I have always feared how my future will be. The pandemic made me feel anxious that I do not have enough to thrive in the real world. Everything felt uncertain and I was always asking myself if do I really have the destination. Can I make it? Do I have a bright future.
Recently, I attended a seminar about career advancement in the professional world. It aimed to help graduating students like me to thrive in this uncertain world. One of the topics they discussed is about what can we so before getting a job and after getting a job. Let me share the knowledge I have gained.
- Know yourself
(Image from pngkey 
Assess your own self. What are your skills and talents? Your motivation and interests? Your dreams and ambitions? Your preferred work conditions? Then, find a company that corresponds with who you are. Ask yourself whether you match with the company that you are planning to apply to. Research about your company too.
You must know yourself to suit your qualifications to the company you want to work for.
- Actual Search for Job Vacancies
(Image from Unblast https://unblast.com/job-hunting-illustration-ai/)
It would be lucky for you when the company would be the ones to search for you. Oftentimes, that is not the case though. However, there are a lot of ways to find for job vacancies such as the following:
a) Online search engines. Look for cresible websites that are legitimately reviewed by real people.
b) Job Fairs around you. Be updated. Job fairs are often unnoticed.
c) Newspapers, television and radio
- Prepare Letter of Application
There are a lot of good tips on the internet on how you can make an effective application lettee
- Prepare Resume or Biodata
Depending on yourself, your resume can either highlight your skills or your experiences or both. If you have no experience yet, that does not mean you cannot put anything worthwhile in your resume. As a fresh graduate, it is worrying not to have any experience when you want to enter a company. However, experience is not expected of you when you're just applying for the first time, as an entry-level employee.
You can focus on theses details in your resume, instead:
a) Internship/On-the-job training
b) Extra-curricular activities
c) Achievements related to the nature of your work
d) Personal projects that can boost your profile
e) Volunteer work
f) Awards and certificates
These can all make you stand out and enrich your profile.
- Self-preparation for the interview
Even before graduating, you should already start training your communication skills. It is a continuous process. Before going to the interview, you must prepare yourself.
Research the company you work for. Know their mission, vission and core values so you can see what they aim for and what they might want from you. Prepare questions that will possibly be asked during the interview then formulate answers.
Get ready and prepare properly so you can be sure that you can get the job. Pray hard. But if it is not meant to be, there are still other chances. Learn from your mistakes and get moving again.
(Image from Vecteezy https://www.vecteezy.com/vector-art/3581036-businessman-get-the-job-with-cityscape-scene-vector-illustration-man-have-a-new-job-and-feeling-glad-in-town-cartoon-businessman-get-job-design-concept)
And the hard work does not end when you get the job. It is just the beginning. Develop good work ethics and communication skills so you can improve and be promoted.
After the pandemic, it might be hard for us to expect a good future. But, with determination I think we can all do it.
(First image is edited in Canva)