You’ve just graduated or are going to in the next few months, massive congratulations! But with the relief of completing your degree comes the daunting prospect of the unknown, especially in this current market.
We are in a competitive world where job seeking is often not a straightforward process, use these tips to help you with this next chapter!
Job searching can be challenging: It’s easy to falling to procrastination and low self-esteem when we’ve built the expectation of being hired right after graduating. The truth is, it may or may not happen straight away due too many impacting factors, especially now with Covid-19.Identify these factors, write them down and face them. Look at what solutions you have? By doing this, you’ll be able to manage negative self-talk and avoid discouragement.
Routine: Even the best of us procrastinate, especially when we lose the scheduled structure of university life. The temptation to stay up late watching TV is always there. But the sooner you learn self-discipline and time management, the more relaxed you’ll adapt to an employer’s expectations. Recruiters will call you during that 9 am – 5 pm window, and you don’t want to miss any opportunity! Time flies and before you know it, one week becomes a month, one month becomes six! Schedule your day and allocate time for productivity – look at our other articles on improving yourCV, writing cover letters & applying for jobs.
Open Mind: You now have a degree and may or may not look for work in your field of study! Whatever you choose, define your industries of interest and seek entry-level positions that match your current knowledge, experience, skills and personality. Visit job search engines and recruitment agency websites and subscribe to keyword-based mailing lists. Don’t limit yourself and try to keep an open mind; sometimes, the best opportunities come from where we least expect. You may not find your perfect job immediately, but any experience is still valuable, and you may gain new skills that will open new doors for you.
Feedback: An interview won’t always land you a job, but it’s still an opportunity for constructive criticism. Some employers will offer you some feedback, make sure to take notes for future reference. Most universities provide support systems for graduates, whether it’s in the form of career services or orientation. This is where recruitment agencies come in -they will not only help you find a job; they will also advise you on how to improve your soft skills, which can genuinely make a difference on your CV or interview skills.
Social Media: Social networking is great for job hunters; we rely so much on social media, so make sure your LinkedIn profile is active, complete and up to date. Keep a lookout on other platforms such as local Facebook job pages. We regularly post our job adverts into all of them.Put yourself out there and don’t hesitate to contact key industry people and companies of interest. Be proactive - if you don’t ask, the answer is always no.
Finally, don’t give up and believe in yourself! Be consistent and patient, and your efforts will be rewarded sooner or later.
