WATCH: How to land a job in Qatar as a fresh graduate

Securing that first job after university can be a daunting task for many seniors and recent graduates. Nevertheless, you can take charge of the process by following a few simple strategies to get your career off to a positive start. 

Below are tips for graduates to help them land their first job:

Make connections before your graduation

Begin by tapping the resources that are available to you as a student at your university. Visit the career office at your university and meet with a career advisor to discuss how you can take advantage of the services and programs that are available.

Go to the career fairs organized by universities and present yourself in a professional manner. Visit all the booths in the fair and leave a copy of your resume with the employers. Before heading to the fair, you can do a little research on the companies who will be present there in order for you to get an idea of what kind of candidates they are looking for.

Not only will it improve your chances of landing a job, but also let you secure a more desired role compared to those individuals who just apply to job ads.

Volunteer or Internship

Volunteering is one of the fastest and easiest way for building up the resume. List down the organizations that are looking for volunteers in events and get the relevant contact details to approach them. It will not only give you the opportunity to meet new people but also help you develop and refine new skills.

A better and advisable option is to do an internship if it is available. An internship will provide you with a more structure approach to get all the necessary experience you require. In addition to learning the specialized skills of a particular field, transferable skills such as communication, teamwork, and computer proficiency are also obtained in an internship, fully preparing interns to enter the workforce upon graduation. Moreover, if you perform well in your internship program, there is a higher chance that the company itself hires you.

An expanded network, increased knowledge, and improved skills assist you in presenting yourself as an extraordinary and well-rounded candidate.

Include all work experiences on your resume

Structure your resume with all the work experiences, volunteering experiences, part-time job experiences, coursework, and projects. Don’t skip the ones you believe are not relevant to the position for which you are applying.  You should opt for a functional style resume where you can clearly and easily demonstrate your skills.

When it comes to the cover letters, instead of generic cover letters, take time to write targeted cover letter to make a special case for how each job matches your interests and skills.

You can always get feedback and advice from career advisors in your university in order to improve your documents. Always carefully review grammar, spell check, and proofread your documents.

Networking

Nowadays, employers are looking at social media. You are required to build a strong profile and catalog your achievements as you go on LinkedIn and other job boards. However, don’t forget the traditional networking. There is still no substitute to face-to-face communication as it leaves a much stronger impression on the people you are connecting with.

Identify accomplishments

Assemble down all your accomplishments throughout your university life. Employers not only seek candidates with relevant work experience but also look for a well-rounded candidate who has the ability to perform well on the job.  You can showcase your grades, dean’s list awards, participation in the events etc.

Demonstrating your accomplishments gives the employers a chance to see that you display discipline, commitment and that you are an agile learner. These are all traits that employers are looking for in a new graduate.

Look beyond your degree

Most of the graduates think they are limited to the field they studied in. While your degree will certainly help you land a job in that industry, you should not limit yourself if you are interested in another career path. Many entry-level positions require a general bachelor’s degree and upward mobility comes more from experience than it does from your degree.

Follow-up

You can follow up at least a week after applying. You can also try finding the hiring manager’s contact details and write a personalized follow-up email. If there is no response for more than two weeks, call the company to make sure that they have received your application.

As a fresh graduate, it is all about playing to your strengths and ensuring you can demonstrate how all of your experiences such as work, university, extracurricular or your general life can relate back to the job you are applying for.

We are positive that these tips will bear fruit! Remember to stay focused and you will get there. Good luck!

--

Make sure to check out our social media to keep track of the latest content.

Instagram - @qatarliving

Twitter - @qatarliving

Facebook - Qatar Living