The period shortly before or after graduation can be a period that is filled with anxiety. You are going to become a graduate very soon and you want to ensure you land your next opportunity in a reasonable time frame.
Reflecting on my personal experience, the following tips could be useful for anyone intending to move into the labour market post graduation. Even if your plan is to bag a scholarship for your next academic sojourn, some of the tips below can be very useful if well tailored to your specific situation.
a) Get familiar with the market: The best time to get yourself acquaint with career opportunities relevant to your course of studies is before graduation. This is perhaps the right time to identify those companies that recruit into your desired roles and get to know their minimum required qualification. You should follow those companies on social media.
A lot of them do have a Linkedin page where they post job opportunities and important company updates. You would also be surprised that some of the alumni from your college might be working in those companies. Reach out to them and ask relevant questions that would help you to understand the industry better and position yourself ahead for the opportunity.
The above principle also applies to those who would like to further their studies and who perhaps require a scholarship funding. This is the time to identify schools and programs where you may be a good fit, know their application cycles and speak to scholars who are already within those programs.
b) Learn how to write a CV, prepare for job interviews and aptitude tests: Whether you are applying for a job or scholarship, you would need to put in a serious application even if you are applying to your father’s company (no joke intended.lol). Your pre-graduation period is the best time to familiarize yourself with how to write a good CV.
Otherwise, you may seek the service of career agencies to write a good CV for you. You also need to be familiar with the format of the aptitude tests for companies you are applying to. I recollect practising GMAT and GRE questions eight years ago while applying to some companies in Nigeria. Plan this preparation ahead and do not delay it till the night before your aptitude test or interview.
c) Have a good network of friends: It is a bit difficult to keep close relationship with friends after graduation. However, you need a network of friends who share the same goal with you and who would be sincere to share beneficial information with you. You should keep in touch with one another from time to time. My last job at KPMG was through a friend who notified me that the company was already sending out invites for aptitude tests.
I applied online that very evening that I got
the information and got a test invite the following day without knowing or
contacting anyone from the company. I could have missed that application cycle
if I did not know about the opportunity at that point. The same applies to
those “hunting” for a scholarship. It can be a very daunting task and you may
find it easier if you have a good support system of friends and like-minded
colleagues
d) Have a Linkedin Profile: Get yourself a good linkedin profile and connect with professionals within your field. Linkedin provides a platform which allows you to connect with people from various institutions. In the past, I have
applied to a role at a company and subsequently connected with one of the Company’s employee on Linkedin.
In one of those instances, I spoke with one of the company’s employee on Linkedin and later realized the role was not a good fit for me. This was after I had gained an insider outlook into what the role entails and the reason why the company was hiring for that role in the first place.
That is the power of social media. You will also be surprised that some professors in the program to which you are applying also share funding opportunities via their Linkedin posts and you might be lucky to receive a response from them.
e) Do not be shy to start small: The reality is that not everyone will start their career with their desired job. Be prepared to have a very humble beginning and plan your career accordingly. In today’s world, career moves is no longer a linear chart and the possibilities are becoming endless.
In most cases, you only need to get started in order to be well positioned for your next opportunity. In my own journey, I have once accepted a monthly salary offer of 15,000 naira (c. 15 USD). This was after I had already completed a bachelor’s degree in accounting and graduated with a First Class. Be prepared to take some bold decisions but be very clear and honest with yourself as to the reason why you are doing so.
f) Be patient: Lastly, you need to be patient during the job search process and be ready to receive multiple rejections. You might find yourself being rejected even for job opportunities that you think you are the perfect fit. Learn from every failure and reflect on how the next interview or test could be better. Pray to God for success and good luck even after you have put in the best preparation required.
The above list is not exhaustive and are just basic tips that anyone could find useful.
Feel free to share any additional tips you have found helpful in the comment section.
Very useful
Glad you found it useful.