At the time of your graduation, you must have been all excited to step into the working world and earn some money. But now it’s been a few months and you still have no interview calls lined up. So what’s going wrong? Aren’t there enough entry-level graduate jobs in the market that interest you or are you doing something wrong? If you think the latter could be the reason, here’s how you can better your job search and find a job that’s perfect for you!
Check in with your college
Begin the job search by tapping into the resources that are already available to you as a fresh graduate. Your Head of Department and the other professors who taught you during your final year might be in a position to help you connect with the right people in the industry. Your college is also likely to have a placement cell. Reach out to the advisers there and take their help in developing your resume and cover letter. They can also prepare you for interviews and help you formulate a job search plan suited to your interests. Colleges also host career fairs on their campus. To put it simply, going back to college will not only make you nostalgic, but it will also help you find a job!
Network and spread the word
Not just graduate jobs, but jobs across all levels of experience are found by letting people know that you are looking for a job. Attend networking events and join LinkedIn and Facebook groups that are popular for their relevant job postings. Even your parents and their friends, teachers, coaches and other adults can be a great resource. Make sure you mention the kind of work you’d like to do. Touch base with friends who are already employed and ask them to find out if there is a suitable job opening in their company for you. You can also reach out to your seniors as they are likely to have more contacts than you.
Have an elevator pitch ready
If you want to find a job, you need to have an elevator pitch ready! First impressions play a big role in whether you get a job or not. Make a mental list of your strongest skills and interests. This way, when you meet a potential employer or someone who can get you a job, you’ll be able to grab their attention.
Prepare your pitch along the lines of, “I am an English major with writing experience in the travel, fashion and lifestyle industries. I have done 2 internships at renowned publishing houses. In the next 5 years, I see myself as a successful Bollywood reporter for a major publishing house like yours. I plan to accomplish this by putting to use my impeccable written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills.”
Move beyond online job boards to find a job
Don’t restrict your job search to your online job boards like Monster or Naukri. Sure, you can use them to find leads that interest you. But once you do find a job opening that catches your eye, research a different way to get that job. For instance, you can look on LinkedIn for people at that company with whom you may have mutual connections. You can even call the HR department of the company directly and ask for more information on what they’re looking for. If you’re lucky, you might connect straight with the hiring manager in charge of that role, and skip right to the top of her list.
Know what you bring to the table
There may be several graduate jobs in the market, but you need to have clarity on what it is that you want to do and how you can set yourself apart from your competition. If your employer knows what you bring to the table, he’s more likely to give you a job. You can figure out your contribution towards a company by asking yourself questions like – Why are YOU going to be an asset to this company, what problems are YOU going to solve and how YOU’LL be able to solve it better than the other candidate? If you don’t completely understand your value, you’re going to have a difficult time selling yourself to a potential employer.
Being an unemployed fresher can be difficult. However, you can simplify your job search with the above-mentioned steps. If there comes a time when you feel that you aren’t going to find a job, calm your nerves and tell yourself, “This too shall pass!”
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