Dublin student struggled to get a job for a year - what she did next was genius

Irish Daily Mirror

20 hours ago

An unemployed student landed a top tech job by applying to waitress at conferences big companies posted about on LinkedIn - then giving out her resume during the breaks.
After receiving her bachelor's degree at International University of Bad Honnef in 2019 - Basant Shenouda, 28, spent over a year applying for jobs online, but never landing the job.
Stuck doing low-pay hospitality jobs, but dreaming of a job in tech she decided to change tact. Instead of cold-messaging recruiters and industry leaders on LinkedIn, she used the platform to see which conferences they were attending.
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She couldn't afford the often $500 (€427) admission fee, so she volunteered as as a waitress at the events, handing out her resume during her lunch breaks.
And after working at two conferences in 2018 and 2019, she landed her first job in 2020, after meeting a recruiter from LinkedIn at Online Marketing Rockstars. Basant Shenouda (Image: Basant Shenouda / SWNS)
Now an account manager, Shenouda, who lives in Dublin, helps others land their dream job by thinking outside the box.
"Being one of the younger folks at these events, I could really highlight myself and my skills and really network," she said. 'Some folks weren't interested in speaking to a college student because that wasn't their goal, and that was okay. I just kept my head up and kept trying because with networking there's always some rejection.'
Shenouda, a Harvard graduate originally from Egypt, faced visa restrictions and repeated rejections, when she graduated International University of Bad Honnef in Germany.
'I was getting rejected a lot without any feedback from interviews on what I could do better," said the former marketing student. Because conferences were expensive, Shenouda volunteered as a waitress to attend for free.
'I met so many people who were interested in my story, who listened and gave me advice,' she said. 'Because I followed up and stayed in touch with senior people, they supported me during COVID.'
Shenouda attended conferences featuring booths and specific events, spending much of her time learning about industry trends and networking.
Offering advice to others she says to break the cycle of applying and waiting, job seekers to stay flexible.
'I really recommend consistently changing your strategy," she said. "Instead of bulk applying to 100 jobs, every five to 10 applications, readjust your resume, attend different events, change your approach. Job hunting is a learning process.'
Shenouda warns against repeating the same actions and expecting different results and stresses quality over quantity in applications.
'I analyze each role closely and tailor my resume to the job,' she said. Shenouda sometimes sent project samples, like marketing plans, to prove her skills. Looking back from her current role five years later, Shenouda said relationships remain crucial.
'In such a volatile job market, whether you have a job or not, it's important to have a network of relationships to fall back on," she said. "It's about keeping your head up, trying more, and consistently building relationships that support me in the long run.'
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