Adulting, as millennials call it, is the act of finally landing a job and independently paying your bills. This may sound like an insurmountable task, given the current uncertainties we’re facing all around the world, but we should not lose hope.
Businesses still function, governments are still working hard, and so should you. In this article, we have compiled a comprehensive guide for fresh graduates such as yourself, or for those who have never worked or it’s been a while since you’ve worked, to hopefully increase your chances of getting hired.
Finish your college degree.
An undergraduate student might be reading this article right now so we should definitely cover this obvious but often forgotten fact. A college degree will open doors for you in the adult world. It is the one requirement of companies for people who wish to see themselves rank up and dream of becoming one of the executives someday.
The growing changes in the workplace and the education sector might lead you to think otherwise, but being armed with a college degree can still give you a hiring edge.
Get a Master’s degree.
If undergraduate diplomas are beneficial, then a master’s degree will be even more so. Not only will a Masters’s diploma increase your chances of getting employed, but it will also raise your income by at least 18% more than those with college diplomas.
However, I have to clarify something regarding this bit. If you think obtaining your bachelor’s degree was hard, then getting your master’s will definitely be a different beast. But before you can go about studying for higher education, there’s one more obstacle you have to face if you’re a student in the U.S. or Canada: the Graduate Record Examinations or the GRE.
The GRE will test your verbal, analytical, and critical thinking skills, all of which are skills that you are expected to have already mastered. But if you think that’s going to be a problem for you, then there are some comprehensive online review courses to help you ace the exam.
Take online courses.
Now, all this talk of getting diplomas might sound too daunting for you. So let me tell you that that’s not the only way you can increase your employability. If you’re not inclined to pursue your master’s or maybe you’ve already done so, taking online courses that are relevant to your career path will certainly boost your hiring chances.
Work on your soft skills.
Having extensive knowledge in the field is not enough to get hired. You must also work on your soft skills to convince employers that you are worth hiring. Sometimes, this makes or breaks an application and will definitely affect how long you will last in a certain company. Having a good set of soft skills is essential and will help you not only in landing a good job but in every endeavor of your life.
Be an intern or volunteer.
Fresh graduates or unemployed people face one inevitable obstacle when it comes to employment and that is the lack of experience. As they say, nothing can really beat experience because it makes for efficient and reliable workers.
A way to work around this is to spend time as an intern or as a volunteer for about a few months. Your boss might not be paying you cash, but they’re giving you valuable experience that you can put on your resume.
Have the perfect CV and cover letter.
Speaking of resumes, that’s another important topic that we need to discuss. Resumes are not as simple as biodata that includes your personal and contact information. A resume is a document that outlines not just prior work experience and educational background, but also your accomplishment and skills necessary for the position you’re applying for.
With that in mind, resumes should never be generic and should be customized depending on the job description. For example, you may be skilled in digital design, but a resume of a graphic artist is not the same as a web designer.
But aside from a resume, your cover letter will also matter. This is a one-page letter from the applicant to the employer that briefly tries to give reasons why the applicant should be hired.
Use who you know.
Some people might be ashamed to acknowledge this, but many people are hired not because of their skills but because they know someone on the inside. It doesn’t have to be an executive or the HR department. To be honest, some companies prefer hiring their employees’ referrals, too. So keep your interpersonal relationships healthy because they might just be the one to give you the big break you were looking for.
Increasing your employability involves investing in yourself and mastering the art of selling yourself sufficiently. In order to do this, you must have the confidence to apply and the tenacity to continue applying even in the face of countless rejections. Just keep at it and I’m pretty sure, if you follow this guide, you’ll get hired sooner rather than later.
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