If you are looking for a graduate job or internship you will probably be a regular visitors to job boards – like My CareerHub, Target Jobs or Bright Network. If you have ideas about a job, industry or sector that you want to get in to it’s tempting to focus on job adverts because after all a job is your primary goal. But if you only look for advertised jobs, you are missing out on opportunities to understand the industry and sector which will help you to tap into the hidden job market, identify trends and challenges and impress in applications and interviews.
With a little bit of effort up front, you can curate your digital space to get the stories and insight that industry insiders read everyday. Follow these steps so that every time you open your inbox, or log in to LinkedIn you will hear about jobs and internships, networking events, and industry news so you can answer interview questions (Like “what do you expect to be the biggest challenge in our industry in the next five years?”) with confidence.
Curate your LinkedIn Feed
Perhaps you have heard of five, or fifty companies in the sector you want to work in? Following them on LinkedIn means that when they issue press releases or news stories, launch new products and services or hire new leaders you will hear about it. The LinkedIn algorithm is also likely to suggest other organisations in the sector. Don’t forget you can also follow people on LinkedIn – so follow the CEO, Head of department or a recent graduate in a company you really want to work for: read and interact with what they post. And also Explore platforms like Discord, Slack or Reddit.
Look for Trade Magazines
Whether its Chemistry World, HR Week or The Grocer, experts and commentators in the industries you are considering are writing and sharing industry news and you can usually sign up for email alerts without paying for a full subscription.
Join a Professional body or membership organisation
Most professions, functions and industries have membership organisations who run networking events, interest groups and jobs boards. Often students can apply for free or discounted membership. Our sector guides include information on a variety of professional bodies and membership organisations.
Set up preferences on MyCareerHub
Our own jobs and events platform attracts employers who are specifically interested in what Edinburgh students have to offer – through the year we advertise over 850 employer events designed to give you an insight into companies and jobs. By setting up preferences, and ticking the ‘subscribe’ box on the search page you can tailor what you see so you never miss out on opportunities that match your interests
Ask People
People working in roles that interest you will often be the best source of industry news, so consider setting up and informational interview and asking ‘How do you keep up to date with developments in the industry’
And to fuel this list – Ask ELM!
A prompt like ‘Please curate a list of online news sources, email newsletters and Linkedin accounts likely to be followed by an XX professional in the UK’ is likely to give you a strong starting point for your research.
Choose some quick wins from the list and get started today.
Thanks to our Careers Consultant Rebecca Clacy-Jones for providing this great blog post.
