Applying for a jobLooking to get into the startup world? Get your first grown up job or maybe just looking to move onto bigger and better things in a new job? No matter the goal, writing a great CV and cover letter is key to securing that next job Those aren’t hard rules, but following […]
Applying for a job Looking to get into the startup world? Get your first grown up job or maybe just looking to move onto bigger and better things in a new job? No matter the goal, writing a great CV and cover letter is key to securing that next job
Those aren’t hard rules, but following these guidelines is a good start.
Read the advertisement I know this sounds obvious, but a surprising amount of people don’t read the job ads they are applying for. That results in not providing enough information to the employer or applying for something you are wildly underqualified for.
Aside from understanding the job you are applying for,
reading the ad properly makes tailoring your CV/cover letter so much easier.
Startups for example might need their front-end developer to do something more
than just programming. If you only want to do programming that job might not be
for you.
Create an easy to read CV Keep it clean, keep it simple. Put yourself in the shoes of a hiring manager that might have to go through 100+ CV’s that day, make finding the key information easy. This is especially important if you are applying at a startup that might have limited manpower to go through your application.
Try to focus on your strengths that are relevant to the job,
if you are applying for a back-end developer role, your summer job at a grocery
store is unlikely to help. It might however help if you are looking for a
customer facing job.
Quality > Quantity, a hiring manager would rather receive
one-page CV filled with quality than a three page one with irrelevant
information. Keep that in mind and focus on information that supports your
application.
Cover Letter The easiest way to start is by creating a generic cover letter with some background information and the hard/soft skills that apply to any job outlined. You can then use that base to create a tailored cover letter for each job you apply for.
Use the cover letter to explain how and why you are the
right person, the job ad will be asking for certain skills and attributes. You
need to show that you have what they are looking for and provide support for
your claims.
Avoid using generic keywords like hard worker, multitasker
and great team player if you can’t provide any examples to support it.
And never lie.
Follow up Sending a short follow up message one or two weeks after sending in the application reinforces your interest in the job.
Being at university during 2020 and 2021 was tough enough, but now you need to find a job. As much as your over-opinionated uncle claims you can ‘walk right up to the boss and say, “I’m your guy!”, it doesn’t really work like that anymore. So how does it work? The job process To get […]
Being at university during 2020 and 2021 was tough enough, but now you need to find a job. As much as your over-opinionated uncle claims you can ‘walk right up to the boss and say, “I’m your guy!”, it doesn’t really work like that anymore. So how does it work?
The job process
To get your foot into the door, you need a CV to send. One common misconception is that recruiters and those in HR actually read your CV. However, for many larger companies, this does not happen. In fact, many use software that pre-scan your CV. Ever got a rejection email at 2:45 am? That’s not Susan from HR – that’s their prescreen CV software.
What comes next in the job process depends on the company. You should expect at least one interview and or competency-based test along the way. Nonetheless, even finding the right job or getting your foot in the door can be the main challenge for grads. So, I’ve compiled 3 key tips below to help out my fellow grads:
Realising what skill set you already have
What is commercial awareness? Breaking down the buzzword
Reject tradition, embrace modernity
Realising what skill set you already have
As a recent graduate myself, the task of finding a paid role was daunting. Especially since I was in the mindset that I was competing with hundreds of others – those who had internships through family friends, those who didn’t go to university who now have professional work experience and so forth. Yet, what many of us don’t realise is that we already have skill sets we aren’t aware of. Employers aren’t necessarily looking for solid experience in their graduates.
If you have just graduated, you are most likely part of Gen Z. Compared to our predecessors, we’ve never not been immersed in technology.
[Unlike her, I was a whizz at WordArt and Paint by year 6]
As a graduate, you have been exposed to and used software that employers are looking for. The basics are your Outlook packages: Word, Excel, Powerpoint etc. It is a given you’ve used them, and for some, mastered them. You have probably used social media before too – you understand engagement, posts and trends. This is another skill within your digital literacy. It is worthwhile to have a think about what other specific software you might have used in the past couple of years. Maybe even give your typing speed a check to subtly flex on your CV next time.
The soft skills
In a nutshell, think of soft skills as your non-technical skills. 97% of employers said soft skills are essential, yet, 54% of the employees say they have not included soft skills in their CV. Evidently, these play a key role in your job search.
The obvious examples might be that you can display teamwork through playing on your university’s netball team. Yet, your soft skills go beyond that. You have researched for your dissertation project, showcased time management through your deadlines, perhaps enhanced your administrative skills through being part of a university executive team. The options are endless, and as long as you have evidence to back it up, you’re set up for success.
2. What is commercial awareness? Breaking down the buzzword
Now enough of the self confidence boost. You may have come to the realisation that you are a master of many skills but there are still areas you need to work on. Most importantly, everyone’s favourite buzzword: commercial awareness. However, Google-ing and grasping the definition of commercial awareness is not sufficient, putting it into praxis is.
Stalk them
Not literally, just… internet-ly. LinkedIn is a good place to check a company’s contemporary updates – some tend to have either outdated websites or websites that only cover basic updates. Knowing specific details about a company’s place in the landscape of their industry… get ready to sign that contract.
[Joe from You was clearly about that grind]
Learn the buzzwords within the buzzword
Learn the lingo of the field you’re interested in. Solely knowing about the company you are applying to can only get you so far. For instance, say you want to take on a marketing role. You’ve researched the latest company updates, work culture and CSR policy.
Yet, what comment can you give on the general landscape of the industry? As soon as you throw in an ‘SMS’ ‘Google Analytics’ and ‘SEO’ – you sound like you know what you are talking about. In fact, this little trick is great if you’re in a pinch. Sounding like you know your way around the field, understanding the basic concepts, shows a willingness to learn. Or help you fake it til you make it.
3. Reject tradition, embrace modernity
Most importantly, it is paramount to remember that for many graduates in our current climate, we might not need or have to follow the traditional path. You do not specifically need to get a summer scheme at firm x, then become a junior and then senior at the same company.
Instead, a good way to get started in your career path is to think a bit outside the box. One way in which you can do this is by working in a startup. Startups often provide internships and junior positions that don’t require tons of experience – great for grads.
Moreover, you don’t have to get into the field you want straight away if you can’t find the right opportunity. Open your horizons! To become an operations lead, a temporary customer service job will help you build transferable skills. Alternatively, you might really enjoy working at a startup, and decide you prefer the work culture it sustains rather than your original career path. It’s good to get a taste of occupations you haven’t considered before; why buy an ice cream before asking for a sample?
Extra resources: If you’re rearing to go, check out the websites/resources below:
QR-ious about the rise of QR (Quick Response) codes? These little boxes of matrix barcodes have been around for 20 years but haven’t really taken off until the pandemic struck us. They’ve been incredibly useful in preventing virus contraction and obviously, made it super convenient to order pints at the pub. In fact, QR code […]
QR-ious about the rise of QR (Quick Response) codes? These little boxes of matrix barcodes have been around for 20 years but haven’t really taken off until the pandemic struck us.
They’ve been incredibly useful in preventing virus contraction and obviously, made it super convenient to order pints at the pub. In fact, QR code downloads have soared 750% over the last 18 months, according to Bitly.
The pandemic widened the gap in the market and we’ve seen many QR startups be born out of the pandemic. According to Traxcn, there are over 100 QR code companies now.
Flowcode (who have recently worked with JLo) has been revolutionising the consumer marketing industry by building a connection between online and offline. Imagine seeing an advert for a brand you like on the Central line. A QR code could allow you to scan the barcode and be taken straight to the product, genius! While that sounds pretty cool, they don’t appear to have reached the London Underground yet (prioritise some air conditioning on the Central first please).
QR code startups don’t yo-yo around either, except Yoyo Wallet that is. A London based start-up, Yoyo Wallet concerns itself with payment and customer rewards. This start-up gives us the taste for the future of hybrid physical-digital shopping interactions.
Yet, with great QR codes comes great responsibilities. As positive as the rapid growth has been for this niche industry, potential questions might be raised on its impact on the occupation of service staff or security.
To end on a lighter note, instead of picking the red or blue pill, pick a QR code! Have a scan of the QR codes below.
Welcome to Work In Startups X Women In Tech series! For the tech industry in particular, the equal representation of women and men may still have decade’s worth of work left to go. With the tech workforce being made up of just 19% women, it bodes the question…what can we do to encourage more women […]
Welcome to Work In Startups X Women In Tech series! For the tech industry in particular, the equal representation of women and men may still have decade’s worth of work left to go. With the tech workforce being made up of just 19% women, it bodes the question…what can we do to encourage more women to enter the tech industry, but additionally, what can be done to also attract women in to more senior and leadership positions. In the second part of this series, we speak Joey Rosenburg from Women Who Code, a platform that provides services for women pursuing technology careers and a job board for companies seeking coding professionals.
Hello! I am Joey Rosenberg, Chief Leadership Officer at Women Who Code, the world’s largest community inspiring diverse women to excel in tech careers. We are working hard to create a world where women are better represented as technologists and tech leaders.
Is there one piece of advice you wish somebody gave you at the beginning of your career?
Go for it! Whatever your dream is, follow it fiercely. You will very likely be surprised by all of the opportunities that unfold if you dare to walk down the path. Also, value the small steps – they add up to greatness!
What’s your opinion on the state of the FemTech Sector currently?
FemTech is all about solving problems that matter for women. It’s a daring industry that isn’t afraid to tackle topics that have been seen as taboo. For far too long, these problems have been overlooked because decisions about which problems are deemed worthy of solving are often made by people with power, influence, and access to capital, frequently leaving women out of the conversation. Today, FemTech is on the rise. Women are boldly stepping up and speaking out about the change they want to see, and finding ways to make it happen.
What’s your opinion on the state of gender diversity within the tech industry?
The reality is that women are being left behind. Women of color are being left behind at even higher rates. When these voices are missing from the table, it’s less likely that their needs will be at the forefront of decisions made about products that shape our world. Rather than turn away from these challenges, we should be investing in every aspect of the talent pipeline to ensure that diverse women are supported to consider careers in tech, thrive while in industry, return to the industry after breaks, and excel into leadership.
Looking at the rise in Femtech companies and the importance of having women within this sector, do you think it will help accelerate a change from a male dominated tech industry?
Femtech has the potential to help women see that tech can be used to solve problems that are highly relevant to their needs, which may generate greater interest in the field. The real influencers will be those with access to resources. This is a huge market, but we are just in the early stages of seeing it’s potential. Hopefully, investors will recognize that women are uniquely positioned to drive this sector of the industry forward, and demonstrate this understanding by increasing the portion of their investment portfolios going to women-led startups in the field.
What do you think we should be doing more of to encourage more women to consider a career in tech?
We need to make tech tangible and accessible. From a young age, we should assume that anyone can be an engineer. We should be showing girls what it’s like to work in technology, giving them role models they can relate to, and sharing resources to help them develop their skills. This should be echoed from early education all the way up through to professional career services.
How have you found it best to promote and nurture women in the workplace?
Be intentional. Inclusion doesn’t happen by desire, it happens by design. Companies should be reviewing their policies and practices to ensure that bias is acknowledged and reduced at every step from hiring to career advancement. Team leaders should consider how projects are determined and allocated, ensuring that diverse teams have the opportunity to elevate the most pressing challenges that they want to solve. Finally, address bias and discrimination head on. Companies should be actively listening to and believing their employees when they say that they face discrimination, and taking tangible and visible steps to address it.
What is your advice for female entrepreneurs entering the industry?
Know your worth and believe in yourself. Your viewpoint might not be immediately amplified because it might not fit the status quo. The world needs those voices more than ever. Find a community, like Women Who Code where you can build a supportive network, keep your skills fresh, and find a sense of belonging in tech. This goes a long way to creating the staying power and resiliency you’ll need to excel in this industry.
Online dating is already a bit of a minefield. Throw a global pandemic into the equation, dating in 2021 isn’t easy. But there’s no doubt that dating apps have thrived in the past couple of years, as result. This trend isn’t likely to slow down just because COVID is coming to an end. Recognising this, […]
Weekly brief: The online dating apps shaking traditions.
Online dating is already a bit of a
minefield. Throw a global pandemic into the equation, dating in 2021 isn’t
easy. But there’s no doubt that dating apps have thrived in the past couple of
years, as result.
This trend isn’t likely to slow down
just because COVID is coming to an end. Recognising this, we look at the
newcomers entering the dating scene.
Thursday, the dating app backed by Monzo
founder Tom Blomfield, is a unique concept whereby you match, flirt and chat
during the day on a Thursday before locking in a date evening. Raising an
impressive £2.5m in funding, they’re on track to overtake the big players dominating
the dating scene.
Using real time geolocation technology,
Happn will match you with people who are
also on the app in close proximity on a daily basis. With a 100M worldwide
users and a total of £16M raised in funding, their personal take on dating sets
them apart from their competitors.
So Syncd, the dating app that matches compatible
personality types, has raised a seed round of almost £1m to grow its user base.
Founded by 2 sisters in Cornwall, they’ve used a unique algorithm, based on the
Myers-Briggs
personality test to bring people together.
The online dating market value is
expected to reach £74
million this year so whether we like it or not, these platforms are here to
stay, pandemic or no pandemic.
With the growing concerns for environmental changes and new regulations being put in place, the demand for Electric vehicles (Ev) has gained momentum globally, increasing the value of the transportation industry by 36.3% in terms of value from 2020 to 2028. To keep up with demand and with the threat of a ban on new […]
Weekly brief: The next generation of electric cars.
With the growing concerns for environmental
changes and new regulations being put in place, the demand for Electric
vehicles (Ev) has gained momentum globally, increasing the value of the
transportation industry by 36.3% in terms of value from 2020 to 2028.
To keep up with demand and with the
threat of a ban on new cars and vans that operate on fuel from 2030, UK
startups are contributing their innovative solutions to the EV sector.
Arrival are redefining the future of public
transport by developing and manufacturing zero-emissions solutions whilst
advancing their own software and material systems. They raised an impressive
£342milion in private investment back in November.
Riversimple are a UK-based hydrogen car company
specialising in personal mobility solutions whilst boasting no environmental
impact. With the only emission being water and the refueling time lasting only
minutes, Riversimple are appealing to the environmentally conscious and savvy
city consumer.
eFOLDi are turning things around in the assisted mobility sector by creating a
foldable and compact range of mobility scooters. One of the first of its kind,
eFOLDi is building an iconic smart brand for people with reduced mobility and
with a successful first round of funding, the demand is being met.
The clear 2030
deadline is driving investment into the future of mobility so it will be
interesting to see the development for the next generation of Electric
Vehicles. Maybe we will have flying cars after all!
With the UEFA Euro 2021 tournament underway, the advances in technology to boost players and improve the overall fan experience, have been more important than ever. “Which football fan doesn’t want to experience what a football player sees, feels, hears, and even senses, and – most importantly – how fast he kicks the ball?” With […]
Weekly brief: Tech is shaping the future of football!
With the UEFA Euro 2021 tournament
underway, the advances in technology to boost players and improve the overall
fan experience, have been more important than ever.
“Which football fan doesn’t want to
experience what a football player sees, feels, hears, and even senses, and –
most importantly – how fast he kicks the ball?”
With the successively increasing
intensity of matches, injury prevention is crucial. Zone7 takes into account 5 million hours of
human performances in sports and operates with AI patterns in order to identify
breakpoints or potential problems for the players and athletes. All based on
tons of data and AI algorithms!
Southampton Football Club unveiled the
world’s first kit to feature Augmented Reality. In partnership with Hummel, fans can scan with their smartphones
to bring the shirt to life and experience exclusive content. Football really is
coming (to the comfort of our own) home.
InCrowd exists to significantly improve the
fan experience through digital innovation, leading and shaping the development
of the sports industry to cater to the digitally-driven modern sports fan.
Acknowledging that fans have different experiences with sport, they’ve
identified 4 key fan experiences.
Football hasn’t been the same, but with the help of innovative tech, it could become better than ever before!
Diversity and inclusion in the tech sector has received much attention over recent years. What’s clear to see is that the need for equality, diversity and inclusion is more important than ever. In celebration of Pride month, we’ve highlighted just a few companies who are championing LGBTQ+ equality and how they are doing it. Gousto, […]
Weekly Brief: The tech companies championing LGBTQ+ equality!
Diversity and inclusion in the tech sector has received much attention over recent years. What’s clear to see is that the need for equality, diversity and inclusion is more important than ever.
In celebration of Pride month, we’ve highlighted just a few companies who are championing LGBTQ+ equality and how they are doing it.
Gousto, the British meal kit retailer, prioritises the importance of equality and diversity in the workplace. Acknowledging that more men than women study technology subjects at higher education, Gousto prioritises recruitment training upskilling to ensure a fair selection and screening process with no bias with hope to close the gender pay gap.
Charlie HR, the complete People platform for small companies, aims to create more inclusive workspaces through a series of professional networking and mentoring events, panels and workshops.
Queer Code London is a community of programmers in London who provide support for queer people working in software development whilst engaging regular workshops and networking events for thousands of likeminded people. Popularity for Queer Code has been steadily increasing and its niche corner of the internet is attracting people all over the UK.
Lyft, the purpose-driven ride sharing service is committed to creating a community in which riders and drivers feel as though they are included and belong. The company is also partnering with major pride festivals in six cities across the nation to support its colourful community.
Regardless of who you are, finding a community that will support your career endeavours can be a welcome source of empowerment, especially in an industry that isn’t always welcoming. Here are a number of organisations committed to bringing equality to the tech industry.
Here are 4 tips to ensure a more inclusive work environment:
Update Policies And Ensure Inclusive Benefits
Employers should make it a priority to revisit and update their policies to be more inclusive to their LGBTQ+ employees. Celebrating employee differences by implementing diversity or pride days are a great way to ensure their colleagues are supported. Active conversations need to be had often regarding updated policies to stress that discrimiation and harassment will not be tolerated.
Train On Inclusivity In Language
To ensure there is no exclusion of candidates, evaluate the current language used in job descriptions and replace any gender-coded terms with neutral language. LinkedIn is taking an inclusive step by introducing the option to display pronouns on individuals profiles, helping others be respectful of their identity. They’ve also added a name pronunciation tool and the option to add a cover story video to introduce yourself in a more personal way.
Hear what your employees have to say
Understanding how your company can be more inclusive is often determined by the employees so by conducting anonymous company-wide surveys, you can gain a better understanding on whether or not LGBTQ+ employees feel a sense of belonging. This is a great way to encourage staff to openly share their experiences too so businesses can learn from mistakes.
Support LGBTQ+ organisations.
Majority of companies have a ‘house charity’ who they support but additionally businesses could coordinate a group for your local pride march, donate to a relevant nonprofit or volunteer with a local charity. It’s an encouraging way to get people involved in fundraising whilst also educating your employees.
This is not a conclusive list, but it is a start to creating a more inclusive LGBTQ workplace. We would love to hear what your employers are doing to create an inclusive work environment.
