Tough times call for tough action and who better to learn from then terrorist-ass-kicking hero – Jack Bauer. As anybody who has watched the series 24 will testify, Jack goes about his business with decisiveness, tenacity and vigour, and always bags the villains… within 24 hours. So, whilst we don’t recommend you go hunt for America’s Most Wanted, we do, however, think there are some solid tactics that you can learn from Jack in order to help you land that dream graduate job.
Think outside the box
Jack doesn’t play by the rules. He can’t afford too. As a member of the L.A. Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU), Jack must stop bombs, viruses, and assassination attempts. How creative are you being in your job hunting process? Are you doing the same thing day in day out and getting the same results? Do something different; go network, project your CV on a building, email the CEO, or start your own social networking campaign. You get the picture.
Be tenacious
Does being an enemy of the state, spending time in prison, being shot, and being on every terrorist’s most wanted list stop Jack Bauer? No. He always gets his man. We all suffer setbacks in the hunt for student jobs, so don’t let these put you off. It’s par for the course. Keep knocking on doors, keep doing your research and keep building your professional work experience. Persistence pays off in the end!
Get help
Jack isn’t saving the world on his lonesome. He’s backed up by the LA CTU and more importantly, he regularly calls on computer analyst and friend, Chloe O’Brian for help. Chloe has helped Jack stop one terrorist attack after another. Are you seeking help and advice from friends and family? Don’t try and do this alone. It’s ok to ask for help.
Avoid time wasting
With biological attacks and the like threatening our cousins in America, Jack doesn’t have time to think about his next 140 characters on Twitter, peruse the mundane updates provided by his friends on Facebook or have a ‘quick one’ in the local. You’re on a serious mission and for every break you take there’s a grad out there honing his CV weaponry, so set aside some serious focus time and avoid these distractions.
Show passion
Jack is passionate. Real passionate. And that’s why we love him. Passion can rub off on people. We’ve interviewed students for roles at FreelanceStudents and we will often select candidates that show passion over those with super-academics. How passionate are you about wanting the job? Are you willing to work long nights, sacrifice, and give more than anyone else because you love it? If not, then you just won’t succeed.
I hope you’ll take the lessons above and apply them to your student and / or graduate job hunting. Success can be yours if you really want it. The question is, how bad do you want it? Bad enough to stay up for 24 hours straight and save the United States from biological, nuclear, and other terrorist attacks?
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June 28th, 2011
Student
I really agree with your first point about being creative and thinking outside the box - with so many students graduating from university, competition is very fierce - use some initiative to stand out from the crowd!