Job hunting is overwhelming and frustrating because relevant work experience remains a primary requirement for most employers.
The paradox of the job market is that "you can’t get a job without experience and you can’t get experience without a job.” Employers and recruiters are continually demanding work experience even on low entry-level jobs. It is obvious that job-ready candidates are given preference since they require minimum training and yield low hiring costs.
Most fresh graduates are disadvantaged in their job search as they lack the relevant work experience and job requirements set by employers. To the majority, job hunting is overwhelming and frustrating because relevant work experience remains a primary requirement for most employers. Fortunately, it is possible for a graduate to build a job worthy CV by acquiring hands-on work experience while in college or as a fresh graduate in an effort to secure their dream job. Below are ways through which a student or fresh graduate can acquire meaningful work experience and make their resume worth an employer’s consideration.
Internships
An internship is an apprentice assignment that allows a trainee to gain experience related to their area of training. It can either be taken up midway through studies or just before completing studies or immediately after graduation. Through internship programs, one gains technical skills and soft skills. Technical skills relate directly to one’s study area. Soft skills include interpersonal skills, customer service, teamwork, communication, organization, and planning skills.
As an intern aiming to build technical skills, one must seek to stand out. To achieve this, consider taking up a project/challenge, introducing a new idea and learning new skills while interning. Such initiatives show openness to learning, indicate innovation and demonstrates individual achievement as opposed to group achievement.
Volunteer Work
Voluntary work differs from an internship because one does not have to take up a job within their area of training. One can volunteer in local NGOs, community-based organizations, churches or hospitals. By taking up voluntary work, one can learn skills that are transferable to the next work assignment. Some of the skills you are likely to gain through volunteering include; timekeeping, time management, meeting deadlines, events management, meeting management, planning and managing people. All these skills are transferable to different work environments.
Interests
A fresh graduate can also align their interests and hobbies to their career. A digital marketer with a love for social media can align their interest in their career by helping friends or start-ups with social media marketing. Through this, they will be able to build a portfolio that can be used to demonstrate hands-on work experience to potential employers.
Clubs
Club memberships are not only a great way to build friendships and connections but also an opportunity to exercise leadership skills and build confidence. Fresh graduates are encouraged to join clubs and be intentional while participating in clubs. This could be by taking up leadership roles as the main leader or a technical committee leader. This helps to learn or nurture leadership, management and planning skills and sets you up for higher responsibilities.
Online work
There is a growing trend of remote workplaces. As a cost management measure, more and more organizations are outsourcing some services to remote workers to cut down on staffing and rental costs. Students can take up part-time online jobs within their specialization areas to improve on their skills. An example is an IT student taking up a web design assignment from remote web design companies. Building up these small assignments gives them a competitive edge over colleagues who have not practiced their skills.
In conclusion...
Although academic qualifications are a requirement for most jobs, they do not guarantee a candidate's ability to perform the job. Work experience, therefore, remains a key requirement for most employers. Preparing for a dream job while in college takes discipline, hard work, and an open mind to explore options in the market. The above examples are some of the practical ways in which one can build work experience as a fresh graduate in readiness for their dream job.
About the author
Getrude Budambula is an Independent Human Resource Professional and a Freelance Writer. She enjoys sharing knowledge as a Content Writer and has authored several professional articles.
