English speaker, even without a diploma, or qualifications, you are most likely going to find a job. And to illustrate the mood I am in (bitterly disappointed --> cynical) a song  for all young university graduates, who are wondering how they can become bilingual

For a start

First, you need a (university) diploma. Then you have to be assertive and naturally brilliant. In addition to being creative, you also need to be able to put yourself on the market. And of course, all this involves working (a couple of months) for free, or what in Brussels is called "being an intern".

This process is what a university graduate will most likely face, once (s)he steps out of the campus area. Finding a job in Brussels could be a tempting opportunity, but is also a heavy task. So here we are - me, soon-to-be university graduate, my second unpaid internship in Brussels and my ambitious self. We are job hunting!

Although it has just been a couple of months since I started my search, I have already read the most absurd job requirements and have applied for various demanding organisations (companies). Stay tuned to see how the job hunting will progress :)

Cheers!