Have you just finished high school or recently graduated from college? Congratulations and welcome to the jungle aka new phase of more challenging life!
In this new phase of life, some of us may feel thrilled and excited to face and dig new opportunities and challenges. The others may tend to feel overwhelmed, confused, or even lost. How about you?
Well, you land on this article, it’s probably because you related to the second option. And, it’s okay, nothing is wrong with being a confused fresh graduate. You just exhale your last heavy breath on the last semester of high school or finally finish your thesis. But, our fast-paced society tends to force you to run as fast as possible to the future and their standard of success.
You exactly know that you have to find a job immediately but you might not figure out yet what to do, how, or where to start. Other than that, you may still confuse to choose your desired career path.
It’s totally fine and keeps in mind that you are not alone. Fortunately, you visited the right page. So now, let’s find out the tips for blown away your confusion as a fresh graduate!
The Reasons Why Fresh Graduates Find It Hard to Get A Job
Before you read on the tips, let’s get to know why fresh graduates tend to find it harder to land a job.
Increased Number of Degree Holders
The “prestige” that comes with graduating from a high school/college/university with a fine GPA is probably no longer considered as the best value nowadays.
Even the fresh graduates from a reputable university with a perfect GPA sometimes still find it difficult to find a job.
The number of degree holders has increased, causing more competition for the limited number of job vacancies available in the market.
Little to No Work Experience
Today, almost every entry-level job requires at least 1–3 years of work experience. With many students interning so aggressively and the massive dismissal by many companies due to the pandemic raises the difficulty of getting employed. The employers are not going to be easily impressed. While some job vacancies may say “fresh graduates are welcome”, sometimes it can be hard to compete with tons of other experienced job-seekers.
Poor Interview Skills
Many fresh graduates believe that if they have the degree, the skills, and the passion, they will immediately get a great job. Some of us often forget the reality that an interview is a very important part to land our first job. It’s recommended to practice interviewing well as many as possible even before graduating.
Yes, finding a job as a fresh graduate could be harder than the other types of job-seekers but that doesn’t mean you can’t! We let you read the reasons above not to let you become more confused or even getting terrified by the working world. Nope, it’s quite the opposite. We want you to know your challenges so you can prepare yourself better and not blaming yourself if you are failing on the few first tries.
Tips to Enlighten Your Confusion as Fresh Graduate
After understanding your challenges, now let’s find out how to tackle your confusion and be ready to bloom!
Reflect on yourself
Before you begin job hunting, ask yourself what is truly important to you in life. Think about your values.
Understanding what matters to you is an important step as you start to consider your career options.
Does working close to your family matter? Then you may want to avoid job vacancies outside of your hometown.
Do you have a strong desire to show your creativity? Then perhaps an administration or customer service role is not the best career choice for you.
Focusing on careers that resonate with your values and desires — jobs that you can be passionate about — will make choices about your career path and future easier.
Research your desired job
After reflecting on yourself and finally find out your desired job, now it’s time to research it.
Utilize your favorite online search engine to learn about the job’s specific characteristics, demands, as well as industry. This will give you a more realistic estimation, manage your expectations, and help you to build and develop skill sets that match the job requirements.
Besides, you can use LinkedIn to looking up the backgrounds of people in your dream job. Reach out to a few of them to ask advice and some key questions, such as:
What did you do to get to where you are now with your career? Are there some unique skills that have helped people advance more quickly? What kind of certifications and training do you need?
The answers to these questions reveal what types of positions can be seen as short-term alternatives and what you have to do to get your desired job.
Master your soft skills
Soft skills are highly valued by many potential employers. It is as important as technical skills and experiences.
Communication, teamwork, and a positive mindset are examples of soft skills that show how well you can adapt to a company’s culture. You can get ahead of other fresh graduates who don’t have these skills by making sure to build them early.
In every workplace, communication is important. Your written and verbal communication skills are essential in building professional relationships in the workplace, and they set the tone for how others perceive you. In circumstances such as project briefings, interviews, and meetings, the ability to express thought is very important. Also, it’s a plus if you can communicate in several languages.
Employers tend to look for team players who can create easy work relationships while contributing to the group’s success when hiring new employees. Be ready to lend a hand to those that need help while making sure you’re finishing your part.
Recruiters and interviewers are drawn to fresh graduates who have a good and positive attitude. Develop a positive attitude by being more self-aware in challenging everyday situations. Try to find alternate routes or solutions instead of giving in to stress.
Participate in volunteers or internships
Check out company websites and online job portals to see if any volunteer or internship vacancies suit you. Volunteers and internships are the quickest ways to get experiences and develop your hard skills.
You may get lower-paid or even unpaid during this pandemic, but remember that you need to build experiences to be able to compete, especially in this difficult time.
Try to apply in online job portals or send a resume to a few organizations or companies that you would be interested in working for. Besides, you can try to get onto some projects or do some self-employed job that is aligned to your desired future job.
Another benefit of participating in volunteers or internships is you can expand your connections. Most likely, the people that you are working with will have a broader network and could help you find another employment or put in good references for you.
Other than that, if you perform well there is a good chance that the company you are working for will hire you.
Think like an entrepreneur
Many businesses today value innovation, so fresh graduates with an entrepreneurial background or the ability to think like one are more valued. You don’t need to run a business to demonstrate your ability to think outside the box.
Think like an entrepreneur also means you have the problem-solving skill, the ability to handle many tasks at once, and always ready to discuss and articulate your ideas in a structured way.
Networking and circle out
Networking with people through social media or do traditional networking can build your presence and lead to referrals or even a potential job offer.
Besides, when looking for a new career, one of the most effective tactics is to circle out. This means starting first with yourself and your connections then expanding your search outwards.
Attend career fairs and job expos to expose yourself to various possibilities and get a real-world feel of the industry you plan to work in.
Be patient and optimist
It’s okay to fail. It might take hundreds to thousands of rejections from companies until getting hired by the right company. Besides, it may take years to master some skills, so it’s okay if you do mistakes in the career you choose.
Don’t give up. It might take a while for you to achieve success or fulfillment, but it’s your persistence and your willingness to try that will eventually lead you to it.
And, remember to have a backup plan. There will be moments when your choices do not produce the desired results, so having other options is important. You may never need to use your backup plan, but it wouldn’t hurt to have one.
Are You Ready To Tackle The Challenges as a Fresh Graduate?
Tackle it one at a time.
In the end, the process and results will surely help you become a better version of yourself as well as bring you closer to your dream job and more secured future.
Good luck on your new journey!
If you like what you read, you can “clap”, save, and share this story. Also, don’t hesitate to check our website LingoTalk.co for more insightful articles!
