How to Get a Job as a Fresh Graduate
Finally, that moment has come, years of hard work has paid off with a degree in your hand, now what? Enter the corporate world? Start with masters? Take a gap year to figure out what you want to do with life? If you are like most freshers, you are probably struggling to get a job in the first place. I will share my advice based on my experience on how I as a fresh graduate landed a job.
As fresh graduates we barely have any work experience or skills that are valuable and relevant at the workplace. You have to be different, there has to be something unique about you that will catch people’s attention.
Making the transition from student life to full-time employment comes with mixed emotions. Beginning your career might mean sacrificing late-night drinks on a Tuesday at the campus pub, but it comes with plenty of benefits. Just picture what you’ll do with that first paycheque.
Graduating from university or college and finding a job is a significant life event. And people handle it in different ways. Some new grads will take their time and go traveling to forestall the change. Others will be keen to get their professional lives started right away.
Yes, it’s easy to be caught up with the feelings of desperation that comes right after you graduate, but one way to ensure you don’t make a mess of your entry into the labour market is to pause and examine yourself by asking these fundamental questions.
1. What am I good at?
2. What are my salary expectations?
3. Why am I looking for a job?
4. What can I bring to the table?
5. What exactly am I looking for?
Regardless of when you plan on finding a job as a new grad, the process can be challenging. Many graduates lack familiarity with the basics of job searching, or how to sell themselves to employers when they have minimal work experience.
Not to worry, here we’ll cover some of the best strategies for finding a job for those who are recent graduates. This guide includes advice on:
· Setting expectations for your job search
· The importance of a well-crafted resume for new grads
· How to identify job opportunities
· Enhancing your professionalism
As graduation approaches, chances are you’re starting to consider the ways you can turn your hard-earned education into a meaningful and rewarding full-time job. As you begin to plan your post-college career path, the first step is to consider which direction you’d like to take your educational credentials.
Think about what you really want to do at work. Depending on the type of educational path you’ve chosen, you might plan to apply your degree directly in a role that requires your specific expertise, you might have a wide range of professional options available to you, or you might choose to pivot slightly toward a field, industry or role that complements your educational background.
In any of these cases, you’ll need to get specific about the job you’re looking for: both to decide where to focus your search and so you can confidently answer interview questions about why you’re attracted to a particular role.
To learn more about the ins and outs of certain industries and jobs, talk with your favourite professors or work with your academic advising centre to identify opportunities to shadow professionals in your field for a day or week.
Key takeaways
Ø Take stock of what you’ve accomplished in your academic career and internships, your personal aspirations and what industries you’d like to pursue.
Ø Think about the skills you feel most confident in and those attributes that make you unique—these can be valuable selling points for potential employers. It’s common for students and new grads to have limited work or internship experience. If this is true for you, consider any roles you’ve had in your community or school, volunteer work you’ve done and other experiences where you applied your skills and interests.
Ø Before you begin your job search, review your social media profiles and check your privacy settings. Potential employers may look at these pages.
Researching jobs and employers
It’s time to learn about the kinds of jobs that are available to people with your educational background and how the job market for different industries is evolving.
You may want to open up your search to a handful of cities or an entire country, or you might choose to search close to home or in the area near your college or university. You’ll want to research how much you can expect to be paid in different jobs and locations to gain a solid understanding of your options.
Use your network to learn more about your target companies
Reach out to people you know who work at the companies on your target list. In these conversations, come prepared with specific questions. For example:
1. What opportunities for students or recent graduates exist at this company?
2. How did you find your job at this company?
3. How would you recommend I learn more about what jobs are available here and whether I’m a good fit?
4. What is your favourite thing about working here? What are the downsides?
5. What advancement opportunities exist at the company?
6. What is your relationship with your supervisor or manager like?
7. I’ve seen a job that interests me, what is your referral process like? Would you be open to referring me?
Some important etiquette to keep in mind: Never expect that a contact at a company can guarantee you a job. Put the responsibility on yourself to learn as much as you can from them and to turn the information, they give you into actions. Thank them for their time. If you’re meeting them in person for coffee or lunch, you should offer to pay.
Searching for jobs
It’s important to keep track of jobs you’re interested in and to stay organized in your search and application process.
Create a free Inspire Global Solutions and Jobsaro account and set up job alerts
Start your search by creating a free Inspire Global Solutions and Jobsaro account. With this account, you can save jobs that you want to apply to later. These jobs will appear on your My Jobs page so you can return to them when you’re ready to apply. And once you’ve applied, you’ll be able to track your status from the same page. It’s the easiest way to keep track of all the opportunities that catch your eye.
Second, set up job alerts as you explore. Job alerts are regular email updates about new jobs that fit the criteria you’re interested in. In today’s competitive job market, timing can be everything, and job alerts are a convenient way to see new job postings as soon as employers post them.
Applying to jobs
Before you apply for any job, give your resume a final review. At this stage, you want to make sure it’s the best representation of you and doesn’t contain any typos or misspellings. You may want to ask a friend, family member, or university writing centre coach to review it for you.
In IGS JOB app No Need to wait for the response from the companies, Candidates can directly call to HR and fix the appointment.
Below are 5 tips for graduates to help them land their first job when they have no experience:
1) Volunteer or internship:
Volunteering is one of the quickest and easiest ways to build up experience. Sure, you don’t get paid for it but remember you’re trying to build your experience. Try calling a few organisations that you would be interested in working for to see if they have any opportunity for you to help out. If you can, try get onto some projects or do some work that is closely aligned to what you want to be doing with a paid job.
If it’s available, a better option is to do an internship. An internship will provide you with a more structured approach to getting the experience you need… plus you have the possibility of getting paid. Check out your local job boards or employer websites to see if they offer an internship.
On top of the experience you receive, another benefit of doing volunteer work or an internship is the connections you make. Most likely, the people that you are working with will have a broader network and could potentially help you find employment elsewhere or put in a good reference for you.
Another huge benefit of volunteering or doing an internship (and also why many people do it and rave about it) is that if you perform well there is a good chance that the Company you are working for will hire you.
2) Extracurricular activities:
As a graduate, employers understand that you will be lacking experience. Although work experience is more often preferred, another great way of demonstrating that you have the skills necessary to perform successfully in the role is to do some extracurricular activities.
For instance, playing in a sports team can help you learn about teamwork and leadership, and getting involved in a society at university can help you learn about planning, project management and marketing. Make sure that you clearly demonstrate to your hiring manager how what you have learned in your extracurricular activity can translate back to the role you are applying for.
3) Identify accomplishments:
Think about what you have accomplished over the past 5 years. When hiring graduates, it’s not just all about relevant work experience. Employers look for well-rounded individuals with the ability to perform and perform well. If you can demonstrate this by showing where you have been successful and accomplished something in other areas of your life, make the hiring manager aware of this.
If your grades at university were good, make sure you play to this. If you received an award for being the most-improved or the best in class, make sure you point this out.
By demonstrating your accomplishments from other areas of your life, employers will see that you display discipline, commitment and that you’re an agile learner. These are all traits that employers are looking for in a new graduate.
4) Structure the resume:
A quick and simple way of tailoring your application to your strengths is to use an appropriate structure for your resume. If you’re lacking the relevant work experience then perhaps a typical chronological resume is not the way to present yourself.
Trying opting for a functional style resume where you can clearly and easily demonstrate your skills.
5) Networking:
With advancements in technology and social media, networking has never been easier.
All it takes now is a simple mention such as @UndercoverRec and you can instantly be connected with someone over twitter. You can use this to your advantage. By engaging with people over social media it can build your presence and lead to referrals and potentially a job offers!
However, don’t forget traditional networking. There is still no substitute for face-to-face communication and it will leave a much stronger impression on the people you are connecting with.
Graduating from college or university is an exciting accomplishment, but it can also be an overwhelming experience, especially when it comes to finding a job. The job market can be highly competitive, and landing a job as a fresh graduate can be challenging. However, with the right strategy and preparation, you can increase your chances of getting a job as a fresh graduate. In this blog, you can get some tips on how to get a job as a fresh graduate.
You can pursue as a new grad. And watching friends around you find jobs may up the pressure on you. Just remember that this is just the start of your career, and chances are high that you will switch jobs multiple times over the course of your working life.
As a graduate, it’s about playing to your strengths and ensuring you can demonstrate how all of your experiences, be it work, university, extracurricular or your general life can relate back to the job you’re applying for.
The key is to get out there, be proactive and have some fun. That’s what it’s all about!
Think hard about the types of jobs you think are fulfilling, learn as much as possible about them, and once you’re confident that you’ve found the right fit, follow the advice above and start working your magic.
In conclusion, finding a job as a fresh graduate can be challenging, but with the right preparation and strategy, you can increase your chances of success. By creating a strong resume, networking, applying for internships, researching companies, utilizing job search resources, and being flexible, you can land a job that aligns with your interests and goals. Remember to stay positive, persistent, and proactive in your job search efforts, and you will be well on your way to a successfulcareer.
Every rejection is redirecting you and bringing you one step closer to success. Best of luck!