CultusGraduating from university is perhaps the most exciting and the most important time in everybody’s life, but it can also be quite daunting for many students, since they get more concerned about their future after getting their degree.
After they graduate, several options are available to students but choosing the right one is not an easy task. Because of the current economic condition of the world, it is natural for fresh graduates to consider their options even more seriously, so that they can choose the best path. Whichever path they select undoubtedly has a great impact on their future.
Fresh graduates have a number of options to choose from including finding a job right away, studying further, or enrolling in any apprenticeship program. Among these options, the most important one is choosing a career and finding a job. A great career is the result of a good an effective career planning. Career planning isn’t a rocket science, it is a lifelong process that includes choosing a profession, getting a job, gaining a successful experience in it, probably switching it and then eventually getting retired.
Career planning is important right from the days of your high school and college. Rather, it is important even after getting a job. It is just that you need to give yourself a little time to set your career goals and you’ll be on the right track. Let’s have a look at some tips for career planning that will help fresh graduates to be ahead of others:
1. Identify your likes and dislikes
Before deciding about a career, fresh graduates should discover their personality by attempting some personality profiling tests. This will guide them in deciding what kind of job suits them best according to their personality. For example, if an individual is introvert, he would prefer doing a job that doesn’t involve much socializing with people. So, graduates need to examine whether they’re introvert or people oriented, what are their likes and what are they passionate about. All these factors will help them decide what type of career they should pursue.
2. Create an effective resume and cover letter
Once students have identified their most suitable job, the next step is to prepare an effective resume and a cover letter. While writing a resume, you need to analyze yourself thoroughly and present yourself distinctively in your resume. Now you can take help from many websites that offer students various types of resume and cover letter samples. These samples can help you create an outstanding cover letter and resume according to the requirements of the job you’re applying for.
3. Decide about your first job
After creating your resume and cover letter, decide and choose your first job wisely, since your entire future career might depend upon it. Always try to enter the field in which you’re interested from the start. Although you can switch a job later if you don’t find yourself satisfied with it, switching can sometimes be difficult -therefore it’s better to get a job in your field of interest from the beginning.
4. Getting your first job
Your first job is the best place to start your career, so make sure that you fulfill all your responsibilities. Being a fresh graduate, you must understand that learning new things is extremely important for you. Never let the curiosity of learning new things die. Always ask questions and learn from your own mistakes. Since you are new to the industry, you must make sure that you make the best out of it. And this is only possible if you prove to be a good observer.
5. Build new contacts
More than half of all the jobs are obtained through building a network of contacts. You can build your network by regularly asking your contacts how are they doing and what is new about their professional life. Building your network is always a good thing since it helps discover future careers, lets you explore new trends and get you familiar with the available opportunities. This is why it is important to build new contacts and maintain the existing ones.
Author’s Bio:
Martin Leo is a Senior Editor and consultant at dissertation avenue. He also writes for many educational blogs in his spare time.
