How to make your job application stand out from the crowd!

Ireland is booming. There are lots of jobs, and also a lot of people applying for them. You need to get your CV to the top of the pile. Lots of you are contacting the Alumni Office for some ideas on how to go about the job search. Here are some quick tips to help you in the process.

Maximising your LinkedIn Profile

• Make sure that you have a LinkedIn profile and that it has the same information as your CV.
• Ensure your nationality/visa status is the first thing in the Overview section if that’s a consideration for you.
• Try to complete all the skills tests that are relevant to you.

Top tips for your CV

• If you aren’t from Ireland, make sure your visa status and work eligibility are at the top of your CV.
• If English is not your first language, include your languages at the top of your CV.
• Double and triple check for typos and keep a clean format. Get a friend to check for you too!

Example of a CV Header

Do you still need a cover letter?

While some employers are doing away with cover letters and just focusing on LinkedIn profiles, many are still looking for a cover letter. What they want to know is how interested you are in the role. Don’t tell them why you want the job, tell them how you’re qualified for that particular job (tailor your cover letter to the job – don’t send a generic message!). Also, give them a sense that you’ve actually researched the company.

How to document your job search

• Keep a spreadsheet of your job application process so you know who you’ve contacted and when you need to follow up.

• When you’re networking, create a similar spreadsheet documenting who you’ve contacted, how you contacted them (LinkedIn, Griffith Alumni Network, etc.), who they are, when you contacted them and the outcome.
• Always follow up! Send an email or better yet, make a phone call a few days after you’ve applied for a job. The  more you show that you are interested in the job, the more your CV is likely to move up in the stack of other CVs.

Networking through the Griffith Alumni Network

There are thousands of alumni (graduates) on the Griffith Alumni Network who are willing to help. This is an excellent resource for gaining insights about the sector you want to work in and how people with your degree have gotten their jobs. If there are alumni working at the companies where you’re applying for work, you can contact them and ask for advice on the job interview or better yet, ask them to mention your name to the HR department so that your CV might move to the top of the pile.

• If you haven’t already joined the Network, go to www.griffithalumninetwork.com
• Click on the “Directory” tab, click on “Affiliation” – Alum and search under the “Willing to help” criteria. You can narrow your search by using other search criteria, such as faculty/course, location, etc.
• Once you find someone whose profile interests you, send them a message. If they don’t respond within a few days, contact the alumni office and we can follow up on your behalf: [email protected].

Sample message: Hi Sarah, I just came across a job posting for an Information Technology Manager at your company and I’d love to get your input on how to best approach this job opportunity. Would you have a moment to discuss this role or could you point me in the right direction for someone within your company I could speak with? I just completed my BSC in Computing Science so think I’d be well-placed for this role. Many thanks in advance for any advice you can give. Kind regards, Jules

Networking on LinkedIn

There are more than 18,000 Griffith College alumni with LinkedIn profiles who you can try to connect with when doing your job search. Here are the steps to take to reach out to people of interest:

• Go to www.linkedin.com, search for Griffith College Dublin (whether you’re a graduate of our Dublin, Cork or Limerick campuses, this is the site for finding alumni) and click on “See alumni”.
• Filter by country, city and the other criteria specific to your needs. You can filter by company, degree and more. Once you’ve found someone you want to connect with, click on “Connect” and make sure to include a note in your message:

You have 300 characters so keep your message very specific.

When doing your job search, there are a lot of people out there to help in the process by opening doors and offering advice, but remember, you need to put in the time and do the work. 

For more specific career support, please go to Careers section of the Griffith website, email the Careers Advisor Emma Flynn at [email protected] or contact Suzanna Doyle in the Alumni Office at [email protected].