University students may tend to focus their energies on courting romantic interests, but a recent column by an SFU graduate suggests that they should court career interests in a similar fashion.
Adrian Papara, an economics graduate from SFU and current MBA student in Ottawa, recently wrote a column for The Globe & Mail describing how applicants need to approach the job market like they would the dating scene.
In his column, Papara emphasized the need to stand out in interviews just like one would when trying to get a date. He wrote, ”When it comes to getting noticed at business or school-related networking events, I have adopted the habit of wearing vivid coloured neckties to make myself increasingly memorable and attract attention.”
Much like dating, searching for a job can be daunting for students, explained Tony Botelho, the director of SFU’s Career & Volunteer Services. He explained, “There are a group of students who raise secured work before they graduate, [but] there is a percentage of students who are completely intimidated and find the whole job search process intimidating and absolutely frustrating. Then there’s a huge bulk in the middle.”
Botelho, who helps students get “their best shot at ending up in employment in line with what they might want to be doing,” expressed the advantages of sorting out career priorities early. Botelho suggests students take into consideration the value they place not only on things such as income, travel, time-off, balanced lifestyle, but also believing in the work they do. “Students who start early and [are doing] activities and sort of thinking of things [. . .] tend to do better.”
According to Botelho, there are three tiers of “any effective work search,” the first of which aligns with Papara’s arguments in his column.
The first tier is what Botelho calls the “online portion.” Similar to how people search through online dating profiles, this includes searching for job postings through websites such as Craigslist. However, he cautions, “Very few people get career related jobs from job postings.”
Papara upheld the importance of a well made Linkedin account which serves as a “digital resume,” saying that “crafting a well-thought personal description always helps you stand out among other users.”
The last two tiers of Botelho’s strategies revolve around “you as a human being interacting with other human beings.”
The second tier is making connections, whether they are through networking events or one-on-one meetings.
Although Botelho agreed with Papara’s statement that standing out can be good, he noted that it has to be “in a positive way,” saying, “there’s no one thing; it is overall thinking and strategy.”
He did warn against simply networking, saying, “Networking opportunities are just part of a strategy but the bigger point is getting into situations where you are interacting with people and the type of people you want to interact with and doing it in an authentic way.”
This leads to his third tier, which he feels is perhaps the most important: making active connections. These include volunteering, serving on a board, internships, and co-ops. Botelho describes this as “put[ting] yourself into situations where people see you do something really well.
“When someone sees you do something or contribute, that raises their view of you even higher, and they’ll work harder for you, supporting you with other people or within the organization as well,” he said.
In spite of all of the planning and preparation, Botelho says finding a job really depends on the mindset of a student, as a negative mindset can hinder any search for work. Botelho shared some advice that could be applied romantically, and professionally: “It’s important to stay optimistic, to be flexible, [and] open minded.”
