Friday, March 27, 2009

First Job

Finding your first job can be a special experience in ways more than one. Being the first job, it is bound to make you anxious and you might have a lot of apprehensions on how to go about it. The moment you step out of college and start looking for the job, there is a lot of non-clarity on what future has in store for you. You would naturally be worried for various reasons. And you are not alone. All fresher’s like you just feel the same and go through the same phase. There is an anxiety related to the beginning of your career and also how it will shape in future.

Firstly, finding the right first job is important. Your approach to job hunting is very important here. All fresher’s who come out of college are just armed with a degree and nothing else. They have no prior experience to bank on so it is just their personality traits and their personal ability of presenting their capabilities that can ensure them a good job. They have to convince the employer that they are the right fit for the job and land the job. Also, some candidates feel that finding the first job will always be an intimidating and frustrating experience. This is not necessarily true. It is in your hands how you go about it that will define the experience of your first job hunt.

While looking for freshers job, you need to get a feel of the real world outside your college. So, step out and opt for an internship in the industry of your choice. Take up the internship even just to get the first hand knowledge of that industry.

You can also go for a part-time job or a voluntary job service. This will shine beautifully on your CV and will impress the employer during the job interview. Once you get first-hand experience of the real work-world, you will also be better prepared on what to expect. Also, it is a known fact that networking and knowing people in the professional world always comes handy when looking for a job. It is easier to get job offers through your network. And while you are looking for the job and applying at companies, be prepared with your best resume. Get it whetted by some experienced people and seek their suggestions on making improvements. Meanwhile, keep working on your skills. Develop good oral and written communication skills and if you are not computer-literate, be sure to take up training in computer literacy.

With all this preparation, when you have applied for the job, and you get an interview call, the real work begins then. All your preparation so far will come to a naught if you are not able to sell yourself well. Since it is a job for fresher and the interviewer knows that you are a fresher so he will not expect you to know the nuances of the job well but he will look for other personality traits in you that can ensure whether you will be good at the job in future or not. Although, there is no fool-proof way to judge it yet there are some general benchmarks that an employer goes by.

First and foremost, your body language when you meet the interviewer is the key to starting the interview on a good note. That you will be nervous is natural but don’t let nervousness over-power you in a way that you are unable to put your best foot forward. Control your nervousness and present a confident front. Greet the employer with a smile on your face and let him know how suitable you are for the job vacancy. Relate your experiences from school and college time that you feel can duly exhibit your confidence, leadership qualities and other positive traits. It is needless to say that you should have done your research about the industry and the company well in advance to be well-prepared. Exhibit this knowledge in a gentle manner. Let the interviewer know that you know what the job entails. Most questions would be asked from your resume only. So, be thorough with your resume and support each point with an example from your past life. Do not lie on the resume as your interviewer will be able to make it out easily and it will only leave a bad impression on him.

Once the interview is done with his questions, ask your questions and clear your queries about the job profile and the company. Ask intelligent questions only as this will display your genuine inquisitiveness about the role job. After the interview, thank the interviewer personally or send him a written Thank You note. Following all these tips, you can rely on your skills to get into your first job. If your preparation is done well and you have a strong will, landing your first job is for sure.

Geetika Jain writes on behalf of Naukri.com, a leading portal for jobs for freshers. Firstnaukri.com is a recruitment platform and provides services to the corporate world, placement agencies and fresher job seekers in India and overseas. It offers a bouquet of products like Resume Database Access, and Response Management tools and its services include Job Postings, and branding solutions on the site.



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