For college graduates fresh out of school, finding work can be difficult. But do not be afraid, because all college graduates who do not have work experience yet have experienced this situation. In this article, we will give you some tips on how to optimize your search to increase your chances of finding a job.
Recent graduates how to find a job – clarify your ideas
The first thing you should do is clarify what you really want, logically based on your qualifications. In what field of your profession do you want to work, in what city or region of the country are you willing to work, what are your salary expectations.
- What industry are y- ou really interested in?
- What functions do you aspire to?
- What work environment best suits your characteristics?
- Are you willing to move to another city/country?
- What are your expectations in financial terms?
After these points are clarified, the actual investigation can begin.
One piece of advice I would give you is to have realistic expectations for your first graduate job. The fact that you have a certain specialty does not mean that you are an indispensable employee for that company. From a business perspective, you should not rush things either: many graduates expect a salary that does not match what the company is willing to pay for a new graduate.
Recent graduates how to find a job
Try to use all the resources available to you: Check job listings posted on various websites, send unsolicited applications, attend job fairs, and sign up with recruiting agencies. It is also important to have a LinkedIn account and, above all, to know how to use it well. It is important to find companies that are looking for young graduates and follow them, increasing the number of contacts you have.
This also means attending meetings and maintaining relationships with many people, which will increase the chances of meeting the right companies and, more importantly, the right people, and the results will follow. According to statistics, 30% of recent graduates are hired because they were recommended by someone who already works in that company.
Besides LinkedIn, you can also use other social networks to find work, but that alone is not enough, because many companies also publish their vacancies on job search websites. In addition, in order not to be flooded with applications or because they do not want to make the recruitment process public, some companies search directly for the resumes that applicants have uploaded to these websites. So it’s a good idea to upload your CV to these websites and, most importantly, keep it up to date.
Finally, when looking for your first job, I recommend that you focus on small and medium sized companies to increase your chances of getting hired, rather than large companies.
The CV and the interview – recent graduates
Be very careful when writing your CV as you have no work experience, highlight all the skills acquired during your studies, tell about all the experiences you have had, such as volunteering or internships, to show that you are not a person who likes to be idle.
Hiring managers place a lot of importance on so-called soft skills, i.e. your personal abilities, such as self-confidence, adaptability, stress resistance, ability to work in a team, empathy, communication skills, etc. Therefore, it is advisable to know how to recognize your own skills and use them as strengths.
The first step is to take the time to write a professional resume that is free of syntax and spelling errors. All relevant information about your skills and competencies should be included in your CV. Do not forget to include a cover letter.
Then you can upload your CV to specialized job search websites where you can get job offers or send it directly to companies.
Remember that the applicants who get a job are often not the ones with the most skills, but the ones who wrote their resume the best and handled the interview the best.
Also prepare carefully for a possible interview, practice alone or with friends to gain confidence and overcome nervousness, because you need to give the employer the impression that you are a confident and determined person who can perform all the tasks assigned to you. will.
In the interview, you need to emphasize the things you do best and highlight your soft skills. Hiring managers value individuals with excellent stress resistance, teamwork skills, good communication skills, and problem-solving skills.