How a change in strategy changed my life
Lessons from doing things differently as a student
I remember a few occasions during 2nd year just staring at my laptop screen, feeling overwhelmed by the 5+ empty text boxes on the online application form that all require a minimum of 250 words and thinking to myself… F**k this!
I’ve always tried to map out my career path and I would often feel as though it was impossible to translate my aspirations, level of ambition and interests in a way that I wanted (and I think a lot of students still do… including myself). It’s always been a struggle trying to convey ‘all of the above’ into a succinct 1 page CV that I’d be satisfied with. One that could guarantee me an Insight/Assessment day for every internship or grad role, I had ever applied for.
Being unable to achieve the high expectations I set for myself, whether it be the grade I want on an assignment or that company I’d love to work for, had become so mentally draining. I’d be so focused on ensuring the decisions I made panned out perfectly into this perfect future I envisaged. As little as that setback might be, bouncing back from it became increasingly difficult. Not to mention balancing all this with studies and social time.
I was unhappy with the status-quo and wasn’t going to let those shortlisting algorithms stop me. I kept telling myself that I can’t finish this semester, come back and start final year without some type of relevant experience!
Switching things up.
The quicker I accepted the shortcomings of this institutionalised recruitment process, the quicker I could move on and address the elements that were in my control. Worrying less about tomorrow and truly focusing on my efforts today.
Following the same saturated methods as my competition, I came to terms with the fact that my chances of being tapped up by a bulge bracket company, were tremendously slim and made even slimmer because of the university I attended. The odds were stacked against me, yes, but I was committed.
I ran a search for the top 100 companies in my industry, started at the bottom and gradually worked my way up the list. Most websites would detail director email addresses or have specific emails for recruitment, which is even better so I would individually email my introductions with CV attached. This is a typical email I’d send:
Email Subject: “Undergraduate seeking Unpaid work placement”
Hello, I’m a current 2nd year undergraduate at xxx studying xxx and writing to express interest in gaining some experience at xxx”
“I look forward to hearing from you and have attached my CV for your perusal”
My intuition here was that most small/med firms don’t have huge HR divisions and all the red tape that comes with it, so you actually reduce response times and increase response rates dramatically.
I continued connecting more dots.
My Uni city was quite small so Yell.com and Google proved invaluable when it came to sifting out industry specific firms in the area. I did my research, picked the ten best ones and wrote covering letters over 2 days, most of them turned out to be nationwide/international companies with local offices but local enough that the recruitment process had not been centralised.
So I jotted the addresses, google mapped the buildings and set out on a Thursday morning. Suited up with ten bespoke CV’s and covering letters.
At this point I felt as though my CV didn’t matter anymore, me heading to the doorstep of the companies gave those managers the opportunity to make quicker decisions about whether to consider me or not. I became my CV.
I became my CV
All of the companies I turned up at received my CV well and seemed intrigued simply because they’d never had somebody do that before. A director from a small family office of 3 had turned me down but told me to try another firm in the area that I didn’t have on my list.
I added it to my list of targets and headed there the next day. Using an intro I’d refined some days prior, I ended up with something like this.
“Good morning, my name is Charles, I’m an undergraduate at xxx interested in gaining a few weeks relevant experience. I consider myself knowledgeable with the ongoings of the industry and services your company offers…”
I walked in and did my (now perfectly rehearsed) intro to the office manager.
The same evening I received a call from the office manager expressing interest and subsequently invited me in for an interview. Progress.
After finishing the first interview I received a paid placement offer 1 month later and in between that received another offer from a rival company. Consequently, becoming the first undergraduate from my university to have garnered a relationship with the company. Success.
Embracing change.
This unorthodox but effective take to change a situation I was unhappy with took a certain level of self-awareness, confidence and perseverance but it showed me I could add-value in places that, to my knowledge, hadn’t been tried and tested.
Getting some experience relating to your studies or interests is a realistic goal for every student/young person out there with aspirations. I quickly realised that it’s OK to remain firm about any goals I have but also accept that worthwhile goals require flexibility in approach. It’s something that continues to produce results for me to this day.
A few close friends had recommended I share my own experience for others to read, test and reinvent in a way that maximizes opportunities unique to them.
Please feel free to share and reach out with any questions. Thanks.
