Selection process for Herizon internships

At Herizon, our mission is to help immigrant talent land meaningful jobs in the Nordic tech industry.

We believe in transparency and want to share how we navigate the selection process for our internships. We received over 100 applications (in 2 hours, wow!), which I personally reviewed, and here’s how we decided which candidates to move forward with.

Why do we want to share this

We’ve observed that many international talents might not fully understand the cultural expectations for job applications in the Nordics. These are very common mistakes job seekers make during the process, and the points we mention here might apply to other jobs you seek in the Nordics as well.

We want to help talented individuals understand what we look for and how they can improve their chances in future applications. By sharing our process, we hope to provide valuable insights that can help you stand out in the future for us and other jobs as well.

Our selection process:

1. Guidelines:
   We asked for applications to include three bullet points. This was a straightforward request, but many sent traditional cover letters starting with "Dear Hiring Manager." Those who didn't follow the guidelines were unfortunately not considered. We value the ability to follow instructions and attention to detail.
2. LinkedIn activity:
   Given that LinkedIn communication was highlighted in the job responsibilities, we prioritized candidates with recent activity on LinkedIn. This is crucial because it shows their engagement and familiarity with the platform. Applicants without LinkedIn profiles or with no recent activity were not advanced.
   
   Want to get yourself activated for the next internship round? Join our free LinkedIn Bootcamp we run every month. Currently on Discord and, soon also on Telegram. Read more and join LinkedIn Bootcamp.
3. Personal touch:
   Addressing applications to Viivi, the person handling the hiring (or Herizon team), was a must. Too generic salutations like "Dear Sir/Madam" don't pay attention to the details in the job post.
4. Authenticity:
   We dismissed very generic applications that appeared to be generated by ChatGPT without customization. Authenticity is key for us. We want to hear your genuine voice and see the effort you put into your application. Using ChatGPT is OK, but copy-pasting it on your application as it is, is not necessarily a good idea.
5. Proven track record:
   If you mentioned a “proven track record” without providing concrete proof or examples, we couldn't move your application forward. We need to see real, tangible evidence of your achievements. This is a key area of the process we teach in our free materials in the learning community. For example, if you have a proven track record in sales, provide specifics such as, "I implemented a new sales strategy that resulted in a 20% increase in sales over six months, verified by monthly sales reports."
   
   Want to get better at finding a measurable achievement from your professional background? Learn about Strategic Growth Hacking OS or join our Herizon community and take the growth hacking course.

Why these criteria?

These criteria help us identify candidates who demonstrate the qualities we value at Herizon: detail-oriented and proactive. With detail-oriented and proactive individuals we can reach the employment goals we've been able to reach while maintaining a relatively small and cost-efficient team.

What’s next?

If you weren’t selected this time, don’t be discouraged. Your effort is appreciated, and we encourage you to apply for future opportunities. Keep your LinkedIn profile active, follow application guidelines, and let your personality shine through in your applications.

Thank you for your interest in joining Herizon. We look forward to seeing your applications in the future and helping you succeed in the tech industry.

We are onboarding a new 3-month intern every quarter. If you weren't selected next time, now you know what to focus on next time!

Original job post:

Basic role info

• This internship is for a fixed period of 3 months.
• The expected start is in July-August. The exact start date will be negotiated with the chosen candidate.
• The salary is €1400 / month.
• We're a remote organization. For administrative reasons, you need to be residing in Finland to qualify for this opportunity.

Herizon is a non-profit making tech more diverse by linking international talent with jobs in the Nordics.

We will provide you with the process playbooks for all the tasks you need to follow and improve, you'll have plenty of time to learn so you don't have to be perfect in everything. You will have clear KPIs to measure your success.

Internship at Herizon is an excellent opportunity for students, recently graduated individuals, or individuals searching for access to Finnish work-life. We're connected with multiple local tech startups so this is also a great way to network and secure a full-time job after the internship.

This paid internship opportunity will be available at Herizon every 3 months.

Responsibilities

• Management help in UAS growth hacking internship. Managing weekly reporting, mentorship, and other parts of the program.
• Manage our Google Ads account.
• Connect with local communities of immigrants to invite them to our free monthly LinkedIn Bootcamps.
• Communicate actively about your internship and experience at Herizon on LinkedIn.
• Write a blog post during your internship about you and your experience.
• Find and onboard the next intern.
• Special projects when available.
• You can also proactively suggest other tasks to improve the following KPIs: 1) Building a follower base on our social media channels 2) Getting more participants on LinkedIn Bootcamps 3) Getting people employed.

Qualifications

• You're aligned with our mission of improving immigrant employment in the Nordics.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills (in English).
• Proactivity and problem-solving skills.
• Loves documentation and being systematic.
• Being able to work in a hybrid/remote environment.
• Knows how to use remote environment systems such as Google Drive and Slack.