Hmm, how am I going to get this job?

Hmm, how am I going to get this job? 

5th May, 2016

Aaron explores the weird and often confronting concept of self-promotion when applying for jobs post-university.

In my position at my place of employment I spend a good chunk of my time looking through job applications for potential childcare workers, and also take part in the interview process for new hires. I’ve been working for the same company now for quite a while, in the industry for a little over 10 years, and haven’t really needed a good job application or display of my previous work recently as I’ve just moved between different companies to get to where I am. In light of this, some recent assessment tasks we have been set with at University have required a lot of creative thinking on my behalf to build up my portfolio for the future if I intend on getting into the field of teaching and learning how to promote myself as an effective teacher – without sounding like a total jerk.

One thing I’ve found is the need to set aside the judgments we all unconsciously place on ourselves, and look at our work output and personal perspective from an objective standpoint. This doesn’t mean to take your personality out of what you are creating, but more to allow yourself to look at your application/portfolio/resume as someone who is looking to employ people at their place of work.  Now, I should also add, I am not a school Principal, I don’t have a perfect sense of what each individual will think when looking at my work, but as someone who has sifted through quite a lot of job applications in recent years, I can say there are some definite things to keep in mind.

I could write a big list of things to write or to leave out, but I think what’s more pertinent here is the approach you take to what is being written. Look at your efforts during your time at University, what are you proud of? What helped you develop a greater understanding of the world you are studying? What will prove that you have developed as a person during your time spent sitting in lecture theatres and staring at computer screens late at night? We can all remember the things that we place value on, so use that, even if it doesn’t sound like the perfect quip for a job, it is your honest reflection on your achievements, and being confident and proud of what you recognize as a strength will show in your chosen written format for job acquisition, and will show in your explanation and reasoning in your formal interview.

We’ve all heard stories of people who have lied their way into jobs, and heard stories of people who have been caught out on those lies. Don’t start off on the wrong path, or let self-doubt get in the way. Self-confidence isn’t something that comes naturally to everyone; so using the objective eye is a great way to move past that. If you were looking at this application and this portfolio of achievements, would you be impressed? Is this believable, and does it show growth and merit in the field you’re applying to work in? If you think ‘YES!’ then you’re on the right track. Believe in yourself, c’mon, just try it.

- Aaron Osborne