If you think getting a job after graduating is easy, SORRY! Every year thousands of graduates are thrown into the Labour Market where no job exists. And the Government has been lauding entrepreneurship and self-employment like they’ve got a hole where we can go into and pick up startup funds. Listen, I am saying you can’t get a job… You can be among the few lucky if you’re violent because only the violent can get a job in this generation. Getting a job is a full-time job
Suit up, Be Radical:
In an era where a single job advert attracts millions of job applications, being radical may be an understatement. In the ’80s, a job awaits you after graduating but in this generation, you are expected to create a job and be an employer of labour.
Gone are those days when you move around looking for a job with an envelope filled with files. Now you can look up websites and make a direct phone contact or submit your CV through the available company’s email address. If you send out 100 CV in a week you have done well.
And stop waiting for job vacancies online or in Newspapers because 70% of these organisations employ through referral and word of mouth. Be violent; one job advert amidst 30,000,000 job seekers; the violent taketh it by force.
Tailor it to perfection:
Your CV defines who you are in written form. It is completely wrong to submit the same CV to any job advert. Your Skills, Career Objectives, Hobbies and Work Experience should match the job you’re applying for; Random CV barely gets reviewed.
Spend quality time in writing. Know when to write a Functional or Chronological type of CV; An Entry Level Job Advert requires a Functional CV. Don’t look down on any company. You should write a CV as if you are to submit it to Shell or Google. Smaller organisations take the employment process seriously because they want good productivity.
Get Connected:
Start mingling with people who can help. Connect with professionals. Don’t engage yourself in reading too many books about CV; it will wear you out. You should attend seminars, participate in discussions and voluntary activities. Get recommended job updates on your email.
Your potential boss might be sitting around the corner listening and observing. Create a compelling profile on Linkedin or Fuzu and follow the updates of professionals. Spend less time on irrelevant chat. Join and discuss with senior colleagues in groups and always ask a question. Visit Quora and give relevant answers to questions related to your field. Tell family and friends that you need a job.
Age restriction is not a limitation but an invitation
Job Advertisement may come with age restrictions but that should not hinder you from submitting your CV. This is why you need Cover Letter at the forefront. Your Cover Letter must do a good intro, detailing why you qualify for the job and why the company should employ you.
A grade is not a licence and Honesty won’t hurt.
A degree Certificate and your intellect are two different things. Only the latter can defend the formal. If a Job opening is requested for 2.1 but you have 2.2, you will be committing a sin of commission if you don’t submit your CV. The Labour Market suffers violence, and the violent taketh it by force.
Except you can not defend your CV, the grade on your Certificate is no excuse. It is better to face rejection head-on than to reject yourself. Describe yourself in all truthfulness, don’t speak jargon in hope of concealing the truth. If you got employed through lies, you must lie to keep it.
Stop Scraping:
Copying the content of a Cover Letter or CV online is one grave mistake and a common reason why fresh graduates don’t get employed. As a fresh graduate, it is expected that you lack experience and the required competencies for a particular job.
This is why companies have trainee programs. A lot of Cover Letters and CVs look very much alike, thanks to the internet. If you don’t write something different, then, you’re indeed not different from those who should not be employed.
Be Creative with Email:
Your Email should never be blank. Don’t upload and send a CV without adding a piece of information (criteria that differentiate job seekers). Stop waiting for SMS and get used to checking mail and spam box. Download this TypeApp for new mail alert.
Your CV must be in a PDF format unless otherwise stated because Docx can disarrange your CV structure. Have you ever noticed CC and BC while sending an Email CC means carbon copy while BC means Blind copy. Your focus should be on CC if you were referred to a job opening position by a member of the company or a known personality. The person who refers get a copy of the CV and can make adequate follow-up when necessary. The receiver will also know who else received the mailed CV.
Add Keywords
Many CVs don’t get reviewed; they fail when confronted with Control F. This combination of keys is used to search for keywords on your CV. Search engines aren’t the only ones seeking keywords… Have you ever wondered why you are required to submit your applications in pdf, doc, Docx or txt format They want to screen out a CV that doesn’t contain the relevant keywords. An I.T firm seeking to employ candidates with ORACLE and PHP Certification will screen out every CV without those keywords…
Showing up unprepared:
If you are going to an interview, be full and give only when you’re told. A total stranger to a company is already an outcast. The person interviewing you is next to God. Keep your age and certifications at bay. Present yourself formally, switch off your mobile phone and if you forget to do that, put it on silent when it rings. Picking up calls during an interview is next to witchcraft.
Follow up:
Congratulation if you finally got interviewed but that is just a means to an end. Don’t sit at home waiting for a call-up, SMS or a resumption letter. You have to follow up aggressively especially in Marketing or Sales related jobs. Chat up the interviewer if you have the chance before you leave the premises. Get contacts
- Don’t ask about your interview outcome or chat informally.
- Ask about the welfare of the interviewer and colleagues.
- Talk more about your productivity when you CV work.
- Enquire about the work ethics.
- Don’t overdo this.
And I wish you luck….