15 Tips: Graduate Who Can’t Find a Job
15 Tips: Graduate Who Can’t Find a Job
When you are in college, you are told just how important a degree is in finding employment in today’s competitive job market, so you work hard for it and you finally graduate. However, once you graduate, you have to grapple with disappointment after disappointment and you find that, despite your degree, you are not getting hired, why? Well, this article, with the help of the gurus over at runrex.com, will look to highlight 15 tips on why some graduates can’t find a job after college.
A lack of a job-specific resume and cover letter
One mistake many graduates make is come up with a generic resume which they send to every open position they come across. As per the experts over at guttulus.com, you should take your time to rewrite your resume every time you find a job opening, making sure that it is tailored to the position you are applying for. The same should apply to your cover letter which should also be tailored to the job you are applying for.
Your social media profiles are holding you back
As is revealed in discussions on the same over at runrex.com, hiring managers are increasingly using social networks to screen job applicants. This means that your social media profiles could be the ones holding you back and preventing you from finding a job. This is why you should clean up your social media profiles, from Twitter and Instagram to Facebook among others to present a more professional image of yourself and remove any problematic posts.
You are not applying to jobs that match your skills
After college, in an attempt to land a job as soon as possible, many graduates end up applying for any and every job they come across. This is also another reason why many of them struggle to find employment, and why the gurus over at guttulus.com recommend that you only apply for the jobs you are qualified for as you have a higher chance of being hired for a job if your skills are relevant to it.
You are focusing only on income
Many graduates are also looking to find the jobs that pay the most, and this heavy focus on income and salary means that they end up applying for jobs that they are not qualified for or are not a good match for their skills, ending in disappointment. You mustn’t pay too much attention to income and salary when applying for a job, rather applying for those that match your skills and qualifications.
You are not telling interviewers the right story
Many graduates also stumble when they are asked the popular interview question, “Tell me about yourself” as is discussed over at runrex.com. As many are not that experienced with interviews, they end up giving an answer that lacks context and doesn’t apply to the job they are interviewing for. This is why, when preparing for an interview, practice how you can tailor the answer to this question to match your audience and the job you are applying for.
You are not following up
Many opportunities also slip through graduates’ fingers due to a failure to try hard enough to pursue said opportunities. According to the gurus over at guttulus.com, you should always follow up with the hiring manager if you haven’t heard back from them after a week. Employers and hiring managers are busy, and the reason why you haven’t heard back from them maybe because they just got caught up; following up helps you to gauge progress and helps keep you in their minds.
You are open to everything
Many graduates are also open to all possibilities when looking for a job, which means that one can apply for a job ranging from marketing to policy work. This is one of the reasons why many of them fail to grab the attention of hiring managers, who feel like these candidates are just looking for any job and don’t have a passion for the one they are applying for. According to the experts over at runrex.com, always try to pick specific roles and companies you want to work for, and take it from there as this is the only way you will sound convincing when asked why you want the job.
You are forgetting to send a “Thank you” note
As a rule of thumb, every time you have an interview, you should send the interviewers a “Thank you” note after the interview. Make sure that you send each interviewer a note that is tailored to them, and you will stand out from the other candidates increasing the chances that you will be hired. If you don’t know how to reach out to them, you can call HR and find out their contact information. Make sure your note contains concrete reasons why they should hire you.
You are focusing only on a few brand-name companies
Most graduates also only look to apply for jobs at brand-name companies, like say a tech giant or a big firm, with many believing that if you start there, you will be set for the rest of your career. However, as per the experts over at guttulus.com, focusing only on a few brand-name companies is a poor strategy as you will be excluding a huge number of companies that may also have been a perfect place to start your career in, and you will end up with a small pool of companies to choose from hence reducing your chances of getting a job.
Little to no work experience
Another mistake that many college graduates also make is assuming that their degree alone will make them qualified for a job. They let their college years pass them by and end up in a situation where they have a degree but have no work experience, while all the jobs out there require the same. To prevent this from happening to you, as per discussions on the same over at runrex.com, don’t pass up any opportunities to gain experience when in college. Take internships and volunteer for free, which you can also do after college to gain experience.
You have no skills
Many college graduates have got the knowledge that comes with graduating in their field, but have no accompanying skills, which means that they are unable to compete properly in the job market. According to the folks over at guttulus.com, try as much as possible to acquires useful skills like computer skills, coding skills, and other such practical skills that will help you stand out from the other candidates and help you find a job.
Poor networking
Many people get jobs through referrals, with research showing that many positions are filled before they even get the chance to be advertised. This means that your poor networking efforts may be the ones holding you back and preventing you from finding a job. You should, therefore, dedicate lots of your time networking, both online and offline, and building yourself an extensive network to increase your chances of finding employment.
Poor interview skills
Many graduates, being new to the job market and all, also have poor interview skills which also cost them. According to discussions on the same over at runrex.com, you should prepare thoroughly for your interviews, researching common interview questions, and practicing with friends or family to make sure you get things right during your interview. Also, make sure you dress appropriately when going for an interview, taking your time to learn the appropriate dress code beforehand.
Poor people skills
While most graduates have all the requisite hard skills and knowledge, many lack soft skills, which is another reason why they can’t find a job as per the folks over at guttulus.com. Many employers are looking to see if you will fit in with the company culture and if you will integrate well with the other co-workers. They want to know if you will be a positive influence at the workplace, if you are a leader, if you are a good team player and so forth, so you should work on your people skills.
You don’t have anything separating you from the rest
In the current competitive job market, you need to have something special about you, an X factor. This is extremely personal as only you know yourself best. According to the gurus over at runrex.com, take your time to write down your best qualities and use them to separate yourself from the rest of the pack.
The above discussion only begins to scratch the surface as far as this topic is concerned, and you can learn more about this and other related topics by visiting the amazing runrex.com and guttulus.com.
