You must be just out of college and preparing yourself to get your first job, right? The options ahead may seem both elusive as well as endless, making it quite challenging to identify or build a career you would love. You need to put in a little bit of extra effort to plan your job search, researching the sectors you would love to work in as well as building a professional network you would require throughout your career.
Today, the employers do not just look for a particular skill set in the prospective employees but on the contrary, they check whether the candidate is
- Professional
- Excited about the organization
- Love challenges
They tend to look for qualities that would make a given candidate an asset for the organization. The problem lies in the fact that the fresh graduates do not usually come with these skills. These skills are quite often the by-product of experience. If you have had a part time job, worked as an intern or a volunteer and have taken part in the campus activities, you will be better prepared for the world of professionalism.
Find Your Areas of Interest
If you have already decided on the industry you would like to join, there is nothing like it. In case you have not, this is the best time to get the job done. Remember that though your first job may serve as the springboard for your future, it won't play a very significant role to make or break your career. This certainly will not be the last company you will be working with. Apply for as many jobs as possible in your preferred industry. Begin aiming for the entry level jobs in the domain you are bent on being a part of.
Your first job may not offer you the most glamorous position, but it should start you rolling on the right career path.
Begin Networking
Try to regard everyone as a prospective networking resource. It may be anyone from the fellow students and peers to alumni and your Professors. Networking is one of the best things you can do to enhance the possibilities of landing up in a nice job and this would remain significant throughout your career.
Be polite and remember that good advice is as good as a job offer. So don't make faces if people are advising you. They are doing it for your good.
There is no need to feel uncomfortable while you sell yourself as a potential candidate. The person you are speaking with had once been in the same position and would be really glad to help you out. Remember that making connections is not enough. You need to keep in touch if you don't want to lose the opportunity just because you were not in touch.
Use the Career Services Office of Your College
Though this is one of the best ways to land up in your first job, research says that very few students make use of this platform. These career centers are a wealth of information and they can offer you a list of alumni employed in your field of interest, sample cover letters and resumes as well as inform on the best ways to apply for a job. There are also a few colleges who maintain a database of alumni. If you are from those colleges, you can get to hear of their experience.
Practice Appearing for Interview
Your interview is the final and the most significant part of the process of application. Don't make the mistake of thinking that applying for scholarships and internships is just a modified version of hunting for jobs; remember that the world of employment is much more of a competitive landscape. You need to be well prepared while you appear for an interview.
To prepare yourself better, you need to
- Research the company or the organization
- Anticipate personal questions
- Focus on potential
- Do not oversell yourself
Practice interviews with mentors, peers, siblings and even mirror. You need to hear the words you are speaking, noting emphasis, tone as well as facial expressions.
Remember that job hunting is not easy, regardless of whether it is your first or the 10th. At times, it is bound to appear discouraging as well as stressful but the best thing you can do here is stick to it. You need not settle for a job you will hate but remember that it is okay to begin with something that is a little less than perfect.
