Let's Build Our Future

Who generates in reality our future opportunities? New tips for building a career, will empower you for the future! This blog is part of BrandBase in cooperation with Lund University School of Economics and Management. Listed at Blogorama.com - Blog Directory and Super Blog Directory You can find us on Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn Google+ 1Abc Directory best personal blogs

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Job network: Are personal connections a must to get a job in Sweden?

You might have heard from others that a personal network and relations and connections are needed in order to get a job in Sweden. Research shows that approximately 70 % of all jobs in Sweden are appointed via recommendations of friends, family, former student mates etc. Only approximately 50 % of all jobs are announced by the public employment office, Arbetsförmedlingen.  

Do not let these numbers frighten you There are still many jobs who are being announced online, on company websites and through Arbetsförmedlingen. Arbetsförmedlingen did convey almost 72 000 jobs in 2011, which is a high number.

Be aware of the fact that network and connections are very important and valuable. Try to find and confirm your own connections. Do not be shy – ask your friends and people you meet about job opportunities!

Most students or recent graduates need to apply for many jobs and you could perceive the interviews as a learning process. You will probably learn what to answer and you will even get to know yourself better if you have many interviews. Having many interviews also mean you cultivate more connections! Consider a human representative you have met as a future and possible connection and do not hesitate to remind him or her that you have met or been in contact.

 Many students need to apply for many jobs before getting their first job. You are therefore not alone! You do not need a network or connections but they will help you and make the process easier and faster.

/Ann-Charlotte

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Photo by Avijit Nandy. 

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Student diary: Let’s ask the students about their future!...part 2

 What are the steps students need to take to reach their future careers?

A question that mystifies students all the time. Giving that our future as students depends profoundly on the steps we take today, therefore we should be aware on the elements of success that will take us to better career in the future. So we went around in our university campus Lund University in Sweden and asked the previous question to students from the master programs.  

From this video, we can summarize that there is not one way to go to reach the future career. The students give some great advices such as networking, experiences, passion for the company and the chance to work in different positions as important steps to reach their future careers. Depending on what you want to achieve you need to prepare yourself in a different way. Set your goal for the future and start building it today. 

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Photo by Avijit Nandy. 

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Let’s Build Our Future in Google!

Google has been nominated several times as the best workplace, e.g. in Forbes 2015. This is because of good working conditions, where you can build your skills and have fun. In eee2016, I was lucky being provided the possibility to attend the Google workshop. In the workshop, Google representatives explained how we students can build our future in Google by creating a googley mindset. Therefore, I would like to share some important points from the workshop. These points can help you building a googley mindset and a possible future career in Google. 

1.      Your self-perception is important and is based on what people think about you.

2.      There are three components that are important when building your personal brand: Trust, Differentiation and Awareness.

3.      The culture in Google is diversified and open. Therefore, it is important to have an open mindset.

4.      Think about your strengths. Google wants to know who you are as an individual and appreciate passion.

5.      Be a person that takes initiative and inspire other people! Think about two questions: How have you impacted others life? What failures have you had in life and how did you overcome these failures?

6.      In conclusion, three important points when working in Google: FUN, PASSION and DIFFERENCE.

To build you future in Google you need to be a driven person and not be afraid to show the uniqueness of you.  Google appreciate if you show strengths that are not “regular”. Tell the Google employer, for example, if you sing or draw well! In this way, Google will understand who you are and be motivated to have you in their team.

// Natyra

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Leonardo DiCaprio and the Oscar award: A successful career!

Leonardo DiCaprio won the Oscar award for Best Actor for his role in Revenant. This, after 6 nominations and 23 years later in a successful career in the movie industry. 

Leonardo DiCaprio began his career as a supporting cast member of the sitcom and playing in low-budget horror movies. DiCaprio’s first appearances were in a television commercials, such as “Bubble Gum”, before moving on to successful movies as supporting roles. 

Thereafter, Leonardo DiCaprio’s career developed with more success. Dicaprio had leading roles in successful movies such as “What Eating Gilbert Grape” (1993), “The Basketball Diaries” (1995), “Romeo + Juliet” (1996) and “Titanic” (1997), which all achieved huge international success.

Today, Leonardo DiCaprio has a successful portfolio of great movies, but not only as an actor but also as a producer of movies, e.g. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013). The list of successful movies can continue with many nominations and awards behind. Only one was missing, which was the Oscar award.

However, with motivation and desire in the career you have a passion for, it will come back with positive  and successful results. Yesterday, Leonardo won on the 88th academy award, an Oscar for Best Actor 2016. 

Sources: http://www.business-standard.com  

http://www.news.com.au  http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000138/

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Job application tips: 3 Strategies directly from recruiters! Part2

During the Career Events 2016 - Lund University, I asked recruiters from different companies about how to make a better job application. The next strategies helped me already to get the job I desired. See the next application tips for your resume and your cover letter. Read also about the recruitment process and get the job you are looking for!

1.    How do I create a better application? Recruiters like resumes which are easy to read and cover letters which show how you acted in the past, how did you handle the different situations and what did you gain as experience.

1.a.We like to see the same layout for the resume and cover letter (see next image). For us is more easily to know that they are together and are looking for a perfect application (advice from PWC recruiter).

Make sure your application is reflecting the skills required in the job description.

1.b. We would like to see a separate field of Education, Work Experience and Languages, advice from SEB recruiter (see the next image).

1.c. We are looking if the people who recommended you have the same background as you, we check the credibility.

80% of jobs are not advertised, register to Adecco database

2.    How long can a recruitment process take?

The process of recruitments it might take up to 5 weeks. Only, for positions in the public sector might take longer because recruiters start looking at application after the application period is finished. However, usually, employers need as soon as possible a new employee when recruiting (Adecco adviser) .

3.    Do recruiters announce me if I don’t get the job?

We give the answer even if it is negative. If you get a negative answer you can ask them for a feedback to find out what was the reason and to prevent that happen in the future (Adecco adviser).

 At the end, there is a place for everybody!

by Roxana

Source: 3 recruiters from different companies during eeeBoost2016 and my career events 

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Photo by Avijit Nandy

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Job Interviews Tips: 3 questions to a Swedish recruiter! Part1

Meeting a recruiter is a greater chance to find out more about job interviews and job market. I had the pleasure to meet Magdalena who works in a recruiting company and to find out what recruiters are looking for. Follow the next 3 questions for more interview and job tips:

1.    What are recruiters interested to find out during the interview?

Recruiters are born curious, they want to know more about you. Think about your growth in life until now and prepare a storytelling about you. We think that your characteristics are constant over time. Tell more about your personal experience linked to the job you are applied. It is the most powerful. We are interested to find out how you react to unknown. How did you handle things which you didn’t know how to handle. You need to have the right attitude for the position you are looking for.

Sometimes our nonverbal govern us. The recruiter recommended us to see the next  video  with 31,827,267 reviews.

 Press here for video: Amy Cuddy: Your body language shapes who you are 

2.    How do I know which is the most suitable job for me?

Find out who you are and is more easily to get your dream job. When you know yourself you can adapt your goals. Do you like to save the world? Then you are suitable for ONG, CSR position in a company. If you like to fix things then you fit well in a technical role.

3.    How does the labor market look like for recent graduate students in Sweden?

Finance Degree Students – should move to Stockholm, Berlin, London or Copenhagen

For Accounting field, it seems that this activity will be solved in the future by robots.

For Management degree students is hard as a recent graduate to get a job. But you can get experience first as a supervisor or a leader role in a team.

Marketing degree students: there are more students qualified than available jobs. There is a close competition and you need to differentiate from others, you can add new skills like Adobe creative, Photoshop, HTML, Adobe After Effects.

To be continued...

by Roxana

Source:  In the mind of a recruiter seminar organized by MyCareer

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Photo by Avijit Nandy

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Career fair Tips&Jobs: Get most out of the career fair!

The eee2016 career fair is coming up!

eee2016  is more than just a career fair, there are also other events surrounding to make sure that companies get to meet and interact with students. Therefore, I interviewed Jesper, the President of eee2016 to get more insights about the fair:

What is your advice for students that will be attend the Career Fair?

-    To check out the program, lectures and when specific companies are presented at the fair.Students should be aware of that some companies are looking only for Bachelor students and other for Master degree students. You should therefore carefully read the book eee2016.

What do you think students should ask employers during the career fair?

-    Ask them about the company culture. What they like most about their jobs and what skills they are looking when recruiting?

Do you have any other advice for students?

-    Don’t be afraid, be social! Tell them why you want to work for the company and what you can contribute with.

I also interviewed Arvid, Head of Events, to gain more tips:

How can students make the most out of the career fair?

-    They should check out the companies before coming. It is good to know what companies are looking for, but we have a good sign for this. Each company will have a color allocated to a specific focus area.

Advisory and Consulting – Blue

Banking and finance – Yellow

Consumer Goods and FMCG – Orange

IT&Technology – Green

Other – purple

How many companies should a student visit at the career fair during one day, according to you?

-    4 companies per day is a good number I think.

Do you have any other advice for students?

-    Don’t be shy! Present yourself and discuss with your possible future employer!

 Good Luck!

Thank you Jesper and Arvid  for interviews!

By Roxana

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Photo by Avijit Nandy

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5 Biggest Trends Impacting The Future Jobs

It is always hard to predict the future, especially future positions and jobs, nonetheless there are trends that give glimpse of guidance about the future positions and jobs. Samples of these trends are:

1. The digitalization, which probably will continue it´s rapid evolvement in the future positions and jobs.  The new generation who will enter the workforce now will probably further increase the adaption rate of technologies.  The digitalization might make easy tasks performed by human labor today replaced with software programs.

2. The aging society.  People live longer and one therefore expects an increased demand of healthcare and medicine and other services for elderly.  People are also expected to work longer in future positions and jobs

3. Globalization.  It is hard to predict different economies´ developments. “Made in China” might be replaced with other countries and economies. Competition increases among companies and people who look for jobs.

4. Migration. There are many movements around the world. This will lead to immigrants learning a new language and an increased demand of housing, education, health care and certain services in some areas and a decreased population in other areas.

5. Economic power. China and Asia is expected to have increased economic power, which is shifting the global power balance.

These trends will lead to changes in demand of work supply. New jobs and positions  will emerge in the future and other positions will be phased out. Try to think yourself working in 10, 20 and 40 years from today!!

By Ann

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Photo by Avijit Nandy

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Entrepreneurship tips: Get your idea done!

During eeeBoost 2016, I met Henrik, an entrepreneur, investor and author. He started his first business over 20 years ago. Henrik gave us important tips about why entrepreneurship is the most valuable tool; not only for starting a business but also for personal branding. But, let’s follow his advice:

“You can be an entrepreneur or a career climber in an organization, beyond that all begins with Wants!”

Every time when you try something you will face Inertia, it can be resistance like preconceptions: “I think this is not a good idea; you should find a regular work! “.

If you have a strong Want you will move into Activity and then to Inertia. However, you will learn by doing!  You should fight against the Inertia and keep going to get your Idea done! After you work with Inertia for a while is hard to stop, you will get used to it.

“Currently, I am running a group of Scandinavian and London based IT companies. Why? Because is part of my Wants.” Said Henrik.

When you choose to do something you need market validation, the confirmation that people enjoy with your new idea.

Henrik started an online restaurant, in an industry with great competition. However, Henrik fought the Inertia, and knew that people need healthy food at their door.

Think about: “How do you manage to run a business, to have a family and to be healthy? Your time has a price! You cannot lose it on unproductive work. At the end of the day, this may count! “ So, now the Online Restaurant is working in collaboration with other 2 partners.

When you are entrepreneur you need to take the responsibility for running a problem after the next. But after, you will be happy that you just solved the problem. “When your employee face a problem and his or she stop, you don’t stop! Ask what is your proposal?” Your employees need to be able to express their proposal against the problem. 

Nobody wants somebody who stops in the face of a problem.” I don’t care who’s fault it is, because there will always be a potential problem. You can’t avoid taking a decision because you don’t know the future. If you want to change in your organization you need to open doors for dialog and new strategies.”

It doesn’t matter if you run your business or you work in an organization. “Whatever you do in your life is important to be focused on creating output into this world. I think this is more exciting!”

Think of your passions. Do you like the challenge? Make things happen!

Many thanks to Henrik for the valuable speech! 

By Roxana

Source: eeeBoost 2016, Entrepreneurship more then just start-ups

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Photo by Avijit Nandy

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The future’s workplace

How do you think future´s workplace will look like? Do you believe in a very flexible solution where the physical room and working facility close to your colleagues is of subordination?  You will be able to work in a café or from your work whenever you want to?  Do you think that the globalization will make many people work for international organizations with colleagues from all over the world, which means they do not have to work between regular office hours 9 AM to 5 PM since they communicating with different time zones?

When digitalization emerged some trend spotters talked about the paperless office and that has not really happened (yet). The same goes with working physically close with colleagues, I would claim. People still need and want physical meetings with their colleagues and you usually want to communicate with your colleagues during office hours.  There are already excellent conferencing facilities and these have not replaced physical meetings (yet).

It is hard to predict the future. There are unforeseen events and trends. One should not forget that trends are created and thus enhanced by ordinary people like you and me.

Two of today´s major trends that are connected to workplace are digitalization and the health trend. The digitalization enables us to work from home and to be more flexible and respond to e-mails outside office hours. We have not seen the end of this development yet so there is still a lot to expect.  The new generation entering the workforce today will be more used to online behavior which might increase the adoption rate for the digitalization. The communication, storage, and other functions will increase the demand for higher security.

What could the health trend bring about? Office employees standing at rolling hoops walking / jogging at their desks? Incentives from employers in order to encourage employees to become more healthy?

I am convinced there will be some unforeseen trends and events that will alter our workplace. The one who lives will find out which.

By Ann

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