Life after graduation from a tertiary institution can sometimes very challenging, especially when you are job hunting. Even though employment opportunities appear to be shrinking generally, and so the competition is very high, there are still some good jobs out there. There is also a skill to job searching. Master that skill, and you will most likely spend less time on the job queue.
Here are Top 7 tips for getting yourself gainfully employed after graduation;
#1: Sign Up With A Recruitment Agency
Signing up with a recruitment agency is a reliable strategy to search for jobs. Recruitment agencies act like middle men in the labor market. They connect graduates searching for jobs with employers looking for staff. Most recruitment agencies will register your credentials on their data base, lookout for any role that suits your qualifications and skills, and then send your CV to the company to schedule you for an interview
Once you are successful during the interview with the company, you will get the job. It is as easy as that. And it’s free for you, because often times it is the prospective employer that pays the agency for its services.
#2: Get On LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a professional social media platform that allows job seekers to search for jobs by showcasing their skills, academic qualifications and work experience to potential employees. The website has a section where companies advertise job openings. You can actually apply for any of the jobs listed there. Also, if you post your professional profile, companies may contact you for an interview based on your resume.
#3: Search Online
Online search is one of the easiest ways to search for jobs after graduation. Google search makes this easy. You can just type in the position or role you are looking for. To get a better result, you may narrow the search to a specific location. For instance, you can type “Marketing jobs in Lagos”.
#4: Talk To Your Mentor/Career Adviser
If you have a mentor or career adviser, don’t fail to tell him/her that you are looking for job. Who knows? They may know one or two persons who can help, or be in a postition to offer useful counsel, based on their experience.. The truth is, you need to explore different options when searching for a job.
#5: Work Your Connections
There are two types of currency in the Labor Market – your skills/experience, and your connections. If are exceptionally skillful with years of experience, your chances of getting a job are much high. But the odds are always more in favour of people with the right connections. Depending on who is referring you, you may not even need to attend any interview before you get a job.
#6: Learn A Skill
Sometimes you need more than your academic qualifications to get a competitive edge in your job search. You may require one from of additional skill or the other. For instance, how good are your computer skills? Many employers today would take it for granted that you have good computer skills. For some kinds of jobs you may need very good writing skills, which you probably wouldn’t have acquired while in the university. Be prepared to make that extra investment.
Remember, any additional skills that you acquire adds to you, and not only enhances your chances of getting a job, but might actually come in useful at some point in your career. Be prepared to make that additional investment to broaden your skill base.
#7: Start a Small Business
If you eventually fail to get your desired job, or even while you are still searching, why not try your hands in starting a small business to keep you productively busy, and to earn you some income? Who knows, you might end up not needing paid employment after all!
Find out something that you are very passionate about, that you really enjoying, and see if you can start a small business around that passion. Once you identify it, you can seek help to develop a business plan that is bankable, or that is convincing enough to elicit investment support, at least from family and friends, in the first instance.
The trick is to think big, but be prepared to start small. You might just end up pleasantly surprising yourself – and end up the employer, instead of an employee!
