Tired 2 Hired (Preview)

Copyright © 2024 by Sunway University Sdn Bhd

Published by Dialogy Books

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No. 5, Jalan Universiti

Sunway City

47500 Selangor Darul Ehsan

Malaysia

press.sunway.edu.my

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ISBN 978-967-5492-99-0

Edited by Hani Hazman

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Cover image: Natur19/Shutterstock.com

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Preface

Job hunting is scary, especially if you are new to the game. Nobody taught us job-hunting skills in college, even though our survival depends on them! Fortunately, you have discovered this cheat sheet, filled with simple tricks to help you ace your job applications from start to finish.

This book sticks to research-based ideas that are practical, specific and easy to apply. I will break down every step in your quest to find and secure the job of your dreams. From targeting the right companies and crafting a droolworthy CV to mastering interviews and exiting

your current workplace gracefully, this book will give you a 360-degree view of the entire process.

I will also share notes on navigating market crashes due to unprecedented events like the COVID-19 pandemic. There is even an entire chapter on building your digital brand, no matter where you are in your career or industry. All these points make this book the most complete resource you need to see an immediate boost in the quality and quantity of responses from employers.

So, who is hungry for tonnes of delicious offers?

Acknowledgements

Publishing a book is like crossing an ocean. You cannot do it without a suitably big ship and a dependable crew. On that note, I am incredibly grateful to the wonderful editors and the entire team at Sunway University Press, including our partners and supporters. They have all worked tirelessly on my labour of love and transformed it into a timeless resource, which I hope will serve as a “lighthouse” for many fresh graduates sailing out to sea for the first time.

This project began as several informal blog posts that I published on social media merely to document my experiences. I want to thank Zack (Ng Zi-Xiang), who appreciated the posts and nudged me into distilling all the raw insights into a book. I am also thankful to my marketing professor Dr Juliana French from Monash University Malaysia, who enriched me with the business acumen to “sell” my skills creatively in the job market.

I would like to acknowledge the contributions of all the candidates, career coaches, HR representatives and other professionals I consulted for expert insights, both formally and informally. Without their shared knowledge, I would never have been able to build this original piece from scratch. I am certainly standing on the shoulders of giants, and I thank every person who indirectly or directly contributed to the content on these pages.

Saving the best for last, I am eternally indebted to my parents, Bhooshan and Rashmi Rege, who took the time to proofread my first draft and offer crucial feedback that

In hindsight, I am also thankful for all the mistakes I made at the start of my career because they moulded me into the person I am today. Everything happens for a reason and the dots have finally connected for me, and I promise they will for you too. Have faith!

Searching for a job can be a nightmare. The last thing you want to hear is the same old obvious advice peddled by distant relatives or self-proclaimed online gurus. These people may seldom understand what it is like to be

You: A fresh graduate who has spent several months browsing job portals and running around the city for interviews, only to return to square one with no feedback on what went wrong and what can be improved.

Oh yes, I have been at rock bottom too. I have felt the frustration and confusion that haunt every youngster trying to enter the industry or climb the steep corporate ladder. All along, I wished there was one practical cheat sheet with straightforward answers on what I must do to land my dream job. I could not find any such hands-on guide in the library—so I made one for myself. Now, I am sharing this personal career diary to help you navigate the market with me.

There are 75 crystal-clear tips spread over eight chapters. We will look at the entire process so that by the time we are done, you will be an expert on:

• Targeting the right job openings and companies.

• Crafting an effective CV, cover letter and portfolio

• Building your digital presence or personal brand.

• Acing the interview and negotiating the salary you want.

• Exiting your current workplace with no hiccups.

• Surviving career disasters during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.

The tips I will share are universal, so you can apply them no matter which country you live in (or want to migrate to). I focus on helping fresh graduates, because there is very little literature that is relevant for this class of jobseekers. That said, job application procedures will mostly stay the same as you mature, so you can carry forward this wisdom until the end of what I hope will be

The best way to use this book is to go from start to finish, so that you cover every step in chronological order. However, if you are in the middle of a job hunt and need a quick crash course on a particular topic (e.g. interview questions), you may go directly to that chapter or tip. I take great care to explain each point in enough detail so that the point can stand on its own. You can hop and skip between pages any way you like. I suggest opening a live document on the side to save points you

Ultimately, you know yourself best. So, use my templates as per your personal goals and situation. I do not have a single solution to all problems, because that does not exist. So, explore options that work for you and share your feedback with me on any of the channels listed at the end of this section.

Although the inspiration for this book is my personal experience (and experiments), I have done years of exhaustive research to test and refine my theories. All said and done, not all my formulae will work perfectly because the game is different for every player. So, treat

what I tell you as mere guidelines, not rules set in stone. I set realistic expectations here to empower you with a solid base to make your own decisions. It is much better than being clueless, right? The result will depend on how much effort you are willing to put in—and that begins with a solid plan, which this book provides.

This book is also packed with valuable freebies— free tools, blogs, case studies, templates and tutorials. So, to keep us both on the same page (pun intended) at all times, I have compiled all the crucial online resources in a supplementary microsite. I have placed an online link symbol ( ) at every major point referencing a link, so you will know when to use that resource.

Scan the following QR code or go to the microsite tiredtohired.org to enhance the Tired 2 Hired experience. So buckle up, we are going for a ride!

Tired 2 Hired microsite

For discussions, debates, queries and comments, come say hello to me via the following:

• Twitter: @manik_rege manikmarketing98@gmail.com

CHAPTER 1

Create a Battleplan

Imagine I invite you to a race, but I do not tell you where it ends or which way to run. Would you sign up? Funnily enough, this is how most of us approach job hunting: No goals, no direction and no parameters. Whether job hunting takes two weeks or six months, we all end up burnt out [1].

Roadmap

• We will compile the documents you need at different stages of the job-hunting journey.

• We will create a step-by-step checklist to make the hunt feel less intimidating. Soon, it will just be like starting a normal, achievable project in a classroom or at the workplace.

• We will discuss the three most common ways of finding openings: Job portals, targeted emails and references. I will highlight the advantages and challenges of each method so you can decide when and how to use them effectively.

• We will examine three case studies of creative job applications that stand out from the crowd and grab attention. You may take some cues from these examples when you sit down to create your pitch to potential employers.

If we knew what we were doing, job hunting would not be so overwhelming. That is why your first goal is to get everything organised. As your job application process becomes well planned, you will feel more productive and less anxious about

We will see why the timing of your application is crucial and

We will discuss special pointers for fresh graduates, interns, trainees—anyone embarking on their first job ever. You will learn how to compensate for the lack of work experience by demonstrating other qualities such as company knowledge and active community participation (e.g. volunteering at NGOs).

• We will finish the chapter with a concrete understanding on how to stop gambling and plan your career move more systematically.

Tip 1

Gather your documents

Let us warm up with simple things before discussing bigger ideas. We will start by compiling all the crucial documents in one folder on your laptop or PC [2]. I have attached my personal checklist in Table 1 below: No. Document

1 CV

2 Portfolio or three to five samples of your best work

3 Transcripts from university (e.g. marksheets, graduation certificate)

4 Certificates of participation/achievement (e.g. competitions, awards, online courses, seminars, conferences)

5 Passport scan (front and back pages and PR/visa/permit pages, if any)

6 Passport-sized photo

7 Three reference letters (compiled into one document)

8 Cover letter (keep a generic template ready—see Chapter 3

Before you run off to find the documents, note a couple of points.

First, make a backup folder in a cloud storage system such as Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive. Such a precaution protects your data in case your laptop or PC malfunctions and erases everything. You can also use the folder to share a quick link with any prospects or referees online. Check out Figure 1 to see a screenshot of what

Second, remember to take all these documents to all your face-to-face interviews. At the very least, have three physical copies of your CV on hand (one for you, one for the interviewer, and one for the HR representative). In fact, you may also carry a few passport-sized photographs in case they ask you to attach a copy to any form.

All the documents listed in Table 1 should be in PDF format. Only your photo can be in PNG or JPEG. We will shortly discuss why PDF is the best format for

Table 1 Checklist of documents for job hunting

Figure 1 My career docket

Setting healthy routines can contribute to increased productivity. So, let us start by committing a few hours every day to job hunting. Following a set plan will enable you to track your speed and make necessary adjustments to your routine [3]. The idea is to self-apply a healthy amount of pressure.

Here are a few interconnected timetables to help you stay on track:

• A broad roadmap with target deadlines for big milestones. Start with researching prospective employers, followed by crafting your application emails, attending interviews, signing the offer letter and finally resigning from your current job.

• An expanded roadmap. clearly outlines all the tasks you must complete before moving to the next stage.

• A daily timetable. This has dedicated slots for each of the three hunting methods explored in this book.

2.1 Broad roadmap: Main stages in job hunting

You will find a template for the broad roadmap in Table 2. Beside each major milestone, you may jot down a completion date. As a rough guideline, I have included in the table the ideal timespan to complete

that milestone, based on my personal experience and online research.

For example, you may need over a month to finish all your interviews and receive or finalise an offer. As for the total time required, experts agree that the entire process lasts for 12–16 weeks, or about 3–4 months [4]. Of course, completing everything in a month is possible (if you are lucky!). On the flip side, you may take 6–8 months in certain scenarios, especially if your industry is affected by crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. In such cases, you may also have to shift your focus to personal commitments or family emergencies.

Do not treat my deadlines as death sentences! It is fine if you miss a few by a week or two. As I mentioned, the real purpose of the deadlines is to give you a sense of structure and stability. So, take it easy.

2.2 Expanded roadmap: Breaking down

As you look at the different milestones in Table 2, you may ask: “How do I know when I have completed a particular stage?” Do not fret. I have zoomed into these milestones in Table 3 and listed all the tasks you should aim to complete before moving on to the next one. All phases taken together, there are at least 25 hurdles

Table 2 Stages of job search

between you and the finish line. I have sandwiched some additional “side missions” between our main phases, so consider them minor connecting bridges. Do not worry if you cannot understand what a particular task requires you to do, because everything will clear up as we move along.

2.3 Daily timetable: Setting a daily ritual

Once you assemble your application docket (CV, cover letter, portfolio), you are ready to apply for a job. For the job application phase, set aside a fixed number of hours every day.

8

Table 3 Checklist of tasks

If you are unemployed and hunting full-time from home, aim to dedicate an hour each for the three core strategies for finding a job.

These strategies are applying via job portals, targeting companies through research and emails, and getting referrals (see the Bonus section below and Tip 3 to Tip 5). This will bring the daily workload to at least three hours.

However, if you are working somewhere and looking for a change, you may devote only 30 minutes per strategy, bringing the daily workload to about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Use the weekly timetable in Table 4 to enjoy the pleasure of ticking each box as you complete the schedule for that day. It is so satisfying, trust me!

BONUS

Strategies for finding jobs

Now that we are clear on setting a routine, let us discuss how we will find that dream job and get the interview call. Before we go into the details, I will summarise the next few sections to help you understand the logic behind each strategy.

Strategy A: Use job portals effectively

Some people will say that applying for jobs is a game of probability. The more positions you apply for, the higher your chances of getting an interview call. Much like how an investor diversifies their portfolio to balance risk, our plan will be to shoot in all directions to land at least one offer—which is all we will need to survive in the worst-case scenario. The result boils down to sheer luck, so we will maximise our chances by applying for every opportunity we spot online [5].

As unscientific as this strategy may sound, I know friends who have grabbed substantial offers by following these steps: They persistently contacted company founders/recruiters on social media, signed up on all job posting boards, and sent standardised emails to every company in their city. Sometimes, going a little “crazy” is

Strategy B: Target companies through research and emails

I understand if you are not entirely comfortable with the first strategy. Most career experts encourage clients to do exhaustive research before applying anywhere [6]. When you study the market well, you will gain insights into which companies are most suitable for you, and if you target these places, you will have a higher chance of getting in.

Table

If you take the research route, you will have to read each job description carefully, shortlist approximately 100 companies from a raw database of a thousand prospects, and personalise your applications to suit each employer’s requirements. So, be ready for all that effort.

Strategy C: Go big via referrals

Besides the two strategies mentioned, getting a referral is another pathway that is becoming increasingly popular among Gen-Zs, partially because of the connectivity that social media offers today.

Why referrals? Because there are far too many applicants using Strategy A and Strategy B. It is just quicker to take a shortcut and ask for a bit of help from someone who is:

• A current/ex-employee of your target company.

• Involved in decision-making (e.g. CEO, family member of the Director).

• Socially active (so your profile can be circulated among the network).

The element of trust is present when you work with people you know, either through your own association or through a friend. Companies are also more comfortable bringing in people their employees can vouch for. Such candidates feel less risky than complete strangers who only have their own words to support their claims.

Due to the “in-group” bias factor, going through a referral may be the most effective route. However, is that If you ask me, all three strategies are equally valid. There is no telling which will work for you. Is it not just wiser to try a bit of everything on the menu? That is precisely

Strategy A: Use job portals effectively Tip 3

Job portals aggregate postings from all around the world, and you will find various companies advertising on these platforms, ranging from giant MNCs to newly launched garage start-ups. There will always be opportunities here. However, you will also compete for a job with an enormous crowd of applicants, since everyone flocks to such websites for the convenience they offer.

3.1 List of top job portals

I have listed the top job portals in Table 5, starting with the popular ones worldwide based on web traffic data. Then, you can find niche sites that cater to a local subset or demographic based on countries and regions.

Create accounts on at least 25–30 websites to increase your chances of getting noticed by headhunters. You can actually go beyond your residence country and try your luck internationally. Who knows, someone in Singapore, Canada or Australia might stumble upon your profile and make you a life-changing offer.

This is one type of SEO, whereby having a presence on multiple platforms will get you maximum visibility in the market. Nowadays, almost all of these sites have a Google/LinkedIn social login option. The sites also automatically fill up your profile by scanning your CV, so signing up is quite effortless.

3.2 Create mobile alerts

If you apply within 10–12 hours after a job is posted, you may enjoy a first movers’ advantage. Enable job alerts based on your preferences and get them delivered via email, SMS or mobile push notifications. If you wish to keep your personal inbox free of spam, use an alternate email address just for this purpose—creating a free email account takes less than a minute.

Coming up with a unique response from scratch for every post is inefficient. So, create a basic template that sells your core strengths, skills and achievements. You may leave some room to personalise the response with the company’s name and explain why you are suitable to handle that specific position. Use this template:

“I’m a _____ specialist with _____ years of experience in ______ sectors. ____ is my dream company because ______. I’m confident my _____ skills will help us in ______.”

3.3 Prepare pitch templates

Before you submit a job application, the system may ask you to share an elevator pitch explaining why you are the most suitable candidate for the company. Other iterations of this question are “Why should we choose you?” and “Tell us a bit about yourself”.

Be warned—different platforms have different word limits. Some give you only 300 words to make your case, meaning you will have to get to the point right away; others have space for 1,000 words, so you can elaborate comfortably. Check for these nuances in advance so that you can frame your response accordingly.

Table 5 List of top job portals (cont’d)

If you need help writing a pitch, I will teach you how to create a short pitch/summary in Chapter 2 Craft a Stunning CV. Once you create your pitch templates, you may store them in one document. Figure 2 is a preview of how I did mine.

For job portals with limited word count (e.g. 300 words)

With experience managing social media for two international fintech start-ups, Fave & RinggitPlus, I offer a dynamic and tested digital marketing skill set in content ideation/strategy, copywriting, graphic design (Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop), video editing, performance (FB/Google ads/SEG) and customer relationships.

For job portals with higher word count

Today’s marketing jobs need people who can flexibly adapt to different roles to build their campaigns and get the message across.

With experience leading social media and digital marketing efforts in international fintech start-ups such as Fave and RinggitPlus in Malaysia, I have developed a valuable multifaceted skill set in copywriting, graphic design (Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop), performance (PPC and paid FB ads), video editing, social analytics, and customer relations (Zendesk).

My experience and skill set make me an all-in-one package. I firmly believe my versatility will be a highly valuable asset for any organisation looking for fast growth.

• Attach any supporting documents (e.g. CV, portfolio, reference letters).

• Request an interview for further discussion.

This extra step will help you stand out from the pile of applications, as it will reinforce your desire to become a part of the team. We will discuss how to write the email in Chapter 3 Stand Out with a Cover Letter.

3.5 Bookmark filtered pages

3.4 Follow up via email

Note the names of companies you have applied to and send them personal emails with a cover letter attached:

• Remind them you have applied via the portal.

• Explain why you are eager to join the team.

You can filter the most relevant jobs in a job portal based on factors such as the following:

last 24 hours).

distance from home. (e.g. “pet groomer”, “event

full-time, part-time, remote, package.

Once you set up your filters, the web page URL will change. For example, here is how a unique URL for someone targeting social media jobs in Thane, India

https://www.naukri.com/digital-marketingsocial-media-jobs-in-thane?k=digital%20 marketing%2C%20social%20mediaandl=thane

Bookmark this updated page on your preferred web browser so that you do not have to apply the filters again the next time. If you target different roles, you can have separate bookmarks for the unique URL of each department, location, and the like.

Collect all your bookmarks from various job portals in one folder on your web browser’s Bookmark tab. Now, you just have to right-click the folder and click “Open all” to view all pages displaying the latest and most relevant opportunities. Small automation like this will

Figure 2 Templates for job pitches

save you much time in the long run. If you are confused, the screenshot in Figure 3 should help. Note, however, that the step of bookmarking pages on different web browsers may vary.

BONUS

Cracking the code abroad

In 2019, I completed my Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Media from Monash University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I was on a student visa with no special extension or transfer feature for employment after my studies. So, my only options were finding a job before the visa expired or returning to Mumbai, India. The challenge was to find a company that would sponsor my visa. To my knowledge, Malaysia in 2019 did not allow applicants to pay for their own work visas. Of course, the situation may have changed by now. Even so, in most countries, it is generally the case that the employer is supposed to apply and pay for your (foreigner’s) visa on your behalf, so we must be prepared for that possibility.

With that, we have covered more or less everything you need to be efficient with job hunting via job portals. section below for a story of how I got a job abroad right after graduation, as that experience

Even if there was a provision for self-funding my visa, the application alone would have cost me 3–4 months’ salary and I would never have been able to afford it, to say nothing of the massive amount of paperwork and agent fees. As the final nail in the coffin, there was no guarantee of my visa application getting approved.

Given all these complications, why would any company bother to consider me when a local citizen would get the job done at half the cost?

As expected, I did not get a single response for three months. My disheartened international classmates all gave up at that point and booked their flight tickets home right away. All the odds were stacked against me.

Just in time, my marketing professor Dr Juliana French noticed my frustration and offered invaluable advice. She said, “Instead of blindly trying your luck everywhere, take some time to scan the market and find ‘goldmine companies’ that maximise your strengths and neutralises your flaws.”

I was low on self-confidence then and could not think of many strengths. Instead, I started analysing my flaws. My three biggest hurdles were the following:

Figure 3 Bookmarking filtered web pages

• I had no work experience, except for an internship with a start-up over a summer break.

• I did not have outstanding grades or achievements to show.

• I needed a company to sponsor an expensive visa.

These hurdles meant that some major MNCs had to be eliminated as options, since they had a clear preference for experienced candidates. Companies of their size offer graduate trainee programmes in all countries, but they only accept local students with extraordinary grades. Applying to them would have made little sense in my case!

This led me to believe I would be a better fit for startups—they tend to have a young workforce and their leaders may prefer practical skills to grades. I thought I would be an attractive candidate since I already knew how a tech start-up functions from my summer internship. I then browsed the websites of all the established start-ups in the city.

However, I soon realised that start-ups have tight funding and it would be a challenge to find one that could afford my costly visa. Just as I was about to hang up my gloves, however, I had a Eureka moment.

Finding the gap

I had noticed two unfamiliar logos on the footers of several start-up websites I visited during my initial research sprint: “MSC” and “MDEC”.

A quick search revealed that MSC, short for Multimedia Super Corridor, is a special status given by the government to digital-first start-ups to boost the country’s plans for a digital economy. These start-ups include IT firms, digital marketing agencies, finance apps, communication or media networks, and other organisations focusing on service digitalisation. MDEC, short for Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation, is the issuing body for this seal [7].

workers” who would be given a special MSC pass. In 2019, I learnt through personal conversations that this pass was allegedly feasible to secure for foreign workers if they were a right fit for the opportunity. In a way, this meant I stood a higher chance of getting hired if I targeted this cluster of companies.

Upon further research, I located a public directory of over 3,000 MSC companies. The data had to be filtered, but in a few hours, I arrived at a list of 50 wellknown young brands. I compiled all the names in one document and started digging for their contact details. In a few hours, I had a database ready to fire for one

I could not believe my luck—I received four interview calls in the next two days and ended up signing with the most prominent financial/banking aggregator in the country, RinggitPlus. With my visa approved, I continued my life chapter in Malaysia successfully. I had to return home after a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but let us save that story for the final chapter.

The key takeaway from my story has to do with the strategy. Malaysia’s immigration laws may have changed since 2019, but the lesson I learnt is timeless. Concentrating my efforts on companies that were most suitable for my specific situation gave me the results I wanted. This taught me that my perceived value differs from place to place. Some companies will not even look at you; others may find you highly relevant and attractive. The trick is to know where you will have more value and then target those places from the get-go.

Here is the cool part: In the long list of exemptions and benefits, MSC-certified companies had a special provision for hiring foreigners as “ICT knowledge

Now that you know how effective the sorting process can be, let us put it into practice in two simple steps. We will first research and collect data on our target companies, then send them our applications via email/ social media direct messages.

Strategy B: Target companies through research and emails

You can greatly narrow down your company choices by considering the following factors and qualifying the options that score maximum points in line with your priorities.

4.1 Previous experience

Do you have a background in a particular type of company or industry? Having a niche is good, and you should capitalise on it.

For example, I discovered that the mobile payment sector in Malaysia was growing rapidly at that time, so I focused on applying to big financial technology or “fintech” companies. After working with a couple of them, I became a social media content marketing expert for the digital payments sector. This reputation helped me attract several freelance clients in later years, some of whom are still with me today.

Similarly, one of my friends started as an SEO intern in the marketing department of a news channel in India. Soon, he figured out that all news outlets today need an SEO person to boost their digital presence (as most news consumption now happens online). He continued on that track and worked as an SEO executive in several big media houses. Everyone in the local news media industry now recognises him as “that SEO guy”, and he gets tempting offers every other month!

The takeaway is that making your mark in a niche community gives you a strategic advantage. So, ask yourself, “What is my edge, and am I using it correctly?”

4.2 Alumni network

It is a good idea to use social media platforms to connect with your university’s alumni. Leveraging your university’s name is an effective strategy because your seniors may well feel alma mater pride.

4.3 Proximity

As many have returned to their offices after the pandemic, commute time is once again an important factor. If we spend four hours just going to and coming back from work, imagine the toll it will eventually take on our productivity and fitness levels. Consider choosing offices that take less than 1.5 hours to reach from your home. Better yet, check if the company offers a

If you do not have a choice and have to travel some distance for work, ensure that the office is well-connected to public transport. You can check out apps/websites such as Moovit to discover public transport routes. For those who would like to drive, enquire about parking facilities and monthly parking costs because you will likely have to pay the fees from your own pocket.

I tend to take the train or bus to attend job interviews to get a clear idea of what my day would look like if I accepted the offer. If the commute turns out to be too stressful, I immediately de-prioritise the prospect.

Many graduates from Monash University where I studied had worked at a start-up called Fave. I became aware of this trend after closely following Fave’s employee list on social media, so I applied for my first internship there. As expected, my interviewee (and future manager) turned out to be a Monashian, too. I started sharing stories about recent activities and events on campus, and she instantly warmed up to me.

Companies with recent rounds of investment (seed fund, Series A, Series B and so on) usually go on a hiring spree to achieve growth targets expected by investors. The same applies to start-ups that plan to hold their IPO in the coming year. You can Google “top funded”, “recently funded” or “upcoming IPO” start-ups in your country and try your luck there.

I actively monitor business and start-up news websites for reports or press releases of companies that have recently been acquired, launched their IPOs, or announced plans to expand into new international

markets. These are hot spots for new talent because they have the money and ambition to bring in new people. Watch out for teams that plan to scale aggressively in the coming years.

4.5 Smaller teams

Small companies with 25–50 employees are your best bet if you need a job urgently because their hiring process is faster and leaner. As MNCs tend to have lengthy formalities, multiple rounds of interviews and significant paperwork, you may need to wait for over two months to get an offer letter. Be aware of your time limitations and select your targets accordingly.

4.6 Talent gaps

Have you spotted any talent gaps in a company? It may be time this grocery store you frequent develop its own mobile app, and perhaps there is a restaurant you go to that does not have a good social media presence. Maybe, just maybe, you have the skill set they need.

I once spotted a brand’s Instagram account with dozens of open customer complaints and queries in all of their comments. Grabbing the opportunity, I sent the brand my CV and explained how I could help manage this unattended workload. They were ecstatic to hear from someone who could solve their problem, and I hopped on an interview call with them the very next day.

The logic is elegant: Go where your abilities would solve major problems or bring great value/growth. It is just about knowing how to be in the right place at the right time. You can pitch new ideas to such prospects and position yourself as the best person to turn those plans into reality—that is Sales 101.

4.8 Organise your findings

It is vital to keep your database organised so that it can be helpful to you once you start applying for jobs. Here are some columns you can consider maintaining in your database:

• Company name, industry and size. These are selfexplanatory.

• Website and social media links. Save each link to the corresponding careers page (if available) to research the guidelines or requirements for new applicants. Follow any social handles because many brands now post openings on social media to attract young talent.

4.7 What did I miss?

Of course, there are many other factors to consider but for this book, I have highlighted the ones we often overlook. Shortlist companies based on the aforementioned factors and collect all information in a document or database.

Find out who is the Founder, CEO, Head of HR, and team/department leader. Personalisation in a cover letter will give you better results than a generic message that starts with “To whom it may concern” which is, in my humble opinion, just another way of saying “No one in particular”. Collect the email addresses of the HR department or your team leader. If you do not find them on the company’s website, use an email finder tool like Lusha or Hunter.io. Enter the company’s URL and it will scrape the web for internal

In the worst case scenario, if you have to guess, note that HR teams typically use email extensions such as career@xyz.com, careers@xyz.com, recruitment@xyz.com. You can test whether the address you have guessed are valid with free email validity checkers like Neverbounce. Doing so will prevent your emails from bouncing back.

These tools may not always give accurate results. Here is a foolproof hack for finding the email addresses of any company’s employees/HR department: Go on LinkedIn and type “company name + hiring” [e.g. Nykaa + hiring]. Most posts containing this phrase will be from recruiters/leaders within the company. They will contain email addresses that interested applicants can use to send their CVs. A special thanks to my friend Monika Madugula for coming up with this genius trick!

• Backup email addresses. If your message lands in the wrong inbox, you should always CC the Customer Service hotline meant for general inquiries. However, please do not CC everybody in the company, as it will appear spammy and desperate!

• Company phone number. This is self-explanatory.

• Application status. Track and update your current situation with keywords such as “Researching”, “Applied”, “Interviewed”, “Unresponsive”, “Followed up”, “Accepted” or “Rejected”.

4.9 Be prepared to work hard

I know; being asked to do all this research feels overwhelming at first, but it is worth the time if you are serious about finding the best fit to kickstart your career.

Of course, there is no guarantee that your first list of 30–50 companies will give you instant results. Realistically, you may have to add 50 more names to the list and try again.

This process can go on for 2–3 cycles before you get a foot in the door, but that is entirely doable if you focus. Ultimately, hard work makes successful careers.

BONUS

Finding opportunities overseas

My story on targeted hunting is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia but there are some universal insights we can extrapolate from it. These apply to people who aspire to settle in any country on the planet. Let us now talk about how you can secure employment abroad, even if you are not in the destination country.

Migration for a student

In my circle, many people nowadays aspire to migrate to countries with friendly PR laws. The most traditional route is to fly out for your higher education because it is the most convenient option to enter international waters:

• You get approximately two years to acclimate to the new local culture, food, transport options and weather, making the transition from classroom to workplace easier.

• The alumni, professors and professional network on campus can help you get referrals and fast-track your job search after college.

• Many student passes come with a work extension of 2–3 years after graduation (provided you have accumulated a minimum amount of stipulated time

in the country), allowing you some time to find and secure full-time employment after finishing

country, you can attend interviews face-to-face as opposed to doing them on video call. Being physically available in the same location or nearby is a huge strategic advantage for worked for a couple of years in that country, you often get bonus points for your PR application, allowing you to settle abroad.

As someone who took this pathway, I would say this route is mostly reliable but there are some caveats to keep in mind.

First, I recommend you go abroad for your Master’s, PhD or other graduate study instead of for undergraduate programmes. That is because hiring foreigners is expensive (as mentioned in my story), so many companies will only invest in you if you have strong qualifications and at least 3–4 years of work experience at an executive level. Consider doing your basic education in your home country, get at least two years’ experience in any decent job, bide your time and then move out when you are ready. Take a partial student/education loan, as

you can pay it off with packages that MNCs offer good management/senior candidates nowadays. It is worth the investment if you put in all the effort.

Second, do extensive research on the university options and PR/work permit rules, and only go for reputable and stable universities that are at least 15 years old. Many students do not want to submit GMAT/ IELTS/GRE entrance exam results, so they try to make do with new universities that waive such requirements. Be cautious, however, and check the legitimacy of such universities before rushing to move abroad.

There was a story of three campuses shutting down during the pandemic in Canada because the financial dealings of their holding institute were sketchy. This left tens of thousands of international students stranded with their visas declared invalid. The government could not do anything as the universities concerned were private institutions. Many students were from poorer countries and had spent their parents’ life savings hoping to settle abroad [8].

So please do not fall for counsellors or agencies that promise you an easy way out for a small fee. Do your due diligence and not just rely on the data a university provides, because anyone can design attractive brochures and manufacture statistics. Take the time to reach out to the alumni and ask them about their experiences. Also, spend a few hours looking for honest student reviews on social media. Weigh all the pros and cons before you pay the tuition fee, or else you may regret your decision later.

for New Zealand, Mandarin for Singapore/China, and so on. Even if you apply to English-dominant nations like the US, knowing a European/business-friendly language like Chinese or Japanese may still be an advantage.

Going further, research which language people predominantly use to communicate in your industry. If you deal with manufacturing hardware and technology, I do not have to tell you which language is most used to conduct business in that sector (i.e. Chinese).

Start by freelancing

Migration for an employee

Now, let us consider what to do if you lack funds to take the higher education route. Since many industries have moved to a remote WFH model, it is now more possible than ever to land jobs in countries outside your current domain. The following are a few tips to keep in mind.

Learn the local language

First, learn the local language right away. Merely stating on the CV that you know German will greatly increase your chances of getting hired in Germany. This applies to any country: French for Canada/France/Europe, Māori

Second, try doing some freelance work for clients from your destination country. This may or may not be possible depending on your work, but it is entirely doable if you do not have to report to a factory/office. In fact, the side job does not even have to be related to your full-time job. Anything from content creation and digital marketing to finance and customer service will do just fine. For example, if you are a digital marketer who dreams of settling in Australia, try joining local professional groups in Sydney and Melbourne and convince a few clients to give you some part-time social media work. The goal is to get a few local brand names on your CV so that you will face less cultural friction when you apply for

The reservation employers abroad often have is that international candidates are not used to the regional climate, customers and industry practices; so, the candidates will not be able to adapt to the market’s special needs. Having a few ex-clients from your country of choice who can endorse you, however, will put an end to any such concerns and make you look as attractive as someone who has always lived in the same city.

Convince the employer to test you

Bringing someone into a country has considerable costs; from flight tickets and visa applications to making residential arrangements and providing food/rental allowances. So, rather than pitching employers to take you in completely, approach them with a request for remote work. You can say you are open to starting remotely/ part-time for six months and, based on the merit of your

performance, you can apply to be transferred to their HQ in person. Be willing and flexible to do anything that helps you get your foot in the door first, because everything becomes easier afterwards.

Join MNCs and look for transfers

Last but not least, the most obvious shortcut to getting an immigration offer is to join an MNC, prove your talent, show acumen for international business/languages, and then apply for transfers to their other branches. This method works well for single people without dependents, but companies nowadays will sponsor the immigration cost for an employee’s spouse and/or children too, if the person has spent 4–5 years with the team.

Special immigration programmes

There is now a third way to migrate for your career. In recent years, many countries like New Zealand, Canada and Australia have offered special passes that allow you to enter the country without a job offer or traditional work visa. They try to attract immigrant workers to boost their economies and fill skill/labour gaps.

The passes, often labelled “Express Pass” or “Visitors’ Pass”, give you anywhere between 6–18

Strategy C: Go big via referrals Tip 5

months to fly in, secure employment and settle down permanently in the country. Of course, the eligibility and selection criteria are high, but they usually look for the following:

• Young people below 30.

• Three to four years of work experience.

• Bachelor’s/Master’s degree qualification.

• Specialised skill sets that are in great demand.

When we need help, we ask our friends first before posting a public plea on social media—that is precisely how recruiting works. Companies prefer filling new positions internally by transferring current employees, which is cheaper than bringing someone new on board. If no internal team member is interested in taking up the new position, the next step is to check if anyone in their network is available and interested.

HR personnel love the networking system because it reduces the uncertainty of hiring complete strangers who may or may not work out well. If Rhea from Marketing

• Plumbers, electricians, farmers, factory workers and day labourers. fields.

One major determining factor in this case is whether your profession or skill set is in high demand, or is facing a supply shortage in the target country. So, immigration departments will assign you points/ratings according to their governments’ priorities. Your passport’s strength also plays a huge role. Note, however, that these countries accept only a few applicants every year, so you have to be ready with everything as soon as the timelines open. Check out the immigration websites of some popular spots so you can research the options offered to people of your nationality and keep an eye out for the coming

suggests approaching her friend Rohan for the video editing assignment, there is a basic assumption that Rohan must be good enough to do the job. After all, Rhea would not risk jeopardising her reputation in the team for a random acquaintance.

Due to this strategic advantage, many companies have incentivised the referral process by launching reward programmes. Under such a programme, both you and your referred candidate get cash rewards or vouchers if the latter is selected to join the company.

This trend will only become more common as the world becomes closely knit through social media. In fact, surveys show that most organisations do not publicly advertise 70% of their job openings anymore because they get filled up by friends and family members of existing colleagues [10]. Referred candidates are also 15 times more likely to be hired than those coming in via a job board [11].

For jobseekers, this should be reason enough to seek referrals from their immediate circles. It is time to drop your shyness, ego, anxiety or whatever it is stopping you from reaching out for help. If you hesitate because of pride, remind yourself that the referee will get you a chance to meet the decision-makers. The outcome will depend solely on your talent. So, in the end, your own merit will earn you the job. You can always pay back the favour by treating your referee(s) to a nice lunch!

5.1 Who to approach?

For starters, you may enlist the help of your friends and parents. Going one step further, you can use social media to directly message your university alumni, start-up founders, or experts and influencers in the field who may give you a chance themselves or at least forward your CV within their circles.

For university students, your first move should be to approach professors, campus placement officers and other support faculty members. These people are usually industry veterans with a massive network of organisations with whom they have collaborated. Many professors are also frequent guests at seminars and conferences. Who knows, they may have just met someone looking for a candidate like you. Of course, the favour helps if you have attended the professors’ classes or participated in their group discussions.

I drafted and sent my friends a simple text message with the following points:

• Brief introduction (background or context).

• Strengths and skill set (why employers should take me seriously).

• Online link to CV and portfolio (work samples).

• Suitable roles (designations and seniority level).

• Availability (the earliest time I can start work).

• Preferences (location, type of company, etc.) and salary expectations (if any).

• Contact information (email address, phone number).

My friends were happy to forward the message to their colleagues. They knew exactly who would be the best people to approach for this, because they had all my requirements on one page. You can preview my original message in Figure 4 for some cues.

I am a passionate T-shaped digital marketer with

I have executed organic social media posts for BFSI (fintech), F&B, FMCG, B2B and lifestyle brands, and have worked in agency, freelance and corporate settings. My experience makes me a highly flexible asset who can adapt to any requirement.

I offer expertise in social content strategy, with complementary full-stack skills in graphic design, performance (paid ads), copywriting, video editing, editorial, SEO, WordPress, website building, and customer relationships (CRM).

CV and Portfolio samples: bit.ly/Manik-Portfolio

I am seeking a full-time position as a Senior Digital Marketing Executive.

5.2 Making a quick pitch

Do not just startle people with a vague message out of the blue: “Hello! I need a job! Help me!” Nobody will respond if your plea is abrupt or inconvenient for them. So, make their work easy by preparing a short pitch with all the necessary details. The idea is to help people to help you. When I was on the job hunt a few years ago,

I can start immediately, preferably in Mumbai, India.

I am open to remote work.

My expected salary is $500–$800 per month. Please share any relevant leads with me.

Email: manikmarketing98@gmail.com

Website: manikrege.org

Figure 4 Self-introduction message for a quick pitch

5.3 Message business leaders on social media

Social media platforms like LinkedIn have made identifying and directly connecting with decision-makers easy. This could be the Head of a department, a team leader or the CEO/co-founder of a brand. For obvious reasons, when you approach these people, you must put your best foot forward with a well-crafted message:

• Introduce yourself professionally (e.g. “Good day, Mark. I am a marketing expert.”).

• Explain why you are messaging them (e.g. “As someone who has learnt all his skills through online video-sharing platforms like YouTube, I deeply resonate with all your posts on lifelong learning.”).

• Show enthusiasm to join the team passionate about the educational content we create for people in Tech, so it would be a dream to contribute to that mission.”).

• Convince them you can bring value most of our users are highly active on social media, I believe platforms like Instagram could be a lucrative medium to attract the target crowd. Currently, I see we do not have an active presence there and I would like to help you plug that gap.”).

• List your skills and strengths graduating from Monash University next month, and I possess a strong skill set in end-to-end social media content creation which includes copywriting, design, video editing and paid ads.”).

• Attach your CV and portfolio/samples attached a Drive link to my CV and some sample posts I created to show you what I can do.”).

Good day, Mary!

This is Manik from ABC University. I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Congratulations to the team on winning the Golden Company award. We are doing some great work for local entrepreneurs and businesses.

As I have been the President of my university’s Entrepreneurship Club, I believe our company will be a great place to hone my passion for helping new ideas take flight.

• Ask for a callback (e.g. “I would love to talk more on this over a call next week if you are available any time in the evening after 3 pm, say Tuesday or Wednesday?”).

• Mention your contact details (e.g. “My email is and my number is ______. Thank you and I look forward to connecting with you.”).

Here is another example of the above message structure, taken straight from my own conversations on social media:

As such, I would like to enquire about any possible opening for a business trainee position.

Please find my CV and cover letter attached below. I have also sent an email to the team.

I am available for hire from July, right after graduation. I am confident I can bring a fresh perspective specifically to support our student entrepreneur campaigns, among

Please let me know if you are free to catch up at our office anytime in the evening after 3 pm over the next two weeks. I will be thrilled to pitch my ideas on how we can grow our reach within the student community.

I look forward to meeting you in person. Thank you, and I wish you a power-packed and productive week ahead!

Manik Rege (Phone: +60 XXX XXX)

With the advice provided in Tip 3 to Tip 5, you will have mastered the three most common routes for finding a job. Of course, there are many other ways to get results, so I will quickly run through some honourable mentions in the following Bonus section (but I should warn you that they are not as effective!).

Figure 5 Sample of my message to professionals

Tip 6

Time your applications wisely

I get the following questions all the time:

• “When should I look for a new job?”

• “What is the best month to job hunt?”

• “What is the best time to apply for jobs?”

Let us address all these concerns one by one.

6.1 “When should I look for a new job?”

If you are asking how long you should wait before moving to a new workplace, I would say give it at least 2.5–3 years. This proves you are a reliable enough candidate who can stick with a team long term—that is what every employer out there is looking for, regardless of your profession or industry. Even companies that hand out temporary contracts prefer candidates with a break-free track record in one company for 3–5 years.

An interesting trend is the frequent job changes among young people nowadays, often driven by the desire for larger paychecks. It is true that you can increase your income faster by negotiating higher salaries with new employers (because pay raises typically fall between 5% and 15%), and new job offers can actually come with increments as high as 100% (which would double your salary). So, if you stick with the same job for years, inflation will eventually cause you to earn less and lose money.

One of my seniors in IT changed roles four times in just three years and tripled his package. This haphazard approach is a slippery slope in the long term. Industries like IT, Film, Fashion, and Advertising/Marketing have high staff turnovers because they are extremely fastpaced—it is normal to see people going from company to company. However, frequent job changes will damage your credibility if you are in Finance, Accounting or HR. Such departments deal with confidential and critical business information, and you may not want to be perceived as someone who can be readily poached to reveal heavily guarded secrets.

No company wants to hire someone who leaves their responsibility every year for whatever reason. More than a couple of one-year stints will quickly add up to make you look like a “job hopper” on your CV. Most recruiters I have spoken to throw such CVs into the bin instantly. Nobody will take the time to ask you for clarification about why you switched jobs—they will just look at your track record and, if it does not have any stability, they will reject you without batting an eyelid.

All factors considered, my first advice is to be patient for at least a couple of years before considering moving elsewhere. I know this is easier said than done, as many of us may be stuck in environments that are not professional, supportive or open-minded. Unfortunately, nobody cares much about what goes on inside your company. In my experience, many employers tend to give more weight to your tenures in companies you have worked with, as longer tenures are generally a sign of stability and growth.

My second piece of advice is that you can decrease the likelihood of getting stuck with a bad employer by thoroughly researching a company before you commit, and I will share some tips on this towards the end of the chapter. Of course, it is impossible to always know beforehand that your manager/office is not suitable for you. It is not easy to tolerate such people, but I promise you that your patience will pay off. However, if you are being abused or exploited, please immediately speak to your trusted friends/family and seek help to get out ASAP because no job is worth your safety or health.

For all other times when the work is simply not fulfilling enough, a good mental trick is to consider the job a dependable monthly income source that can also bolster your CV. For personal fulfilment, you can always pursue pet projects or part-time online education on the side.

Writing this book itself was my pet project over a period when I was stuck in a contract that did not align with my aspirations, but had to endure for the reasons I

described earlier. Whenever frustration took over and I felt like quitting, I used to remind myself that I just had to bide my time so that I could build my savings and get some time to focus on my dream ventures like this book. Had I quit earlier than the benchmark of 2.5–3 years, you may not have gotten the chance to be reading this right now. So that should prove my case!

If you look at real-life examples, most entrepreneurs do not really quit their day jobs on a whim like in the movies. They quietly work on their ideas for a few years, conduct research and build all the back-end systems/ prototypes for their dream ventures. They put in their resignation letters only when they have enough savings to sustain themselves for 6–12 months.

The core message here is to think strategically before taking the plunge. This is because your new job or business may not work out, and you may need to have enough funds and experience before seeking another job again.

6.2 “What is the best month to job hunt?”

Most hiring managers have their annual plans ready by December, just before Christmas. So, when they come back from the holidays, they are all ready to fill up new positions and achieve their targets. The period of January–March seems to be the best time for hiring and getting hired, if you think about it intuitively.

The next quarter (April–June) is also a decent period to apply since most summer internship camps and programmes open up around this time. However, you should ideally complete your research and keep your documents ready as soon as you get your exam/ vacation dates, or you may get lost in the massive influx of candidates who apply to work over their breaks.

As for the flip time, November–December may prove an unfavourable period because it is the festive season not just in Asia (Diwali) or the US (Thanksgiving and Christmas), but around the world. People wind down in winter, often vacationing with their families or busy making plans and resolutions for the following year. So, you may get slower responses if you apply in the last quarter. This is all intuitive and you will get noticed regardless of the period or month if you are a good fit, although it does help to have an ideal slot in mind.

6.3 “What is the best time to apply for jobs?”

If you want to know the optimal hour to shoot your first email/message to the target PIC, I have a researchbacked answer for you: Tuesday or Wednesday at 10 am. Not only are we most productive on these days, but I have also observed recruiters making most of their hiring-related decisions during mid-week [9].

If you think about it, people are busy with WIP meetings on Mondays and focus on work tapers off come Thursday, so sending your profiles anywhere near the weekend will probably get you seen-zoned. So mid-week

As for the time, shoot your email early in the day for the email to appear at the top of the receiver’s inbox. It will be the first thing recruiters see when they check their emails. Hold on, does that mean you have to wake up early every day to get this done? Of course not. Some email service providers like Gmail have a schedule-send function, so you can bulk-create your emails in advance over the weekend and automate them to go out at a later pre-decided time. You will still have to write a convincing argument—there is no shortcut for that.

BONUS

Alternative channels

The following alternative methods for job hunting are not very reliable, but you can still dedicate a couple of hours every week to them, to cover all bases.

Social media support groups

You will find dozens of online public discussion forums or groups with the sole purpose of sharing job leads. Some groups are general and open to everyone, while others cater to specific locations, demographics and/ or industries (e.g. IT jobs for women in London). As with job portals, you will find plenty of great freelance/ business opportunities in these groups, but the quality and pay are sub-par.

I have been a part of such groups for years, and most posts I came across were spam/business promotions. When someone posted a genuine opening with a respectable salary, the sheer number of “DM me!” and “Interested” spam comments was overwhelming too. So, these are rabbit holes with far too much noise and competition, and you should join such groups with low expectations.

Employment agencies

Until a few years ago, employment agencies used to be the traditional intermediary between MNCs and young candidates. Some of those agencies are still a good bet to this day. However, there has recently been a huge influx of scammers in this space, so tread with extreme

caution. If agencies ask you to pay an upfront fee to get hired, note that this is a big red flag. Nobody can offer a 100% guarantee for securing employment, so be wary of such claims.

In fact, trust me when I say you do not have to pay anyone any amount to get a basic entry-level job, because I know you are worthy and strong enough to secure it independently. I would like you to believe that much.

The method of walking directly into an office may work with storefronts that are happy to entertain any interested candidates for service-level positions. However, MNCs and corporate offices will not appreciate unexpected guests and will not even field your phone calls because they still follow text/email-first etiquette. As such, your only viable option is to approach them digitally.

Federal/state employment programmes

Every country has support systems and schemes to connect jobseekers with government or private bodies that are hiring. Then again, most state initiatives cannot keep up with rapidly developing industries like Tech, Finance and Medical Science, so Gen-Zs who are keen on pursuing careers in these fields may not find the most relevant opportunities here. Such programmes are more relevant to people interested in administrative jobs.

Dare to experiment Tip 7

There is always room for creativity in everything, including job applications. While not all job roles allow us to do something wild or unconventional, the following three cases of innovative hiring pitches may nonetheless tingle the creative muscles (especially for those in the Media and Tech industries) and perhaps give you the courage to do something offbeat too.

7.1 Good work is good enough

For our first case, we will meet the 3-D motion graphics student who created a short animated video as part of his application for CRED. CRED is an Indian credit card rewards app that gained popularity in 2021.

Avkash Shah, a 21-year-old Mumbai dweller, wanted to secure an internship at a budding start-up. Instead of emailing his CV like everyone else, he thought differently. In a short 3-D graphics reel, he experimented with CRED’s logo using excellent editing techniques, proving he was worth a shot for the Graphics department [12].

Once it was published on LinkedIn, the video quickly garnered over a million views and almost 100,000 reactions. CRED’s founder, Kunal Shah, took to the comments to reinstate the brand’s motto, “It pays to be good”, i.e. it is rewarding to be hardworking. According to news reports, Harish Sivaramakrishnan, CRED’s Head of Design, offered Avkash his dream position on the spot.

Key takeaway

Avkash let his talent speak for itself. His 31-second video was better than any CV or cover letter he could have submitted. There is no argument that is as convincing as a brilliant performance. People may find fault with your CV or doubt your credentials, but they cannot refute honest work.

So, if you have a flair for creative expression, I suggest following Avkash’s footsteps and creating something cool for your target company. Consider these ideas:

talent.

the company/market/

original pitches for a new company can improve a

plan brand’s global expansion into new markets.

• Instagram Reel/TikTok telling a story of how the brand has affected you.

It is smart to go public with your idea as it compels the employer to respond to you, especially if your idea goes viral on social media. After all, not hiring a public favourite would cause bad PR. That said, public stunts are not mandatory, so you can approach a company privately via email as usual. The goal is to provide some exciting ideas in your application, because I can guarantee that they will make a bigger impact than your CV.

Avkash’s story also proves you do not always need “real experience” to call yourself an “experienced candidate”. Traditionally, we think only full-time jobs or contracts with big clients can be considered experience. However, those in the creative field can make up their own experience by launching personal projects that give recruiters an insight into their skills and personalities. You may not have created something for corporate clients, but it still counts as a good sample piece if you have done it passionately.

It is a good idea to gather your sample pieces into a portfolio, and we will touch on that in Chapter 4 Build a Memorable Portfolio.

if you do not have any “real” projects to show before graduation, you can still assign yourself some test assignments to showcase your talent more informally.

7.2 Try untested waters

Let us move on to the second case, which took place in the US. In 2010, tech-savvy Alec Brownstein wanted to break into the ad industry, so he used his sharp observation skills and grabbed the attention of leading creative directors in the US. Brownstein had noticed that many of us would Google ourselves occasionally, curious to see which links would appear first. Ad professionals are even more obsessed with this since public perception is central to their profession. One of these professionals was Ian Reichenthal, an agency leader.

With a mere $6 investment, Brownstein noted the names of some top ad executives in his region and parked Google Ads under those keywords. The next time Reichenthal conducted his self-audit, he noticed that the top result was a cheeky ad from Brownstein asking for a job (Figure 7).

Impressed by the campaign, Reichenthal reached out for an interview that allegedly ended with an offer. Brownstein even followed up on his successful campaign with a short YouTube clip, The Google Job Experiment, narrating his experience. Watch it to get a better idea of how he executed the campaign from start to Alec Brownstein’s story proves that innovative job applications do not have to be expensive. For the price of a cup of coffee, Brownstein leveraged technology and grabbed the audience’s attention through a channel nobody would ever have thought of leveraging.

Ian Reichenthal’s inbox was probably overflowing with mediocre CVs and half-hearted cover letters. Brownstein would probably have never made it had he followed the same route, but tapping into someone’s Google search results? That is genius! This is what business experts call “Blue Ocean Marketing”. To put it elegantly, you will likely find more opportunities in clear, uncontested market spaces that are not overflowing with other fish,

Figure 7 Alec Brownstein’s Google ad

a.k.a. the competition [14]. In this chapter’s context, there are several social, digital and offline channels that jobseekers traditionally do not use. Is it possible for you to activate any of them? Think different.

7.3 Creative ransom

The third and final case hails from Australia. It combines the lessons we have learnt from the first two examples.

First, the jobseekers leverage their skills (like Avkash) and second, they use technology creatively (like Brownstein).

In 2012, Andrew Grinter and Lee SpencerMichaelsen launched their “Creative Ransom” project. They purchased the “.com” domains for top creative directors in Melbourne and held these websites hostage. In exchange for access to the domains, they demanded an interview. The message casually threatened that if the viewers did not meet their demand, they would redirect the domains to Justin Bieber’s website.

It gets even weirder. Just like the thieves we see in movies, Grinter and Spencer-Michaelsen sent their targets postcards with ransom note-style lettering to announce their new hiring scheme. This stunt landed them seven interviews immediately. The duo stayed in character by dressing as bank robbers with face masks to protect their

identities. For all their “craziness”, both bagged great job offers in the end.

Now, put yourself in the shoes of the Creative Directors at the receiving end of this campaign. Imagine how hilarious and exciting it would have been to get this ransom demand. I would have hired them immediately, simply to appreciate their thinking!

Like true marketers, the duo chronicled their story in a YouTube video, which is just as kitschy as the idea itself [16].

Key takeaway

Grinter and Spencer-Michaelsen risked looking wacky because they knew it was exactly what the creative industry demands. Winning in this field takes courage; more often than not, an ingenious tactic pays off.

Taken together, these case studies aim to encourage you to be more creative when approaching prospective clients or employers. Realistically speaking, it may not be possible to dedicate this amount of energy and time to every application. However, if you have a dream job in mind at giants like Google, Apple or Meta, then going nuts might just be the only logical way to get ahead.

Figure 8

Hostage website message

Try these if you are a fresh graduate Tip 8

If you are applying for your first-ever internship or job after college (independently or through on-campus interviews), there are a few additional steps you may need to take to make it through. That is because you probably do not have an industry-relevant skill set or vast work experience yet to back up your personal brand.

With a few minor tweaks in how you present yourself, even a rookie can gain the same leverage as a senior candidate. So, check out the following six mini-tips for the little cubs who are heading out into the jungle for the first time.

8.1 Start early

I began my job hunt preparations one whole year before the final exams. My efforts were fairly relaxed at the start. I dedicated most of my time to laying the groundwork. Below is the task list I had:

• Research companies that visit your campus for scouting talent.

• Look up their favourite interview questions online (they repeat some, every year).

• Connect with alumni on social media and find out how they aced their interviews.

• Discuss ideal salary expectations with professors.

• Polish your CV and prepare cover letter templates.

• Assemble all your best assignments and sample code/ projects in a portfolio.

the final semester would be. There were plenty of group projects, assignments, and farewell events or parties to attend during this time. Anyone who thought they could juggle a job hunt on the side amid this chaos was digging their own grave!

Sure enough, I was the only international student in my class who bagged an offer in the nick of time (remember my Malaysia MDEC story from earlier?).

• Study and practise for general aptitude/logical reasoning entrance tests.

• Sharpen your knowledge of core subjects so that you can talk confidently.

• Read the news every day for five minutes to prepare for group discussions.

• Know the industry’s recent trends and developments.

I figured nobody would hire me so ahead of time. Still, if I did my homework beforehand, I could send my applications efficiently when the time came (approximately 3–4 months before the final exams).

All my classmates initially laughed at my hard work. Some even called me paranoid, but I knew how hectic

My friends could not land anything, so they had to fly back to their home countries as their student visas would expire. It was only because I had started my preparations early that I had the space to speed up at the right time. So, students, please plan for your placement long before your

8.2 Do internships and volunteering work

Having a couple of summer internship experiences (3–6 months each) on your record before graduating will give you an edge over candidates with no internship experience at all. So, please make use of the platforms I to find suitable openings.

I recommend steering away from unpaid gigs that offer only certifications. Choose companies that offer you a stipend, no matter how small. Getting paid for your work teaches you the value of money and keeps you motivated. Remember, a company with a good culture will always be willing to compensate for hard work.

When it is not possible to work during weekdays due to classes, you can still add value to your CV by signing up as a volunteer at a charity/NGO over the weekend. You not only get to broaden your skills and experience, but also rack up brownie points for being a good citizen.

In fact, I started my career in social media by handling accounts for animal rights NGOs and rescue shelters (yes, I am a dog lover). I gained valuable experience and did not mind the free work at all—when I could meet and play with cute pups every day, I did not really need any other perks!

While it may not always be possible, try finding roles that have some relevance to your degree or future profession. Suppose you are from a field like Engineering.

In that case, groups such as Engineers Without Borders will put your technical skills to good use for social causes, such as developing tech for villages in Africa or Asia. It is just a matter of doing some research.

Last but not least, humanitarian organisations such as Rotaract and Lions Club are valuable places to start your professional network. You may meet senior volunteers, philanthropists and donors/patrons who can help connect you with influential people in the field.

Taking part in your university’s clubs, societies or sports teams will also reap the same benefits. Whatever you do, make sure you do not waste your 3–4 years in college doing only academic work. Otherwise, you will have no experience of effectively interacting and collaborating with others once you graduate, which will present challenges in meeting the demands of the real working world.

As an introvert myself, I know this is easier said than done. However, I am glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and participated in several cultural events, competitions and group activities on campus. The lessons I learnt there enriched me with a better understanding of how people think and work, which came in handy when I took up leadership roles later.

8.3 Show company acumen

You have no formal experience and there is nothing we can do to change this immediately. However, you can use your passion for joining a company to compensate for this shortcoming and impress the recruiter. Try to learn as much as you can about the company. Here are some potential data points to consider:

is to show commitment/loyalty to the brand, and I can guarantee you will create a positive impression on the interviewer. So, focus on building rapport.

8.4 Practise with mock projects

See page 69 in Chapter 4 Build a Memorable Portfolio

8.5 Run with the first offer

Did a classmate get hired by a “Big Four” firm right after graduating? Did a friend land big offers with giant tech companies like Microsoft or Apple? It is hard not to be envious after hearing such success stories. While nothing is stopping you from attempting to enter these monoliths, you may eventually have to settle for something less

• Who are the founders/leaders? (e.g. CEO, VP)

• What is the mission/purpose of the organisation?

• Which products/services are they currently selling?

• Who are the target customers and what are their pain points?

• Who are their competitors and how is the industry doing?

• How would you improve their products or boost sales?

We will dive deeper into the research process later in Chapter 6 Ace the Job Interview. For now, the idea

This applies to your salary too and we will learn how to negotiate a good salary in Chapter 6B Salary . Realistically speaking, you may not have much bargaining power fresh out of college. So, your first paycheck will not be a million dollars’ worth, but that is completely all right. Not every successful career has a grand start with big brands. There are many examples of leaders who started in small offices and then worked their way up the ladder, so do not get disheartened if you do not get into the most prestigious companies right away. Keep an open mind to working with smaller teams or unfamiliar environments if you do not have any options. Grab the first offer that is close to the market average. The longer you wait, the bigger the gap between your graduation and work life; and employers are uneasy when they see such wide gaps. In fact, they may assume you could not get any offers at all. Once you have at least two years of work experience, you can start taking bigger leaps confidently.

8.6 Start small

Working in small (10–25 employees) or mid-sized (16–75 employees) companies may actually be a wise move for beginners, for the following reasons:

• Everyone shoots for MNCs, so there is too much competition there. This also leads to a longer response time (as long as two months!). There is also no

guarantee you will make it in the end. So, depending on the large-cap sector entirely is risky.

• The fact that a business is an MNC does not mean the work culture will be great. In many big companies, interns and trainees are often assigned menial or laborious tasks, limiting learning opportunities. However, this depends on each MNC’s internal culture, so conduct some research before applying.

• MNCs are arguably subject to corporate bureaucracy and rigid protocols and reporting structures. Being a fast-paced generation, Gen-Zs may feel unproductive, drained or restricted in such hierarchical offices, and may prefer the pace of start-ups. So, you should know which environment suits you best.

My advice is to not squabble too much about the size of the company you plan on joining. Look at it this way: Compared to MNCs, SMEs have less cluttered inboxes, so at the very least, they will respond to your application faster—which is crucial if you are running out of time. Smaller companies are also where you can:

• Pick up a diverse range of skills on the move.

• Start new projects or take ownership of your work.

• Push yourself to be self-sufficient.

BONUS

Yes, the pressure is higher and the pay is lower early on. However, once you get through the initial storm, you can ascend to managerial positions in the first few years of your career! Once you solidify your position, you can ask for promotions and pay raises every 6–12 months. Working for SMEs is a risk worth taking at the start of your career. If it fails, you will still get the experience to apply it elsewhere.

Last but not least, many of my friends have said that transitioning from MNCs to lean start-ups leads to quite a culture shock because the latter environment is much faster and more direct. That said, it is much easier to adapt from a start-up to an MNC. All points considered, do not underestimate the little businesses and keep tabs on companies with the following conditions:

How to avoid scam offers and poor-cultured companies

Here is a note on how to avoid falling for scam job offers or extremely abusive work environments, because they will derail your entire job hunt and possibly threaten your safety.

A few years ago, my friend received a message from an SaaS company for a short-term contract assignment. In their email, they shared a small data visualisation task that would take a week to complete, assuring a small sum in return, along with an offer to join them full-time. The company had a great website and active social media

between 10 and 25 employees.

For jobseekers in the US, the UK, Australia and Canada, you may find suitable start-up jobs on platforms such as Wellfound, formerly known as AngelList Talent. You may also follow media sites that cover start-up/entrepreneur news and interviews, such as Tech Crunch (for the US) and Your Story

handle, so it all looked legitimate. My friend submitted the assignment, and they responded with heaps of appreciation.

The catch was that they asked him to deposit $25 in a US-based bank account to “verify his credentials” and to transfer the fee of $500 they had promised. Since it was such a small amount with a big return, my friend was about to fall for it when he told me the story. I asked him which domain their incoming emails belonged to, and he mentioned it was without a custom domain. I explained to him that no authentic company would contact people from an account without a custom domain, and he would

have lost his money to scammers had he gone ahead with the deal. Upon further digging, I saw some users had left comments on their social media posts, alerting others of the scam someone else was running under the company’s name. This confirmed my suspicions.

In a similar incident, another friend of mine had joined a marketing agency, which was extremely abusive towards the interns. This led to dozens of people leaving the team every month, which was why the agency always tried hiring new ones. In all her excitement, my buddy had not done basic online research beforehand; otherwise, she would have discovered the negative reviews about their culture left by ex-staff members on Glassdoor. She quit within the first week, after her boss made her stay until late at night for four consecutive days.

Unfortunately, scams and surprise reveals like these happen to a lot of youngsters because, in the heat of the moment, they forget to do a thorough check of company credentials. To avoid such disasters, here are some tips you can take to make more well-informed decisions before signing the offer letter:

• Check the email address from which the company sends you the job offer. their official website’s domain.

• Do a thorough scan of the comments on the company’s social media accounts. public posts containing the company’s name. It is easy to manipulate the feed to look like the company is a happy and well-paying one, but sometimes complaints and concerns left by other users may illuminate a different, darker reality.

development provision, and a lack of boundaries. A one-off critical review is all right, but if over 3–4 people have reported such issues online, it may be cause for concern.

• Check the company’s hiring rate (turnover) based on their open jobs. If they are a wellestablished company seeking new employees to fill key positions on a large scale, it may be a sign of a deteriorating culture.

• Visit company review websites. Websites such as Glassdoor, Comparably, CareerBliss and AmbitionBox list honest ex-employee reviews. Watch out for red flags like an overload of work, no bifurcation of responsibilities, no career or skill

• Establish whether the company is in a hurry to hire you right off the bat without the need for . This is a major red flag because the rush may mean the last employee has left abruptly for the wrong reasons, and the company is desperate for

Determine whether the company is well managed. If they want to conduct extended pointless tests/ evaluations, call you in repeatedly for endless rounds of interviews, or always seem sketchy about the next steps, those are early signs of how badly managed they

Pay close attention to how the company representative sounds during the initial call or Are they welcoming and supportive? Do they answer all your questions? If you feel uncomfortable or intimidated at any point, trust your intuition and weigh your options carefully. Our intuition often catches finer details that slip through

Above all, it is fine to set high expectations because you are better off doing some due diligence for a goodquality company that you can stick with for a few years. What is the point of getting hired quickly only to be burnt out and back on the hunt after the first few months?

Chapter Summary

• Gather all documents. Organise all essential documents in a cloud storage folder: CV, portfolio, marksheets/transcripts, certificates, payslips (last three months), passport-sized photo (PNG/JPEG), passport scans (front and back), reference letters and individual cover letters.

• Set routines. Fix deadlines for each stage: Company research, email sending/job application, interviews, offer letter signing, and resignation from the current job. Dedicate 2–3 hours daily to your hunt.

• Work faster on job portals respond to introduction/pitch requests on job posting websites.

• Use filters. Use these on job portals to get the most relevant openings based on the date of posting, skill set, seniority, location or company size.

• Choose your targets wisely. where you have higher chances of successfully joining, based on your background, culture and values, demographics, proximity, alumni relations and funding status.

• Tap into your network. Ask your circle to help you get a referral, directly or through their network. Having an inside reference is the best way to get your foot in the door.

• Help people help you. When asking others for guidance or referrals, provide them with all the information to support you: Name, profession/role, skills, work background, CV + portfolio + cover letter links, website/social handles, joining date (availability), expected salary, and current + preferred location.

The biggest takeaway from this chapter is that you are competing with hundreds of other applicants for every single application you send. If you play it safe, you will probably get buried in the slush pile.

Whatever you do, whether sending a persuasive email or building an ad campaign like Alec Brownstein, devote your energy to engaging your target employers creatively.

If you are a fresh graduate, go and volunteer at NGOs, do short-term internships, try freelancing work and have your own online space (blog, channel, social media) to build your portfolio and personal brand. Take part in local student groups, clubs, societies, Internet forums and niche communities (related to your field) both to build your network and showcase your passion. Consider also starting research for jobs six months before

Even if they do not hire you, they will remember your efforts and consider you when a suitable job arises. Dedication always pays off.

On that note, we will close this phase and march ahead. The following three chapters will attend to three essential attachments you are expected to carry in your docket: CV, cover letter and portfolio.