Going into the office can often be equated with creeping tentatively into the Amazon jungle, with worker ants busying themselves typing, monkeys chattering away on the phone and the King of the Jungle himself (or herself) – otherwise known as The Boss.
Multiple studies in the recent past have drawn similarities between humans and animals – and between bosses and dominant creatures. Animalistic displays of power, masculinity and authority are seemingly hard-wired in senior male management, who have been compared to the Alpha males of a number of species, including chimpanzees.
Diving into job applications can also be like entering into the deepest, darkest jungle, with candidates: swinging from application to application, waiting patiently for the perfect job to come along and then pouncing the moment it does – and yawning as wide as a hippopotamus when the exhaustion of the process finally sinks in. With this in mind, we’ve put together a job market jungle survival guide:
Hunt down the best offers – Rather than making like a giraffe and reaching for the juiciest jobs on the career tree, go for positions which are notably relevant to you in order to increase the likelihood of snapping up a job.
Puff out your chest – Around 200 species are known to do this. Make sure you are one of them when it comes to your CV and don’t be afraid to brag! The jobs market is not the place for modesty: get boasting to really sell yourself to a potential employer.
Get your claws out – Be prepared to fight (not literally) for a vacancy. If you are participating in a group interview, make sure to get your voice heard so the employer notices you. Don’t roar everyone else down consistently though: you also need to show that you mix well with other people.
Survival of the fittest –The jobs market will favour those who are better adapted for it. For this, you will need:
• The hide of a rhino – you need to have a relatively thick skin in a job jungle environment. In its current state, you will inevitably face rejections, and those who get easily offended or upset will not fare as well as those who can shake it off and try again.
• The memory of an elephant – you should be able to pool together and draw on all of your relevant previous experience to prove in an interview that you are the best candidate.
• The tenacity of a tiger – be as ready as you can before pouncing on the jobs market. Tigers often stalk their prey for 20-30 minutes before going in for the kill: you should make a similar number of internship applications during your time at university to prove your determination and dedication to your chosen career before going after a graduate job that you really want.