Sonali's Tips For Freshers

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You may have contacted Sonali over the internet and got valuable advice on job hunting. Sonali is an expert on Job hunting and career solutions.

For the past seven years she has helped jobseekers by sharing her job market expertise absolutely free of cost. We have invited her to share her expertise with you through Jobnet Magazine.

Being the first of this series we are beginning with the beginners. Here are some valuable tips for Freshers!

Sonali says …….
Job hunting for the first time, can be a stressful experience for Freshers. That’s natural. So far your focus has been on books, education and training. All of which was really a preparation for your grand entry into the world of careers. All at once, you have to make a solo flight. It can be scary for most of us. But take heart.

Job hunting at any age feels like bungee jumping without the rope.

For starters…
Let me share a secret with you. There are no experts on job hunting. So don’t go hunting for one. There is no one who can give you the right formula for successful job hunting. You are on your own now.

Job hunting is neither an art nor a science. Calling it a methodology is also not fully accurate. It is a full blown technology that you have never been educated on, but one that you need to quickly learn.

Now change your focus.
This is the time that you have to apply what you learnt at kindergarten. Your 3 R’s –Reading, ‘Riting and ‘Rithmetic.

Reading
The language of Job hunting is different from what you know. You have to relearn how to read.

Last week I had advertised for the following candidate – “Wanted Male/ Female candidate, a go getter, willing to work hard and grow with us. Must have a good knowledge of computer operations and be proficient on internet usage. Good spoken English is essential. Must have a valid driver’s license, be willing to travel. Age below 25 years. Good salary, perks, medical benefits and excellent growth prospects”. Tell me what I am looking out for?

A Computer operator, an internet researcher, a sales person, a personal secretary or a driver ?

So when it comes to reading a vacancy, keep an open mind. Apply, give a call, send an email or walk in.

Even experienced jobseekers pass up good jobs because the don’t understand a job advertisement or they just go for stereotypes. Read between the lines also. If nothing makes sense go for that interview and find out.

Even experienced professionals tend to wear blinkers in their reading of appointment advertisements. I happen to know a few top multinational companies who call their country heads sales representatives and I do know quite a few senior people who just bypass their advertisements. To a fresher, vacancy descriptions and job requirements may sound like a foreign language but foreign languages can be learnt in time.

Writing
Learning to write, becomes a new skill for the jobseeker. Your thesis, essay writing or journalism skills won’t help here.

Let’s begin with the resume.
Before we start let me tell you that there is no right resume. So, don’t look for the magic key that unlocks the door to finding the right job. Forget the resume writing specialists also the companies who promise to send your resumes to hundreds of employers.

The first step to write your resume is to realise that there is not much talent required for writing a simple resume for a fresher.

Being a fresher it seems like quite a feat to fill up even a single A4 size sheet. A simple resume with your contact, and educational details will suffice. Additional achievements or special interests and abilities will do nicely. Keep it short and precise.
There are plenty of free sample resumes on the internet that you can study and use for guidelines.

The common mistakes that most experienced jobseekers make is to get their resumes written on their own or by professional resume writers -- and never ever change it.

A resume has to be re-written each time you apply for a post. For example, if you are a sales cum service manager applying for the post which requires the handling of a large team of people, then your resume must emphasize that aspect. And, if you are applying for the post of country head in a new set up without staff, to liaison with clients in India, then the emphasis must change to your sales and PR abilities with your clients.

Just keep in mind that when employers are looking for freshers, a resume is just a reference for starting. Once they get past your education details there is nothing much there for them to check. For the rest, they have to meet you to gauge whether you have the requisite personality, the willingness to learn, apart from a host of other thing that can be only discovered through a physical interview process. If you are sending e-resumes, use what is compatible on the internet.

The subject line should be clear. And avoid email ids like sexysanjoo@yahoo.co.in, even if you think it is cute.

Arithmetic

The arithmetic of job hunting simply requires you to stop counting. It applies to Salary. Most of us are confused about what salary to ask for. If you are a fresher don’t blunder. Keep your salary options open while applying. Getting a job matters more than sitting at home with an ego problem. If you or your parents have invested a great deal of money on getting a good qualification, it still happens your problem, not the company’s.

Find out what a company is offering before shooting your mouth full of figures.

Next… The taboo here is multiplication. Never ever use it.

At this phase of your life you are going to get seduced by multiplication like never before. Job websites will offer to shoot your resume to hundreds of companies and placement firms, you will feel like doing mass mailing on your own, you will attend every job fair in town, and the theories of probability and statistics will lure you. All of which will lead to your nursing of broken hopes. Which is OK.

But never get mass - circulated. No one wants someone who is desperately unemployed and is shooting resumes to all and sundry. Neither does anyone want some one who is so widely circulated that he has probably got a dozen appointment letters in his pocket and is still scouting. Even placement firms do not want it.
There is no shortcut. So, do your job hunting intelligently. Give an impression that you are not desperate. I usually suggest Jobnet’s directory of Placement Firms and Companies which has a special section on all the job resources for freshers. Job hunting is a process of learning and self discovery

So don’t ask Sonali! Use your brain and your follow your heart. And blame the sweat on the Indian weather!

Regards SONALI
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