Job Hunting Tips for Freshers

Have you recently graduated and are now looking for a job to kick start your career? It can be a daunting task to find a good job, especially if you have no prior experience. Most companies usually wish to hire someone who has worked before and is well-versed with the industry norms.  So how does one prepare to get noticed in a crowd of job seekers, some of whom are more experienced than you are?
 

To get past some of the most challenging hurdles of recruitment, here are some useful job search tips for beginners.


Get Prepared

Get a voice mail system with answering machine installed so that you never miss an opportunity. Also, create a professional-looking email address. Drop the non-serious email addresses like ‘coolest_johnny@yahoo.com,’ instead opt for something like ‘john.mathews@gmail.com’. Consider signing up for a separate mail account altogether for the purpose of job search. This will help you remain organized and updated. Remember to always mention your mobile number on your CV so that recruiters can instantly get in touch. As The Huffington Post states, the economy is improving and with several opportunities waiting to be tapped all you need to do is decide what you want and gather all your weapons (CV, social media profile, recruitment portals, professional networks, hiring agents, etc.)

Job Hunting Tips for New Grads:  Careerrocketeer

Prepare a Resume and Keep it Updated 

At a crucial time when everyone is competing for the precious time and attention of the recruiter, it is suggested that you put in your best efforts to create a compelling resume. Nobody has the time to read through lengthy paragraphs so make sure you keep it legible and easy to skim through. CVs must always be short (not more than two pages) and should offer only significant information.

As a fresher, you may get tempted to lengthen your bio data with extra information just because your CV looks shorter than the others. But it is not necessary that a long document will always be better. You need to highlight your skills that match the job requirement. For this, make sure you research the company website and read the job description. Then, you can accordingly tailor your CV and cover letter.

One may also consider seeking professional help for preparing the CV.  Once the CV is prepared it can be mailed directly to an employer, uploaded on a job portal or forwarded to a recruitment agent.

Keep Multiple Versions of CV Ready

Not only is it important to keep your resume ready to be sent out, it is also important to keep it customized for different job offers. You must review samples, create different templates and save multiple versions of your CV on your desktop. Even though your achievements and qualifications will remain the same, your approach will be different for different employers. It is advisable to keep it ready because you may not have a lot of time every time to sit and tweak your resume.

Seek Guidance  

As a beginner, you will find a lot of people trying to give you advice on how to build a career.  As much as it is good to receive guidance, stay away from too many recommendations made by your peers. No doubt that they will bring some interesting leads as they are your friends and find you worthy, but it is always better to seek recommendations from counselors and professors.

You should also utilize free services and sign up with job search portals that help you find the best of the jobs according to your potential and needs. Job search sites allow you to search for job opportunities based on your location, industry, functional area, expected salary, etc. They also provide additional services and send customized leads to your inbox. Check out company websites, job boards, associations and other niche sites. This way you will be able to search all the jobs posted on the web in one go.

You can also seek assistance from college career offices, placement cells, etc. You may also utilize the computer labs and libraries of your college. Most libraries provide workshops, computers with printers and other useful resources to help ease your job search process. 

Curate your Online Presence

Firstly, if you are not registered on LinkedIn yet, you should create a profile and begin making connections. LinkedIn helps with job search as it lets you join professional circles. Maintain this LinkedIn account, even if you do not have any work experience. 

When you go for interviews, one meeting is not enough for the interviewers to analyze you and they may seek the help of digital platforms and social networking sites, like LinkedIn and Facebook, to find out more about you.  So it is advisable to keep your social profiles clean and privacy settings on. For instance, don’t show off your party pictures publically on Facebook or do not openly bad-mouth your boss on Twitter. Potential employers may not find these funny and you may come across as naïve. All these will negatively impact your candidature.

While you keep searching for a job, it is advisable to practice the introduction part. If you don’t hail from a leading college, it makes good sense to pursue an internship from a reputed organization or take on relevant projects that will eventually help improve your employability. All the best for the job hunt!

Author bio: A writer by profession, Devika Arora is currently focusing her writing on the extensive domain of job search. She has written various articles and blogs for the employment sector. The above article is a compilation of facts and discusses about job search tips for graduates.