The Steps I Took as a Graduate to Secure a New Job

This week we have our guest writer Jaaden who is in her final year of University studying HR. She has also joined our team and shares her story on how tough the market is and what it takes to get into your chosen field after University. Here’s her story:

Finding a job after graduation can be an overwhelming task. There is often the misconception that because we have a Degree we are more employable. However, this isn’t always the case. We often find ourselves applying for what feels like, hundreds of jobs without getting a call back. Our mornings are often greeted with a few rejection emails, and we start to question if those three to four years of late nights and frustrating group projects were worth it. Even the university listed graduate jobs seem to want that valuable “experience” everyone lists in the job description. Sounding familiar?

As a recent graduate myself, I get it. I spent just under a year seeking experience, and applying for jobs in the hope that I’d land the promised (not real) $80,000+ job in my first year out of university that everyone talks about. In reality, this isn’t always the case, so I have put together a few tactics that I used which helped me to land a job as a graduate.

Create and utilise your LinkedIn profile
LinkedIn is a tool which allows you to connect with prospective employers, search for vacant positions and create relationships with people in order to build a network. Once I decided what kind of company I would like to work for, I would follow their company page and connect with people within the organisation. Don’t be afraid to send them a message introducing yourself as a graduate, and even asking them what they look for in a candidate. This gets your name out there and could lead to a conversation about a vacant position within the organisation.

Pick up the phone
This can be quite confronting for most people, however this will build your confidence and potentially lead to a company realising that they could do with the extra hand. I suggest allocating a few hours each week, researching local businesses online and giving them a call. Introduce yourself, even prompt the question by asking if they have any opportunities available. Ask them if they have any time available to meet with you in person – this will help you in building rapport with them and strengthening your chance of being hired. Make sure to connect with them on LinkedIn afterwards, and stay in regular contact to ensure the relationship is continuously building.

Ask the question!
Don’t be afraid to ask for advice. This was the tactic which ultimately landed me the job. After building relationships and staying connected on LinkedIn, I was still an active job seeker. It was at this point that I felt I would never pursue a successful career in my chosen field, and I was beginning to look into other career paths. I decided to ask for advice, and contacted one of my connections on LinkedIn. We met again after a few months of our initial meeting and he offered me a position.

My new Manager was once somebody that I never knew, decided to call, connected with on LinkedIn and kept in regular contact with. My intentions of asking for advice were never asking for a job; however it worked out that there was a position available – it was just great timing. Whilst it didn’t just happen overnight, I stayed consistent, employed the above tactics, and was motivated and persistent, which paid off in the end. You too can have success if you have the right strategy and goal in mind to begin your new career and the chance to implement what you have learned at University – Good luck!