We are living in an age where jobs are not easy to come by, yet for some reason, all university students seem to be very optimistic about graduating and getting into employment. I will be honest with the fresh graduates and first-time job seeker. It takes a long shot to earn yourself a good job you can count on. It takes patience, you need to earn it.
I recently talked with a student who is set to graduate in September and his hopes of getting an attachment and a job in the same company are above 100%. I can’t help but notice the deficit in awareness among graduates transitioning to employees.
It is important for all graduates to prepare for a cruel and an unforgiving environment out here. Some will be fortunate to find jobs right away while some may struggle to survive even with good grades. My focus for today, however, is for the fortunate graduates who land their first jobs and do not know how to conduct themselves.
It’s no good to land a job and be fired two months after. At the same time, it does not help to get a job that you think of as a form of suffering.
Advantages of being a first-time job seeker
Entry-level job seeker s are often much closer to new and emerging skills and technology than their already-at-work counterparts. They should be unafraid to put their fresh perspective on display (in a tactful way) during the application process and let their knowledge shine.
Most organizations are looking to evolve – and they are looking to a younger workforce to help them do it. As such, fresh graduates stand a better chance of landing a job if they are looking for one in the right place.
The ultimate goal is to get the job and ones you finally get it, you should be ready to defend your position at all times. One of the hardest things people face in their careers, irrespective of age, is determining their worth to an organization or industry.
In my opinion, you should not be negotiating secondary incentives such as additional days off or flex hours when it comes to an entry-level job.
However, I do believe you should negotiate your salary. One of the hardest things to do is play “salary catch-up.” You want to make sure you don’t start so low that you are never able to get back to market value. A low starting salary hurts your chances of increases at the job you are going for and potentially your next job.
