With more people comes more competitors for jobs. A lot of fresh graduates don’t usually get the job aligned with their course. Or simply do not have the drive to pursue a career inline with their course in college. This article will mostly focus on the IT industry considering I’m part of the IT industry and it’s the industry I’m most familiar with. But most of the things here will apply to most industries.
Getting a job as someone at the entry level is both challenging and interesting. On one hand, you get to meet new people and get to learn new things you never learned in school. On the other, you really need to get a job because of responsibilities.
Here are things you need to know when job hunting as a fresh graduate.
Co-fresh graduates are not your only competitor
Fresh graduate students aren’t the only ones looking for jobs. You also have employed people looking for new jobs or new opportunities. Then there’s unemployed people looking for jobs. So while in school, gear up! Because most of the people you’re going up against have been geared up for a while.
Higher pay means higher expectations
Some people think they’ll get paid Php20,000 – Php30,000 off the bat. That’s not always the case. There are companies that offer a starting salary of Php 20,000 for fresh graduates. But the stakes are high. You need to prove you’re the best of the best. On top of that, the job will probably require a lot of analytic thinking. Based on research, people in analytic jobs such as software development, engineering, or accountancy have higher pay than those doing manual labor jobs like a security guard, gardener, or welder.
Experience over grades
Although this does not always apply to every industry. In the IT industry, most IT companies are going to be looking at how well you perform a task in a test rather than your transcript of record. Based on experience as a software developer, IT companies are going to look at your accomplishments in college. Your thesis, your awards, a small snippet of code from your thesis software. Probably the only time they’ll look at your grades is to see how well you did in a software related subject.
Some are not going to take you seriously
Think of it this way. If you haven’t prepared enough in school, you’re going to find yourself being a puppy in a world of wolves. They’re going think you’re cute a cuddly, but that’s pretty much it. They don’t see you as someone who can hunt and scavenge. Or do anything important for that matter. You need to have a set of skills that you’ve developed before graduation that can tell people, “Hey! Not only do I know this, I can do it too!”. Companies will often take “doers” over “knowers”.
To get into a job, you’ll need experience
A lot of people are frustrated with this principle. But it’s the truth. In most industries, experience is the currency. Companies are often going to take the one with the most experience over the one who has better grades and more awards
even if both of you are fresh graduates. If the other guy has been working as QA tester for 3 years while in college, and you’ve got good grades and an award for something awesome. They’ll still choose the other guy.
How do you get experience while a student? You accept tasks! As I said, “experience is the currency”. When someone asks you a favor, like, build a small software. Do it regardless if you get paid or not! This will definitely help you in the long run. A better alternative is to look to the faculty. Ask what if they have anything for you to do that’s related to your career field. And if it’s very much inline with the career you want, like create a time sheet. Do it! Don’t be greedy. This’l pay off once you’re employed. Bottom line, build your portfolio.