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Job Hunting Tips

So your exams are finished and you’re one step closer to the big bad world of work.

Whether your finished your final exams or just looking for part time work, over the summer job hunting can sometimes fall to the bottom of your to-do list. It can therefore be useful to schedule at least 15 minutes a day to work on your CV and search job listings as opportunities come and go quickly. Job hunting can be a daunting process and you may have to prepare yourself  to get turned down from a number of jobs, or perhaps not hear back from others before the right one comes along. Here are a number of tips to help kick start your job hunt:

Job Hunting Tips

  • Make sure your CV is up to date and professionally laid out.
  • If you have a LinkedIn account, make sure this too is up to date and the information included matches your CV. (Check out the LinkedIn Student Job Hunting Handbook for tips)
  • Cast an eye over each of your social networks, is everything that you have publicly visible appropriate?
  • Search the hashtag #Jobfairy on Twitter for roles that may not be advertised on formal websites.
  • There are many Irish jobs websites that pop up after a simple Google search including Jobbio.com, Monster.ie, IrishJobs.ie, Jobs.ie, Indeed.com amongst others. Check these daily to search for vacancies in your field.
  • Check out LinkedIn Jobs section and the specific career sections of company websites where further vacancies may be advertised.
  • Visit the DCU Engage portal where a number of jobs are posted.
  • Search on websites such as Eventbrite.ie for networking events near you that may give rise to employment opportunities.
  • If you feel like you want to become more specialised in your field before seeking full time employment, consider furthering your education with a postgraduate degree in DCU Business School – approximately 95% of our Masters graduates are employed or in further study within 6 months of graduating.
  • Consider starting your own business.
  • Be persistent and stay positive during your search – belief in yourself and in your abilities is a major factor in successful job hunting.

The DCU Careers Service provides inclusive service to support, guide and empower students to make informed career decisions to maximise your personal and professional development. They have have a number of resources to help you along the way including information on how to put together your CV and how to prepare for interviews and you can even book an appointment to meet with a Careers Advisor for one-on-one advice.

The Careers team  is committed to providing a wide variety of professional services to support you in making career decisions that are best suited to your qualifications, interests, abilities and aspirations. For more information visit DCU Careers Service.

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Last Minute Exam Preparation

Your hard study is nearly complete and you are on the last stretch of the road. Here are some important final tips to help you prepare for the exams next week:

  • Exam Timetable – Make sure you know what rooms your exams are in and what time they start. Also make sure you know what CAMPUS you will be on as not all exams will be held on the DCU Glasnevin campus. Factor in travel times to campuses that you are not familiar with, allowing time for you to find the location of your exam hall. Also be aware of parking availability.
  • Materials – Do you have enough pens, pencils, a watch, calculator, ruler, glasses, water, student card?
  • Food for Energy – Have a balanced breakfast or lunch before the exam. A meal with lots of carbohydrates and proteins will give the body enough energy to get through the exam, e.g. breakfast with eggs, meats, toast, etc. or a chicken and pasta lunch.
  • Last minute revision – It may help to use blank cards or post-its for writing your key notes to help with last minute revision. Some students prefer to switch off before an exam and leave the notes at home.
  • Plan your timing – If you know the format your exam is going to take (check past papers to get an idea), plan out how much time you want to spend on each question and stick to it. For example, if you have 2 hours to answer 3 out of 5 essay questions, you could plan your timing as follows:
  • 15 minutesRead all questions, write down any key words/phrases
    30 minutesQ1
    30 minutesQ2
    30 minutesQ3
    15 minutesCheck over each question & make sure details are correct on exam booklet(s)
  • Write, write write! – If you leave an answer blank, you will automatically get no marks. If you have a tendency to ‘go blank’ in an exam hall setting, take a few deep breaths and write down any words you associate with the topic to help jog your memory. Attempt each question using insight from your lectures, examples from your tutorials and your own external research, knowledge and experience.
  • Get some sleep – A good night’s sleep and being alert on the day will often be of more benefit than anything you might cram in while staying up all night before an exam.
  • Nervous? – Yes, this is normal – it is adrenalin moving around the body – use this energy to motivate yourself to do well. Focus on positive thoughts to help relax your body and mind.
  • If you are worried about anything – talk to your lecturer, Chairperson, family or friends. Student Support Advisers are also available Monday – Friday , 9.15am – 5.00pm if you have any concerns and you wish to talk. The extenuating circumstances form can also be downloaded here should you need to avail of it.

Read our general exam preparation tips here!

For more great tips check out DCU’s Student Support and Development guide to to getting the results you want!

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Exam Preparation Tips

Planning your study over the next two weeks? Check out these exam preparation tips to help you maximize the use of your time and get the results you want!

Time – Set up a study timetable for the study period prior to the exams. Remember to allocate time for recreational activity – this allows a certain amount of leeway in your day so that if you ‘run over’, you have some time to play with.

Energy – Notice when you have the most energy during the day and schedule study time for those periods. Some people are more alert early in the day and others in the evening or late at night.

Management – Break down the study schedule into exams to be taken, number of topics to be studied for each subject and the number of hours given to each subject, each day.

SMART Goals – Goal set for each session, day and for each week of study, keep them SMART (specific, measurable, action, realistic, time). This keeps your focus in the here and now.

Research – Allow time for searching the internet for extra facts and figures that will help you answer exam questions more effectively. Up-to-date statistics and figures help bring more depth to your answers.

Learning Style – Know what type of learner you are – Take the VARK Questionnaire to see what your learning style is and use this information to study effectively.

Read our last minute exam preparation tips here!

For more tips on things you can do to maximize your exam performance check out DCU’s Student Support and Development guide to to getting the results you want.

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