4 TIPS to SECURE Job Offers from Top-tier Corporations! (MUST READ)

Job application is a highly trainable skill

It is conventional wisdom that interviews are designed to help companies understand applicants’ work ability and pick the best candidate. It is easy to think of interviews, aptitude tests and case interviews as tools to measure an applicant’s innate ability. If you believe in this, you will falsely believe that there is little you can do to increase your chance of success. This is the wrong mindset. It is possible with practice and the right approach to perform dramatically better in interviews. With some practice, you can appear as a totally different person in job interviews. You should think of interviews as a play or a sales presentation. You are essentially an actor trying to impress your interviewers. Of course, we are not telling you to lie in interviews. What we are telling you is that the way you present yourself can be trained and molded. When you learn to present yourself in a more positive light, your interviews’ perception of you can change significantly.

Start as early as possible

I still remember the day when I first entered into university. I heard about how my seniors are competing for top job offers in prestigious companies I dreamed of getting into. Some of my seniors have already worked at the largest companies, such as JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley. I heard that there are hundreds of applicants competing for one position for such kinds of jobs. However, the only work experience I had was being an executive in my school’s business and economics club. It seemed absolutely impossible for me to land the best job offers. However, I soon came to an important realization- most university students started off the same way as me. More importantly, I realized that I could in way “trade up” my internships. What this means is that if I get an offer and work at an SME, that will slightly increase my competitiveness in the job market and allow me to get a slightly better offer elsewhere. Eventually, after a few more job offers, I would be significantly more competitive than I was when I started. I would have a real shot at getting offers at the best companies.

This was exactly what happened. In the summer after my first year of university, I did internships at two SMEs and won a business case competition. This then allowed me to get a winter internship at a Big 4 accounting firm. During that time, most of my classmates only had one work experience at an SME while I had already got 3. I started early and stayed ahead of my peers. Eventually, I landed another internship at a top-tier consulting firm before my second year of university ended.

Always remember that one thing leads to the next when you are looking for jobs. Almost everyone has a less prestigious first job. But that first job experience is crucial to getting a better offer next. Always start early.

If you are in your penultimate year and just started to get serious about your career, you are probably too late. You need to start being aggressive in your first year!

Don’t fall behind for your GPA

Many university students lose interest in studying after going into university. I was one of them. I feel that what I learn in university has no real world application, which may be true. However, if you want to get the really top jobs, you need to maintain a GPA of at least 3.3. If not, you won’t even be able to pass through the initial screening.

Don’t take failures personally

I still remember the time when I first failed in a group interview at a Big 4 Accounting firm, I nearly cried. I asked the interviewer why did I fail. He told me that I seemed the lack interpersonal skills and was not a “team player”. A friend picked me back up. He told me that an interview is just an act. The interviewer has less than an hour to judge who you are. His perception of you may not be fully accurate. Hence, I learnt not to take failures personally and practiced more on presenting myself in the best light. Don’t take failures personally so that you can remain motivated.