“It’s all about completing your graduation with shining grades; once you’re done with that, everything else will fall back into place.”
Even, I had been hearing this since grade 5, but when I actually did complete the graduation, the only question that kept hovering in my mind was “What now?” I was amongst the large group of my graduate friends out of which one group was excited to enjoy the “Study-Free-World” and others were frantically biting nails and burning the midnight oil to get a job and then there were few “smart ones” who did enjoy the life and got a good job shortly after graduation.
1. Build Strong Business Connections
In today’s business world, it is no more about who you know, but who knows you. So, building strong business connections is inevitable to get a jumpstart in your career. Make the best of your time after graduation by expanding your network and getting in touch with your professors, colleagues and other resource persons. You never know when these business contacts may help you with your career.
2. Add Quality To Your Resume
Did you know that there is a robot called Applicant Tracking Software that can automatically eliminate almost 75% of the candidates just by reading their resume? Inserting the relevant keywords instead of adding long stories would help you get past these robots. Research the keywords according to the profile you’re aspiring for. This time is crucial; use it to improve your resume quality.
3. Research, Research, Research&
After Graduation, although you know a lot but there is a need to know lot more, so research. It is the perfect time to improve your general business awareness and also to gain information about industry, profile you want to pursue your careen in. Research about the company you aspire to apply. Trust me all this study and research would repay you by making you fluent to answer interview question and enriching the scope of getting the desired job.
4. Professionalize Your Social Media Accounts
Social media accounts not only let you know the whereabouts of your friends but are also used by the recruiters to know you better; that’s why 93% of the recruiters search the candidates on various social media platforms. “Google yourself” and if you don’t like the results, try starting a website or other things to improve the results. Set up a LinkedIn profile and professionalize your Facebook accounts for non-friends using the “view as” button.
5. Get Perfect At Giving Interviews
Interviews can be daunting and scary but they certainly are the main gateway to the corporate world. In order to hitch any job offer, you need to perfect your interview giving skills. Try mirror interviews, research about the companies, improve your body posture and above all, prepare smart answers for all the possible questions that are commonly asked in an interview.
6. Calm Down The Interview Nerves
Don’t worry! It is normal for you to be nervous for your first big interview. But there are some tips and tricks that would help you calm down your interview nerves. Still, the best way to stay calm for an interview is to do know about the company and be prepared with the expected question for the interview. This would not only soothe the jitters but also boost your confidence.
7. Share and Sharpen Skills By Volunteer Projects
Experience plays a key role in securing any job. However, being a fresh graduate, you cannot add experience in your resume magically; but one this you can certainly do is to add experience by doing volunteer work and internships. Take up some volunteer projects; it would not only kick-start your career but also sharpen your skills. And you never know who notices your efforts in the volunteer project and offer you a job as well.
8. Get Body Language Correction Classes
As per the study conducted by Dr. Albert Mehrabian, author of “Silent Messages”, body language accounts for 93% of the message you’re trying to send in an interview, the rest 7% comprises the vocal content. This makes it indispensable for you to monitor your body language. While you are waiting for your first graduate job, it is advisable to get body language correction classes and excel this major part of your interview with flying colors.
Thinking about getting a job wouldn’t get you one, but working towards it would definitely trigger the process. Now is the most productive time of your lives people. You need to make full use of it to get closer to your dream job. Don’t worry about the wait; everybody you see today as a successful professional has faced it sometime in their life. Just use these tricks and you’ll definitely get the job.
