What you should do to land a job after graduation

While graduation should be a celebratory moment, you would also find yourself heavy with apprehension and uncertainty. You would realise that you are faced with the difficult task of finding a job.

After years of being in a more or less structured education system, safe behind the walls of school, you are now tossed out into a big open field that is the job market.

If you are feeling lost and unaware of what to do, here is a short and handy guide to help you with finding your first job.

Make sure you know what you want

This cannot be emphasised enough. If you enter the job market without doing a bit of self-reflection, you might just wind up using a shotgun approach in your job hunt, such as randomly applying for multiple jobs and hoping that a bullet hits the bull’s eye.

It is important to determine a set of criteria that you want in your job, or at least a list of factors you do not want in a job. For instance, in which industry do you see yourself in the long run? What are the positions you absolutely do not want to fill? This ensures you are able to approach your job hunt with more clarity.

Furthermore, doing something of interest to you will be able to sustain you as you embark on your first career journey.

Do your research

Once you know what you want in a job, you have to figure out how to get this job. There is an abundance of opportunities if only you are willing to work hard to search. Tap on job boards, professional recruiters, and attend networking sessions to put yourself out there in the market.

If you have already shortlisted a set of prospective jobs and/or employers, find out everything you can about them. Find out about the work culture, their hiring process, career progression opportunities, and even the workplace location to further narrow down your decision.

Do not forget to conduct research on the company and industry as well – this will allow you to impress prospective employers at your interview!

Use your connections

While you conduct your research, do not limit yourself to Google. Talk to people! Ask your seniors from school, or people whom you know have been in the industry.

You never know, someone with whom you have connections might already be an employee at your desired organisation. If this is the case, be sure to convince them to put in a good word for you. They can also give you inside information about a future job opening, should there be none at present.

Brace yourself emotionally

While you should maintain an optimistic outlook, also be emotionally prepared for things to turn out in a way you do not desire. There are always things that happen beyond your control.

For instance, you might be offered your ideal job, but a much lower salary from what you expected. There is also the possibility of a rejected application. It is important to develop the maturity to steer away from your impulsive emotional reaction as well as the ability to react logically.

Your first job hunt will undoubtedly be the most difficult. However, this is a challenge that you will eventually overcome. Do not be disheartened and never give up. The job position you end up filling may not always be your dream job, but one you would eventually come to love.

You know what they say, sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere you find yourself.

Thanks to CareerBuilder Singapore for this article contribution!