For anyone hoping to immediately come into contact with the most important companies and multinational corporations, the International MBA of the MIP Politecnico di Milano is the perfect choice.
Companies such as Ernst & Young, Whirlpool, and P&G find themselves at home amongst the halls of the Business School, bringing their own personal experiences and visions and frequently recruiting their own #growingleaders.

On this subject, what are the best moves to best present yourself to a selection consultant? How can you make sure your CV stands out from the rest?

Basically, how can you come to the attention of the company in which you would like to be hired?

In order to answer, we have chosen eight points of attention amongst the many mentioned by the recruiters of the world’s most important companies. You will find them divided into two posts, starting this week.

#1 – Everything posted on social networks may be used against you

For a potential employer, it is increasingly the case that you are how you appear on your social spaces. To give you an idea, research carried out by CareerBuilder in 2013 highlighted that 37% of employers “spy” on the Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts of all those who send in their CVs.

There is no point in stating the obvious. No embarrassing or tasteless photos. Do not post statuses or tweets with offensive or unpleasant contents. Care and moderation, just as you would behave in front of a recruiter.

And if you really can’t help posting everything that comes into your head… at least take a look at the privacy settings on your account!

#2 – Pay attention to your LinkedIn profile

We have deliberately left LinkedIn out of the social network point. Your online CV requires further attention, considering that 93% of selection consultants use it or have done so in the past.

We could write an entire post on the “how”, and we will in a moment. In the meantime, you may be interested in this post on the subject, written by Zara Burke on the Digital Marketing Institute blog.

Start from the basics. A sober, professional profile photo, a detailed description of your studies and any professional experience.

Spend a couple of evenings to describe the projects in which you have participated, take part in the lively debate of groups that discuss your professional interests (and if there aren’t any, create them yourself!).

LinkedIn is also a (virtual) land of opportunity for anyone looking for information regarding universities and business schools. Here you can meet people who have already attended and ask their opinions. Or, you can take a look at seminars, meetings and courses held there.

Here you can find the website of MIP, the business school of the Politecnico di Milano.

#3 – Focus on what you intend to become

Landing the job of your dreams is also – maybe especially – a question of strategy. We could divide it into two phases: analysis and action.

Start by reading your CV again. Compare it with what you think would be the perfect example for the position you are aiming at, or one of someone already working for the same company (you could find it helpful to do a quick search on LinkedIn).

  • Which are the most frequent faculties of origin?
  • How many have a Masters’ Degree?
  • How many years of experience do they have, and in what kind of company?

Now for the action. Close the gap between the ideal and the reality. Continue your training path, if it is not aligned with that required. Build up more experience through internships and collaborations. All your effort will soon be rewarded!

#4 – Build up a network of (good) relations

It is very probable that the job of your dreams is not to be found among the announcements published in magazines and on noticeboards, both digital and real.

Instead, it could be a current or former colleague or fellow student who gives you the right direction, or even the professor who spent time after class discussing the volatility of the question with you, as you asked him interesting questions over a coffee.

For this reason, be your own best PR. Share knowledge, make alliances, table ideas and projects with those around you, maintain friendly relationships, become an opinion leader online too.

The wider your net, the more chance you’ll have of getting where you want to be. As shown for years by the theory of the six degrees of separation.

Here is the end of the first part. In your experience, what are the most important points in a successful (or unsuccessful!) job application?

What do you thing could be included into this list? Share your opinion on #growingleader!