Finding A Job in Prague: Mastering LinkedIn | by Anna

As students in Prague, juggling financial independence and academic pursuits is a constant tightrope walk. Whether you are in a VSE dorm room in Palachova, Thalerova, Eiselrova, or Jarov 2 or have an apartment, covering rent and daily expenses often requires a job. Thankfully, LinkedIn goes beyond just professional networking – it’s a powerful tool for landing your dream job in the vibrant city of Prague.

While creating and maintaining a strong LinkedIn profile takes effort, the rewards are undeniable. Just like my experience in 2018, a well-crafted profile can be the bridge to your first job in Prague. Companies often check your LinkedIn profile alongside your resume, so a polished online presence showcasing your skills and experience is crucial.

Beyond crafting a stellar profile, success on LinkedIn also involves understanding the city’s recruitment patterns. Here’s a key insight: recruitment in Prague tends to flow throughout the year. Job postings typically peak during two specific periods: June-October and December-February. These spikes coincide with the conclusion of internship contracts, presenting opportunities for companies seeking to retain their interns and those seeking to hire new talent. So, if you’re aiming for an internship at a global company, strategically plan your job search to align with these peak periods.

Now, let’s delve into the nitty-gritty of leveraging LinkedIn’s features to maximize your success:

• Location Preference: When searching for jobs, set the location as Prague, Czechia, so you are looking for jobs inside Prague.
• Keywords: Most companies mention in the job posting title and the role if they are looking for an internship, part-time job, or full-time job. By searching for roles using keywords like “intern,” “part-time,” or “full-time,” you can easily find the type of job you are looking for. In this case, I would highly recommend avoiding using the Advanced filter options: “Internship,” “Part-Time,” or “Full-Time” because most companies don’t populate this information properly.
• Reading the description: I recommend reading the entire job posting description, from the section about the company or the team to the last paragraph. There are a lot of details about the
  roles and responsibilities, skills, the team you will be working with, and even sometimes details about the contract term and the pay. By reading this, you will know your tasks and be better
  prepared for the interviews because most interview questions revolve around the job posting.
• Method of Applying: Each job posting on LinkedIn gives you the option of “Easy Apply” or through the “Company Website.” Even if you use either option, you can still track all the applications you have applied for. To find this, go to the Jobs section at the top of the LinkedIn page. Goto My jobs -> Applied. You will find another section called Save, a unique feature where you can save jobs that interest you so that you can apply for them at a later stage or immediately.
• Job Alerts: This is, by far, in my opinion, the most powerful feature of the LinkedIn platform. When you search for a job using keywords and location, if you prefer to get notified every time a new job is posted, you can switch on the job alerts and have the job postings shown to you via email or notifications through the LinkedIn app. You can also check the job alerts by going to Jobs-> Preferences -> Job Alerts.
• Open To Work: This is another very powerful feature on LinkedIn. When you are looking for a job, you can switch on the Open To Work option and notify the entire LinkedIn network that you are looking for a job. Switching on this option can also display the “#OpenToWork” tagline below your profile picture. To switch on this option, go to Jobs -> Preferences -> Open to work.
• Export your LinkedIn Profile as a Resume: Instead of using third-party websites to customize or perfect your resume, LinkedIn has a feature where once you have filled in all the sections in your LinkedIn profile, you can export your profile as a resume in PDF format, and use it for Job Applications. This is probably one of the lesser-known features of LinkedIn, but it can save you a lot of time from reworking your resume.

If English isn’t your native language, don’t shy away from applying! Prague’s professional landscape is incredibly diverse, and many companies have employees from various backgrounds. Working in such an environment can significantly improve your English fluency. Most people working in these companies come from different European countries, so they likely improved their English through similar experiences. So, confidently apply and leverage the opportunity to develop your language skills further.

By following these tips and strategically utilizing LinkedIn, you’ll be well on your way to finding the perfect job in Prague. Remember, timing your job search strategically and understanding the recruitment cycles can give you an edge. Embrace the international environment, don’t let language be a barrier, and with a little effort on LinkedIn, you’ll be celebrating your new Prague job in no time!

If you have any more questions for me, please feel free to send me a connection request to my LinkedIn profile or reach out to me through the Ambassador pages for FIS or VSE.

Thank you for reading this article, and have a nice day! ☺️ I wish you good luck with your job search!