"Why the Long Wait" It is Undeniable that so many Graduates spend years at home after school without any job. Finding a job as a recent college graduate can be challenging in the best of circumstances. However, there are so many reasons why a Graduate might find it difficult to get the job they want. We at Hotnigerianjobs.com have come up with possible reasons why so many Graduates find it difficult to get a job.
What's your Plan?
Many Graduates are not certain about what they want to do after university which makes it hard therefore, applying for different jobs because they think the meet the requirements and hoping they will definitely get what they want. Having something like this in mind while searching for a job is a wrong Notion.
It is important to know the type of positions and roles you want to apply for to enable you narrow down your options and also to help you get the necessary skills that will fit into your job search.
While at it, you should be able to think about:
The type of Industries / Companies that might interest you
How far you want to progress
The education / training you need
The jobs that suit your personality
Your talents and strength etc.
If you can be able to give an answer to the above questions, then you will have more options on what to go for and have an actual plan.
Early Preparation
Preparation in a short word means a proceeding or readiness for a future event as a goal and an acceptable accomplished final outcome. Early preparation as a fresh or new graduate can lead you to a job. Most graduates wait till they get their certificate before they can start their search for job which is wrong, the search should start from the time you are assured you are getting to the finishing line of your education.
The question is how are you prepared are you? The following below will be able to guide you:
Start developing your Resume: Create a be-fitting resume that will sell your skills even as a fresh candidate to your employer
Start practicing Interview: Know the ethics of interview, know how to answer questions and what questions to ask your employer during interview and it is very important to do a research on how to dress for an interview, this is very important because in some cases the interviewer might take a look at you in a glance and give you the job your are applying for but if you are not dressing to the taste of the interviewer he might attend to you rudely (You will be addressed the way you dressed).
Create a LinkedIn Profile: LinkedIn page is another avenue to get a job because it is a networking platform for employer and employee. Creating a LinkedIn profile can help you land your dream job because you showcase and meet people from other companies who are looking for great minds and fresh candidate like you.
Find and Research on the Companies you will like to work for: This is a step most fresh graduate ignore when concluding and preparing to hit the labor market, and that is why majority find themselves in a wrong place. Being a Petroleum engineer you should have list of an Oil and gas companies you will like to work with, make a research on them to know their leadership team, to know types of services they render in the company, the feedback of their customers, most common problem and possible solutions. All these gives you a leverage that will help you understand what the company stands for and what they are into i.e. their services.
Networking
Networking is the action or process of interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts. This gives rise to a question of "How often and early do you network?" Building your network even as an undergraduate is very important. You don't have to wait until you have graduated to start looking for a job. You can start even as an undergraduate to expand your network, let people know you and what you are seeking for.
There are different ways you can expand your networks:
Attend events
Meet people through people you already know
Social networks
Ask people questions
Don’t have an agenda; be open to meeting all kinds of people. You never know where a conversation will lead.
Be transparent.
Right Time for Job Application
The research we at HNJ Team put in, reveal to us that January - July is the best time of the year to look for a job. All companies intend to re-enforce for the new year ahead of them, and this will call for employing new ideas, new skills and new professionals (Graduate and experienced) to the company.
Change of Environment
You don't have to narrow down your job search just within your location, it is important you expand your horizon especially when you can't find a job within your location.
Your location could contribute to your 'stay at home' so it is important you spread your web in different cities but you don't have to move until you have got the job offer and a paycheck along with it.
Lack of Skills and Experience
Your Skills and Experience are one of the most important tools to market yourself likewise your Resume. As a Fresh graduate, having all the skills and experience you need to get a job is important but what do you do when you have none?
Do not worry because not having experience and skills won't be a hindrance from landing your first job. Below are the points you need to know:
You need to pay attention to soft skills e.g. Communication skills, Positive Attitude, Leadership skills, Teamwork, Critical thinking, work ethics etc. In as much as they are underestimated, they help build up your CV and give you a great start while searching for jobs.
Gain Experience through multiple channels: For college graduates, it is important to pursue additional studies, which will make you a very competitive applicant. This isn't to say you need to pursue a new major; instead, look for short hands-on courses that will give you more experience in your field and help you gain more on the competition.
Internships: Internships are one of the better avenues to boost that much needed experience. They make it possible to earn allowances while acquiring first-hand knowledge of a job. They are also useful for building a network of contacts and can sometimes lead to permanent employment.
Start Volunteering: Volunteer jobs are easy to get because of the name 'Volunteer'. In as much as you get little or no pay from doing volunteer jobs, you will profit from the skills you gather and networks you must have made. They help boost your employability, especially if you have no relevant experience.
Go for Part-time, Temporary and Adhoc jobs.
Mixing up Information
We have our CV’s saved somewhere where we can always refer to them whenever the need arises which brings to the question of; How often do you update your CV? Do you always send out your CV’s to companies without looking at them and making updates where necessary? Let’s take for instance; you want to apply for the position of an Administrative Officer and end up sending a CV and Cover letter meant for the position of a Receptionist probably because that was the last position you applied for in another company. You see why it is always important to take another look at your portfolio before sending it out?
It is important to always take out time to read the position details, descriptions and qualifications of any position you are applying for to make you understand if you are actually fit for that particular position before you can go ahead and arrange your CV and Cover letter before clicking that “apply” button.
Follow-up with your Recruiter
Many fresh graduate apply for jobs and never follow-up which leads to loss of time and effort. It is advised that after some weeks of applying for jobs do a little follow-up.
This can be done by emailing the recruiter or hiring manager and if you are doing so you should be more concern about your subject because your email subject will decided whether your email will be open or not.
The best way to follow-up your hiring manager and enable him to open your follow-up email letter faster is to reply him / her from the recent email sent to you.
Lastly, we believe these few points will enable you find traces and loopholes of what you need to step up in the competitive world of Job search. Now you know some of the reasons why you are not getting hired, it is time to start doing all you need to do to make sure you get hired.
We at hotnigerianjobs.com are always here to help you find your dream job and be the best at it.
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