How I did it: I finished uni and decided to look for a job that would be above minimum wage, no shift work, and one I would find reasonably interesting.

So I wrote a CV that did not just list what I did in each job - not 'taking calls from and making calls to customers', but what skills I developed in each job - e.g. 'working under pressure when dealing with large volumes of incoming calls', 'chasing potential leads and securing sales over the phone'.

However, I was a bit thrown in my job search as I was approached for a job that matched my experience and pay expectations, however it was shift work, required a commute, and was in a similar field but not exactly what interested me. Of course they wanted to persuade me to take the job as they could not find enough other people that matched the description, but I had to stick with the other job that I had really wanted - after all, it was the one that I had applied for, and not the one that I needed persuasion for.

I still feel that I have the potential to earn more, but it's a good step in the right direction - it's not just about money, it's also about naturally following the path that suits your personality.

Lessons & tips: - Don't let recruiters push you into a job you don't want. Remember, they are biased as they rely on you to earn them their fee!
- Always write a covering letter. It's your chance to stand out and say why you want the job and why you would be good at the job.
- Write your CV with a bit of passion. Write about the skills you took from each role. Use keywords such as 'communication', 'sales skills', 'accuracy' to supplement job descriptions such as 'dealing with customers', 'taking payments', 'filing'
- You can have more than one CV - for example, if you are an events manager, you can have one written with corporate events in mind, and another written with concerts in mind. Save both on your computer and pick either depending on the role you're applying for.
- Being on the right path to your dream job can be as satisfying as being in that dream job. Especially as a graduate, you can't expect to fall into the top role right now!

Aug 14, 06:28AM PDT | 1 comment | 2 cheers