Since I graduated I have been trying to spend more time with friends again, but I have also started job hunting already. A week after my last exam, I was browsing job ads online and actually came across two that I wanted to apply for. Originally, I had not planned to start job hunting until August but you cannot pass up an opportunity like that. There was just one problem. I had to pick up my diploma first (something that was taken care of quickly), and I had to have application photos taken.

This is something that may confuse a lot of you. I know that in the US application photos are a big no-no. Here they are a big yes-yes. While, due to recent anti-discrimination legislation, you are no longer required to add a photo to your application, you are still expected to by most HR personnel. But it cannot just be any photo, it has to be a professional photo. So last week I made an appointment with a local photographer and got my picture taken. It turned out great, probably partially due to the fact that he photo-shopped away my imperfections. Yes, it is that kind of professional photo. I paid €32 for four copies and a CD of the photo. Luckily most applications nowadays are online, otherwise job hunting can get expensive very quickly here.

Saturday morning, my mom called me and told me about a job fair taking place in Munich the week before my move there. Because it is another opportunity I’d hate to miss, I applied right away. I passed the first round and got an invite to the job fair, but I am hoping that I will also score a job interview or two, despite applying so last-minute. Either way I will be going to the job fair in three weeks. Even if I don’t find a job there, it can be great for practice and networking opportunities as well as the workshops they offer.

I also bought two books on the application progress, because what with how bad the economy is, I do not want to mess up any chances at getting a job by not knowing application etiquette. And while I have written a few applications and had some interviews before, they were never for proper jobs, just internships. Applying for jobs is so complicated here, there is so much you can do wrong, so I really want to make sure I am doing this right. I know that it will probably take me a few months to find a job but I also know that some graduates with a degree in humanities like me take more than a year to find a decent job. That is a scary prospect and something I really do not want to happen to me so I am trying to seize every opportunity I get.

Am I the only one to find the job hunting and application process a little daunting?