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Graduation approaches. And, after the holidays, so will a moment of truth for graduate jobseekers. Though everyone’s buzzing that the Australian job market seems to be on the upswing, don’t be fooled. It’s still competitive and you need to be proactive to secure your slice of the employment pie.
While there are a number of reasons why it takes some graduates longer to find employment in their field, two issues really stand out to me as the major factors:
1. Taking the path of least resistance
If you are operating under the assumption that sending your resume to jobs you see advertised in the newspaper and online will get you the career you’re after, you are really doing yourself a disservice. Richard Bolles, in his book What Color Is Your Parachute cites two studies that will send shivers down the spine of any jobseeker. The first found that one out of 1470 resumes actually resulted in a job offer (”in other words… resumes had a 99.94% failure rate”). The second put the figure even higher- one job offer for every 1700 resumes put out there.
But take heart! There is encouraging news. Quintessential Careers, a leader in career, college and job search advice tells us that (statistically) one in twelve informational interviews will result in a job offer. Sounds a bit more like it! If the idea of rocking up to a stranger’s workplace to ask them a bunch of random questions sounds a somewhat daunting, don’t let it put you off. Quintessential has this great tutorial to put you through your paces before you go. Don’t forget to use LinkedIn’s Advanced Search feature to find potential candidates for your interviews. Type in the job you’re after in the keyword field and Griffith University in the school field. You’ll be amazed at the results. Final tip: working your friends and other close connections for job opportunities is not going to cut it. They already love you. If they could give you a job, they already would have. You need to expand your network and get known.
2. Not fully understanding your options
Have you explored employers beyond the largest firms in your target industry? Have you weighed up the advantages of getting some international work experience under your belt? Have you looked at employers outside of your industry who hire professionals in your field? Have you expanded your job search to include positions that aren’t branded ‘Graduate Program’? No? Really??
It’s important to have a comprehensive understanding of the options available in your industry, both here and overseas. This broad knowledge will help you develop a career plan, target the right opportunities and employers and set goals for your personal and professional development. Don’t let your career be something that happens to you. Know what you want and go after it!
Use those same great research skills you cultivated while at uni. Check out websites like Graduate Opportunities and Griffith’s Careers and Employment website. Of particular relevance: Career Options With My Degree. Follow the leads you find. Ask questions. Dig deeper. Still stuck? Come to Career Drop-In and speak to a careers counsellor for free.
What did you do that helped you land a job? Or, if you’re thinking of employing (yes, bad pun!) some out of the box tactics in your job search, try them out on us first – comment below!
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