7 Helpful Job Hunt Tips for Fresh Graduates
Landing a job can be tough for fresh graduates. Aside from lacking the skills of experienced job applicants, they are also competing with hundreds of other fresh graduates vying for the same job. The job search may get stressful but it gets easier in the long run with some helpful tips. So, if you’ve just recently graduated high school or college yourself, here is a job hunting checklist to help you out:
1. Build a proper CV
Before applying for graduate jobs, it’s highly recommended to build a proper CV or resume first. Submitting a resume with numerous inconsistencies will not only get your application rejected but may also place you on a black list for several companies. It will also be embarrassing when recruiters ask you job interview questions and you can’t answer them properly.
To help you build a proper CV, keep these two resume tips in mind: only include relevant information and limit the resume to two pages. Relevant information includes educational background, skills and competencies, and work experience. If you don't have any work experience, list down your internship details or just leave it blank. As for the number of pages, one or two pages should suffice as recruiters only browse through resume details and not read the entire thing. Also, remember that recruiters are faced with hundreds of resumes every single day so make yours stand out.
2. Create an online presence
With the world continuing to go digital, building an online presence has become more important than ever. Although this isn’t mandatory for fresh graduates, having an online portfolio provides a great advantage compared to graduates who only rely on physical CVs. Employers are also known to give priority to applicants who have an online presence to complement their physical or traditional CVs.
Having an online presence doesn’t mean creating your own website or overhauling your social media account. It can simply pertain to placing all your works in a single online platform such as the cloud and share it when you apply for a company. You may be looking for a job related to your degree, so compile all of your projects in a single file and submit them together with your CV when applying for a job.
3. Apply online
Although personally submitting CVs is still very common these days, the rise of online job openings has become the most convenient way to land a job. In fact, it’s very common for job seekers to get their first glimpse of a potential future employer through an interview/exam and not by personally submitting a resume beforehand.
Online job boards such as Indeed, Glassdoor, Monster, and LinkedIn post thousands of job listings from employers across all industries. You won’t have to worry about finding a job that matches your degree and skills. And with employers now using advanced recruitment tools to shortlist candidates, the job search process becomes much faster. By applying online, you’ll be able to save time, energy, and money.
4. Build a network
Building a network doesn’t have to start when you’ve already landed your first job. In fact, you can start while you’re still studying; building relationships not just with your classmates but also with instructors and professors. Once you’ve graduated, you can leverage relationships so that you can secure a high-paying job.
Building a network early is very helpful if you are close to someone who just landed a good job. They can refer you to their company’s human resource or recruitment officer and schedule you for an interview. But remember, building a network also means building an impressive portfolio while still in school. Although you don’t need to be an honor student, having passing grades in all of your subjects can help you tremendously when recruiters browse through your records.
5. Follow up with companies
It’s never wrong to follow up with companies about your application. In fact, most employers prefer it as it helps them identify which candidates want the job the most. The rule of thumb when it comes to following up is to do it only once, preferably around one week after you’ve finished with your job interviews.
You can do this after your first job interview or the final interview with the manager but it’s preferable to follow up after you’ve finished multiple rounds of interviews and exams. A single email should suffice and avoid sending multiple emails or texts to the recruiter. Remember that the job search process may take a while so apply to more companies while still waiting for your pending ones.
6. Apply for a job before the semester ends
It’s always better to get a head start when applying for a job. Remember that you’ll be competing with dozens of your batchmates and graduates from other schools once graduation is over, so make sure to send some applications early so that you’ll be landing a job as soon as possible.
Colleges or universities usually post the list of graduates a month or two before the graduation ceremony. This gives you ample time to create a CV and online portfolio, and once done you can commence with your job search. As long as you create a proper CV and impress recruiters during the interview, landing a job a few days before or after graduation can easily become a reality.
7. Find a mentor
Graduates entering the professional world will soon realize that they’re no longer in a safe zone and challenges will only get tougher from here on end. And the feeling will only get worse especially if landing a job, even contract jobs, proves to be difficult.
Finding a mentor will help you ease through the struggles of adulthood and also keep you focused on building a professional career. Some of the mentors you can go with include your college professors, internship supervisors, or even your parents/relatives. They should be willing to give you honest and unsolicited career advice at all times.
In closing
Ready to take on the professional world once you received your diploma? Then the seven tips listed above should tremendously help you out.
