When recent or soon-to-be college graduates start looking for work, many of them naturally turn to online job-search and networking platforms. Some are college-based, such as MyJobStreet, SEEK, and MYFutureJobs, while others are networking platforms, such as LinkedIn and Indeed. With COVID-19 pushing job searches further into the virtual sphere, these platforms are becoming increasingly important in the work search. Many students and new graduates fail to take advantage of the opportunities provided by these platforms.
With that in mind, especially in light of recent reports of gloomy job prospects for fresh college grads, here are five ideas for recent or soon-to-be college graduates hoping to make the most of their online job searches.
- Use a variety of platforms.
Begin with a platform that has a college partnership or where students have completed an internship with the college. This is because many of the jobs listed on some sites are not available on other sites. At the same time, college students should create profiles on one or more of the “big board” job-posting websites, such as Indeed, MYFutureJobs, MYJobstreet, ZipRecruiter, and Glassdoor. These sites allow job-seekers to create job-search agents who send email notifications whenever new positions that meet their search parameters become available.
- Use them frequently.
Graduates who are new to the labour market may not be applying for nearly enough jobs. They should not become discouraged if their applications are unsuccessful. While the number of jobs a college graduate should apply for varies by industry, it is recommended that a candidate apply for at least two or three jobs per day. Research shows that only an an estimated 2% to 3% of job applications result in an interview. Job-seskers should thus intensify their search and networking activities to improve their chances.
- Set short daily objectives.
The pandemic’s real and imagined economic issues have caused a lot of worry among job hunters. Extensive periods of unemployment, as well as the threat of unemployment and underemployment, have been demonstrated in studies to be upsetting. Many college graduates are concerned and even anxious about their employment prospects while others have even given up looking for work. To avoid giving up, recent graduates should concentrate on little milestones and daily goals. These objectives can include things like performing career research or networking with at least one person every day, in addition to applying to a few jobs each day.
- Keep tabs on your development.
Making a spreadsheet to keep track of your job applications is an excellent place to start. A spreadsheet might serve as a motivator for students to keep up with their job search regularly. “Date of Application,” “Date of Screening Interview,” “Thank You Note Sent?” and “Salary Offer” are among the columns on an example spreadsheet. When it comes time to choose between offers, a more complex spreadsheet can contain columns like commute time or average rent in the city and where the job is located.
- Make use of the resources available at SEGi College Penang when it comes to finding a job.
Almost every college and university has a career centre to assist students graduates in finding jobs, and we offer services to assist our students with their future professions at SEGi College Penang. Students are encouraged to speak with a career service specialist at SEGi College Penang for assistance with their future employment hunt. They can reach out to our career office at this number <04-263 3888 ext 685> to schedule an appointment with one of our career specialist consultants.
