The name says it all.
‘Job hunting’ – which literally translates to,
hunting for a job. And who would dare argue about hunting being easy?
It is then no wonder why majority of fresh graduates
find it hard to land a job (not
necessarily their dream job) weeks and even months after graduation. You’re just like a predator in the wild,
hunting your prey without any guarantee of success.
How can this be? You’ve spent years in preparation; (read: drudgery) spent effort in
attempting to master your craft; and more importantly, spent time - much of it - doing projects and
assignments just to pass your subjects.
And just when you thought everything has finally
paid off, you’ll find yourself trapped in this long-term, worldwide trend we
call unemployment.
So yes, how can that be?
Source: Google Images
Well the thing is, you really don’t have to. Even if a survey conducted by the NACE
(National Association of College and Employers) reveals that they will only be
hiring 2.1 percent more college graduates this 2013 than on 2012 as reported in
cnbc.com, you need not to be a part of
the ‘unlucky’ ones.
There are things you just need to keep in mind in
order to get an edge in this competition. Below are six common reasons why
fresh grads fail in job hunting. Read them and understand. Take notes if you
like.
It all pays to be prepared. Always remember that.
1.
No Customized Resume
The Internet has indeed made our
works easier and faster. But just because there’s the presence of predesigned
resume templates online doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t make one ourselves.
Employers are looking for
applicants, fresh grads or not, who stand out – someone who can give them
something unique. So if you stick to the same resume design used by many who’d
rather have the easy way out, then how will you outstood the others?
Alison Doyle, an employment
expert who has years of experience in career development and human resources
writes about different types of resume everyone can use. Try making one
now and see how it makes some difference!
2.
Relying too much on the
Internet
If employers have online
advertisements on job vacancies, what’s the point in personally looking
opportunities by myself?
True. Job vacancies can readily
be available online. You can just Google it. No sweat, job hunting done. Now
what? Do keep in mind, and I mean really
keep in mind, that the internet is just a tool. The work is on you. It has its
limits and you know it.
So go out and talk to people. Ask
questions not on search engines but from workers, real people, your friends and
family members. You’ll be surprised by how the real world can show you much
more than what the internet provides.
Source: Google Images
3.
Minimal or no Effort at
all in Doing Follow-ups
Job hunting doesn’t end with the
HR (or the computer for online applications) accepting your resume. That’s just
the start and not the end. If you leave it at that and wait for the call that
will tell you ‘You’re hired,’ then forget it.
You’re not doing anything.
Remember that this is a competition! We need speed! Patience is a virtue, but
it’s not forever – most especially if we consider our empty pockets for the
next couple of days if we still don’t have a job.
Wait for three days and call
them. If there’s no response, wait some more, a week or two tops. Still if
there’s nothing, go ahead and move on. There are jobs waiting for you. Don’t be
late!
4.
Aiming for that ‘Perfect
Job’
There’s no such thing as perfect
job unless you work for it. While it’s true that you need to love something
before you can really work for it, reality doesn’t always agree. Sometimes you
have to do it the other way around.
If you keep on aiming for that
perfect job, the tendency is you’ll be missing out opportunities – a lot of
them. Some which might even lead you to the ‘perfect job’ you’re looking for.
You’re a fresh grad and
experience will mean a lot in the long run. So find a niche. Check available
opportunities and start something. Now.
5.
Taking Interviews for
Granted
Source: Google Images
Interviews are not created for
nothing. Nor is it employed to simply annoy you with questions like ‘Tell me
something about yourself,’ or the basic ‘What are your strengths and weaknesses?’
Why are they so interested?
Actually guys, they’re not.
They’re just doing their job. That’s it. Period. This doesn’t mean however that
you can take it for nothing. The usual mistake is when you treat job interviews
like that of a casual conversation with a friend.
For one, interviewers are
technically not your friends. Two, they’re gauging your ability to deal with
work professionally based on your personal responses. Lie to them and they’ll
know it. Believe me.
Honesty plus confidence is the
key here. And where can you get confidence if you still don’t have it? Preparation.
So there you go. Do it.
6.
Too Many Target Niche
What if the problem isn’t the
scarcity of available jobs? What if, the
problem is that you have a lot of them (jobs)?
This is tricky, but once you spot
this trend, you’ll be grateful you learned about it before applying for
something.
Sometimes we have too many
prospect companies on our list. We have one from advertising, media, law firm,
ecommerce, and everything that we tend to lose our focus to the point of why
we’re applying. It’s not just about
money. It’s about working for something that we’re capable of.
Look at your list again? What do
you see? How many categories? More than 2? Really? Now why don’t you narrow
them down before moving on? You’ll see more if you do.
It’s all a matter of knowing the rules of the game.
We see but we choose to ignore them. Well, not anymore.
