06/04/2014
What next after graduation?
If you’re a recent graduate or going to graduate, you have lots of reasons to be cheerful. For a start, you have walked across stage, balancing a board on your head while wearing a trip-hazard, as ceremony demands. Degree in hand or expecting it soon, the big question comes in, how am I ready to embark on post-university life?
By Dr Rugwegwe Olivier
06th April, 2014. 6:43 GMT
Study hard get good grads you will get high paying job with great benefits and you become successful.
This is what my brother used to advise me. Is this true? Am asking my self.
Am graduating soon and one of my best friends graduated with fist class honor and is unemployed for good six years. What next after university? How I am well prepared to face post-university life? And lots questions.
The employment market is finally showing signs of renewed life. You may also be part of a graduating cohort with unique skills.
Recent economic conditions have changed labor market, plus, the very nature of work is changing, and new roles are being created that simply didn’t exist a decade ago. Job titles such as app developer, search engine optimization specialist, ethical hacker, social media expert, and user experience designer are all very new, but legitimate careers,
The digital revolution and new economics system are creating new opportunities across all industries, and new graduates are best placed to fill these gaps for their employment.
However, it’s important to be realistic. Recent research by totaljobs.com found that some 24 per cent of graduate jobseekers have been looking for work for more than 12 months – competition is fierce.
Yet Mike Fetters, head of future talent for the site, is upbeat. “Though there are still challenges within the graduate jobs market, we hope to see a rise in total graduate vacancies in every year.”
Of course, work might not be the first target. Options for graduates also include travel, postgraduate study or volunteering, to name a few. But if job is on your mind, what should your first steps be, and how can you meet the challenges of the graduate job market?
JOB: Starting your search
The first step is to be prepared, mentally, for the task ahead. “You’ll need patience and focused. Very few people get the first job they apply for, or are interviewed for. The key thing is to learn from those experiences.
At the very beginning of the process, getting a part-time job if at all possible, “if only to take away the panic that sees you applying for 10 jobs a week. It’ll give you the chance to put together well thought-through applications once a week instead – that’s still 50 a year.” There are other advantages, such as filling in any gaps between graduation and interview that may otherwise open up on your CV.
Focus is important, too. Fetters believe that graduates who fire off applications in all directions do themselves a disservice.
“By looking for work in fields and industries in which you don’t have experience, you’re more likely to get rejections. By narrowing your search you can focus your energy on the jobs you really want.”
With potential targets mapped out, prep your professional arsenal. This means a killer CV.
Remember: you might not be at board level immediately, and you won’t get everything right first time. Many people put too much pressure on themselves when they graduate, it’s a time to experiment, and you are allowed to make some mistakes.
Equally, you’re not expected to be the finished article, whether that’s at interview or on your first day at your new job.
Employers don’t expect graduates to arrive knowing how to do the job immediately; they want to see a willingness to learn and the boundless energy of youth!
Enthusiasm and passion are key qualities to get across during the application process, think about the reasons why you really want the role you’re applying for, and what you could offer that someone else can’t.
If unsuccessful in an interview, don’t be afraid to ask for feedback – it’s the best way to learn and you can then put what you’re told into practice.
Searching for job is the only option, the most important key that will make you free and successful is work; learn to draw a business plan applying your skills working for your self.
